WILD HORSES by Ciara Elizabeth Smyth #TinyPlayChallenge

Keep your creativity flowing with Fishamble's #TinyPlayChallenge
In these challenging times, Fishamble - along with many of our colleagues in the wider Irish artistic community - is working hard to keep imaginations lively, communities engaged - and most of all offer people the opportunity of creative expression. We asked our audiences: Would you welcome the challenge of exploring your thoughts and feelings through drama? Do you have a dramatic story that you feel the urge to work out for yourself, and maybe share with your fellow citizens?
​Below is one of the chosen plays from our weekly submissions.

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CHARACTERS: 
CIARAN
JOYCE
SADIE
 
CIARAN sits behind a large desk - JOYCE sits down.
 
JOYCE: Now.
 
CIARAN: Brilliant.
 
JOYCE: So?
 
CIARAN: So you know why you’re here?
 
JOYCE: I do.
 
CIARAN: Good. Because of the incident.
 
JOYCE: The incident, yes.
 
CIARAN: Joyce, what happened was a huge/
 
JOYCE: Yeah.
 
CIARAN: /embarrassment for the company.
 
JOYCE: Course.
 
CIARAN: You understand?
 
JOYCE: I do.
 
CIARAN: Good. Because obviously I have to, y’know - (Searching for the right word)
 
(TOGETHER) JOYCE: Reimburse.
 
(TOGETHER) CIARAN Reprimand.
 
Brief pause
 
CIARAN: What?
 
JOYCE: What?
 
CIARAN: Did you say reimburse?
 
JOYCE: I did.
 
CIARAN: I said reprimand.
 
JOYCE: Oh. Why?
 
CIARAN: Because of what happened?
 
JOYCE: What happened?
 
CIARAN: Well. If I can speak plainly?
 
JOYCE: Please.
 
CIARAN: You were masturbating in a Zoom meeting.
 
JOYCE: Oh that.
 
CIARAN: Yes that.
 
JOYCE: I can explain that.
 
CIARAN: Can you?
 
JOYCE: Yeah.
 
Pause
 
CIARAN: Go on.
 
JOYCE: I was sleeping.
 
CIARAN: You were nude.
 
JOYCE: I sleep nude.
 
CIARAN: Several people saw you. Someone recorded you. It’s on the internet Joyce.
 
JOYCE: Right. Is it?
 
CIARAN: The CFO’s seen it.
 
JOYCE: Yikes.
 
CIARAN: Yikes indeed. So you see why I have to- What was the incident that you were-
 
JOYCE: Oh, the pay cut.
 
CIARAN: The 10% pay cut? You wanted/
 
JOYCE: I want to be reimbursed. I work very hard, Ciaran. I want that 10% back.
 
Pause
 
CIARAN: You can’t have it, Joyce.
 
JOYCE: Right. Because of the masturbating?
 
CIARAN: No that’s a separate-
 
JOYCE: I didn’t come if that’s the issue.
 
SADIE: God.
 
CIARAN: That’s not the-
 
JOYCE: Because I make a real show of it when I come.
 
CIARAN: That’s really not the (pause) issue.
 
SADIE: Joyce that’s not the issue for us.
 
JOYCE: Well Sadie the issue for me, if I can speak plainly?
 
CIARAN: Please.
 
JOYCE: The issue for me is that you cut 10% of my pay.
 
CIARAN: That was company-wide.
 
SADIE: Everyone took a pay cut Joyce.
 
JOYCE: But my hours weren’t cut by 10%.
 
CIARAN: No.
 
JOYCE: And they should have been.
 
CIARAN: Well-
 
JOYCE: So I’ve made the decision to take 10% of my day off.
 
CIARAN: You can’t do that.
 
JOYCE: Why?
 
Silence
 
CIARAN: Because.
 
JOYCE: That particular Zoom meeting fell during that time.
 
CIARAN: Right.
 
JOYCE: So I think that solves it. You can keep your 10% and I’ll keep mine.
 
CIARAN: Em. Sadie?
 
SADIE: Joyce?
 
JOYCE: Ok great, thanks guys.
 
JOYCE hangs up
 
End



​
Ciara Elizabeth Smyth is an award-winning Irish playwright. She was the chosen playwright for Rough Magic’s SEEDS programme 2018-2020 & has just completed a commission with the Abbey Theatre for Dear Ireland 2020. Her most recent play, SAUCE, was chosen for artist support initiative DUETS & presented in Dublin Fringe Festival 2019 (nominated for the Little Gem Award, Judge’s Choice Award & Spirit of the Fringe Award). SAUCE will be published by Nick Hern Books 2020 & is being adapted as a television series. Ciara is a resident artist in the MAC Theatre Belfast 2020 & is represented by Curtis Brown. Find Ciara on Twitter @ciaraesmyth and Instagram @ciaraesmyth.

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