S & H

SYNOPSIS:
In the finest tradition of modern American theatre, a couple strives for redemption as an engaged on-stage audience observes and embraces the true meaning of this noble and ubiquitous notion. (Run time: 10 minutes)

CHARACTERS:

STEVE – Reluctant theatre-goer. Mid-fifties. Paunchy. Dressed for golf.

HOLLY – A devotee of the performing arts. Mid-fifties. In better shape than hubby STEVE.

STAN – A salaried, middle-class, married man of the 1950’s. Handsome, late thirties. Dark wavy hair, carefully combed and glistening with Brylcream.

HELEN – Stan’s wife. Attractive, mid-thirties. Blonde with perfectly coiffed hair. Dressed a bit too formally for an evening at home.

SAMPLE DIALOGUE:

STEVE: Last time you dragged me to one of these things—

HOLLY (Reads from program.):“Stan and Helen have settled into the routines of a seemingly happy marriage.” See? People like us.

STEVE: Yeah? I don’t trust these “playwriter” types. They’re always sneaking up on you with stuff, faking you out—

HOLLY: Drama helps us discover something essential about ourselves, get in touch with our innermost feelings – (Lights dim on STEVE and HOLLY. Lights up on main set.) Oh, good. It’s beginning.

STEVE: My parents’ living room from when I was a kid! 140 dollars to look at my parents’ goddamn living room?

HOLLY: Sh-h-h-h-h!

(As lights go up on the main set, STAN is seated on the couch. A stack of booklets and heaps of stamps are piled in front of him. He is tearing sheets of stamps into booklet-sized panes, licking the backs and pasting the panes onto the pages of the booklet. HELEN enters.)

HELEN: I wish you wouldn’t do that.

STAN: Are you kidding? These things are valuable.

HELEN: I mean lick them.

STAN (Stops in mid-lick): It bothers you?

HELEN: Well, you don’t know where they’ve been.