Scene Detail
"Don't say we all die alone. It's insulting."
| From: the Thirst collection | | 3 Characters |
| Gender |
Age |
Character Name |
| Either |
Adult: Any Age |
PAT |
| Either |
Adult: Any Age |
JORDAN |
| Either |
Adult: Any Age |
CASEY |
Setup:
This is the playlet from the beginning. Read on...
Time - The present
Place - The restaurant
A Note On The Cast:
All characters can be portrayed by either gender, any age or race or sexuality.
(Pat needs to be an age that justifies the line: “By the time they were the age I am now, my parents were already married and divorced with two kids.” But this could be anywhere from mid-20s on up)
Feel free to experiment.
Another note on the cast:
They don’t have to be able to sing well, but the ability to at least carry a tune, if only a short distance, would be helpful. (This is particularly true of the actor or actress playing Casey.)
**********************************************
The full scripts of the plays "Invisible," "Dents," "Template," and "Head Above Water" from "The Thirst Collection" are available for purchase as part of "Short Plays, Volume 2" (in hard copy or download form) at
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/short-plays-volume-2/1402397
Part of Matthew's online script store
http://stores.lulu.com/matthewaeverett
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Scenecopyright 2005 by Matthew A. Everett
HEAD ABOVE WATER (version 2.0)
CASEY, a man or woman, is discovered sitting at a table in a restaurant. They begin to sing. With luck, the audience will clue in and listen. Certainly, by the end of the song, Casey will have their attention.
The song is “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo” - words by Helen Deutsch, music by Bronislau Kaper - sung in the movie “Lili” by Leslie Caron back in the early 1950s and covered over the intervening years by numerous others.
CASEY
(sings)
On every tree, there sits a bird
Singing a song of love.
On every tree, there sits a bird,
And every one I ever heard
Could break my heart without a word,
Singing a song of love.
JORDAN, a man or a woman, in a wait staff uniform, appears and joins CASEY at the table.
At some point during the song, JORDAN sits with CASEY and takes CASEY’s hand.
CASEY (cont’d)
(sings)
A song of love is a sad song.
Hi-lili, hi-lili, hi-lo.
A song of love is a song of woe.
Don’t ask me how I know.
A song of love is a sad song,
For I have loved and it’s so.
I’ll sit at the window and watch the rain.
Hi-lili, hi-lili, hi-lo.
Tomorrow I’ll probably love again --
From across the restaurant, PAT - another man or woman - joins in for the final refrain.
PAT and CASEY (cont’d)
(singing at the same time)
Hi-lili, hi-lili --
Hi-lo.
CASEY and JORDAN look over to PAT.
PAT smiles and waves.
CASEY, not sure what one does in the case of a perfect stranger joining in a public sing-along, gives an uncertain wave in return.
CASEY and JORDAN attempt to turn their attention back to one another.
JORDAN
It’s good to see you.
CASEY
You, too.
PAT
That’s such a lovely song.
Pause.
PAT (cont’d)
And you sing it so well.
Pause.
PAT (cont’d)
You have a beautiful voice.
CASEY
Thank you.
PAT
Is it karaoke night or something?
JORDAN
No.
PAT
Just felt like bursting into song all of a sudden, did you?
JORDAN
Can I get you something?
PAT
Oh no. No. Didn’t mean to interrupt. Sorry.
JORDAN
Because if you need anything --
PAT
No, no. Still perusing my menu here. Decisions, decisions. No need to --
JORDAN
I’ll be with you in a minute.
PAT
No hurry. Really. Got my water. Just sipping. Perusing. Deciding. Take all the time you need.
JORDAN
O.K.
PAT
K.O.
PAT focuses intensely on the menu.
CASEY
Maybe you should --
JORDAN
You okay?
CASEY
Me? Sure. I mean, (he/she)’s over there. I’m over here.
JORDAN
‘Cause I can --
CASEY
No.
JORDAN
I think I recognize (him/her).
CASEY
It’s okay. Really.
JORDAN
Okay.
CASEY
Kay-oh.
Not funny?
JORDAN
Not really.
CASEY
Go. Do your rounds.
JORDAN
I’ll be back.
Soon.
JORDAN goes.
PAT
I don’t think (he/she) likes me.
CASEY
It’s not you.
PAT
I think it kind of is.
CASEY
He’s just --
PAT
Protective.
CASEY
In general.
PAT
Can’t be too careful.
CASEY
These days.
PAT
Well, maybe you can.
CASEY
Excuse me?
PAT
Be. Too careful, I mean.
CASEY
Not really.
PAT
Don’t you think all the “worst case scenario/best defense is a good offense” stuff is keeping us from --
CASEY
Us?
PAT
Us - the big us. Society. Not you and me and the waiter “us.”
CASEY
Oh.
PAT
Besides, you’re -- I mean, with --
CASEY
Right.
PAT
And you’re not really my type anyway.
CASEY
Oh.
PAT
I don’t really have a type. That may be part of the problem.
JORDAN reappears.
JORDAN
Everything OK here?
PAT
Just ducky.
(gestures to CASEY, then him/herself)
Still over there. Still over here.
JORDAN
Any decisions?
PAT
Still perusing.
CASEY hands back the menu without looking.
CASEY
You know what I want.
JORDAN
No stabs at variety?
CASEY
Why keep searching when you’ve found what you’re looking for?
JORDAN
Can’t argue there.
CASEY
Wise (fellow/woman).
JORDAN
Back again.
Momentarily.
JORDAN goes for the drinks.
PAT
How do you do it?
CASEY
Do -- ?
PAT
Meet people.
CASEY
I don’t really think about.
PAT
You’re just approachable.
CASEY
Well --
PAT puts up his/her hands.
PAT
Not approaching.
JORDAN brings a drink for CASEY.
JORDAN then goes over PAT with a pitcher of water and fills PAT’s glass - as a warning.
JORDAN
Can’t have you getting dehydrated.
PAT
Do you ever think about killing your coworkers?
JORDAN
Is this a trick question?
PAT
People don’t just snap, right? I mean, there are warning signs. A person has to think about something like that. They don’t just do it.
JORDAN
Are you looking to get kicked out?
CASEY
Why is it even on the table anymore? Killing. Shouldn’t we be beyond that at this point?
PAT
There are so many other ways to resolve our differences.
CASEY
Exactly.
JORDAN
OK, what just happened?
PAT
Just having a conversation.
CASEY
Aren’t enough people dying already?
JORDAN
The answer to that question is always going to be “yes.”
CASEY
So there’s no point in asking? People are living on the street or having their homes washed away or blown up or they’re thousands of miles from home and getting shot at.
JORDAN
But what good does talking do?
CASEY
But if nobody’s talking about it, if nobody’s asking the questions -- I mean the problem doesn’t just go away if you turn your head and ignore it.
JORDAN
What exactly are you suggesting we do, rather than just “not ignore” it?
CASEY
What’s worth killing for? What’s worth dying for? Would you kill to save yourself?
JORDAN
I’d probably think too long. I’d hesitate. If someone was quick and determined enough, they’d probably kill me before I had a chance to react.
CASEY
Would you kill for someone else, to protect someone you love?
JORDAN
Maybe.
CASEY
Would you kill for me? To save me?
JORDAN
We’ve been dating for a week and a half.
CASEY
But don’t you think you should know?
PAT
Right now (he/she)’s probably just thinking about whether or not (he/she) should keep dating you.
JORDAN
We’re not required when we get up in the morning to consider, “OK, who am I going to have to kill to get through the day today and come back home in one piece.”
CASEY
Other people have to.
JORDAN
We’re not other people.
CASEY
People we know, have to.
JORDAN
Yes. But again, they’re not --
CASEY
“They” will be “us” if we’re not careful.
JORDAN
It’s a case by case thing, isn’t it? Really?
CASEY
Don’t you think you should know? That you should have it figured out and filed away in your head somewhere?
This is how far I will go.
This is what I’m willing to do.
This is what I consider “worth it.”
This is how far I will let others go, and beyond that point I will stand up and say, “No more.”
Otherwise you’re just abdicating responsibility for those decisions to people who probably shouldn’t be making them, have no right to be making them.
PAT
OK, just to be selfish for a minute, that’s all very well and good but personally, I’m more worried right now about dying alone.
JORDAN
We all --
PAT
Don’t say we all die alone. It’s insulting.
JORDAN
Well, we do.
PAT
Some people die more alone than others and you know it. Would you consider yourself to be in a relationship right now?
JORDAN
Why? Are you interested?
PAT
No. I mean, yes. I mean, that’s not the point, you’re sidetracking me. Yes or no.
JORDAN
Yes.
PAT
So you see each other or talk to each other every day?
CASEY
Yes.
PAT
See, I don’t think anyone would miss me.
JORDAN
Oh, be serious.
PAT
When I didn’t show up for work, they might be annoyed, but would they send anybody or would they just call?
JORDAN
Nobody assumes the worst. You think, “They forgot” or “They’re sick” or “They’re blowing us off.” You don’t immediately think, “Oh, I bet they’re dead.”
PAT
So how many days?
JORDAN
This is morbid.
PAT
You think I don’t know that?
(there's more, but the conclusion to the story isn't available for viewing on this website)
copyright 2005 by Matthew A. Everett
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