LIBRETTO Rev. 11/22/13! ! ! ! ! ! Book, Music and Lyrics by Michael! O’Dell ! ! ! A One-Act, 90 Minute! Musical ! ! ! ! CONTACT! INFO: 3100 Broadway Street, #112 Boulder, CO 80304 917.554.1400 [email protected] CHARACTERS ! (in order of appearance) Dr. Ralph Geralding (aka PROF): A man of about 50, a former chemistry professor and current meth-addicted, bi-polar, homeless bum. Adopted father of GG. !BARITONE. George Filipe Geralding (aka GG): A nineteen year-old Latino, broodingly smart and creative, sensitive, yet sarcastic, a burgeoning graffiti artist. Gay. Adopted son of Prof !and Grace. TENOR. Isabella Chavez (aka IZZY): A feisty Latina girl of about 17, in her senior year of high school, writes but doesn't really show it to anybody. Wild, yet has an introspective side. !MEZZO Dr. Grace Simon, Phd. (aka GRACE): a woman of about 50, a successful !psychotherapist and professor, Adopted mother of GG. SOPRANO. Marcus Sanchez (aka MARCUS): an ethnic (Black or Latino) man of about 24-28, a !gay bartender and social worker graduate student. BARITONE. ! S E T T! I N G Place: Los! Angeles Time: !Today ! ! ! Waiting... PRODUCTION HISTORY ! Waiting... premiered during its workshop production May 10-12, 2012 in Boulder, Colorado. After extensive revisions, Waiting... played The 2013 Boulder International Fringe Festival for six shows September 18-28, 2013. www.waitingthemusical.blogspot.com! ! ! ! MUSICAL SYNOPSIS! ! !PRE-SHOW CURTAIN SPEECH ...... PROF Scene 1: On the Buses, Cars, and Highways of Los Angeles ! THE HISTORY OF ME (PROLOGUE) ...... GG, GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS, PROF Scene 2: A Chinese Restaurant ! BEAUTIFUL ...... PROF, GG Scene 3: A Skid Row Alley MAGIC KINGDOM ...... IZZY ! SPONGE ...... GG Scene 4: A City Bus ! CLOSER ...... MARCUS, GG Scene 5: A Downtown Bar ! THE OTHER HALF ...... GRACE !Scene 6: The Alley Scene 7: The Date ! A BEAUTIFUL CRIME ...... MARCUS, GG Scene 8: Grace’s House ! STILL ...... GRACE, IZZY Scene 9: A Downtown Bar ! YESTERDAYS ...... MARCUS !Scene 10: County Jail !Scene 11: A Downtown Bar Scene 12: A Parole Officer’s Officer ! DEEP ...... GG Scene 13: A Skid Row Alley ! IN TIME ...... GRACE, PROF, IZZY, MARCUS, GG ! NOTE: Scene change music for The 2013 Boulder International Fringe Festival was improv-ed using the musical motifs from the PV Score and are not included as of yet. 1 - 1 - 1 ! !Scene 1: On the Highways and Roads of Los Angeles MUSIC 1: THE HISTORY OF ME (PROLOGUE) (CUE TRACK 01) ! (Lights dim. PROF slowly meanders to center stage looking disheveled. He carries a cardboard sign with marker lettering “WILL WAIT FOR FOOD.” He awkwardly clears his throat. Very off the cuff and sardonically. )

PROF

(To audience) Just so you know - during our special time here - there might be....sudden music. And singing. And it might happen. Together. And I'm not saying this will or will not occur, but I'm not ruling out funny movements - like synchronized seizures or convulsions (as though he's really disappointed in having to say this) - dancing. All of what I just mentioned - simultaneously occurring - all together. (He pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket.) Like a three ring circus of building emotion that is far too explosive and enormous to contain in a regular Joe conversation. Musical theatre, or as some like to call it: life. (Disgusted, he rolls his eyes) Okay, you've all been warned. Get out now while you can (under breath), if you can. (Honestly laughs, which turns into an embarrassed, disapproving head shake... As if he's being reminded from the booth) Oh, and turn off those snazzy gadgets that are suppose to make you be smarter but really make you look stupid - like you're looking for a lost contact that you're already holding in your hand. Hey, there's no App for this thing. This...life. (Looks off to side.) Can I get my money now?

(BUS DRIVER - a member of the band - appears and is in bus uniform shirt, black pants and black driver’s hat. He pulls out a $5 bill and hands to PROF.)

BUS DRIVER

Thanks, buddy. That’s all for today. Check next door at the cigarette place if you want more work.

(THE HISTORY OF ME underscore begins and cast enters on their appropriate music cues. The Bus Driver adjusts his hat, tries to look official, wipes his shirt, getting rid of crumbs.)

BUS DRIVER

Crosstown Line 20 now departing. Please keep your things close or you will have to come talk to Ulra in Lost & Found. I think you’d rather not lose your things. Crosstown 20 now departing. 1 - 1 - 2! (GG runs on to catch the bus. GG shows the Bus Driver his bus pass, then goes to drum set. GG settles in his seat and looks out the window. He then pulls his sketchbook out and begins leafing through the finished pages.) RADIO ANNOUNCER! V.O. (In high energy, polished radio voice) In KCLA traffic, cars are already backed up at the Cahuenga/101 exit. There appears to be what could be a body in the right lane, or possibly a mannequin that fell off of a truck? Who knows! EMT crews are on their way, and we’ll update you as soon as we are in-the-know. Hold on to your hats everyone - it’s another crazy L.A. rush hour. ! (As GG raps/sings, he and the cast begin their movement/choreography around the five chairs - all are in L.A. traffic. Prof wanders around on his own.) ! GG (Raps.) SKETCHES ARE LITTLE QUESTIONS ASKING TO BE UNCOVERED HIDDEN THEY LEAVE SUGGESTIONS ! JUST WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED A PENCIL A NUMBER TWO OH, HOW IT DANCES ACROSS THE PAGE AND JUST IN CASE MY PLANS FALL THROUGH AN ERASER REINVENTS THE STAGE (Sings.) L.A.’S BIG AND OMINOUS BUT STILL I CHOOSE TO STAY ! PUTTING UP WITH WHAT I’D RATHER NOT FROM WEST HOLLY WOOD TO DISNEYLAND ON ANY GIVEN DAY ! THE SCENE IS “LOOK AT ME AND LOOK AT WHAT I’VE GOT” ! (Prof bends over with his ass crack exposed in GG's appalled face.) 1 - 1 - 3 GG !Oh. My. God. Now I’ve seen everything! (Raps.) I’M A CYNIC AND I MEAN SARCASTIC ALL AT NINETEEN ADOPTED PROBABLY THE WHITEST LATINO YOU’VE SEEN ! I WISH I MADE THIS UP! MY TASTES ARE RATHER EXTREME I’M A REBEL THERE ARE NO IN-BETWEENS I’M A VANDAL AND I GOTTA SCREAM I’M A VANDAL AND I GOTTA SCREAM I’M A LOVER AND I A DREAM! (Sings.) THE NAME OF THE GAME IS STEPPING UP BOMBING - BEIN’ SEEN ! SEARCHING FOR THE WHO I’M MEANT TO BE YOU THINK, MAN, YOU’RE MOVING FORWARD YOU’RE SET YOU’RE ALMOST FREE AND THEN I GLANCE BEHIND STILL SEARCHING FOR THE HIST’RY OF ME... ! (GG looks out the bus window, deep in thought.) GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS ! OO... ! (GG’s phone rings.) GG !Izzy, you gonna meet me tonight?! IZZY !So, I’m on the cute boy bus. What bus are you on? GG (Looks around) I’m definitely not on the cute! boy bus. 1 - 1 - 4 IZZY Well, what kind of bus would that be exactly? Come on, use your colorful adjectives to !paint me a picture. GG Let’s just say I feel like we’re going to end up at a prison gate if my stop doesn’t come soon. ! IZZY !As a verbalist, you disappoint me. Did you find him? GG !Yep, that’s where I’m headin’ now to check in. IZZY Well, like I said, I’m on the cute boy bus. And this guy’s been eying me since I got on at !Santa Monica. Hey! Maybe I should pull a “Call Me Maybe?” GG (Singsongy) SOMEBODY'S ON THEIR WAY TO EMBARRASSKIN’ THEMSELVES! !Don't go all Miley on me. I will never be able to show my public persona with you again. IZZY YOLO, buddy, YOLO. I'm headin' in. This girl's headin' in. Shit! This big monstrosity of !a lady just moved over there before me. AWWWW.... Now, I can't even see him. GG What's she doing, eatin' him? Well, walk around her if you know this love connection is !a sure thang. Stand up, girl! IZZY The girl's big boned and stop using that .....your "black" voice. I can use my hispanic voice because I was properly raised. Your white parents never fooled nobody, mm !hmmm. So. Said. I. GG Oh, and by the way, YOLO was so last year. ! (NOTE: Due to production time restraints, the main vocals mm. 86-102 ! were spoken as dialogue. ) IZZY !Well, memo to you - ! 1 - 1 - 5 YOU’RE SUCH A LOSER YEAH, YOU’RE THE LOSER ! JINX! GG ! JINX! IZZY JINX! ! GG JINX! ! IZZY ! JINX! GG ! JINX! IZZY ! JINX! GG ! JINX! ! IZZY GG YOU CAN’T TALK YOU CAN’T TALK NO! NO! YOU! YOU! ! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ! GO FIND A LIFE ! GO FIND A LIFE YOU FIRST YOU FIRST ! F.M.L. ! F.M.L. NO, FUCK OUR LIVES! NO, FUCK OUR LIVES! YEAH, FUCK OUR! LIVES! HA! YEAH, FUCK OUR LIVES! HA! (Music stops.) GG No seriously, F.O.L. This bus hopping is for the buzzards. When do you get your car !back? 1 - 1 - 5 ! (Music underscore begins and builds.) IZZY (Imitating her parents in a Spanish accent) "When you can act like a respectful, kind, responsible human being and babysit your sisters' kids." Hey when do you get yours !back? Oh - hey, gotta go - it's my stop. See ya later ...at the.... spot! Bye! GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS OH! LIVIN’ IN THE CITY OF ANGELS WHOA! ! YEAH! (NOTE: Due to production time restraints, the main vocals mm. 106-113 we ! omitted. They are not on the mp3.) GG (Raps.) I’M JUST ONE YEAR OUTTA SCHOOL WENT TO PRIVATE WASN’T THAT COOL DID I FIT IN? (PFT!) BROKE ALL THE RULES ! I ALWAYS TOOK THE DIFFERENT ROUTE WORKED AT STARBUCKS WASN’T MY THING OD’D ON CAFFEINE IT FUCKED UP MY ZING MISTER DECAF GOT ME ON THE UPSWING ! BUT THERE’S STILL DAYS I HAVE MY DOUBTS ! (GG’s phone rings. Music underscore continues.) GG !Grace....Mom. GRACE (In traffic, talking from GG’s car.) Please tell me I will see you tonight - on or before !eleven? ! ! 1 - 1 - 6 GG !That's the plan. How's my car? You taking good care of her? GRACE t's been bumper to bumper on the 710 for the last 3 miles. And I'm late. Be glad you're !not driving. GG Why didn't they just get you a rental car while! they repaired yours? GRACE I told you, George, this is the third time it's been in the shop and only the first two times !were covered. Since you weren't using it... ! (Marcus imitates a car gunning.) GG Well, don't gun her when you're accelerating! Was that you!? She just needs a little bit !of gas if you're still going to bumper to bumper. GRACE (Impatient) George, I know what I'm doing. I know how to drive a car - this car! - I !bought it for you! I got it covered! At least it's getting driven while you're on probation. GG !Wow, what a way .... You really know how to rub it in. GRACE I was kindly reminding you that this is nothing to mess around with. Getting caught - you could have done time..... Let's talk about the real reason I called - I found some sort of drug pipe in your room. Your's? Izzy's? You know how I feel about you having her over to the house when I'm not there. You can't risk it, not with this probation period. Izzy... GG And what were you doing in my room? ! GRACE One of my colleagues at UCLA gave a spot on lecture on the spreading of HIV and !sexually transmitted diseases and..... GG !The shorter version - please - short...er. ! ! ! 1 - 1 - 7 GRACE After hearing this speaker I decided to stop by and get you a bag of condoms...... and a !tube of lubrication. Silicone-based. They're in your bathroom. GG (Embarrassed and in shock. Awkwardly.) Gee, Mom - thank you so much. See you at !11PM. (He hangs up) Oh, god....really? Fuck my life. I gotta get.... I gotta.... (Music crescendos.) GOTTA KEEP ON SKETCHIN’ BOMBIN’ PLANNIN’ LEAVE MY TAGS BEHIND ! SPRAYING WALLS TO BRING OUT WHO I AM GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS ! WHOA OH OH GG I’M GONNA KEEP ON SKETCHIN’ BOMBIN’ TAGGIN’ DRAW ME MORE DEFINED ! AND GET ME THROUGH THIS FUCKIN’ L.A. JAM GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS ! OO AH AH GG SEARCHING FOR! ME I’M LEARNING! WHO’S ME LOOKING TO SEE I’M SEARCHIN’ FOR ME ! ! LEARNING WHO’S ME ! I’M LOOKING TO SEE WANTING TO SEE WAITING FOR THE FUTURE OF ME ! LIVIN’ IN THE CITY OF ANGELS ! (The cast makes their way to their final destinations, circling GG.) GG I’M SEARCHIN’ ! I’M LOOKIN’ FOR ME ! 1 - 2 - 8 GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS THE CITY OF ANGELS WHOA ---- ! YEAH ---- GG I’M SEARCHING ! I’M LOOKIN’ TO SEE GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS LIVIN’ IN THE CITY OF ANGELS WHOA! ---- ! YEAH! ---- GG I’M SEARCHIN’ ! I’M LIVIN’ GG, GRACE, IZZY, MARCUS IN A CITY OF -

! (Lights abruptly change as we abruptly segue to the next scene.) !Scene 2: A Chinese Restaurant PROF (Prof slams his chair on the floor on his line - music cue.) - ASSHOLES! Ass! Holes! (Prof is speaking to a the unseen Chinese restaurant owner.) Those fucking assholes! I mean, I don’t know how you do it, Ming. Just so you know, I really don’t care what you do with the frogs before you cook em. I mean - if I were going to order the dish, it wouldn’t bother me. How’d they found out? Well, now you know not to let your neighbors see what you do in the alley. How many? Frogs, no inspectors. Frogs. Well, Ming, you are a much, much, much bigger man than me. Have you lost weight recently? No? Okay. Why yes, I have lost a little weight. Nice of you to notice. Walking mainly.... (GG hurriedly enters, scattered). Well, look who it is! There he is! Thanks, Ming. We’ll be ready in a few. I’ll talk up the frog...oh, that’s right - it’s temporarily not on the menu anymore. (Whispers to GG) No frog - long story. (To Ming) Okay, Ming, we’ll take our chances and find something else equally outrageous and controversial. (To !GG.) I’ve been waiting for forty-five minutes... GG !Hey, I busted my ass to get here... ! ! 1 - 2 - 9 ! PROF I’m just busting it a little more. I tell you, you always take the wrong bus. Yes, there is no express bus but you can combine two slow ones to make a fast one. GG How does that make sense? ! PROF Got it all down up here. (Points to head). Plus, you leave from the wrong stop. You need to catch the bus as it’s built up a little momentum away from the congestion at the station. ! GG !I’m never taking the bus again. !(Prof looks at him as if he’s crazy.) GG !Okay...well, not until tonight. It really sucks not to have my car. PROF !When do you get it back? GG !I gotta do community service first, so I’m not sure what yet. But maybe six months. PROF Ya take the wrong bus and you get caught doing graffiti. God, you’re a mess. Ah, yes, the community service. Make sure you get the painting or cleaning windows, if they still have that. Collecting trash on the side of a road in matching PJs for all to see is not for !the weak. Plus, you get honked and yelled at a lot and who needs that? GG (Changing the subject) Grace has been asking! about you. PROF (Sarcastically) Oh, what a nice segue. I don’t want to talk to or about Grace this year. !Next year. Never. GG Hey, no harassing of the messenger. She wants to meet you Tuesday at two. At The Pinhole... you’d know the place. And I’m just telling you that she wasn’t happy about you using the extra key last week to drop by when she wasn’t there. At two. Can you !remember that? Two. 1 - 2 - 10 PROF !I was looking for something. GG You have nothing there anymore. PROF How would you know? How would she know? She buying? (Laughs. Then quickly changing the mood - loudly). If she is, I’ll be there with fucking bells on. 2 on Tuesday. God, I really don’t want to have to deal with her.! Goddamn, where is the fucking food?! GG Dude, we haven’t even ordered yet. (GG quickly jumps up and goes to counter) Ming, !two specials with fried rice, please. Yes, Pepsi is fine. Oh, and can we get it to go? PROF I hate Pepsi. And why “to go?” ! GG !You gotta make the shelter by seven. Me being late totally messed things up. PROF !Oh, fuck that place, I’m so sick of that free Holiday Inn prison. GG !Hundred. (Awkward pause) PROF !(Imitating GG) One-hundred. What’s that? What does that mean? GG I just imagined me paying myself an imaginary sum of hundred dollars every time something really embarrassing happens, like just now. I just made a hundred dollars for having everyone in the restaurant look at us. (Beat) Just keep it in check, okay? We’re in public. PROF (Puzzled, he looks around) If you’re worried about just Ming, he doesn’t understand !most of everything we say anyway. GG Feeling a tad racist today? ! ! ! ! 1 - 2 - 11 PROF Oh, you know it’s true - we live in a city of racism. A country. I’m just stating the truth. And aren’t you a tad bit sensitive today? ! GG I’m not really sure what you do before we meet every week but your outbursts are !getting hard to tolerate. I’m sick of them. PROF Outbursts? Just reacting to the information this brain is receiving. Not information - accusations. Go ahead - live in your goddamn dreams - in that imagination of yours. You get paid for painting, too? Do you? No. Some of us live in reality. Go ahead, show me that hundred dollars you just made. Show! it to me. Goddamn it. GG !Look it’s.....I’m sorry. We’ve both had shitty days. Sorry. PROF (Changing the subject but still agitated) I know this isn’t fast food but in this day in age with all the instant gratification that we’ve been subjected to you (raises voice) would !think they would get our food out faster - I can’t wait all night! GG !Volume, dude..... plus I just ordered. Remember? Give Ming some slack. PROF Damn you, microwaves and drive thrus and ….and.... God, my mouth is watering. That combustion of flavors. Oh....It knows it’s going to savor it like it has so many times before. (Laughs) Creatures of habit, we are. I sit here and wait for all the complexity of flavors involved and all I can think about is the future. (Laughs) Maybe I should enjoy the thought of it now ‘cause when I get it it’s !going down fast! GG No, when we get our food you’re getting on the! bus and.... PROF ...Can already taste it. Processing the information from my tongue through my parietal lobe. And there’s no real food, yet. Amazing. Just wish the real thing would hurry up and get here. What’s the hold up? GG !Calm down, calm down. It’s coming. What are you - five? Don’t answer that. (Prof begins to show signs of the drug wearing! off. He mind is not as clear.) ! 1 - 2 - 12 PROF Ah, gee....I guess I'm like that with everything. You know? It's always taken me a little too long to process everything. It’s a big rush of information and then sometimes it’s just little trickles making it difficult to evaluate. And I get impatient when both happen. ! But you just gotta wait it out - it’s - it’s - it’s just the time. (Thoughtful) The time. PROF (Thinking about it). Had all the time I needed back then with it - never was anymore on time anyway. Is being on time really that important when you’re trying to soak up life? ! Got all the time I need now. !MUSIC 2: BEAUTIFUL (CUE TRACK 02) (Changing subject) Sometimes it's way after the fact until you realize the depth and scope of something. And when you realize it, it is already... impossibly gone. But you had it. You don’t have it anymore, but you had it. Held it right in your goddamn hands. Some people need to keep holding it, but I don’t. I experienced it. That's enough. Some !people aren't even that lucky. But even on a bad day, I'm pretty lucky. NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS TIME’D TRICKLE DOWN AND LEAVE US HERE FUNNY HOW LIVES CHANGE WHEN YOU’RE NOT LOOKING ! YOUR BRAIN LIKES PLAYING GAMES WITH WHAT’S NOT THERE I REMEMBER BEING YOUNG AND BRAVE - NO DOUBTS WHAT SWEET BEGINNINGS BLOOM IN STARTING OUT WE CALCULATE EQUATIONS TOWARD OUR FUTURES ! BUT SOMETIMES OUR FUTURES TAKE A DIFFERENT ROUTE WE’RE ALL RIDING THIS POWERFUL WAVE OF FEELINGS WE ONCE LOCKED AWAY THEN SCATTERED ALL THE PLANS THAT WE MADE NOT KNOWING IN THIS MESS WHERE’D THEY FALL ! I REMEMBER THE EVENING SHE CALLED IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSET I EVER SAW IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSET ! I EVER DID SEE NOW WORRY NEVER DID ME ANY GOOD JUST ANNOYING, MURKY SIGHT MISUNDERSTOOD FIGHTING MYST’RY WARS WITH FUTILE BATTLES ! DOING WHAT I DID THAN WHAT I SHOULD NOW RUINS THEY HOLD LESSONS, TRUTHS, AND TOOLS 1 - 2 - 13 THEY’RE ALL CLASSROOMS OF MISTAKES FOR FUTURE FOOLS WE LEARN ALONG A WINDING ROAD OF MISFIRES ! WHEN WILL SOMEONE TELL ME ALL THE RULES? WE ARE ALL RIDING ONE FUCKING POWERFUL WAVE OF STINGING FEELINGS WE ONCE HID AWAY WE ARE SCATTERED PILES OF PLANS THAT WE MADE NOT KNOWING IN THIS MESS WHERE WE’D FALL ! ESPEC’LLY THAT WARM EVENING SHE CALLED I REMEMBER OUR FRONT DOOR OPENED WIDE I REMEMBER MY GRACE IN MY CHAIR AND IN THAT SECOND SHE STOLE MY SON FROM MY ARMS THEN IN THE EVENING TWILIGHT I LEFT IT WAS GOOD ‘TIL IT ENDED IT’S NOT QUITE WHAT WE INTENDED IT’S ALL GOOD UNTIL IT ENEDED ! AT LEAST ! IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSET I EVER SAW GG ! IT WAS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SUNSET PROF AND GG ! I EVER DID SEE (GG looks at his phone) GG !Man, it’s Six-twenty-five. We gotta run. So next time - four forty-five, right? PROF !Hey, I’m not the one who needs reminded. GG !Cut me some slack. Four forty-five. And Tuesday at two. I’ll tell Grace, yes? ! (GG tears the page from his sketchbook). PROF God, so many numbers! Yes, I’m dreading it but tell her.... yes. Tell the Grace - yes. Got !‘em in the old appointment book. (Points to his head). ! 1 - 2 - 14 ! (The PROF starts to put his things in his pockets.) GG I’ll see you next week. Four Forty-five. I’m telling myself this time! Geez. ! PROF Well, with the continued promises of buying me dinners you might actually see me sooner! Like a little stray cat that stays around. Hey, did I tell you I made five bucks today? Nah, I know you’re busy with...... with.... vandalizing. Kidding! Just a little humor to shoot you gently into that good night. Hey, I might see you again this week. I’ve been known to appear like the Virgin Mary! on a Egg McMuffin. Never know.... GG !And here. Take this with you. (GG hands him the drawing he's been making. GG then steps to stage left for a second to grab PROF’S takeout. As GG is getting the Chinese food, PROF looks at it and it is a drawing of 'the sunset' - he is taken aback with the picture.) ! PROF !Oh. A sunset. Pretty. Damn, you’re good. You always were. You are. GG Thought you could put it on your wa... in your pocket or...

! (Clearly on the verge of tears but hiding it - hands his dad the food.) !(Beat.) Love ya, dad. PROF !Right back at ya, Georgie. ...Yep. Me too. Thanks. (Beat.) Good to see you....son. !(Beat). (GG nods and and gives his dad the peace sign and hurriedly leaves. After GG leaves, PROF turns the painting over and five twenties drop to ! the floor. He is stunned.) PROF Whaaat?....a hundred... dollars. Where’d he....? (He laughs a laugh of surprise and disbelief. He has a smile on his face. He reaches in his pocket and retrieves a coin.) Homeless shelter or ..... (He flips coin. The coin lands. Prof gets a devious, relieved smile on his face.) ! 1 - 3 - 15 ! PROF Taxi! (The scene dissolves as the lights change.) ! Scene 3: A Skid Row Alley ! (An alley behind various restaurants and shops in Skid Row, Los Angeles. Izzy is sitting listening to her music in her headphones, singing along, writing in her notebook. She’s! in a great mood. GG arrives.) GG !Damn, girl - did you get a watch? Why you so early?. IZZY Hey, G! ! (They do their secret handshake.) IZZY Well, I got on the bus to go to my tutoring session and then I forgot to get off the bus so I gravitated to this place so I just decided to plop on here and wait for you to begin doing !your thang cuz that’s what I do. GG Wow. Biggest run-on sentence I’ve heard in an eon. Iz, you know this ain’t the best !place for a pretty girl like you to be waiting. IZZY Aw, you think I’m pretty? And shit! I can claw my way outta anything. I’ve been here 3 !hours, ate a couple valium... GG !You’ve been sitting in this alley for three hours? IZZY !Yeah, I guess. I don’t know - I’ve been writing. One gets lost when one is writing. GG !Alright, something’s up. Okay, I’ll play. Whayddidja write? Let’s hear it. IZZY !No. It’s an epic story for all my gays. GG I thought I was your only gay. 1 - 3 - 16 IZZY Well, then I wrote it for you - and my crossover audience that appreciates timeless concepts and issues and gratuitous, yet important to the plot, hot sex. Maybe I’m meant to write erotic fiction for straights that appreciate a gay love story, set in a nation torn !apart by a vegan war. GG !Oooo, can’t wait for the movie. Let’s hear it. IZZY !Oh, it’s not ready for public consumption. GG Iz, it’s me IZZY You don’t let me read your blackbook. Besides, G, it’s gots major tweakin’ to be tweaked. In time. In time. Hey, G - where do you see yourself in three years? GG !Wow. Totally random. IZZY !Will do you even think you’ll be in LA? GG !Well, where you gonna be? IZZY I don’t know. I used to have a five year plan but then years one and two totally went to shit, so I went for more of a “see how things work out” kinda plan. Hey, wanna go to a !party tonight? GG !Whoa. I was going to bomb and you were going to be my lookout tonight. IZZY !They’ll have stuff....s there. GG Ah, I see what’s going on. I know you because you wouldn’t ever sit in an alley for three !hours. IZZY !STUFF.....S! Come on! C’mon. We’ll get on the OC Express and we’re practically there. ! 1 - 3 - 17 GG !Who’s party? IZZY (Sheepishly) Brandon’s. ! GG No way. That dude treats you like a piece of !meat. IZZY !(Declarative) Well, maybe Izzes wants to be tenderized tonight. GG Really? Last I heard you were looking for coffee conversation, walks on the beach, and !roses. IZZY G, I already do all that stuff... with you. Remember those roses you drew me? They were really pretty. Hey wait, I think I got them here (She starts looking through her !bag). GG !Let’s just stay here and do our things. I write. You write. MUSIC 3: MAGIC KINGDOM (CUE TRACK! 03) IZZY Come on! Brandon is totally ignorable. We’ll go. We’ll have some drinks - wait! Look what I have (she pulls out her drug pipe). What?!?!??! (Laughs.) We’ll have a good time. We’ll hang out. You’ll get some sketch ideas from all the witty conversation and !new people you find out you don’t like. Come on.....for me? You want to...... yeah? DON’T YA WANNA GO TO A MAGIC KINGDOM? SURE YA DO AN EXPERIENCED TOUR GUIDE WHO KNOWS ALL THE RIDES AND A SECRET FEW MARY WILL BE POPPIN’ MS. WHITE WILL (sniffs) SOME “SNOW” DON’T TELL MR. “D” BUT THEY’LL BE LATE TOMORROW (In mock outrage.) ! OH! DON’T YA WANNA EXPLORE A MAGIC KINGDOM WITH ME? OH, I FORGOT YOU LIKE A DIFF’RENT FLAV - THE MALE VARIETY CHARMING WILL BE PRINCELY PACKIN’ 1 - 3 - 18 WITH HIS MIGHTY SWORD ALL YA GOTTA DO IS JUST STEP UP AND BOARD ! GG You should be a billboard. You gonna throw in the extra set of Ginsu Kives, too? I’m not going to Disney County, even though orange is my favorite color. ! ! (The music vibe changes to a more upbeat and aggressive.) IZZY YOU’RE A SELFISH STUBBORN LOSER ALL I’M ASKIN’ FOR IS JUST ONE NIGHT WE’RE ALWAYS DOIN’ WHAT YOU WANT TO DO INSTEAD WE’RE DOIN’ WHAT YOU NEED TO DO (Imitating GG) “NO I’M DOIN’ WHAT I HAVE TO DO!” WHICH IS ALWAYS TAGGIN’ WHERE PAINT DOESN’T BELONG THE WORLD WILL GET ALONG FINE ONE NIGHT NOT TAGGIN’ - JUST FINE ! WATCH! EVERYTHING WILL TURN OUT JUST FINE CONSIDER WHAT I WANT FOR ONCE YOU KNOW YOU’D HAVE SOME FUN WITH ME IZZY YA GOT IZZY IS WHERE THE PARTY’S GOIN’ ON ! YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK HERE TO TAG IT DRIBBLE SCRIBBLE ! FINGER PAINT FOR ALL I FUCKING CARE GG, COME! LET’S HAVE SOME FUN! ! COME ON! DON’T YOU WANNA GO TO THIS MAGIC KINGDOM 1 - 3 - 19 I KNOW YOU DO! WITH A CREDENTIALED TOUR GUIDE LIKE ME TO TURN YOU PINK THEN BLUE (She entices him with a prescription bottle she pulls from her pocket.) GO WITH ME THEN I WON’T BUG YOU ANYMORE JUST SAY YES ! IT’S AN OFFER I WOULD NEVER IGNORE ALL YA GOTTA DO IS JUST GO WITH THE FLOW ALL YA GOTTA ALL YA GOTTA (Vocal ad libs.) SAY (Vocal ad libs.) YES! COME ON LET’S (Vocal ad libs.) ! GO! !Oh, I’m gonna puke....I think I’m gonna puke.... GG !Izzy, sad to say but you’re in no shape to go anywhere but home. IZZY !I’m hungry. (Beat) I’m hungry. I’m getting snacks. GG Just go to Splits and wait for me over there. !And please don’t steal anything. IZZY Rrrrracist. ! GG Iz, You know you do that stuff and I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. I don’t want to deal with it, not tonight, not in this neighborhood. And not with me on probation. ! IZZY You’re so lucky you graduated already. Private school is so much worse than public school. I cannot wait until I get out of this shithole. (Beat) So why you out here doing what it is that got you in trouble in the first place? ! 1 - 3 - 20 GG What’s Iz not going to do? ! IZZY Steal everything. (Whispers) Everything! I’m taking my bags and I’m cleaning them !out. GG Just get some coffee, sit at the counter and then we’ll take the bus home together. ! IZZY !(In her best Snow White voice) Fine. And we’ll live happily ever after. GG Oh, and get me some Nerd or Sweetarts? IZZY I gots your tarts right here and they’re real sweet. As for nerds, you’re on your own, !bitch. ! (Izzy leaves for the store. GG uses the fourth wall as his wall.) GG !Hello, wall. !MUSIC 4: SPONGE (CUE TRACK 04) ! (Throughout the song he spray paints the wall.) SOAK UP THE CHATTER AROUND YOU BOY, IT PUDDLES WHERE YOU STAND CLOSE UP AND AS IF IT WERE ON CUE IT HUDDLES ! IT DEMANDS TO BE SIFTED THROUGH AND BLENDED MIXTURES OF SWEAT AND PASSION SWEETLY FUSED TOGETHER WITH MEM’RIES OF JOY ! OH, WHAT A RUSH THROTTLIN’ THE CAP ON A CAN I’M RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF FINDING OUT WHO I AM 1 - 3 - 21 BOTTLED UP INSIDE BUILDING UP WITH PRIDE THESE IDEAS ARE RATHER SIGNIFICANT MAYBE SMALL TO SOME WATCH OUT HERE THEY COME THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE TRULY MAGNIFICENT BEAUTY IN DECAY FUN, CHAOTIC PLAY I OPEN UP MY SOUL AND WITH MY NUMBER TWO I MORPH IT ALL UP WHILE I SKETCH IT ALL OUT THEN I PAINT IT ALL PRETTY BUT SKEWED ! CUZ I’M A SPONGE THAT TORTUROUS BUS RIDE SWIRLING CHATTER AROUND YOU WHERE DID IT TAKE YOU? TO ORBITS UNMANNED? THAT DINNER THOUGH YOU WERE PRESENT YOU WERE DISTANT ! IN YOUR FAR AWAY LAND ARRANGING PIXELS AND BLENDING COLORS OF SWEAT AND PASSION SWEETLY FUSED TOGETHER ! WITH MEM’RIES OF PAIN OH, WHAT A RUSH THROTT’LING THESE QUESTIONS SO MAYBE TOMORROW YOU’LL DRIVE BY AND SEE WHO I AM OO______OH______AH______! YOU GOTTA SHUT OUT ALL THOSE NOISES AROUND YOU IT DISTRACTS YOU FROM MAKING PLANS NO MORE DOUBT JUST TRUST WHAT YOU’RE DOING WHILE IT SOOTHES YOU 1 - 3 - 22 IT WILL DEMAND OO______OH______LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ! YEAH! BOTTLED UP INSIDE BUILDING UP WITH PRIDE THESE IDEAS ARE RATHER SIGNIFICANT MAYBE SMALL TO SOME WATCH OUT HERE THEY COME THEY HAVE THE CHANCE TO BE TRULY MAGNIFICENT BEAUTY IN DECAY FUN, CHAOTIC PLAY I OPEN UP MY SOUL AND WITH MY NUMBER TWO I SOAK IT ALL UP THEN I SPEW IT ALL OUT TO SHOW YOU A TRUTH OR TWO YEAH ! I’M A SPONGE ! A GODDAMN SPONGE (GG whistles as he finishes bombing) ! (GG is satisfied with his work and begins packing up his stuff. He uses his phone to take a flash picture of his work. Izzy returns, overloaded !with bags of candy, potato chip bags, and drinks). GG !Whaaaat? IZZY I told you I was hungry. Just be proud I didn’t steal anything. ! GG I’m proud of you? ! IZZY Oh wait. Maybe I did steal one thing. Some Nerds for my nerd. What? Crazy man. !(She reaches in the bag and pulls out the Nerds and hands them to GG.) ! ! 1 - 4 - 23 Scene 4: A City Bus ! GG Good timing - our bus is here. Maybe we’ll get home fast. ! (Izzy and GG board the bus. They put two of the chairs together on SL and Marcus puts a row of chairs on SR, slightly in back of the two. They !sit. Izzy is by the window, GG, on the aisle.) IZZY That store is totally of touch with consumerism. They had TAB? But they didn’t have !Sweetarts? GG What is that smell? Smells like a Korean apartment building with all the dinners are mixing together as we walk in.

IZZY !Race-ist much. GG !Sorry. It was the first thing that popped into my head. IZZY Maybe you should be having what I’m having because Or you can have what I’m having cuz it definitely takes the edge off. ! GG !I’m good - I’ll stick to Nerds. IZZY (Izzy find the nerds and gives them to GG). You know, you never answered my question !about where you saw yourself in three years. GG What do I look like a fortuneteller? ! IZZY Yes. GG Alright, I’ll play. I’ll be living in NYC artist loft, sketching by day and bombing by night. I’ll have fallen for a sexy macho mustached dude who wears a cape ! ! 1 - 4 - 24 IZZY Cool. ! GG !Cuz capes will be in by then... IZZY !I don’t think so. GG And when I say cape, I mean in a superhero kind of cape - not in a gay kind of cape... ! IZZY !Oh, it sounds super gay. GG !Oh, and cool shoes. He has to have cool shoes. Show’s how a good man lives his life. IZZY True. Ya know, knowing my family, I’ll probably have (breaks into a Hispanic accent) !4.5 kids, run a daycare center, and sell some Avon.... GG !No college for you? IZZY !No college for you? GG Nah, I think I’m going to start a Latino baby farm. Studies show it’s cheaper to adopt Latin babies. If you can bring it in under cost, you can rake in a fortune. That’d pay for my art supplies. (GG thinks.) Nah, I’m just messin’... I’d never wish anyone to be !adopted. That’s a rough road. IZZY Speaking of rough road’s, I THINK OUR DRIVER’S DRUNK! He’s totally hitting every pothole and he almost hit that guy who’s getting on now. ! !(Marcus gets on the bus). MARCUS (To the bus driver) What - you didn’t see me? Thanks for not hitting me. (He walks past GG and Izzy, finding a seat at the back of the bus. GG and Marcus check each !other out.) 1 - 4 - 25 IZZY I think know him from somewhere. Anyway, what I’m saying is Bel Air just not the place to raise a Latino family. Well, I’ve lived there my whole life and every time I walk into a grocery store I still get that, like, that “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” look. You know what I mean? Oh! Is it my fault my dad invented one little part that goes on every airplane - I don’t think so. Whatever. I’m graduating soon and I’m going to take a trip !to Paree and live amongst the Parisians..... !MUSIC 5: CLOSER (CUE TRACK 05) (Izzy continues her conversation to GG in pantomime as Marcus and GG ! start focusing on each other in this fantasy sequence.) MARCUS! YOU ! YOU ------! GG YOU ARE SO FINE ------MARCUS YOU ARE SO FINE ------! ! GG ! YOU------GG and MARCUS YOU MAKE ME ! YOU MAKE ME WANNA GET CLOSER I WANNA MOVE SO MUCH CLOSER ! TO YOU YOU MAKE ME WANNA ASK QUESTIONS LIKE WHERE DO YOU LIVE AND ARE TAKEN ! BY A LUCKY SOMEONE YOU MAKE ME WANNA GO ! SEARCHING 1 - 4 - 26 GG ALL THROUGH YOUR STUFF WHEN YOU’RE NOT AT HOME SO I KNOW YOU ! I REALLY KNOW.... (The music quickly falls apart and comes to a halt when Marcus realizes ! what GG just sang.) MARCUS !Wait....What did you just sing?! Dude....that’s....kinda....cre....cute. GG ! YOU MARCUS ! YOU------GG ! YOU ARE SO FINE MARCUS ! YOU ARE SO FINE GG ! YOU------GG and MARCUS ! ! YOU ! (The bus ride returns to reality. Izzy is talking GG’s ear off.) IZZY Mm hm, Okay - I’ll tell you one more thing - but don’t tell anyone else cuz I don’t want this shit going Hollywood without me, okay? So, I think within this novel that I’m writing there’s going to be this scene where Tyrone and Jessie get invited to The Oval Office and end up having sex on the President’s desk! What? It’s crazy! Right? I don’t know, it’s an idea that I’m throwing out there but it could change. So, whaddya think? (GG is in a Marcus daze). G? ! GG More sex. ! ! ! 1 - 4 - 27 IZZY Thank you! That’s what I’m saying. I think if there’s more sex it moves faster to the beastiality ending at the zoo. I think that’s where I’m going with it. Hey, can I stay at your place tonight? ! GG Oh, yeah, Grace is gonna love that love when she sees you all sprawled out on the couch !when she goes to class in the morning. IZZY Then I’ll sleep in your bed. GG Not going to happen. Um, I need “me” time. “G” time. Plus, I gotta to see a guy about !work tomorrow so I gotta feel good. IZZY !Work? You... I don’t think so. GG !It’s a friend of Tony’s. We’ll see. IZZY !I promise I’ll be out before the Queen arises. GG !(After a moment of hesitation) You can sleep in the guest room. IZZY !Okay, I’ll be out by seven - I swear. I got shit to do anyway. GG !Is that guy in that back of the bus looking at us? IZZY (She looks back and sees Marcus.) He’s checking his phone - oh, he just looked at me, he totally into me! ! GG I’m pretty sure he was checking me out as he slowly lingered when he got on the bus. ! IZZY I’m pretty sure he was checking me out. He was definitely checking me out. (She tickles !him). ! 1 - 5 - 28 IZZY (Sing-songy) GG’s got a buuuuus luvvy! GG’s! got a buuuuuus chubby! GG !You’re embarrassing me. IZZY (Izzy smiles a smile of love and admiration to GG). You’re embarrassing me. I love it when you laugh. You should laugh more, ya know? (She puts her head on GG’s lap.) So, I’m going to just close my eyes for a second and then make sure to wake me up because I don’t want to wake up in Sherman Oaks alone and your bus stalker looking over me to find out he was my bus stalker. Or maybe I do.... ! GG !Shhh....I’ll wake ya. Just close your eyes. (Izzy falls asleep. As transition music begins, GG very casually glances back at !Marcus who is texting. Marcus suddenly looks up. Their eyes meet as lights fade.) !Scene 5: A Downtown Bar (Prof approaches the bar from the sidewalk. Prof hesitantly enters bar. He thinks he is in the wrong place. And does a confused double take. He then goes out the door, checks the front for a sign - stays out there for a moment, then again enters the bar, still confused. He stands there almost ready to leave and then Marcus ! appears.) MARCUS (Marcus talks to his grandma on the phone. He is nice but you can sometimes hear the frustration in his voice coming through. This is a very quick conversation). No, it's right on the counter. Yes, it is, remember? I walked in, I said, "Grandma, here's your prescription -" - before, when you were watching your stories. I walked in - Yes... and I said, "I'm leaving it on the counter, Grams, I made you some tuna fish, don't forget to !eat it with your medicine!" Keep looking, working! (Marcus very quickly hangs up). MARCUS !Hello there. PROF I’m sorry. Is this the Pinhole? I thought this was the... This is The Pinhole, yes? ! MARCUS Yes, we’re open and yes, this used to be The Pinhole. So technically you are in the bar formerly known as The Pinhole. You just missed it by about four years. 1 - 5 - 29 PROF !What’s it called now? I didn’t even see a sign out front. MARCUS The Pink Fluorescent. ! PROF Oh. (Letting it sink in - then realizing it is most likely a gay bar). OH! (Beat). I had no idea..... MARCUS All the old Pinheads wander in and give us that same reaction. Sorry, not to call you a !pinhead, or old, but that’s how we refer to them. PROF It’s actually kind of funny. So, this is... a gay! bar. (More declarative) A gay bar. MARCUS Well, I get a feeling you’ll like it because, guess what? We have alcohol. I bet that’s what !you’re looking for. PROF Hit the head right on the pinhole. (Acknowledges his joke and approaches the bar). ! So, where’d Clyde go? MARCUS Oh, you know Clyde? He still owns the place. Just decided.... to let his more of his !colors show. PROF !Oh...... Oh, I had no idea. MARCUS !(Laughs) Well, neither did Clyde - until about four years ago. PROF Well, good for him. Uh, whatever makes you happy, right? (Awkwardly) I’m suppose to ...um....meet someone here and I’m thinking I .... ! MARCUS Oh, don’t worry - they’ll find ya. Just like you found us. Unless you don’t want to be found? ! PROF !No no no it’s not that. 1 - 5 - 30 MARCUS !Come on, hop on up. What can I get ya? PROF You got breeder drinks here? ! MARCUS !(Laugh) That and any drink with an umbrella. PROF You can keep the ones with an umbrella’s. Got! sweet vermouth? MARCUS !Sure do. PROF !Sweets good. A Manhattan, then. MARCUS !Actually, I was pegging you for more of a vodka tonic rocks kinda guy... PROF Oh, I was, I was - Uh, back in grad school. Long time ago. But...tastes change. Make it !a double, would ya? I need an afternoon pick me up. MARCUS !Coming right up, boss. PROF You know, uh, for a gay bar - it doesn’t seem very.....um, lively here. I’m no decorator, !but the wood paneling just doesn’t scream.....”scream.” Am I wrong? MARCUS Ah, Tuesday afternoons are always slow. Now, if you and your mystery buddy wait until around six thirty, and ooooh the things will definitely be flowing. ! PROF Oh, Oh, I’m not.... ! MARCUS Flowing? I wasn’t thinking that. But I said it. (Prof and Marcus laugh together) ! PROF I don’t meet many ….gay people. I did once know a mex…a mexican guy from the … um....office. 1 - 5 - 31 MARCUS Go on, you can say Latino. Just glad to hear you’re not homophobic or racist. (Places !drink and napkin on the bar). Just what the doctor ordered. PROF You’re pretty good. How did you know I’m a! Doctor. MARCUS Ooh, let me tell you, when Mercury is in retrograde and Miss Cleo tells me my planets have aligned, I am as sharp as a tack. Plus, I was just using that old cliche to make my transition go nicely. PROF !(Laughs). That’s funny. (Pause) MARCUS By looking at you, I’d gather it was casual casual Tuesday at the, um, office. PROF !Um, yeah. MARCUS !(Changing the subject) I’m just kidding. So back to Clyde? You know him, huh? PROF (Looking around the bar) Well, I thought I did. Obviously not as well as we thought. We used to come in here a lot when it was The Pinhole. Usually for happy hour. Spent hours right over there in that booth. (Marcus’ phone begins ringing - Planet Rock !ringtone) MARCUS !Sorry, I gotta get this. Wave me down if I can get you something else for you. PROF I’ll be fine. ! MARCUS (Answering his cell phone.) No, keep looking. No, that's the... Did you find it? That's what I said! You know you are crazy. (Laughs a loving laugh) Okay, you okay? Don't forget to eat with it. The tuna fish, it's in the fridge and there's ritz crackers in the center cabinet and there's rye bread in the bread drawer. Okay? What? Okay, that’s wonderful. That Tememundo is amazing, isn’t it? Hey ya know what? Gotta go. Gotta go. Grandma, we are so slammed right now. Uh, huh. Tell me tonight. I’ll be home at one. At one! Talk to you later. I love you, too. Bye. (To himself). Good lord. (Pause) Good lord. (To Prof) My Grandma - I love her but she drives me wonky. Loves to talk, especially when I’m at work. And I cannot not answer because last year she broke her hip, laid on the floor til I got home. She didn’t have one of them “I’ve fallen and I can’t 1 - 5 - 32 ! get up” buttons. So after that I bought her a cell phone. And guess who calls me all the time? Grandma! Need anything? ! PROF !I’m doing good. I’m gonna hit the can. Be right back. (Prof goes to the bathroom) (The sound of the front door opening. It’s Grace. She is as confused as Prof was on his entrance. She hesitates three times. She finally sees Prof ! and enters the bar, walking toward him.) PROF (Once he sees it’s Grace, with doom and desperation in his voice to himself) Hey, you’re out of toile..... GRACE !(Approaching the bar, very confused). Ralph? ….is this The Pinhole? PROF and MARCUS !(Prof is scowling. Marcus is upbeat). Yes. GRACE It seems …..different. ! PROF and MARCUS !It’s a gay bar. (All three look at each other, sizing up the situation - Grace wondering why they are in a gay bar - Prof wondering why Marcus and he are in !unison - Marcus because he recognizes GRACE). GRACE Marcus? (Speechless) Hello! (Beat) How are you? Obviously, working here. Good to see you. ! MARCUS !Hi, Dr. Simon. Yeah, this is my part-time career - outside of school. GRACE Is this the old Pinhole? It’s still listed on Yelp as The Pinhole. ! PROF It’s now called the Pink Fluorescent. Remember our old friend Clyde? Well, Clyde.....he evolved. (Whispered) He went gay. (GRACE seems surprised that PROF is so !knowledgeable about this information). 1 - 5 - 33 MARCUS Sorry, we’ve been talking for fifteen minutes !and I still don’t know your name. PROF Uh, it’s Ralph. You know each other? How do! you know each other? GRACE Marcus was one of my practicum students. We work together last semester. Small world, huh? MARCUS !Good to see you, Dr. Simon. Are you teaching this semester? GRACE !Just one course - Ethics. Right now I’m devoting more time to my private practice. MARCUS Wonderful. Well, what can I get for you - don’t worry, it’s on me ....for giving me that “A” last semester. I’m kidding! Really it’s on the! house. What would you like? GRACE Oh, Marcus, you worked hard for that “A.” One of my better students. Mmm...The !house chardonnay will be great. Thank you. MARCUS Coming right up, Dr. Simon. PROF I’d like a double this time, Marcus. (Gives a secretive! two fingers to signal a double). MARCUS !You got it. GRACE A gay bar with wood paneling? Clyde always did have weird tastes. Well, I won’t keep you long. ! PROF Keep me long? I was ready to talk at two. Had to entertain myself while I waited. ! GRACE Well, that probably wasn’t that difficult with Marcus being an excellent conversationalist and you gulping your drinks. My last session went longer than I expected. I would have called but, alas, you have no cell phone. (Looks around) God, this place brings back !memories. Not even a sign on the outside. Reminds me of No Name sushi in Frisco. (MARCUS delivers Grace’s drink) 1 - 5 - 34 GRACE !Thank you, Marcus. MARCUS I’ll just be down at the other end of the bar studying. Exams are next week. You let me !know if you need anything? (Prof chugs his drink. Then raises his hand to order another. Grace grabs his hand to stop him). ! PROF !(Whispers) Don’t fuckin’ touch me. GRACE (Beat). Have you seen George recently? ! PROF Dinner last night. Why do you think I’m here. Your messenger delivered your message. ....God, he was a grouchy, scattered son of a bitch. I’d be too if someone took !my car away. (He gives Grace a look that is piercing). GRACE ! (Beat.) Ok. Look, I’ve got appointments this afternoon so let’s just get this over with. PROF !What do you have to get over? I.... GRACE (Pulling papers out of her briefcase) I saw our attorney last week. My attorney. He’s tired of trying to find you. I need you to sign these even though you’re not legally a person anymore. Or are you? ! !MUSIC 6: THE OTHER HALF (CUE TRACK 06) PROF You’ve always had the right words to soothe, I mean bruise.... ! (Prof takes a moment to study the papers. He plunges the glass with the cocktail straw, then drinks the rest of the drink’s ice melt. ! He is not thrilled at all. Music begins.) !Ambushing me in the Pink, are ya? GRACE Let’s just do this and get it over with. It’s time. 1 - 5 - 35 DO YOU REMEMBER THAT VACATION WE TOOK TO EGYPT, THE PYRAMIDS ! THE RUINS IN THE SAND? IT WAS THE LAST CHANCE TO SAVE A LIFE DO YOU REMEMBER? OUR MARRIAGE ! YOU SAID “THIS TRIP WOULD BE GRAND” THE MOMENT WE TOOK OFF I ALREADY KNEW WE WERE GONE ! THAT LOOK IN YOUR EYES AS I GRASPED YOUR HAND SUSPENDED IN AIR OVER OCEANS WE TRAVELED ON NUMBING OURSELVES WITH MOVEIS AND DRINKS WONDR’ING ABOUT OUR SON THEN LANDING IN CAIRO TWELVE HOURS LATER BLUE NIGHT TURNED TO DAWN THE DAY HOT AS FIRE ! THE NIGHTMARE WITH YOU HAD BEGUN I USED TO THINK THAT I COULD FIX YOU BY JUST HOLDING OUT FOR ONE MORE DAY ! I USED TO THINK THAT I COULD GET THIS SHIP BACK ON COURSE BUT IT TOOK A JOURNEY CLEAR ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD TO SEE THE CRAZY SIDE OF THIS POWERFUL FORCE YOU ! AND JUST TO LET IT BE PROF I don’t fucking believe this... ! GRACE I USED TO BE SO ENVIOUS OF WHAT OTTHER PEOPLE HAD OTHER PROFESSORS WITH THEIR PERFECT KIDS ! AND HOW THEY FILLED THEIR DAYS I’LL ADMIT IT WAS A BLIND SPOT 1 - 5 - 36 MINE AND I OWN THAT NOW I REALLY DO ! WE WERE TWO SELFISH PEOPLE IN SO MANY WAYS HAVING A CHILD WAS SOMETHING WE WANTED MORE THAN WE KNEW DREAMING AND PLANNING HOPING FOR THE DAY WE’D ! GET GOOD NEWS HERE’S SOME NEWS: I WOULDN’T GET PREGNANT, NO I WOULDN’T GET PREGNANT NOT WITH YOU AND YOUR “WAY” CHANCING CRAZY WITH A BABY ! NOT WITH YOU CALL ME A BITCH CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL I DON’T CARE ANYMORE I’VE DONE MY TIME I GAVE ALL ONE COULD GIVE ALL I COULD GIVE ALL I COULD ! GIVE NOW I DON’T CARE HOW THE OTHER HALF LIVES ! !Sign here.....here...... and here. PROF You need to leave. Now. ! GRACE !Thought you’d say that. (Stacking papers and getting ready to leave). PROF !Mark, can I have a double? ! (Prof drinks Grace’s Chardonnay in one long chug.) ! 1 - 5 - 37 GRACE You never did know when to stop, did you. You still don’t. (Getting ready to leave. She !pauses). Goodbye, Marcus. (Forces a smile.) Thank you and good luck. ! (Marcus nods uncomfortably). (To Prof) You know, it was a good decision when we quit coming here. Good decisions !all around. (She exits) PROF !I ordered a goddamn drink! MARCUS !Boss... PROF A double! Actually, I ordered a double a while back so now it should be a quadruple! !Where is it? MARCUS Boss, it’s great to have you here, but I’m going to have to cut you off. I made some coffee. ! PROF !Don’t even like coffee. And quit calling me boss. I never liked being anyone’s boss, ever! MARCUS (In a consoling way, but trying not to push Prof’s buttons.) I know. I know. Just a little !bit.... (He pours Prof a cup.) (Beat) ! I’m going to step out back for a few moments. If you need anything let me know? I’ll be !in the alley, right through that door. PROF No need. I’m taking off. Thanks for the drinks. (He very coldly places money on the bar and begins to leave. He stops and goes back and retrieves some of the cash.) Bus fare. LA’s a cold place....24/7. Don’t let the weather reports fool you. Cold as a bitch. (And with that he rudely leaves - lost in what just happened between him and Grace. Marcus stands there trying to take it all in. Marcus then goes out because of the text !message he received from GG. He sees GG in the alley.) ! 1 - 6 - 38 !Scene 6: A Skid Row Alley MARCUS !Hey. GG !Hey. MARCUS !Hey!!!! You’re that guy from... GG & MARCUS !The bus! GG !That was you. MARCUS !Who was that girl you were with? GG !Izzy, a good friend. MARCUS !Good Good friend? GG Ha! We’ve known each other since elementary school. So we go way back. We were on !our way back from Downtown....just like you. What’s your name? MARCUS What’s your name? Ha! Marcus. So why you texting me...... ? ! GG !GG. MARCUS !GG.... GG Like I said, I’m a friend of Tony’s and he said! you might have some work for me. MARCUS Are we talking about the same kind of work here? I see you texted me “ w-e-r-k.” Was that a typo? 1 - 6 - 39 GG Nope. Just how Tony told me to text you. And! that’s the kind of work I’m looking for. MARCUS !Why don’t you just go help out Carls Jr. or Starbucks? GG Ha! Already did that. Me and Starbucks we had creative differences, me being all artist !and a go getter. MARCUS !Don’t you know artists don’t need money. GG !They don’t? What do artists need? MARCUS !All they need is love and cigarettes. That’s what I heard. GG Well, this one needs a job, or at least something that will bring some cash in. See, art’s !my things so not a lot of time to work so I wanna work - with an “e.” MARCUS !Why should I hire you? I heard artists are lazy. And what kind of art? GG !Ever been to a museum? MARCUS Sure, who hasn’t. ! GG Wanna go to one? Tonight? With me? ! MARCUS Forwardness. I like that. I’m just about done with my shift. You practicing to be a !dealer or you already one? So, when and where does this art adventure begin? GG !The corner of 4th and Magnolia - 10PM. Nothing more than that. MARCUS !Ooh, clandestine - I love it! 1 - 6 - 40 GG !Don’t be late. I’m serious. Hate it when people are late. MARCUS !I wouldn’t even think about it. Wouldn’t want to piss off the impatient, cute boy. ! (GG smiles) GG !Later. MARCUS !(Jokingly) I’ll be there at 9:55. No, 9:54! Just enough time not to piss you off. GG !And bring a bike. MARCUS !A what?? Don’t have one. GG !Then steal one. ! (Marcus watches GG leave and smiles as he goes back into the bar.) ! ! (GG Calls Izzy) IZZY Okay, before you say anything, I can already tell ya, don’t get mad.....I’m gonna be late. ! GG Oh, my god, you actually answered. A real LIVE Izzy! ! IZZY The one and only. What’s up? What’s up with your voice. You’re in a good mood..... !Something’s up. Spill it. GG Remember how you were going to look out for me tonight and then I was going to take !you to Pink’s on the way home? IZZY Yeah, as a favor, for the like tenth time this week being your lookout, - yeah, I deserve some Pink’s. (Beat) Something tells me I’m not getting any Pink’s..... 1 - 6 - 41 GG !Well, I can’t. On either. Sorry... IZZY !(Mock outrage) Whaaaaaat? You denying a girl Pink’s? GG !I’m sorry, Iz. I got....but...I think I got a date! IZZY !You think or you do? There is a difference. With who? GG !Remember that guy from the bus Monday? IZZY !My stalker? GG Well, sorry to say but your stalker is gay and !I’m taking him to the other spot tonight. IZZY (Kind of dejected) Well.....okay.....that’s cool. Triple whammy here...he’s not my stalker, he’s gay and I’m not getting any hot dogs tonight, though from the sounds of it, somebody will. I....I was just looking forward to Pink’s with you. Nah, I’ll be fine. My mom wants me to stay home with her and chillax - translated - yell at each other - but that’s cool. Plus I’m a bit tired from the party last night. (Tone changes to excitement) You are definitely getting laid if you are taking him to that place. Pack condoms. ! GG Good thing Grace bought a 20 pack. ! IZZY Okay, I want explicated details for everyone that is used. Ya know, book !material.....research.... GG !A gay never kisses and tells.....but I might share a few of the highlights... IZZY (Yells something vicious at her mom in Spanish). (Using her normal voice) Sorry, G, my mom wants to watch Dexter and she still can’t work the DVR. Still!. But hey! You got a date!!! G’s got a date! Have fun, buddy. We’ll paint the town pink...... another !night, right? 1 - 7 - 42 GG !We sure will. Paint it any color you want to. ‘Night, Iz! !MUSIC 7: A BEAUTIFUL CRIME (CUE TRACK 07) !Scene 7: The Date (The lights and scene changes. Two groups of chairs are together - two and three. It is later that evening. GG hold a set of handlebars, symbolizing the bike he brought. He is waiting on Marcus. Marcus rushes on with a kids’ handlebars with tassels and princess stickers - ! symbolizing his bike.) GG !Good - you made it. MARCUS I told you I’d be here. And on time. ! GG I see you brought your...a bike. Dude, some six year-old is probably crying her eyes out !now. Way to make a six year-old cry. MARCUS !It’s my cousins. She’s in bed. I will return it tomorrow. GG I don’t know...not sure if I can be seen in public with you on that thing. ! MARCUS Deal with it. Take me. Come on...let’s go! ! GG Okay, first we gotta take the bus. Hurry, we gotta catch this one. ! MARCUS !Anything you say, sir. GG !Did you see the look the bus driver gave you? MARCUS !He was looking at my awesome bone structure... ! 1 - 7 - 43 GG He was looking at your bike. See. Can’t take you anywhere. But I’ll give you another !chance. GG !Okay, we gotta ride the bikes for a bit. MARCUS !What’s a bit? A big bit. or a little bit? GG !Come on, we’re almost there. Just up this hill... MARCUS !(Huffing and puffing on his little bike. ) Kill me now. GG !You want to go home? MARCUS !(Sarcastically) I’m having the time of my life. GG !Okay, let’s hide the bikes in these bushes. We’ll come back for them on the way back. MARCUS !Damn, man. If I had known we’d have been way out here we could have taken my car. GG Just a little bit further...What?? You got a car?? But you were on the bus! ! MARCUS It was in the garage for the last week. Transmission. I was running errands so I was on !the bus. GG !Ha! Errands. Deliveries? MARCUS !Maybe - you ask too many questions. GG !Just a little further. ! 1 - 7 - 44 MARCUS !Man, where are we going? You could get lost out here. GG !Not a chance. MARCUS !I might have to resort to cannibalism. Damn, I need an energy bar. GG !Come on. We’re almost there...come on! MARCUS !This better be good because I could be doing someth.... (They arrive at the train yard. It's dark, quiet and beautiful. The moon is ! lighting the freight cars. All still.) MARCUS !Whoa...the train yard.... GG GOT A RIDDLE FOR YOU, DUDE !You up for it? MARCUS Sure man! GG WHAT’S THE CHEAPEST CANVAS AND IT TRAVELS CROSS THE LAND IT GETS YOU SEEN AND NOTICE BY THE PEOPLE WHO COUNT THE MOST WELCOME TO MY STUDIO ! IT TRAVELS COAST TO COAST IT’S A BEAUTIFUL NIGH THE MOON IS SO BRIGHT IT’S PERFECT FOR PAINTING FREIGHT CARS ON THIS BEAUTIFUL NIGHT WITH THIS PERFECT LIGHT IT’S WHERE I’LL BECOME A GREAT STAR 1 - 7 - 45 MARCUS !Helloooooooooooo! GG Shh! What ya think this is? The Grand Canyon? Plus we gotta keep it down. No one is !usually here but can’t take chances. IT’S QUIET AS A GRAVEYARD LISTEN ! YOU’LL HEAR THE CITY IF YOU LISTEN REAL HARD (Side by side, GG and Marcus look out at the vast train yard in silence. Marcus looks over at GG. Their eyes meet. GG grabs Marcus’ hand and ! holds it. They look back out at the yard while holding hands.) GG ! IT’S A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT MARCUS ! THE MOON IS SO BRIGHT GG ON THIS PERFECT NIGHT ! MARCUS ! WITH THIS PERFECT LIGHT GG IT’S A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT THE MOON IS SO BRIGHT ! PERFECT FOR PAINTING FREIGHT CARS ! (They get out the spray cans. GG starts painting a car.) GG and MARCUS WHEN I LOOK IN YOUR EYES THE MOON IS SO BRIGHT ! YOUR EYES THEY LOOK LIKE STARS 1 - 8 - 46 WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CRIME WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME ! I’M HAVING WITH YOU WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CRIME WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME ! I’M HAVING WITH YOU (Marcus pulls GG away from the train car and in like he’s ready to kiss ! him.) MARCUS !You have the most beautiful brown eyes. ! (There is a still connection between the two.) OFF STAGE VOICE !Stop! I have a gun and will use it. Stop right there! BLACKOUT ! !Scene 8: Grace’s House (Morning. Grace’s House. Grace appears in a bathrobe in the guest room and sees Izzy still asleep in bed. Grace rolls her eyes in frustration. She then bumps the bed once with her knee. Twice. Third time. Izzy starts to cough and wake up). ! IZZY (She sees Grace.) Oh....um.....shit.... ! GRACE !What are you doing? IZZY !Ummmmmm.... Sleeping? GRACE I mean, what are you doing in my guest bedroom when my son didn’t come home last !night. ! 1 - 8 - 47 IZZY I know, I didn’t hear from him either. I waited for him last night and he never came !home. GRACE !You were here last....? How’d you get in? IZZY !Geez, everyone knows where the extra key is, even your ex-husband. GRACE You know, h h h he can’t be hanging out with you. Not right now. I found your drug stuff. George is going through a really hard time and he can’t have you dragging him !down. IZZY Dragging me down? Well, maybe your son is dragging me down. Or maybe we’re !draggin’ each other up to where we need to be. Ever think of it like that? GRACE !Don’t you have a bedroom in Bel Air you could be in right now? IZZY (Sighs) I had a fight with my mom. And now I’m having a fight with my best friend’s mom. Life’s great. ! GRACE It’s seven-thirty. Can you check your phone to see if George left a message for you over night? I’ve been calling him but it goes straight to voicemail. ! IZZY (Izzy checks her phone) Nothing. ! GRACE !Thank you. I think it’s best you get started home. IZZY (Izzy starts to gather her things and then she realizes that Grace is hovering). You !know, GG would like you more if you ...... just listened to him ...... like you used to. GRACE !What gives you the right to say something like that to me? ! ! ! 1 - 8 - 48 IZZY !No right. But GG’s my best friend. I know. And I have a mom, too. !MUSIC 8: STILL (CUE TRACK 08) GRACE !Please call me if you hear anything, Isabelle. ! (Izzy leaves the house) ONCE UPON A TIME A LITTLE BOY BROUGHT ME SMILES OUR TWO BECAME A “THREE” MADE ALL THE MINUTES WORTHWHILE CHERISHING TOGETHER WEATHERING WHATEVER A FAM’LY ! ALL SIDE BY SIDE CALENDARS REVOLVED SLOWLY LIVES REARRANGED SOMEHOW WE ALL GOT LOST WHEN OUR RHYTHMS CHANGED NEVER HEARD THE DRUMMING CHANGE WAS QUICKLY COMING THE STORM ROLLED IN ! AND CLOUDS OPENED WIDE THERE’S NO MAP OF MANUAL TO KNOW WHERE I’M STANDING WE’VE LOST ALL CONNECTION ! I’M WRAPPED ALL IN FEAR THE ANSWER IS OUT THERE I’M SEARCHING I’M WAITING JUST CHOOSE A DIRECTION IT BEATS STANDING HERE ! STILL (Lights up on Izzy, who stands outside on the sidewalk. Grace stands in ! the living room.) ! 1 - 8 - 49 IZZY ONCE UPON A TIME A BOY CAPTURED MY HEART LAUGHTER ALL AROUND SO FUNNY AND SMART BLESSED WITH HIS AFFECTION THOUGH FOR ME IT WASN’T QUITE PERFECTION HE WAS STILL THE ! LIGHT OF MY DAYS AS HIS TALENT GREW I TRIED TO FIND MINE LEFT NO TURN UNTURNED LOOKING FOR MY MOMENT TO SHINE WASN’T THAT SUCCESSFUL ACTU’LLY VERY STRESSFUL SO I CHOSE JUST TO ! BASK IN HIS RAYS I NEED HIM WITH ME HE’S MY SOMETHING FAMILIAR BUT I’M FEELING THE DISTANCE HE’S PULLING AWAY THE ANSWER IS OUT WHERE I’M SEARCHING I’M WAITING GET PAST THIS RESISTANCE ! JUST GO OR JUST STAY ! IZZY AND GRACE CLIMBING WAND’RING STEPPING FALLING REACHING FALLING CLIMBING WANTING WAND’RING HOPING MOVING TRUSTING REACHING ! ‘TIL I’M SAFE 1 - 9 - 50 GRACE ONCE THERE WAS A GIRL ! WHO KNEW EVERYTHING IZZY ONCE THERE WAS A GIRL ! THO THOUGHT A BOY WAS A KING GRACE AND IZZY WE THINK TIME LASTS FOREVER WE THOUGHT IT’D BE FOREVER BUT WILL FOREVER ! BE ENOUGH TIME? I NEED HIM WITH ME HE’S MY SOMETHING FAMILIAR BUT I’M FEELING THE DISTANCE HE’S PULLING AWAY THE ANSWER IS OUT WHERE I’M SEARCHING I’M WAITING GET PAST THIS RESISTANCE JUST MOVE OR STAY ! STILL (Grace’s Phone rings. Very startled she quickly answers.) ! GRACE Hello? Yes. Yes, speaking. (Long Pause). I understand. What’s the address? I’ll be !right down. Thank you. !Scene 9: The Downtown Bar (Throughout this scene Marcus seems a little bit off kilter. He keeps looking at his phone, expecting a phone call or text from GG. Prof sheepishly enters The Pink Florescent, this time, timid because he ! sees Marcus.) MARCUS (Coldly) Oh, hi. It’s you. You come back because, what? You want another dollar from my tip for the bus again? I should just get my baseball bat and fuckin’ throw you out. In fact I’ve had enough. I don’t care who’s husba...who’s ex-husband you are. Get the fuck !out of my bar. (He goes for the baseball bat). I am not in the mood. ! 1 - 9 - 51 PROF !Um, it’s Clyde’s. MARCUS Oh, really. (Beat) Technically, right now it’s whoever the fuck I want it to be. Where do you get off stiffing me for making you the strongest, biggest drinks in town, all the while putting up with your snotty shit ranking attitude? And to leave me a minus fifty cent tip the other day certainly was not a mistake. I do not know what is going on in your life. Well, that’s not true. I did overheard some not so good things things coming from over there and between you and me, that bites the big one, doesn’t it? But to quote Ms. !Donna Summer “She. Works. Hard. For. The. Money!” PROF !(Breathes in. Scared. Short mumbles) MARCUS What you did you just say to me? I should throw your motherfuckin’ ass out before I call !the.... PROF !(Blurts out) So you better treat her right. MARCUS Excuse me? ! PROF !(More slowly this time) So you..... better...... treat her right. (Beat) ! MARCUS !That’s more like it. (Marcus Puts the baseball back). PROF Mark, I’m.... ! MARCUS Whoa whoa whoa! Not Marco, not Marky Mark, not MarMar, not Maury and certainly !not Mark....Marcus. PROF Yes. Yes. Marcus. Yes. Hear me out, Marcus. (Very nervous) I knew the moment I walked outta here the other day that I’d done you...a...a... very bad thing. And I thank !you for putting up with that horrible, uncomfortable twenty-five minutes or so, with me 1 - 9 - 52 ! and my wife. Very embarrassing for all of us. She is loud, no? Whoever that was you had in class, Uh uh - you don’t know her. You don’t. I have lived with the devil. And I !divorced the devil yesterday. Well, she technically divorced me. MARCUS !How do you know she ain’t saying the same thing about you right now? PROF Pfff, she always says that about me. But I get to say that about her today because she pulled a super fast one on me....like I did you, but without all the crying and all the alcohol and drug binging. But anyway, I ‘m here...I’m back.... to make things right because....my shitty day the other day.... became your shitty day and ....well, here’s the !correct tip I owe you.... plus 34% more...on top...of on top. MARCUS !On top of a top? Sure you ain’t here for other reasons? PROF No. No I’m not. Just a guy who knows the random lyrics to a Donna Summer song. It !was on all the top 40 stations in the 70s. I worked retail during high school. MARCUS !You feeling guilty? Cuz I don’t want your guilt money. It’s bad energy. PROF No, I want to make things right. I do. Honest. ! MARCUS You wanna know something? I’m gonna tell you something. ! PROF !(Hesitantly) Okay. MARCUS I ain’t really gay. I just work here to make money and use my natural good looks and !buoyant charisma. But I do sorta...kinda.....have a crush on you. PROF !(Really having trouble piecing this together) Really? You do all that to...me? MARCUS (Laughing) No. I was gay the day I became someone’s orgasm. And I say someone, cuz !I really have no clue who my father is. And no, you ain’t my type, so don’t worry about 1 - 9 - 53 ! nothing. But man, it was really fun to see your face get torked up like that there for a second! Wasn’t it? I think I deserve to make you squirm a bit! (He snickers, which !turns into a hearty laugh.) (PROF is puzzled, silent as Marcus laughs uncontrollably. Prof doesn’t know whether to laugh or stay silent. He eventually begins to laugh with Marcus and they end up in a hearty laugh together. Once the laugh has ! crested, Prof’s laughs turn into deep sobs). MARCUS !Oh, god - you’re.....you’re not suppose to do that. PROF I...I....I...I’m soo oo o o oo rrr y. My life.....my.....really went down the shitter !yesterday. MARCUS !Yesterday? PROF !(Sobbing) Yeah. It just got really really really really baaaaaaad. MARCUS Sit down. At the bar. Sit down, Ralph. Ralph, sit down. (Beat) Now you may have stumbled into the wrong bar at the right time for the wrong thing yesterday, but that !was yesterday. PROF !(Hyperventilating) She.....she.... I..... she...... She...... I .....I...... (sobs). (Marcus lets him have his moment, just letting him sob. Marcus‘ demeanor changes. He looks around the bar. He looks back at Prof). ! MARCUS Now - it’s a good thing you’re in the most unpopular afternoon gay bar in all of LA, because I’m gonna give you my undivided attention. (Marcus goes to the door, locks it and puts the CLOSED sign up). I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. You’re going to sit there. I’m going to pour you some of this coffee! I just made and we’re.....gonna.... talk. PROF !(In between sobs) I told you the other day I don’t like coffee. ! ! 1 - 9 - 54 MARCUS Well, it’s a good thing that I have raw sugar, white sugar, real cream, and International Foods Coffee Flavors so you can make it drinkable, take your pick and concoct your own cocktail cuz I am not serving you any of your favorites today. (Beat) Where you gotta be !now? PROF (Hesitates) Nowhere. MARCUS When’s the last time you bumped into whatever it is that you bump into? Don’t lie to !me. I lived around liars all my life. I smell ‘em. PROF !After I left the bar on Tuesday. MARCUS !And none of that shit in between? PROF !Nothing. Been coming down..... just..... it made me....made me feel worse. MARCUS !Honest? PROF Honest. I’m honest. ! MARCUS Okay. Okay. Then you’re here. We’re here. And we’re gonna talk. We’re talking. Actually, you know what? You’re gonna listen and I’m gonna be doing the talking. My grandma always said I talk too much but for once it’s gonna come in handy. Now you sweeten that coffee, drink it, and I’ll keep filling it up but I want you to listen to what I have to say. Hear me out. I am going to say the G word because she is part of this. Grace is NOT part of your life anymore and she hasn’t been for a long time and you’re going to have to make some decisions, not today, to get on with yours. We’re just talking. What if what happened the other day was years and years of building up to that moment when she truly let you go. I think we hit the nail on the head. It’s not like you were spending hours looking into each other’s eyes over a candlelight dinner and had a !tiff after dessert. It was gone a long time ago. ! (Prof tries to say something) I said I’m talking. You’re listening. Listening....and! drinking.....coffee. Drink. ! 1 - 9 - 55 ! MUSIC 9: YESTERDAYS (***DUE TO TIME RESTRAINTS, THIS SONG WAS CUT FROM THE FRINGE FESTIVAL PRODUCTION AND IS NOT SUBMITTED AS A mp3 - BUT IT IS INCLUDED IN THE PV SCORE***)

WHEN I WAS A NINO GRANDMA TOOK ME TO HER CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY MORNING WITHOUT FAIL AND THOUGH I CHOOSE TO SLEEP IN NOW I DON’T GO ANYMORE THAT STUFF I HEARD THOSE THINGS THEY TAUGHT ! SOMEHOW THEY STUCK I AIN’T NO JESUS FOLLOWER BUT A LITTLE STAYED WITH ME AND MADE ME WHO I AM ! TODAY PROF !If you’re trying to save my soul, stop. MARCUS !You sit down right down there and drink that coffee. I’M WHO I AM I’M MY OWN MAN TAKING THIS LIFE ! SOMETIMES IT SMACKS ME IN THE FACE THOUGH I AM DOWN NOT GOING TO DROWN TAKING THIS LIFE AS IT COMES ! WON’T KNOCK ME OFF MY BASE YOU GOTTA CHOOSE OR YOU’RE GONNA LOSE YOU’RE WASTING TIME ON LETTING GO OF DAMN YESTERDAYS DAMN YESTERDAYS SO YOU GOTTA CHOOSE, MAN JUST MAKE A CHOICE, MAN! YOU GOT A CHOICE SO MAN, REJOICE! 1 - 9 - 56 WHEN I WAS A NINO GRANDMA ALWAYS SAID MEMORIES HOLD US BACK OR GIVE US PEACE” AND THOUGH MY GRANDMA DRIVES ME LOCO ! I AGREE WITH HER YOU GOTTA START MAKING SOME PLANS LETTING THE PAST MOVE ON FOLLOW THAT KID DEEP IN YOUR HEART LETTING HIM OUT TO REMIND YOU OF ALL OF YOUR DREAMS AND WHO YOU WERE ! WHO YOU ARE YESTERDAYS ARE JUST ILLUSIONS OF THE PAST ! SO WHAT’S IT GONNA BE? MARCUS !How ya doing there? PROF !I’m think I’m feeling... a lit... MARCUS Good. Okay. I’m glad to hear that. Now I want you to go wash your face and clean yourself up a little bit and then meet me back here at the bar. We got a few things to go over before tonight. ! PROF !....Tonight? MARCUS You gonna be bar backing for me tonight because Rudy called in sick right before you !got here. PROF I’m going to be what???? You.. ! MARCUS (Clarifying) Restocking. God, you’re jumpy. Where do you have to be? I meant !everything I said. I do. You always got a listening ear with me, Ralph. And plus, tonight 1 - 10 - 57 ! - you’re gonna be the one who gets tipped. And in this joint, dammit - you’ll probably make more than me (sighs) cause you’re the straighty. Go on - get your work face on. ! (Prof begrudgingly leaves to go to the bathroom. Lights go down. The bar transitions into a jail scene. Two chairs are directly across from ! each other.) !Scene 10: A Visiting Room At The County Jail (Grace makes her way calmly but nervously toward GG who is slowly putting on his prison orange. He sits behind the glass partition in a jail. Grace joins him on the other side. They look at each other. There is silence between them. Not awkwardness. Just remorse, from both sides). ! GRACE When were you going to call me? ! GG !When I thought you wouldn’t be disappointed. GRACE !Oh, George. (She breaks down sobbing shaking her head.) GG Ma, stop, you’re going to make me .... (GG begins to tear up) I’m really sorry. I was just out ...ya know me....doing my thing. Minding my own business, hanging on the side of heaven for that one... Just got caught doing it at the wrong time when the guard came by. They held me at the yards until the police showed up. ! GRACE !Why didn’t you call me last night just to let me know? You didn’t even call Isabelle? GG How did you....? ! GRACE In the guest room this morning snoring away - she waited for you last night. I fell asleep early....Didn’t think I would find her there this.... ! GG ! Oh,no....oh, god. Now I’m really sorry. Although, I kind of wish I could have seen that interaction. Or not.... Any entry wounds? I told her not to go... ! 1 - 10 - 58 GRACE Doesn’t matter now. How was....your night? ! GG I just sat for a while. And thought. And slept. I didn’t even care if it was in a cell. I gave the guard your number this morning during !breakfast. GRACE I had no idea who I was speaking to - only that I had to get down here. I hate that you’re in here. ! GG It smells to high reektards in here. Rotten. Everyone keeps to themselves. But I don’t wanna talk to anyone. And no one wanted to talk to me. Like it’s an unspoken code. I know there is a lot of humanness here. Wrapped around a lot of fear and desperation. I’m sure I’d get used to it if I had....if it was longer.....! GRACE (Partly changing the subject, partly thinking back on happier times) Remember when I....your father and I brought you home for the first time? You were quite the curious, breathtaking, beautiful little boy - an eight years old with a full supply of energy, wanting to know what everything was in the apartment, how things worked, jumping on the chairs and couches, making the event a celebration - which it was in every way, for all of us. Your dad and I were so excited to see you get your own room, finally your own space. You switched in and out of broken English, so excited you obviously couldn’t decide which world you were talking in. Your eyes sparkled and danced like you were on a play adventure that would never end. And we were buddies. The three of us together. You felt so comfortable around us right away. Dad and I were surprised after all the foster families you had lived with. Sometimes...... sometimes..... I think we should have let you have been adopted by people...... ! GG !Mom..... GRACE !But we would have missed out on all those years before....before.... GG Before...dad..... ! GRACE Yes. I wish I could have given you more when that happened. But we were all fighting !battles on so many levels, weren’t we? 1 - 11 - 59 GG !And puberty sure didn’t help. GRACE (Laughs) Your puberty, mister - let’s be clear.! GG (Laughs) Very clear. ! ! GRACE Sometimes we wait to say the things we hold, all bottled up inside. Waiting for the right day or moment, knowing that they are there, ready to be used at a moment’s notice should that moment ever happen, but most of the time we don’t end up saying what we need...what we should.....So you go before the county judge in two days. You gonna be !able to hold tight? GG !What, you jive talkin’ jail lingo now? GRACE !Yes. Yes, I am. (Beat) Hold tight. GG !Yep. I’m strong. GRACE !I’ll be there Friday. (Beat). We’ll get through this. (Beat) ! GG Okay. ! (Grace wipes her eyes and GG leaves. Grace sits there for a moment and then leaves.) ! Scene 11: The Downtown Bar ! The scene dissolves back to the bar, a few days later. Marcus is at the bar working on receipts. GG enters The Pink Florescent carrying two big coffee cups on a drink tray. GG stands there looking at Marcus for a bit. Marcus looks up. Then looks back down, ignoring him. GG is unsure what to do.) ! 1 - 11 - 60 GG Hey I stopped by Joe’s. Not sure you’re a latte kind of guy, but there’s an extra hot one !here with your name on it. Right here. Burning my hand. MARCUS !I can make my own goddamn coffee. And better. GG !Look, I know you’re pis...... MARCUS You could have called to let me know what was going on - that you were alright. (Beat) I’ve been crazy wondering what happened to this....this mystery kid that shows up on !my door. GG !Sorry. I didn’t call anyone. MARCUS Sorry? Look, I hardly even know you but all I know is that you let people know you’re !okay when something goes down. You let them know. GG !Marcus, I’m really sorry. MARCUS .....I had to get out of there. I ran like hell - so hard I crapped my pants and threw up because I was so scared - for you - for me. I’m so glad we didn’t take my car. If the cops got whiff of what I do on the side, I’d be ....I’d be in deeper shit than you. (Change of tone) I’m not doing that stuff anymore so you can look elsewhere for work. Been looking for a reason to stop because it’s not me. Never has been - all the things I do just to pay for school and taking care of my grandma. All I want to do is be a social worker and help people and here I am putting my ass on the line in so many ways. No more. The other night was a wake up call. Ready to move on. ! GG Why are you telling me this? ! MARCUS Because I think you deserve the courtesy of knowing, just like I did that you were okay. And sometimes I just blurt things out in the heat of the moment. Sangre latina. But you know all about that. Sorry, but I don’t have any “w-e-r-k” for you. ! ! ! 1 - 11 - 61 GG !Okay. I understand. Not looking for any “w-e-r-k” any more. Not like that. MARCUS !So you going to give me that latte or pour it out for some bum? PROF (He enters in an waiter’s apron, a wifebeater, and a handkerchief on his head) You know if you want all those vodka bottles in the basement all in one section, I could move !them, label them, and that way they’d be easier to find during rush hours...... ! (Prof sees GG. GG sees his Dad) MARCUS Well, you’re on the clock for two more hours and I just ran out of things for you to do so !if you want to, go ahead be my guest...... PROF !George.....what are you..... GG !Dad, I.....uh....what the ....what are you doing here? MARCUS Is this going to turn into some white gang war, because I know this look. Wait, did you !just call him...Dad? GG This is... my dad. ! MARCUS !Ralphie?! GG Ralphie? (Laughs) What’s going on here, Dad? ! MARCUS Ah, shit. No shit! You got two whities for parents? I knew something was up! Knew it with the three of ya! Your family is more fucked up than mine ever was! I mean diverse! (Catches himself) Oh, that did not come out right. Okay, we speechless or awkward right now? I’m gonna go with... awkward - level rojo. ! PROF !Um, I found work. I got a job. 1 - 11 - 62 GG !Great. Where? PROF Technically, it’s behind the bar restocking and then cleaning up after custo....here. !Here. (Trying to be proud) I’m working here. (Beat) GG !Wow. (Beat) Marcus and I are friends. We’re friends. Here’s your latte, friend. MARCUS Thanks you amigo. Yes, we are friends. Friends. (draws a line to indicate nothing !more). GG !I’m not sure what’s going on here, but whatever it is...... it’s.....kinda of.....cool. PROF !I’m not sure either, but it’s ....yes, it’s kind of on the cool side. MARCUS Cool and.... awkward. It’s like six degrees of separation just bungie jumped and then !nuclified. GG !I just stopped by to say hi to Mark. PROF Georg....he doesn’t.... Don’t ....don’t call him.... that. ! ! (Marcus wearily smiles and does a “that’s okay”hand gesture to Prof) GG Well, I gotta get going....I got somewhere I need to be at...soon. ! PROF !Yeah, well I gotta, um...move vodka. Bottles. GG (To Prof) So, we on for Monday? ! PROF (Nodding) Monday night sounds pretty good. Take the 3 and the 7 and you’ll bypass all that waiting. You have my word. Try it. 1 - 12 - 63 (GG hands his father the other coffee cup) ! PROF !Oh, thank you. What flavor is this one? (He smells the opening) GG !Catcha later, Marcus. MARCUS !Yes.....(he smiles a comforting smile)....Later. !(GG leaves and looks back for a quick, but puzzling glance of both of them) MARCUS !So what’s Monday night? !(Prof is still, in thought for a second) !What happens Monday, Ralph? PROF !Monday, I....uh.... get to talk to my son. MARCUS !Lots of learning going on today, huh, Ralphie? PROF I’m okay with it. I’m okay with it all. ! MARCUS Your son.....he’s really talented.....and a great! guy. PROF I always knew. (Pause) He’s my angel. ! Scene 12: A Parole Officer’s Office ! (Scene dissolves to GG’s Parole Officer’s office. GG takes center stage with a chair. A special shines on him. He is at his parole officer's office. Throughout this monologue we see a side of GG that we’ve never seen before. He is that school kid he! was in that bathroom stall being bullied. ) GG Hi. Yeah, I’m GG. Um, George Felipe Geralding. Yep, I’ve been down to county before but never this part. (Big breath) 1 - 12 - 64 (The officer asks him a question). ! Yep. I understand. If I mess up again it’s a felony that goes on my permanent record. I’ll be seeing time then. Yep, it’s serious. I really understand. Not being a minor any !more makes things more complicated. ! (The officer asks him another question). I’m trying, sir. I’m trying to find work. I think I might have found work at this old junk yard where artists come to find pieces for their work. It’s in the mountains near UCLA, near home. My mom’s gonna help me out with getting back and forth. Um, I’d be !moving things, run errands, and clean up. Stuff like that. It’s a job. Right? ! (The officer asks him another question. GG’s eyes light up). Yep, I still keep my sketchbook, or black book as we call it. Call it whatever you want. It’s full of all the crazy ideas running through my head. Yeah, I love it. It’s always with me. (Laughs) Well, I loved the process of taggin’. To me, it wasn’t me destroying property. I just saw a blank wall that needed some...ya know...love. I was always proud when I finished one. And sad when I finish one. Never knew if it’s going to be there the next day with so many go overs. That’s why I always took a picture. It’s like you have to say goodbye to it, like a friend - a friend. You know? It’s me out there. It’s how I see myself ...or trying to see myself...and the world. It’s how I’m seen, or at least I think it is, !or wish it was. (The officer asks him another question. This time we see it’s more personal because of the expression on GG’s face. Throughout the monologue, GG starts out slow and then builds a rhythm as the thoughts and feelings come more fluidly. It’s as if he is that middle schooler ! talking from the chair). Well, I don’t know if you noticed but I’m not white. Ha! Yeah, I went to a pretty much all white private school right after I was adopted. And when I was in middle school, I tried to be as invisible as possible. Well, used to mouth off in class every once in awhile with my funnys. That was simply because when I was funny people didn't seem to want to beat the living shit out of me as much. I honestly didn't care if they were laughing at me or with me, as long as it delayed any new ideas of how to fuck with me. I suppose I was trying to soften their hearts into thinking that I was valuable as entertainment, the way an animal might do tricks to charm its way out of slaughter. There was this one time, one time I walked into the bathroom room between classes and I realized I was being followed. Some of my most useless classmates surrounded me and blocked me from using the urinal. Then they shoved me into the stall and held the door shut. Apparently, they were merely trying to educate me to the fact that "Ya gays sit when you piss" and they made sure that they wouldn't leave until I pissed sitting down. Honestly, I didn't give a flying fuck. I just leaned against the side of the stall with my arms folded, ! 1 - 12 - 65 not saying a word - not even with the water and toilet paper raining down on me. I stared into the brown stall wall, letting the dim light play tricks on my eyes until the dull metal turned into a rich and pulsing technicolor painting. It was really cool. As that trance pulled me in, their teasing faded. Then they got bored and left, and I realized that the stall wasn't such a bad place to be after all, and, since I didn't know if they were waiting to ambush me outside, and since I was already way late for class, I started !drawing with the red sharpie I had nabbed from shop class. !MUSIC 10: DEEP By the time the bell rang for lunch, the inside of my stall door was covered in a beautiful fresco of flowering rose blossoms. I figured out that day that when I drew, I drew out a part of myself and from there on out, my goal was to make beautiful things to look at !everyday, even if they were just for me. (During the intro, GG admires his artwork on the bathroom stall door, thinking to his life ahead. Throughout the song he grows from a kid to an ! adult who finds his way. We see and feel the journey.) HOW DO YOU SEE AHEAD WITH NO HORIZONS IN THE NIGHT? HOW DO YOU MOVE AHEAD ! WHEN YOU’RE ALWAYS THINKING ‘BOUT THE FIGHT? IF SEEING WERE ONLY BASED ON FACT THEN OUR BEING ! WOULD ONLY BE LIVED IN THE ABSTRACT YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO STEP AHEAD YOU GOTTA FIND THAT VOICE AND TRUST MIXING THE ELEMENTS ! YOU’LL MAKE YOUR ESSENCE WITH YOUR RUST YOU GOTTA FEEL AND LATCH ON TO THE BREEZE DON’T DWELL ON MISTAKES LIFE DOESN’T OFFER GUARANTEES YOU GOTTA DIG DEEPER THAN DEEP IT’S ONLY THEN YOU’LL FIND YOUR WAY YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO TOO FAR YOU’RE ALREADY WHO YOU ARE TAKE A DEEP BREATH IN AND 1 - 13 - 66 TAKE THAT LEAP IT’S A SCARY THING TO DO SO MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE SO THE JOURNY HAS BEGUN ! JUST SEE (Izzy enters and sits on the same box she had been in the earlier alley ! scene.) !Scene 13: A Skid Row Alley GG !Lookie lookie who’s here. You’re shocking me, Iz. How’d you know I’d be here? IZZY !G, how long have we been friends? I got a sixth sense. I use the power wisely. GG Well, i’m not sure if I’m in the mood to bomb tonight. Just came by to see if anyone did !a do-over. Nope. Just calling (in a “Wall” voice) “Finish me, Soaker. Finish me!” IZZY !So why don’t you? GG No mojo tonight. ! IZZY Yep, got writer’s block up the wazoz. Know what you’re talking about. (Beat.) Ya know, G, I’ve been thinking...and ...well...just hear me out before you say anything. I love hanging with you and doing the things you do. Out of everyone in my life, you make me laugh, smile, and make me a pottymouth. That’s a good thing! But...don’t get mad...I’ve been thinking I gotta start doing stuff on my own. Ya know, figuring out a few things, like do I want a one month plan, getting out of prison...sorry, I didn’t mean that...getting out of school, and finishing this damn novel. I mean Jessie and Tyrone are not going to figure out their foreplay in the Oval Office on their own. This girls’ gotta work it....So. If !you don't see me as much, I will love you as much....just working on myself. GG God, you got a way with words. I’ve been thinking I gotta figure out some things, too. So if you don’t see me as much, I still love you as much, just working it out. Cool? ! ! ! ! 1 - 13 - 67 IZZY I smell ya. So what about that mojo? What’s gonna get it all revved up besides cute boys and reading gratuitous, sex-filled novels....which is still not ready for you to read yet. but it will be someday. You need a partner, G. heard fro that pussy Marcus? ! GG !Nope. IZZY !That’s too bad, because anyone who can stand up to me might be worth pursuing. MARCUS !Yeah, might be worth pursuing. But what if I want to do the pursuing? GG !What the....?? What are you doing here? MARCUS We didn’t get to finish the other night. I wanted to see you do your thing and help out if !I can. GG !Oh, thanks, but I’m not... GRACE Honey, I bought a box of spray paint for you. It’s almost like Baskin-Robbins with all the different colors in one box - so many to choose from. I forgot to ask you, do you even wear a safety mask when you do this bombing? I read a report on second hand !fumes... GG Mom???? How did you...? This is too weird. ! GRACE We’ve been looking for things we can do together since you have all this free time in the !evenings. I’m just here to take it all in and help if I c.... PROF !I brought some towels from the bar. Thought you might need them to clean up. GG Dad, you....okay, this all way too nuts. You guys appearing like this. ! GRACE We just all wanted to help you with your painting. Bombing. 1 - 13- 68 GG Wait! I’m not too sure about this. I mean I’ve never worked with a crew before - always alone. I’m not sure this would work. ! PROF !Too late. You’ve already soaked up all my insecurities and strengths. MARCUS !And my stubbornness and resourcefulness. GRACE And my perfectionism...which will help you paint straighter lines...but only if you want !to. GG !God, I feel like I’m in a bad artistic intervention. PROF Oh, we’re not really here. You’ve soaked us up. You're filtering us right now. All the !things you can use...or not. Mix them together. Go on. (Each person takes a spray can and helps GG paint. They then step back and look at what they did together. We hear ad libs like “I like that...” ! “that is beautiful...” “ look how those colors blend...”) !MUSIC 11: IN TIME GRACE !You really are talented, honey. You really are. EVERYONE HAS A TRUTH THAT THEY HOLD THAT THEY FEEL ! THAT THEY CARRY PROF AND EVERYONE HAS THIS PROOF IN THEIR HEARTS

! IT’S WITH THEM ALWAYS IZZY WE’RE ALL WAITING TO SEE A CHANGE IN THE DARK T MAY SEEM 1 - 13 - 69 ! RATHER DAUNTING MARCUS BUT EVERYONE’S WAIT FOR CHANGE SEPARATELY ! IT’S THE SAME ALL ! IT’S THE WANTING AND WE’LL SOON KNOW THE STORY THIS LIFE THAT WE ALL SHARE AS WE MOVE ONWARD IN OUR STORY AND TIME WILL TAKE US THERE

AS WE’RE WAITING FOR THE ANSWERS I SEE YOU RIGHT BESIDE ME ! WE’RE MOVING IN THE JOURNEY ! (Cast sings in a 12/8 counterpoint) AND IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME WE WILL KNOW IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME WE WILL GROW

IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME WE WILL KNOW IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME WE WILL GROW IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME ! IN TIME WE WILL KNOW ! (Rock section begins) 1 - 13 - 70 IN TIME IN TIME IN TIME WE WILL KNOW

! (Funky dance break) GRACE IS LIFE A CHOICE OR LOST TO FATE? WE MOVE AHEAD OR SETTLE IN: ! WE CHOOSE TO WAIT IZZY SO IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE ! CHANGE IS CHANGE AT ANY RATE MARCUS WHEN LIFE’S ON HOLD ! YOU’RE IN BETWEEN PROF WHEN HOUR TO HOUR ! AND DAY TO DAY JUST AIN’T YOUR SCENE MARCUS INHALE DEEP AND MUDDLE THROUGH ! MARCUS AND PROF YOU GOTTA DO WHATEVER ! YOU’RE GONNA DO GG AND IF YOU’RE LOING HOPE CUZ YOU START TO SEE THAT YOU’RE SHORT ON ROPE ! THOUGH YOU MAY CURSE THE GIFT IN YOUR HAND ALL WAIT ! WAIT WAIT WAIT IN TIME IN TIME 1 - 13 - 71 ! IN TIME WE WILL KNOW PROF I DUG DOWN DEEP I MEAN, A HOLE DUG THE WRONG WAY AND ALMOST LOST MY SOUL FOUND A NEW ROUTE ! GOT A NEW PLAN OF ATTACK MARCUS ! WE TALKED IT OUT PROF ! AND NOW IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK ALL LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ! LA GG MAKE A WRONG TURN AND YOU’LL GET WISE BUT WHAT IF IT’S JUST BLOOMING IN DISGUISE THE HUNDREDTH TRY THE EPIC FAIL ! MAKES FOR A BETTER STORY TO TELL IN JAIL ALL LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA ! LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA IT’S TIME IT’S TIME WE WILL KNOW AH OH ! WE WILL KNOW (Each character approaches center stage and through body language and line delivery, gives some inkling of what the future entails for them.) 1 - 13 - 72 MARCUS I know. ! PROF !I know. GRACE !I know. IZZY !I know. GG !Wait for it.... ! (BLACKOUT on final orchestra hit.) ! ! ! ! CURTAIN