(A living room in a big city apartment. A sofa and chair. A very prominent window is stage left. ABIGAIL JOHANSON (33) stands painting at an easel.

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Cynthia Morton
6 years ago
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1 by Jim Knable ACT ONE Scene 1 (A living room in a big city apartment. A sofa and chair. A very prominent window is stage left. JOHANSON (33) stands painting at an easel. Her subject is a young naked man painted entirely green, posed in the crouched attack position of a gargoyle. Abigail paints in silence. More silence.) So. Do you have any kids? (Abigail stops.) Shh. Hold still. Sorry. I ve never done this. I thought I could talk. I d prefer that you didn t. Okay. (Silence. She starts painting again.) I m sorry. I didn t realize how long this was going to take; can I have something to put my knees on? I don t think I can hold this (Abigail reaches behind her and grabs a stack of art books. She places them under Green Man s knees, propping him up so he can hold the position.) Thank you. I didn t think this was going to be so hard. 3

2 If you re going to keep modeling, you better get used to it. Can I make a confession? If you must. I didn t really think I was going to be modeling for you. But you responded to the ad. Willing to be naked and covered with paint. I thought maybe it was something else you wanted. Nope. Sorry. Do you want to leave? No. It s fine. I mean, I need the money. Can you get back in the full pose, please? (He does. Silence. She paints.) You thought I was a lonely weird housewife or something? Well, yes. Is that your usual gig? No. But Wishful thinking. Yeah. 4

3 You wouldn t have a problem prostituting yourself? Is that bad? How old are you? Twenty. You? (She gives him a look.) Sorry. How old do I look? Um It s okay, you can say. Definitely under forty. Thirty-Eight. (dismally) Thirty-Three. It s all right. It s the grey hair. I ve looked this old since I was your age. I doubt that. (She glares at him.) I mean-- shit. I ll just stop talking. Please. (Silence.) 5

4 I think you re very attractive. Shh. I m not just saying that. I was really excited when you opened the door and handed me the paint. Yes, I remember. I don t even have like an Oedipal Complex or anything. I just thought you were hot. Thank you. I get the point. That s a wedding ring, right? Yes. He s a lucky man. Don t tell him that. What does he do? He s an architect. Oh yeah? That s cool. So an artist and an architect. Did you meet in art school? We met in Greece. We were both looking at the same ruins. God, that s really romantic. 6

5 Yes, it was. So can I ask you a question? Why am I naked and painted green? You re a gargoyle. Oh. Like on rooftops? Yeah, sort of. And you really needed me painted green for this? Yes. (calmer) I wanted to see what this light would do off green skin. Why gargoyles? Just because. You re just into them? Yeah. Do you want me to do something with my face? Excuse me? If I m a gargoyle, shouldn t I be snarling or gnashing my teeth or whatever? 7

6 I ll handle that part. I won t ask you to make faces. I could do it. Watch. (He makes a hideous face, first at a profile to her, then he turns to her. She drops her paintbrush and steps back, truly scared suddenly. He drops the face.) Oh shit, sorry. I didn t mean to. I was just being funny. What did I do? Nothing. Just don t do it again. Look. Forget it, forget this. This was a bad idea. Put your clothes on. You can wash the paint off in the shower. This is bad for me. (She takes the canvas and puts it down, folds up the easel.) Go on, please. We re done. I ll write you a check for the full amount. Thank you for coming. Aw, Abigail, you don t have to do that. I ll stop goofing around. I ll do it right. You don t have to Yes, I do. Please. (hearing something) Oh Christ. What. The elevator. My husband s coming up. He can t see you. He can t see this. Hide. I ll pay you double. Go lie down in the bathtub, pull the shower curtain, don t make any noise. Please, I beg you. But we didn t I beg you. (He looks at her. He goes off to the bathroom. She quickly does her best to get rid of all evidence of his existence. The front door opens. RONALD JOHANSON (35) enters.) 8

It Can Wait By Megan Lebowitz. Scene One. (The scene opens with Diana sitting on a chair at the table, texting. There are four chairs at the table.

It Can Wait By Megan Lebowitz. Scene One. (The scene opens with Diana sitting on a chair at the table, texting. There are four chairs at the table. It Can Wait By Megan Lebowitz Scene One (The scene opens with Diana sitting on a chair at the table, texting. There are four chairs at the table.) (Mrs. Jones enters) Mrs. Jones: Diana, please get off