MARGO
By Madeline Bain
Scene 1
Setting: A dance studio. There is a barre against the back wall. The rest of the room is empty.
(MARGO is standing with her leg up on the barre, tying her pointe shoe. Her other foot is bare.)
(BRI enters)
MARGO
Bri!
BRI
Hey!
MARGO
So wassup.
BRI
Not much, not much. Been a whole…
(looks at phone in hand)
11 hours since I’ve seen you?
MARGO
Yup, yup. I don’t think there’s been a day that I’ve gone to sleep before 1 AM this week. Because of dance! 10:00 is just so late for class. Plus, of course, AP psych homework.
BRI
Yeah… True.
MARGO
I really hate fall of senior year.
BRI
You’re the one who choose to take 5 AP classes.
MARGO
What? Well, yea, absolutely! I’m not complaining really. Just saying.
BRI
I mean, you’re kind of complaining.
MARGO
Ok, fine. I guess. I’m just tired. I’m running on 5 hours of sleep, remember?
BRI
Me too.
(silence)
MARGO
Wanna check your horoscope?
BRI
My horoscope?
MARGO
Yes! I’m trying something new. By reading a positive prediction about your day, it is apparently more likely to actually be better? I don’t know, but… I got an app. It’s going well, so far, I think.
BRI
Oh my gosh, Margo, I swear. By wasting 10 minutes reading a horoscope, you’ve already wasted 10 minutes you could have used to-
MARGO
Wait! Joke’s on you, Bri, because I’M gonna have a prosperous day and will succeed- wait, no. That’s Taurus. Shoot, where’s Aries…
BRI
Exactly. Check Sagittarius.
MARGO
Ok one sec, I’m looking for mine. And I thought you said this was dumb!
BRI
I just think you have to realize that horoscopes are fiction and treat them accordingly. They can still be fun and all-
MARGO
What do I do if my screen freezes every time I press the home button?
BRI
Never mind, I’ll just download it myself right now.
(She starts typing on phone in hand)
Shoot, I’ve almost exceeded my data limit.
MARGO
Ah! I found mine.
BRI
What’s your prediction, Aries?
MARGO
What the…
BRI
What?
MARGO
Ok, Bri, this is really, really strange.
BRI
Huh?
MARGO
My prediction.
BRI
(She looks down at phone in hand)
Mine is normal.
MARGO
What does it say?
BRI
Read yours first, you’ve already hyped it up.
MARGO
Ok… It doesn’t make sense, but at the same time…
BRI
Just read it!
MARGO
(reading from phone)
Aries, you are a phenomenal dancer.
BRI
Hey!
MARGO
No, there’s more.
(reading from phone.)
“Aries, you are a phenomenal dancer. Soon, your craft will turn you Russian. Be prepared to dance as sugar, as fruit, as a sprite.”
(looks up from phone)
What the-! I used up half a gigabyte of storage for this shit!
BRI
(laughs)
You’ve gotten swindled, my dear Aries.
MARGO
What does sprite even mean?
BRI
It’s like a fairy, basically.
MARGO
Ugh. What does yours say?
BRI
Pretty standard.
(reading from phone in hand.)
“Sagittarius, you will soon be proud of a family member, for they will greatly succeed in their next endeavor.”
(MADAME enters.)
MADAME
GIRLS!
(She looks around)
Where is the rest of your class?
(looks at watch)
Saturday 8:00 am pointe, right?
MARGO
Yup.
BRI
I’m guessing traffic? There is a protest a couple blocks from here.
MADAME
Fine. Well I have some business to get done anyway. You can warm up or stretch in here. There’s a class going on in studio 6, too, if you want to drop in until your fellow dancers arrive. With attendance like this, goodness. You girls better shape up if any you want to be in the Nutcracker.
MARGO
But we’re here, Madame-
MADAME
Speaking of the Nutcracker! Remind me to talk to you later, Margo.
MARGO
Ok, Yeah. Sure.
MADAME
Yes.
(hesitates)
Yup. Alright, girls. I’ll be back in about 10 minutes. Use this time in a way I would approve of.
(exits)
BRI
What’s that about?
MARGO
I have no idea…
BRI
Do you think you got the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy?
MARGO
What? No! I mean, I don’t think so.
BRI
Yeah, me neither. Huh. Well, you gotta tell me what she says after your secret meeting.
MARGO
Wait. Sugar Plum Fairy.
BRI
Um… Yes?
MARGO
A plum is a fruit.
BRI
Ok…? Congrats, you’ve been to kindergar-
MARGO
Save your sarcasm, Bri.
(reading from phone)
“Be prepared to dance sweetly, as fruit, as a sprite.” Dance sweetly- sugar. As fruit- plum. As a sprite- fairy! The Sugar Plum Fairy. The Sugar Plum Fairy!!!!
BRI
Woah.
MARGO
Did a random app just predict that I’m gonna be the Sugar Plum Fairy?!
BRI
That is CRAZY weird… I mean, it has to be a coincidence, right? High school students never get to be the Sugar Plum Fairy.
MARGO
Are you serious? That’s the part you find crazy?
BRI
No, no, no the app is creepy. Like, how could it possibly know about your life? But still. It’s super unrealistic, too.
MARGO
You’re just jealous because you got a rank ass horoscope.
BRI
What? No I’m not. My horoscope is REALISTIC and not WEIRD. It just predicts success for my family. And wait, actually, Reanne is hoping to be the Sugar Plum Fairy. And oh, look, she’s in college, too, the normal age for the Sugar Plum.
MARGO
Fine…
BRI
The other bits of your horoscope don’t make sense anyway. You just read too far into it and interpreted what you wanted to interpret.
MARGO
Yeah… I guess you’re right. Yeah. It would be impossible for an app that doesn’t know who I am to predict something like that.
BRI
Exactly. Where did you-
MARGO
Wait. Wait! No! The other part DOES make sense!
(reads from phone in hand)
“Soon, your craft will turn you Russian.” My craft is dance. “Will turn you Russian,” means the Russian dance scene! You know, the ethnic-
BRI
Yes, I’ve seen the Nutcracker. I know what the Russian dance scene is.
MARGO
Well that’s what the horoscope is saying!
BRI
How could you be in the Russian dance scene AND be the Sugar Plum Fairy?
MARGO
For someone who just KNOWS the predictions are fiction, you’re not acting very accordingly. In fact, I would dare say you’re acting defensive.
BRI
I’m NOT acting defensive.
(MARGO laughs)
(BRI laughs)
Fine Margo. Since the horoscope app that you downloaded yesterday mentions the word fruit and Russia, you WILL, without any reason for disputation, play both the part of a Russian dancer and the coveted, starring role, the Sugar Plum Fairy, in the Academy of Ballet’s performance of the Nutcracker, one of the best ballet schools in New York.
MARGO
THANK you. That’s all I wanted.
(smiles)
BRI
(smiles)
With that settled, I need to use the bathroom.
(begins to walk towards door)
MARGO
See you soon, girl.
(MADAME enters)
MADAME
Where are you headed?
BRI
Bathroom.
MADAME
Perfect. Margo, now an OK time to talk?
(BRI exits)
MARGO
Sure!
MADAME
(She walks over to Margo)
I wanted to discuss the casting of the Nutcracker.
MARGO
Ok.
MADAME
We are thinking about casting you as the lead Russian dancer. Is that something you’d be interested in?
MARGO
Yes. Yes so much. Absolutely! Wow. Yes.
MADAME
Now it’s a lot more work than- what were you last year?
MARGO
I was just an angel.
MADAME
Ah, yes. Much more demanding than that.
MARGO
(laughs)
It’s ok, I’ll handle it.
MADAME
Ok. Ok! Great.
(smiles)
That was the last puzzle piece to fit in before we post the cast list. We felt you demonstrated not only the best dancing, obviously there are many great dancers here, but the best attitude, too. Grit and determination will get you farther than you think, Margo.
MARGO
Thank you so much! I’m so glad to help! I can’t wait.
MADAME
All right.
MARGO
All right!
(BRI enters)
BRI
Whatcha talking about?
MADAME
Dance. Nothing for you to worry about. What time is it?
BRI
(looks at phone in hand)
8:25
MADAME
I’ll give them 5 more minutes. If they’re not here, class has to start-
(REANNE enters, rushing)
REANNE
I’m SO sorry, Madame. I left myself enough time to get here, I really did, but then there was a protest or something, did you see that? When I was trying to get here it was blocking off basically every entrance. I’m so so sorry.
MADAME
Don’t worry, you’re fine. As you can see, a lot of girls haven’t arrived. Why didn’t you just come with your sister? Bri was one of the only two on time. Maybe take a page out of her book?
REANNE
Oh, no, I wasn’t at home this morning, actually! I had a 6 am study group on campus for an upcoming anatomy test, which was running late, too, actually. Again, I’m sorry.
MADAME
No harm done. Get changed and stretched. We’re going to start soon.
REANNE
Oh, hey, Bri, by the way, I ran home to get my shoes before I came here, and Mom’s angry at you because you forgot to shut the window and a squirrel’s in the apartment.
BRI
Eh. She’s always angry.
REANNE
(laughs)
Actually, I guess you’re right. Squirrels can make a mess, though. Plus they can be rabid.
BRI
I hope it bites her.
MADAME
Aaaand that’s my cue to go. I’ll go get the CDs. Class starts in two.
(MADAME exits)
(BRI heads to corner and begins stretching)
REANNE
(She starts taking off her coat and outer layers of clothes, leaving her in a ballet leotard and tights)
So, Margo! I heard you have Mrs. Dunmire!
MARGO
I do.
REANNE
I had her, too, actually, when I was a senior. Do you like her?
MARGO
Are you kidding?
REANNE
Right?! She might have been the worst teacher I had in high school.
MARGO
Just so unorganized!
REANNE
Luckily, you’re smarter than me so you probably understand calc a little more, but still.
MARGO
If I was smarter than you, then I wouldn’t currently have a 68%!
REANNE
If I was smarter than YOU, then I wouldn’t have graduated with a 64%!
MARGO
Ooo, that hurts.
REANNE
Thanks for reminding me! I hurt my ankle, actually, like yesterday.
MARGO
How?
REANNE
Honestly, this is gonna sound weird, but I don’t know. I woke up and it was literally killing me.
MARGO
Huh. Well, I’m sorry.
REANNE
It’s ok. I gotta go wrap it though.
(heads to side of stage and opens bag)
(she pulls out bandage and starts wrapping her ankle)
BRI
(walks over to Margo, who’s still around center stage)
So, with Madame? The secret, private conversation! What the heck was it about?
MARGO
Dance.
(SCENE ENDS)
SCENE ENDS
Scene 2
(Lilac and Margo’s kitchen. It is small. There is a table in the middle, and three chairs pushed to the side of the stage. There is a sink at the back of stage. LILAC is doing an at-home workout video. Lilac’s computer is sitting on the table, beeping and announcing exercises while she tries to keep up.)
MARGO
(from offstage)
Helloooo?
LILAC
I’m in here MARGO! I’m working out.
MARGO
(from offstage)
In the kitchen?
(enters)
LILAC
There’s actually more space than you’d think.
(She bumps into the table)
MARGO
What do we have for dinner?
LILAC
Cereal. We might have some canned green beans left. Your choice.
MARGO
Is Dad here?
LILAC
What, to cook something?
MARGO
No. Just in general. I love my father and his wonderfully culinary hands.
LILAC
No, Margo, he’s not here. He’s out.
MARGO
(sarcastically happy)
I’ll just have cereal.
LILAC
Why the attitude?
MARGO
Again, Mom! Again? I’m not sassing you!
LILAC
Listen to yourself. Just listen. Give yourself enough respect for once to at least listen to the way you speak. I think you’d find some things that need changing.
MARGO
I swear you always try to pick a fight.
LILAC
I pay for you to be frolicking around all day-
MARGO
Do you mean dancing, Mom?
LILAC
Yes!
MARGO
Yeah, well your money is paying off.
LILAC
What did you just mumble?
MARGO
I got a big part.
LILAC
In what?
MARGO
In the Nutcracker! Christmas is three months away, Mom.
LILAC
Oh, of course! No, I knew that. We were just talking about something else and you confused me.
MARGO
Alright.
LILAC
Well, what part did you get?
MARGO
I’m gonna be a Russian dancer. Almost definitely.
LILAC
What do the Russian dancers do?
MARGO
Dance.
LILAC
I thought you wanted to be the Sugar Plum Fairy.
MARGO
What? No, that was just a theoretical goal for someday in the future. High school students almost never get that part.
LILAC
I think you’d do very good as the Snug Grape Fairy.
MARGO
Are you serious?
LILAC
What?
MARGO
It’s not called the snug grape fairy.
LILAC
Snout Necterine Fritter.
MARGO
(sighs)
Sorry I’m bothering you so much.
LILAC
No! No, sweetie, I am interested. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Come sit down.
(MARGO hesitates)
(LILAC pulls two chairs over to the table)
Let’s start over. Hi, Margo, how was your long day of dance class?
MARGO
Ok, ok, fine. My day was good.
LILAC
I am sure that you danced very well and outshone all the other girls.
MARGO
I definitely wouldn’t say that… but thank you.
LILAC
I know you said the part rarely goes to kids your age, but you have to try! Put it out into the universe. “I will be the Sugar Plum Fairy.”
MARGO
Mom, it’s ok, I don’t want it that bad. Though…
LILAC
Huh?
MARGO
Oh, nothing. I mean, it will sound very strange. In fact you probably won’t even believe me… Maybe- actually just never mind.
LILAC
No! Now you have to tell me.
MARGO
“Now you have to tell me.”
LILAC
Again with the attitude.
MARGO
What? I thought we were joking… I’m sorry.
LILAC
I’m just kidding. But c’mon Margo, we never talk any more. Tell me about what happened! I’m interested.
MARGO
We talk all the time. But fine. I got a horoscope app a couple days ago, and today it predicted that I’m going to actually get the part of the sugar plum fairy.
LILAC
What?
MARGO
Every day, based on your birthday and the alignment of stars, astrologically-
LILAC
No, no, I know what a horoscope is. I wasn’t born yesterday. I just don’t understand…
MARGO
How a random app could possibly know that I’m a dancer and that I want the part of the sugar plum fairy?
LILAC
Exactly.
MARGO
Yea, I totally didn’t believe it either! But the horoscope predicted three things for me, and the first two have already come true!
LILAC
What were they?
MARGO
Well first my horoscope told me that I’m a dancer. I guess that’s not much of a prediction, but it’s definitely true.
LILAC
Ok.
MARGO
Then it told me, “My craft would turn me Russian.” I didn’t get it, but then Madame came and told me that I got the lead Russian dancer. So that was really creepy.
LILAC
That is quite the coincidence…
MARGO
Isn’t it?
LILAC
So the third prediction granted you the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy?
MARGO
No, it didn’t grant anything. It just predicted. But it obviously knows what it is talking about!
LILAC
So are you just planning to wait until the part is dumped in your arms?
MARGO
I mean, yeah. Pretty much.
LILAC
As your mother, this is a teaching moment. Baby girl, you need to work for it.
MARGO
I do work for it, Mom, I go to dance every day after school for hours and I spend the entire weekend at the Academy-
LILAC
No, I mean nudge “fate,” in the right direction.
MARGO
What?
LILAC
I think the point of the prediction was to show you that anything is achievable if you work hard enough.
MARGO
Ok, but I can’t think of one way that I could be working harder. Plus, it doesn’t matter anyway because the cast list goes up tomorrow.
LILAC
Not if you have anything to do with it.
MARGO
What does that even mean? Mom, that was so vague, you can’t just say creepy-
LILAC
Have you ever read Macbeth?
MARGO
No.
LILAC
Well the message of that story is actually very relevant to this situation. What Shakespeare was trying to say is this: Fate is not static. To really achieve your goals you need to take action. And that, of course, means different things in each situation, but here it might mean that you need to work a little extra. Margo, you need to get that part. You deserve it.