To the Top
by Kathleen Warnock

To the Top Book Cover — To the Top Cover

Highlights

Female

Present Day All Women Bare Stage/Simple Set Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes

Synopsis

The Lady Bulldogs, a college basketball team, is shooting for the national championship.

From the locker room before, during and after games, we follow their triumphs and heartbreaks, betrayals and friendships.

Press Reviews

"Explores the undue pressures of college athletics on the children involved, the added concerns of the second class status of women's athletics and, as such, the status of women forced to compete in any field typically dominated by men."
— Free Times

"A grim portrait of an American institution caught with its institutional pants down."
— The State

Characters

Character	Gender	Age	Description
Alice Farrell The head trainer of the Lady Bulldogs. Late 20s. A tall former player who moves with the lope of a lifetime jock. She always looks uncomfortable in street clothes, prefers sweats and t-shirts whenever she can get away with them. She is a timid sort, who lacked a killer instinct on the court, but has always worked long, hard and uncomplainingly.	female	20s	The head trainer of the Lady Bulldogs. Late 20s. A tall former player who moves with the lope of a lifetime jock. She always looks uncomfortable in street clothes, prefers sweats and t-shirts whenever she can get away with them. She is a timid sort, who lacked a killer instinct on the court, but has always worked long, hard and uncomplainingly.
Mary Ellen Donohue A freshman guard on the Lady Bulldogs. She had just turned eighteen, and emotionally, is much younger than that. She lives in her own world. Basketball is her life. She is still growing into her body, and her womanhood. She is intelligent, but sometimes has trouble articulating what she wants to say.	female	—	A freshman guard on the Lady Bulldogs. She had just turned eighteen, and emotionally, is much younger than that. She lives in her own world. Basketball is her life. She is still growing into her body, and her womanhood. She is intelligent, but sometimes has trouble articulating what she wants to say.
Faith Peavy A freshman center on the Lady Bulldogs. Very tall. From an extremely poor rural background. Would not be in college except for her athletic ability. She is not stupid, but basically disadvantaged, both educationally and psychologically. She has a hearing loss and/or a slight speech defect. She is not very healthy. She has complete confidence in Norrie and worships her.	female	—	A freshman center on the Lady Bulldogs. Very tall. From an extremely poor rural background. Would not be in college except for her athletic ability. She is not stupid, but basically disadvantaged, both educationally and psychologically. She has a hearing loss and/or a slight speech defect. She is not very healthy. She has complete confidence in Norrie and worships her.
Julie Stankavage Senior guard on the Lady Bulldogs. Plain, serious, twenty-three years old. Loyal as a real bulldog and too sman-and honest-for her own good. Has an incredible hatred of losing.	female	—	Senior guard on the Lady Bulldogs. Plain, serious, twenty-three years old. Loyal as a real bulldog and too sman-and honest-for her own good. Has an incredible hatred of losing.
Casey Carter Early /mid-twenties. Sportswriter for local paper. She doesn't trust much, and would love to break a big story that would get her out of this town. She does have a sense of decency and honor that keeps her from getting too vicious-most of the time. She wonders how useful that is.	female	—	Early /mid-twenties. Sportswriter for local paper. She doesn't trust much, and would love to break a big story that would get her out of this town. She does have a sense of decency and honor that keeps her from getting too vicious-most of the time. She wonders how useful that is.
Nancy "Spider" Webb Assistant coach of the Lady Bulldogs. Late 20s. Used to be a point guard when she was a player, and is always looking for the opening. She likes to direct her own and other people's lives as she used to direct the flow of action on the court. Incredibly ambitious. Has the proverbial killer instinct, and can sense who is on the rise, moving quickly to grab coattails.	female	20s	Assistant coach of the Lady Bulldogs. Late 20s. Used to be a point guard when she was a player, and is always looking for the opening. She likes to direct her own and other people's lives as she used to direct the flow of action on the court. Incredibly ambitious. Has the proverbial killer instinct, and can sense who is on the rise, moving quickly to grab coattails.
Mereditii Rosen Mary Ellen's mother. Hard to tell how old she is-the sort of woman you don't expect to have a teenage daughter. She is a wealthy, successful businesswoman. Frequently referred to as a ballbiter. She is no longer married to Mary Ellen's father, nor to her other two husbands. She both loves and resents her daughter.	female	—	Mary Ellen's mother. Hard to tell how old she is-the sort of woman you don't expect to have a teenage daughter. She is a wealthy, successful businesswoman. Frequently referred to as a ballbiter. She is no longer married to Mary Ellen's father, nor to her other two husbands. She both loves and resents her daughter.
The Lady Bulldogs Budget permitting, there should be at least six other players, staff members, student assistants and trainers.	—	—	Budget permitting, there should be at least six other players, staff members, student assistants and trainers.
Patricia "Norrie" Norris The head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, a Division I, nationally ranked, women's basketball team at a large Southern University. Mid-30s, impeccably tailored, sometimes flamboyant. She demands absolute loyalty from those around her, and. gets rid of those who do not provide it. She wields much power and is not afraid to use it.	female	30s	The head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, a Division I, nationally ranked, women's basketball team at a large Southern University. Mid-30s, impeccably tailored, sometimes flamboyant. She demands absolute loyalty from those around her, and. gets rid of those who do not provide it. She wields much power and is not afraid to use it.