They Continue in Silence for a While As the Music Plays

Talia Waxman

3/6/14

Director ~ Santi MacLean

Elise: Sarah

Alex: Alec

La Vie en Rose

Blackout. The intro of La Vie en Rose by Edith Piaf plays. Lights fade up; music plays a little softer. A man in his late twenties is standing slightly stage right, running his fingers over an old record player and fiddling with its parts. On the other side of the record player, a woman in her early thirties is sitting on the floor, hunched over another cardboard box. Albums and books are scattered in piles around her, and she is concentrated on packing one pile of albums into the box.

They continue in silence for a while as the music plays.

Elise: Could you hand me that?

He hands her an album on the floor next to him. She keeps packing.

Pause.

Elise: Can we turn this off? I need to pack it.

Alex: Is this the last thing?

Elise: No.

Alex: Just let it play for now.

She keeps packing and does not look up. He picks up the album cover of La Vie en Rose and studies it.

Alex: This came out in 1947. It would have been pop music for him. Do you think he bought it?

Elise: It was probably a gift.

Alex: He would have killed me for playing it without his permission. He was so particular about that stuff. Remember when Grandpa came over after I had just started playing guitar and I tried to play for him? He made me stop halfway through.

Elise: Wasn’t exactly a bubbly person. He had a hard life. But he did love music.

Alex: Just not mine.

Pause.

Alex: Where’s Kylie?

Elise: At a friend’s house.

Alex: I haven’t seen her in a while.

Elise: Well who knows where you’ve been…

Pause.

Alex starts humming along to the song. He tries to get a smile out of Elise. He dances a bit. She gives a quick, halfhearted smile, and then shifts her focus back to the albums. She works diligently, wiping the dust off of one album with the bottom of her shirt and placing it in the box.

Alex: I’m going away next week.

Elise: Why?

Alex: Just taking a trip. I’m going with that woman I told you about.

Elise: Already? That seems fast.

Alex: Yeah, well … I like her. She’s… unique.

Elise: What’s her name again?

Alex: Mary Juana.

Pause.

Alex: I’m kidding. It’s Matsya.

Elise: Like the Jewish cracker for Passover?

Alex: No, like the Indian god.

Elise: Oh. Okay.

She continues packing.

Alex: What?

Elise: Nothing.

Alex: You have something against Indians?

Elise: Oh god, Alex, stop that.

Alex: Then what?

Elise: How’s work?

Alex: (sighing) Stop worrying. I play gigs.

He wanders a bit more stage right and starts looking through knickknacks in a cardboard box.

Elise: Oh, thank god. I was worried you didn’t have a stable job.

Alex: Not everybody needs a stable job.

Elise: I just worry – I just wonder if you’re going to feel the same way in 5 years. How long have you been seeing Matzah?

Alex: Matsya. (pause) I don’t know; a couple weeks. She plays the flute.

Elise: Where are you two going?

Alex: Portland.

Elise: Nice. Does she have family there?

Alex: No.

Elise: Do we have family there?

Alex: Like a long lost brother?

Pause.

Elise: Is she paying for the trip?

Alex: We’re splitting it.

Elise: Are you using Grandpa’s money?

Alex: My inheritance? Yeah, some of it.

Elise stops packing.

Elise: Really, Alex?

Alex: Yeah.

Elise looks down at an album in her lap.

Elise: Do you remember when he would take us out to lunch on Sundays? When we would go to Burger King and get hamburgers and sodas? And he would just get coffee because it was the only thing that he would eat there. And we would always have to sit in that booth in the corner. Do you remember?

Alex: Yeah.

Elise: He lost everything in the war. His wallet was so thin, like a piece of cloth. And every time he took out a bill, he would smooth it on the table. Like it was the most precious piece of paper.

Alex: I know.

Elise: He had so little. Look at this – he saved everything. Every single record. Some of these are cracked down the middle; they don’t even work. They’re garbage. This is what he kept.

Alex: I know.

Elise: Do you even appreciate that? Or does it just go right over your head.

Alex: I appreciate it, Elise.

Elise: I don’t know.

Pause. Silence.

Elise returns to organizing and packing quietly. Alex remains for a moment, walks over and restarts the song, which has stopped. Then he sits on the floor next to the record player.

Alex: What’s Eric doing today?

Elise: He’s working. As usual.

Alex: Where’s Kylie?

Elise: At a friend’s house.

Alex: Oh. Right.

Pause.

Alex: How is Eric’s work?

Elise: Time-consuming. He gets home late every night. He barely gets to see Kylie before she’s asleep.

Alex: Why so busy?

Elise: He’s just… working on projects, and such. It’s a busy time of year for them.

Alex: Matsya’s father used to work night shifts as a security guard, so she never really got to see him. He slept all day, worked all night.

Elise: Eric practically works all night.

Alex: Maybe you guys should take a trip. Get away somewhere.

Elise: That wouldn’t work. We’re too busy, and we can’t afford it anyways.

Alex: Even a small trip? It doesn’t have to be far away or anything.

Elise: We’ve got bills. And a mortgage. And a daughter. We can’t afford it.

Alex: I thought you said Eric was working extra. He’s not getting paid for all those extra hours?

Elise: No, it’s – it’s complicated. Okay?

Alex: No, you make everything complicated.

Elise: Just let it go.

Alex: Are you happy?

Elise: Am I happy?

Alex: Yes, are you happy? With your life?

Elise: You can’t measure everything by happiness. That’s oversimplifying things.

Alex: Okay, then it’s a simple question. You can’t answer it?

Elise: No.

Alex: No, you can’t answer it?

Elise: No. No, it’s – don’t question me like you know how this all works. You’re practically still a college kid. You have no understanding for what an adult life is like, or what a marriage is like. Real relationships are difficult. You can’t just worry about being “happy.”

Alex: Is everything okay with you and Eric?

Elise: We’re just fine.

Alex: Okay. Good.

Pause.

Elise: We’re going out to dinner Friday night.

Alex: Where?

Elise: Um, we haven’t figured it out yet. We’ll probably decide tomorrow night.

Alex: Oh. Why tomorrow night?

Elise: Um… He’s not home tonight.

Alex: He’s away?

Elise: Yeah. He’s on a business trip.

Alex: Where?

Elise: I don’t – he’s on a business trip, okay?

Pause.

Alex: What’s going on?

Elise: It’s a busy time of year for him.

Elise tries to fit the last record into the box but it does not fit correctly. She begins emptying it all to repack it.

Alex: Elise… talk to me…

Elise: Alex, trust me, you have no idea what a real relationship is like. Don’t worry about it.

Alex: You’re not happy.

Elise: You know, when you get married, you’ll understand exactly what I’m saying. I don’t think that it’s something you fully get until you’ve been with somebody for a really long time. It’s not like a movie. It’s not like a storybook. It’s hard to explain to someone who is not in it.

Alex: Try to explain it to me. Please.

Elise: It’s… a marathon. It’s long. But you just don’t give up. Like, look at Grandpa’s life. Every struggle he’s been through… you can see it in this apartment. But he plowed on through. That’s just what you have to do.

Alex: It doesn’t have to be a marathon.

Elise: Alex, I’m really tired. I’d just like to finish packing.

Alex: So you can get home? For who?

Elise: For my daughter, that’s who. It’s not always just about you.

Alex: So this is not about you.

Elise: No, it’s not.

Pause.

Alex: You wanna talk about Grandpa’s life?

Alex grabs the records.

Alex: Look at these. They’re broken. They’re trash. He hoarded them, and they cluttered up his broom-closet of an apartment. Maybe you think it’s really noble that he held on to these for all those years, but space is limited. And these are worthless.

Elise snatches back the records and continues packing.

Alex grabs them back.

Alex: Just stop for a second! Let it go!

Elise: Calm down, Alex! I have things to do.

Alex: Are you listening to me?

Elise: I’m busy, okay? I don’t want to talk about this right now.

Alex: Well that’s really convenient for you.

Elise: You know what, please leave. I’ll finish this myself.

Alex: They’re broken! This is so stupid! You’ve wasted an hour on a box of pieces of plastic. They don’t work anymore; it’s not worth your time. Throw them out. We’ll buy some CDs.

Elise: He saved them. He saved them for a reason. Who are you to judge?

Alex: At least I’m doing something with my life. At least I’m not going to rot in a dusty old apartment.

Elise: Get out! How dare you talk about him like that!

Alex: This isn’t about him. (pause) Elise, I’m just trying to look out for you. Just listen to me.

Elise restarts the song and continues packing.

Alex: You don’t even know where he is.

Elise keeps packing.

Alex: He’s cheating on you.

Speaking starts increasing in volume.

Elise: Get out!

Alex: At least acknowledge it!

Elise: Shut up!

Alex: You won’t even acknowledge it.

Elise stuffs the last few records in the box and shuts it.

Elise: We can’t all live in your little bubble of idealism!

Elise stands up.

Alex: Idealism? (pause) Don’t take this out on me. We’re talking about your problem.

Elise: I don’t want to hear it. Just stop.

Elise walks to the record player and turns the music all the way up. She begins to exit.

Alex: What, you’re just gonna run away from me?

Elise: I won’t hear it.

Elise exits.

Alex: Elise!

Blackout.