Open-Door Playhouse
Open-Door Playhouse is a monthly podcast harking back to live radio theater broadcasts. Created to introduce New Plays, New Writers, and… a wealth of unknown talent. Giving them the opportunity to have their works created in sound studios as opposed to live stage productions and presented on the Podcast as “Radio Productions.” Play submissions will be solicited online, outreach centers and word of mouth. Broadcasts will be once a month (to start) and grow as demand requires. Long term goal is to reach out to undeserved writing communities: prisons, school and community groups to provide an avenue to have their voices heard, via plays, short stories or poetry, and to establish Podcast as its own 501c3 organization.To submit your play contact:open-doorplayhouse@gmail.com
Open-Door Playhouse
THEATER 200 -Acceptance
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While lying in his hospital bed, David reaches out to his estranged daughter Julie and her husband Robert and requests a visit to clear the air and apologize for all the cruel things he said and did in the past. Can she accept him as her father?
Mimi Kmet directs a cast that includes Noelle Evangelisti as Julie, David Mingrino as David, and Ernest McDaniel as Robert.
Author Martin Fogarty is a playwright and acting coach based in Oregon. He received his Master’s Degree from the University of Washington.
Founded by playwright and filmmaker Bernadette Armstrong, Open-Door Playhouse is a Theater Podcast- like the radio dramas of the 1940s and 1950s. The Playhouse launched on September 15, 2020. At the time, Open-Door Playhouse provided Playwrights, Actors and Directors a creative outlet during the shutdown. Since its inception. Open-Door Playhouse has presented Short and One-Act plays from Playwrights across the country and internationally. In 2021 Open-Door Playhouse received a Communicator Award for Content for the Play Custody and in 2023 the play What’s Prison Like was nominated for a Webby Award in the Crime & Justice Category.
Plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, Sound Engineer is David Peters, sound effects are provided by Audio Jungle, and music from Karaoke Version. All plays are recorded at The Oak House Studio in Altadena, CA.
There’s no paywall at the Open-Door Playhouse site, so you could listen to everything for free. Open-Door Playhouse is a 501c3 non-profit organization, and if you would like to support performances of works by new and emerging playwrights, your donation will be gratefully accepted. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the Podcast Stage. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising one-act plays and ten-minute shorts that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. To listen or to donate (or both), go to https://open...
Hello and welcome to Open Door Playhouse, a theater podcast that celebrates live theater on the podcast stage. I'm Mimi Kemet at Open Door Playhouse. We strive to bring our listeners thoughtful and surprising 10-minute shorts and one-act plays that showcase insightful and new perspectives of the world we share with others. Open Door Playhouse is a 501c3 theater organization. Support for Open Door Playhouse comes from listeners like you. Your tax-deductible donations help keep our plays on the podcast stage. Now playing in Theater 201, Acceptance, written by Martin Fogerty, starring David Mingrino as David, Noelle Evangelisti as Julie, and Ernest McDaniel as Robert.
SPEAKER_03What else did he say in his voicemail?
SPEAKER_01Nothing. Just the cancer came back and he needed to see me. That's it.
SPEAKER_03And you haven't spoken to him at all?
SPEAKER_01Not since that day. He tried calling a few times once I left. But then nothing. Crickets.
SPEAKER_03I know this is hard for you.
SPEAKER_01I'm okay.
SPEAKER_03I'm here for you. I love you. I'm glad you decided to do this.
SPEAKER_01I love you too.
SPEAKER_03I suppose we should sit down. Look, he's waking up. Julie.
SPEAKER_02You came.
SPEAKER_01You got my name right this time.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I've been practicing. Hello, David. Robert, thank you for coming.
SPEAKER_01You don't look very good. You've lost a lot of weight.
SPEAKER_02Is it obvious?
SPEAKER_03Have they been treating you well? Are you getting everything you need?
SPEAKER_02Oh, nothing but angels and saints here. I am so happy you're here. Robert, would you mind opening the curtains? Let some sun in? Of course. How long has it been?
SPEAKER_01Five years.
SPEAKER_02Will you come closer? I can barely see you all the way over there.
SPEAKER_01I'm okay right here. Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Honey. Well, I'm gonna go downstairs to the gift shop and see if I can find something to put these flowers in. Thank you, Robert.
SPEAKER_02Julie, you look what beautiful.
SPEAKER_01That's just the meds talking. Probably the Atipene.
SPEAKER_02No, it's not that. My mind is clear now.
SPEAKER_01You look great. I got your voicemail. I took time off from work and came down from Portland. Your favorite city. You can thank Robert for convincing me. What's your situation?
SPEAKER_02Uh not good.
SPEAKER_01I'm sorry. Has it really been five years? This last October.
SPEAKER_02Since your mother's funeral.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I've been all alone since then. Cooped up in that big old house. That's not my fault. I've had time to think.
SPEAKER_01About what exactly?
SPEAKER_02About a lot of things. Okay. So you're still with Robert? He seems nice.
SPEAKER_01He's been nothing but wonderful to me.
SPEAKER_02I wish I had taken the time to get to know him before.
SPEAKER_01He's wonderful. He loves me. He understands me.
SPEAKER_02Married?
SPEAKER_01Happily married. A lot can happen in five years. You missed a lot.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I know. Wow. You look just like your mother. You must be high. I'm not. I know, I know. Growing up you were my boy, but now I see so much of Nancy in you. You have her hair, her eyes.
SPEAKER_01What do you want exactly?
SPEAKER_02I just wanted to see you.
SPEAKER_01You wanted to feel better about yourself.
SPEAKER_02No. I wanted to take accountability for being such a terrible father to you during your most vulnerable years, and I wanted to apologize.
SPEAKER_01Apologize?
SPEAKER_02I just needed to see you.
SPEAKER_01Well, you're seeing me. Are you happy? That boy doesn't exist. He never existed. Do you know that? I existed. I get it. No, you don't. It's easy to acknowledge me for being a woman now in the present tense. But I was a girl growing up. I just didn't know it yet.
SPEAKER_02I'm trying to understand. I have done so much research. Right. YouTube videos don't count as research. No. I have done actual research. And I started seeing a therapist who specializes in in in in this sort of thing. She recommended this book by Louise Derman Sparks called Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. It taught me so much.
SPEAKER_01Good for you. That doesn't change the past.
SPEAKER_02I know that.
SPEAKER_01Why couldn't you just listen to me? That's all I needed from you. I know you didn't understand, but you didn't even try. You saw that I was hurting. You saw the cuts on my arms and the pills that I took. Why wasn't that enough for you to care? I was crying out for help, but all you cared about was what your church friends thought. Do you know what you so-called Christians conveniently forget and are your damned hatred and judgment of other people?
SPEAKER_02What's that?
SPEAKER_01John 13, 34. Love one another as I have loved you. Who said that?
SPEAKER_02Jesus.
SPEAKER_01Correct. But you Christians say unthinkable, disgusting things. You said that I was no child of yours, and that Robert and I are sure to burn in hell.
SPEAKER_02Burn in hell.
SPEAKER_01And no matter how much makeup I wear or the size of my tiss, I will always be a man.
SPEAKER_02I'm so ashamed that.
SPEAKER_01You called me a faggot!
SPEAKER_03Can you believe they only had one vase?
SPEAKER_01I can't do this.
SPEAKER_03Please. Please don't go. Honey, we talked about this. You knew this was gonna be difficult.
SPEAKER_01It's all coming back. Those horrible memories.
SPEAKER_03I understand. Please give him a chance. He's trying. Is he?
SPEAKER_01Yes. How do you know?
SPEAKER_03Look at him. Julie, please. I just don't want you to have regrets.
SPEAKER_02Dave, David, what are you doing trying to get out of bed? I am so ashamed of who I was to you and how I treated you. I want you to believe that. Please believe that. Don't leave now, okay? I'm begging you. Oh my god. Julie, help me get him back up into bed. I am so very sorry. I said so many awful and terrible things to you, and I can't change it. I know that. I can't change that day. I can't change the years leading up to that day either. I don't deserve your forgiveness or your sympathy. I hate myself for it. I do. I hate myself. What kind of a father doesn't love his child? His only child. His own flesh and blood. I am so ashamed. I love you, Julie. And I miss you. Look at me. I was wrong. I was horribly wrong about everything. And I was just brainwashed sitting in front of that damn television all day watching Fox News.
SPEAKER_01I can't just forgive you. I hope you know that. It's not that simple.
SPEAKER_02I don't deserve forgiveness. I just needed to see you again and apologize. I know I hurt you. I hurt a lot of people. But I know I hurt you the most, and Julie, I apologize. Sincerely, I do.
SPEAKER_01I've missed you so much. I appreciate your effort and acknowledgement.
SPEAKER_02Thank you. Thank God. Can we just sit here and just talk for now?
SPEAKER_01We can try that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I want to show you something.
SPEAKER_01What's that?
SPEAKER_02This photograph I found.
SPEAKER_01Honey! Is that you? Yes. At the carnival. How old was I?
SPEAKER_02Uh seven, I think.
SPEAKER_01I remember that scarf. I used to love writing on your shoulders.
SPEAKER_02Aw. You're so cute. This is what I miss. These moments with you and Nancy before things got complicated. When we had each other.
SPEAKER_01I forgot about this.
SPEAKER_02Oh no, I want you to have it. Thanks. Now, Julie, can you please formally introduce me to this kind man of yours?
SPEAKER_01Robert, this is my dad. Dad, this is my husband, Robert.
SPEAKER_03Nice to meet you after all this time. The pleasure is mine. So, where did you two meet? Online? In a grocery store. In the cheese eye of all places. We both reached for the same string cheese. Oh, Julie. You and your string cheese obsession is the best, isn't it, honey?
SPEAKER_01We both reached for the same string cheese. And there she was.
SPEAKER_02I am so happy for both of you. Robert, will you take care of her after all of this?
SPEAKER_03I will, sir. I promise.
SPEAKER_01Wait a minute. What's your situation?
SPEAKER_02I just want to spend this time with you. With the both of you. I want to get to know my daughter.
SPEAKER_00Our plays are produced by Bernadette Armstrong, recorded at the Oak House Studio in Altadena, California, and mixed by David Peters. Sound effects and music are provided by Audio Jungle. Thank you for listening to our plays. If you're interested in submitting a play for production, you can find the information on our website, www.opendoorplayhouse.org. Please share this podcast with friends and don't forget to subscribe so you'll be notified when our next production is live.