WHAT will a character do is a better
dramatic question than why DID they do or how will they FEEL after.
Challenge: Write a play where we don't know WHAT they will do given their options.
Challenge: Write a play where we don't know WHAT they will do given their options.
Bonus- NEVER AGAIN write a why or
how play
Bonus- Make the climactic moment the
MOST INCREDIBLE IMAGE ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN
Bonus- Involve a turkey in some way
(Author’s
note: again, a lovely challenge; again, circumvented by these new characters I
met two weeks ago who will not shut up, day after day.)
TV
BOYFRIEND
The morning after.
After breakfast.
JAKE and KEN, back in bed, with Ken’s laptop,
sharing and reading from the screen. The
middle of the play they start reading after the soldier play.
JAKE
(as the character Byron)
I want to ask you a question. And I need an honest answer.
KEN
(as the character Gabby)
It's
yours if I've got it.
JAKE
(as the character Byron)
Do you believe --
really believe -- in heaven?
KEN
(as the character Gabby)
(pause)
I believe --
irrationally -- without a shred of proof, but with all my heart -- that there
is a place without pain. If you want to
call that heaven, then -- yes.
(after
a brief pause, reading the stage directions leading into the next scene)
Emphasis shifts to
another pool of light where Vincent stands at Byron’s grave.
The basketball is
still there.
He kneels, staring
at the headstone.
He reaches out to
touch the basketball.
He rolls it up into
his lap, wraps his arms around it and crouches there, rocking silently, staring
at his friend's grave.
Emphasis shifts to
Cian and Andrew at the movies...
KEN
stops, noticing that JAKE has gotten very quiet and withdrawn.
KEN (cont’d)
You OK?
JAKE
Sorry. Can we stop for sec?
KEN
Sure. Of course.
I’m kind of
flattered it took the whole soldier play plus half of this one before you
needed a break.
Is it the graveyard
stuff?
I promise this one
has a happy ending.
JAKE
No,
it’s fine. I just –
KEN
Yeah?
JAKE
Does
your world ever feel small?
KEN
How
so?
JAKE
There
are times –
Times
I think if I disappeared –
No
one would miss me.
You
ever feel like that?
KEN
Sometimes.
JAKE
What
do you do?
KEN
You
feel like that right now?
JAKE
No. God no.
This is –
This
has been –
I
–
KEN
It’s
OK.
I’m
feeling pretty overwhelmed myself, to be honest.
Kind
of giddy.
And
incredulous.
Afraid
to blink.
JAKE
The
feeling?
The
smallness?
Before
I saw the play last night, before I met up with Jasper –
This
place.
This
big, empty place.
Where
a guy and a dog used to be waiting for me.
I’m
a little afraid about how I’m gonna feel again when you leave.
KEN
And
I will have to leave.
Eventually.
I’m
in no hurry.
JAKE
And
I don’t just want you to stay because –
KEN
No,
I get it.
It’s
two different things.
JAKE
What
do you do?
When
you start to wonder if you matter?
KEN
Well,
if I were you, I’d probably look at my silver medal, and my different sponsors,
and any number of videos of amazing things I’d done –
JAKE
That’s
bullshit, though.
KEN
You
take up space in the world.
You’ve
made a mark.
You
cast a shadow.
People
would miss you.
Even
if that’s a bullshit measure, people would miss you.
JAKE
People
that matter.
KEN
You
determine the people that matter.
Your
parents, your sister, Jasper.
Even
Billy and Moose.
They
may have broken away from you but I’d be willing to bet there are days Moose
stands by the door still waiting for you, willing you, to come home.
If
he saw you again, he’d be on top of you in a second.
JAKE
Dogs
are easy.
KEN
Dogs
still count.
Dogs
hate shitty people. They can tell.
That
dog knows you matter.
JAKE
I’m
asking what you do.
You
aren’t me.
What
do you do?
When
you feel like quitting?
KEN
Quitting
in what sense?
JAKE
In
all senses.
Giving
up.
Checking
out.
Going
to a place without pain.
KEN
Get
out your phone.
JAKE
That’s
what you do, you get out your phone?
KEN
Yes,
I’m going to show you. Get out your
phone.
JAKE does.
KEN (cont’d)
OK,
this is my friend Jamie’s trick, but it always works. Open your contacts.
JAKE does.
KEN
(cont’d)
Look
at those names.
All
those names.
If
you feel like calling “bullshit” again, maybe subtract your agent or the
sponsor contacts, maybe the pizza guy, the doctors, the people you hire for
things. But even so, even after that, look
at all those names.
Think
of how you matter to those names.
Think
of how long you’ve known them.
Think
of the time you’ve shared with them.
Think
of your history.
If
you called them, any one of them, and got them, live, on the phone, and told
them that you needed them, really needed them, they would be there.
We’re
busy, but no one’s ever that busy.
Not
when the stakes are that high.
But
you need to be willing to ask.
You
need to give them that chance they would kick themselves if they missed.
You
matter.
KEN takes the phone.
Starts punching something in.
JAKE
Hey.
KEN
Giving
it back, don’t worry.
KEN hands back the
phone.
KEN (cont’d)
Look
under M.
JAKE does.
JAKE
Markus,
Ken
KEN
Now
you have one more.
Look,
I’ll be honest, on any number of levels, you scare the fuck out of me.
This,
what we’re talking about, isn’t one of them.
This is the least scary thing about you.
This is the one where I actually feel on the most solid ground, so thank
you.
Against
all reason, I feel like we’ve got a lot more in us than one amazing weekend,
but even if this is all we get, you have changed my life, so thank you.
And
don’t you dare check out on me now.
I’m
not gonna tell you how to live your life, but since you asked, the closet
doesn’t make this any easier, this feeling.
The closet cuts you off from people you need. It keeps you from feeling fully connected to
them. And it’s lying, which is one more
thing to feel bad about when you’ve already got enough making you feel
bad. So maybe start sharing that part of
yourself with people who are not just guys you sleep with. You don’t have to go hog wild. Pick one.
Anyone.
It’s
scary. But you will feel lighter. I promise.
I
know you’ve got a lot riding on this, so know that I am not pushing you.
This,
these four walls, me, this is safe.
If
you need safe.
On
some really basic level, I lie for a living.
I can handle one more.
JAKE hits a number on his phone.
Somewhere nearby, Ken’s phone rings.
KEN starts to reach for it.
JAKE stops him.
JAKE
Let
it go to voice mail.
KEN does, sits,
watching JAKE.
JAKE gets the beep.
JAKE (cont’d)
Hey.
It’s
me.
File
under G.
Gilmore,
Jake.
You
scare me, too.
But
add me to your list.
JAKE hangs up.
JAKE (cont’d)
Now
you’ve got one more, too.
KEN
My
world feels kinda huge right now. Yours?
JAKE
No
limits.
KEN
Get
over here.
They’re not leaving the bed for a while.
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