by Yvonne Singer

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Sarah: A thirty-two year old college graduate. She has a severe case of Cerebral Palsy, which affects all of her limbs. She is confined to a manual wheelchair. She is five feet tall. She has straight red hair that is cut at shoulder length. She wears red socks, black jeans, and a red T-shirt. She is a lesbian.

Mother: A fifty year old petite homemaker. She wears black, skin tight pants, an orange knit sweater, orange socks, and a pair of black loafers. She has short, brown curly hair and brown eyes.

Father: A fifty-three year biologist. He stands six feet tall, has gray short hair, and hazel blue eyes. He wears wire frame glasses, blue jeans, a purple, short sleeve, buttoned down shirt, white socks, and running sneakers.

Bobbins: A twenty-five year old female attendant. She stands five feet six inches tall and weighs approximately two hundred pounds. She has long spaghetti hair cut at shoulder length and blue eyes. She wears baggy blue jeans, blue running sneakers, and a black T-shirt. She is a lesbian.

Cannon: A talking, black laptop computer. He is resting on the small round table and one year old.

Narrator: A man, in his early thirties, stands five feet eight inches tall. He wears blue jeans, a white buttoned down, shirt, a tweed jacket, black socks, and black loafers. He has short curly brown hair.

Narrator: (enters through the door and stands at center stage) Cerebral Palsy is brain damage. It is either acquired at birth or from a head injury due to a lack of oxygen to the brain. Also, it is not progressive and contagious. People, with Cerebral Palsy, can lead productive lives. In other words, they can be mainstreamed into public school, attend college, obtain jobs, date, get married, and raise families. Unfortunately, family members, educators, doctors, and employers would rather place the physically disabled individuals in state institutions than give them opportunities to succeed as productive members of society.

Narrator: (exits)

SCENE II: The stage resembles a bedroom. There a cot located near the right side of center stage. A stuffed rabbit, named Carrot-Top, sits in the middle of the cot. There is a laptop on the left side of center stage, which sits on a small round table. A wooden door stands at the upstage left entrance / exit. The bedroom is brightly lighted.

Sarah is sitting in her wheelchair at center stage. Mother and Father just inform her, "We are going to have to institutionalize you because we are too old to care for you." Sarah is furious because she does not want to die in a prison cell. Instead, she desperately wants to move to an apartment and hire full-time nursing care. Parents locked Sarah in her bedroom. She attempts to confront them, but she ends up falling asleep with Carrot-Top.

Sarah is sitting in her wheelchair at center stage.

Sarah: (sobbing with tears falling down her face; looks at the audience) Why? Just tell-

Sarah: (stomps feet on floor. Mouth is wide open as snot begins to drip from her nose) AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! SHIT! FUCK! GOD DAMM-IT! (bangs her left arm on the arm rest)

Sarah: Don't under-stand why (gasp for air) they- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Sarah: (slides out of wheelchair on the floor and gets on her knees. Since the wheelchair's brakes are not on, wheelchair rolls far upstage.) won't let me live. I am not a rot-ten veg! (looks at Carrot-top) Sighs! Getting mmmy masters, de-sign web pppppage, gett-ing yobs [jobs]-

Sarah: (knee walks over to Carrot-Top) doesn't mmmean a fuck-ing thing! (grabs Carrot-Top with her left hand and knee walks back to center stage)

Sarah: (hugs Carrot-Top and SIGHS) If I didn't hhhave CP, no prob [problem] of be-ing free. Do what-ever I want, boy!

Sarah: (kisses Carrot-Top as tears continue to fall) Mot-her's scared aides would kill me. (trembling) That's why I'm stuck in ho-use for-ever. SIGH. Can't even call for hhhelp. No phone. FUCK! AAAAAHHHHHH!

Sarah: (sobbing and wipes her nose on Carrot-Top's head) THEY DON'T ANY RIGHT TO PUT ME AWAY! (rocks back and forth) I'm not a minor. I got a good good mind. I'm tell-ing (SIGH) ma and da, "I got rights. You go to jail if you dump me in a hhhhhell hhhole."

Sarah: (drops Carrot-Top on the floor, knee walks to the door, and tries to open the door with her right hand) IT'S LOCKED! I'M TRAPPED!

Sarah: (cries, falls backwards, and lies on her back) WHAT I'M GO- AAAAAAAHHHH!

Sarah: NOT FAIR! (stops crying) SHIT, NOT EVEN CAN-NON IS WORK WORK-ING! (new tears began to fall; she gasps for air) CAN'T EMAIL BOB-BINS!

Sarah: (knee walks to Carrot-Top) There gotta be a way out, boy! But, how? (tears fall)

Sarah: (lies down next to Carrot-Top) I love you sooooooo-

Sarah: (cries) You're the on-ly one who got fai-th in mmme.

Sarah: (grasps for air and closes her eyes) Night. (cries)

SCENE III: Mother and Father are sitting, next to each other, on cot. They are discussing why it would better to place Sarah in a nursing home than in an apartment. The stage is dark. There is a spot light located directly over the cot.

Mother and Father enter the stage, and sit on the cot.

Mother: (looking at Father with her hands on her hips) I really wish we didn't have to put Sarah away-

Father: (puts his arm around Mother's shoulders) Sigh, we don't have a choice. Look at how many aides we fired in the past year.

Mother (place her hands in her lap) A dozen. Just last week, you fired Bobbins for sexually molesting Sarah.

Father: (remove his glasses with his other hand) And to top it off, Sarah enjoyed it and now, thinks that she's a les les les- (starts to cry)

Mother: (rubs Father's with both hands) A lesbian. You know what this means?

Father: (puts his glasses back on) Sarah is easily influenced by others. If she lives in an apartment with full-time assistance, the aides will run her life for her. And besides-

Mother: (shakes her head 'YES' in agreement) We certainly don't want a lesbian for a daughter. (hold Father's hand)

Father: (sits forward) So, you should take Sarah to look at the Huck Nursing Home and leave her there? (stands up)

Mother: (stands up) Yes, I plan on doing that next week. (exits with Father)

SCENE IV: Mother enters through the wooden door, which still stands at the upstage left entrance / exit. She sits on her knees besides [on Sarah's right side] Sarah approximately four feet away from the door. Mother tries to console Sarah by attempting to explain why institutionalizing is necessary.

Mother enters through the wooden door, which still stands at the upstage left entrance / exit. She sits on her knees besides [on Sarah's right side] Sarah approximately four feet away from the door

Mother: (looks at Sarah snuggling with Carrot-Top and sings) Sweetie pie, honey-bun, you're lots of fun... (begins to rub her legs and sighs) You know mommy doesn't want to-

Sarah: (still sobbing and awake. Turns her head to the left and stomps her left foot) BULLSHIT, MOM! (drops Carrot-Top on the floor)

Mother: (picks up Carrot-Top, walks over to the bed, sits in the middle of the cot, holds Carrot-Top in her lap, looks at Sarah) After thirty-two years, this is the thanks I get. The whole neighborhood can-

Sarah: (sits up on her knees and turn around to face mother; frowns and smiles at the same time) Yup, I'm nnnnnnothing but a baby who can't pee without hhhelp! How could you after all thhese years! And (gasps for air as tears start to fall) I have done so mmmuchhhh. AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!

Mother: (places Carrot-Top on the pillow) Just stop it! Dad was right. I do treat you like a baby.

Sarah: (takes her shirt off; snot and tears were dripping into her mouth) DAMN YOU! I I I AM WO-MAN! (points to her breasts with left fist)

Mother: (stands up) Oh really! Oh Sarah, (sigh) if you could live on your own without physically depending on aides, that would be totally different. (walks over to Sarah, kneels in front of Sarah, and wipes Sarah's eyes with her hands) But, you can't shower, feed, dress, toilet, drive, cook, and do the laundry by yourself. (stands up) If you get an apartment and have aides come in, you would be dead in less than a week. They'll abuse, abandoned, rob, and murder ya.

Sarah: (places her hands on her hips and screams) Screw you! Life sucks. If you never try new shit, you'll keep shitting on the same pot. Like, I didn't know I was a lesbian until I kissed Bobbins!

Mother: (sits on the floor, picks up the shirt, and puts shirt back on Sarah; looks at Sarah in disbelief) Wait a minute, you-

Sarah: (shakes her head 'YES' and sniffles) Yup, I'm a lesi-ban.

Mother: (sits Indian Style with hands folded in lap besides Sarah) No, not my little girl. Bobbins was fired for sexually molesting ya.

Sarah: (lays flat on her back and cries; new tears blinds her eyes; screams) AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! (gasps for air: stomps both of her feet on the floor) DAD HAD NO RIGHT- AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Mother: (stands up and places hands on her hips) Oh, yes he did. Shut up and listen! As long as you're with us, you must obey us.

Sarah: (sits back on her knees; wipes her tears and snot on her left arm) THAT'S IT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH, I'M I'M MOVING OUT! (gasps for air) ONCE I'M OUT, YOU CAN ACCEPT ME OR TRASH ME. (stands on her knees) AND, DO YA KNOW WHAT? IT DOESN'T FUCKING MMMATTER WHWHAT YA THINK CAUSE I'LL BE (raises both arms above her head) I'LL BE FREE!!!

Mother: (folds her arms and shakes her head 'NO') After daddy and I are no longer here to rescue you, what would you do if one of them points a gun at ya?

Sarah: (stops crying and chuckles; sits on her knees) Good, at least I'll be ppput out of misery. Being dead is bet-ter than being chained-

Mother: Yeah, but I don't have the heart to let you defend for yourself. (bends down to tie her shoes)

Sarah: Ma, I won't die... If I get stuck in a jam, I'll call my brother and police. Stop being afraid and let me live.

Mother: (walks over to the laptop) No wonder Cannon isn't working, you knocked the plug loose. (replugs laptop into wall)

Sarah: (knee walks over to the cot and looks at Carrot-Top) Why did ya raise me to think for myself; to be self sssuff-icient? And now- (punch the cot with her left fist) NOW, YOU WON'T LET- (lower lip puckers out and new tears fall)

Mother: (turns around to face the cot) Let you go back to school, get a job, go do whatever. Do you know why? Because, adults don't cry. And, pretty soon, we've to find a nice place for ya.

Sarah: If nurs [nursing] hhhhhhhhhhome did not not ffffeed you, shshshower you, get get ya out of bbbbed for two fuck-ing (gasps for air; new snot drips onto cot and tears blind her eyes) wwweeks, you cry, too. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

Mother: This is supposed to be a college graduate! If I knew that I would've be changing diapers again, I would've never taken you home from that nursing home. My God, they were right- You're (a tear roll down her right cheek) retarded.

Sarah: (crying) GET OUT! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Mother: (walks over to the door) Where did I go wrong? (shakes her head in shame and exits)

SCENE V: There is a projector screen located between the upstage left entrance / exit and the right entrance / exit. This screen displays Cannon's actions. Sarah is sitting in her wheelchair in front of her laptop, which is on the left side of center stage. Carrot-Top is sitting on her lap. She is verbally dictating an e-mail to Bobbins. In other words, she is telling Cannon what to write to Bobbins. Cannon speaks, out loud, to Sarah. Sarah is asking Bobbins to locate an wheelchair accessible apartment and to live with her.

Sarah is sitting in her wheelchair in front of her laptop, which is on the left side of center stage. The screen is pulled down.

Sarah: (sits very straight in her wheelchair and looks at Carrot-Top) Okay, boy, you'll see Cannon at work. (smiles and kisses Carrot-Top's head)

Sarah: (looks at Cannon and firmly states) ON.

Cannon: (turns itself on and speaks) Greetings, Sarah! (the Windows '95 desktop appears on the screen)

Sarah: (has a startle reflex; both legs jump up and hit the table; Carrot-Top loses his balance and he falls to the floor, left side of the wheelchair. She looks at him) You're on your back, again. I thought you wanna help your mamma.

Cannon: Screen Saver will go on.

Sarah: (looks at Cannon in a state of panic) GO TO NETSCAPE.

Cannon: Confirmed (Netscape comes on the screen)

Sarah: (wraps both arms around the wheelchair's handle bars) GO TO E-MAIL.

Cannon: Confirmed. (e-mail file opens up and appears on the screen) Read messages, compose a message, delete messages, print messages.

Sarah: (a tear moistens her left cheek and bites her lower lip) COMPOSE MESSAGE.

Cannon: Confirmed. (an e-mail blank message fills the entire screen) E-mail address.

Sarah: BO@IST.CO.NET . ENTER (move her wheelchair an inch back from the table by kicking her right foot on the floor)

Cannon: Confirmed. Subject. (cursor is blinking on the subject line)

Sarah: (SIGH) NEED YOUR HELP! ENTER (remove her arms from wheelchair's handle bars and place them in her lap)

Cannon: Confirmed. (cursor now blinks in the message area) Type message now.

Sarah: HI... I GOT AN IDEA! LET'S GET AN APARTMENT. IF YOU WANNA WORK FOR ME FULL-TIME, I'LL DOUBLE SALARY.

Cannon: Beep! Too many words on one line. (makes two lines) Start new line. Confirmed.

Sarah: (stares up at ceiling) THIS SHOULDN'T FREAK

Cannon: Unknown word in dictionary. Accept, disregard, leave as is.

Sarah: LEAVE AS IS (crosses her legs)

Cannon: Confirmed. Continue with message!

Sarah: YOU OUT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER FOR EIGHT YEARS AND

Cannon: Confirmed. Start new line.

Sarah: (uncrosses her legs; move her wheelchair closer to the table by kicking both feet on the floor in a forward motion) YOU KNOW MY FOLKS REFUSE TO SNIP THE APRON STRINGS.

Cannon: Confirmed. Start new line.

Sarah: (scratches her nose with her left hand) PLEASE, COME QUICKLY. LOVE, SARAH.... SEND MESSAGE.

Cannon: Message has been sent. (message disappears from the screen)

Sarah: (places left hand in her lap and wraps her right arm around her wheelchair handle bars) EXIT NETSCAPE.

Cannon: Are you sure?

Sarah: YES.

Cannon: Confirmed. (Windows '95 desktop appears on the screen)

Sarah: SHUT DOWN.

Cannon: Every thing will work out. (turns itself off)

Sarah: (eyes pop out and mouth fell to the floor while staring at Cannon) WHAT DID YOU SAY! TURN ON.

Cannon: (comes back on) Greetings, Sarah.

Sarah: (realizes that Cannon did not say that; frowns) My mind is turning into mush. SHUT DOWN. (looks down at Carrot-Top) Are you trying to talk, boy?

Cannon: Bye, Sarah. (turns itself off)

Sarah: (wipes her eyes with her right) Whew! Cannon must be malfunctioning, again.

SCENE VI: Father attempts to convince Sarah that entering a nursing home would be the best thing for everybody. Even though Sarah hate this whole idea, she attempts to play games with his mind so that he will leave her alone. Sarah knows that her parents refuse to assist in exploring other living arrangements.

Sarah is now laying , on her back, in the cot and snuggling with Carrot-Top. Her wheelchair is located at center stage facing the audience . Father is knocking on the bedroom door.

Sarah: (KNOCK, KNOCK) Now, what! (frowns)

Father: CAN DADDY COME IN?

Sarah: Go drop dead! (kisses Carrot-Top's head)

Father: (opens the door, walks in, and sits in the wheelchair) I had enough of your yelling. People will think that I'm beating you up.

Sarah: (rolls onto her tummy and Carrot-Top falls to the floor) You are.

Father: (turns the wheelchair to face Sarah) You should be ashamed of yourself howling like a lost puppy. If you were anything like your brother, you would be employed, married, and living in Boston.

Sarah: (throws her pillow on the floor) After all these years, (laughs) you still think- Geez, I'm not able-bodied like Ted! What are you, fucking nuts! (gasps for air)

Father: (hands folded in lap as he slouches in the wheelchair) Mommy and I are sick. Mom has a weak heart. I got high blood pressure, Diabetes, and also a bad heart.

Sarah: (rolls onto her back and stares at the ceiling) Yeah, you guys have been ill for years. Why did ya wait soooooo (gasps for air and sniffles) long to put me away?

Father: (sits upright in the wheelchair) You've to ask mom. (shrugs his shoulders)

Sarah: (throws her blanket on the floor) Go ahead, put me away. But, you can't take my mind away. (SIGHS) What are you waiting for?

Father: I didn't know you felt this way. (stands up) So, why are you giving mom grief?

Sarah: (new tears fall as her lower lip quivers) After after ya pppputtt mmme aaaaaway, I'll eeeeeeescape. (gasps for air)

Father: I just don't understand- (throws both arms in the air) One minute, you're happy. (slaps his hands on his knees). The next minute, you're throwing boulders.

Sarah: (crawls out of the cot onto the floor; sitting on her knees facing Father. Picks up Carrot-Top off the floor and holds Carrot-Top in her lap) Yup, that's right. (begins to sob)

Father: (looks around the room) Where's your pile of dirty clothes?

Sarah: (stares at the floor) Bob Bobbins wash wash-ing them. (tears and snot are dripping onto Carrot-Top's head)

Father: (walks behind the wheelchair and grabs the handle bars) I thought that mom does that.

Sarah: (rocks back and forth while holding Carrot-Top) Nope!

Father: (looks at Sarah) Wait a second, I fired her last week! (raises his eye brows) Have you been in touch with her?

Sarah: (looks at Father) How could I see Bobbins, AAAAAAHHHHH, (throws Carrot-Top on the floor) when I'm locked in this FFFFFUCKING room (new tears streak her face)

Father: (pushes wheelchair far upstage; turns to face Sarah; not knowing what to say) Very well, I'll tell mom to finalize the plans. (exits through the door)

Sarah: (looks at the door and screams) YOU BASTARD, YOU DON'T HAVE A A CLUE! (throws Carrot-Top at the door) AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!

SCENE VII: Bobbins comes to Sarah's bedroom. Bobbins tells Sarah, "I found an apartment for us and I will be your full-time aide." Father enters the bedroom and tries to prevent Sarah from leaving. Sarah leaves the house, without making peace with Mother and Father, to start a brand new life.

Sarah is resting, on her stomach, in bed. Carrot-Top is sitting in the wheelchair, which is at center stage. Bobbins knocks at the door.

Sarah: (knock, knock) Just shoot me, guys! (whimpers) What are you waiting for?

Bobbins: (standing out the door) It's me, your Bobbins! I've some really great news!

Sarah: (sits up with feet on floor and smiles) YOU GOT MY E-MAIL! YESSS! (bounces on bed)

Bobbins: (cracks the door open and peaks in) Hush, your folks are asleep.

Sarah: (looks at the door and signals Bobbins to come in with her left hand) Talk to me.

Bobbins: (enters and sits on the cot, on Sarah's left side) Got us an awesome place to live.

Sarah: (leans her head on Bobbins' shoulder as a tear fell down her right cheek) It's been so hard without you. SIGH, is the apartment wheelchair accessible? And you're really serious about

Bobbins: (put her right arm around Sarah's waist) Of course, the pad is on ground level! If I didn't love you and care about ya so much, I certainly wouldn't have search for a cool pad, fixed the pad up, and be here to help ya escape.

Sarah: (smiles) Thanks. I would die without you. Oh, I love ya sooo!

Bobbins: No prob [problem], kiddo! Now we're a couple, you don't have to pay me. (French kisses Sarah) Let me lay you down cause I wanna pack Cannon up and put you in your wheelchair.

Sarah: Okay. After we get settled in, mom and dad can do whatever the HELL they want. If they yell over phone, I'll hang up. (begins to cry)

Bobbins: (lays Sarah on back and kissed her on the lips) Don't worry about them. Think about us.

Sarah: (looks at Bobbins and smiles) Can't recall the last time we touched.

Bobbins: (gets off the cot) Last week. Your daddy caught us in the T.V. room... He fired-

Sarah: (sits up in bed) Oh yeah. It seemed like years ago. Sorry, love. (stares down at the floor)

Projector screen comes down.

Bobbins: (walks over to Cannon)

Cannon: Greetings Sarah!

Bobbins: OFF.

Cannon: Have a safe trip. (turns itself off)

Bobbins: (stares at Cannon) It's malfunctioning, Sarah!

Projector screen rolls back up.

Bobbins: (unplugs Cannon, folds Cannon) No need to apologize. But, Carrot-Top better get out of the wheelchair. (walks over to the wheelchair)

Sarah: I still don't understand why-

Bobbins: (pushes the wheelchair over to the cot; places Carrot-Top on Sarah's pillow) Because your folks are morons for not seeing you as a woman. (lifts Sarah into the wheelchair) So sad, but we got each other, now.

Sarah: (leans her head back and French kisses Bobbins) Don't forget to put Cannon on my lap.

Father: (opens the door) GET OUT OF MY KID'S ROOM!

Bobbins: (places Cannon in Sarah's lap, turns Sarah to face the door) Please, move, sir!

Father: (stands in front the door) BOBBINS, LEAVE RIGHT NOW OR ELSE I'M CALLING THE POLICE!

Sarah: Dad, get the fuck out! (arms flail in all crazy directions)

Father: (grabs the wheelchair's arm rests and tries to push Sarah back) I CAN'T LET MY CRIPPLE BABY GO!

Bobbins: (still stands behind Sarah's wheelchair) Pop, move it before Sarah hits ya.

Sarah: (hits Father's head with both of her arms) AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Father: (lets go of the wheelchair and stands up straight; huffs and puffs) Whew, (wipes his forehead with his left hand) I'm too old for this.

Bobbins: Pop, you gotta let go, sometime. (rub Sarah's back)

Father: (enters the room and sits on the cot) Sarah, you can't go... You're not well. Bobbins will only beat the crap out of ya and turn you into a dyke. And then, you'll be sorry. (lays on the cot on his back with hand on his chest)

Sarah: (turns her head to look at Father and screams) MOM, DAD IS DYING! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Father: I'm okay. But, this is why (points to his heart) we've to put ya away.

Sarah: (arms and legs flail; tears fall) NOOOOOO!

Bobbins: (calms Sarah down by rubbing her shoulders) Pop, you'll be put away, first! (exits with Sarah)