Stuck (revised 2)

STUCK

(DRAFT Version 2. 08/31/2010)

CAST OF CHARACTERS
Phoenina Toots: Mid to late 20's. Female. Clown.
Huggie Aloni: Mid to late 20's. Male. Clown.

SETTING
Chuck E. Cheese.

HUGGIE and PHOENINA, dressed in clown outfits are sitting at a table. PHOENINA is sipping from a straw from a paper cup. HUGGIE is looking out of it. A Happy Birthday banner is hanging from a wall upstage. A couple of balloons and some streamers are on the floor around them.

HUGGIE: Look at 'em. I bet those are the most filthiest balls on earth.

PHOENINA: Huggie, they're kids. They're just having fun. You're telling me you never did that.

HUGGIE: Never.

PHOENINA: You should try it sometime.

HUGGIE: I don't know how rolling around in germ infested balls can be fun, Phoenina.

PHOENINA: Not when you put it like that. You know, you really need to loosen up. One of these days you're gonna like have a stroke or something. And then what will I do?

HUGGIE: Find another partner.

PHOENINA: But I've already gotten so used to your grumpy face. And speaking of which, why are you so grumpy today? You're supposed to be Huggie Aloni, the Funny Clown! That's why I brought you here.

HUGGIE: We're here to work.

PHOENINA: Yes. But it's also for you to have some fun.

HUGGIE: I swear, if you have that big rat and his robot freaks, come over here with a cake, I will cut you.

PHOENINA: You're not that good yet.

HUGGIE: Don't try me. Especially today.

PHOENINA: Then at least be happy for what you got.

HUGGIE: A dead-end job with a partner who's a goodie two shoes who likes to party all the time.

PHOENINA: It's a job, right? But I appreciate the effort of throwing in an obscure Eddie Murphy party song to alleviate the tension.

HUGGIE: The only tension is the crow's feet around your eyes because you can remember that song from the Eighties.

PHOENINA: Would you just grow down a little? I'm trying to cheer you up.

HUGGIE: Nothing worth cheering up about entering the later stages in life.

PHOENINA: You're not that old.

HUGGIE: Wow. Not 'that' old. Phoenina, when did you start doing this?

PHOENINA: You know that I started...

HUGGIE: 16. I started doing this when I was 16. I'm 35. And look at me. Should I be happy?

PHOENINA: You look happy. C'mon. You have to lighten up! Enjoy life. Look at those kids over there.

HUGGIE: They're cheating.

PHOENINA: No. They're having fun. They don't know it's against the rules to walk up that ramp and put the balls in the holes.

HUGGIE: The parents are making them do that.

PHOENINA: But look at them. They're smiling. And watching the co-workers not care is hilarious.

HUGGIE: That's being irresponsible.

PHOENINA: Oh my God! What's the matter with you? You know that life is short. We live it. So just live a little!

HUGGIE: (softly) I don't know how.

PHOENINA: What?

HUGGIE: I don't know how! Okay? I've never learned how to.

PHOENINA: Have fun? How's that possible? I thought you loved what we do?

HUGGIE: No. Not really. I mean, it's just a job.

PHOENINA: I love what we do. What about the travel?

HUGGIE: We go from Chuck E. Cheese to Chuck E. Cheese to make a couple of bucks and what do I have to show for it? Do you know what I have to show for it? Nothing!!!

PHOENINA: Keep it down a little. You're gonna scare the kids.

HUGGIE: We're gonna scare them soon anyways. You think I like making kids cry when they see me?

PHOENINA: I like making the adults cry.

HUGGIE: Okay. I do too, but I'm tired of this life. I need something more. I just feel so stuck. This is my last job.

PHOENINA: You've said that before, remember? So, we change things up again. Start over in another part of the country. Like last time.

HUGGIE: You're young-er-ish, cute, and adventurous. Just get another partner. You'll do fine without me. Better even.

PHOENINA: Stop saying that.

HUGGIE: It's true.

PHOENINA: You know you'll miss it. Especially when we round up all the families and we pop off a couple of balloons...

HUGGIE: Behind their kids heads. Good times. Good times.

PHOENINA: And then it's the parents who fork over the money like crazy? What's not fun about that? Now that's the clown, I know.

HUGGIE: Ready, Phoenina Toots.

PHOENINA: Ready, Huggie Aloni.

HUGGIE and PHOENINA get up from the table and take out machetes from inside their Clown outfits.

HUGGIE: Alright everyone! Stop what you're doin and gather up your kiddies, cuz this is a hold up!


THE END

Working working working

so my new project is to adapt a short story or poem written by a filipin@-american author into a 20-minute play. i've selected the short story "A Portrait of an Aristocrat" from the novel WHEN THE ELEPHANTS DANCE by Tess Uriza Holthe. i've been drawn to this story ever since reading this 3 years ago. for some reason, it's really taken a hold of me. i think it's just seeing a scene where the protagonist, Fredrico Jacinto-Basa is mixing it up with the contagonist, Divina Zamora. The scene is where Divina first confronts Fredrico in his painting studio after he runs over her mothers vegetables in the market place with his Kalesa. she splashes wine all over his painting and i see him totally enraptured by her passion... something that none of his other portraits have.

at any rate, my task is to take this story of about 21 scenes and compress it into 15-20 minutes. it's gonna be hard, but it eases my mind to know that i've taken the steps to get to that point:

- re-write the story in my words point-by-point
- break this point-by-point re-write into scenes
- identify all of the characters
- identify the main theme
- create a "This story is about..." sentence. Learned this from Philip Kan Gotanda.
- this actually changed from my initial thought of what i thought the story was and this was only accomplished by having the point-by-point re-write.

This story is about how an aristocratic painter changes his beliefs on social equality after meeting his muse and her family during the late 1800's of a Spanish-colonized Philippines.

what i still need to accomplish:
- edit out the scenes which will help me tell the story into 20 minutes
- figure out what's the best method to do this
- cut out as many characters as i can and maybe combine characters

i'm on my way and the more times i go over what i've already done, the story will come more clearly into focus :)

Stuck

STUCK

(DRAFT Version 1. 08/25/2010)

Phoenix - Early 20's. Designer.
Gynn - Mid 20's. Web engineer.

(PHOENIX and GYNN are standing in line at a sandwhich shop.)

PHOENIX: What do you think, Gynn? Should I get it?

GYNN: (passive) What?

PHOENIX: Should I get it?

GYNN: The #11? Yeah. Sounds good, Phoenix.

PHOENIX: I wasn't talking about the sandwiches. I was talking about getting the Ford Fiesta. What do you think? I just love that name, Fiesta. Just sounds so... fiesta!

GYNN: Sure. Why not?

PHOENIX: I know. It's like my Civic hella breaks down all the time now. But I don't wanna get rid of it.

GYNN: Harper mentioned your road trips.

PHOENIX: So, that's what my ex-roommate's been telling you. All our adventures.

GYNN: San Diego to meet up with some guy you met on MySpace?

PHOENIX: Hey! Ya never know where you'l find your soulmate. That person could be right next to ya or 600 miles away. Ya won't know 'til ya let go and find out. I'd love to have what you and Harper got.

GYNN: (beat) So, what are you going to order?

PHOENIX: The #24 sounds snazzy.

GYNN: Maybe I'll try that.

PHOENIX: Wawa-what?! Mr. Consistency is even considering verring off the course of his beloved #11. The sandwich you've been ordering everyday since ever.

GYNN: Sometimes it's good to change things up.

(PHOENIX stops and stares at GYNN with great suspicion.)

GYNN: What?

PHOENIX: What did you do to the real, Gynn? The real Gynn don't change for no one. He only wears a black shirt, jeans, and New Balances every day because he has a thing for Steve Jobs.

GYNN: It's called efficient dressing. And Steve Jobs is a national hero. All I'm saying is that sometimes, change is good. If you don't change, you stay... stuck.

PHOENIX: That's pretty damn deep.

GYNN: I love you.

PHOENIX: What?

GYNN: I love you, Phoenix. I love how you can go for hours without taking a breat between sentences because I can see your thoughts dance in your eyes. I love the fact that you can drop everything and jump in a car and drive all the way down the state for that chance of meeting The One.

PHOENIX: Gynn. Stop.

GYNN: I'm just...

PHOENIX: Harper.

GYNN: Stuck. (beat) Phoenix, say something.

PHOENIX: I... I can't.

GYNN: I know that you and Harper are...

PHOENIX: I like you too.

GYNN: What?

PHOENIX: I'm not stupid. I can see that you and Harper are... and I can see how you look at me. You aren't that slick. But you know that we can't.

GYNN: You're right. You're right.

PHOENIX: So, what are you gonna tell Harper.

GYNN: The truth.

PHOENIX: About us?

GYNN: There is no us.

PHOENIX: Right.

GYNN: Right. Are we okay?

PHOENIX: No. I mean you just don't come out and say I Love You, and everything's okay.

GYNN: I'm apologize.

PHOENIX: It's... all good. Not relly, but let's just chill.

GYNN: Right. Chill. Order our sandwiches and head back to the office.

PHOENIX: That's the plan. (to the sandwich maker) Uh, excuse me... Hi. I'll have the 24.

GYNN: And I'll have the #11... wait. I... I changed my mind. Please make that a #15. Thanks. (to Phoenix) Um... out of curiosity, if you and Harper weren't?

PHOENIX: Sisters?

THE END

staring down the pipe

getting back into the swing of things to hit another play out of the park after a very long break. however, I'm back and i'm staring down the pipe at a slow moving ball to swing at!

the assignment: adapt a play from an established (rather than emerging) fil-am writer. i have the theme. i want to have the way. now i'm just looking for some inspiration!

here i go again!