something I wrote
This is a short scene, in script format. Down stage means close to the audience, up stage is the opposite. Stage right is from the actors point of view, facing the audience. Center stage is in the middle.
Stay
A room. She is standing down stage right. He is standing up stage centre, looking at her. She is looking straight forward. As the lights go up it’s like we come in the middle of a scene.
He ”What if I said I think I love you?”
She “ I doesn’t matter anyway. You won’t stay.”
(he takes a few steps forward)
He “ I will stay. I’m telling you: I love you and I’ll stay.”
She “Yes. Of course that’s what you’re telling me. What else could you say? But you
still won’t stay. No one ever does. They didn't. (she turns to look at him) And do you know what?
Neither did I.” (she turns back, facing forward.)
He “Who are they? (he says this as if it’s a question he’s asked many times)
She “They’re… Nothing. Gone. They all said they’d stay. Just like you are now. But no
matter how much you want to, you always leave. That’s just… the way it is.
He “It doesn’t have to be that way”
She “You know, there are several possibilities for how it turns out. Sometimes you say you
will but you can’t. Or you can, but you don’t. The worst one is when you say you
will, and you do, because you really want to. Then one day you don’t want to anymore
and you leave. With me, I didn’t realise I’d left, until I had. And the whole time, I never
knew I was making the choice.
He (silence. He walks up and puts his arms around her waist, to comfort)
She “And now you will stay. Because you have to have stayed to be able to leave.
The lights fade out.
Stay
A room. She is standing down stage right. He is standing up stage centre, looking at her. She is looking straight forward. As the lights go up it’s like we come in the middle of a scene.
He ”What if I said I think I love you?”
She “ I doesn’t matter anyway. You won’t stay.”
(he takes a few steps forward)
He “ I will stay. I’m telling you: I love you and I’ll stay.”
She “Yes. Of course that’s what you’re telling me. What else could you say? But you
still won’t stay. No one ever does. They didn't. (she turns to look at him) And do you know what?
Neither did I.” (she turns back, facing forward.)
He “Who are they? (he says this as if it’s a question he’s asked many times)
She “They’re… Nothing. Gone. They all said they’d stay. Just like you are now. But no
matter how much you want to, you always leave. That’s just… the way it is.
He “It doesn’t have to be that way”
She “You know, there are several possibilities for how it turns out. Sometimes you say you
will but you can’t. Or you can, but you don’t. The worst one is when you say you
will, and you do, because you really want to. Then one day you don’t want to anymore
and you leave. With me, I didn’t realise I’d left, until I had. And the whole time, I never
knew I was making the choice.
He (silence. He walks up and puts his arms around her waist, to comfort)
She “And now you will stay. Because you have to have stayed to be able to leave.
The lights fade out.