Good Friend

(Lights up on two men,

they are standing in the park,

talking.)

CHUCK:

You're right, man. You're definitely right. Thanks for coming out here to talk.

HANK:

No problem. You know I'm around whenever you need me.

CHUCK:

Of course, of course. You're a great friend.

HANK:

Hey, you too.

CHUCK:

Well, I've got to go catch Amanda before she gets home. Hope your advice works!

HANK:

It will, you know me. See you around.

(They pat one another on the back

and part ways. The world around

CHUCK remains bright and

colorful, but as HANK falls away

from CHUCK, his surroundings lose

saturation and form. His strides

lose purpose and become robotic.

HANK walks away into nothing,

oblivious. Lights fade.)

(Lights up. A MAN sits alone in his

bedroom, sitting with his laptop

on his lap. He types away

frantically for several minutes,

pounding at the keys like

a crucial deadline is approaching.

Eventually he slows, stops,

and begins rubbing his temples.)

MAN:

Uh... Fuck. Now what. Now what, now what, now what.

(He slowly starts typing again,

picks up speed, and begins going

again at a considerable pace.

He types throughout his speech.)

MAN:

Yes... yes, almost, almost there. Almost done... al-most...

(Just then a beep comes sharply

from the laptop speakers, and the

screen freezes in place. MAN

continues to type but nothing happens.)

MAN:

No. No... FUCK, NO, WHY? I WAS ALMOST DONE! 7 pages... 7 PAGES!

(Lights fade.)

(Lights up. A nondescript

couple lay in bed, the

WOMAN'S head on the MAN's

chest.)

WOMAN:

So, what'll we do?

MAN:

About what?

WOMAN:

About... us? You know this can't happen. We aren't meant to... to do this. It's not designed.

MAN:

But don't you see? It doesn't matter! We have control of ourselves. We're following this path, but we can choose. Didn't you understand?

WOMAN:

Well, no...

MAN:

We've been written these roles, and we've walked along their predetermined paths for our entire lives... or, or not even that. For as long as we've, just, been. You know? But we can choose! We're as real as anything, as real as the writer, as real as the pencil he writes with!

(Lights fade.)

(Lights up. UNO and

DOS sit in an empty room.)

UNO:

So... what are we doing?

DOS:

Well, I don't know, really.

UNO:

Are we just supposed to sit here?

DOS:

I guess.

UNO:

But I want to DO something.

DOS:

I know, I know. But I don't really know... what to do. I... can't even really remember the last time I did something.

UNO:

Come on, man, just the other day we were... uh... shit, I guess I don't really know either. What time is it?

DOS:

I don't know man, I don't even really have clothes I don't think. I... I can't tell.

UNO:

What?

DOS:

We haven't been told yet.

UNO:

We are lacking exposition.

DOS:

And traits. Especially physical ones.

UNO:

I hope I'm pretty. Or handsome.

(Lights out.)

(Lights up. One man approaches

another at a party.

DAN has a drink in hand.)

JACK:

Dan, how you doin'?

DAN:

Uh, fine? Hah, how you doin' Jack?

JACK:

You know what I mean.

DAN:

No... can't say I do.

JACK:

(pointing to the drink)

How many is that, Dan?

DAN:

Are you serious?

JACK:

You know I am.

DAN:

Fuck off, Jack.

JACK:

I'm just trying to help.

DAN:

Well you're not, alright? You're just embarrassing me. Christ. I can take care of myself.

JACK:

Hey, I know that. But what would I be doing if I wasn't checking up on you?

DAN:

Something more productive? Less demeaning? Anything?

JACK:

I just know where one two many takes you.

DAN:

Well it's up to me to keep things under control. So I'll just say what I said from the very beginning, Jack: fuck off.

(DAN walks off. Lights fade.)

(Lights up. Two people sit in a

car, one driving, the other

the passenger.)

LADY:

After today's class, I kind of feel like Christianity is kind of responsible for the Dark Ages. And, you know, the lack of progression during that time. The Middle Ages, too. Culturally, at least.

GUY:

I don't know. But I do feel like Christianity did kind of cause a distraction that may have had a lot to do with the lack of growth in thought and the arts. I mean, during the time of the Roman Empire and ancient Greece they had religion, too, but I feel like there societies were centered more around Philosophic, Political, and Economic growth than to that of their religion. Art, too, grew and changed in those periods, especially in sculpture. I feel like there was a real standstill of those kinds of things during the feudal eras. Everything just kind of became oriented around Christianity. Even their military, the mythos surrounding knights and chivalry, stemmed from Christianity. I guess because there was such a fervent spread of it during the fall of Rome and the societal splits that came from that Constantine brought it into the mainstream by making it the national religion. That really was the catalyst. If you ask me.

LADY:

So... what are you saying.

GUY:

That Christianity is responsible for the cultural stunting during the feudal era.

LADY:

Right. So just what I said. Except long, and douchey.

GUY:

Well... I guess...

LADY:

Right. Dick.

(Lights fade.)

Nothing

(Two boys sit side by

side on a bed, one reading

and the other on a laptop.)

ONE:

Man...

TWO:

What?

ONE:

We have SO much shit to do.

TWO:

I know. Ugh... shit. We should really do that, too.

ONE:

I know...

TWO:

...

ONE:

I just... DON'T have the motivation. At all.

TWO:

YES.

ONE:

Jesus.

(The two sit in the same

places, doing the same things

for several beats. Lights fade.)