1 KICK THE STATE SETTING: AT RISE: A sidewalk on a summer night; crickets, fireflies, moonlight.

A can is kicked into the light, followed by a small group of children; TOMMY hops triumphantly over the can, hands in the air.

TOMMY Yay! Finally we managed to get the can into the light. Thank you all for your help and support, without which we could not have accomplished the task we set out to do. In the end, it is incumbent upon me to / SUZY Shut up, usurper. You're not from this neighborhood. means you're not a natural-born can-kicker;. (Several of the children angrily mutter agreement.) TOMMY But Suzy, everyone designated me can-kicker, so it is my moral obligation to kick it to the best of my ability. (Calls of Liar! from the gang; those who say it are careful to hide themselves.) SUZY You're the worse can-kicker in the whole world, and we are dedicated to making sure you never kick a can on this sidewalk again. TOMMY What if I only use my right foot? (SUZY uses this compromise to rile the others.) SUZY You see? You see how unwilling he is to work with us? compromise? (The hostility increases.) TOMMY Come on, guys. Everyone knows you've voted more than forty times to defund the can, yet here we still are, playing in To That

2 the street. SUZY And we'll keep voting the same way until we succeed, interloper. Ok, what if you do? with? TOMMY What do you intend to replace the can

SUZY Nothing! We want everyone to have their own can, and if they don't have one, they don't get to play! (She suddenly seizes the can and runs away, followed by the others, who laugh and cheer as they exit.) TOMMY Suzy? Guys? (Starts to follow them off.) What if I play on my knees? Would that make you happy? Guys? (He disappears into the night; crickets.) BLACKOUT