This was a time-waster while developing characters in my play, "Gin..." As the playwright plodded along adding and deleting dialogue, the characters of the play began to show signs of rebellion - at least they thought it was rebellion since they weren't exactly sure what a rebellion was. It's a longer piece but an enjoyable light one. It's cut and pasted from Word so ignore the formatting.
By Eleanor Tylbor
AT RISE:
Four women are seated on
fold-up chairs around a card table, absorbed in adjusting the playing cards in
their hands. Bowls of popcorn and soft drink cans litter the surface of the
table. On the other side of the stage the playwright (JULIE) is sitting at a
computer desk, arms bent at elbows, staring out into space. She works the
keyboard as the characters recite their lines
BRENDA
In case anyone cares, something is about to
happen…very soon now…could even be momentarily…I can feel it…
Lays cards down on the table and thrusts
remaining card in the
air for all to see
(Cont’d.) Victory is at hand – or in
my hand, in this case! Oh I’m a winner all right!
CHARLENE
Shoving a hand full of popcorn in her mouth
BRENDA
Didn't your momma teach you it's not nice to eat and talk? Then again
for some people, a full mouth is part of a lifestyle. Isn't that right Mitzi, honey?
MITZI
Jealousy will get you nowhere, sweetie.
At least I'm not a dried up where it counts!
BRENDA
Touchy! I was merely commenting to Charlene that well-bred people don't
speak with their mouths full! But then being that you’re a multi-tasker…I mean
handling more than one person at a time…
MITZI
Breeding comes naturally in your family, doesn't it? Did they forget to
give you your cube of sugar today? Clop your hoof once for yes and two for no
CHLOE
(to
herself)
Bicker, bicker…bicker, … It would be nice to have a quiet game of cards
for a change without throwing verbal knives at each other
CHARLENE
I think I'm close to calling Gin…
BRENDA
I would stay out of this if I were you, Chloe. Is your brother eligible
for parole, yet?
I'm gonna start calling you Bossy, along with the other "b"
word that rhymes with itch, and usually associated with a female dog! I try to
be nice to you and what do I get in return?
CHLOE
stares into space for approx. 10 seconds in silence
What do I get in return? Does anybody know?
CHARLENE
Do we guess?
CHLOE
I don’t think so. My mind is a complete blank. Is that normal?
Pause of 10 seconds
while they all stare out into space
CHARLENE
I’m waiting
BRENDA
Me too. What are we waiting for?
MITZI
Some words and sentences I think
BRENDA
(puzzled)
Don't blame me for
what comes out of my mouth. I just say the words. I don't create them. By the
way, Chloe, what's your brother in for this time? Armed robbery or is it
murder? I didn't mean to say that…or maybe I did…I’m not sure
MITZI
I really don't know why but I feel compelled to tell you…
Stands up and leans
over the table towards BRENDA
BRENDA
(standing
up)
What? Anybody?
MITZI
Why am I standing? I mean, what's my motivation?
Could somebody tell me, please?
CHLOE
So sit down if you’re not sure. My philosophy is
when in doubt – don’t
MITZI
Don’t what?
CHLOE
Um - I dunno. Take my word for it and just don’t.
That’s all
CHARLENE
(excitedly)
Gin! What’s supposed to happen, now?
BRENDA
I’m not sure but I think something important is gonna happen. I can
feel it in my bones. Does anybody have any ideas?
MITZI
Well…for starters, we’re all holding these hard pieces of paper in our
hands
CHLOE
I wonder if that’s significant. What do yours look like, Brenda?
BRENDA
Let’s see… White background with red and black thingies…
MITZI
Thingies?
BRENDA
I dunno what you call them but they’re pretty, though. And there are
numbers in the corners
CHLOE
Same here! Go figure!
MITZI AND CHARLENE TOGETHER
Ours too!
Okay. We’re making progress here. Hey! These are playing cards
You think?
I know for a fact! Those words just popped into my head!
CHARLENE
So you say. You could’a just make them up on the spur of the moment to
impress us
BRENDA
Have you ever heard me use them before?
CHLOE
I never heard them in my entire life and that’s the truth
BRENDA
Then you’re all just gonna hav’ta take my word for it! These things are
called playing cards
MITZI
Let’s say you’re right. What about them?
BRENDA
I dunno…What comes next?
CHARLENE
Y’know - I’ve been wondering if I should be eating popcorn or maybe
change it for something else like, candy for example or ice cream
MITZI
All you think
about is food, food, food! There are more important things in life
BRENDA
Really? Like?
MITZI
Well…there just
are. I feel it
CHLOE
Sometimes, I get the feeling like I'm a puppet on a string or
something, bowing to someone's wishes. Do any of you ever get that feeling?
CHARLENE
I said, ‘Gin’! Hello? I'll try again. Gin… Gin… Gin!
ALL TOGETHER
So?
CHARLENE
Darned if I know. We show up every day and twice on weekends holding
these playing cards in our hands. Why I keep asking myself. Why am I here? Why
are we all here? Sometimes I yell out, “Gin!”
out loud but nobody answers. Shouldn’t somebody answer me? I’ve been screaming
that word for the last six months. Always the same words and lines and then I
call out, "Gin!"
Stares out in space
and babbles to an invisible person
BRENDA
Who are you talking to?
CHARLENE
I really can’t say. Suddenly a bunch of words came
tumbling out of my mouth for no reason. It's not the first time this has
happened
BRENDA
Ask Mitzi. She knows all about objects in mouths
MITZI
I'm so sick of your sexual innuendoes, Brenda
Why do you react that way whenever the word “mouth” is mentioned?
MITZI
It’s not that I want to but I feel I have to. It’s as if I don’t have
any choice in the matter
MITZI stands up with
hands on hips, leans forward until her face is directly in front of Brenda
BRENDA
Yes?
MITZI
And…um…something else…
Moves away from table, hops up and down and starts
shadow
boxing, fists waving in the air
(Cont’d.) I took a self-defense course! My hands are lethal weapons!
Cuts the air with side of hand
CHLOE
And that means…?
MITZI
You are so not with it. It means…it means…
BRENDA
Oh pllleeze! She doesn’t know
BRENDA
Let's settle this once and for all! C'mon – right
here and now
MITZI
Fine with me…what are we supposed to do next?
BRENDA
Just… keep hitting the air and dancing around I suppose
BRENDA and MITZI spar,
fists jabbing the empty air
CHLOE
Stands up and places her purse strap over
her shoulder
That's it! Nobody seems to care that I have yelled “Gin!”…whatever that
means, but I'm sure it's important. I
don't know about you all but I'm leaving! Anybody else gonna follow me?
Hello?
You up there? Could you stop staring at that screen for a minute? This isn't
working for me at all. I'm sick-and-and tired of being a slut with a one-track
mind. This play of yours is a bunch of words with no plot or direction and it
breaks every playwriting rule in the book. Where's the protagonist and
antagonist?
CHARLENE
What are you complaining
about? My character is insecure, indecisive and naive, and those are her strong
qualities. How'd you like to have those?
I'm smart, you know! I am very smart… I think
BRENDA
Off the top of my head, I would guess that part of your problem is that
you're a minor character, while mine plays a major role and more attention is
required to develop Brenda, properly
CHARLENE
See what I mean? How come I can't be the smart one for a change?
CHLOE
With all due respect Charlene, honey, I don't think you have the
emotional range to assume an analytical role of deep thinker, like we do. Right
ladies?
CHLOE and BRENDA together: ‘I dunno’
CHARLENE
It's just not fair! Every day I hav'ta play the part of a simple minded
female when in reality, I got it up here (points
to her head) I think this is what makes the words come out
CHLOE
You see, Charlene, sweetie, my background lends itself to being a
character with class…one of the rich, beautiful people, while you – well dear -
let's just say that you have interesting words in your sentences
CHARLENE
I'm as good as anyone here! You're all forgetting that we are the sum
total of the playwright's vision. Hey – I can talk smart too! Why can't we take
turns being each other?
MITZI
Let's not forget here that our origins are a computer memory chip. The
only rich and famous person we're connected to is Bill Gates. I say…we walk.
Are you with me, ladies?
VOICE OF PLAYWRIGHT (JULIE)
Is there a problem?
BRENDA
Hands on hips, facing direction of
playwright
We got your attention, huh? We've had it with these crappy lines! We're
bored of being portrayed as vacuous women with blank minds. We're people too!
We have feelings and we hurt and…
JULIE
May I remind you that you're nothing more than a bunch of words strung
together to make a sentence? I make you who and what you are and I can
eliminate you all with a push of my forefinger and a delete button. You're only
communicating with me now because I'm exploring dialogue choices. You're all a
figment of my imagination
CHARLENE
No need for threats, here, dear. There's only so much that characters
can take and we've reached the end of the line, so to speak. Do you like that,
ladies? End-of-the-line?
CHLOE
Trés wit-ty, my dear
JULIE
What should I say? I've re-written and re-written you all at least two
dozen times and no matter what I do, the dialogue sounds… wooden. And don't
even ask about the plot, or lack of one, thereof
BRENDA
That's because you really don't really believe in us, do you? Deep down
inside you're toying with the idea of deleting the text and starting a whole
new play that will move in a new direction. Do you know what it's like living
under that threat? I'll tell you – it's very disturbing
PLAYWRIGHT JULIE
Did I write that? I don't remember writing those words…
CHLOE
Now there's a perfect example of what I'm talking about! We never know
where you're gonna take us next, right ladies? It's like…there's giant hands
hanging over the stage dangling precariously, ready to strike at a moments
notice. It's the uncertainty of the
delete button that gets us down!
MITZI
For example, why do you always make me as an over-sexed whore? Maybe it
would be good to be an upright female for a change. Not necessarily a nun or anything but an
intelligent woman who has a direction and purpose in life. Not somebody who
dresses in clothes three sizes too tight. Let Charlene assume that part for
once. Wouldn't you like that, dear?
CHARLENE
I'll pass but I know where she's coming from! In spite of all your
attempts at re-writes, you still make me out like an empty-headed - duh! I want
to be respected like the rest of them, except Mitzi…no insult intended…
MITZI
None taken, dear. I'm used to it by now
PLAYWRIGHT JULIE
I never realized you all felt this way
BRENDA
Have
you ever taken the time to really think about it? Of course not! We're mere
computer bytes that can easily fade off the screen into oblivion, right? Not!
We're an integral part of your imagination and without us, you have nothing
PLAYWRIGHT JULIE
But…you don't exist, other than the lives and personalities I give you!
CHLOE
Is it asking a lot for a few changes? A little respect? Some nice words
and phrases? I don't think so! C'mon ladies, we're walking!
PLAYWRIGHT JULIE
You can't leave…
BRENDA
Watch us!
They attempt to move but stay as they are
JULIE
Have you characters not realized yet that every word coming out of your
mouths, every physical movement that you all make is being written even as we
speak? By me! The playwright! Without me, you’re nothing!
CHLOE
So now it’s threats, is it? We're merely asking for are some small
changes, a few adjustments and maybe a new story line? You've been writing this
play for how long now? Maybe two years? More?
JULIE
Is it my fault it needs lots of editing?
BRENDA
There comes a time when you have to stop playing
with words and either produce it or let it die a peaceful death
CHLOE
I'm sure we can all come to some kind of an
agreement that would be mutually beneficial to all concerned
MITZI
Do me a favor and make her speak like normal
people?
JULIE
What about me, huh? Does anyone care about my
feelings? You can't imagine what it's like to stare at a white screen, day
after day, write a couple of sentences, read them over and then realize it's
garbage! Inane, stupid, drivel! Then you wonder if you've still got it or maybe
you never had it! Maybe give up the idea of playwriting altogether
CHARLENE
That would be so sad, 'specially being that you're so passionate about
it!
MITZI
Don't fall for her sob story, Charlene. Let's get
down to our demands. I wanna be somebody else. Gimme some interesting
qualities. Lines that make me appear strong with a direction in life…and make
me memorable
CHARLENE
…and I want more lines. How is it that everyone
else gets major scenes and I'm limited to a few quips and comments? That's not
balanced writing. I also want more emotional range, so that I can make the
audience feel. Could you write me like that?
MITZI
Know what? For a change maybe it would be nice to
have maternal qualities. I want to experience what it's like to be loved –
really loved - by a husband and children. I'd really like that…
PLAYWRIGHT
Tell you what. You all furnish the inspiration and
I'll supply the story line. That way we all win
CHLOE
Will we get credit as co-writers? I mean, after all, we do contribute
something to the play
PLAYWRIGHT
Keying
computer keys
Suddenly, everyone's a playwright! Okay - act one, scene one…
Curtain
