BOYS LIKE US

This is a sneak preview sample of BOYS LIKE US

Synopsis

A one act play explores an imaginary dream sequence where the Exonerated Central Park Five (Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana Jr., Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise.) meets the Scottsboro Boys (Haywood Patterson, Charlie Weems, Ozie Powell, Clarence Norris, Olen Montgomery, Willie Roberson, Eugene Williams, Andy Wright, and Leroy “Roy” Wright) from the 1930s who were accused of raping two white women in Alabama. They befriended each other and shared their similar tragic injustice events with each other and the audience.

There are 25 cast of characters

***In the Opening, Scottsboro Boys are dressed in the 80s attire or add extra actors. One of the boys would dress as Mysterious Figure/Matias Reyes.

SCENE

NYC; Dream Sequence; Scottsboro, Alabama (Park of Dreams)

TIME

1989,1930s Dream Sequence

MUSIC PLAYING “OVERTURE-JOHN MAYER WAITING ON THE WORLD TO CHANGE -Guitar playing "John Mayer Waiting

OPENING

SETTING: Central Park; Night

AT RISE: It’s April 19, 1989 at Central Park, New York. Spotlight on TRISHA MEILI, a white female jogger dressed in a jogging attire enters and jogs to the exit. Lights up at the Central Park, A group of young teen boys enter all Blacks and Latinos dressed in 1980s. Two Guys, RAYMOND SANTANA JR., aged 14, and his friend enters, they sit on the bench CENTER STAGE chatting and waiting for their friends. One of the friends has a cassette boom box. Rap music is blazing loud from the boom box playing through the park. ANTRON MCCAY, aged 14, enters with his two friends, sees RAYMOND and another friend sitting at the bench, they greet each other and exchange “what’s up” to each other. KEVIN RICHARDSON, aged 14, enters with a basketball in his hand, throwing it in the air and catching the ball then exit. KOREY WISE, aged 16 and YUSEF SALAAM, aged 15, both enter talking and horse playing around. They stand on STAGE RIGHT having a conversation. A homeless man enters with a brown paper bag that contains a burger. A group of Boys surrounds and taunts the homeless man.

BOY#1 Hey, yo, my man, you got some money.

HOMELESS MAN No, I don’t have any money.

BOY#1 Don’t lie, I know you got some money.

HOMELESS MAN (nods) No I’m not.

(BOY # 1 sees and snatches the HOMELESS MAN’s brown paper bag.)

BOY #1 Hey! Whatchu got?

(BOY #1 looks inside the bag.)

HOMELESS MAN That’s mine!

BOY #1 Well, it’s mine now. (Looks inside the bag) Oh, you got cheeseburgers.

HOMELESS MAN (snatches the bag) Give it!

BOY # 1 I said gimme that damn sandwich.

(HOMELESS MAN tries to snatch his sandwich. BOY #1 throws a punch at HOMELESS MAN. HOMELESS MAN knocks out. KOREY, YUSEF, RAYMOND, ANTRON and his friends see the fight. A group of Boys start to attack him, beat him, hit him, and throw beer bottles until a sound of police sirens alarms the Boys. BOY #1 sees off stage.)

BOY #1 Yo, Police! Police! Run!

(KOREY and YUSEF scurry exit. The Group of BOYS including RAYMOND, ANTRON and the Injured HOMELESS MAN scattered and dispersed. Two other boys and KEVIN scream and scurry enters. KEVIN trips on the ground.)

POLICE #1 (O.S) Freeze! Or I’ll shoot!

(Two New York Police officers POLICE #1 and POLICE #2 both dressed in dark leather jackets and helmets enters. POLICE #1 scurry exit. POLICE #2 grabs and puts KEVIN down on the ground.)

POLICE #2 Gotcha! You animal!

KEVIN Wait, no! Stop! Please! Leave me alone! Help! I didn’t do anything!

(KEVIN tries to get up.)

POLICE #2 Oh now you trying to run.

(He grabs, pins KEVIN down, hits him with his helmet and handcuffs him.)

KEVIN But, I didn’t do anything! I didn’t do anything!

POLICE #2 GET UP! GET UP!

(KEVIN now in handcuffs stands up and exits. RAYMOND enters with his group of friends, they discuss and split up. BOYS scurry exit.)

POLICE #1 (O.S) Hey! Freeze!

(RAYMOND sees POLICE #2 and tries to scurry. POLICE #2 scurry enters and catches RAYMOND pins him against the wall.)

RAYMOND Yo, I didn’t do anything.

POLICE #1 Yeah, yeah. We’ll see about that!

(RAYMOND now in handcuffs stands up and exit with POLICE #1. BLACKOUT. A voiceover of a news reporter reporting a woman found beaten and raped in the park. FADES TO BLACKOUT.END OF OPENING.)

ACT ONE

SCENE ONE

SETTING: Precinct

AT RISE: Lights lit up. All five boys stand in a line. Kevin, Raymond, Antron, Yusef and Korey.

POLICE (V.O) Step Forward.

(KEVIN takes a step forward. Spotlight on KEVIN.)

POLICE (V.O) Face front.

(KEVIN holds up a mugshot board. Click! The sound of the camera clicks.)

POLICE (V.O) Side.

(KEVIN turns the side. Click! The sound of the camera clicks. Mugshot taken. KEVIN moves aside.)

POLICE (V.O) Forward.

(RAYMOND takes a step forward. Spotlight on RAYMOND holds up a mugshot board.)

POLICE (V.O) Face front.

(Click! The sound of camera clicks.)

POLICE (V.O) Side.

(RAYMOND turns the side. Click! The sound of the camera clicks. Mugshot taken. RAYMOND moves aside.)

POLICE (V.O) Forward.

(ANTRON takes a step forward and holds up a mugshot board. Spotlight on ANTRON.)

POLICE (V.O) Face front.

(Click! The sound of camera clicks.)

POLICE (V.O) Side.

(Mugshot taken. ANTRON moves aside. YUSEF moves forward and holds up a mugshot board.)

POLICE (V.O) Face front.

(Click! The sound of the camera clicks.)

POLICE (V.O) Side.

(Mugshot taken. YUSEF moves aside. Lastly, KOREY moves forward and holds up a mugshot board.)

POLICE (V.O) Face front.

(Click! The sound of camera clicks.)

POLICE (V.O) Side.

(Mugshot taken. KOREY moves aside. Spotlight on all five boys standing facing the audience.)

“Just Like Us, Just Like Them”

KOREY It was the night that changed our lives forever. April 19, 1989. The moment when that night became our nightmares. It started with a group of teenagers, about 15 or maybe 40 of them including us. All Blacks and Latinos teens horse playing around the park. Just being boys enjoying ourselves you know, trying to stay out of trouble until a group of teens we never met beat up a homeless man right in front of us. It was the moment that everyone knew our names: Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana Jr., Antron McCay, and Me (Korey Wise). All five of us were ages 14 to 16.

YUSEF A white woman jogging through Central Park at night was found naked, gagged, and tied. We never saw this woman, nor have we ever met this woman.

RAYMOND Of course, we were all there in the park. Blacks and Latinos Teens alike. Including us. Five of us Kids. We never thought this would happen to us. But why us? We were young boys from Harlem until we faced an unthinkable crime we were accused of.

ANTRON Who knew? That this would be us. Who knew? That this is how we will end up. For the rest of our lives.

CENTRAL PARK FIVE BOYS The rest of our lives, The rest of our lives, The rest of our lives, The rest of our lives.

YUSEF Waiting. We spent the rest of our lives waiting. Waiting for the world to know that we are innocent. We spent our years behind bars waiting for them to believe. That her blood wasn't in our hands. We waited for the moment to be free. We waited for a change. A Change for the injustice. A change for the youths.

KEVIN You too would feel the same way if you were in our shoes. We’re innocent yet no one believes us. And yet No one seemed to care to believe us. Look at us! Who will believe us? Are they saying we’re guilty because we were at the park? Or they are saying that because of what we are. Is it a crime to be a black teenager? Look at us! If we were white teenagers, would they do the same thing? Our families know us. They know we’re not like that. They know we shouldn’t be treated like we’re criminals. They know we don’t deserve it.

(A sound of train toots and stops. CENTRAL PARK FIVE BOYS exit. SCOTTSBORO BOYS some dressed in overalls, and some are dressed in sweaters with dress pants: Haywood Patterson (18), Clarence Norris (19), Charlie Weems (19), Andy Wright (19), Leroy Wright (13), Olen Montgomery (17), Ozie (16), Willie Roberson (16), and Eugene Williams (13) enter.)

HAYWOOD And who could ever forget about us?

BOYS The Scottsboro Nine.

HAYWOOD All nine of us! All of us here. We were just like them. So young. So innocent. So helpless. So, help me God! Never knew we would be involved in something that would change our lives. But we were young, we didn’t know the law, my folks could have been wrong, anything bad could happen. Or better yet worse. In our time, it wasn't like theirs.

HAYWOOD (CONT’D) 90 years ago, we were on the Southern Railway train on our way to Memphis looking for work. I was catching a ride on the train with my friends Eugene, Andy and his younger brother, Leroy.

CLARENCE And we were on the same railway train. When I mean “we” I meant Me and Charlie. We were sitting next to them. I didn’t know them.

CHARLIE I left behind 10 siblings in rural Georgia. I came along with Clarence to find work to provide for my family.

OZIE I was on board. I was riding alone.

WILLIE I was suffering an illness needed money for my medication. So, I hopped on the railway train.

OLEN And me, I’m just practically blind musician traveling alone. And-

SCOTTSBORO BOYS We didn’t know each other.

LEROY We were all sitting in the train until a group of white teen hoboes walked along the train tracks back toward the station.

(A sound of a train tooting again. SCOTTSBORO BOYS sit in their seats. CENTRAL PARK FIVE BOYS sit behind them and watch the scenery. Train toots and chugs. THREE WHITE HOBO MALE TEENAGERS enter. They see the SCOTTSBORO BOYS and glance at HAYWOOD. WHITE HOBO TEEN # 1 foot stepped on HAYWOOD PATTERSON’S hand.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN # 1 Hey!

(HAYWOOD moves his hand and looks up at THREE WHITE HOBO MALE TEENAGERS.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN #2 Hey nigger what do think you’re doing here? Huh?! Huh?!

(HAYWOOD sits, not looking at the group of WHITE TEEN HOBOS and says nothing.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN # 3 Look at him! He’s not even listening.

WHITE HOBO TEEN#3 (CONT’D) (to Haywood) Hey!

WHITE HOBO TEEN #2 Didn’t anybody tell you this is a white men’s train. So, I suggest you and your friends get off the train. Now leave!

(HAYWOOD stands up.)

HAYWOOD And what if we don’t leave? You white son of bitches. Yeah, I said it. You think I’m scared of y’all. Whatcha gonna do if we don’t leave?

(WHITE HOBO TEEN #1 grabs HAYWOOD by the shirt.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN #1 Listen here, Nigger bastard, this white men’s train. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Now you need to get the hell off this train and take your negro friends with you.

(HAYWOOD avoids and tries to sit down. WHITE HOBO TEEN #1 grabs him again.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN #1 I said get off the white men train.

(HAYWOOD pushes and throws a punch at WHITE HOBO TEEN #1. SCOTTBORO BOYS sees the fight and CHARLIE, and ANDY joins in and fights the WHITE HOBO TEENS. They start to fight. FADES TO BLACKOUT. Lights up at the SCOTTSBORO BOYS and WHITE HOBO TEENS standing next to the SHERIFF#1.)

WHITE HOBO TEEN # 1 Sheriff, those are negros attacked us on this train.

SHERIFF #1 So which one of you are the ones who attacked this young man on the train? Huh?

HAYWOOD I did, Sheriff.

SHERIFF #1 And who are you, boy?

HAYWOOD Haywood Patterson, sir.

(SHERIFF #2 enters with VICTORIA PRICE and RUBY BATES both dressed in overalls. VICTORIA sees the SCOTTSBORO BOYS.)

VICTORIA (pointing at the Scottsboro Boys) That’s them!!! That’s them, Sheriff!!!

CHARLIE What did we do?

CLARENCE Until they pointed at us and claimed that we raped them. And we never met them.

SHERIFF #1 What happened young lady?

RUBY Those negros…. They raped us. We were raped by them.

VICTORIA All of them. (wails) They shoved their knives at our throats and forced us to have sex with us. Me and my friend Ruby.

CLARENCE They ain’t true. They are lying. We didn’t even touch you.

VICTORIA (wails) Yes you did all of you.

(The SCOTTSBORO BOYS start arguing with VICTORIA and RUBY.)

SHERIFF #1 Enough! (to Victoria and Ruby) Don’t worry, Miss, I’ll handle this.

HAYWOOD Sir we didn't do anything.

SHERIFF #1 Now come on all of you! All y’all. Y’all are under arrest.

(The SCOTTSBORO BOYS are stunned. Spotlight on HAYWOOD PATTERSON.)

HAYWOOD And just like that. Did you see that? That was us. We were just like them before their time came.

LEROY Their history was just like ours but only different except we were in time era where black people are afraid of approaching white folks. With a white foot on my black hand to a black fist on a white man’s face. That’s where are fin. We were nine to five.

ALL Nine to Five, Nine to Five, Nine to Five.

SCOTTSBORO BOYS We are the Nines.

ALL And this is our story.

HAYWOOD Our story filled with accusation, discrimination.

ALL And exoneration.

HAYWOOD In the end.

CENTRAL PARK BOYS (glance at the Scottsboro Boys) We were just like them.

SCOTTSBORO BOYS (glance at the Central Park Five) And they were just like us.

CENTRAL PARK FIVE BOYS We survived.

SCOTTSBORO BOYS But we died.

(A voice of news reports, documentaries, voices of the real exonerated central park five playing while CENTRAL PARK FIVE and SCOTTSBORO BOYS stare at each other face to face mirror. They silently move back from each other. FADES TO BLACKOUT. END OF SCENE ONE.)

Full Script COMING SOON!!!!!!

"Just Like Us, Just Like Them"