much less more
Written by
Joseph Frost
written for the 2014 31 Plays in 31 Days Project
Play #5
Draft
8/5/14
Attic Scripts 2014
Joseph Frost
4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
atticsripts@[Link]
Clayton is alone, seated in a chair. He has a suitcase on
his lap.
CLAYTON
Im not afraid. Im not running away. Im... Im... chasing my future. Believing that there
is still a tomorrow for me, that looks nothing like today. A tomorrow where the me of
today can slowly, gradually transform into the me of the future.
(beat)
I am not afraid.
Harry sits at a low table (coffee table?). He is putting
together a puzzle. He barely has the edges done. As he
speaks, he is concentrating on placing the puzzle piece.
HARRY
My favorite kind of transportation is a motorcycle. Its like a bicycle, but faster. And
louder. And so cool. Sometimes people are afraid of them, because theyre so loud and
fast, but not me. Thats exactly why I like them. Sometimes they go screaming down the
street by my house, and its really loud and all, but thats why because theyre going so
fast. Ive never seen them go down my street, but I hear them all the time. I had a bicycle
but it got stolen from in front of my house because I didnt lock it up like I was supposed
to and someone come along and like it and think it was pretty cool and took it home with
them. I thought it was pretty cool too. But not as cool as a motorcycle.
Nathalie is painting her toe nails.
NATHALIE
There is no way Im getting the promotion at work. Alex hasnt even looked over the last
quarter numbers yet, and thats where all my best numbers show up. Pam did well the
quarter before that, and thats all Alex is aware of. Not that shes dropped the ball for the
past month, while Ive picked up her slack.
(beat)
Ugh. Listen to me. You know, I promised myself I wouldnt do this. Spend all evening
fretting about work, and not giving myself the time to just be at home, and myself, and not
be on all night. Work is work, and home is home. I have to drop it.
(beat)
Ive never been good at that.
(beat)
I dont know anyone who is.
Clayton stands up.
CLAYTON
Final boarding. I stand and check my pockets. My boarding pass. My suitcase. Im...
Im ready. Theres a mass of people waiting to board. And I wonder... I wonder how
many of them are running away. Afraid. I imagine for a moment that we all are. And
headed to the same destination. Not just a hub, bound for separate final destinations, but
that we have gathered here, purposefully, to become new people. Baptized by air travel.
As the crowd grows smaller and smaller, each one passing their papers over the scanner,
the scanner beeping its approval, I realize that we... we are none of us... avoiding the fear
from which we run. Weve each packed it. Our carry on. Our one personal lap item, to be
stored in the overhead bin or in the seat in front of us. Just within reach. As we pretend to
have packed it away.
Harry climbs up to his knees to see the puzzle pieces
better.
HARRY
I have a video game where a bouncing blue rubber rabbit is chasing a power cube down a
sewer pipe. And if you dont have the motorcycle power, then theres no way you can
catch the cube. Its too fast. And sometimes it goes -whoom, whoom- around in a circle in
the sewer pipe, like that, and if youre only the rubber rabbit you bounce back down to the
ground and you drown in the sewer water. I used to do that all the time, but theres no way
to get the power cube without doing that because it is most of the time up on the top of the
sewer pipe thing. And to get the motorcycle, you have to... um...
(concentrating on a puzzle piece)
You have to... uh...
(not the right piece)
Theres a special level when you go back to the right around the corner from the gator gate.
you have to jump across the bridge thing there, but on the other side, thats where you can
get the motorcycle. Cause youll need it if you want to catch the power cube.
Nathalie stands up, and walks on her heels across the
stage.
NATHALIE
I know the real problem is that I dont eat out at lunch. Gina and Tim always go out to
lunch and make a big deal about it. Sometimes they invite me, usually they dont. Its not
like they dont see me walk in carrying my containers of leftovers, and leave them in the
fridge. I dont blame them for not asking me. But I know that Pam is gone for lunch every
day. I dont think she goes with Gina and Tim. I think she doesnt. I dont think Tim
likes her much anyway. He asked her out once, and I dont think it went well. I dont
know why. Tims a perfectly nice guy. And she seems sweet enough. A little dim.
(beat)
But when everyones gone to lunch and Im still there, I end up catching all the lunchtime
calls that come in.
2.
(MORE)
Really, we shouldnt eat lunch when everyone else does, because thats when they call us.
Lunch is the worst hour of the day. But thats how Ive been picking up all that extra
clientele, because Im the one at the office during lunch.
(beat)
I just miss out on all the things that happen at lunch.
Clayton sets down the suitcase.
CLAYTON
The plane departed without me. The people at the counter called my name three times over
the loudspeaker, and I just stood there the whole time. And they closed the doors. The
plane left. And the gate changed over to a flight to a different place altogether. Like the
previous flight had never existed.
Clayton kicks the suitcase.
Harry starts to push puzzle pieces off of the table.
HARRY
Because motorcycles are better than planes. They dont go high up in the sky, and they
dont take so many people all at once. Just one at a time. Sometimes two. Or three if
theres a sidecar. but not a whole bunch of people all at once. And not so far away. Not
so far away so fast.
(beat)
Motorcycles are my favorite.
Nathalie sits on the floor.
NATHALIE
Honestly. I dont want the promotion. I dont want to do the job I have, much less more
of it. Much less more.
(beat)
I like eating leftovers for lunch.
(beat)
And I hate this color of polish.
They linger for a moment.
Lights down.
End
3.
NATHALIE (CONT'D)