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Act 1 Scene 1: playbill.com (1998-2013)
INT: NYC – LIVING ROOM – 6:00 PM – DECEMBER 2, 2013
WE OPEN on a middle-aged woman preparing for a cozy night in to enjoy with her husband when he returns from work. Everything about her world is the same as ours. The only difference is that each person is given a random unknown day to time travel 15 years into the future when they walk through their front door. For that person to return, they must either wait 24 hours or walk through the door of the place they were intending to go to.
DEE (talking to herself):
Okay, I think everything is ready for tonight.
Just then, a loud thump sounds from the closet to her left.
UNKNOWN VOICE (muffled):
OW! What is that?
DEE (frightened):
Hello? HELLO? Who said that?
UNKNOWN VOICE:
Hello? Who’s there?
UNKNOWN VOICE (to herself):
Oh GASP! What if I’ve been kidnapped? No no, this is not good at all.
DEE:
You haven’t been kidnapped, I promise. Wait, Destiny?
DESTINY:
Yes? That’s me. Why do you look exactly like me? Ohhhh. This must be my time travel day. Dang it! Of all the days, it just had to be this one.
DEE:
Hey, I know it doesn’t look like I’m doing anything exciting, but I’m prepping for a movie night. I worked really hard on it too.
DESTINY (frustrated):
No, I’m not talking about you. I wish that this had happened at some other time because I’m sure that I-err-you are pretty amazing, but I was on my way to see Footloose on Broadway. It’s my husband’s first show on Broadway ever!
DEE:
I remember that show! He was an understudy and did so well.
DESTINY:
Yes, well I won’t be able to see it if I can’t get back by 7, and you already know how important this is. Please can you help me get back? I can’t miss this.
DEE:
Sure! Okay, so what are the conditions about time travel again?
DESTINY:
Umm, I believe that I can either wait 24 hours, or I can walk through the door of the place I was intending to go to?
DEE:
Okay, what theatre was Footloose in?
DESTINY:
The Richard Rogers Theatre. I know how to get there from here, but I don’t just want to sneak my way into the theatre.
DEE:
Let’s not do that. That might work in the movies, but this is real life. If I buy you a ticket though, you’ll be able to get in!
DESTINY:
How? It’s way too late to go to the box office now.
DEE (scoffing):
Box office? Who uses those anymore? I have a much better way.
Dee pulls out her laptop and opens up Firefox.
DESTINY:
Not to be pessimistic, but I don’t think that an animal computer program is going to help much here.
DEE:
What? Oh, no. This is a web browser; it’ll come out in a few years. It’s much much better than Internet Explorer or Mosaic or whatever you use. I’m just going to use it to go to the Playbill website.
DEE:
Okay so, now I just need to find a show that is on tonight at the right theatre. Let’s see. Broadway under Listings/Tickets should have it.
DEE:
Ah yes, this is what I’m looking for! Ummm, okay! It says that Romeo and Juliet should be playing in the Richard Rogers Theatre tonight. I’ll just click on the link to buy you a ticket, and then…
DESTINY (unsure):
Woah, hold up! Are you sure you want to buy a ticket online? Isn’t that unsafe? And are you sure that this is the Playbill website? It looks so cool, but it looks all wrong. Broadway fanatics don’t usually use it to buy things; we just use it to get the coolest Broadway news or see what shows happening.
DEE:
I see. Well, we use it today for those same things and more! To answer your first question though, yes, I am okay with buying the tickets online. I know that everyone was pretty wary about it back in your time, but everyone buys tickets online now. The internet is a bit safer with more regulations and much more trusted. You still have to be careful by not buying things from sketchy websites, but other than that there are no concerns. See the website even has an online merchandise store! Bet that isn’t on the 1998 version of playbill.com.
DESTINY:
Okay, but how do you know that this is the right website? As I said, this Playbill website looks very different from the one that I know.
DEE:
That’s because website designs have changed over time. Almost all the websites that you visited on the web in the 90s probably look different today. Styles change over time to be more functional and better looking. I’m sure that the website will look different to me too 15, 10, or maybe even 5 years into the future.
DESTINY:
I’m still not sold.
DEE:
Sigh, okay. I think I know how to make you feel better. See the URL at the top? It’s the same one that you would use. I’ll also show you that it is the same website like the one you know.
Dee pulls up the Wayback Machine. She types the same URL into the search engine.
DEE:
Okay, this website is an archive of billions of web pages at different points in time. I’m going to scroll all the way back to 1998 and see if I can find a capture of the Playbill website exactly 15 years into the past…perfect! They have a screen capture on exactly this day 15 years ago.
DESTINY:
That’s so cool! It’s like time traveling whenever you want, and that’s the Playbill website that I know.
DEE:
Yeah, as you can tell this is the Playbill website that you are familiar with. It does pretty much the same thing that the current 2013 one does. You can use it to find news, shows that are listed, join the Playbill Club, and even buy tickets if you want!
DESTINY:
Now that I think about it, the 1998 website doesn’t have nearly as many pictures or headlines on it. And wait, is that a video in the corner embedded in the web page? How is that even possible?
DEE:
I know right? Pretty cool! The 2013 website is obviously more colored and coordinated, and it does have a few more whistles and bells like a search bar to find things easily and links to social media. You can also use it to find jobs related to various theatre productions too so not only is it used by theatre fans; it can also be used with those who aspire to work in the industry too.
DESTINY:
What’s social…
DEE:
Don’t ask. We don’t have time to explain that right now. We need to buy your ticket now so you can make it back to the theatre on time. Does this make you feel better?
DESTINY:
Yeah it actually does! It’s pretty cool to see how much has changed about the internet, but its basic functions are still the same.
DEE:
Sweet, so let’s buy that ticket and get you back to your show.
So with Destiny now feeling comfortable with the newer Playbill website and the idea of buying tickets online, Dee purchased a ticket for Destiny so that she could get into the theatre. Destiny waved goodbye to her future self and set off on the NY subway to get to the right place. As she walked through the doors of the theatre she was immediately brought back to 1998 and was able to watch her husband in his Broadway debut.
INT: NYC – LIVING ROOM/RICHARD ROGERS THEATRE – 10:00 PM – DECEMBER 2, 2013/DECEMBER 2, 1998
At the same time of night, Destiny reunites with her husband backstage after the performance in 1998, and Dee’s husband returns from work in 2013.
DEE and DESTINY (simultaneously):
Honey, you won’t believe what happened today!