For this one, you must release your supernatural feelings but save your image.
THE AWARD (any gender, mid teens through late life)
[looking out at the "crowd" and hyperventilating, slightly]
Oh wow. I mean WOW, right? I never, NEVER would have thought that I could win this kind of--
[gesture to the left]
Well, THAT kind of award.
[look left]
Thanks, for holding onto it for me, Chris. I'm trembling so bad I know I'd drop it. Would that be a first on network TV? Ha!
[look back towards the "crowd" and gulp]
Looks like I can't even keep my hand steady enough to hold my own note cards.
[look left]
Chris you still good to hold onto it? You look a little uncomfortable-- those things are always heavier than they look I guess, right? Ha!
[look back towards the "crowd"]
So, I just want to say, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I don't... I don't think any of you know how life changing this is. How MIND changing. All I did was work hard as an actor... and suddenly I get this response that my work is not only accepted, but CELEBRATED. I really feel like... like... like... a PERSON and not a total freak--
But not like a FREAK, freak. I mean just like someone who feels lonely sometimes.
[look left]
Chis, you doin' okay? Ha!
[look out towards the "crowd"]
Chris is sweating even more than I am, I guess. But yeah, lonely. I now understand that it's okay to feel different. We ALL have our reasons for feeling different. Some of us might be super sensitive. Some of us might be dyslexic. Some of us might be mildly pyrokinetic-- ha! Joke. Joke!
[look quickly and anxiously to the left, then back to the "crowd"]
But the we all have our things that make us feel different. But that award-- THAT award, shows us that we can all be different but ACCEPTED. And hey, even something like pyrokinesis doesn't make someone BAD, it's just--
[look to the left]
Oh God. Chris, the award. I'm focussing on it too much. Your poor hands, put it down, Chris, put it down!
[look to the "crowd"]
Ha! Joke, joke, joke. But, yes I think I'll just put my sleeves over my hands, pick up that award and... and head out into a world... a world that I now know can... accept me?
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes.
If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"