Play 77: 0 Minutes

CHARACTERS
BEN, 17

(He is sitting at a desk, his hands are on the keyboard of a computer but he is not typing.)

(The words “40 MINUTES” are projected on the wall in the back of the stage.)

(He looks up at the words.)

BEN
Fuck!

(He types for a few seconds, the pauses and sits pensively.)

BEN
(muttering to himself.)
What the fuck to write?

(He starts tapping on the desk with his hand.)

(The words disappear, and after a couple seconds are replaced by “30 MINUTES.)

(He looks up at the words.)

BEN
(A little franticly.)
What the fuck am I going to write?!

(He starts tapping on the desk again, much faster this time though.)

(The words “20 MINUTES” appear on the wall.)

(He looks up at them.)

BEN
Fuck fuck fuck!

(He starts typing rapidly, this continues for a few seconds.)

(Pause.)

(He stops typing, and looks over what he’s written.)

BEN
Fuck, this is terrible.

(Beat.)

Maybe I should try this over again.

(The words “10 MINUTES” appear.)

BEN
Fuck, no time!

(He starts typing and clicking his mouse rapidly.)

(The words “5 MINUTES” appear.)

(He looks up, then immediately goes back to the frantic typing.)

BEN
And…

(Pause, he clicks loudly on the mouse.)

Done!

(The writing changes to “NO MINUTES.”)

(He looks up.)

(He lets out a sigh of relief.)

(Blackout.)

Play 76: One Centimeter

CHARCTERS
KEITH, late 20s
SAMUEL, late 20s

(Keith is sitting in a dimly lit room on a chair by a bed. His hands are resting on his lap and there is a handgun in them, he is staring at it with wide-open eyes.)

(Samuel enters.)

KEITH
(Without taking his eyes from the gun.)
It’s strange to think about.

SAMUEL
What?

(he notices the gun.)

Keith, what the hell are you doing?

(Keith starts lifting the gun in his right hand, his index finger curls around the trigger.)

KEITH
A finger moves just one centimeter…

SAMUEL
Put the gun down.

(He starts walking towards him.)

(Keith continues lifting the gun, he rests the barrel against his head.)

KEITH
And, bam!

(Samuel jumps towards him.)

(Keith jerks the gun up and away from his head to feign it going off.)

KEITH
You’re gone.

(Samuel pulls back when he sees Keith didn’t shoot himself.)

(Keith looks up at Samuel.)

KEITH
Why are you so nervous.

SAMUEL
I (beat) I just thought…

(His voice trails off.)

KEITH
You thought I was going to shoot myself?

SAMUEL
Well, yeah.

(Keith laughs.)

SAMUEL
Well what the fuck was I supposed to think? You’re sitting here alone in the dark with your fucking gun in your hands talking like a madman!

KEITH
Doesn’t it ever get to you?

SAMUEL
What?

KEITH
What do you think?

(Beat.)

SAMUEL
No.

KEITH
How the hell do you deal with doing what we do every day and not thinking about this kind of shit?

SAMUEL
What kind of shit?

KEITH
This.

(He lifts the gun up slightly in his hand.)

SAMUEL
So what, we deal with guns.

KEITH
You know that’s not what I meant.

SAMUEL
Yeah.

KEITH
So how does it not get to you?

SAMUEL
I don’t know. I just don’t think about it.

KEITH
How?

SAMUEL
I don’t think about that either.

KEITH
You’re lucky.

SAMUEL
Yeah.

(Pause.)

KEITH
It’s just so fragile.

SAMUEL
What?

KEITH
Us.

SAMUEL
It comes with the job.

KEITH
I mean everyone.

(Beat.)

SAMUEL
Just get some sleep. We got to wake up early tomorrow.

KEITH
I know.

SAMUEL
He gets up at 7 every morning, leaves by 8.

KEITH
I know.

SAMUEL
Just checking.

KEITH
You don’t have to.

SAMUEL
Yeah.

(Beat.)

I’m going to sleep, you should too.

KEITH
I know.

(Samuel exits.)

(Keith continues sitting in the chair in the dark. He takes the hand the gun is resting in and places it back in between his two hands in his lap.)

(He looks at the gun. His eyes quickly go over to his bed, then back to his gun. He stares at it with unblinking eyes.)

(Fade out.)

Play 75: One of Those Days

CHARACTERS
VINCENT, 17
GLENN, 17

(They’re sitting at a table in a courtyard at school.)

GLENN
Just one of those days?

VINCENT
Yeah.

GLENN
That sucks.

VINCENT
Yeah.

(beat.)

I’m just so fucking tired.

GLENN
Same here.

VINCENT
And today’s just been weird.

GLENN
Yeah, too much free time.

VINCENT
Exactly. Which is odd to say cause the problem with school is normally too little.

GLENN
It is a little weird.

VINCENT
And where the hell has everyone been?

GLENN
I dunno.

VINCENT
It feels like no one’s been here today.

GLENN
Yeah, the school’s felt a little dead this whole week.

VINCENT
And it was even worse at lunch, since almost everyone went off.

GLENN
Yeah, I went out myself.

VINCENT
Yeah. I didn’t.

GLENN
Why?

VINCENT
Thought I had something I had to be here for during lunch. Turned out I didn’t.

GLENN
That sucks.

VINCENT
Tell me about it. I ate lunch alone.

GLENN
That’s a little antisocial.

VINCENT
No, not intentionally.

GLENN
Oh.

VINCENT
Yeah.

GLENN
That sucks.

VINCENT
Eating alone is always depressing. Especially when there’s people all around so you just feel even more alone, it’s not so bad when your at home or something.

GLENN
I know what you mean.

VINCENT
Yeah.

GLENN
This week needs to end.

VINCENT
Took the words right out of my mouth.

(Blackout.)

Play 74: Mood-Killer

CHARACTERS
SCOTT, 18
LISA, 18

(They are lying in a bed, making out. They begin to take off each others clothes. When he pulls down his pants, underneath are bright yellow Spongebob Squarepants boxers.)

(They continue for a few seconds. She looks down and laughs.)

(He pulls away.)

SCOTT
What?

(She stifles her laughter.)

LISA
Just (beat.) your boxers.

(She laughs.)

SCOTT
What?

LISA
Look.

(He looks down.)

SCOTT
Fuck.

LISA
What?

SCOTT
I (beat.) didn’t realize I was…

(his voice trails off.)

(She starts laughing again for a second and makes herself stop.)

LISA
I’m sorry.

SCOTT
It’s okay.

LISA
No, I’m sorry.

(Pause.)

(She starts laughing again.)

(He appears to be slightly distressed.)

SCOTT
Kind of kills the mood doesn’t it.

LISA
(inbetween laughing.)
Yeah.

(Pause.)

SCOTT
So.

LISA
So.

SCOTT
What now?

LISA
I’m over it now.

(She leans in and kisses him.)

(They start to make out again.)

(This continues for a few seconds, then she suddenly bursts into laughter.)

LISA
(After stopping laughing for long enough to talk.)
I’m sorry.

SCOTT
This isn’t going to work is it.

LISA
No no, I’ll control myself.

(beat.)

(She starts laughing again.)

SCOTT
Look, I’ll go change.

LISA
(Inbetween laughter.)
Okay.

(He gets up and leaves the room.)

(She lies quietly on the bed for a few seconds.)

(Suddenly she breaks back down into laughter.)

(Blackout.)

Play 73: Hypocrite (aka, Lockers III)

CHARACTERS
1, male, 16
2, male, 16

(They sit against lockers in an otherwise empty hallway.)

2
So nothing?

1
Nope.

2
That’s too bad.

1
Yeah.

2
You sure nothing interesting’s happened?

(beat.)

1
Yeah.

2
Shame.

1
Yup.

(Pause.)

I just wish something good would happen.

2
Yeah.

1
It’s been a while.

2
I’m sure something has.

1
Nope.

2
Not one thing?

1
I’m sure something good’s happened but just nothing out of the ordinary or worth talking about.

2
That doesn’t mean nothing good’s happened.

1
I just mean nothing really good’s happened.

2
Maybe you’re just in a bad mood.

1
So?

2
So you’re probably just forgetting the good things.

1
I don’t think so.

2
Maybe that’s because you’re in a bad mood.

1
Maybe it’s because nothing good’s happened.

2
Maybe.

(beat.)

1
Anything good happened to you lately?

2
Nope.

1
Hypocrite.

2
I didn’t say I wasn’t.

1
Doesn’t mean you aren’t.

2
Nope.

(beat.)

1
Hypocrite.

(Blackout.)

Play 72: Fucking Song

CHARACTERS
RAY, 17
KEN, 17

(They are sitting on a couch in a messy basement, there is music playing in the background.)

KEN
So then what happened?

RAY
Oh yeah, this is the best part.

KEN
What happened?

RAY
So she comes up to me, right?

KEN
Yeah.

RAY
So, I say—

(The song changes.)

(His expression suddenly changes and he stops mid-sentence. He stares at the wall with wide open eyes, there is a trace of melancholy in them.)

(beat.)

KEN
What did you say?

(beat.)

Ray?

(Ray turns towards Ken, his expression is back to how it was originally.)

RAY
Yeah?

(beat.)

KEN
What happened?

RAY
What?

KEN
You were in the middle of saying something and you just stopped.

RAY
What was I talking about?

KEN
You were…

(beat.)

I forget.

RAY
Whatever then.

(beat.)

KEN
But what happened?

RAY
What?

KEN
Why did you stop talking.

RAY
It’s nothing.

KEN
Bullshit.

RAY
I don’t want to talk about it.

KEN
Come on.

RAY
(annoyed.)
I said I don’t want to talk about it.

KEN
Okay, sorry.

(beat.)

RAY
Sorry, just I don’t really want to think about it.

KEN
Don’t worry about it.

RAY
Thanks.

(beat.)

Fucking song.

(beat.)

(Blackout.)

Play 71: Because I Can (aka, It’s Not A Cop-Out If It’s In Wolof, Right?)

CHARACTERS
DAN, early 20s
MALANG, early 30s

(Malang is sitting on the steps outside a house.)

(Dan enters.)

DAN
Nanga def?

MALANG
(surprised.)
Mag ni fi.

(beat.)

Degana Wolof?

DAN
Waow, degana tutti.

(Malang smiles.)

MALANG
Yaangi nos?

DAN
Waow, mangi nos.

MALANG
Anawa kurga?

DAN
Nunga fuh.

MALANG
Alhamduillai.

DAN
Alhamduillai.

(Malang grins and laughs a bit.)

MALANG
Nanga tudu?

DAN
Dan la tudu.

MALANG
Dan?

DAN
Waow. Nanga tudu?

MALANG
Malang la tudu.

DAN
Bachika nam.

MALANG
Bachika nam.

DAN
Ba bennen yon.

MALANG
In shala.

DAN
In shala.

(Dan exits off the other side of the stage then the one he had entered at.)

(Malang smiles and laughs.)

(Blackout.)