NEVER FEAR THE NIGHT A Play in Two Acts by Ken Love 602-580-5401 [email protected] CHARACTERS JESS early thirties RITA mid forties BOBBIE mid forties MANNY late thirties THE FATHER late sixties THE SET Two platforms – USL platform serves as the scenes for both Rita’s bedroom and Bobbie’s bedroom. USR platform doubles as the prison visiting room and Jess’ apartment. DSC open area serves as Rita’s backyard. TIME AND PLACE Yuma, AZ Summer 1992 1 ACT ONE (Morning. Jess, in bed, awakens and stretches. Rita enters in a short robe and sits beside him on the bed) RITA Coffee? JESS Sure. RITA And would you like ham, bacon or sausage? JESS You mean the back, middle or side of the pig. RITA Or, the whole hog, if you want. JESS And become an even bigger pig. RITA Not with these muscles. JESS Okay. The ass. RITA Ham it is. Eggs? JESS Sunny side up. And runny. I want yoke dripping from the side of the plate. RITA You are a pig, aren’t you? JESS What man isn’t? (She laughs. They kiss) 2 RITA And how ‘bout hash browns? JESS Shit! You really go to work, don’t you? RITA Only when there’s a male figure in the house. JESS And how often – RITA Don’t ask. JESS Ah! Secrets. RITA And I want them to stay buried. (Another kiss, and she starts to pull him out of the bed) C’mon, big boy! If you’re getting this feast, I want you up and punching. JESS What? No breakfast in bed? RITA Not when you just had an appetizer in the sheets. JESS Nasty girl. RITA The way you like it, baby. JESS You’re at an awfully high wattage this morning. I’m surprised you’re not piss- green with a hangover. RITA I had a good time last night. 3 JESS It showed. RITA When I’m enjoying myself, for some nutty reason, it never stays in my head. JESS That’s good to know. RITA And as for last night – thanks. JESS Performing my civic duty. I wouldn’t want to see a beautiful lady drive wasted. RITA My white knight! JESS Not so white. RITA Huh? JESS Nothing. RITA No, tell me. JESS You don’t want to hear my troubles. Besides, we just met. RITA Maybe I like trouble. JESS C’mon. RITA What makes you think I wasn’t looking for it last night? JESS Are you trying to tell me something? 4 RITA What do you think? JESS Now that you mentioned it, I think you might be dangerous. RITA And men don’t like that in women, do they? Girls flip over a dangerous man, but a dangerous woman puts a man on the run. JESS So, why am I still here? RITA I think . I suspect, you’re dangerous, too. (Silence. Jess rises, begins dressing) Something wrong? JESS Cool it, will ya? RITA Sorry. JESS You, uh . need help with breakfast? RITA When there’s a man in the house, I cook. JESS Dangerous and old fashioned. RITA Yep. And I’ve got an idea: let’s go dancing tonight. JESS After what you tied on don’t you want a night off? RITA I ain’t letting you out of my sight. I’m willing to put in a little overtime. 5 JESS Okay. Where do we go dancing? RITA I know a really nice place. JESS Where? RITA A place with a bar and a cute little dance floor. JESS Where? RITA It’s a small place. JESS Where? RITA And they’re open late. JESS WHERE? Or I’ll vaporize you! (They laugh) Listen, I do have something to tell you first. RITA Okay! We’re finally dropping it. JESS More, or less. RITA Wait! Let me guess – you’re married. JESS No. RITA You’ve got kids. 6 JESS Hell, no. RITA Are you a sex offender? JESS If I were, do you think I’d tell you? RITA Alright, then – you’re a fugitive, having just escaped jail. (Silence) Oh, my God. JESS It ain’t that, either. RITA I’m getting warm, though, right? JESS Sort of. RITA What is it? JESS Forget it. RITA Oh, no! You don’t get to tease me, then zip up ‘cause, all of a sudden, you think it’s too small. JESS You don’t scare easily, do you? RITA Nope. (Silence) JESS I’ve done time, Rita. Nothing violent. Just some shit with my brother. A while 7 ago. Armed robbery. I . I did three years. I just . I thought it best to let you know now . in case – Listen, I’ll run you back so you can pick up your car. And from there, I’ll just be on my way – RITA We’ll get to that. After you’ve had your breakfast. JESS Didn’t you – RITA I heard, baby. And it’s okay. Really! Now, listen: you’ll sit in the kitchen and have coffee while you watch me cook. We’ll eat. Then, we’ll jump back into bed and knock ankles some more. After which, we’ll have a shower. Then, you’ll take me to pick up my car. Tonight, we’ll go dancing. And afterward we’ll bounce back here, get naked, and wear each other’s asses out all over again. JESS You’ve been around the block, haven’t you? RITA More than a few times, yeah. JESS Thanks, Rita. RITA Don’t mention it. (Fade out) (Cross fade to a prison visiting room. Jess sits and speaks to his father) JESS How ya doing? FATHER Enjoying life. JESS You always say that. FATHER What you want me to say? I feel like shit, I’m miserable? 8 JESS You can be honest with me. FATHER Okay, you want honesty? JESS Please. Now how are you doing? FATHER I’m enjoying life! JESS Fine. Be that way. FATHER How ‘bout you? Still working? JESS Yep. Working for the same company. Doing the same thing. Odd jobs around the site. Steady work. And it keeps me out of here. FATHER Good boy. Not like that bastard. JESS Quit calling Manny a bastard. Ma was your wife. FATHER I never insult your ma. I only say . JESS Yes, you are. When you refer to Manny as a bastard, you’re insulting her. FATHER Not that she wasn’t above insulting. Right? JESS Don’t start with her. Not again. I mean it. FATHER What she did don’t bug you no more? JESS As a matter of fact, now that I can put all the pieces in place – no. 9 FATHER Sure! Your stinking father fucked up it all. Everything! JESS I never said . everything. FATHER I fucked up enough, though, yes? JESS Let’s forget it, huh? (Silence) FATHER They turn down my parole again. JESS I ain’t surprised. FATHER Bastards. I mean, when you think about it, I ain’t such a bad guy, right? At least I ain’t no . what you say, a – JESS Hardened criminal? FATHER Something like that. I mean, it was accidental. Only accidental. JESS Pa, we go through this every time I come to see you. FATHER But why can’t they give me a break? I keep saying this all the time – over and over – it was accidental. JESS The same accident – twice? FATHER C’mon! It ain’t like I killed a whole stinking parade. And on purpose, too. JESS Like I said, I’m never surprised when they turn you down. 10 FATHER What you say? JESS You’re gonna die here. FATHER You think your pa’s too stupid to get out? JESS In so many words, yeah. FATHER Fuck you. JESS If you’d had at least a scrap of a brain in that rock-head of yours . FATHER Yes-yes! I know! I ain’t no dumb wog! If I was some limp-dick, I’d tell those shit-heels what they want to hear, yes? Then, maybe – maybe they give me parole and let me walk in this piss-country free like a good limp-dick American citizen and not some scum limp-dick American citizen. JESS And that’s the idea. America’s not such a bad racket – once you understand there are ropes and that you just have to learn how and when to yank ‘em. FATHER You think you’re smart boy, yes? Smarter than your pa? JESS Smart enough to stay out of here. FATHER Don’t get smug. You was “here” once, too, y’ know. JESS Speaking of which – Manny’s getting out soon. I’m gonna drive to Florence and pick him up. Then keep him at my place for a while. FATHER If you know what’s good, you’ll leave him to rot in some hole. 11 JESS Well, it’s always been my problem to never know what’s good for me. FATHER Right! Always . how you say, uh – JESS Naïve. FATHER Like your ma. (Jess rises) Hey – hey! Hold it! Wait – son, please . please. I’m sorry. (He sits again) You settled into life on outside good. I’m glad for you. Sometimes, I wish I had your stuff, you know? The smarts to get out and stay out. You think growing up in Romania when that stinking Ceausescu had us living like scared dogs in prison, and almost getting shot escaping that shit-temple .