Monday, March 10, 2008

Theatre of the Absurd


[Lights slowly up. 6:13am. Small studio apartment in Manhattan. Very small. Dorm-room small. Man, Woman and Little Dog lay sleeping in bed.]

"Ding."

[Four minutes pass.]

"Ding."

[Two minutes pass.]

"Ding."

[One minute.]

"Ding."

{Thirty seconds.]

"Ding."

[Five.]

"Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding......"

[Woman sits up. Turns off alarm and turns on a lamp. She pulls out her cell phone. Sets the alarm on her phone to vibrate 20 minutes later. She lays back down, phone in hand. Man gets up and crawls over woman to get to the bathroom. She doesn't move. The Little Dog at her side doesn't move. He comes back from the bathroom, crawls over her, changes his mind, crawls back, sets the alarm clock. He crawls back over her. Lays still for a moment, sits up, crawls over her again and stands by the bed thinking about what to do. He decides to wake her. He tries to get her to move. He finally tugs on her arms.]

M: Come on! Here you go....get up! No no no no no...

[She doesn't budge except to being pulled. Opens her eyes.]

W: WHY?!

[He gives up and lays down next to her. He decides to get up to turn out the light.]

W: [Mumbles.] You don't have to turn it off. It would be on anyway.

M: What?

W: It would be on anyway. [Pause.] If I were up.

M: But you're not up.

W: I will be. [Pause.] Soon. Very soon.

[He lays back down next to her. Long pause. He reaches up and adjusts the curtains drawn across the room to serve as a divider for the 'bedroom'. Another long pause. Her phone vibrates and she sits up. Man does too. She struggles as he pushes her out of bed. She stumbles to the bathroom. He lays back down. The Little Dog starts to wake up and nudge the Man. The Man tries to get the Little Dog to lay back down.]

M: [Still laying down.] Sit.

[Little Dog stares at him. Nothing.]

M: Sit.

[Nothing.]

M: Sit.

[Nada.]

M: Sit.

[Nope.]

M: [He sits up.] SIT!

[Little Dog sits. The woman peeks her head out of the bathroom, sees the face-off, goes back in the bathroom.]

M: Good dog. Lay down.

[Little Dog sits up and wags his tail.]

M: No! Sit.

[Little Dog sits.]

M: Good boy. Lay down.

[Little Dog sits up.]

M: Sit!

[Little Dog sits.]

W: [From the bathroom.] He probably needs to go outside. I'll take him in a second.

[Little Dog's tail wags. The man flops himself on his back. Pause. The toilet flushes.]

M: Are you running late?

W: Aren't I always?

[Pause.]

M: I'll take him.

W: No, honey. You always take him. I'll take him.

M: No, I will. You get to work.

W: [She pokes her head out again.] Thank you, hon.

M: [Man grabs Little Dog and rolls over.] I'll take him in a second. [Pause.]

"Ding."

[Man gets up, sighs and turns off alarm. He never got back to sleep. Man crosses to bathroom then decides otherwise and pours himself some coffee instead. He sits at computer with coffee. After a moment, music is heard from the computer. Man begins laughing. Little Dog sits at his feet.]

W: [From the bathroom.] What's that?

M: [Laughing.] Hmmm?

W: [Crossing to him.] What is it?

M: Oh. My friend from San Fransisco sent this. He noticed there were some lyrics in this song that we heard in an Easy-E rap when we were kids.

[Pause.]

W: Oh.

M: It's good, isn't it?

W: Sure.

M: You ok?

W: Yeah. [Pause.} Should I walk him?

M: No, no, no....I will.

W: I can, hon. I'm supposed to. I said I would.

M: I'll do it. [Pause.] You ok?

W: Yeah.

M: What's wrong honey?

W: Nothing.

M: What is it? [Pause.] What, hon?

W: [Almost crying.] I'm just so tired.

[Man slowly turns to audience. Deadpan. Lights out.]