PARTING
A Play in One Act
by William C. Seward
April 15, 2010
Copyright © 1999 by Bill Seward
Characters:
RAY – a man.
JEN – a woman
OLD JEFF – eccentric beach bum.
(SETTING: The beach, a seascape *backdrop. 1975. Sounds of gulls, waves, wind.)
Scene 1
AT RISE:
(‘70’s radio music comes up with lights. Morning light. JEN is lying on beach towel face down, sunning her back. She is wearing an appropriate swim suit for the young, attractive girl that she is. The music is coming from a small radio near her. Something light is finishing, maybe Barry Manilow. The next song is Elvis. JEFF enters in his shades, his towel is around his neck like Elvis’s scarf. JEFF wears the same Hawaiian shirt, cut-offs and sandals throughout. He is holding a short stick he uses like a microphone, mimes Elvis gestures, crouch. JEN is oblivious to him but abruptly turns the radio off mid song, stopping him mid-crouch. RAY enters, catches this scene. JEFF straightens, exits. RAY moves closer to JEN, a bit shyly. Ray wears swim trunks.)
JEN
(not looking up)
You’re blocking my sun.
RAY
Oh, sorry.
(starts to turn away, stops)
Don’t burn.
JEN
It’s still early. Who was that over there?
RAY
(relieved to change the subject)
Old Jeff. He’s sort of a beach bum. He’s harmless. Walks around doing impressions.
JEN
Let’s see, judging by the song . . .
RAY
Elvis. In Vegas.
JEN
Of course. And you?
RAY
I don’t do Elvis.
JEN
Not even in the shower?
RAY
Well . . . sometimes.
JEN
(Rolls over and looks at RAY for the first time)
You’re honest. Hi, I’m Jennifer.
RAY
(quotes old commercial)
Raymond, “You can call me . .
RAY and JEN
(together)
Ray!”
JEN
(continues)
I hate that commercial. Good to meet you Ray.
RAY
Do your friends call you . . .
JEN
Anything but Jenny. My mom calls me Jennifer. . . Jen?
RAY
Jen. Will you be around awhile?
JEN
Sure.
RAY
(Awkwardly)
They show Elvis movies down the beach. “Clambake” is tonight, I think. Have you seen it?
JEN
I don’t think so.
RAY
Well . . . would you like to . . . you know . . . go with me? I mean . . . it’s okay if you don’t.
JEN
Sure.
RAY
Oh well, I understand. Maybe some other . . . . did you say yes?
JEN
Yes.
RAY
Really? You’ll go with me?
JEN
Who else? Elvis has left the building.
RAY
That’s great. Meet me here, about sundown?
JEN
Okay.
(she lies back down, RAY stands there a moment, awkwardly, JEFF enters again, arm outstretched, cap in hand, stiff vaudeville walk as Jimmy Durante. Walks across, then exits.)
JEN
(Not looking up)
Who?
RAY
Jimmy Durante, I think . . . later.
JEN
Later.
(lights fade to blackout.)
Scene 2
(Time: 1975, six months later than Scene 1.
Setting: Same as Scene 1. Added party music, limbo? )
AT RISE:
(It is noon. RAY and JEN are sitting on blanket/towel with picnic basket. They are finishing glasses of champagne. Used picnic dishes are stacked nearby. Both are dressed like before, but with t-shirts or other cover-ups on. They are watching JEFF who has just found a coconut and is miming a bowler making a strike. JEFF exits.)
JEN
(putting down glass and flopping back onto blanket.)
Oh, God!
RAY
How do you feel, Mrs. Allen?
JEN
Why don’t you feel me and see, Mr. Allen?
RAY
Don’t mind if I do.
(he grabs her and starts to tickle her. It escalates to both tickling each other, then evolves into a long kiss. JEN finally breaks it.)
JEN
I beg your pardon sir, do you often do this to women you meet on the beach?
RAY
Only the ones I marry.
JEN
Are all your weddings as nice as this one was?
RAY
Every single one!
(JEN tickles him again, then more kisses. They both break and lie back.)
RAY
Are you happy?
JEN
Oh yes! . . . I love you.
RAY
Me too!
JEN
You love you?
RAY
I love you too!
JEN
Oh! Are you happy?
RAY
Pretty happy.
JEN
Only pretty happy?
RAY
We could try for ecstatic.
JEN
And how do you plan to do that?
RAY
Well, . . . our dune is just over there.
JEN
How do you know it’s the same one?
RAY
See, it has the two . .
JEN
Ray!
RAY
It reminds me of you, you remind me of it. How could I forget? Remember how we christened it?
JEN
You’re impossible. It’s the middle of the day.
RAY
So?
JEN
So, didn’t your mother ever tell you to wait half an hour after eating?
RAY
(a bit pouty)
That was for swimming and it was an hour.
JEN
So who wants to wait an hour?
(they kiss again, are quiet, lost in each other. JEFF crawls across the beach like a dying man in the desert. They ignore him. He sees a conch shell, examines it and replaces it, then exits, still crawling.)
RAY
(Lies back on the blanket.)
Why can’t we just stay here?
JEN
We still have another day.
RAY
It’s not enough.
JEN
We have jobs now.
RAY
At least you like yours.
JEN
You have a good job!
RAY
It’s not what I want to do.
JEN
It’s a good job. Uncle Ted says you’re doing great.
RAY
I wanted to be a writer.
JEN
There’s nothing wrong with selling insurance. It pays good!
RAY
I wrote good poetry in college!
JEN
You can still write.
RAY
It’s not the same.
JEN
You’ll write if you need to write.
(she kisses him)
RAY
You think so?
JEN
(snuggling closer)
Write me a poem . . . for our honeymoon.
RAY
I can’t just . . . write a poem . . . right now!
JEN
(teasingly)
Why not? Don’t I inspire you?
RAY
Well, yes, but . . .
JEN
Remember the dunes?
RAY
Ah, the dunes.
JEN
Does that inspire you?
(JEFF re-enters with coconut, he’s added seaweed hair to it, and mimes much of the poem as RAY says it, treating the coconut as his lover. Neither of them notice him. He exits on the last line.)
RAY
Come my love and take my hand.
You’ll walk with me across the sand.
I’ll stroke your hair and kiss your lips.
I’ll mold you with my fingertips.
I’ll be the sun, you’ll be my moon.
I’ll be the sand, you’ll be my dune.
You are the music, I am your tune.
You are the lake, I am your loon.
JEN
(after a beat)
My loon?
(they kiss as lights fade to blackout)
Scene 3
(Time: 1985, ten years later than Scene 1.
Place: On the beach, mid afternoon.
Setting: Same as Scene 1. Perhaps some pop music and sound of kids playing rises as JEFF finishes his bit.)
AT RISE:
(JEFF finds an old umbrella and goes into a dance ala Gene Kelly “Singing in the Rain.” He is alone on stage. As he strolls off JEN comes on. She drops blanket and beach toys. She is dressed more conservatively now and has a covering with hat.)
JEN
(calling, off)
Mark . . . Amy we’ll be over here. Ray, is this okay?
RAY
(enters. He still has his swimsuit but wears an open sport shirt on top. A cloth hat on his head, avoiding sunburn. He puts down his beach items.)
Sure. Looks like the usual spot.
(he calls, off)
Watch your sister, Mark. Not too deep!
JEN
I’m glad Uncle Ted gave us this weekend for our anniversary.
RAY
I threatened to quit if he didn’t.
JEN
You did not!
RAY
Yes, I did.
JEN
He knows you wouldn’t.
RAY
Maybe, maybe not.
JEN
Well, that would be just about the stupidest thing you ever did.
RAY
Maybe.
JEN
Just stupid.
RAY
That’s me.
JEN
(unpacking picnic basket, handing RAY plates and sandwiches)
Here, help me set out the food.
(JEFF enters with metal detector and earphones, crosses behind RAY. )
RAY
(not looking behind him)
Is that Jeff?
JEN
Yes.
(without looking, RAY tosses a sandwich, in bag, over his shoulder, then glances back. JEFF hardly looks up or breaks stride, but catches the sandwich and continues off.)
RAY
He’s better than a seagull!
JEN
He’s just a bum, you shouldn’t feed him.
RAY
He’s part of the beach. Always has been. Remember?
JEN
Life goes on, he’s still here, just like always. He hasn’t changed. I think he’s still wearing the same clothes.
RAY
Some things shouldn’t change. I think he’s happy, anyway.
JEN
(accusingly)
I think you envy him. You’d be just like him if you could.
RAY
In a way I do envy him. People should be happy.
JEN
Does that mean you’re not happy?
RAY
Not lately, no.
JEN
What does it take to make you happy? . . Is it me? . . . Are you tired of me?
RAY
I’m tired of me, of the person I am now. I don’t like this person.
JEN
I don’t understand you. You have a family that loves you. You have a job that pays good money. You get up every morning at five to do your precious writing that nobody wants to . . .
RAY
I made a sale.
JEN
You made a sale?
RAY
“Landscape Magazine” bought three articles and a poem.
JEN
(bitingly)
Well, that’s just great. When were you going to tell me?
RAY
Today, I thought we could celebrate.
JEN
Celebrate!
(grudgingly)
Well, okay, I’m proud of you.
RAY
There’s more. They want to put me under contract. I’ll be on the staff.
JEN
You’re not considering it are you?
RAY
Yes, I am. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.
JEN
What about us? Me and the kids?
RAY
I don’t understand, it’s a good job. The pay’s a little lower but . . .
JEN
You have a good job. The pay is great. You’re a good salesman. Uncle Ted says . . .
RAY
Uncle Ted’s a petty tyrant.
JEN
He’s my mother’s brother. He’s always been good to us.
(she makes an effort to calm herself)
We’re not going to talk about this any more. I know you’ll do the right thing. You have responsibilities. You’re not the same footloose boy I met here. When you think it over . . .
RAY
I have thought it over.
JEN
(continuing)
. . . when you think it over, you’ll see I’m right. Call the kids now.
RAY
Jen, I . . .
JEN
Call the kids. That’s enough for now.
(RAY looks at her for a moment, then turns to call off)
RAY
Lunch time! Mark, where’s . . . okay. Come on and eat.
(as lights fade, JEFF steps into view at edge of scene. He and RAY look directly into each other’s eyes until blackout.)
Scene 4
(Time: Sometime between Scenes 3 and 5.
Place: Same beach afternoon.
Setting: Same as before. Only beach sounds.
AT RISE:
Beach is empty. JEFF enters doing Marcel Marceau, tug of war on both ends of long rope. ( In other words, he pulls one end of long rope onto stage, strains back and forth, then succeeds to pull offstage, re-enters on other end of rope, same pull back and forth.) As he is finally pulled off. Lights fade again.
Scene 5
(Time: 1990, five years later than Scene 3.
Place: On the beach, near sundown.
Setting: Same as Scene 1. No music. Beach sounds.)
AT RISE:
(RAY is sitting on the beach, reading a magazine. JEFF walks aimlessly by muttering to himself; he pauses, sees RAY, shakes his head and walks off. RAY takes no notice, reads on, JEFF returns, stops, sees a conch shell, picks it up, and listens. Disappointed, he replaces it exactly where it was, then moves off again. JEN enters, carrying a beach bag and a book. She sees RAY, looks doubtfully around, makes a decision and sits as far as possible from him.)
RAY
(without looking up, brusque.)
Well?
JEN
Well what?
RAY
What do you want?
JEN
A tan, a few shells, finish reading my book.
RAY
Why here?
JEN
I like it here. It’s my favorite beach.
RAY
I don’t remember you getting custody of it too.
JEN
It’s big, we can share it.
RAY
(getting up to go.)
I think we’re through sharing things. I’ll leave.
JEN
Don’t be a jerk.
RAY
So now I’m a jerk. Was I always?
JEN
Hardly ever. Only now. Sit down.
RAY
We’re not married now, I can walk away.
JEN
It never stopped you before.
RAY
(looks at her, makes a decision, sits again deliberately.)
So?
JEN
Tan . . . shells . . . all that.
(long pause, both try to read.)
RAY
Why did you come here . . . now?
JEN
It’s a free country. I like it here.
RAY
But you had to pick now of all times.
JEN
I didn’t know, okay? I didn’t know you were coming here for the honeymoon. It’s a big beach, we can share it.
(JEFF marches through with military posture, sunglasses, nods to them, inspects the beach.)
JEN
I see Old Jeff is still around. Who is he being now?
RAY
I think. . . MacArthur. Yes, definitely MacArthur.
(JEFF salutes, exits)
JEN
See, it’s okay with him if I stay.
RAY
Old Jeff’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Not exactly Miss Manners.
JEN
He’s sweet.
RAY
Are you . . . with anyone?
JEN
No.
RAY
The kids?
JEN
My mom.
RAY
Oh.
JEN
(sweetly)
Where’s Pam?
RAY
Back in the room. She was burning.
JEN
Good!
RAY
Good?
JEN
Well, good that she’s taking care. Can’t have her aging prematurely.
RAY
Meow!
JEN
Sorry.
(Pause)
RAY
None of it was about her!
JEN
I know.
RAY
She didn’t break us up!
JEN
I know, I said I was sorry.
RAY
It doesn’t help, you know. The things you say. The kids tell me.
JEN
Really? I am sorry, I didn’t know that.
RAY
Just because she’s younger.
JEN
A lot younger.
RAY
See there?
JEN
You do it to yourself, you know. You show up places with this sweet young thing. You know what people say.
RAY
Middle aged crazy, is that what you mean?
JEN
Well, yeah.
(short pause)
Does she know about this place?
RAY
What?
JEN
That we met here?
RAY
No.
JEN
Got drunk . . . made love . . . got married . . . here?
RAY
No, no, no!
JEN
Interesting!
RAY
I’m going to go now.
(Starts to gather his things. JEFF enters, beach towel around his head Arabian style. He walks across, picks up same conch shell, listens, nods, replaces it. Wanders back off.)
JEN
Who?
RAY
Lawrence of Arabia, I think.
(he pauses, looks after JEFF thoughtfully.)
JEN
Wasn’t it that dune just over there?
RAY
(Looks, almost smiles)
I think . . . probably not. Dunes move you know. They’re never the same.
JEN
Looks the same. There’s that hollow to the side, and the two peaks beyond. Remember? You even compared them to . . .
RAY
(Interrupting)
No, no. It’s different.
(A bit sadly)
We’re different.
JEN
What happened?
RAY
You changed, I changed, the world changed, just like the dunes.
JEN
(Looking down ruefully)
My sand sure shifted!
RAY
Mine too!
JEN
I’m sorry I couldn’t stay young for you.
RAY
That never mattered to me. You’re still an attractive woman.
JEN
It wasn’t age, huh? Then . . . Pam?
RAY
I know how it looks, okay? We’ve been through all this, the tears, the talks, the counseling.
JEN
I know. I’ve just never understood. Help me understand. We were so good. You said it wasn’t my looks, I don’t think it was sex, was it?
RAY
No, that was fine.
JEN
It wasn’t another woman, it wasn’t my age . . .
RAY
Maybe it was my age.
JEN
What?
RAY
I hate the term “middle age crazy”. It’s too pat, and I don’t think it’s crazy, not really. It’s just that, you reach a point when you realize the person you married isn’t the one you live with now. Heck, the person she married isn’t around either. Neither of those kids exists anymore. Our personalities, our needs changed. It’s hard to explain.
JEN
Oh, I understand.
RAY
Really?
JEN
Sure. Your needs changed, yours, not mine. I still needed you. God, how I needed you!
RAY
You hear what you just said? “I”, that’s what I mean. It was both of us. We separated, while we were still together. We stopped thinking “what do you need” and started on “what do I need.” We stopped supporting each other and started cutting each other down. All of a sudden it was all wrong.
JEN
Wrong? All those years? How can they be wrong?
RAY
They weren’t wrong. We made two wonderful children, had great times. It wasn’t wrong . . . then.
JEN
Then what?
RAY
I don’t know for sure. It wasn’t any one thing I can think of. I think it was a lot of things. Just finally it all went from “it’s wonderful in spite of . . .” to “it’s all wrong because of . . .” Somewhere a dividing line was reached and nothing was ever the same, at least for me.
(JEFF leaps onto stage, poses, hands on hips, the super hero. Neither of them notice him, he leaps off again)
JEN
That’s crazy!
RAY
Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe some of us just have a time limit on our relationships. I don’t know. I just know none of it worked anymore. I had to get out.
JEN
And it’ll be different with Pam?
RAY
I don’t know. I hope so. Maybe the counseling helped, finally.
JEN
Too late for me.
RAY
Yeah.
JEN
Lucky for Pam.
RAY
Is that another . . .?
JEN
No, I mean it, she’s a lucky girl. You really are a good man.
RAY
Thanks.
JEN
I’m glad our marriage wasn’t a mistake. I wish we could have saved it, for all of us.
(JEFF enters, towel held like a cape over his lower face. He sneaks furtively around, moves as if stalking JEN, is distracted by conch shell, picks it up, chuckles silently, replaces it, suddenly notices sun, cowers, runs off)
JEN
Dracula?
RAY
Or Bela Lugosi.
(a long pause)
JEN
You really are a good writer, you know. The kids say you’re much happier, too. They’ve noticed. Maybe there’s something in what you said.
RAY
You think so?
JEN
It wasn’t all a mistake.
RAY
I never said that.
JEN
One thing we learned, got better at.
RAY
What?
JEN
Hurting each other.
RAY
(a bit ruefully)
Yes.
JEN
Do you think we can stop? For the kids’ sake?
RAY
I think we have to, for our sake. Neither of us can move on until we do.
JEN
Truce?
RAY
Truce.
JEN
We really were friends once. . . before everything else, I mean.
RAY
Yes we were. I think I miss that more than anything.
JEN
Is it possible for us to be friends, . . . now? Buy me a drink?
RAY
What will people say? We’re divorced. I think there’s some law against friendship.
JEN
Would you autograph my book?
(RAY and JEN walk off, talking, JEFF walks on just in time to see them leave. He is striding with a long stick. Towel over his shoulder ala Moses. He looks after them, picks up the shell, listens, nods, puts it in his bag. He turns majestically toward the sea, raps his stick on the sand. The sea parts in the center, JEFF passes through and off. Ocean sounds rise, fade to black.)
End of play
*A critical piece of scenery is a pair of overlapping flats with the waves painted on them, probably at center rear. These flats should be able to be rolled apart or separated enough for someone to pass, exposing ocean bed with water and sky visible beyond.
Tough to go back and edit such a long post. Let me note here that the address listed in the script is not current. This and all creative posts by me are copyrighted. All of my playscripts may be read by seeking William Seward on www.scribd.com
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