Friday, October 1, 2010

Night Part One: Rebecca Rae V.

Night. BOY enters stage right and feels his hand across the wall until he reaches a bureau. His free hand fumbles with a key hanging from his neck. There is a candle waiting to be lit on the bureau before him. GIRL is sitting across the room at a single table with two chairs in a wedding dress. Her face is streaked with make-up. A bottle of whiskey and a pack of cigarettes is at her side on the table. She is smoking.

GIRL: Need a light.

(flicks a book of matches between them. Boy catches them with his hand(OR)boy lets them fall at his side and stares at her for a long moment before proceeding to pick them up and light the candle on the bureau. Following, he reaches into his pocket in search of cigarettes. Finding none, he makes his way to the table and sits across GIRL)

BOY: A little early to be sportin’ that get-up isn’t it?

GIRL: I’m practicing.
(She slides the cigarette pack across the table, slowly, taking her time)

BOY: Practicin’. (picks cigarette out from pack and lights it) What’s theya tah practi—

GIRL: Why are you here (Why did you come back). Jacob.

BOY: I’m the best man!

GIRL: You’re the best liar.

BOY: saaaaamme thing, sweets.

GIRl: quit your fucking around.

BOY: Fuckin’ around? Whose fuckin’ around? Speakin’ of—what’s goin’ on with yer hayha?

GIRL: (flatly) Something wrong with it?

BOY: Wrong with it?! What isn’t wrong with it? Yaheva seen a comb in yah life, I mean jesus. (……..)What happened to yer curls?
GIRL: They’re here.

BOY: Where.

GIRL: The trashcan.

BOY: THE TRASH--!—(pointing) THIS trashcan?!

GIRL: I cut them.

BOY: When—

GIRL: (Just) Now, when I heard you were coming.

BOY: (whispers) Damn you.

GIRL: (Throws scissors on the table between them) Still warm.

BOY: Grow up, will ya?

GIRL: You started it. You’re the one who left.

BOY: You know why I left

GIRL: Then why the hell come back Jacob—

BOY: STOP calling me that—

GIRL: (You) Should have just allowed five years to morph into ten so I could learn to forget you altogether—

BOY: I AM here for the same reasons you ahe (sweets). Just like evvvverrry other time you or I have tried to convince ourselves o’ somethin’ different.

GIRL: Don’t feed me that bullshit again—

BOY: We are tied to this house—

GIRL: Give me the key—

BOY: You an’ me. Just like always. Always been, always wi—

GIRL: Jacob.

BOY: (grabs another cigarette from the pack and lights it, keeping his eyes on GIRL throughout the entire movement) Get yer own.

GIRL: (You know) I’d have to tear down the walls to do that.

BOY: What’s stopping you.

GIRL: I’m not that restless.

BOY: (leaning towards her, resting his arms on the table) Maybe I like you bettah restless.

GIRL: (copies movement of BOY and leans forward to rest her arms in the same position on table. Their faces now inches apart from one another.) And I like you better without that damn key around your neck.

BOY: Like the time you threw yer drink in the bahtendahs face aftah he tried tah kiss yer cheek—

GIRL: That was a long time ago.

BOY: Not long enough tah ferget—

GIRL: Some things are worth forgetting.

BOY: (reaches up to brush a strand of hair away from her eyes) Not all things. (his hand follows the outline of her chin and he brushes his thumb across her lips)(speaks softly)What happened to that spark burstin' inside you?

GIRL: It started a fire.

BOY: I didn’t come heya tah talk about fiyahs.

GIRL: It set everything in my life ablaze—

BOY: (continuing to caress her lips with his thumb) Like yer painting?

GIRL: (Grabs his wrist and holds it steady next to her face) (Stern) What did you say?

BOY: Chalie told me yer (not paintin’ anymoha) brushes have been in the sun room long enough tah grow mold.

GIRL: (lets go of BOY’s arm and leans back against her chair, unscrewing the cap from the whiskey bottle) Why would he tell you that?

BOY: Because the bastahd thinks he loves you enough tah undahstand you (……..)

GIRL: Knock it off. Jacob.(Takes a large, exaggerated swig from whiskey bottle)

BOY: (And) He’s worried, and I SWEAYA TAH GOD if you call me Jacob one moah time—

GIRL: (teasingly)You’ll what?

BOY: ( laughs mockingly) And…you think things haven’t changed? You think that, just because you cut yer hayha off yer head they don't (still) belong to me ( anymoah)? Those locks ahhe MINE—trashcan or nahht!—Evah since the first day I met you and said, “You can keep everythin’ else o’ yers, but these curls—“

GIRL: (whispers) Enough.

BOY: ARE MINE.

GIRL: (slams bottle on table between them) I said enough!

BOY: (Leans across table and grabs her wrists tightly) You haven’t changed at all. Nothin’ has changed. I still know every thought in yer head. I still feel every motion o’ yer body. You still belong to me—

GIRL: (rips her wrists from his grasp and stands up) (Oh) And that is just SOOOO convenient for you, isn’t it? One morning you’re caressing me as my lover and the next you disappear on another one of your forget-me-not hiatus! It’s been FIVE YEARS Jacob! You left me (here) for FIVE. YEARS. Without so much as a god damn post card and you expect me to sit here before you and act as if everything (can be) as it was?! (….)

(extended pause between dialogue)

GIRL: (calmly) Look at me Jacob.

BOY: I sent you the bureau.

GIRL: The bureau? (She stalks over hurridly to the bureau, her anger rising once more) THIS bureau?! ( starts pulling on the center drawer handle of the bureau aggressively as it begins to shake and create noise)

BOY: (Watching her, about to stand) WATCH THE CANDLE!

GIRL: This fucking bureau with no home and no key?! Is this really you’re (only) response?

BOY: It wasn’t time fer you tah open it--

GIRL: (Oh) Clearly. And it never will be.

BOY: Why do you think (I came back to you) I’m heyah now?

GIRL: (Because) I’m engaged.

BOY: Yer drunk.

GIRL: (walks toward him and bends down to put her face inches from his) SAAAAME thing darlin’—

BOY: Stop lieing.

GIRL: Unlock the FUCKING bureau—

BOY: Yer tryin’ tah run from yerself again—

GIRL: And we’ll see who the liar is—

BOY: But you ferget that I AM you sweets. It’s you an’ me. An’ this house.

GIRL: This house is built on fear. A fear of forgetting. But I’m not afraid of forgetting anymore Jacob.

BOY: Shit ton o’ good it’s doin’ ya. Yer still heya. At this table. In this house. Right wheya I left ya.

1 comment:

  1. Notes from Roy:
    Great scene. Great atmospherics and visuals. Dark, stark, foggy, broken. The issues between the two of them are just unclear enough to keep us on edge, but the nature of their relationship is very clear, and full of great conflict. Her drinking and smeared make-up, his arrogance, their desire for each other, the impending marriage. All of these give a scene a deeply dramatic edge.

    In addition, it's structured really well, with the action rising throughout. And sprinkled with revelations about their past, and the feelings that engulf them.

    Roy

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