His Last Supper

1m - male - 40s or older

The text

Synopsis

Michael Herold in the premiere production of His Last Supper, Forward Theatre, Madison Wisconsin, 2012. 

Synopsis

A young man on death row is eating his last meal. While he wolfs down his burgers, Lewis - the prison warden - talks to him. Lewis is deeply conflicted by what is about to happen at dawn the next day. And so, along with the meal, he offers up a Plan B.

Setting

A small room on death row, in a penitentiary in one fo the thirty-plus states that still have he death penalty. the ony funiture is a table, on which there are burger shells and wrappings, as well as an untouched plate of greens. The playing space and lighting should be as claustrophic as possible.

Author's note

I've kept some things vague, in an effort to also keep things universal. The odds are that the prison is in a southern state, but Lewis doesn't need an accent and I've not written him one. Nor have I mentioned a specific state. I have also not described the race of the young, condemned ma although, among its many biases, the death penalty is used disproportionately on African Americans.

This monologue also forms the opening sequence of my play Twelve Hours. His Last Supper premiered at Forward Theatre, Madison, Wisconsin, in November 2012 It was directed by Annelise Dickinson and featured Michael Herold as Lewis. Jennifer Uphoff Gray was Artistic Director. After a run in the theatre it toured various venues in Madison, in March 2013.