A Short Play About Viola Desmond

Characters:

Boy

2 Girls

2 Narrators

Chorus

Viola Desmond

Boy: Did you hear? Rosa Parks got a special degree

from the Mount? My mom and my aunts went

to meet her. We are so lucky to live here. We

never had to worry about moving to the back

of the bus.

Girl(1): That’s right! In Nova Scotia we’ve always

been able to sit where we want and eat

where we want. We didn’t need the NAACP

here.

Girl(2): Hold on ! You never heard about our

own Viola Desmond from Truro? I learned

about her in school. Listen to this! Narrator(1):The year - 1946

The place - New Glasgow

Narrator(2):Viola Desmond, a successful beautician

and business woman in Halifax was

just arrested for sitting downstairs in

a racially segregated movie theatre.

Chorus: Whites only downstairs!

No Blacks allowed!

Help! Police!

Narrator(1): Black people had to pay 3 cents to sit

in the balcony. White people paid only

2 cents to sit comfortably downstairs.

Viola Desmond: I am not paying more than white

people to see the same show! I

spent 12 hours in jail for

"attempting to defraud the Federal

Government".

Narrator(1): The NAACP in Nova Scotia helped

Viola Desmond pay the $20.00 fine.

Narrator(2): The NAACP also brought public attention to the unfair laws practiced by the government.

Chorus: Thank you, Viola Desmond!

Children: Thank you, Viola Desmond!