A Game
Marrell and Tom’s living room, after the dinner part of the dinner party.
Tom:
Jane: Tom: Jane: Marrell: Tom: Jane: Marrell: Tom & Marrell: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Alan: Marrell & Tom: Jane: Tom & Marrell: Jane: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Tom & Marrell: Jean-Pierre: Marrell: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Marrell: Jean-Pierre: Marrell: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Alan: Tom: Alan: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Jean-Pierre: Alan: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Tom: Alan: Tom: Marrell: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Jean-Pierre: Tom: Marrell: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Jane: Tom: Alan: Tom: Marrell & Alan: Tom: Jean-Pierre: Alan: Tom: Jane: Alan: Jean-Pierre: Alan: Marrell: Alan: Marrell: Jane: Marrell: Tom: Jane: Alan: Jane: Tom: Jane: Marrell: Tom: Jane: Alan: Jane: Tom: Jane: Marrell: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Alan: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: Alan: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Tom: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: All Except Jane: Jane: Alan: Tom: Jane: Marrell: Tom: Marrell: Alan: Jane: Alan: |
Time for the game Aw Tom I told you I don’t want to play It’s a fast-moving game (giving in and grabbing her coat) I’m putting on my (to Jane) Don’t put on your coat Just leave the room and we’ll make up our story Where should I go to leave the room The bedroom I guess / Oh no Not The Bedroom (to Jean-Pierre) We have a baby (?, to Marrell) We do Well this is our first actually but we’ll GREAT I’m Free For All Foreseeable Weeks Shhh I’ll wait in the hall Okay When do I come back in We’ll call you (Jane leaves.) (to Jean-Pierre) Isn’t she great (to the French guy) Have you ever played this game Jean-Pierre What I’ve never played this game Oh It’s a great game Great Do people call you anything for short Like what JP PJ I’m glad to hear that How do you people know each other Alan and Jane and I went to college together She means I worked there Where At the college I hate it when you make that joke It’s not a joke Yes it is Oh man I Hate (to Jean-Pierre) Their good fortune embarrasses them You spent more time in the library than I did Tom I was quite happy to better myself by inhaling their That sounds so bitter / why do you sound so bitter I’m not bitter I’m grateful (to Jean-Pierre) The four of us have known each other forever That sounds bleak Marrell (?) Forever That’s not a plank Marrell That’s black maple Why is it here I’m going to use it for something I guess I’m sort of begging you Tom that So do we make up a story now Yes What’s our story What Oh Right Here’s the thing There is no story I thought you said we make up a story That’s just what you say That’s what the person’s supposed to think/ It’s confusing until you do it but it’s fun (?) Was it at a Dear Friend’s house (ignoring Alan) This was before we had the baby That’s the game I don’t get it There’s nothing not to get That’s the point What’s the point It’s an interesting psychological exercise because Oh but Jane hates games This one is fun and funny Jane could use some funny fun Jane’ll be great (?) But she thinks we’ve made up a story Yes (looking through the cupboards) Are you sure you don’t have anything else that’s not wine to drink No No you’re not sure (in lowered tones) I thought you were cutting back (in lowered tones) It’s still in the planning stages (?) Jane (in lowered tones, indicating Jean-Pierre) So why are you setting her up (lowered tones) I’m not setting her up (lowered tones) Marrell (lowered tones) Because it’s been a whole year (Jean-Pierre has lit up a cigarette and everyone stares at him. He puts out the cigarette.) I’m sorry Well our infant son is trying to kick nicotine so Tom How many signs do you think we should have in the apartment Marell I’m sorry (from off) Can I come back inside yet (calling to Jane) Yes (calling to Jane) Hi Jane (calling to Jane) No No If she asks a question that ends in a vowel we say No Vowel Yes (correcting Jean-Pierre) Other way around Right That’s it (Jane reenters through the front door.) Your neighbor wants to know if you can feed her cat (?) The super intense one (?) The cat The neighbor She’s But she’s a very destabilizing person because just when you’ve She’s an evil genius So what did you tell her I smiled and nodded (?) You nodded Uh are you equating the two responsibilities Marrell I didn’t say yes I just smiled and nodded Well non-commitally done Jane (looking at her watch) Thank you So Uh huh Are you going to tell me when to start Just start Wait Did we tell you that you can only No You can only ask Yes or No questions Really That seems so What (?) This is the fun game Just Start Okay I’m starting (though Alan’s response is always a little delayed) Yes Okay Yes Okay Maybe Oh Is the story about a woman Yes So it’s about a man and a woman Yes I got that right Okay do Yes Are they close No But they’ve met Yes Would they like to know each other better Yes (admonishing) Were you listening at the door Just lucky I guess Would they like to know each other Maybe (?) They’re not sure No Or is one of them unaware of the attraction Yes Is it the man Yes So the man doesn’t know about the woman’s feelings Yes Am I especially good at this game No Okay uh Yes All right Yes I can’t believe you don’t think I’m good at this game (Everyone, except Alan, gets that this isn’t really a question.) No Okay so the woman is she Maybe That’s confusing And she’s attracted to this other man Yes Okay Well Yes Does this bother her spouse No Is he extraordinarily mature No He sounds evolved Yes He’s evolved but not mature That seems contradictory Maybe Maybe Maybe These aren’t yes or no questions Sorry Is this woman twenty Maybe Is she thirty Maybe You’re not giving me yes or no answers You’re not No Is she forty Maybe Stop it Is she thirty-eight Yes Finally No Is this woman someone we know Yes Someone we know very well Yes Someone in this room Yes Someone called Yes Is this supposed to be funny (before he understands it’s a real question) Maybe (SLIGHT PAUSE. Jane gets up to leave.) Where are you going Home Don’t go Jane (trying to grab her arm) No no It was just a game Jane / Come on Jane (punctuating the above after Jane gets up) Jane Jane Jane (as she grabs her bag, exits in a hurry) Yes |
Copyright © 2010 by Melissa James Gibson. All rights reserved.