Play 251: No Problem

CHARACTERS
SHAWN, early 20s
CHRISTINE, early 20s

SHAWN
You want to go out?

CHRISTINE
Maybe.

SHAWN
You don’t sound too enthusiastic.

CHRISTINE
I’m kind of tired.

SHAWN
Didn’t get enough sleep?

CHRISTINE
No, I did. (beat.) I’m just a little tired.

SHAWN
Okay.

(Beat.)

SHAWN
Want to rent a movie?

CHRISTINE
Maybe.

SHAWN
We could see that one you’ve been wanting to see.

CHRISTINE
Which one?

SHAWN
You know, the one you’ve been talking about for a while?

(Beat.)

CHRISTINE
I can’t remember.

SHAWN
Okay.

(Beat.)

Do we have anything taped?

CHRISTINE
No.

SHAWN
Are you sure?

CHRISTINE
Completely.

SHAWN
That’s a shame.

(Beat.)

CHRISTINE
Yeah.

(Pause.)

SHAWN
What do you want to do?

CHRISTINE
I don’t know.

(Beat.)

I kind of want to finish up this book I’ve been reading.

SHAWN
Is there much left?

CHRISTINE
A bit.

(Beat.)

SHAWN
Okay.

(Beat.)

I think I have something I could read too.

CHRISTINE
So it’s okay with you?

SHAWN
Yeah.

CHRISTINE
Thanks.

(Beat.)

SHAWN
No problem.

(Blackout.)

Play 250: What Subtext?

CHARACTERS
MAN
MALE TRANSLATOR
WOMAN
FEMALE TRANSLATOR

(Man and woman stand facing each other, the male translator stands directly to the side of the man, and the female translator stands directly to the side of the woman.)

MAN
Hey.

MT
I think you’re cute.

WOMAN
Hey.

WT
I’m not interested.

MAN
Class was interesting.

MT
Very cute.

WOMAN
Yeah.

WT
Still not interested.

MAN
Where you off to?

MT
I’m going to stalk you.

WOMAN
I don’t know.

WT
I’m not telling you because you’re creepy.

MAN
Want to hang out?

MT
Want to fuck?

WOMAN
I have class pretty soon.

WT
No chance in hell.

MAN
I do too, but we there’s at least a little time before it starts.

MT
I don’t have class. (beat.) Want to fuck?

WOMAN
Okay.

WT
You have no idea how much I want to mace you right now.

MAN
Cool.

MT
Yes!

WOMAN
So.

WT
How can I get out of this without being rude?

MAN
What do you want to do?

MT
Please say “fuck.”

WOMAN
I don’t know.

WT
Mace you and run.

MAN
Want to just walk around for a bit or something?

MT
Do I have to repeat myself?

WOMAN
Alright, but I have to go to class soon.

WT
I wonder if I could outrun him…

MAN
Yeah, no problem. Let’s go.

MT
My room’s right around the corner.

WOMAN
Okay.

WT
Why do I always have to be polite?

(Blackout.)

Play 249: Just a Little Longer

CHARACTERS
ALEX, 17
MELISSA, 17

(They lie in a bed together.)

ALEX
I’m sorry.

MELISSA
Why?

ALEX
You were drunk.

MELISSA
So were you.

ALEX
I know.

(Pause.)

What do we do?

MELISSA
What do you mean?

ALEX
You know.

(Beat.)

MELISSA
I’m not sure.

(Beat.)

ALEX
What happens with (beat.) us?

MELISSA
Us?

ALEX
Yeah. I mean, do you want to—

MELISSA
No.

ALEX
You sure? We could—

MELISSA
It’s a bad idea.

(Beat.)

ALEX
You’re right.

(Long pause.)

ALEX
Maybe I should go.

MELISSA
No.

ALEX
What?

MELISSA
Stay.

ALEX
But you said we shouldn’t…

MELISSA
I know.

(Beat.)

Just stay a little longer.

(Beat.)

ALEX
Okay.

(Blackout.)

Play 248: I’m Sorry

CHARACTERS
MATT, 18
DAN, 18


MATT
English class sucked today.

DAN
Yeah.

(Beat.)

MATT
Seems to get worse every day.

DAN
Yeah.

MATT
And longer too, felt like hours today.

DAN
Yeah.

(Pause.)

MATT
What’s wrong with you?

(Pause.)

I’m sorry.

(Pause.)

Just say something.

DAN
Something.

MATT
You know that’s not what I meant.

(Pause.)

MATT
You’re still mad at me aren’t you?

(Pause.)

I’m really sorry.

DAN
That doesn’t change anything.

(Beat.)

MATT
I know.

(Long pause.)

MATT
I didn’t mean to.

(Pause.)

It just happened. I didn’t mean for it to. She didn’t either.

(Beat.)

I’m really sorry.

(Long pause.)

DAN
Science was pretty okay today.

MATT
Yeah, which is saying something for it.

DAN
Yeah.

(Long pause.)

MATT
I’m sorry.

(Beat.)

DAN
I know.

(Blackout.)

Play 247: Missing What You Never Had

CHARACTERS
SCOTT, 24
ALLEN, 24

SCOTT
I should feel mad.

ALLEN
At her?

SCOTT
Yeah.

ALLEN
Why?

SCOTT
She’s given me every reason to. She never listened to what I had to say, she was always too busy talking about whatever was on her mind, even if it barely mattered. (beat.) It rarely did.

ALLEN
She did talk a lot.

SCOTT
You have no idea.

(Pause.)

And she was never there for me. She said she was, but she wasn’t. (beat.) She was distant too.

ALLEN
Really?

SCOTT
Yeah.

ALLEN
She always seemed like she had her emotions on her sleeve.

SCOTT
She acted like it. She acted open and emotional, but it wasn’t real. It’s just what she wanted people to think she was feeling, not what she actually was. She never showed that really. (beat.) Not to me at least.

(Pause.)

She was just too self-centered to have room in herself for anyone else.

(Long pause.)

ALLEN
But you don’t feel mad?

SCOTT
No. I know I should, but I don’t.

ALLEN
How come?

SCOTT
I don’t know.

(Beat.)

I used to be. When we were still together I was angry at her for how she was. Sometimes I even hated her. We’d be sitting eating dinner, and I’d be trying to talk and she wouldn’t let me, and I’d be digging my nails into my palms, mouthing “fuck you” whenever she wasn’t looking.

(Pause.)

ALLEN
So why aren’t you still?

(Pause.)

SCOTT
I just feel sad now.

ALLEN
About what? You even said the relationship was shit.

(Beat.)

SCOTT
I know.

(Pause.)

Early on it looked like it might work out, and even later when it got worse there was always that chance. No matter how small it was and how much I knew it was just wishful thinking, it was always there.

(Beat.)

And now it’s not.

(Pause.)

ALLEN
It’s for the best.

SCOTT
I know. That’s the worst part. I know I’m better off without her and I shouldn’t miss her. I should be glad I’m rid of her finally.

(Beat.)

It’s funny, I think I miss something I never had.

ALLEN
What do you mean?

SCOTT
I miss the relationship we could’ve had, not the one we actually did. I’m sad because it could’ve been so much more than it was. (beat.) That’s the problem. No matter how much I hated her and resented her (beat.) I loved her.

ALLEN
You did?

(Beat.)

SCOTT
Yeah. (beat.) I still don’t know why.

(Long pause.)

SCOTT
I wish I felt angry.

ALLEN
Why?

SCOTT
It’d be easier.

ALLEN
It would.

(Blackout.)

Play 246: Not Much

CHARACTERS
MICHAEL, early 20s
LISA, early 20s

(They sit at a table eating dinner.)

MICHAEL
How was your day?

LISA
Fine.

(Beat.)

How about yours?

MICHAEL
Fine.

(Pause.)

MICHAEL
Anything new?

(Beat.)

LISA
No.

(Beat.)

LISA
You?

MICHAEL
No.

(Pause.)

LISA
Jen called.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
Oh?

LISA
Yeah.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
What’d she say?

LISA
Not much.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
Oh.

(Long pause.)

MICHAEL
The food’s good.

LISA
Yeah.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
Where’d you get it?

LISA
New place.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
It’s good.

(Beat.)

LISA
Yeah.

(Pause.)

LISA
The rice.

MICHAEL
What?

(Beat.)

LISA
Could you pass it?

MICHAEL
Sure.

(Pause.)

LISA
You want some?

MICHAEL
Of what?

LISA
Mine.

(Beat.)

MICHAEL
No thanks.

(Beat.)

LISA
You sure?

MICHAEL
Yeah.

(Beat.)

LISA
It’s good.

MICHAEL
I’m fine.

(Pause.)

(Blackout.)

Play 245: I’m Back…

CHARACTERS
BEN, 17
DAVE, 17

DAVE
So.

BEN
So.

DAVE
You’re back.

BEN
I am.

DAVE
Happy?

BEN
No.

DAVE
Really?

BEN
Yeah.

DAVE
At all?

BEN
A bit.

DAVE
What about?

BEN
Food.

DAVE
And?

BEN
My bed.

DAVE
What else?

BEN
Not much.

DAVE
Friends?

BEN
I miss them.

DAVE
I mean here.

(Beat.)

BEN
Oh.

(Pause.)

DAVE
So?

BEN
What?

DAVE
Happy to see them?

BEN
Some.

DAVE
How many?

BEN
Not many.

DAVE
Oh.

(Pause.)

BEN
It’s good to see you.

DAVE
It’s good to see you too.

(Blackout.)