Act 1

Scene 1

Stage lights come up.  There's a circle of light surrounding two chairs center stage, the rest is black.  Samuel sits in the chair stage right, writing on a pad of paper.  Mary sits in the chair stage left. 

Mary

What are you doing?

Samuel

You're always so nosy.

Mary

It's because I care.

SAMUEL

If you must know, I'm writing a screenplay.

Mary

I never knew you wrote.

SAMUEL

It's one of my many talents.

Mary

I've always said you were talented.

SAMUEL

I've never heard you say that.

Mary

It's true.  I tell all of my friends "Samuel is so talented".  He paints, he draws...

SAMUEL

He writes.

Mary

And apparently he's a writer as well... so, screenplay, eh?

SAMUEL

Yes.

Mary

What's it about?

SAMUEL

I'm not sure yet.

Mary

That seems odd.

SAMUEL

Odd.

Mary

Yes, odd.  Mind you, I'm not a writer... but I'd have thought that in order to write a screenplay you'd have to have an idea of what you're writing about before you start.

SAMUEL

The story's developing.

Mary

Developing.

SAMUEL

Yes, developing.  I have these characters and the story has a direction, but I don't know what it's all about yet.

Mary

Fascinating.  Who are the characters?

SAMUEL

What's that?

Mary

The characters.  Who are the people in your story?

SAMUEL

Screenplay.

Mary

Whatever.  Who are the people in it?

SAMUEL

Well, right now there's just two characters.  Alice & Michael.

Mary

Hmm.  Seems like you'd need more people to have a screenplay.  That's for T.V., right?

SAMUEL

Yes, for T.V.

Mary

Well, you'll definitely need more people.

SAMUEL

Alice & Michael are just the main characters right now.  There'll be more later on.

Samuel continues to write.  Mary ponders.

Mary

Is she pretty?

SAMUEL

Who?

Mary

Alice.

SAMUEL

Yes, she's pretty.

Mary

Is she as pretty as me?

SAMUEL

She's almost as pretty as you... but not quite.

Mary

Good answer.  What does she look like?

SAMUEL

What do you mean, "What's she look like?".  She's just a character on the page.  She'll look like whoever the actress is that ends up playing her.

Mary

That doesn't seem right.

SAMUEL

How so?

Mary

Well, it seems like you'd want to know a little about these people before you go to all the trouble of writing a story.

SAMUEL

Screenplay.

Mary

Whatever.  What color is Alice's hair?  In your head, I mean.

SAMUEL

Well, I guess she's blond.

Mary

Ok.  Blond.  Big tits, or small tits?

SAMUEL

What kind of question is that?

Mary

Please.  You can't tell me that you're imagining a blond and haven't considered her tits?

SAMUEL

Good point.  She has average tits.

Mary

Average as in unexceptional, or average as in "She has medium size breasts"?

SAMUEL

She has exceptional breasts.  I'm not sure if you'd call them small, medium or large.

Mary

Fair enough.  Let's move on.  So, this incredibly beautiful blond with exceptional tits of indeterminate size named Alice... What's she do for a living?

SAMUEL

She's a waitress.

Mary

Oh, bad choice.

SAMUEL

Why bad choice?

Mary

Not a bad choice per se, it's just...

SAMUEL

Yes?

Mary

Well, it seems like it's been done before.

SAMUEL

Everything's been done before.

Mary

Yeah, I know... I mean it seems like it's been done recently.

SAMUEL

Give me an example.

Mary

I couldn't give you an example exactly... It's just that I think I remember a movie recently where the character was a waitress.  It seems like they're always waitresses...

SAMUEL

Maybe she's a waitress who really doesn't want to be a waitress...

Mary

Hmm, maybe she's an aspiring actress?

SAMUEL

That has potential.  I'll keep that as an option.

Mary

You can't write a story or a screenplay or whatever without making choices.  Decide.  Is she an aspiring actress who's forced to sling hash all day while she looks for her big break or isn't she?

SAMUEL

She is.

MARY

Good.  Now we're getting somewhere.  What about Michael?  What does he do?

SAMUEL

I'm not sure yet.  Some kinda factory worker maybe.  Or maybe a policeman?

MARY

Samuel...

SAMUEL

What would you suggest?  Baker?  Indian chief?  Independently wealthy playboy?

Mary

Hmm, I like your last idea but I'm letting my own bias creep in, and this is your story.

SAMUEL

Listen, I appreciate the help but I think I really need to just hack through this on my own.

Mary

Fair enough.  I won't bother you.

SAMUEL

Thank you.

Mary

Won't say another word.

SAMUEL

I appreciate that.

Samuel continues to write.  Mary again ponders.

MARY

Samuel.

SAMUEL

Yes?

MARY

I think your screenplay is really a metaphor.

SAMUEL

A metaphor.

MARY

A metaphor for your life.  Or rather, the writing of this screenplay has become a metaphor for your life.

SAMUEL

I'm listening.

MARY

Metaphor, or analogy.  I can never remember the difference.

SAMUEL

A metaphor is one thing representing another... like a symbol.  An analogy is when you illustrate one idea by using another idea that's more familiar.

MARY

Metaphor then.  Writing this screenplay is a symbol of everything that's wrong in your life.

SAMUEL

You're saying that there are things wrong in my life.

MARY

I'm saying that you're not all that you could be, and it's because you can't decide what it is that you want to be.

SAMUEL

That was a pretty complex sentence.

MARY

I'm serious.  Occasionally I'm even capable of sentences that are reasonably complex and use multiple syllables.

SAMUEL

That's what I've always said about you.

MARY

You see though, you haven't always said that about me and I know that because girls keep track of these types of things.  You've never once said how pretty I look, or that you like my shoes, or that you like my smile or that you think I'm smart because I'm able to put together complex sentences.

SAMUEL

I think all those things.

MARY

Samuel, you think all those things but you don't say them.  Look at me.

Mary moves closer to Samuel.  Takes his hands in hers.

MARY

Am I pretty to you?

SAMUEL

Yes.

MARY

Do you like my shoes?

SAMUEL

Honestly, I think that the pink doesn't suit your complexion as well as the burgundy pumps you wore yesterday.

MARY

O.K., now I'm officially frightened and elated all at once.

SAMUEL

You asked.

MARY

Yes. I did ask.

Mary moves closer.  They look in each other's eyes.

Do you like my smile?

SAMUEL

Mary, your smile is the best part of my day.

MARY

Do you admire my ability to put together complex sentences?

SAMUEL

Immensely.

Their lips are nearly touching...

MARY

Samuel, do you love me?

SAMUEL

Yes.

MARY

Now, I want you to think very carefully about your next answer, because it's important.  You've made a decision and I applaud that.  You've said that you loved me.  It's out there hanging in the air and you'd have to work very hard to bring that back.

How would you feel if I decided not to answer you?

Lights fade to black.