Play 112: Terrible Movies

CHARACTERS
NICK, 18
BILLY, 18

(They are sitting in front of a couch, the credits to a movie are rolling on the television in front of them.)

NICK
So what did you think?

(Beat.)

BILLY
It kinda sucked.

NICK
Yeah.

(Beat.)

It really did.

NICK
How the hell did that movie get made?

BILLY
I mean, just like any other—

NICK
No, I mean, someone had to have seen that script and thought it was good enough to pay a shitload of money for.

BILLY
That is kind of amazing.

NICK
Makes me think I should start writing movie scripts.

BILLY
Definetely.

NICK
I mean, if they bought that…

BILLY
Yeah.

NICK
I find that slightly depressing though.

BILLY
Why?

NICK
I dunno, just that something that bad could get made into a movie.

BILLY
I guess, I just find it amusing though.

NICK
It is.

(Beat.)

So you want to watch another movie?

BILLY
Not really.

NICK
Yeah, me neither.

(Beat.)

Kind of kills your desire to see movies for a while doesn’t it?

BILLY
Yeah.

(Beat.)

NICK
What do you want to do then?

BILLY
I dunno. That movie was so stupid I can’t even think.

NICK
Me neither.

(Blackout.)

Play 111: Work Needs to Die

CHARACTERS
VINCENT, 17
WORK

(Work enters running. He trips, and quickly jumps to his feet and stumbles forward a bit.)

(Vincent enters.)

(Work turns to face him and a look of horror comes over his face. He starts backing away slowly from Vincent.)

VINCENT
(Angry.)
I had a perfectly good break.

(Beat.)

And then you came along.

(He pulls out a gun.)

WORK
(Franticly.)
Don’t shoot!

VINCENT
Why shouldn’t I?

WORK
You’ve always been opposed to violence.

VINCENT
Well, I guess you just pushed me too far then.

WORK
You haven’t thought this through?

VINCENT
Oh really?

WORK
Yeah! Calm down before you do something you regret!

VINCENT
Why would I have any regrets?

(Pause.)

See, you got nothing.

WORK
Just please, don’t!

VINCENT
Give me one good reason.

(Beat.)

WORK
Uhh, I’m something to do?

(Beat.)

VINCENT
Are you serious?

WORK
No, no! That was a joke.

(He forces a laugh.)

Just a joke, I’ll give you the real reason.

VINCENT
I’m all ears.

(Pause.)

Well?

WORK
Just one second!

VINCENT
I’ll give you five.

(Beat.)

Five.

(Beat.)

Four.

(Beat.)

Three.

(Bet.)

Two.

(Beat.)

O—

WORK
Wait!

VINCENT
You got it?

WORK
Yeah.

(Beat.)

(Yelling.)
Holy shit what is that?!

(He points to something behind Vincent.)

VINCENT
What?

(He turns around.)

(Work runs offstage.)

VINCENT
(Turning back around.)
What the hell are you—

(He notices Work is gone.)

Oh goddamn it!

(He runs offstage after him.)

(Blackout.)

Play 110: Numbers

CHARACTERS
VINCENT, 17
ANTHONY, 17

(Vincent is lying on his back on a couch watching television, a laptop is resting on his stomach. Anthony is sitting on a chair next to the couch.)

ANTHONY
I’m bored.

VINCENT
Yeah.

ANTHONY
You writing?

VINCENT
Trying to.

ANTHONY
Any ideas?

VINCENT
Not really.

ANTHONY
That sucks.

VINCENT
Especially today.

ANTHONY
Why?

VINCENT
Cause it’s number 110.

ANTHONY
So?

VINCENT
So it’s a nice even number.

ANTHONY
Are you serious?

VINCENT
Yeah.

(Beat.)

I like numbers like that.

ANTHONY
I guess that’s not that weird.

VINCENT
I don’t think so.

(Beat.)

Even this book I’m reading right now talks about how every number has it’s own feeling, it’s own soul almost.

ANTHONY
I guess. It’s still just a number though.

VINCENT
I guess.

(Beat.)

I’d still like to do a good scene for this one though.

ANTHONY
Well shouldn’t you always?

VINCENT
Well yeah, of course, but, as I said, 110 is a nice number.

ANTHONY
Not as nice as 100.

VINCENT
No, but that one’s already done. Not as nice as 120 either.

ANTHONY
To me 110 and 120 are pretty much the same.

VINCENT
Funny.

ANTHONY
What?

VINCENT
I don’t know, just seems a little weird to me.

ANTHONY
Are you serious?

VINCENT
What?

(Beat.)

ANTHONY
I sound weird to you?

VINCENT
Yeah.

(Beat.)

ANTHONY
Just write your scene.

VINCENT
I’m trying to.

(Blackout.)

Play 109: Nights Like These part II

[Note: as this is a follow up to a scene from a long time ago, I figured it might be a good idea to include a link to the original]

CHARACTERS
MAN, late 20s

(In the background there is a bed, a desk, and various objects strewn about the ground. He is lying on the bed reading a book.)

(He looks up from the book.)

(He looks over to the phone on the other side of the room.)

MAN
(To himself.)
Maybe I should call.

(Beat.)

Who cares how awkward it'll be, it's better than sitting here sulking thinking about how much I wish I could talk to her.

(He puts the book down.)

I'm sure she'll be happy to hear from me, I know how excited I'd be if she called.

(Beat.)

But what if she isn't? I mean, if she wanted to talk to me wouldn't she have called by now?

(Beat.)

But I haven't called either.

(Pause.)

I should call.

(He gets up from the bed and walks over to the phone.)

(He puts his hand on it.)

(Pause.)

(He picks up the phone.)

MAN
But what will I say?

(He starts to put the phone down.)

But then again, who cares, it doesn't matter that much what exactly I say.

(He stands still with the phone hanging in his hand.)

(Pause.)

I can't do it.

(He puts the phone down, and walks back over to the bed.)

(He pulls the book back out, lies down, and starts reading.)

(Pause.)

(He stops reading and lets puts the book back down.)

(He looks over at the phone.)

(Beat.)

MAN
I should call.

(He walks over to the phone.)

I've waited for long enough.

(The phone rings, he pulls back in shock.)

(His face is suddenly overcome with excitement, and he grabs the phone.)

MAN
(Excited.)
Hello?

(Pause.)

No thank you.

(He hangs up the phone.)

MAN
(Muttering to himself.)
Fucking telemarketers.

(Pause.)

(He picks up the phone.)

(Beat.)

MAN
Why not?

(He dials a number on the phone.)

(Pause.)

Hello?

(Lights down.)

Play 108: A Year part II

CHARACTERS
RYAN, 35
NATHAN, 35

(They are standing by the window in a living room of a small house.)

(Nathan takes a long drag on his cigarette, and slowly exhales.)

NATHAN
I miss her.

RYAN
I’m sorry.

NATHAN
Don’t be.

(He takes a long drag on his cigarette, then walks over to the couch and sits down. He puts the cigarette on an ashtray on a table in front of the couch.)

(Ryan walks over and sits next to him.)

NATHAN
A whole year.

(He shakes his head in disbelief.)

RYAN
Has it gotten any better?

NATHAN
Honestly?

(Beat.)

No.

RYAN
Not at all?

NATHAN
No. Everyone said it would.

(Beat.)

RYAN
Have you been seeing anyone?

(Nathan laughs faintly.)

NATHAN
No.

RYAN
You really should, you can’t stay in hiding forever.

NATHAN
I know.

(Pause.)

NATHAN
I’ve gone on a couple dates.

RYAN
Did any of them go well?

NATHAN
No (beat.) they just remind me of her.

(Pause.)

Just (beat.) every morning when I wake up, I think she’s going to be there (beat.) every morning I have to realize again that I’m never seeing her again and nothing can change that.

RYAN
You have to get over it eventually you know.

NATHAN
It’s not that easy.

RYAN
I mean, It took me a while to get over Jennifer leaving me, I didn’t get back to dating for months after that—

NATHAN
(Interrupting him.)
But you two broke up.

RYAN
So?

NATHAN
So it’s different.

RYAN
Not that different, I mean—

(His voice trails off.)

(Beat.)

RYAN
You’re right.

NATHAN
Yeah.

(Beat.)

You at least had some sense of closure.

RYAN
Nathan, you know it wasn’t because of you…

(His voice trails off.)

NATHAN
Do I?

RYAN
She loved you, you know that.

(Beat.)

NATHAN
I know.

(Pause.)

You know that drink you offered?

RYAN
Coming right up.

NATHAN
Thanks.

RYAN
No problem.

(He exits through a door in the back to the kitchen.)

(Pause.)

(Nathan takes out another cigarette and lights it. He takes a long drag, and blows it out in a large cloud.)

(Blackout.)

Play 107: A Year part I

CHARACTERS
RYAN, 35
NATHAN, 35

(They are in a living room in a small house, both sitting on a couch. Nathan is smoking a cigarette.)

(Nathan stares off, his cigarette remains hanging in his hand.)

(Ryan looks over at him.)

RYAN
Are you okay?

NATHAN
Yeah.

(Beat.)

Just thinking.

(He stands up and walks over to the window.)

(Ryan gets up and walks over to him.)

RYAN
You sure?

(Nathan takes a long drag from his cigarette, and slowly blows out a cloud of smoke.)

(Beat.)

RYAN
Are you thinking about her?

NATHAN
Yeah.

(He takes another drag from his cigarette.)

I can’t seem to stop.

(Beat.)

I’m just thinking about when you I first introduced you to her.

RYAN
I remember I liked her from the first moment.

NATHAN
It was hard not to.

(He smiles faintly.)

RYAN
Yeah, I remember I thought she was one of the smartest women I’d ever met.

NATHAN
Yeah.

RYAN
And funny too, in that dinner alone I can’t count how many times she made me crack up.

(Nathan laughs.)

NATHAN
Yeah, she liked you from the start too. I was so glad, I had been afraid you wouldn’t get along.

RYAN
Why?

NATHAN
I don’t know, I was just worried.

RYAN
You’ve always worried too much.

NATHAN
I know.

(Nathan takes a long drag from his cigarette.)

(Pause.)

RYAN
Do you want something to drink?

NATHAN
No, I’m fine.

(Pause.)

RYAN
You hungry? I could get you some—

NATHAN
No thanks, I’m not hungry.

(Beat.)

NATHAN
It’s been almost a year now.

RYAN
Really?

NATHAN
Yeah.

(Beat.)

It’ll be a year this Thursday.

RYAN
I can’t believe it’s been that long.

NATHAN
Me neither.

(He takes a long drag on his cigarette, and slowly exhales.)

I miss her.

(Blackout.)

Play 106: Too Much Money

CHARACTERS
NEAL, 17
GEOFF, 17

(They are sitting on a couch watching an episode of MTV Cribs.)

NEAL
Some people have way too much money.

GEOFF
Definitely.

NEAL
I mean…look at this show…is that fucking car made of gold?

(He points to the TV.)

(Pause, Geoff looks at the TV.)

GEOFF
I’m pretty sure it is.

NEAL
Why?

GEOFF
No idea.

NEAL
I mean, not only that, but a Ferrari and a fucking hummer? That’s just ridiculous.

GEOFF
Know what’s my favorite example of being way too rich though?

NEAL
What?

GEOFF
In history we got this sheet called the “Capitalist Hall of Fame” which just talks about ridiculously rich people in the early 1900s I think.
‘
NEAL
…And?

GEOFF
Well, this one guy went to a restaurant and people were sitting at his favorite table, so he bought the restaurant, had them evicted, and left the deed to the restaurant as a tip to his waiter.

(Neal laughs.)

NEAL
That’s fucking hilarious.

GEOFF
I know. And the same guy left twenty thousand dollars as a tip to some random bag person at a train station.

NEAL
What a crazy bastard.

GEOFF
I know. It would be sweet to have been that waiter or bag guy though.

NEAL
Definitely.

GEOFF
Like your just standing there, hating your job and dealing with another obnoxious rich person one second, and the next you’re fucking rich.

NEAL
That really does bring the whole having too much money thing to a new level.

GEOFF
Yeah, it really does.

NEAL
I mean, if you have that money, why don’t you just give it to charity or something worthwhile if you have no idea what to do with it?

GEOFF
Cause then you’d be generous and not just eccentric and crazy, and heaven forbid anyone do that.

NEAL
Yeah.

(Pause.)

(They sit watching the TV.)

GEOFF
What can you even do with that?

(He gestures at the TV.)

NEAL
No clue, but I bet you it cost a hell of a lot of money.

GEOFF
No question.

(Blackout.)