<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
(A 10-miute Play)<\/p>\n
The plot for this play arises from an article entitled \u201cStaying Together by Living Apart\u201d by Glen David Gold (New York Times, June 22, 2018). In view of the article\u2019s revelations, this play dramatizes a scene in the life of one such atypical yet loving couple. <\/em><\/p>\n Cast:<\/p>\n NANCY: a real estate agent (listing papers in hand) Time: Present day<\/p>\n Setting: The master bedroom of a home for sale containing only a \u201cbed\u201d (prop)<\/p>\n AT RISE\u2026<\/p>\n DARKNESS.<\/p>\n (NANCY\u2019s voice from off-stage) And last but not least, voil\u00e0 \u2013 the master bedroom! <\/p>\n (NANCY appears, switches on the LIGHT. MAN and WOMAN follow NANCY, and survey the bedroom silently)<\/p>\n (WOMAN walks slowly around the stage, pointing. She peeks offstage [into what is later revealed as the bathroom]. She twirls and circles back to MAN and NANCY)<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n It\u2019s\u2026it\u2019s \u2013 oh dear \u2013 it\u2019s just<\/em> what we\u2019ve been looking for!<\/p>\n (Beat)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Honey. This is only our first house (Points to papers in NANCY\u2019s hand.) We\u2019ve got eight on our list. And counting…<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n But if you see what you love\u2026<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Love at first sight? Help me out here, Nancy!<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n (Waving papers)<\/p>\n I\u2019m only too happy to show you all<\/u> the homes on our list.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n But a bird in the hand\u2026! (Pointing down)<\/p>\n Hardwood floors!<\/p>\n (Pointing across)<\/p>\n Bay window! <\/p>\n (Pointing up)<\/p>\n Crown molding!<\/p>\n (Pointing offstage to bathroom)<\/p>\n Double sink vanity! And the hardware!<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n (Consulting papers)<\/p>\n Brushed nickel!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n You\u2019re not helping!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n I mean, c\u2019mon! Recessed lighting in the living room. The fireplace! Stained glass above the front door! And\u2026and\u2026dare I say it: all within our budget! It\u2019s perfect! I don\u2019t disagree, but \u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n There\u2019s that but<\/u>. I don\u2019t disagree, but! Which eventually means you don’t agree! You just won\u2019t disagree. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n I\u2019m just saying\u2026perfect? That just seems a bit unlikely on the first house.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n I don\u2019t mean perfect like flawless. I mean perfect as in just right for us. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Well, I\u2019m here to help you find your just-right-for-you perfect. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n We haven\u2019t even run diagnostics. The roof. The foundation. The electrical \u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Of course, of course\u2026<\/p>\n (Points to the bed\/prop)<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Staging. I recommended they not leave the rooms empty. Guess they had only a bed for this room. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (Glances around the room)<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to measure. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Of course. <\/p>\n (MAN walks upstage, takes out a tape measure,<\/p>\n gets down on hands and knees, and begins to measure) <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n This whole thing, I mean \u2013 the buying, the selling, the moving\u2026 It\u2019s just so stressful.<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n One of the most stressful things a person can do\u2026one of the most stressful things a couple can do. The buying, the selling, the moving. But I\u2019ve seen people do it so many times. It may be hard for you to see right now, but it’ll all work the way it’s meant to in the end.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Begins to sob softly; MAN<\/p>\n continues measuring.)<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Oh my. (Beat.) Are you okay?<\/p>\n (WOMAN shakes her head.<\/p>\n NANCY and WOMAN edge<\/p>\n away from the MAN.)<\/p>\n (WOMAN holds<\/p>\n her stomach)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n Oh my. Well, we\u2019re allowed to use the facilities. In an emergen\u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Hugs her stomach,<\/p>\n shakes her head.)<\/p>\n We\u2019re pregnant. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Oh! <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (To the MAN who\u2019s still<\/p>\n still measuring, loudly)<\/p>\n Will it fit<\/u>?<\/p>\n (No answer.) Oh! I see. Got to make room for three.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Well, not exact\u2013<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n I understand. You know, the urgency. Your urgency. It’s easier to, you know: buy, and sell, and move while you\u2019re pregnant than with a baby.<\/p>\n (WOMAN begins to<\/p>\n Sob softly again.)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n Oh my \u2013 I didn\u2019t mean to \u2013<\/p>\n (MAN approaches<\/p>\n the two women.)<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n It\u2019s not \u2013 I don\u2019t know anymore. Is it stress? The excitement? Hormones?<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Or all of the above!<\/p>\n (WOMAN and NANCY glare at the MAN)<\/p>\n MAN (Continued)<\/p>\n Oops. Sorry. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (Making amends to WOMAN)<\/p>\n You\u2019d love that bay window, hon. The eastern exposure at daylight. <\/p>\n NANCY And you have to see the master bathroom.<\/p>\n (THEY walk stage left and look off-stage) <\/p>\n NANCY <\/p>\n Free standing tub. Glass-enclosed shower. Quartz-topped vanity with double sinks!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Quartz-topped battleground<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Excuse me?<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Quartz-topped battleground<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Sorry\u2026I\u2019m not following\u2026<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n History. Ancient history.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n You know\u2026ye old countertop combat zone? The runaway toothpaste cap. The ring around the sink! Whose loose hairs are these? Who forgot to wipe down the quartz countertop?!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Mockingly)<\/p>\n Who forgot to put the toilet seat down?! <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n The note on toilet seat: if you pee on the floor, I\u2019ll wipe it up with your washcloth. <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n The misadventures of cohabitation!<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Oh my! <\/p>\n (Awkward chuckle; Glances at her papers) <\/p>\n But\u2026wait. You two don\u2019t live together. I have two different \u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Addresses. That\u2019s right. This\u2019ll be our first place together. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n (Still consulting papers)<\/p>\n And you\u2019re married \u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Three years! And living apart? For three years?<\/p>\n (MAN and WOMAN nod)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n But it sounds like you\u2019ve had \u2026<\/p>\n (waves toward the bathroom)<\/p>\n \u2026 like you\u2019ve collected a few complaints somehow\u2026<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n We\u2019re divorc\u00e9s. We\u2019ve both been married before. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Our problem wasn\u2019t with marriage per se. The problem was our spouses. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Oh my! Three years living apart? <\/p>\n (Points to the bed) <\/p>\n I think it\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n (NANCY sits on bed, MAN<\/p>\n and WOMAN follow.)<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n I know. It sounds\u2026well, unusual? <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Unromantic? <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n But we stayed at each other’s place. We\u2019ve\u2026you know \u2013 been together. We just haven\u2019t lived<\/u> together.<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Of course. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n It was supposed to last just a few weeks. Our living apart, I mean.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Weeks turned into months. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Months into years. Three! But I see how that can happen. You accumulate stuff. Your own<\/u> stuff. Moving in together \u2013 well, the logistics can be a nightmare!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s the actual nightmare of our previous marriages!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Dear, please!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Sorry, hon, but it\u2019s true! Once bitten, twice shy! Fearful comes to mind.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Careful comes to my mind.<\/p>\n (Pause)<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Well \u2026 what\u2019s past is passed. Regardless\u2026you\u2019ve decided to live together. After three years. <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Finally to be seen as a couple. A real couple. A traditional couple.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n We prided ourselves on being free thinkers. You know, we don\u2019t have to follow the crowd to feel comfortable about ourselves.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n But after a while, you begin wonder \u2013 is it us? I mean, is something a little off? <\/p>\n (Laughs self-consciously)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n When clearly that’s not the case!<\/p>\n WOMAN <\/p>\n It may sound funny, but when my friends send greeting cards \u2013 you know, the old-fashioned hardcopy kind that come in the mail \u2013 I\u2019d like both our names on them. To Mr. and Mrs\u2026 Delivered to the same address. (Beat) Yeah, I\u2019d like that. (Beat) I missed that.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n That\u2019s a new one! <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n For you maybe.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n I mean, I didn\u2019t know \u2013<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Softly)<\/p>\n Okay, well\u2026now you do.<\/p>\n (MAN holds WOMAN\u2019s hand)<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Something tells me you two\u2019ll be just fine. You three! In this house. In whatever house. (Beat.) Out with the old and in with the new!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Hear, hear! <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (To MAN)<\/p>\n \u2018Though I liked your place. What you tried to do with it.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n Keyword: tried.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n No, really. Those paintings you hung. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY) <\/p>\n I\u2019m still hearing an echo of… Tried.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Well, you did. Try, I mean. And I love that you did. But it was still your space, of course. As for me, I need books. Lots and lots of books!<\/p>\n (MAN gets up from the bed and walks around the stage)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n This room\u2019ll be filled with books! Shelves and shelves of \u2018em!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Standing, acting out<\/p>\n the following action)<\/p>\n I need to be able to take a book off the shelf, a book I recognize \u2013 I mean, just grab it. <\/p>\n (To MAN)<\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t do that at your place. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n I know, I know. <\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n My baseball memorabilia ain\u2019t quite the same. But she did promise me my man cave.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n In the basement!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we\u2019re searching for our<\/u> place. A place we can both \u2013<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Own!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Enjoy!<\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Uh, that\u2019s what I meant. Own\u2026 meaning enjoy.<\/p>\n (MAN and WOMAN walk upstage and look out the bay window.) Dawn through this window. Can you imagine it?<\/p>\n (MAN and WOMAN hold hands. THEY whisper to each other)<\/p>\n (NANCY, observing MAN and<\/p>\n WOMAN, rises from the bed and<\/p>\n puts on an act of reading her cell phone) <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Oh my. Texts from the office. I should reply. Do you mind? Give you two a moment to talk. Privately. I\u2019ll just close this door. <\/p>\n (NANCY leaves stage right) <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Glancing where NANCY left)<\/p>\n So\u2026will it fit?<\/p>\n (MAN nods.)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n You think a tryout\u2019s in order? <\/p>\n WOMAN <\/p>\n Why not?<\/p>\n (WOMAN sits on the bed and<\/p>\n removes her shoes\/socks)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Wait! <\/p>\n (MAN turns off the lights, the STAGE DARKENS)<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n In the dark? Really?<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Why not? Okay. You\u2019ll find me. <\/p>\n (Stage-whispered slowly, lovingly)<\/p>\n Take off your shoes. Come closer. <\/p>\n (Pause)<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Space has been unkind to us.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Distance, a disease. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Time apart a torture.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Time together, unforgettable.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n The memory of your touch.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n Feeling nothing else.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Nothing but you. (From offstage)<\/p>\n Everything okay in there? <\/p>\n (Beat)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n Hello. Is everything \u2026 I mean\u2026decorum-wise\u2026is everything okay? Respect for the, you know \u2026the owner? <\/p>\n (Beat)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m gonna come in now. (Beat) I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m gonna open the door.<\/p>\n (NANCY appears on the edge, stage right)<\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n I\u2019m\u2026I\u2019m gonna turn on the light. <\/p>\n (LIGHTS UP)<\/p>\n MAN and WOMAN are on the floor,<\/p>\n lying on their backs, bare feet to bare feet,<\/p>\n their legs steepled) <\/p>\n NANCY (Continued)<\/p>\n Oh my!<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (Sitting up, squatting on the floor.)<\/p>\n It\u2019ll fit. Perfectly. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n I\u2019m afraid to ask. So I won\u2019t.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (Sitting up, squatting on the floor.)<\/p>\n Our bed. Our custom-made bed. It\u2019ll fit perfectly along this wall. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Custom-made\u2026bed?<\/p>\n WOMAN <\/p>\n Our custom-made elongated bed. Factory fresh, custom-made mattress. Long and narrow. Along this wall. <\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n I know. Not quite your standard. (Puzzled)<\/p>\n I\u2019m trying to make sense \u2013<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n Some spouses aren\u2019t the most gorgeous sleepers. (Beat.) Or the most attractive wakers either, for that matter! <\/p>\n (Awkward silence.)<\/p>\n MAN (Continued)<\/p>\n (Laughs)<\/p>\n Just kidding!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n You\u2019ve heard of crawl before you walk?<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n (To NANCY)<\/p>\n Walk before you run? Truth is, three years apart is a long time. <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n We decided to pace ourselves\u2026<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n You know, before the nightly side-by-side\u2026The\u2026 (Air quotes gesture) …normal. And, of course, think of the baby.<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n What he really means is, think of my belly. My swelling belly.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n We had to think what\u2019s right for us<\/u>. Our bed, our way. <\/p>\n NANCY<\/p>\n Well, you did say you were free thinkers!<\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n We gave a lot of thought to what we<\/u> wanted! For now, at least.<\/p>\n MAN<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to follow the crowd to feel comfortable about yourself. <\/p>\n WOMAN<\/p>\n You have to do what\u2019s comfortable for you. You plural! Certainly in your own place.<\/p>\n Black Out<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our Place (A 10-miute Play) The plot for this play arises from an article entitled \u201cStaying Together by Living Apart\u201d by Glen David Gold (New York Times, June 22, 2018). In view of the article\u2019s revelations, this play dramatizes a scene in the life of one such atypical yet loving couple. Cast: NANCY: a real estate agent…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4415,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4408"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4446,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4408\/revisions\/4446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtls.ca\/issue25\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMAN: a middle-aged home buyer, married to WOMAN (also holding listing papers)
\nWOMAN: a middle-aged home buyer married to MAN (holding listing papers in one hand and a purse containing a tape measure)<\/p>\n
\n NANCY<\/p>\n
\n WOMAN (Continued)<\/p>\n
\n
\n MAN<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n NANCY<\/p>\n
\n(Points toward the off-stage bathroom)<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\nNANCY<\/p>\n
\n NANCY<\/p>\n
\n MAN<\/p>\n
\n WOMAN<\/p>\n
\n
\n
\n(Long pause)
\n NANCY<\/p>\n
\n NANCY<\/p>\n