The December People’s Choice Award goes to…
The people have spoken… The December People’s Choice Award goes to Claire Abramovitz for her play Phantom of the Slopera, presented as a staged reading at The Producers Club and via livestream on December 8, 2025. Congratulations, Claire!
Courtesy of Claire, we’re pleased to share the first few pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!
Phantom of the Slopera
by Claire Abramovitz
CHARACTERS
Christine: A beautiful dreamer and office admin, 20s, F,
Phantom.ai: A dark angel, any age, M
Wee Midwestern Lad: A wee midwestern lad, teens, any gender
We open on a typical office, a beautiful woman in an opera costume is sitting at a desk looking at a blank draft email.
CHRISTINE
And now to write a beautiful and perfect hand crafted email…
PHANTOM.AI (OFF)
(whispering)
Christiiiiine….
CHRISTINE
Here I go. My fingers are ready to type the words that my own brain is coming up with.
In a huge dramatic gesture she raises her fingers and dramatic organ music starts playing She whips her head around and lowers her fingers. The music stops.
CHRISTINE
Strange.
(beat)
Anyway. Time for human thoughts from my beautiful human mind. In another dramatic gesture she raises her fingers once more and the music begins again.
PHANTOM.AI (OFF)
(whispering, but louder this time)
Christiiiiiiiiiine……….. come to me…….
CHRISTINE
Hello? Who calls while I am trying to write this one simple and elegant email?
PHANTOM.AI (OFF)
It is I……………… Christine………………………..
CHRISTINE
Are you…………….. my guardian angel?
PHANTOM.AI (OFF)
Yes……. of course…….. that is definitely who I am…………
(beat)
Come to me…………… Christine………………….
CHRISTINE
You’re here?
PHANTOM.AI
You are my muse………. My beautiful angel of emails…….. such heavenly content you create………….
(beat)
Come to me Christine……………………… you and all your marvelous data………… come to me……………..
In a trance like state Christine rises and slowly begins walking down a candlelit corridor as her computer fades behind her She finds herself alone at the end in a strange room where everything is a little too polished but something is still off – like whoever built this place doesn’t actually know how many fingers a normal human person has
CHRISTINE
I’m here…….. I’m here my guardian angel………
From the shadows appears a Phantom-esque man, he has the mask and everything but he has way too many fingers and teeth
PHANTOM.AI
It’s you……..
CHRISTINE
You’re……. My angel?
PHANTOM.AI
(in an uncanny almost human tone)
An angel is a supernatural being found in the literature of the bible. The angel is a being that is neither human nor God. Would you like me to re-summarize angel for you?
TO BE CONTINUED…
Join us for the next Monday Night PlayGround-NY, live at The Producers Club and simulcast! For more info, click here!