This is How the Play Begins (Variation #1)

HELLO.

IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

I'M SO GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING.

I MADE THIS FOR YOU.

I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.

THIS IS HOW THE PLAY BEGINS (Variation #1)

*An empty kitchen. Footsteps on stairs. AL leads CHARLIE and ANDY in.*

AL
That's the upstairs…

CHARLIE
There's so many rooms.

AL
Are there?

CHARLIE:
So many!
We can–
dedicate them to
specific activities like…
Sitting.

ANDY
Or standing.

CHARLIE
A standing room.
I like it.

ANDY
No chairs.

CHARLIE
Absolutely no chairs.

ANDY
None!

AL
That was the dining room.
But–that's–
yeah, you could do that.
…
Well…
This is the fridge.
I figured you all might like a fridge.

ANDY
I've never owned a fridge before.

CHARLIE
Me either.

AL
Well, it's all yours.
The ice thing doesn't work, but…

CHARLIE
I'm sure I can fix it–

AL
No need. I've tried.
It's extremely complicated.
I left some ice trays in the freezer.

CHARLIE
Alright.

AL
And I guess, all that's left is um–

AL fishes in his pockets.

AL (cont'd)
Uhh…

ANDY
Where are you all moving?

AL
Just down the street.

ANDY
We're neighbors. :)

CHARLIE
The one w/ the electrical box?

AL
Oh, you noticed that…

CHARLIE
They had an open house.

ANDY
It's nice.

AL
I'm glad you think so.

ANDY
Any reason yr // moving?

CHARLIE
Andy–

PAULA enters from outside.

AL
(To PAULA.)
What are you doing here?

PAULA
Hi.

AL
We uhh–
…
I just figured we didn't need a yard.
Or a basement.
Or an upstairs…
(Slight gesture.)
Just a lot of space.

CHARLIE
Plenty.
And is this–?

AL
And this is–

PAULA
My mom died.

AL
Paula. >:|

PAULA
Is that what– (?)
That's why we're moving.
So now we have to move.
Because my mom died.

AL
Also that.

CHARLIE
Oh.

AL
That was a thing that happened, yes.

CHARLIE
I'm so sorry–

AL
Please–

PAULA
(Sincere.)
Thank you.
…
Thank you for saying that.
Pause.

CHARLIE
(Sincere.)
You're very welcome.

PAULA
(To AL.) I forgot something. :|

PAULA goes into the house.

ANDY
I'm so sorry.

AL
Please. It's–
(Telling self.)
It's okay.

CHARLIE
That's terrible. Truly–
I–
We can come back–

AL
I can show you the garage.
It's well, it's a garage.
You can put yr…car in it… :/

AL exits. ANDY follows. CHARLIE hangs back.

PAULA enters holding a small TV.

PAULA
Where'd they go?

CHARLIE
The garage.

PAULA
Why?

CHARLIE
Your dad wanted to… (Formal.) I'm very sorry to hear your mother passed.

PAULA
Thank you.
…
You're a kind person.
…
It didn't happen here.
I don't know if that matters.

CHARLIE
… :/
It's awful all the same.

PAULA
It is.

CHARLIE
…
Are you okay?
I mean–
That's a stupid question.
Of course yr not.

PAULA
Of course I'm not.

CHARLIE
That was stupid–

PAULA
I'm very sad.
I'm sad a lot, too sad.
Like my sadness is overlapping itself.
I'm sad while I'm sad and
while I'm sad, I'm sad.
Overlapping, it's overlapping.
Have you ever been sad while yr sad?

CHARLIE
I'm not sure.

PAULA
You would know.
It's like being buried alive.
But a type of buried alive
that is mostly, very lonely.
Like I'm buried alone.
…
You would know.

CHARLIE
(Extending hand.)
I'm Charlie.

*PAULA sets down her TV, extends her hand to CHARLIE.*

PAULA
Paula.

CHARLIE
It is very good to meet you Paula.

PAULA
Likewise.

CHARLIE
You have a very lovely house.

PAULA
It's yours now.

CHARLIE
I suppose it is.

PAULA
I hope you like it here.
I hope it becomes
a home very soon for you.

CHARLIE
:)
That is a very kind thing to say.

AL reenters with ANDY.

AL
Like I said, it's a garage.
Not much to it.

ANDY
It is certainly a space.

AL
It does its job.

CHARLIE
Thanks so much
for showing us around.
It feels so nice
to be given a tour.

AL
Does it?

CHARLIE
It feels very special.

AL
I'm glad.

CHARLIE
Yeah– Like I'm in on a secret.

AL
A secret?

CHARLIE
(Maybe this will clarify.)
The good kind.

AL
Oh…

AL (cont'd)
Well, anyway–

ANDY
I hope you don't feel like we're rushing you.

AL
You're not–

ANDY
You can take your time.

AL
…
Here.

CHARLIE
Thank you very much, Al.

AL
You're very welcome.

Long pause.

AL
And this is the time where I leave.

AL takes a moment, leaves.

PAULA
I'd like to stay for a minute, if that's alright.
I don't mean to impose.
…
It'd be best if he got a head start.

CHARLIE
That's alright.

ANDY
You're free to visit any time you'd like.

CHARLIE
Of course, that goes without saying.

PAULA
That's kind of you…
I don't think the house would like that.

ANDY
The house?

PAULA
My dad either…

Pause.

ANDY
…
Is everything // alright?

CHARLIE & PAULA
No.

ANDY
… :|

PAULA
This feels sufficient.

PAULA goes to the door. Waits, turns.

PAULA
If you stick your head out
of the guest room at night.
You can almost hear the ocean.

CHARLIE
Which room is the guest room?

PAULA
(?)
:|
Upstairs, second door on the left.

ANDY
That sounds lovely.

PAULA
That's my favorite part…
…

PAULA leaves.

CHARLIE
This is where we celebrate.

ANDY
We kiss.

CHARLIE
And order pizza.

ANDY
And run room-to-room.

CHARLIE
And kiss.

ANDY
And laugh.

CHARLIE
And kiss some more.

ANDY
And at night–

CHARLIE
We turn on all the lights–

ANDY
And sit in the yard.

CHARLIE
We sit in the yard and "look at our house!"

ANDY
Our house is–

CHARLIE
"Like a train set."

ANDY
You say.

CHARLIE
"Like a train set."

ANDY
"What?"

CHARLIE
"I don't know. But, isn't it?"

ANDY
And we have drinks and more drinks.

CHARLIE
And we have sex on the stairs.

ANDY
And we sleep until noon.

CHARLIE
And you call in sick.

ANDY
And we start to unpack.

CHARLIE
And that's how the rest of our life begins.

ANDY
… :)
I like it.

CHARLIE
It's a good start. :)

ANDY
:)

CHARLIE
:)

ANDY
(Pointing to TV.)
Whose TV?

CHARLIE
Shit–

A rumble. Blackout.