Prompt: What’s the oddest game you own? What game might be fun to manifest onstage or make the metaphorical conflict under the actual conflict between characters in a scene - or whole play?
[ A circle of girls and young women are telling stories around a campfire.]
NINA
Something horrible happened when I was in high school. And I think it happened to most of you too. It’s actually really hard to talk about
BETH
It’s okay, we’re all here for you.
NINA
So… this was the time of MySpace… you still had to have a college email address to get a Facebook and Instagram wasn’t a thought in anyone’s mind. MySpace, for those younger than me, was a social media website and blog put together. You could set a song as the background music on your page, you got to pick the friends you prize the most and list them as your “Top 8” and —
CIRCE
Ms. Nina, is this story going to be over any time soon?
NINA
Sorry, I’ve gotten carried away. Anyway, when I was on a friend’s page, well, a former friend now, I was reading one of her posts and I found out — I lost the game.
[All those in the circle the right age to know, groan.]
MAGGIE
What does that mean?
NINA
Do you really want to know? You can’t unknow it once you do!
MAGGIE
I guess?
NINA
The game is simple. You are always playing it once you know about it. You must forget about the game. If you remember the game you must state out loud that you have lost the game. You are now playing.
CIRCE
Wait, so… I just lost the game?
NINA
Yes. Yes, you have. And anytime you remember that you haven’t thought about the game for a while, you’ll lose again. There’s no winning, only losing.
MAGGIE
I don’t like this game.
BETH
No one does. It is horrible curse, a burden, and now it is your burden too.
NINA
[to the audience]
And yours.
Lights out. End of Game. Wait… you just lost the game. ;)