Drama. 60-70 minutes. 2-4+ females, 6-9+ males (10-11+ performers possible; any number of extras may be added). Suitable for high school and older.
Workshopped by the Purple Crayon Players (Evanston, IL).
The author grants productions pre-approval to make cuts to meet time limits and community standards regarding profanity and obscenity for Texas UIL and other one-act competitions.
When Marcus James, a black, gay high school student, finds a pink noose hanging in his locker, he refuses to be the target of racism and homophobia, and defiantly puts the noose around his neck. That doesn't sit well with school administrators, who would love to sweep the incident under the rug and focus on the upcoming sports championship. Their solution: feign concern and put the target on Marcus. As the threat to Marcus increases, he finds that sticking to his convictions may just win him some unlikely allies in his ongoing fight for acceptance.
"With Meet Me at the Gates, Marcus James, Donna Hoke shies away from neither the challenge of an adaptation nor the raw subject matter of Chris Crutcher's story. Even on the page (or in a staged reading), lines land like punches and characters sidestep the stereotypes that could easily tempt a lesser playwright. This is the kind of story that stirs up a fire within its audience and its artistic ensemble." - Purple Crayon Players