Museum Piece

by John J King

Khalid Walker, Director of Visitor Services at “The BEAN,” prepares for the museum’s biggest attendance day of the year, struggling to ensure the museum honors its new Director’s bold promise of inclusion for the young and diverse audiences of Boston. But everywhere he turns he finds that mission challenged – by bitter long-time members, alienated locals, lost tourists, and the probing press. For every step...

Khalid Walker, Director of Visitor Services at “The BEAN,” prepares for the museum’s biggest attendance day of the year, struggling to ensure the museum honors its new Director’s bold promise of inclusion for the young and diverse audiences of Boston. But everywhere he turns he finds that mission challenged – by bitter long-time members, alienated locals, lost tourists, and the probing press. For every step Khalid takes forward, the BEAN’s history or – worse yet – his own boss, pulls him two steps back. Can Khalid make the BEAN live up to this bold vision of a cultural sanctuary for ALL of Boston’s populace, or will the museum trip over its own feet as it walks towards the future?

Originally commissioned and developed through the SpeakEasy Stage Company Boston Project.

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Museum Piece

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  • Nick Malakhow: Museum Piece by John J King
    “

    A hilarious and briskly moving satire that skewers virtue signaling, superficial DEI efforts, and white privilege while also exploration the complex socio-cultural dynamics that are characteristic of the greater Boston area. King captures a wonderful sense of place. The heightened, farcical setup has shades of classic pieces like "The Government Inspector," but content-wise it is pitched so perfectly at the current individual and institutional roadblocks to change, progress, justice, and equity. King also tosses in an apt critique of various kinds of art--relics, responsive art, and art of...

    A hilarious and briskly moving satire that skewers virtue signaling, superficial DEI efforts, and white privilege while also exploration the complex socio-cultural dynamics that are characteristic of the greater Boston area. King captures a wonderful sense of place. The heightened, farcical setup has shades of classic pieces like "The Government Inspector," but content-wise it is pitched so perfectly at the current individual and institutional roadblocks to change, progress, justice, and equity. King also tosses in an apt critique of various kinds of art--relics, responsive art, and art of unclear authorship and intent.

    read more
    ”
  • Joslyn Housley: Museum Piece by John J King
    “

    I highly recommend John King’s Museum Piece. The dialogue is crisp and funny. The pacing is tight. I enjoyed following this family of co-workers navigate their way to becoming “woke”. The play is very timely and will surely resonate with audiences.

    I highly recommend John King’s Museum Piece. The dialogue is crisp and funny. The pacing is tight. I enjoyed following this family of co-workers navigate their way to becoming “woke”. The play is very timely and will surely resonate with audiences.

    ”
4M, 4W

KHALID The BEAN’s Director of Visitor Services. Black Male, 34-ish.
RANDY Facilities manager. White townie male, 50s. Doubles with PENN & BOB.
JACKSON Guest Services Manager, white male, 30s – 40s. Doubles with CLAYTON.
PEGGY Decades-long security guard. 60s, white Southie female. Doubles with SYBIL.
RAMIKA Temp hire for the day. 20s Black woman. Doubles with BRIT. “ra-MEE-ka” but no white person ever says it correctly.
HARPER First female Director of the BEAN. White Female, 50s.
LAYLA Her executive assistant. Latinx Female, 20s. Doubles with GAB.
KEIKO Boston Globe Journalist with huge Twitter following. Asian-American Female, late 20s. Doubles with LUANN.
SYBIL Long-time supporter and member of the Museum, who wants to speak to a manager. White female, 60s – 70s. Doubles with PEGGY.
CLAYTON “A regular Bostonian visiting your fine establishment.” Doubles with JACKSON.
PENN EFFLECK Tech tycoon seeking a family friendly, culturally-diverse institution to bury his money in. White male, 50s. Doubles with RANDY.
BOB & LUANN Tourists from Texas. White, male and female, 50s – 60s.
GAB Butch Latinx photographer visiting for the first time. Doubles with LAYLA.
BRIT Hi-Femme Black musician visiting for the first time. Doubles with RAMIKA.


CHARACTER TRACKS
KHALID Always plays KHALID. Black Male, 30's.
HARPER Always plays HARPER. White Female, 50's.
RANDY Also plays PENN & BOB. White male, 40's.
JACKSON Also plays CLAYTON. White male, 30's.
PEGGY Also plays SYBIL. White female, 60's+.
RAMIKA Also plays BRIT. Black Female, 20's.
LAYLA Also plays GAB. Latinx Female, 20's.
KEIKO Also plays LUANN. Asian-American female, 20's - 30's.

Development History

  • Reading, SpeakEasy Stage Company, 2020
  • Commission, SpeakEasy Stage Company, 2019
  • Reading, SpeakEasy Stage Company, 2019