46

10.24.06

“A play has voice and body . It lives in time and space. It is finite and infinite.It has an audience.”
-Freedom Spice

VARIOUS PEOPLE come and go from offstage. Every time they reenter, they are a different character. The following monologue is traded off among the VARIOUS PEOPLE. A SLASH (/) denotes when the monologue switches to a new performer. The setting begins in a subway, with the sound of a subway train stopping. All the performers enter as if exiting the subway.

VARIOUS
Did you see the game yesterday?/That car smelled like crap/I don’t want to vote for either of them, they both sold their souls to the devil/Outta my way I’m late for work/the “Hail Mary” pass in the last fifteen seconds was incredible!/God I need a cigarette/ Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo…/(SINGING) SHOW ME THE WAY TO GO HOME, I’M TIRED AND I WANT TO GO TO BED…/yeah, so nothing happened last night, we just kissed and went our separate ways…

The action moves to the street now.

…but I think that I could get farther next time/Do you know which way Jackson street is?/Yeah, it’s right over there/Flores! Flores para los muertos!/Oh, watch out for that pile of puke, yep you just stepped in it/Taxi!/Oh damn I’m gonna be late I’m gonna be late/STREETWISE!/You got a light?/No I don’t smoke/Taxi!/Did you read Dan Savage this week? Cracks my shit up!/(A SNEEZE)/Bless you/Cover your mouth next time/That game sucked! We totally should have lost it!/OPA!/Spare...Spare…G-g-got any change?/Taxi!/I think this congress is just as bad as the last congress, okay not just as bad/Yo creo que él nunca…sabes…sexo…/G-g-got any change? I’m real hungry…/I’ve got a callback tomorrow and the asshole secretary won’t tell me who I’m up against/Taxi! Yes! Shit, THAT’S MY CAB!/Not anymore…/Oh my god I am so fired I am so late…

The action explodes to different places of work.

…I’m sorry sir, the subway was packed/It’s alright, just get to the conference room/I need 500 copies made! NOW!/Take the case to the conflicts department, see if we can take it on/Order up!/Today’s special is spinach dumplings/Gateway and Heaven here. I’ve got Gateway and Heaven!/You want fries with that?/Flores! Flores para los muertos!/Let us pray: Heavenly father, we come today to bury…/Hey honey, you looking for some fun?/It’s 9:30 in the morning!/I need you to bike this over to Bill Hojekowski across town in ten minutes/STREETWISE!/I don’t give a flying fuck what the City Council says! I’m the fucking Mayor!/Flemmer, Brown, Levy, Hojekowski, Dustin and Kramer, how may I help you?/ G-g-got any spare change at all?/Okay Rob, you did great that time, but I’d like one more take with a bit more gusto!/AlphaWhite makes your teeth shine BRIGHT!/Give me all your fucking money! I fucking mean it, asshole!/Can’t any of you recite the quadratic equation? I just taught you this last week!/That’ll be $15.85.Cash or charge?/You have the right to remain silent, anything you say…/That skirt looks to die for on you!/Hi, I’m calling on behalf of Peoplecom to ask you…

The VARIOUS PEOPLE pass each other by…

…a few questions about where you live and the people you interact with from day to day. Who do you see?/You ever notice that nobody notices each other?/ Damn, we’re all so different/What even binds us together?/What makes us a whole?/Doesn’t it feel saccharine to think about this stuff?/Like its lame to think on a wider scale?/It’s so hard just to think about everyone in my neighborhood/let alone the city/how could we ever speak with the same voice?/let alone outside of the city/There’s a world outside the city?/You better believe it/There’s a world outside the country too/Look me in the eye/Everyone is so ugly/Quiero hablar con mi familia/Out of my way/Look me in the eye/ What did you do today that was so great?/Look me in the eye/Look me in the eye…

The VARIOUS PEOPLE join together and face the world.
Look me in the eye.

Look me in the eye.

Look (me in the eye.)