Rebel

Photo: Futurity

ANNABELLE (mom, 30s-40s)

MCKINNEY (dad, 30s-40s)

CHARLOTTE (daughter, 7)

(The kitchen of a suburban, southern home in the 1990s. Annabelle is on the phone chattering away while cleaning up the remains of lunch. McKinney is reading a book, HOW TO BECOME RICH BY STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB. Throughout the play, Charlotte sits in a corner of the stage—her room—working quietly and diligently on a craft project that we can see involves scissors and fabric. Maybe we even glimpse images of paper dolls, but we can’t tell what it is she’s cutting.)

ANNABELLE

(in phone)

Of course I don’t think it’s right, but it’s none…it’s none of their business…Sure, a rude way to go about it, then… Mmmhmm, bye.

(to McKinney)

Where’s Charlotte?

MCKINNEY

Outside.

ANNABELLE

Doing what?

MCKINNEY

Working on her castle.

ANNABELLE

I thought she was out of chalk.

MCKINNEY

I brought home some.

ANNABELLE

Someone stole Bob Dawson’s flag off his lawn.

MCKINNEY

‘Bout time.

ANNABELLE

Just ‘cause you don’t agree with it don’t make it okay for someone to steal it.

MCKINNEY

Sure it does.

ANNABELLE

It was his property.

(McKinney disagrees.)

ANNABELLE

(seeing a tub of chalk under the table)

This the chalk you brought home?

MCKINNEY

Charrrrrloooootte! Maybe she’s in her room.

(Charlotte responds to the call, enters the kitchen.)

MCKINNEY

Whatcha doing, sweet pea?

CHARLOTTE

Project.

MCKINNEY

What kind of project?

ANNABELLE

Take this chalk your dad got you to your room.

(Charlotte exits with the chalk. She takes it to her room and resumes her project.)

ANNABELLE

Of course it’s nasty, but that don’t justify robbery.

MCKINNEY

Sure, it does.

ANNABELLE

What kind of project did she say she was doing?

MCKINNEY

She didn’t.

ANNABELLE

I tell you what—I’m not cleaning up nail polish off that rug again.

(Annabelle walks back to Charlotte’s room and peeks inside, unnoticed by Charlotte. What she sees upsets her. She returns to the kitchen and motions for McKinney to go to Charlotte’s room. He does. Annabelle waits. He returns with a snicker on his face.)

ANNABELLE

It’s not funny.

MCKINNEY

Little bit.

ANNABELLE

Talk to her!

(McKinney casually returns to Charlotte’s room where she’s still cutting paper dolls, oblivious.)

MCKINNEY

Hi Ho.

CHARLOTTE
(jarred, nervously)

Hi Ho.

MCKINNEY

Making some paper dolls?

(Charlotte nods.)

MCKINNEY

What ya’ making ‘em out of?

CHARLOTTE

Something I found.

MCKINNEY

Is it a flag you found?

CHARLOTTE

Yeah, I think so.

MCKINNEY

Where’d you find it?

CHARLOTTE

Outside.

MCKINNEY

Did you find it at Mr. Dawson’s?

CHARLOTTE

I think so.

MCKINNEY

That flag belonged to him.

(Beat.)

CHARLOTTE

I had to.

MCKINNEY

What do you mean?

CHARLOTTE

Grandma told me to.

(Beat.)

MCKINNEY

When?

(Beat.)

CHARLOTTE

Yesterday.

(McKinney returns to the kitchen. Annabelle is eager to hear.)

MCKINNEY

She said, uh. Well.

ANNABELLE

What!

MCKINNEY

She said grandma told her to.

ANNABELLE

When?

MCKINNEY

Yesterday.

ANNABELLE

How on—

(Annabelle hurries to Charlotte’s room in a fuss.)

ANNABELLE

(angrily)

Grandma told you to take that flag?

(Charlotte says nothing.)

ANNABELLE

When?

(Charlotte says nothing.)

ANNABELLE

Grandma didn’t talk to you, did she. Did she!

CHARLOTTE

I said it ‘cause!

ANNABELLE

‘Cause why!

CHARLOTTE

‘Cause!

(Beat.)

CHARLOTTE

‘Cause I want you to leave me alone.

ANNABELLE

What’s that gotta do with Grandma?

CHARLOTTE

If I said a dead person told me…

(McKinney walks in.)

ANNABELLE

(to McKinney)

She lied.

MCKINNEY

Why’d you lie, pea?

(No answer.)

ANNABELLE

Why’d you do it then, how ‘bout that?

ANNABELLE

Why’d you take that flag?

(No answer.)

CHARLOTTE

It made Natalie cry.

MCKINNEY

(sitting down with her)

What’s with the dolls, huh?

CHARLOTTE

I just like them.