Michael is a Black Latino man who is as happy as he ever thought he could be. He is married to the love of his life and is a new father to baby Victoria. But like all perfect times in life the next storm is right around the corner. For Michael, it comes when on a normal night starts like any other night; he begins to lock up the hardware store that has been in his family for decades. His wife and daughter visit then leave and in the midst of a few seconds and series of choices that seemed so normal his life changes. Those choices soon turn into mistakes as he wakes up in a hospital bed handcuffed to a bed and charged with murder. It is in his reflection of the events of that night and the racially fueled misrepresentation of the facts by the police in his trail that landed him in jail, an innocent man. A love story mixed with the reality of a legal system that is in some cases still racially motivated. Will the real story of that night ever be told? Will Michael get a second trial and be found innocent? But the most important question is, when will it be the norm for all men to be created equal? When will all of us own that as a right that we are gifted as an American citizen? Maybe now, maybe later or maybe… never.
*Performer is written as a Black Latino man, however with publisher permission the race or preferred gender of the character may be changed. However, the performer must be an actor of color as this story does deal with racial discrimination.
More Than a Number
(Scene opens with Micheal, a mixed-race man stands over a baby changing table. He makes faces to the baby below him. Lots of laughter, lots of joy, a truly proud father moment. He begins to change the baby’s diaper as he talks to the audience.)
I have so many lasting memory- moments that I’ve had in my young life. I’m not exactly sure where to begin. Not all of them have been good moments, but the moment I met my wife, Selena would be the first time I realized it was possible to look at someone and within seconds just know if I played my cards right this amazing woman could be mine forever. I didn’t know that moment could be topped until she told me that we were having a baby. I thought for sure I would always want a little boy. I played sports as a kid with my dad, and he taught me all the things like throwing a baseball, catching a football, even thought it was a good idea to attempt to teach me how to bowl, but even the light balls were too heavy for my little scraggly arms and he refused to let me use the rails. (laughs) I was in the right head space to be a dad, we were ready, and when we found out, it was going to be a little girl I thought, maybe baseball could be softball and maybe football could be tennis? (smiles) And hell yes to the rails at the bowling alley, anything for my little girl. Selena didn’t care. All she wanted was a happy, healthy baby girl or a boy it honestly didn’t matter and the more she said that the more I said it too. (looks down at the baby) This little bundle of joy is Victoria. She’s the light of my life and her light shines so bright.