The December People’s Choice Award goes to…

Posted by on January 7, 2022

The people have spoken… The December People’s Choice Award goes to Ruth Geye for her short play, Chelm, KS, presented as a staged reading Simulcast & On-Demand via Vimeo Live on December 27th. Congratulations, Ruth!

Courtesy of Ruth, we’re pleased to share the first few pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!

CHELM, KS
by Ruth Geye

CHARACTERS

MORDI (M, 7-9 y/o) a curious little boy
ROSE (F, 20s/30s) his mother
THE DREYDL (X, ageless) an animate lump of clay
note: the character does not have an age or gender, but does have a deep, resonant voice.

SETTING

TIME: long after dark on the night before the first night of Hanukkah, 5682
[Late Saturday night, December 24th, 1921]
PLACE: a modest house in the strange little town of Chelm, Kansas

I have a little dreidel
I made it out of clay
And when it’s dry and ready
Oh dreidel I shall play…
– traditional, attributed to
Samuel S. Grossman

Rose sits on the edge of the bed in a stiff, yoked nightgown. Her son, Mordi, rests
his head in her lap.

ROSE

…But the rabbi was clever. Just like you.
He grabbed a hold of the golem’s head. And on his forehead,
where the word “emet” was written, he smeared the aleph,
leaving just “met.” Death.
And the golem collapsed. Right where it stood.
Legend tells us, the body of Rov Loew’s golem lies there in that attic,
To
this
day.

MORDI

And then what?

ROSE

And then what what
The golem is still asleep in the attic

MORDI

Another story, mame, please?

ROSE

It’s already nearly ten.
Your father wouldn’t like you staying up so late.

MORDI

Tate isn’t here.

ROSE

You should get your rest.
Tomorrow night is Khanike.

Rose kisses the top of Mordi’s head and tucks him in. A big, unpainted clay dreidel
across the room catches her eye.

ROSE

You didn’t finish your dreydl yet?

Mordi shakes his head.

MORDI

The clay is still wet. I can’t paint it.

ROSE
Let’s open a window. The cold air will dry it out.

(Rose sets the tray with the unfinished clay dreidel on the window sill.)

There.

Rose crosses back and stands with a hand on the knob of the kerosene lamp.

ROSE

A gite nakht, Mordi.

MORDI

‘gite nakht, mame

She turns the knob. Blackout. The door closes behind her.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Join us for the next Monday Night PlayGround on January 17th! For more info, click here!