The October People’s Choice Award goes to…
The people have spoken… The October People’s Choice Award goes to Mark Sherstinsky, for his play, COUPLES THERAPY, presented as a staged reading at Monday Night PlayGround on October 13th live at Broadwater Second Stage and simulcast via Vimeo Livestream. Congratulations, Mark!
Courtesy of Mark, we’re pleased to share the first two pages from the award-winning script. Enjoy!
COUPLES THERAPY:
A SOLO PIECE
by Mark Sherstinsky
Character: GUY male, late teens to late 20s, any ethnicity
Lights BUMP UP on GUY, who sits at a police interrogation desk.
GUY
It wasn’t me…(deep breath)…We were walking together in the park, this morning, just after sunrise. We were talking, you know, which was my plan all along—just to talk to Sara about…But before I could, she started off about her sister, how her sister was doing that passive-aggressive thing again to Sara, bragging to Sara how she’s got the best kids and the best husband and the best house…(imitates sister)…‘And how’s it going with you, Sara?’ Sara got mad, called her sister the “biggest bitch”…(pleads)…I brought Sara to the park to talk…But whenever she got wound up like that…it was impossible to get through to her. I always called it Sara’s Death Spiral.
Regrets saying this.
Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean…So I said, ‘you know…your sister’s not the biggest bitch’. Sara took that instead as me calling Sara the biggest bitch, or I dunno. Anway, not the right thing to say in that moment to someone who’s in the middle of a rage, if you’re taking notes…Because that sent Sara deeper into her spiral. She said I never took her side, started yelling…That’s not how it was supposed to happen. Us fighting was not the point, alright? That’s not why I asked Sara to the park this morning…Ok, we were one of those couples, you know? Who fought all the fucking time. That couple on the corner who don’t notice you passing by because we’re so laser fucking focused on piercing each other’s eyes out that we drown out the rest of the world.
Reacts to a question.
Sorry, officer? Witnesses? I dunno. There was a guy selling coffee from a cart. A family with a dog. Some people…running. The people with the dog turned in the opposite direction from us. No one deserves to hear that shit when you’re trying to have a family day in the park, right?
Reacts to a question.
Egg salad? No, thank you. I can’t eat a sandwich now. I mean, who’s ever got an appetite in here?
Stands quickly. Then sits down almost immediately.
Whoa whoa whoa I’m sorry I didn’t mean to…my legs are just stiff, you know. Is it okay if I stand again? Slowly, yes.
Stands again, comically slow this time.
Sorry. I should know better than to startle a police officer like that.
Indicates an area under the desk.
May I? Show you something?
Reaches down, removes a box from under desk and places it on top of desk. Perhaps we see that his hands are cuffed. When you look inside here, you’ll understand. That it wasn’t me.
Reacts to question.
What’s that? I don’t need an attorney. Because, I didn’t do this.
Holds up his cuffed hands.
Listen, can you take these off? Please? My arms have been like this for, I dunno, how long have I been here? I just need a little stretch.
Handcuffs are removed. Relieved.
Thank you.
(To be continued)
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