Featured Playwright of January

   Congratulations to Ned Eckhardt, Featured Playwright of January, with his play, “Love Me Back”! 

Ned Eckhardt is a documentarian and writer based in northern Connecticut. He is a graduate of Colgate University (English literature) and Case-Western Reserve University (Dramatic Arts: Playwriting Specialty). He began his writing career as a playwright in New York City and created a successful career in the writing and visual arts. 

   He has recently written a series of Feature Film scripts, one of which, Redbone, has won Best Script at three film festivals: Woods Hole Film Festival (2016), London International Filmmakers Festival (2017), and Canadian Diversity Film Festival (2016). He has published two books on Documentary Film Production: Documentary Filmmakers Handbook, (McFarland Press 2012), and How to Make Documentary Films and Digital Video (Southern Illinois University Press 2016).

   He has written lyrics and edited music videos for many musical groups (Pretty Poison, Faces of Pictures, The Blenders, and, currently, Golden Spike).  Recently, he has written the book and lyrics (23 songs) for a full length, musical stage play (IMP). He is on the waiting list for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild Artists Residency where he will work with a composer on the score for IMP during the summer of 2021.

   He has also written librettos for arias with four composers at the Spicy Opera Institute’s Mezzo Showcase (2020), and a ten-minute libretto for the Boston Opera Collaborative (2020).

LOVE ME BACK 

A ONE-ACT PLAY 

Written by 

Ned Eckhardt 

SCENE 1 

An alley in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. There is a violent demonstration going on in the streets. Gunshots can be heard above the yelling and screaming. 

CHET (18), a young, white supremacist, staggers into the alley and collapses against the wall. He is dressed in cammo pants and a shirt that has the Confederate Flag on it. He has been shot in the leg and is bleeding profusely. Without a tourniquet and medical assistance he will die. 

LATISHA (25), a young, black woman wearing a BLM T-Shirt over another shirt, runs into the alley after being chased by a mob of angry white protestors. Out of breath, she stops and looks at Chet. He is wearing a holster with a gun in it. 

LATISHA 

What the hell is this? 

I get away from ten crazy white 

men, duck down a lucky alley, and 

here’s another one. Only this one’s 

in a world of hurt...Ah.... 

You’re not thinking of using that 

gun are you? 

CHET 

My leg…. I’m bleeding….. Help me 

LATISHA 

So, who shot the privilege? 

A brother, a cop, a black angel? 

CHET 

I don’t know... Please....It hurts. 

I need help.... 

LATISHA 

You got yourself into a pretty 

nasty situation...In fact, it looks 

like I might be your last 

hope....OK...Here’s one for you... 

What happens if my Black Lives 

Matter people run into this alley? 

You would probably be saved. 

If your White Supremacy people run 

into this alley? I’m probably dead. 

CHET 

I’m bleeding... It won’t stop.... 

LATISHA 

How many times, Mr Confederate T shirt?

(MORE)  

LATISHA (CONT'D) 

How many times do you think you can 

own me? 

Not so tough lying there bleeding 

to death. 

Do you know why you are dying? 

(Chet struggles and takes out his gun, but he’s too weak to lift and aim it. She stands over him)  

LATISHA (CONT'D) 

Life’s not so simple anymore. Can’t 

even hold up your precious gun. My 

husband is out there somewhere. 

Probably getting his mind chopped 

up with hate from your redneck 

buddies. 

CHET 

My leg!…. I can’t feel it…..My 

pants are soaked with blood..... 

LATISHA 

Why should I care about your blood? 

You never cared for mine. 

All dressed up in your Rebel 

fantasy. 

With your play gun that kills 

(She kicks the gun out of his hand. He groans.) 

CHET 

Please... Before I bleed to 

death.... 

LATISHA 

I saw you walking the street. 

Loud and sick and full of hate. 

Why should you live? 

Do you matter? 

CHET 

This is my country... No one’s 

going to take it away…. 

LATISHA 

Take it away! That’s the last thing 

we want. 

Just our piece of the pie. That’s 

all. 

Here’s what you don’t get. You and 

your white supremacy friends…. 

We love America. 

Why won’t America love us back? 

CHET 

We fought a war... You owe 

us…..Please.... Help me…. 

LATISHA 

You’re just a kid. Got into 

something way too big for you. And 

you can’t figure it out.... Do you 

know why you’re dying? 

CHET 

I don’t want to die…..You can save 

me…. 

LATISHA 

Your mamma and daddy just passed 

the hate on down. They never 

understood. Didn’t want to 

understand…..Now you don’t 

understand. Listen close. Again. 

We love America. 

Why won’t America love us back? 

CHET 

My daddy’s a dirt farmer. Been 

struggling all his life.... Now you 

want to take his farm. Be his boss… 

LATISHA 

My father was stopped by a group of 

white men for driving through their 

neighborhood. 

When he protested they beat him so 

bad he died three days later.… 

He didn’t matter. 

My mother worked two jobs until the 

sugar killed her. 

I called the EMTs and they took an 

hour to get to us. 

They laughed as they loaded her 

into the ambulance. She died on the 

way to the hospital. 

She didn’t matter. 

Not to you 

CHET 

You and your people want everything 

handed to you.....Take away my 

freedoms…..Change things…..That’s 

why I came today….Please stop the 

bleeding. 

(Latisha slowly takes off her BLM T-shirt) 

LATISHA 

My momma and daddy always said 

“God will find a way. We are his 

children” 

Are you his child? 

Would you save me? 

Do I matter? 

CHET 

What are you doing? 

(Latisha slowly rips a long strip off of her T-shirt) 

LATISHA 

Do you know why you are dying? 

CHET 

….No….It’s not fair…..I just came 

here to have some fun….Kick a 

little liberal ass…. 

LATISHA 

See. You never understood. 

We’re marching again. 

We love America. 

Why won’t America love us back? 

(Latisha begins to tie a tourniquet around Chet’s leg) 

CHET 

Thank you.....Hurry....You’re 

trying to save me…? 

LATISHA 

Poor white boy on the brink. 

Face to face with Death. 

Dependent on a black woman who 

loves a black man….. 

And still....In spite of 

everything... 

You matter. 

(She finishes tying the tourniquet. He groans.) 

CHET 

Thank you…..Will I live…..? 

LATISHA 

Maybe. The protest’s turned into a 

riot. (MORE) 

LATISHA (CONT'D) 

Will be hard for medical folks to 

find this alley. I’ve got to get 

back out there…. 

CHET 

Why can’t you people just stay 

quiet....? 

(Latisha slaps Chet. He groans.) 

LATISHA 

Nobody’s born a bigot, white boy. 

That all comes later. You got a big 

mouthful of hate from Day One and 

now it’s led you to me. I’ve got a 

3 year-old-son. A beautiful wonder 

child.... And now I’ve got your 

life in my hands. 

(She rips another strip off her BLM T-shirt) 

CHET 

My friends won’t let me....Like 

you....I don’t know….Can’t think 

straight…. 

(She begins to tie another tourniquet around his leg.) 

LATISHA 

Look at my face and remember it. 

Black is beautiful. I matter. Tell 

your friends that....If you make 

it. If I find people to save you. 

You’re dying and don’t even know 

why. 

CHET 

It’s not you….It’s the other ones…. 

LATISHA 

News flash. The “other ones” are 

us. White you and black me. 

Black Lives are wrapped around your 

leg right now trying to save you. 

Don’t forget it. 

We love America. 

Why won’t America love us back? 

CHET 

It’s so hard…..so much pain….you’re 

OK….. 

LATISHA 

I’m a human being. That’s all. 

CHET 

My mamma and daddy would hate you…. 

LATISHA 

Ha! Right now I’m not worried about 

your mamma and daddy. You’re the 

problem. I reached out to you. You 

matter. But you don’t seem to get 

it….. 

CHET 

I’m afraid…..Not used to thinking 

this way…. 

LATISHA 

You have a girl friend? 

CHET 

Yeah….She’s young... 

LATISHA 

Have kids some day? Be a father? 

CHET 

Maybe....

LATISHA 

Will you tell your child about 

today? Our little conversation in 

the alley. How I might have saved 

your life? 

CHET 

I guess….What about you? Your 

son….? 

(Latisha tightens the tourniquet and stands up) 

LATISHA 

Sure. Maybe you’re a strange, sick 

good luck piece. Maybe I changed 

your thinking about Black Lives. 

Maybe you think I matter. Maybe you think my husband and son matter. 

Maybe even….That everybody matters. 

CHET 

Don’t leave…..I feel 

weak…..Please…..Stay….. 

LATISHA 

You’re on your own now. If I see 

some medical people I’ll tell them 

about you…..You should make it…. 

(Latisha starts to leave) 

CHET 

Thanks….Honest…..You matter…. 

LATISHA 

Remember, Mr. Confederate T shirt...Now you know why you almost 

died... 

We love America. 

Why won’t America love us back? 

(She throws Chet the remains of her BLM T-shirt. Then, as an after thought, she reaches down and picks up his gun. 

LATISHA (CONT'D) 

Do you still need this? 

 

CHET 

No....

(Suddenly an off-stage, male voice shouts) 

VOICE (OS) 

Put the gun down, nigger! 

Latisha turns. A shot rings out. She staggers, drops the gun, and collapses. She dies.) 

CHET

No...No... 

THE END