"THE OTHER ROOM"
Scene By Cory Capron

Scene opens dimly lit with five teenage figures carrying out a mute 
conversation. One of them seems to tell a joke that puts the others in 
hysterics. They quiet down into a pause, slap their knees and exit into the 
other room. The teenager who told the joke (Calvin) stays. The lights come up.


Calvin: That's usually how it goes. We have are chats and are jokes and fun 
and stuff. We don't do much together outside of here. I don't really go hang 
out with them that is, but we're still good friends. We're there for each 
other, we tell our problems to one another and stuff. Yeah we're not the best 
of friends but we are still friends, ok. They'd probably help me out of a 
tight bind if I ever got caught in one. Heh, I know I'd do just about 
anything to help them if they needed me to.

(Calvin looks over at the door to the other room.)

I never do go in there. It's just not my thing, you know? It would probably 
really screw me up if I did. I always take things too far. I'm trying to cut 
down on problems, not make myself more. I guess it's odd to some that I would 
be friends with them if I wasn't a part of that, but it's worked out ok so 
far. They know it's not my thing and I don't judge them for doing it. I don't 
try and get them to quit. Some of them I think might need to, but they have 
to decide that for themselves. Everybody's got to stay true to Ôem self. 
Yeah, they did seem a little amazed at first that I didn't go in any of them 
other rooms. But between you and me that's not totally true. There are some 
places that people just don't realize are actually other rooms. I've been in 
a lot of those. I don't think any of us haven't when you think about it.

When I think back on... You know sometimes, I wish that I did go in there. I 
mean...

It's good to talk about problems, get things off your back. You've got to. 
Otherwise they just grow and, I'm pretty good at it, talking about stuff. I 
mean it's never easy, but most things you can get out in a kind of easygoing 
way. For example how many ways can you say you have a drinking problem with 
out it sounding... gwim? Wif' h'out it Ôuonding... see-wee-us? (oddly giggles) Ya-
know? Most problems you can just sort of sugarcoat. But some... some just sound 
so naked. You can't help it but they just sound...

(Calvin pauses for an uncomfortable amount of time.)

I'm lonely. I don't mean for it to sound like some damn cry for help or 
bellyaching or anything. I just am. So yeah I do think about going in there. 
Yeah! Because you know how many good friends Ð best friends I could have had 
over the years? Do you want to know how many girls I could have gone out 
with? If I just went in the other room? Hell I don't know! I mean I, I, I 
feel like I'm in a damn glass house and the walls are made of dreams that 
will never come true. I want out! I just can't see the damn knob. I can see 
that one over there though. Yes that one shines bright as a Ð as a Ð as a 
damn searchlight!

You got to stay true to yourself. I don't want to sell myself out. It just 
gets lonely sometimes. I'm feeling a lot better now though. Thank you all. 
This stuff was really growing kind of heavy on my shoulders. I hope you don't 
feel uncomfortable around me for saying all this. And...

(The door to the other room's knob turns. The door creeps open about an inch, 
apparently on it's own.)

Hello?

(Calvin walks over and peeks inside.)

You guys ok?

(Lights slowly begin fading out. Calvin walks in the other room.)

Hello? Dude. Wake up. Dude...

(Black out.)

Calvin is by no means a set sex role. In fact I'd really love to see a woman play it. I think it would put a real interesting spin on things.

"The Other Room" debuted December 13, 2002, performed by Matt Semler, Cory Capron, Julius Gavin, and Tucker Duncan.

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