Welcome to Bill's Scene-A-Week Play Blog!
In the mid 1980's, the "ten-minute play" became fashionable. They allowed theaters to present numerous playwrights' works in a single evening, and if you did not like what you were watching, a new play was right around the corner. In the lab at Circle Repertory, I discovered I had a knack for writing these short plays, with the goal being not to write a "sketch" a la Saturday Night Live, but to write about an incident and in it, create, evolve and change the characters in this snap shot from their lives.
My first offering will be a series of four short plays which all intersect in the fifth short play.
In 1984, I helped Tim Jeffryes form the New England Touring Theatre which took Children's Theatre to elementary, middle schools and high schools all over the northeast. Although this is a fictional scene, it was inspired by many real events. Tim had many stories of doing touring children's theatre from his years with the Robin Hood Players. Despite our success, Tim was never fully at peace and one day sold the whole company sayings "I didn't go to NYU to do children's theater."
CARIBOU CROSSING has been produced in the Circle Rep Lab and Circle Rep West by itself, and in American Road at the Gorilla Theatre, Tampa. I can't start with my early plays yet, because I have to scan them. I wrote them before the computer age.
American Road
by Bill Leavengood
Pre-show. Theme music. In silhouette each actor, dressed in black, crosses in front of a cyclorama from
one wing to the other, moving “in character”, crossing the next actor, entering
from the other side until all the characters each actor plays has been
represented. Each actor holds a bag or a prop, suggesting they are “headed
somewhere”. The order, by character name, is: Charles, Tim, Deanna, Byron, Joe,
Dick, Taylor, Ann, Lawton. Finally, all four actors enter and stand apart
across the stage, all in silhouette, and freeze. Actors exits, music ends as
the first scene is set....
Road 1 - Caribou Crossing
A seedy motel room in northern Maine, late March. A dirty, duct-taped
soft-sided suitcase is open atop one of two double beds with faded, somewhat
plain bed spreads. The bathroom door is open, the light is on, though we can’t
see in.
One of those deluxe, oversized sport bags is on the other bed. CHARLES,
30’s, African American, stands at the foot of this second bed. His voice,
movements and gestures are exaggerated-- flowing, but stagy.
CHARLES
So
this was your dream? To own a general
store?....
Ha!
Charles refers to a boom box sitting on the floor.
CHARLES
This
plow should fetch a pretty penny. Yes, I’ll sell it
all
at auction... Oh, the citizens of Springfield will pity
you.
You’re so popular.
Someone in the bathroom farts. Charles shoots a glance
that way, then continues, moving gracefully-- perhaps too gracefully around the
room.
CHARLES
When
you let them buy on credit,
it’s
no wonder. Where did it get you? Foreclosure...
Charles quickly pulls a “Penthouse” magazine from the
open, battered suitcase, rolls it up and holds it aloft.
CHARLES
Foreclosure
and failure. Ha-ha!
That’s
the fate of dreamers, Mr. Lincoln.
We hear the toilet flush. Charles raises his voice
over the flush.
CHARLES
(pause/louder)
That’s
the fate of dreamers, Mr. Lincoln.
TIM enters from the bathroom wearing only briefs.
Though in his 20’s, there is a sense of jaded, weariness about him. He is
brushing his teeth and adjusting his underwear.
TIM
(through
toothpaste)
“I
know I can make my dream come true
if
I’m just given the chance. Please,
Mr.
Haringdon, can’t you give me a little more
time?”
And yada-yada to the end.
Tim rinses and spits.
CHARLES
(breaking
character for the first time)
Don’t
you want to run it?
TIM
You
seem to know it. Except it’s
“failure
and foreclosure”, not
“foreclosure
and failure.”
CHARLES
I
know. That’s a choice I made.
TIM
(beat)
Okay.
(looks
around room)
What’s
this shit doing out?
CHARLES
I
like props.
Tim sets the boom box out of the way, picks up his
“Penthouse” magazine, making a point of stuffing it beneath other stuff in his
suitcase to get across his displeasure.
CHARLES
What
about “The Tortoise and the Hare”?
TIM
We
did it this afternoon.
CHARLES
Couldn’t
hurt to polish it.
TIM
Just
be sure when you roll up the drop,
you
toss it up and out over the flat.
Otherwise,
it gets caught on the
nail
where I hang my ears.
CHARLES
I
mean, the acting. To work on our
stage
chemistry.
TIM
Look,
Charles, unless you’ve made some
“choices”
you want to tell me about,
let’s
wing it.
(beat)
It’ll
be fine. We only have two tomorrow.
The
morning show is Caribou Christian.
40
rodents in the whole school, ages 4-18. Afternoon
“Young Abe Lincoln” at Presque Isle
High.
They
don’t know theater from seal blubber.
CHARLES
Perhaps.
But as true Thespians, our stage chemistry--
TIM
Charles,
we’ll be performing under
mercury
vapor lights on the floor of
a
gymnasium. We don’t have to worry about
“chemistry”.
CHARLES
Don’t
you think it’s important to have a better
attitude?
TIM
Not
really.
(beat)
I’m
happy if you do.
CHARLES
It’s
just... Miles speaks highly of you,
I
want us to fulfill each other’s expectations.
You’re
somewhat of a legend
in
the company, Tim.
TIM
A
legend in the Bard Traveling Players?
(beat,
doesn’t know how he feels about that)
Well,
don’t sweat it, Charles. I have
no
expectations.
(rubs
face)
I’m
sorry. Long day.
CHARLES
(agreeing)
Please.
TIM
Lose
Roger Tuesday, three hours to Bangor to get you,
back
track six hours to bumfuck Iceland
to
have Principle Pus-bag screaming at
us
about throwing off his schedule, doing “The
Tortoise
and the Hare” for fourteen year olds--
CHARLES
I
think they enjoyed it.
TIM
We
could be Portier and De Niro or
a
pair of sock puppets. You understand?
The
kids get out of class.
(beat)
It’s
not you, Charles. I’m
just
ragged.
Tim pulls out a map, going over their route for
tomorrow.
CHARLES
What
exactly happened to Roger?
Miles
wouldn’t say-- Mr. Silverman--
TIM
I
know Miles.
CHARLES
--he
wouldn’t say when I called
the
home office, but I gleaned that it was quite
harrowing.
TIM
It’s
a dumb story. Fucking disturbing,
but.... How do you eat french fries?
CHARLES
French
fries?
TIM
Roger
ate them like a chipmunk.
(shows
him bunny rabbit munching,
then
makes weird croaking sound)
Made
this weird croaking sound when he
cleared
his throat.
(beat)
Ah,
hell, I read road maps while I drive.
I
know that bugged him.
CHARLES
Goodness...
So is that why Roger... whatever happened
to
him...?
Tim folds up map and puts it in side pocket of his
luggage.
TIM
(takes
a deep breath)
Tuesday
A.M., we stop at Dunkin’ Donuts--
By
the way, that’s where we stop
for
coffee every morning.
CHARLES
What
if there isn’t one?
TIM
Always
is. So, Roger and I-- some library
had
booked
an evening performance, so it’s a
four
show day ahead of us.
CHARLES
God,
I know. Our Dallas week was a mother.
TIM
We’re
riding in silence--
typical,
you know--
CHARLES
Touring.
Yes.
TIM
I’m
sipping my coffee, he’s not.
Finally
I say, “It’s good and hot.”
Roger
looks at me, opens the door,
pours
out his coffee, and jumps.
CHARLES
My
God!
TIM
Going
60 on I-95.
CHARLES
My
God! Did he...?
TIM
No.
Broke his leg in
three
places, dislocated both elbows.
His
grandmother picked him up
at
the hospital.
(pause)
Let’s
get to bed.
CHARLES
I’m
supposed to remind you to
call
your wife.
TIM
(pause)
I’ll
call her tomorrow.
Charles grabs his doc kit and a robe, heads for the
bathroom. Tim turns on the T.V. , and stands, staring at it. Charles pauses at
the bathroom door.
CHARLES
Aren’t
you going to bed?
TIM
I
like the T.V. on. You can turn
it
down after I’m asleep if it bothers
you,
but don’t turn it off.
CHARLES
(joking)
You
mean “ever”?
TIM
Right.
CHARLES
(bristling
a little)
Well,
we’ll have to see how that goes.
Charles exits into the bathroom, closes and locks the
door. Tim stares at the T.V. screen. We hear the shower being turned on. The
knock on the door surprises Tim.
TIM
Yes?
WOMAN’S
VOICE
Tim?
TIM
Who
is it?
WOMAN
VOICE
I’m
looking for the Traveling Bard
Players.
Is that Tim?
Tim cracks open the door, staying behind it. DEANA,
30’s, attractive, enters. Her
outfit should read “elementary school teacher.” Something neat and pretty but
not overly stylish.
DEANA
Tim!
Oh, my gosh, on the first try.
I
saw the Bard Player van in front of this room.
(pause)
Your
sign. I got it.
Deana slips Tim a hand painted “Finish Line” .
TIM
Oh,
wow, thanks.
DEANA
Are
you--? Sorry, it’s so late.
TIM
No.
Let me put some pants on.
Tim grabs jeans and a T-shirt, quickly slipping them
on. Deana stays at the cracked open door,
continuing the conversation but being careful not to watch Tim dressing.
TIM
If
the school had called, I would have
been
glad to pick it up.
DEANA
Oh,
gosh, no. It’s 50 minutes each
way
from Howland.
TIM
You
drove--? Wow. Thanks.
DEANA
I’m
just happy I found you. Oh, the kids just
loved
the show. I know, the eigth graders--
Tim opens the door to her, she steps in.
DEANA
(continued),
--but
they don’t like anything. I
thought
you were a superb Hare.
Really
a big hit.
TIM
Thank
you. We had a great
time
doing it.
DEANA
You
did? Good. I’m glad. That
makes
it... even better.
DEANA
Where’s
the tortoise?
TIM
Charles?
DEANA
Charles!
Oh, he was super, too.
TIM
He’s
in the shower.
DEANA
Oh,
good. I bet he needs one.
(beat)
You
two work so hard. It’s
a
very active show.
TIM
Yeah.
That was our first time doing it together.
DEANA
No!?
TIM
Yeah.
My last partner jumped
out
of the van gong 60 on I-95.
DEANA
(gasps)
Goodness!
You mean?
TIM
Yeah.
DEANA
Is
he...?
TIM
Dead?
DEANA
No,
I assume you’re the type who would say
that
he died right off if he had, you
know,
out of courtesy to your listener.
I
wondered if he was deranged.
TIM
I
would say, and I’m no doctor,
that
Roger had a breakdown.
DEANA
A
nervous breakdown. Yeah.
TIM
And
he had only been doing this
for
three months.
DEANA
Whereas
you-- It’s three years anyway.
TIM
Have
you...?
DEANA
Oh,
yeah, I’ve seen your new show every year.
“Hiawatha”,
“Stories From Around the World”,
“More
Stories From around the World.”
TIM
(overlapping)
“More
Stories...”
DEANA
You’re
always a standout.
A momentary lull. Tim reaches out, touches DEANA’s
face and kisses her. DEANA pulls away, and is now twice as nervous and charged.
DEANA
Oh,
God. Okay. Sorry.
TIM
No,
no, I’m sorry.
DEANA
You
caught me off guard.
TIM
I
must have misunderstood.
DEANA
No,
you understood. You understood.
I
just didn’t expect.... I have no idea
what
I expected.
Deana laughs.
DEANA
Has
anyone else ever done this?
You
don’t have to answer that.
I
don’t know why I asked it,
it
doesn’t matter if they did.
TIM
It’s
okay. Please, you don’t have to feel
uncomfortable
around me.
DEANA
Sure.
This is a nice room. I mean,
it’s
not a palace. Coming from
New
York City, you probably...
TIM
Please.
I hate for you to be
so
nervous.
DEANA
I
know. I’m silly. I’m
acting
silly. Okay, I’m stopping.
She takes a deep breath and exhales.
TIM
Can
I ask you something?
And
I hope you’ll forgive me.
It’s
my memory is... What is your
name
again?
DEANA
Deana.
TIM
Deana!
DEANA
Deana
Powers.
TIM
Right!
DEANA
You
remember now, when
we
talked before the show.
TIM
Yes!
Ms. Powers. Your class had the great display.
DEANA
“Saving
the Environment.”
TIM
Right!
On the back wall of the auditorium.
DEANA
The
multi-purpose room, um-hm.
TIM
The
artwork was remarkable. Totally
advanced
for 1st grade.
(beat)
I
know you think I’m bullshitting.
DEANA
Why
would I think that?
(Tim
shrugs)
Yeah,
this is an especially bright
class
this year. Some real original thinkers.
(beat)
I’ve
never done this, Tim.
TIM
You
mean, on a first meeting?
DEANA
No.
Had an affair.
(beat)
I’m
married, remember.
TIM
Oh.
God, yes. I’m tired, sorry.
DEANA
You’re
tired?
TIM
No,
not... just pleasantly tired.
DEANA
I’ll
bet. It’s a very active show.
I’m
just fascinated by what
you
do. Traveling from
place
to place like this.
And
the quality!
You
are just so talented.
TIM
Thank
you. Personally, I’ve
done these shows so many times--
DEANA
But
it’s the first time for us.
For
the kids. Right? And that’s
important.
It’s one of the
highlights
of their year.
TIM
Really?
DEANA
Uh-huh.
You can imagine, we’re
pretty
far out of the way. There’s
not
much available.
TIM
Are
you talking about me?
(smiles/pause)
I’m
sorry, I was trying to be funny.
DEANA
I
know, Tim. But it kind of insults both
of
us, doesn’t it?
(beat)
Oh,
Geez, I sound like a school teacher.
You’re
probably clenching your teeth inside.
TIM
No,
no.
DEANA
Are
you shocked I’m here?
TIM
Yes.
Surprised! Because... I didn’t even
know
you had caught my drift.
DEANA
“We’re
staying at the Caribou Crossing Motel tonight.
I’d
love to talk more.” It was pretty clear.
TIM
But
you didn’t react. Not in a way...
DEANA
It’s
kind of hard to react
when
you’re herding a group of 24
first
graders into a single file line,
with
the principle standing
behind
you.
TIM
Good
point.
DEANA
Can
I turn this off?
Tim nods. She turns off the T.V.
DEANA
I
thought you might have seen it in my eyes.
TIM
I... Yeah, I think I did. Yeah. I’m
just....
really
touched that you think I’m worth it..
DEANA
The
timing was just sort of right.
TIM
Oh,
sure. You having troubles at home?
DEANA
No.
No trouble.... just.... second thoughts.
Tim kisses her. It gets hot and heavy quickly more out
of a sense of the time-clock than passion. Deana pulls away out of a need to
talk more than a fear of it getting out of hand.
DEANA
I
had big hopes of-- years ago--
of
coming to New York City.
TIM
To....?
DEANA
Teach.
Live. Teach at Julliard to be
truthful.
I was an arts/education major.
TIM
Julliard’s
a good school.
Tim kisses her neck.
DEANA
You
don’t have to tell me. But, you know,
my
boyfriend liked Maine, didn’t
want
to leave right away. I took a job,
then
we had a baby and got married.
(corrects
herself)
Got
married, then had a baby.
Deana gently pushes Tim away.
DEANA
See?
I am usually
the
most calm, unnervous person.
TIM
I
understand.
DEANA
It’s
probably an old story you’ve heard
a
hundred times, Tim.
TIM
It’s
a story we can all tell.
(she
nods/pause)
You’ll
tell me when you....
Deana nods.
DEANA
Partly,
I want to talk. You know,
as
well.
Deana sits on Charles’ bed.
TIM
Sure.
DEANA
I’d
love to know more about
you,
and doing professional theater,
and
New York.
TIM
Well...
I am a graduate of N.Y.U.
DEANA
No
kidding!
TIM
New
York is a cess pool.
DEANA
You
don’t like it?
TIM
No,
I do. And this is not professional
theater.
DEANA
You
don’t get paid?
TIM
No,
I get paid. Nothing else
would
keep me here.
DEANA
How
much? I know it’s not--
I
just would love to know,
you
don’t have to tell me.
TIM
Seven
hundred a week.
DEANA
Seven
hundred!
TIM
Shh!
Tim sits on the bed across from Deana.
TIM
You
have to understand, Miles
pays
most of these poor
hacks
dookie. Charles, if he’s
making
two-fifty, I’m surprised.
DEANA
How
did you...?
TIM
Because
I keep quitting. I’ve quit
four
times. Miles is afraid to
lose
me. Miles Silverman, the owner.
The
Bard Traveling Players
was
two guys in a ‘83 Dodge van when
I
started.
Deana sits beside Tim, and now and then, will gently
touch his face or stroke his chest. Tim forgets to reciprocate, becoming
involved in his own story.
TIM
This
was something I was supposed to
do
between jobs-- I was cast in
this
Off-Broadway show-- great script--
but
the producer had a heart attack and
then
he didn’t feel-- anyway, it never happened.
And
Miles offered me a huge raise.
(beat)
Which
I took....I’ve given Miles half
his
ideas-- how to market the shows,
how
to control costs, how to
attract
better talent than this shit deserves.
The
basic, portable unit set is my
design.
Now,
Miles has nine troupes. The guy
clears
$300,000 a year.
DEANA
You
should start your own company.
(with
sincere conviction)
No!
You should!
TIM
I’m
not a businessman. I’m an actor.
I
keep hoping Miles will end
my
misery and fire me.
DEANA
You’re
so fantastic, why don’t you quit for real?
Not
that there’s a reason to, unless you
want
to, you know, pursue your dream.
TIM
I
can’t afford to.
DEANA
Oh,
come on. You make $700 a week,
plus
room and board?
TIM
Just
room.
DEANA
Still.
TIM
Yeah,
well, the big plan is
to
save enough to break away.
And
I do save! My God, end of last
school
year, I had fifteen
grand
in my checking account.
DEANA
That’s
enough, isn’t it?
TIM
Yeah,
but... You know, I was tired of New York,
so
I went to Hawaii for six weeks.
Year
before, I decided I deserved
a
trip to Las Vegas.
DEANA
Oh,
Tim, you should know better.
TIM
Fuck
me. Maybe... Maybe I’m just afraid.
You
know, I almost feel responsible.
For
Roger. He was okay. A lousy
actor,
but gung-ho, good attitude...
I
squeezed the hope out of him.
I
hate hope, because it’s bullshit. I hate
seeing
it in other people. Roger really
believed
this fucking job was a stepping
stone
to the big time. I finally had
to
say, “Roger, if you
were
meant for the big time, you
never
would have even known this fucking
job
existed.”
(beat)
I
meant myself, too, but.... that’s
where
his slide began.
(pause)
Well,
that was probably more of an
answer
than you wanted.
DEANA
No,
it’s healthy to talk. I know you
see
now that it was cruel, but if it
wasn’t
something Roger
knew
deep down already, it
wouldn’t
have effected him so.
Wouldn’t
you say?
TIM
Yeah.
I just don’t know why I...
DEANA
Told
me? Because we’re in Caribou.
Doesn’t
that happen to you? You
get
far away from home and
everything
you know, and you don’t
have
to act so much like yourself...
You’re
not so... planted.
(beat)
That’s
probably not the word I want.
TIM
No,
I understand. Thank you.
Deana kisses him deeply, needfully. Tim responds,
begins unbuttoning her blouse. We hear the shower go off.
DEANA
Tim?...
Tim?
(Tim
is heedless)
Tim?
Deana looks towards the bathroom, buttons blouse.
TIM
Oh,
don’t worry, that won’t be a problem.
DEANA
(pause)
I
can’t stay real long.
TIM
Sure.
I’ll.... Charles!
Tim knocks on the bathroom door. Charles steps out,
drying off with a towel.
CHARLES
What?
Charles sees Deana and jumps back into the bathroom
quickly covers himself with his towel.
TIM
Sure.
I’ll.... Charles!
Tim knocks on the bathroom door. Charles, in black
briefs, steps out, drying off with
a towel.
CHARLES
What?
Jesus!
Charles sees Deana, retreats to the bathroom.
DEANA
Hi,
Charles!
TIM
Charles,
you remember Ms. Powers
from
the school this afternoon?
Charles re-enters in a short, black satin robe, with
his towel wrapped around his head.
DEANA
You
were super, Charles.
CHARLES
Thank
you.... Are we having a little
“tutoring” session?
TIM
She
found the finish line sign.
CHARLES
You
brought it all the way from....
DEANA
From Howland. Uh-huh! I just thought
From Howland. Uh-huh! I just thought
it
would be a treat to talk to you
boys
outside the confines of
an
elementary school. Like
adults.
CHARLES
Oh.
DEANA
You
made such a funny Tortoise.
CHARLES
Thank
you.
Deana illustrates Charles’ fluent (but not particularly
tortoise-like) movements as she speaks.
DEANA
So
interesting to watch.
CHARLES
Well,
I appreciate that very much.
And,
you know, the thing is,
I’m
not even really an actor.
I
mean, I can act,
obviously--
DEANA
Oh,
wonderfully.
CHARLES
But
dancing is really my... um...
DEANA
Your
forte?
CHARLES
My
passion. And it’s “fort”. But, God!
No
one says it correctly.
DEANA
How
did you do that voice? It’s
so
different from your own.
CHARLES
The
tortoise? Well, I modeled him
after
a character I saw Sir Lawrence
Olivier
do in a film you
probably
haven’t seen--
no
one has-- I’m a sucker
for
obscure classics-- and
also
a tinge of Jerry Lewis.
DEANA
Would
you just do-- oh, the part....
CHARLES
The
“slow and steady” speech?
DEANA
Yes!
Charles mimes holding a book.
CHARLES
(doing
total over the top character voice)
“My
dear Mr. Hare--
Charles quickly snatching the Gideon Bible from the
bed table to serve as the book. His dialogue is accentuated with lots of gestures
and movements.
CHARLES
“My
dear Mr. Hare, it takes more
than
a hip-hopping home boy
who
can run with pace. Though
my
legs are short and my shell
is
heavy, it’s slow and steady--”
TIM
Charles,
could you take a walk?
Deana turns towards the wall, embarrassed. Charles is
thrown a moment.
DEANA
I’m
going to use the restroom. May I?
Thanks.
Deana disappears into the bathroom.
TIM
Alright,
how much to take a walk?
Name
your price.
CHARLES
She’s
a kindergarten teacher.
TIM
Seriously,
Charles. I know it’s
a
huge favor.
CHARLES
You’ve
been making it with teachers
all
this time.
TIM
No,
it’s a sordid idea that struck
me
only recently. I’ve been
trying
it for maybe two months.
(whispered)
I
can’t believe this one actually came.
CHARLES
You’re
taken, are you not?
TIM
My
wife is a stage manager. She’s out of town
six,
eight months a year. Please,
I
don’t want to talk about disappointment
or
guilt. Fifteen minutes is all I ask.
CHARLES
It’s
twenty degrees outside.
TIM
It’s
thirty. Thirty-one, in fact, it
was
on the news.
CHARLES
No.
TIM
How
about the bathroom? Could you just
read
a magazine...
CHARLES
No.
It’s debasing.
TIM
We’re
partners. I will do the same for
you.
I swear. You want a fifty dollar raise?
All
I have to do is call Miles.
CHARLES
(pause)
If...
If , mind you... Then will
you run the rest
of
the Haringdon scene with me?
TIM
Yes.
CHARLES
And
the fifty dollar raise.
TIM
Deal.
Deana peeks her head out.
DEANA
Hi....
It’s nearly 9:45. I shouldn't have come
so
late. This isn’t fair.
CHARLES
No.
No, I was just going out...
to
read a magazine... in the van.
Give
me the keys.
Tim quickly hands Charles the keys. Everyone acts
polite, Charles leaves. Tim looks at Deana, removes his shirt. Deana turns
away, removes her blouse, turns back to Tim, holding the blouse across her
chest.
TIM
You’re
beautiful.
DEANA
Oh,
yeah. Thanks.
(beat)
Because
I took off my blouse?
TIM
No!
DEANA
I’m
wearing this stupid bra,
I
didn’t think ahead.
TIM
No.
It’s... it’s a good bra.
A beat, then Tim and Deanna go at it. A moan from her,
as the release of sexual tension finds voice. They move back onto the bed, Tim
pulls off his pants, still kissing and rubbing against her. Another small moan
from her. His hands probing, her hands kneeding his back. Another moan, but
this time, it breaks into tears. Tim realizes she’s crying, pulls away.
DEANA
I’m
sorry... I’m sorry, Tim...
Ten
years ago, if you told me I would be
a
first grade school teacher having
an
affair on my husband with
a
traveling actor....
TIM
I
get the feeling you don’t want to do
this.
DEANA
Ten
years ago, if I told you that you would be doing
“The
Tortoise and the Hare”
in
Caribou having an affair with
a
first grade school teacher....
(beat/Tim
nods)
Why
did we settle...?
It’s
not
even like I’m unhappy. I love
teaching
90% of the time.
My
kids are great. They couldn’t
be
greater.
TIM
I’m
sure. I’m sure it has its rewards. So does this.
DEANA
I
even love my husband.
TIM
And
I love my wife.
DEANA
Oh,
you’re married?
(beat)
Okay.
So tell me.
(beat)
About
the rewards. What is
the
best thing about what you do?
TIM
God...
I don’t know.
DEANA
I
do. About teaching. It’s these moments.
They’re
like frozen moments when
I
see one of my kids grasp something.
Not
like addition or spelling, but
something
about being human.
About
the power they have to create,
or
show compassion, or love.
They
understand, and they’ll never go back
to
not knowing it. They are becoming people.
TIM
And
you taught them.
DEANA
No.
But, it’s just reliving
those
discoveries with them.
The
wonder of growing and becoming.
(pause)
You
would think God would have
plANNd
it to go on that way.
Through
your whole life til you died.
TIM
Well,
in a sense.... No, you’re right.
DEANA
Have
you thought of something?
TIM
Oh....
Well... Okay. There’s a part in
“Young
Abe Lincoln” where Mr. Haringdon.
who’s
the bad guy lawyer, is foreclosing
on
Lincoln’s general store. And Lincoln
very
peaceably takes it all on the chin.
Then
he picks up his axe, and turns to walk
out
of the store for the last time and
Haringdon
says, “Where are you going with
that
axe?”, inferring that it now belongs to him.
And
I turn and I say...
(heartfelt,
as he performs the line)
“This
is my father’s axe. If you want it,
you’re
going to have to take it from me.”
I
mean, it’s basically a lame ass script,
but
this one moment.
DEANA
Yes.
TIM
How
I feel inside, how I sense it going
out
into the audience and making them feel.
(beat)
That’s
why I went into this business.
Or
not.
DEANA
You
don’t hate hope, Tim.
TIM
No?
DEANA
No.
I heard you this morning.
TIM
Heard
me?
DEANA
Outside
the cafeteria, it’s right
across
from my room.
TIM
(a
bit embarrassed)
Oh,
my warm ups. Yeah, I still
do
‘em. “As if...”
Tim does one of his vocal warm ups-- “ning-ning” or
grunts or something equally silly sounding. Deana laughs.
TIM
That
N.Y.U. training, hard to shake it.
I
know it makes me sound like a--
DEANA
I
knew what you were doing.
Deana smiles, understanding. Tim returns it,
appreciately. Deana takes Tim’s hand, holds it tightly.
DEANA
Tim,
I don’t want you to think I was teasing.
I
mean, goodness, I hid that sign so I’d
have
an excuse to come here.
I
wanted to make love
with
a strange exotic young man
in
some strange place I would never
see
again. But I know you now, Tim.
TIM
Won’t
that make it mean more?
DEANA
I
didn’t want it to mean anything.
See?
TIM
I
do, but why--
DEANA
I
know you want to--... I do, too, in a way.
I
had this idea--.... But
it’s
not breaking out
and
being free, it’s dropping
down
another peg
in
the disappointment area.
See?
TIM
I
guess.
Deana puts on her blouse.
DEANA
We
had the thrill and everything.
I
even feel that I’ve grown.
(Tim
shrugs)
Okay.
Well, at the least, we didn’t whither
anymore.
We didn’t
become
adulterers on top
of
the rest.
(pause)
I think you are
a
superbly talented person.
I
only wish that what I thought
meant
more.
TIM
Thank
you, Deana.
DEANA
Good
night, Tim. I look forward to seeing you
next
year at the school.
(beat)
But
I kind of hope I won’t.
Deana smiles, making sure Tim understands. Tim smiles,
nods that he understands. Deana smiles, leaves. Tim sits thinking a moment,
then gets out of bed and redresses.
Charles enters.
CHARLES
(beat)
So
what happened?
TIM
I
couldn’t really tell you.... Nothing.
CHARLES
Sorry.
(pause)
That’s
a bitch.
(pause)
Shall
we run the scene?
TIM
Let’s
go from “I know my dream...”
They take their places.
TIM
I
know I can make my dream come true
if
I’m just given the chance. Please,
Mr.
Haringdon, can’t you give me a little more time?
CHARLES
Your
time is up, Mr. Lincoln.
TIM
Then,
good day, sir.
Tim mimes grabbing the axe. To Tim’s horror, Charles
does a pirouette, lunges forward and points melodramatically.
CHARLES
(hugely
overblown)
Wha-ere
are you ga-oing with that axe-zz!
Tim stares at Charles, dead pan. Charles remains
frozen in a hideous, snarling face, waiting for the next line. Tim stares.
Finally, Tim walks over to the T.V., grabs the van keys, and with great
importance, sets them in Charles hands.
TIM
It’s
all yours.
Charles clutches them, dramatically, thinking he’s
playing along with one of Tim’s choices.
Tim turns and leaves the motel room. Charles remains
frozen. Lights fade. End of play.
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