Social Me-Dia, Play #3 - Extract

Play # 4 Social ME-dia by Kate Herbert, 2019.

The play deals with ABBY’s obsession with social media and her mother’s assumption that ABBY is a victim of bullies, only to find that her daughter is the bully.

CHARACTERS:  2 FEMALE

ABBY CINCOTTA: 15-year old girl

MARIA CINCOTTA: ABBY’s mother.

SETTING

Maria’s kitchen

Extract from Social ME-dia  -2F

MARIA ends call and hold phone to her chest as if in pain.

MARIA: Tell me their names!

ABBY is startled as if she was expecting something else

Can't you tell me darling?  Tell me who these bullies are?
Hugs ABBY. ABBY cringes.

Please, darling! We'll get through this. Get you help. We’ll talk to Ms Pappas tomorrow. You can talk to the school counsellor or someone outside the school. Oh, my poor darling. You’ve kept it secret for I don't know how long.

 MARIA holds ABBY and looks at her face. MARIA wipes tears from ABBY’s cheeks.

ABBY: Mum, it's OK. Hey. There's nothing wrong.

MARIA: You're brave. You’ve been brave since you started at this school this year. We pay through the nose for it and this is what happens!

Picks up ABBY’s phone.

MARIA: (scrolls) This ‘ABC2004’, the ringleader, is vicious. (scrolls) Oh, my God! And ‘DB’, “You should kill yourself!” (Hugs ABBY) My poor darling! I’ll find out who they are and they’ll be expelled.

ABBY: You can’t!

MARIA: The school can. (scrolls) Who are these people? They don't have photos. They‘re using cartoon faces. (scrolls) Oh! This “ABC” person has a picture like the one on your folders. It’s almost... (puzzled) In fact, it's exactly the same.

Looks at ABBY. ABBY looks down.

MARIA: I suppose it’s a pretty popular clip art image.

ABBY: Mum! Please stop!  Give me my phone!

MARIA: (scrolls) There must be something to identify her.

ABBY: Stop! It’s my phone. It’s personal! You’ll just make it worse.

MARIA: (scrolls, horrified) She’s got a photo of you!

MARIA shows phone to ABBY who looks at it, at MARIA, then away.

MARIA: When did she take this? (looks at phone) That looks like our kitchen... (looks at ABBY) Abby? (confused) It’s your selfie. How can she post your selfie on her...?

MARIA slowly realises ABBY is ‘ABC2004’.

It’s you? You’re ‘ABC2004’? You’re not the victim...? (scrolls) The real victim is ‘ACEGal’. (touches screen) I thought you... Her picture...It’s a photo. I know her face. (looks at ABBY) Alicia! Your friend at primary school. You’re the ... Oh, God!

MARIA sits down heavily, despairing. ABBY stands to leave.

MARIA: (angrily) Sit down!

ABBY sits.

MARIA: I've raised a bully. I feel sick.

_End extract