Rebecca Dzida grew up in California and lives in Washington, DC where she received her M.F.A. in Playwriting from The Catholic University of America. Her day jobs include developing community engagement programming and organizing the cross-country tour of National Players for Olney Theatre Center. Rebecca's work has been performed around the country. She is a two-time finalist of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for her ten-minute plays. Her one-act The Greatest Performance was nominated for the Playwrights Award at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in New York City. She’s also been commissioned for various work around DC, including Capitol Fringe and the One-Minute Play Festival. Her full-length thesis play Preggers, or Parenthood for Virgins premiered at CUA as part of the M.F.A. New Play Rep and was featured in the Washington Post's list of best arts events in 2017. You can read her work on the New Play Exchange and listen to her play Cake Eaters on the podcast Inkubator On Air. Kwon was previously produced at the Spark Festival (formerly Women on Fire Festival) in March 2020.

Kwon

Characters:

SHAYNE, f, 30s-40s

​CATHERINE, f, 30s-40s

Setting:​

A small taekwondo tournament in a school gymnasium.

​

SHAYNE and CATHERINE watch their daughters spar in one of the rings. CATHERINE looks uncomfortable. SHAYNE is out of her seat, shouting her head off.

SHAYNE
Get her, Hadia! Come on! Kick! Kick! KIIIIICK!

Pause.

SHAYNE (CONT)
What? Ref, she was not out of bounds! Do not—do not take off—WHAT THE F—

SHAYNE takes a deep breath in, like she really wants to cuss the ref off. She tries hard to contain herself. She growls, clenches her fists. Maybe she clandestinely flips the ref off? The match resumes. SHAYNE watches intently, dodging and feinting like she’s fighting, too.

SHAYNE (CONT)
Ho! ‘Kay. Ten seconds, Hadia! Get her! GET HERRRRRRRRR!!!!

Sound of buzzer.

SHAYNE (CONT)
All right! Get her in the next round!

SHAYNE finally sits down. CATHERINE looks to her, deciding whether she wants to say anything or not. She ops to say something.

CATHERINE
Excuse me.

SHAYNE
Yeah?

CATHERINE
Is that your daughter over there?

SHAYNE
Yeah.

CATHERINE
She’s sparring my daughter.

SHAYNE
Oh! Nice to meet you. My name’s Shayne. My daughter’s Hadia. What’s your daughter’s name?

CATHERINE
Natasha, and I’m Catherine. Listen, I’d appreciate it if you’d...calm down a little during the next round.

SHAYNE
Calm down?

CATHERINE
You’re shouting a lot, and it’s making people feel uncomfortable.

SHAYNE
I’m supporting my daughter.

CATHERINE
And I totally respect that. It’s just you’re coming off as very...aggressive.

SHAYNE
This is a taekwondo tournament.

CATHERINE
I know.

SHAYNE
Takewondo is martial arts.

CATHERINE
Right—

SHAYNE
And our daughters are sparring. They’re not supposed to be aggressive? .

CATHERINE
Again, I totally see where you’re coming from, but they’re eight-years-old. They can barely stay standing while they kick, let alone kick each other. It’s just your shouting is a little much for this caliber of tournament. I’m just asking if you could tone it down a little.

SHAYNE
Look, I know I get intense, but I’m not going to “tone it down.” I want my daughter to know that I’m here rooting for her. I want her to do her absolute best.

CATHERINE
I want my daughter to do her best, too. And I’m worried that you yelling “kick her” is hurting her feelings.

SHAYNE
Well, if she wants to continue with taekwondo or any other sport, she’s going to have to get used to it. She’ll hear a lot worse in her life and should learn to tune it out.

CATHERINE
Excuse me...I don’t think you should tell me how to raise my child.

SHAYNE
That’s what you’re doing to me.

CATHERINE
I’m not trying to mommy-shame you. I’m just trying to get you to lower your voice.

SHAYNE
Well, I can’t guarantee that, so either deal with it for the next two rounds, or sit somewhere else. They’re starting back up.

Offended, CATHERINE sits down back at her place. When the second round starts, SHAYNE stands on the very edge of the ring.

SHAYNE (CONT)
All right, Hadia! Let’s go!

CATHERINE glances over at her, then gets up and stands next to SHAYNE.

CATHERINE
Go, Natasha! I love you, baby!

They watch the match.

SHAYNE
Come on! Pick it up!

They continue watching.

SHAYNE (CONT)
That’s it that’s it!

CATHERINE
Careful, sweetie!

SHAYNE
Go after her! Kick kick kick kick kick!

CATHERINE gasps. There’s a thump.

CATHERINE
Are you okay, honey? Honey, you okay?

SHAYNE
She’s fine.

CATHERINE
Your daughter just kicked her, and she fell. She is not fine.

SHAYNE
I thought she tripped. Look. She’s getting up. She’s okay.

They watch. Then they clap

CATHERINE
Thank god. Good job, sweetie! Natasha, you okay? You let mommy know if you’re not okay.

SHAYNE
Way to go, Hadia! That’s the way to do it!

The round resumes.

CATHERINE
You shouldn’t encourage her to do that.

SHAYNE
Do what?

CATHERINE
Your daughter just kicked my child to the ground.

SHAYNE
Your child tripped, actually, but even if she didn’t, do you see Hadia gloating over her? No. Now your daughter’s got a half-point knocked off for not keeping her balance.

CATHERINE
Because she was hit!

SHAYNE
Do you mind? I’m trying to concentrate on the match.

CATHERINE
Oh, you’re trying to concentrate? You’re trying to concentrate.

SHAYNE
What’s your problem?

CATHERINE
My problem is you are encouraging your eight-year-old daughter to commit acts of violence against mine.

SHAYNE
Oh my god it’s taekwondo! The way of the foot and fist. It’s the art of self-defense.

CATHERINE
Exactly!

The buzzer sounds again.

SHAYNE
Great, I missed the end of the round. Good job, Hadia! One more!

SHAYNE steps back from the line.

CATHERINE
They should learn how to defend themselves, not attack. It’s...it’s not ladylike.

SHAYNE
Where’d you get that idea?

CATHERINE
Girls shouldn’t be aggressive.

SHAYNE
What the fuck? Why are you having your daughter do taekwondo, then?

CATHERINE
My husband convinced me. I didn’t know she’d actually fight other children.

SHAYNE
What did you think she was going to do?

CATHERINE
I thought they’d teach her some moves, and that would be it. I can’t watch Natasha get hurt.

SHAYNE
She’s not getting hurt. She’s wearing all that gear. The chest protector absorbs something like seventy percent of the force of the blow.

CATHERINE
Oh my god only seventy percent!

SHAYNE
They’re not even allowed to do head shots, yet.

CATHERINE
They’re going to get hit in the head?

SHAYNE
When they get to a higher belt.

CATHERINE
Oh my god!

SHAYNE
They’re starting again. Don’t worry. The referee will stop the match if it gets out of control.

CATHERINE
We need to stop the match.

SHAYNE
What?

CATHERINE
I don’t like this

SHAYNE
Okay, is anyone else here with you?

CATHERINE
My husband couldn’t come. He should’ve told me what to expect. I’ve got to stop this. Excuse me!

SHAYNE
It’s just one more round.

CATHERINE
Ref! Time out!

CATHERINE steps over the line to break up the match.

SHAYNE
Wait!

SHAYNE yanks her back, sharply.

CATHERINE
Don’t touch me!

CATHERINE turns around and clocks one right in SHAYNE’s jaw. There’s a gasp from the crowd. The match has stopped due to what’s happened on the sidelines.

CATHERINE (CONT)
Oh my god. Oh my god. I am so sorry. I-I didn’t mean to. Oh my god. Here, sit down. Can I get you anything?

SHAYNE shakes her head.

CATHERINE (CONT)
I am so sorry. (turning out to spectators) It was an accident. (back to SHAYNE) I am so sorry. I can’t apologize enough.

SHAYNE
(to everyone else) It’s okay. I’m okay. Just keep going. (to CATHERINE) I didn’t want you to get in the middle. You could’ve gotten hurt, or one of the kids.

The match resumes as SHAYNE works her jaw.

SHAYNE (CONT)
You punch pretty hard for someone who doesn’t like violence.

CATHERINE
I don’t know what came over me.

SHAYNE
Where did you learn to punch like that?

CATHERINE
I didn’t. I really hurt my thumb.

SHAYNE
Oh shit. Can you move it?

CATHERINE
Yeah. But it hurts. I think I sprained it.

SHAYNE
God...I did not expect to get punched in the face today.

CATHERINE
I’m sorry. It’s just...I don’t like it when people grab me like that. I just reacted without thinking. Like a bad memory or something.

SHAYNE looks at her and comes to an understanding.

SHAYNE
You want to know why I have Hadia studying taekwondo? Because girls need to know they can kick the shit out of anyone who messes with them. Especially if it’s a guy. They need to know not to take crap from any guy. It’s not innate for some women.

CATHERINE watches SHAYNE for a moment.

CATHERINE
Can you show me the correct way to punch?

SHAYNE
Uh...sure. Give me your hand. The one that’s not hurt. Make a fist. So your thumb needs to be on the outside, supporting your knuckles. These are what do the punching. Think about it like this.

SHAYNE demonstrates with her own hand.

SHAYNE (CONT)
Close the gate.

She folder her fingers down.

SHAYNE (CONT)
Then lock it.

She closes the fist with her thumb.

SHAYNE (CONT)
You try.

CATHERINE
Close the gate. Lock it.

SHAYNE
When you punch, the power comes from your hips. Clench your core and snap your hips.

CATHERINE
Okay.

CATHERINE tries it a few times.

SHAYNE
That’s pretty good. Now you can help your daughter.

CATHERINE
I’m really sorry about punching you in the face.

SHAYNE
It’s okay. It’s, uh...not the first time for me. Just been a while since.

CATHERINE looks at SHAYNE and comes to an understanding. Then she turns back to the match.

CATHERINE
Let’s go, Natasha!

SHAYNE
You’re doing great.

CATHERINE
Oh! Ten more seconds!

SHAYNE
Finish strong!

CATHERINE
Kick her!

The buzzer sounds.

CATHERINE (CONT)
You did it!

SHAYNE
Well done, young lady!

CATHERINE
You kick ass!

SHAYNE and CATHERINE high five.

END OF PLAY.