LOST - a place to find yourself
This is a stage play written by me and directed by rebecca nyahay at the Strawberry Fest in NYC 2006
LOST
by
Paul J Magliari
pauljm@stutterdot.com
203 912 4982
Characters:
HENRY: mid 40's. He is
unaware of his materialistic pompous actions.
ETTA: early 40's wife of
Henry.
Unpleasant and selfish. she
no longer has a lust for life.
OWEN: late 20's. Optimistic
in career and life.
He is down to earth and
happily married to...
GRACE: mid 20's. She is
pregnant and in school for interior design.
She too has a bright
outlook towards the future.
SET:
part one: 2 chairs stage
right to simulate a car.
part two: house of Grace
and Owen consisting of 2 chairs and small end table. There will be a few
knickknacks and most important a small framed photograph.
(Stage left - HENRY and his
wife ETTA are lying on the floor fully dressed and wearing overcoats. TWO SUITCASES as well as two chairs are
nearby)
(Stage right are two more
chairs facing downstage)
(LIGHTS UP - EARLY MORNING)
(THE STAGE LIGHTS SHOULD BE
A COOL BLUE)
(Henry sits up, stays for a
moment then lies back down)
(Etta quickly sits up. Henry sits up again. Etta reaches for a suitcase.)
HENRY
So you're alright with this
then.
ETTA
Actions Henry.
(They both stand, each
picking up a suitcase, and walk over to the two chairs and simulate driving a
car. Henry gets behind the wheel)
(He starts the car and
begins to throw it into drive.)
ETTA (Continued)
Hold on a minute. I got this - ouch.
(Henry tenses up in his
seat)
ETTA (Continued)
It hurts.
HENRY
Of course it hurts. It's you.
ETTA
(holding
out her fingernails)
Yes it's me. And these are ruined. My nail got hooked on, on this thing
here. Get it fixed.
(Henry drives)
HENRY
There is nothing wrong with
the car Etta.
ETTA
Should I be jealous of your
car Henry?
HENRY
I'm not in love with my
car. Your nail got caught and now it's
uncaught. And we're good to go. Right?
ETTA
Just drive.
HENRY
The Six-Series is as good
as it gets though. You love it and it
loves you back.
ETTA
I'm going to sleep.
HENRY
C'mon I was only
kidding.
ETTA
Good night Henry.
HENRY
Na ah ah! You're not sleeping. Not now.
You're going to be working. With
me. I'm dead serious now. You do realize that we could be walking
ourselves right into a battlefield with no artillery. No Protective gear. No
notice or even an inclination of what could happen. A mental ambush.
ETTA
I'm in pain Henry. It can't be any worse where we're
going.
HENRY
I hurt too. We keep going in circles on how crushing it
is - was. It's become our competitive
downfall.
ETTA
I just want to sleep. I just want to rest a while, before battle
time?
(ACTOR: Henry keeps
quiet and drives. He wants to speak but
holds back the best he can until...)
HENRY
Look Etta, this was
initially your idea. Maybe we can use
that questionnaire thing to guide us.
Where is it?
ETTA
Stop with the
questionnaire. It was our idea
and no, we alone cannot work it out.
You don't understand what I've been through.
HENRY
I'm not going to talk about
it anymore.
ETTA
That's your answer to
everything... I'm not going to talk about it.
That's a lack of communication.
What's a marriage without communication?
HENRY
Us. I didn't mean I'm never going to talk about
it, I just meant not now. Not like
this.
ETTA
You're a coward Henry. You're hiding behind a small brain with your
ass sticking out in every which direction.
We can all see you and you don't even know it.
(Henry stops the car throws
it into park)
HENRY
Oh man. Alright.
I'm going to talk and from where I stand, you're the one pushing me
away. You're doing it now, like you
have been for the last five years. We
had lost - we lost our footing and closed our eyes. Our situation is not a mystery, it's - it's something tangible. A living, breathing -
ETTA
Stop. Please stop.
HENRY
Sorry. I'm just trying to say that it's not marital
problems we're having... it's everything else problems. I'm not doing this.
ETTA
You're not doing what?
HENRY
We're not going. I'm not driving half a day to this chic,
marriage counseling weekend - wasting our time and money. Maybe it's time we seek outside help but this
trip makes no sense. I'm turning the
car around.
ETTA
Go on. Drive home.
Crawl into your laptop machine.
You can't hear me in there. We
don't have to talk. We don't have to
touch.
HENRY
I always ask you
first. And don't get off the subject.
ETTA
I'm going to leave you
anyway.
HENRY
Really.
ETTA
Someday soon.
HENRY
Why wait?
(Henry huffs and puts the
car back into drive but hesitates)
(STAGE LIGHTS GO TO RED)
(Etta jerks her head side
to side)
HENRY (Continued)
Someday soon. What does that mean?
ETTA
No wait. Don't.
Let's just stay still for a while.
The early morning sounds are playing for us.
HENRY
You are one lost soul.
ETTA
Just sit and listen for
minute. Shhh. There. Behind the silo
over there.
HENRY
I don't see a silo. I don't hear the morning choir. Can I drive now?
(ACTOR: Etta is moving
her head towards the sounds of the early morning. She's between curious and content. She's focused. Silent)
HENRY (Continued)
Hello.
ETTA
Shhh.
HENRY
Can we --
ETTA
I heard you. You want to drive. Drive where? You don't
want to go to counseling, so... so I guess you can just drive, but I'm going to
be waiting.
HENRY
For what? For me to drive? Not to drive? To see how
long I'm going to sit here second guessing what you're waiting for?
ETTA
No.
HENRY
Why didn't I just let you
sleep?
ETTA
I'm not trying to be weird
Henry.
HENRY
Look Etta...
ETTA
But the sound I heard. It said something. Please?
HENRY
What did it say?
ETTA
Do you believe me?
(ACTOR: Suddenly Etta's
face looks straight ahead in horror.
Henry looks ahead trying to figure out what Etta is panicking about.)
ETTA (Continued)
Slam on the brakes! Now!
The brakes Henry!
HENRY
But we're not even
moving! Etta!
(Etta stretches her leg
over to the brakes and slams down hard)
HENRY (Continued)
What are you doing?
ETTA
I can't believe it.
HENRY
Etta. What?
What can't you believe? What
happened?
ETTA
A deer. You almost hit a deer.
HENRY
A deer?
ETTA
Look at IT. The poor little thing. Go on.
Shoo. Go home. That's a good little deer. Go back to mama. Go on.
HENRY
Etta?
ETTA
Look around us. You would've gotten away with it.
HENRY
Gotten away with what? What's happening to...
ETTA
Not a house for miles and
you would've successfully murder