My parents are visiting
Sorry for delays
I’m feeling all Doogie Howser here….
So write a play about parents.
But mess with time.
THE NINETEENTH CHALLENGE: WRITE A
TIME-FLUID PARENTAL PLAY
Like start with an egg- or start
with a LITERAL TWINKLE IN AN EYE
And by the end, with death and a
reunion of sorts. It can be- should be- something a bit more fantastical
magical ethereal than like 6th grader Heaven.
If you’re a hardcore blackbelt
atheist, then make your NOTHINGNESS beautiful, you temporal breeder (for the
purposes of art).
Don’t: get cute.
Do: get sappy
When you mess with convention, it
disrupts the audience and if they have to think, they can’t feel. So give them
instant connections to allow them to stop thinking, and start feeling.
Nobody wants to have to THINK
about your goddamn play until you’ve given us the gift of feeling something
real. Then, we’ll think all by ourselves without any help from you AT ALL.
You are not a thinker maker. You
are a playwright.
(yeah, this one is definitely
up my alley, so I’m circling back for it later, but for now I’m still pushing
through Spellbound.
And fair warning, I
ended up writing a sexual assault scene.
It doesn’t carry through to completion, the act is thwarted it, but the
intention is there in the characters and their actions so – I slept on it first
and re-read it just now, but I’m gonna go ahead and post it. If anyone’s actually reading these things, here’s
your trigger warning.)
Another pool of light
reveals AUGGIE and MICAH.
MICAH on guitar,
strumming a bit of a rhythm with the chords, tentatively, but quite happy.
AUGGIE sings.
AUGGIE
(sings, verse)
I blame
you for
the beat of
my heart.
Hold onto
me like
you were
drowning.
I need
you near
me in
the dark
to help
fill in
that mis-
sing part.
(chorus)
There was a
hole at the
center of
my life.
Hole at the
center of
my life.
There was a
hole at the
center of my,
center of
my life.
But life's
a whole
lot better
now with you.
(speaks)
OK, just a strum for
each chord in this last verse.
MICAH obliges.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
(sings, verse)
I blame
you for
the smile
on my face.
You've cast
the spell I've
fallen under.
A miracle,
a tiny thing,
your magic
always
makes me sing -
(speaking)
OK, now kick back into
the rhythm pattern from before.
MICAH obliges.
AUGGIE (cont'd)
(sings, chorus)
There was a
hole at the
center of
my life.
Hole at the
center of
my life.
There was a
hole at the
center of my,
center of
my life.
But life's
a whole
lot better
now with you.
(speaking)
Cycle through the last two lines with the chords
again. Bring it home!
MICAH obliges one last time, finishing with a slightly embarrassed
flourish.
AUGGIE (cont’d)
It’s official. You’re a rock star.
MICAH
And you, sir, are extremely
biased. That was adequate.
AUGGIE
That was amazing.
You’re amazing.
We’re amazing.
Gimme that guitar.
AUGGIE takes the guitar from MICAH and sets it aside.
AUGGIE then envelops MICAH in a bear hug.
MICAH submits.
AUGGIE starts nuzzling MICAH’s neck.
MICAH giggles, squirms a bit.
At this point, it still seems harmless.
Then AUGGIE starts kissing MICAH’s neck, and continues trying to
work his way around to MICAH’s lips.
MICAH immediately starts resisting.
MICAH
Auggie. Don’t.
I’m serious. Stop.
AUGGIE isn’t listening, and he’s not releasing MICAH.
MICAH starts to struggle, pushing against a resistant and determined
AUGGIE as hard as he can.
AUGGIE pulls his own shirt off, then starts pawing at MICAH’s.
The struggle, with MICAH trying to scramble away while AUGGIE pursues
him, continues through the following:
MICAH
Auggie, what the hell -
?
AUGGIE
I want you.
MICAH
No.
AUGGIE
I know you want me.
You want this.
You’ve always wanted
this.
MICAH
Not like this.
AUGGIE
Now I want this,
too. So let’s do this. Why are you fighting me?
MICAH
Because you’re not
yourself. This isn’t you.
AUGGIE
I am more “me” in this
moment than I think I’ve ever been in my life.
Why won’t you give me this?
MICAH
Because your judgment is
impaired and when you really are yourself again, you’re going to regret taking
it this far, and you’re really going to regret it if you try to push it further.
AUGGIE
Who’s going to stop me?
MICAH
Are you being serious
right now?!
AUGGIE
Serious as a heart attack. Take off your pants.
MICAH
No.
AUGGIE
Fine.
AUGGIE takes off his pants.
MICAH is too stunned that it’s happening to do anything but watch.
They stand there, looking at each other.
MICAH
Auggie, stop.
AUGGIE
Your turn.
AUGGIE corners MICAH.
AUGGIE forces MICAH to the floor.
AUGGIE starts trying to hold MICAH down get his clothes off.
That’s it.
MICAH’s done trying to defuse the situation gently.
He kicks and shoves, punches and scratches if he has to, to
physically throw AUGGIE off of him and get as much distance between them as
possible.
Maybe the guitar gets knocked over in the process.
MICAH
Auggie! Stop!
AUGGIE
You hit me.
MICAH
Think for a minute about
what you just tried to do to me.
Is that something you do
to someone you claim to love?
AUGGIE
I do love you.
MICAH
You were hurting me.
You were forcing me.
I love you and I want to
help you but this isn’t what I want.
AUGGIE
Bullshit.
MICAH
Not like this.
Do you honestly want to
take something from me that I would not give you willingly?
AUGGIE
No.
MICAH
Do you want to hurt me?
AUGGIE
No!
MICAH
Then stop.
Think.
Take a breath.
Please.
And stay over
there. Don’t come any closer.
AUGGIE
Are you hurt?
MICAH
No. Not really.
But –
AUGGIE
But - ?
MICAH
You scared me.
AUGGIE
I don’t want to scare
you.
MICAH
I know.
AUGGIE
What the hell is wrong
with me?
MICAH
It’s the love potion,
Auggie.
It’s making you – do things
– you wouldn’t normally –
AUGGIE
What the hell am I
doing?
What the hell have I
done?
MICAH
Auggie. Listen to me.
Nothing happened.
We stopped.
You stopped.
AUGGIE
You had to stop me.
MICAH
But I did. And it’s done. So –
AUGGIE
Oh my god. Micah.
I am so sorry.
MICAH kicks or tosses AUGGIE’s shirt and pants across the room to
him.
MICAH
Just – put your clothes
back on, OK?
AUGGIE
Oh my god.
MICAH
Auggie. Listen to me.
Do you want anyone to
see you, to see us, like we are right now?
AUGGIE
No.
MICAH
Then put your clothes
on.
AUGGIE does.
AUGGIE
I’m scared, Micah.
MICAH
Same here, buddy.
AUGGIE
Don’t leave me.
MICAH
I won’t.
AUGGIE
Can you sit with me?
MICAH
Isn’t that gonna just
get you worked up again?
AUGGIE
No. I promise.
MICAH
OK.
MICAH walks cautiously over to AUGGIE and sits with him.
AUGGIE tentatively reaches out a hand.
MICAH takes it and holds it.
They sit quietly for a moment.
Then AUGGIE starts to cry.
He collapses against MICAH, sobbing.
MICAH just holds AUGGIE, awkward and horrified.
(to be continued)
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