2023
A CALL FOR HELP
3w / 3m
Gun Violence Type(s): Suicide, Unintentional Shooting
Perspective: Other
Narrative Style: Realism, Chorus / Multi-Voice​
By Pepper Fox
For three 911 operators, an ordinary night at work explodes into matters of life and death as they try to guide their callers to safety against increasingly desperate odds.
SYNOPSIS
At a quiet 911 dispatch center, three operators—BRIAN, RONNIE, and BILL—pass time between calls with banter, teasing, and personal updates. Their casual camaraderie is interrupted by three simultaneous emergencies, each testing their ability to stay composed and compassionate under pressure. BRIAN responds to CAMERON, a panicked 12-year-old who accidentally shot his friend with a gun taken from an unlocked cabinet. RONNIE takes a call from SIERRA, a teenage girl in emotional crisis who confides her intent to end her life. BILL speaks to MARTHA, a mother trapped in a hotel room with her children while a shooting unfolds in the hallway outside.
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Each dispatcher tries to stabilize their caller while emergency units are en route. BRIAN keeps CAMERON talking by shifting between facts and small talk about Legos. RONNIE gently builds trust with SIERRA, relating through humor and empathy. BILL calmly guides MARTHA through lockdown steps while connecting with her about parenthood. As tension builds and the danger escalates, each dispatcher attempts to hold their caller’s attention, offering reassurance in the face of blood, fear, and uncertainty.
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The calls crescendo into overlapping dialogue—an emotional collage of chaos, care, and connection. Suddenly, all the callers go silent. In the eerie quiet, the dispatchers—now without feedback—call out, urge them to “stay with me,” and plead for a sign of life. The blackout that follows leaves the resolution unknown, but the emotional weight deeply felt.
The casual beginning works to set up the urgency of the calls to come... the overlapping calls is a great way to illustrate the chaos and multiplicity of the ways in which this violence can manifest.
LLOYD SUH
Playwright & ENOUGH! panelist
themes & technique
THEMES
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The Human Side of Crisis — Each dispatcher must navigate not only emergency protocol but emotional connection, showing the role of empathy in life-or-death situations.
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Responsibility and Regret — The callers face the consequences of impulsive actions, systemic failure, or psychological pain, all compounded by a lack of adequate support.
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Isolation and Connection — Despite being physically distant, the brief connections forged between dispatcher and caller reveal the importance of being heard and understood.
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NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
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Simultaneous intercutting — Overlapping calls progress in parallel, highlighting contrasting yet connected experiences of crisis while building dramatic tension and emotional resonance.
"Stay with me."
Pepper Fox
A Call for Help
Playwright's Bio
Pepper Fox (she/her, Kentucky) is a visual arts student at DuPont Manual from Louisville, Kentucky. Pepper took a playwriting class for the first time and she fell in love with it. She loves to write down words that can impact people as well as find like-minded individuals who love to interact with the arts in all forms as well.
