the play: version one
Lights Up on a simple bar. A young woman stands behind it. She whispers to the drinker sitting in front of her.. Two men sit further down the bar, hands clasped. A song plays faintly in the background. An older man enters. He sits down at the bar and she approaches him.
MAN- Would you pour me a glass?
YOUNG WOMAN- Scotch. (she does. He looks around the bar, sees the men sitting together.)
MAN- Is this a fuckin gay bar?
YOUNG WOMAN- Everyone comes in here.
MAN- Right. It’s that way all over the place now isn’t it?
YOUNG WOMAN- It seems so.
MAN- I can’t hear that music. Can ya’ turn it up?
YOUNG WOMAN- I don’t think so.
DRINKER- What music?
MAN- See, the young man can’t hear it either.
YOUNG WOMAN- Are you surprised?
MAN- No I’m not. Before his time.
YOUNG WOMAN- I’ll pour you another.
MAN- You are the loveliest thing.
YOUNG WOMAN- That’s sweet.
(A YOUNG MAN enters the bar. He sits at a table downstage center. The MAN watches him closely. The YOUNG WOMAN pours a drink.)
MAN- Does he come in here often?
YOUNG WOMAN- Everyone comes in here.
MAN- Right. But how often does he?
YOUNG WOMAN- Ask him.
MAN- I’m always seeing a man like that. Would you send him over a drink? (She hands him the drink she’s poured and motions him to go over.)
YOUNG WOMAN- I guessed you were headed there already.
(He waits some moments, the YOUNG MAN turns towards the bar, and the MAN walks over.)
MAN- Huh.. I’m not sure how I got over here.
YOUNG MAN- Is that drink for me?
MAN- Yes.
YOUNG MAN- We don’t… know eachother.
MAN- But I know you.
YOUNG MAN- I don’t think so.
MAN- You’ve got brown eyes. I know that.
YOUNG MAN- So you can see.
MAN- And a crooked smile.
YOUNG MAN- How would you know what my smile looks like? (The MAN doesn’t answer. The young man looks at him and back to the bar. )
YOUNG MAN- Is this a fuckin gay bar?
MAN- Everyone comes in here.
YOUNG MAN- Apparently. (He smiles. The MAN laughs.)
MAN- What’s your name? YOUNG MAN- You’ve got grey eyes.
MAN- What?
YOUNG MAN- It’s dark but you’ve got grey eyes.
MAN- That’s right.
YOUNG MAN- And I don’t know about your smile.
MAN- How could you?
YOUNG MAN- I couldn’t. That’s what I’m fucking saying. (The MAN smiles, remembering something, someone. The YOUNG MAN watches him.)
YOUNG MAN- Oh. It’s bitter. Weary… maybe.
MAN- Sounds like you know me now.
YOUNG MAN- Like you’ve had a bad taste in your mouth for a hundred years.
MAN- Then I’d better have another drink. (He raises his glass and motions to the YOUNG WOMAN.)
YOUNG MAN- But it won’t wash away.
MAN- Some things don’t. Some things are permanent.
YOUNG MAN- Really. Like what?
MAN- When I saw you it seemed like the whole world could change.
YOUNG MAN- What? You’re freaking me out.
MAN- When I looked at you---
YOUNG MAN- You never looked at me! We don’t know eachother!
MAN-I wanted it to. (The YOUNG MAN gets up to leave..)
YOUNG MAN- Look, I don’t know what you’re deal is or who you think I am and I hope tomorrow’s a better day and shit, but this… whatever this is it is not for me, I’m not who--
MAN- Wait. Don’t spoil your night on account of a sad old man. Let my buy you another drink.
YOUNG MAN- … You’re not that old.
MAN- I’m sorry if I got carried away. You’re right, of course we don’t know eachother. You just remind me of someone, that’s all.
YOUNG MAN- Finally, you’re making some sense.
MAN- I’m not trying to pick you up, so don’t worry.
YOUNG MAN- Who said you were?
MAN- More of the same?
YOUNG MAN- Sure. So who do I remind you of?
MAN- Someone I loved a long time ago.
YOUNG MAN- Your son?
MAN- No.
YOUNG MAN- Your brother?
MAN- No.
YOUNG MAN- Well who the fuck was it then?
MAN- Just a man I knew.
YOUNG MAN- Great. So that’s cleared up. How long did you know him?
MAN- Something like a week.
YOUNG MAN- Is that long enough to love somebody?
MAN- It doesn’t take time to love a person.
YOUNG MAN- Yes it does. To really love them? You have to truly know someone to love them. If you don’t than what are you loving? You can’t get to know someone that completely in the space of a week.
MAN- It doesn’t take space to love a person either. All it takes really, is willingness.
YOUNG MAN- That’s easy to say.
MAN- Sometimes not even that. Sometimes all you need is, well, I’ve known times when all you need is to require love for it to happen.
YOUNG MAN- You seem lonely for someone who makes it sound so simple.
MAN- I don’t mean to make it sound simple. If people need to love each other, they can.
YOUNG MAN- That doesn’t mean they will. Does it?
MAN- Maybe not.
YOUNG MAN- Tell me about him. (He doesn’t answer.) What did he look like?
MAN- His eyes were old for the rest of him. Like he’d seen a lot.
YOUNG MAN- Already jaded, like yours.
MAN- No no, nothing like mine. He looked as though he’d seen good things.
YOUNG MAN- I get it. You look like you’ve seen some shit. (He laughs, and so does the man.)
MAN- Aye, I have.
YOUNG MAN- Aye? What are you anyway?
MAN- I was born in Ireland, if that’s what you’re asking. Do you know what a nightmare is?
YOUNG MAN- Are you kidding?
MAN-It doesn’t only mean bad dream where I’m from. According to myth, a nightmare is a creature. A little dark beast that sits on your chest while you sleep and poisons your dreams.
YOUNG MAN- You have nightmares about him.
MAN- No. Sometimes when I’m awake at night I think I wait for nightmares. (There’s silence.) But I always end up sleeping alone. (They laugh.)
MAN- Would you pour me a glass?
YOUNG WOMAN- Scotch. (she does. He looks around the bar, sees the men sitting together.)
MAN- Is this a fuckin gay bar?
YOUNG WOMAN- Everyone comes in here.
MAN- Right. It’s that way all over the place now isn’t it?
YOUNG WOMAN- It seems so.
MAN- I can’t hear that music. Can ya’ turn it up?
YOUNG WOMAN- I don’t think so.
DRINKER- What music?
MAN- See, the young man can’t hear it either.
YOUNG WOMAN- Are you surprised?
MAN- No I’m not. Before his time.
YOUNG WOMAN- I’ll pour you another.
MAN- You are the loveliest thing.
YOUNG WOMAN- That’s sweet.
(A YOUNG MAN enters the bar. He sits at a table downstage center. The MAN watches him closely. The YOUNG WOMAN pours a drink.)
MAN- Does he come in here often?
YOUNG WOMAN- Everyone comes in here.
MAN- Right. But how often does he?
YOUNG WOMAN- Ask him.
MAN- I’m always seeing a man like that. Would you send him over a drink? (She hands him the drink she’s poured and motions him to go over.)
YOUNG WOMAN- I guessed you were headed there already.
(He waits some moments, the YOUNG MAN turns towards the bar, and the MAN walks over.)
MAN- Huh.. I’m not sure how I got over here.
YOUNG MAN- Is that drink for me?
MAN- Yes.
YOUNG MAN- We don’t… know eachother.
MAN- But I know you.
YOUNG MAN- I don’t think so.
MAN- You’ve got brown eyes. I know that.
YOUNG MAN- So you can see.
MAN- And a crooked smile.
YOUNG MAN- How would you know what my smile looks like? (The MAN doesn’t answer. The young man looks at him and back to the bar. )
YOUNG MAN- Is this a fuckin gay bar?
MAN- Everyone comes in here.
YOUNG MAN- Apparently. (He smiles. The MAN laughs.)
MAN- What’s your name? YOUNG MAN- You’ve got grey eyes.
MAN- What?
YOUNG MAN- It’s dark but you’ve got grey eyes.
MAN- That’s right.
YOUNG MAN- And I don’t know about your smile.
MAN- How could you?
YOUNG MAN- I couldn’t. That’s what I’m fucking saying. (The MAN smiles, remembering something, someone. The YOUNG MAN watches him.)
YOUNG MAN- Oh. It’s bitter. Weary… maybe.
MAN- Sounds like you know me now.
YOUNG MAN- Like you’ve had a bad taste in your mouth for a hundred years.
MAN- Then I’d better have another drink. (He raises his glass and motions to the YOUNG WOMAN.)
YOUNG MAN- But it won’t wash away.
MAN- Some things don’t. Some things are permanent.
YOUNG MAN- Really. Like what?
MAN- When I saw you it seemed like the whole world could change.
YOUNG MAN- What? You’re freaking me out.
MAN- When I looked at you---
YOUNG MAN- You never looked at me! We don’t know eachother!
MAN-I wanted it to. (The YOUNG MAN gets up to leave..)
YOUNG MAN- Look, I don’t know what you’re deal is or who you think I am and I hope tomorrow’s a better day and shit, but this… whatever this is it is not for me, I’m not who--
MAN- Wait. Don’t spoil your night on account of a sad old man. Let my buy you another drink.
YOUNG MAN- … You’re not that old.
MAN- I’m sorry if I got carried away. You’re right, of course we don’t know eachother. You just remind me of someone, that’s all.
YOUNG MAN- Finally, you’re making some sense.
MAN- I’m not trying to pick you up, so don’t worry.
YOUNG MAN- Who said you were?
MAN- More of the same?
YOUNG MAN- Sure. So who do I remind you of?
MAN- Someone I loved a long time ago.
YOUNG MAN- Your son?
MAN- No.
YOUNG MAN- Your brother?
MAN- No.
YOUNG MAN- Well who the fuck was it then?
MAN- Just a man I knew.
YOUNG MAN- Great. So that’s cleared up. How long did you know him?
MAN- Something like a week.
YOUNG MAN- Is that long enough to love somebody?
MAN- It doesn’t take time to love a person.
YOUNG MAN- Yes it does. To really love them? You have to truly know someone to love them. If you don’t than what are you loving? You can’t get to know someone that completely in the space of a week.
MAN- It doesn’t take space to love a person either. All it takes really, is willingness.
YOUNG MAN- That’s easy to say.
MAN- Sometimes not even that. Sometimes all you need is, well, I’ve known times when all you need is to require love for it to happen.
YOUNG MAN- You seem lonely for someone who makes it sound so simple.
MAN- I don’t mean to make it sound simple. If people need to love each other, they can.
YOUNG MAN- That doesn’t mean they will. Does it?
MAN- Maybe not.
YOUNG MAN- Tell me about him. (He doesn’t answer.) What did he look like?
MAN- His eyes were old for the rest of him. Like he’d seen a lot.
YOUNG MAN- Already jaded, like yours.
MAN- No no, nothing like mine. He looked as though he’d seen good things.
YOUNG MAN- I get it. You look like you’ve seen some shit. (He laughs, and so does the man.)
MAN- Aye, I have.
YOUNG MAN- Aye? What are you anyway?
MAN- I was born in Ireland, if that’s what you’re asking. Do you know what a nightmare is?
YOUNG MAN- Are you kidding?
MAN-It doesn’t only mean bad dream where I’m from. According to myth, a nightmare is a creature. A little dark beast that sits on your chest while you sleep and poisons your dreams.
YOUNG MAN- You have nightmares about him.
MAN- No. Sometimes when I’m awake at night I think I wait for nightmares. (There’s silence.) But I always end up sleeping alone. (They laugh.)