a play about knees.

man walks center stage : oxygen, water, food and shelter. not video games, books, music, cars, trains, planes, cars, newspapers, political parties, sports, jobs, socks, hand games, hand gestures, britney spears, blogs or studded belts. or pets.

man begins to leave, stops, turns back points to right knee : this one is fine -

he points to the left one.

man : but this has a pin in it from a soccer game i played when i was in middle school. it was the most painful experience of my life. my best friend didn't even visit me in the hospital. i don't know why.

man leaves.

one more cup of coffee for the road

a counter on one side of the stage. a man named guy on the other. the colors are tan and dusty. there are eight people in front of him. his friend is behind him.

guy : yeah, fine. let me just use the bathroom and we'll get out. hey! where the bathroom.

the attendant shouts back. epically.

attendant : yeah! it's behind the counter - but you need

guy (muttering) : need.

attendant : to buy something.

guy : how 'bout a coffee?

pause.

attendant : when it's your turn.

bill : damnit guy, let's just go.
guy : no bill, we can wait. i'll just get a cup. to go.

if guy were number 9, each person closer to the register lowers toward 1. the lowers numbers leave the counter with coffee or a pastry. the higher numbers turn from waiting in line.

1 leaves the counter : hey, why don't you interrupt me when i'm ordering coffee, eh?
guy : i'll talk to the counter guy when i want.
1 : not when i'm ordering my coffee.
guy : ... i already did.
1 : don't do it again.
guy : if i do, i'll make sure you're there.

1 leaves.

guy : people, bill. they're not like you and me.
8 : why are you pushin' man?
guy with joyous enunciation : pushing?
8 : what's the problem, can't wait to get your cup? well fuckoff, i'm in front o' you and -

guy swings wide and punches the guy. he flies to the side.

guy : i hate swearin'. ignorant.
bill : guy - let's get out of here. i don't like the feeling of this place.

phil collins comes on.

guy : oh who played this shit?
7 (manly, wanting to pick a fight) : i thought you didn't like swearing?
guy : when i talk about phil collins (he pauses for effect) it ain't swearin'.

guy kicks the jukebox, the music changes to something more country. maybe a country song that would be good for bar fighting.

7 : ... i happen to like phil collins, that was my favorite song!

7 pushes guy. guy turns to bill. he grabs bill and swings him into 7.

guy : bill.
bill : yeah?
guy : duck.

bill ducks and guy roundhouse kicks him. not like a ninja, but like a man with cowboy boots and no fear of the law. guy follows up on the fallen body kicking him a little.

bill : guy -
guy : shoulda' stayed with genesis - yeah.
bill : please don't ever do that again.

2 leaves with coffee guy stares him down as he walks by. 3 finishes at the counter, runs at them, wielding a knife and a spilling cup off coffee. he swings at guy making indian sounds. from somewhere, a rifle flies into guy's hand. if only life had slow motion. he points it at 2. 2 ducks out of the way

guy : no, here.

while 2 ducks from the gun, guy's hand is hitting the cup and making the coffee spill into 2's face. 2 screams in pain. guy shoots him.

6: hey - what are you -

guy shoots him, too. he just stands for a minute, calmly waiting in line for coffee. 3 reenters and walks up behind bill. he shoot him in the back, causing his chest to explode with an obscene amount of blood everywhere. covering guy's backside.

bill : guy -
guy : bill!
bill : i'm
guy : what is it buddy?
bill : i'm sorry -

bill dies. guy looks up toward 3 who stands with a gun pointed in his face. guy reaches out a hand toward 3 as if to say, "stop, you win," but instead one of those guns that pops out of your sleeve pops out of his sleeve and they both let off a shot. 3 falls. he stands up - unphazed. he turns around to the last person in line, people. 4 is a woman 5 is a man. 5 turns around and throws his cup to the floor and puts a knife to the woman's neck.

guy : sara?
4 : guy?! i'm - i'm sorry. i thought we were on a date.
guy : but he has a knife.
5 : alright shut up - shut up. shit the - it's the end of the road guy. the end. your sister here -
guy (quietly, passionately, epically still) : i only wanted to use the bathroom.

guy drops his gun.

guy : leave her alone. whatever you want.
4 : no, guy!

4 tries to shift out 5's clutches, but to know avail. 5 cuts the throat of 4 (guy's sister) and an obscene amount of blood deluges guy's front. he is now covered on both sides with blood.

guy : sara!

he falls to his knees and holds her head.

guy (rising in volume and to his feet with each word) : i only wanted to use the bathroom!

he leaps 5 and topples him, the knife flies out of his hand. guy stands up and stomps 5's face, until it gets uncomfortable for the audience. once he stops, he steps over the bodies to the cash register. the attendant is shaking with fear. guy reaches in his pocket and slams down some change. the attendant jumps.

guy : coffee, light and sweet.

4 moves.

4 : guy?
guy : sara? you're not dead.
4 : no.. no... i'm not.
guy : sister.

she gets up, they kiss passionately for a very long time. it's epic. wind should blow her hair, and if she's wearing a skirt, it should blow to make the men in the audience think they might get to see her underwear. the attendant gets his coffee and hands it to him. they stop kissing.

guy : bathroom.

the attendant points, shaken. guy walks toward the bathroom, looks at himself. blood pours out of his stomach like a a faucet that only pours gallons of blood each second.

guy, referring to his wound and his lack of napkin : napkin.

the attendant hands him a small napkin, the cheap kind you get at an ice cream stand. guy walks back toward the bathroom and collapses into the door. the attendant looks 4 screams and rushes to him. the end.

there is love to remain

a bunch of fishbowls on pedestals throughout the stage. they all have goldfish in them.

voice 1 : pop pop pop
voice 2 : pop pop gurgle pop
voice 3 : bored. i'm bored.
voice 4 : jim, you say that all the time.
voice 3 : well i -
voice 1 : doot doot doot.
voice 2 : doot doot dot doot.
voice 3 : i am bored.
voice 4 : i know.
voice 3 : you're not bored?
voice 4 : i don't know what the word means.
voice 3 : you -
voice 1 : cheep, cheep, cheep, cheep.
voice 2 : cheep, cheep, cheep, chirp, cheep.
voice 3 : you don't know what it means? it means -
voice 4 : we're goldfish.
voice 3 : no reason you can't be educated. it means you've lost the desire to figure something new to do, or to repeat what you've done because you've repeated it so many times you could get bored even doing it in different ways.
voice 1 : bubble. bubble.
voice 2 : bubble. bubble. blop blop. bubble.
voice 4 : you can't use the word you're defining in the definition.
voice 3 : you just did?
voice 4 : no i didn't i used -
voice 1 : gurgle gurgle gurgle.
voice 4 : i used two diff-
voice 1 (louder) : gurgle gurgle gurgle.
voice 4 : two different form of a word and -
voice 1 (very insistent, worried) : gurgle?! gurgle?! gurgle?!
voice 4 : it's ok to do that.
voice 1 (defeatedly) : plop?

puke/why we don't eat bacon tang bars

person : oh my go-

he swallows with his hand over his mouth.

person : that was the most dis-

again.

person : i don't think i could ever -

he breathes heavily. holding himself (or herself) up against the wall.

person : i..

he shakes his head, head in hands.

person : never, again. never again. neveragain. i think i need a mint.

he searches his pockets.

person : does anyone have a mint? is anyone within earsho-

as he says shot, the facial expression forces him to make the "i'm going to throw up face."

person : ok. ok. ok. don't fight it. you'll feel better when you do it. just relax, let it come.

he stands there, waiting to throw up.

person : ah jesus. come on.

he starts making faces to encourage throwing up. he makes sounds, but nothing comes out. he puts his finger in the back of his pants, pulls it out and smells it. he throws up. violently. a man walks on the stage with a bucket, a towel, a glass of water.

man : did anybody need a mint? or this towel, bucket, and glass of water?

i will go crazy from the hair growing in and around my ears

a man sits in a chair with large oversized headphones on. he scratches at his ear. he scratches again and looks at his finger. he has the sensation that a hair is poking his inner ear. he scratches hard and sticks his finger in his ear. frustrated, he pulls on head phone off his ear and runs his finger around the ear to see if he can feel any hair. he thinks he finds one and proceeds to try and grab it between his nails and pluck it out. after a few tries, he looks at his hand and wipes off the hair he found. he puts his headphones back on. he bops his head a little. then scratches his ear.

stumble fumble toil jumble

a man enters a room. he is drunk.

man : i think i live here. lived here. hello? hello? is anyone here? no? good. i lived here.

he leans hard on the wall.

man : oh. god. it smells like cat urine. i might.

he puts his hand over his mouth. he breathes deeply. takes it away.

man : ok. ok. ok. here. i was age twenty five to twenty two. no. twenty three to twenty six. it's been a long, long time. i tell people that my early and mid twenties were the happiest days of my life. i think i'm telling the truth because when i'm drunk and at home i think of this place. that i habit- cohabitated when i was younger. the empty space can't tell you, but i can tell you. lots of memories. lots of them. when i was twenty two i took this girl i met at work here and .. well i'm sure you can guess. it was bad. she wasn't very good or just not into it. maybe i was too big.

pause.

man : i've lost weight since then.

pause.

man : oh god.

he puts his hand over his mouth again.

man : why do all my stories happen to be about being drunk.. if i didn't know any better, i might think the walls here are curved, or arced.

pause.

man : ok. ok. i'm ok. this is where i put together my first piece of exercise equipment. it was one that has leg lift parts and butterfly parts and shoulder press parts. it took a whole day. me and ryan. my friend ryan. randy. rick. jim. it was jim. one of the best times in my life.

pause. he reflects.

man : i used to come home late almost every night. after nights of drinking and drinking and wings! i used to get through the hallways without even touching the wall. i was that good.

pause.

man : we had a dog too. i think he ran away. or something.

pause.

man : watch! watch! i can do this with out seeing.

he closes his eyes. the lights go down. he runs into walls in the dark shouting words like bathroom or living room.

obesity incresity/meek inherit earth

a small table stands lit in a spotlight. a twinkie on a plate sits on the table. a very obese person stands nearby.

grossly overweight human : twinkie. you're little. oblong. filled with cream. you will last forever in your little plastic wrapping as long as you don't open. or rats open you. or other animals. you're secret sugary joy can't last forever - you, are like a pillow. i could make a raft out of you. many of you. (this fat person looks at himself and chuckles) a whole lot of them. but does it make a difference? you and i, are one and the same. i have ingest you you have been ingest by me - we have become one for anywhere between fifteen minutes to three hours. let us become one, again.

the fat person reaches out his arms but is too fat and can't reach the plate with the twinkie. his stomach knocks over the table and plate.

grossly overweight human : oh, oops.

he reaches over but can't seem to get the twinkie.

grossly overweight human : can someone help me? i - dropped.. my lunch.
voice offstage : no way fatass!
grossly overweight human : it's glandular!
voice offstage : it was!
the end.

back of the boat

1 : you're not listening - you're not listening - you're not listening!
2 : i'm over here -
1 : that wasn't to you -
2 : i think it was -
1 : and why do you think that -
2 : because i wasn't -
1 : wasn't what -
2 : hmm? -
1 : nevermind.

1 picks up his shoe and throws it out of sight. he doesn't do it angrily.

1 : i threw my shoe overboard -
2 : why would you do that -
1 : aren't we going swimming?
2 : oh i was thinking that if walked instead of drove, people might eventually use the word svelte to describe us.
1 : it's why we're here isn't it?
2 : to be svelte?
1 : to - swim.

he takes off another shoe and throws it away.

1 : are you going to come?
2 : is svelte french?

he goes over to the side and sits.

2 : why are you pouting?
1 : you already know.
2 : no, i don't. don't expect me to read your mind.

1 takes off his shirt. he walks away. 2 finds a book and sits down. she reads.

come on, alex! you can do it!

a gravel floor. a kid in a wheelchair he starts with a gun. a young man across the floor. he starts with a gun. the scene starts with a gun shot, and someone hitting the ground. the lights rise and the boy is dropping his gone, he begins to turn the wheelchair.

man : i'm still alive.

the boy turns back to the man.

man (he laughs, it comes out violently) : you missed. you barely got my leg. you completely missed. does the wheel chair affect your aim too?

boy : fuck you.

man : already there, are you? just just going to put that on the table right away. fuck, i mean you already shot me. why not. where are going to go from there?

boy : you put me here.

man : i didn't put you there. your decisions put you there. fate put you there. before you were even born you were meant to come to this. sitting in a wheelchair, an empty gun next to you, a knife between the two of us (he laughs) and nothing but gravel stopping you.

boy : shut up.

man : well? this is your shot. go ahead. you've got a few feet to the knife, then a few more to me. if you make it i won't stop you.

pause. the boy shifts in his chair.

man : you can't can you. you can't get out of your chair.
boy : i can't walk.
man : oh. i know. but you won't even try to make it over here.

pause.

man : let's see, then. what would make a man get up out his chair to fight back. i mean, it's easy to shoot a gun - but to come over to where another is - where they are so easy attacked - in his personal space, that would be it. that would need a good reason.

boy : you put me here. you took a knife -

man : that knife, right there.

boy : -and put it into my back.
man : that's right.

boy : and then someone else.
man : who else?
boy : my friend.
man : and countless others! you were the lucky one, i guess. you know, i'd been planning it for months. it's a game i like to play. i like to do it to friends.

pause.

the boy screams as if he were in the most awful pain imaginable, while simultaneously lunging from his chair. the lights fall immediately on his landing. the sound of crying, grunting, and screaming is heard alongside the sound of shuffling in the gravel. then the sound of a knife being stabbed into flash. then panting. then nothing.

i don't know i don't know i hope so.

a boy and a woman stand in front of a door. the stand and look at it. backs to audience.

boy : you think tonight?
woman : that's what he said.
boy : you didn't invert the nu-
woman : i didn't invert the numbers.
boy : ok. (pause) i'm sorry.
woman : it's ok. Mommy's a little nervous right now.
boy : ok.
woman : he said it would be today when he was leaving.
boy : i can't wait until he gets home.
woman : me neither.
boy : he can come to my baseball games again.
woman : we can both be there.
boy : do you think he'll remember me?
woman : of course. it's only been a year now.
boy : ok.

they stand, focused on the door.

boy : i hope it's soon.
woman : me too.
boy : do you think it'll be soon?
woman : i don't know.
boy : can i stay at steve's tomorrow night?

she doesn't answer.

woman : why don't you turn on the radio.

the boy walks over to a stereo, and presses a button. he walks back over to the door and stands. eve of destruction by the turtles plays. she looks over at the radio. she stares at it. it turns off.

more silence. footsteps toward the door. the footsteps go for longer than they naturally would

woman : do you hear that?
boy : what?
woman : footsteps!
boy : is that him?
woman : i think so!

more footsteps. she fixes her hair. he shifts his weight with anticipation. the footsteps are booming. loud.

woman (yelling) : he's here! he's finally here!
boy (also yelling) : i missed him so much!

the footsteps stop. there is a shuffling of paper. a couple envelopes enter through the mail slot in the door. the woman and boy stare at them. unmoving.

the end.

a very hot day

the town park, a picnic area. in the center is a large ball of ice with a man frozen inside. he is dressed as if from the 1977. it is very far into the future. maybe 2077, 2177, 2277.

characters:
construction worker 1
construction worker 2

male counterpart of a couple (written as male)
female counterpart of a couple (written as female)

mother
father
3 daughters (all ranging in age from 6 - 10)

woman 1
woman 2

*each line overlaps or nearly overlaps the preceding line. when characters aren't talking out loud, they are having their own conversations quietly or silently that lead them to their next line.

the construction workers sit together, as do the male and female, the family. both women are offstage.

mother : kailee, stop staring at that man, you're not invisible!
female : jim, stop making that face.
male : i'm trying to look scary so that kid stops looking at me.
female : what?
male : i don't ever want kids.
construction 1 : that kid couldn't even tell the difference between his left and right, how does this new foreman expect him to be able to -
construction 2 : you're tellin' me, but i already know - it's because he comes cheap.
construction 1 : well you get what you pay for. i heard he's dating the guy's niece. did you see brown's face when he told us?
woman 1 (entering, on the phone, woman 2 enters shortly after from the opposite end of the stage. she has luggage) : did i tell you the northeast corner, or the southwest? i can't remember - oh - nevermind. i see you.

the two women meet slightly off center, hug.

woman 2 : it's so great to see you! how are you! is it always this hot? the moment i got off the train everything got all ashen and hot.
woman 1 : i'm so glad you're hear, it's been so long - actually i hardly even notice the weather.

the girls become uproarious with screams and giggles.

father : kaylee! kaila! kim! no talking - eat your food and sit there.
mother : girls, no movies tonight if you don't listen to your father.
kim (the oldest) : not my dad!
mother : what did he say!
woman 1 : you said you'd been working out, but wow Julie! you look great!
construction 1 (gesturing to his sandwich) : just great! the guy put mustard on here. i can't eat this.
construction 2 : you want to trade - no mustard on mine.
construction 1 : i'll just eat my sandwich. that's a little - you know?
woman 1 : gay?! that explains it, that explains it.
male : i just want someone to explain to me why it's so hard to control kids? do parents just get -

the girls scream. the parents continue eating and stare at the ground.

male : - because they just don't know consistency? my dad always said if you can't spell it than you don't really know what it means. sometimes, i -
woman 1 : sometimes in the middle of winter.
woman 2 : even then? why?
woman 1 : no one knows or at least whoever does doesn't talk about it. i've never actually looked into it myself.
woman 2 : but it's so hot...
woman 1 : my car is air-conditioned, let me start it now and in a moment it will be nice and cool.

she pulls out a small remote and presses a button.

woman 2 : humid, too.
construction 1 : humidity -
father : wet -
female couple : sticky -
construction 2 : so clammy -
mother : stains -
male lets out a breathy high pitched sigh. in unison everyone drinks from bottles of water. the ice in the background collapses. a man falls out and struggles to get up. he is shaking and wet. he looks around, scared. everyone looks at him, surprised. the man screams as if to say something incredibly important about the past hundred or thousand years he had been trapped in the ice watching life pass and change. something that would be life changing. it would stop everyone in their tracks. but he can't pronounce the words and it comes out as incomprehensible screaming. after several sentences of his screaming, he falls to the ground, dead.

pause.

female (a little sadly, but not too heavily) : he kid of looks liked my dad.
male : the man who'd would rather see you as a cat lady instead of married to me.
female : what?
male : his approval to ask you - that's what he said when i talked to him about it.
female : are you -

male gets to one knee. as the next line happens.

construction 1 : - finished? got a lot of piping to install.
construction 2 : yeah. yeah. just let me - jesus. (he drops his pudding) my pudding! done now, i guess. let's go.
mother : - to bed without any supper if you keep behaving like this.
father : and a spanking.

the girls pause. then imitate the man very loudly and maybe for too long - and run off stage. both parents are defeated.

father : i'll unlock the door.
mother : i'll pick up the trash.

she picks up the trash. woman 2 stares at the body - horrified. woman 1 looks through her purse.
woman 2 : what was that - that just happened?
woman 1 : aahh- ha! chapstick! what? oh - i'm not sure.

she presses another button on her key ring. the sound of a car alarm disarming.
the end.

people swaying/rhythmically

they sway, rhythmically - you'll see how later.

1: a surprise!
2: it's always a surprise.
1: is it?
2: it should be.
1: it is?
2: it ought to be an unfortunate surprise.
1: sit.
2: nah.
1: it isn't always a surprise.
2: it surprised me.
1: did it?
2: well, no.
1: it did me.

they stop swaying.

2: you've been the funerals?
1: the final-final-finality-finalisticalfinal?
2: yes.

they pull out small dolls. they have no faces or hair or features, but are just bodies with arms, legs and heads. each has a string attached.

1: then yes.
2: and?
1: i couldn't tell.
2: but was it a surprise?

they begin swaying again, slowly.

1: yes.
2: was it on purpose?
1: it's debatable.

they drop the dolls but hold the strings. they stop swaying, but the dolls with nooses around their necks sway, in unison and rhythmically. the end.

lee and the strongman

two people in rags. lee is very tiny and the strongman is very strong. they hold mangos in both hands. an empty plastic grocery crate sits nearby. chicago (the band)'s "hard to say i'm sorry" plays in the background.

lee: i can't tell if this mango is good or bad, can you strongman?
strongman: lee, i told you. it's not color, it's touch.
lee: you didn't tell me. when did you tell me?
strongman: i told you yesterday. it's not the way it looks. it's touch.
lee: touch? you didn't tell me that, let me smell it.

lee moves his face toward a mango strongman is holding.

strongman: no. not smell, either, lee. it's touch. take this one -

strongman begins to hand lee a mango, but it slips and falls on the floor. they look at it.

strongman: and that was a good one, too.
lee: just great, strongman. just great. you're always dropping things.
strongman: i'm sorry. i've got stubby fingers. sometimes i can't help-
lee: how old are you? one would think - just think that at some point one with stubby fingers would adapt to how his body works and figure out how to hold things without dropping them.
strongman: i said i was sorry.

lee sighs.

lee: it's fine. let's get these mangos. who eats mangos?
strongman: i know somebody.
lee: you do? who?
strongman: just somebody i know - how many?
lee: two, one for you and me.
strongman: ok.

strongman puts the mangos in the basket. the basket now sits between them. both look at the basket, waiting for the other to carry it. the song plays on. the end.

cause and effect.

there is a candle. it is lit. someone walks out. he or she touches it with his or her left hand.

person: ow!

he or she touches it with his or her left hand, again.

person: ow! jesus!

he or she touches it with his or her left hand, again.

person: oh! christ! that really hurts!

he or she pauses. thinks. considers. touches the flame with his or her right hand.

somebody, anybody, somebody to?, pointless.

and the lights go down. it's raining. of course. i can't exactly have rain here, it's really not possible. and the scene - it has things in it. things you can't see because the lights are down. the stage lights for this play. that is happening, right now. did i mention? this is the play. i am the play. the one you are enjoying. or not.

[pause.]

you are enjoying, right? or are you judging? you give me chills. good and bad. i don't even want the lights to come up. i don't want you to see me. ok. just once.

[the lights come up on a cardboard cut out of an attractive man]

i'm just kidding. that's a test, right? a test for you. to see if you'd enjoy that. did you? -don't answer! i'll wait until the end to see if you clap.

[very long pause. he starts clapping, hopefully others join in.]

no. this is not the end. there was a fly. i'm sorry. you're disappointed aren't you. i am. some of you are really stupid. those of you who clapped. everyone who clapped. retarded even. why are you here? how can you even stand this? i- am sorry. am i alienating? does it help to talk about what i've just done after i've just done it - like now?

[the lights come up on someone standing opposite the cutout, it doesn't matter who]

that's not me either. i'm running out of space. to be completely honest, i don't know this person, but he is being paid very well to stand there and not say anything. shut up! stupid! stupid! stupid! shut up! stupid!

[the person starts to walk offstage]

no. you fucking stay there. because i said so. or someone will punish you. you won't get money to pay your rent or debt, or i'll come over and tell you what to watch on your tv or force you to eat the food i like and listen to the music i prefer - it's more a reward, shit, than a punishment. you should be grateful to have me run your life. now they stay there and be not me.

[the person stands]

god my right ear hurts. -oh i can hear fine - my ear just hurts. does yours ever? of course it does. mine does. i want to rip it off. GOD.

[the sound of paper being torn]

right now the sound of paper ripping should happen. this symbolizes my ear being torn off, or rather, an unwillingness to read, or listen to what is directly in front of you. but you can really come up with your own symbolism if you want. it'll be wrong, but feel free. i'll wait.

[the sound of paper being torn, the same sound played 5 times]

wrong. you know, even - i'm going to the bathroom.

[there is a pause for enough time for the performer to leave, go to the bathroom, wash his hands and come back - the stage remains dark, apart from the person on stage waiting for the play to be over and the cutout]

here is a video i made.

[the video is the current play from the beginning]

and the lights go down

[the lights go down]

it's raining. of course. i can't exactly have rain here, it's really not possible. and the scene - it has things in it. things you can't see because the lights are down. the stage lights for this play. that is happening, right now. did i mention? this is the play. i am the play. the one you are enjoying. or not.

[pause.]

you are enjoying, right? or are you judging? you give me chills. good and bad. i don't even want the lights to come up. i don't want you to see me. ok. just once.

[the lights on the stage come up, it is completely empty, the end.]

99 luftballoons/where will all the pen pals go?

two people standing directly in front of each other. sides to the audience. they hold parchment or letterhead or white paper with writing on it.

person on left : dear friend, thank you for signing up to be my pen pal. i have looking for penpal for years. it will be too bad you don't speak the language i speak.
person on right : dear friend, i'm not sure what your last letter said. please retype and send again.
person on left : dear friend, sorrow for not making your senses. try again. i have thanks for you to be my pen pal. unfortunate, it is that we speak not languages that are similars.
person on right : dear friend, i'm not sure i still understand. we do not inherently speak the same language. do you think this assumption is correct?
person on left : dear friend! yes? i think we are saying same thing but with words apart. do you like nelly?
person on right : dear friend, yes what? who is nelly? is nelly where i am from? not all of the people in my country know each other.
person on left : dear friend, nelly, yes? his name is nelly? he has musics coming out? thongs?
person on right : dear friend, nelly and thongs? oh. yes! i know who you are speaking of. he was several years ago and didn't - can i use contractions with you? he did not have any more songs after that first one. do you enjoy politics?
person on left : dear friend, politics? yes! interesting! i like terminator and the wrestler who no longer on politics.
person on right : dear friend, yes, he was kind of an embarassment. the wrestler. the terminator, as you say - well - i'm on the fence.
person on left: dear friend, you should get down.
person on right: dear friend, it was a figure of speech. i am not on the fence, literally. i just do not know if i agree with his choices in office.
person on left: dear friend, yes. i know the joke, i make one back.
person on right (earnestly, sincerely): dear friend, right. i see. funny. you made me laugh very hard.

pause.

person on right: dear friend, i am sorry if i did not give you enough to respond with. i was noncommittal so to speak. do you know that word? it means i could not decide on some to answer with definitely.

pause.

person on right: dear friend, have i offended you?

an empirical return.

two people on a crowded subway. they don't know each other, but are entangled in something of a hug, but ignore each other. they look in opposite directions. their pose in unrealistic, but not necessarily meant to be funny or ridiculous. it's simply the way they have to stand.

a man downstage : i.. don't.. even know what empirical means without looking it up. i guess i do. if i think about it, but i'm just not entirely sure. i guess, i could look it up, or i could probably just believe that i know what it means. what i'm thinking means empirical is empirical. that's ok with me. i'll believe it. isn't the meaning what i've endowed it? i constitute so. another word i don't -

he stops. the focus returns to the two people on the subway who are now embracing. not looking at each other, but resting their heads into the other's body. the end.