Places, everyone.

My name is Philip Gregory Burke and My play is "He's the first."

"He's the First" is about two young black men from different parts of the African diaspora who differ in terms of class and differ in terms of where they go to school.

But through a random encounter, they discover that they have so much more in common.

Zach and Ernesto, two of the characters, they're characters that I wasn't allowed to be when I was their age, and they're characters that I see in the teens that I work with to this day.

And I wanted to create a world in which they felt seen and where they felt heard in a way that I couldn't be at that age.

Hi.

I'm here to retrieve a book I reserved.

You don't do checkouts.

At the counter anymore.

Well, we just reopened.

Bu self-checkouts.

I don't work here.

My book is Where?

There.

They declinin' you because you're doing it wrong, Papi.

I beg your pardon?

Ain't no need to beg for me when all you need is help.

Say what?

You can't scan the book without first scanning the card with your account.

Try again.

Uh.

Okay.

Yeah.

Duh.

How embarrassing.

I swear I was born in The 21st century.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

So are you here at this library getting tutoring because you're suspended, too?

Moi?

Suspended?

Tutoring?

As if.

I get all straight As.

Oh, well, I get straight As, too, but I got to work with the tutor here because I'm suspended.

So you're a behaviorally bad student, then?

Oh, no.

I'm a fine gentleman all around saying Fine, gentleman, don't get suspended.

They do when it ain't they# fault.

I told the teacher — stop coming at me sideways.

He ain't want to listen.

So he got what he got.

And what did he get?

Something a fellow fine gentleman like you would never get from me.

How do you know I'm a fine gentleman?

Because uncouth n — ain't out here reading Toni Morrison's jazz.

You an obscure n — What do you know about Ms.. Ma'am Mama Morrison.

That them crackers be banning her books.

Yo, banning books is so dumb.

Right?

You know what else is so dumb?

How teachers and scholars be acting like "The Bluest Eye" and "Beloved" are the only books she wrote.

Exactly!

Why people sleep on Ms. Morrison's later novels, Post "Beloved," is beyond Me.

Unpopular opinion, as brilliant as "Beloved" is, "A Mercy" is a superior novel in every way.

Yeah.

It was nice meeting you.

What?

What?

Don't be mad because I said the quiet part out loud.

What you just said was blasphemy.

You read "A Mercy?"

Not yet.

Then you can't say I committed blasphemy.

You ain't got nothing to compare it with.

Because nothing could top or compare to "Beloved."

Not even Miss Morrison, The mother of masterpieces, could top that.

And she topped that.

Shh.

Damn the library Nazis be loud as f — wit they bitter disdain.

We could sit down and continue our conversation, if you like.

Oh, yeah.

Well, my tutoring is over.

I'm just waiting on my moms, so I got moments to spare.

Moments to earn.

I haven't seen you around here before.

My family are recent patrons.

I like this library's edition of jazz more than my AP African American History Edition.

If you haven't noticed, she was my favorite author.

She is your favorite author.

Just because they transitioned to ancestors don't mean they ain't got lessons for you, the living.

Yo, "A Mercy"... Lord of Mercy!

I read that final chapter out loud to my mom.

She wasn't dropping that single Denzel tear.

We was boo hoo crying over a novel like somebody done hurt us, man.

She put her foot in that book.

You really need to read it.

You feel me?

Yeah, I feel you.

I mean, I want to read it.

So.

What school do you go to, Mr.

Suspension?

I'm a junior at Kipp, D.C. Scholar Academy.

A charter school?

What you got against charters, Mr.

Private School?

How do you know I go to private school?

Because you're real judicious and studious, oh my!

I attend Thomas Rawlings Success Academy for Academic Excellence, where I'm running for sophomore class president.

Oh, snap.

Thomas Rawlings.

That means you got money, money, money, money.

The.

Hey.

You.

So you're not just bougie.

You're real bougie.

Of course you're looking down at us charter school kids.

You in the upper echelons of the echelons.

No, no, no.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to convey that I was judging where you go to school.

And also, not everyone at Thomas Rawlins is an elite.

But are you an everybody at your school or are you that somebody.

I plead the Fifth cause you come through with all these Aaliyah references.

I am.

Oh, yeah, I am.

My mom plays her on Saturday mornings when we clean, but I be seeing her on t-shirts and hats more than I'd be hearing her music.

So I forgot what made her: the music.

You know, who else would I be seeing on T-shirts and hats?

more than I be hearing their music.

Whitney and...that... that "hehe" n — Yeah, that "he-he"?

You mean Michael Jackson?

Yes.

Him.

Hey.

Oh God.

Yo, he's that n —.

But answer my question.

Are you that somebody at your school?

Again, I plead the Fifth.

Not my n — pleading the fifth like one of them little insurrectionists that stormed the capitol on the 6th.

My n — a somebody.

Somebody whose name I don't know.

I'm Ernesto Sang-hyun.

Sang-hyun?

You don't hear that surname too often.

It's common in Panama.

My pops is Black from there.

My mom's is Black from here.

You know how you can be tracing your genes to whatever tribe you come from in Africa?

When my parents got the same lines Igbo, Cameroon, Congo...

I like to think that the ancestors were like, Yo...your lines are going to connect the dots again one day.

We got you, stolen ones.

And they did.

I'm that dot — proof that their line is connected, even though my folks eventually disconnected.# Ma?

Hey.

Hey, Ma, I'm good.

Where do you think you put your keys?

You the one that was running errands all day?

You check your purple purse?

You're dress with them deep pockets.

Check real hard this time.

Yeah, I'm good.

I'm just chilling, doing some research.

See?

What did I tell you?

Hold up.

You wasn't even going to say you love me before hanging up with me.

You ain't even put the good in.

Goodbye.

Oh, my n — help me find my keys.

This purpose is done.

That's more like it.

Thank you, Ma.

I don't ask for much.

I shouldn't have to ask for that.

Okay.

Love you too.

Now, when you say research, did you mean you were researching me?

So tell me more about your ancestor, Thomas.

Don't change the subject, Ernesto.

What about them Washington Wizards?

As a daughter of Dorothy, the only wizard I know is of Oz.

Washington Wizards?

In the immortal words of Mariah Carey, "I don't know her."

So I don't want to assume.

But are you gay?

queer?

On the LGBTQIA+ spectrum?

That plus make my gay sound like some homo streaming service.

Who are you, Ernesto?

Someone you might never forget.

And who are you?

Zack.

Someone you will never get over.

Oh, is that right?

Mm.

Can I get your number?

Might be a little too early for me to exchange numbers.

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

I can respect that.

How about we can at least follow each other on the 'gram?

You're a fellow air sign?

A Libra.

You are a Gemini?

Yeah, but I am the best sign.

Aquarius.

Uh huh.

Okay.

I don't know about that lie, but Pop off, Aquarius.

Okay.

Aquarius is the best.

What other sign has a song cemented in pop culture celebrating our contributions to the world?

Ernesto?

Pathetic Pisces?

Please.

Those vagabond Virgos?

Never.

The song is not called "This is the Dawning of the Age of Libra."

That don't even sound right.

But...

I have to get going.

My campaign manager and I have to strategize winning the votes of sophomores from working class families.

I plan to make history as the president of my sophomore class and as president of the United States.

One day.

I can see the headlines now.

Zach Gautier Rollins Openly gay, unambiguously Black.

He's the first and he won't be the last.

I think you'll be memorable no matter what number you are, Zach.

You coming back tomorrow?

Yeah.

I mean, I think I will.

It was nice meeting you.

Panamanian Papi.

You too, bro.

Bro.

Grand opening.

Grandmother closing.

Oh.

Why did you "bro" him, you dumb n — Oh, Ernesto!

Not everybody's like your last!

Zack engaged you!

Zack, listen to you outside of your mom!

He's the first to ever do that.

Oh.

Oh, shoot.

Zack left his library card.

Yo, Zack.

Shh.

You and your crooked toupee.

It's giving lice.