The Payoff

or

(Much Ado About Mother)

set : two black cubes

characters : NORMAN sitting on the s.r. cube

ALEX sitting on the s.l. cube

MOM standing offstage s.r.

MOTHER standing offstage s.r.

#5 standing offstage s.l.

ALL face out

NORMAN : Did you bring the money?

ALEX : I don’t owe you anything.

NORMAN : Then why did you come?

ALEX : Your mother sent me.

NORMAN : (face ALEX) You don’t know my mother.

ALEX : Then call my bluff.

NORMAN : (face out) Mother!

(MOM enters and stands behind NORMAN.)

ALEX : (face MOM)(face out)All right. I don’t know her.

NORMAN : You lied to me.

ALEX : I was told to.

NORMAN : By who?

MOM : By whom.

ALEX : (face NORMAN) This isn’t your mother!

NORMAN : Yes it is.

ALEX : (face out) Your mother is stupid and inarticulate.

NORMAN : All right. She’s not my mother.

ALEX : A stand in. That isn’t your mother at all.

NORMAN : No, but this is.

(MOTHER enters and stands s.r. of NORMAN.)

ALEX : (face MOTHER) Jane!

MOTHER : (face ALEX) Alex!

NORMAN : You do know her.

ALEX and MOTHER : (face out) No.

NORMAN : Then why did you come?

MOTHER : I was told to.

NORMAN : (face MOTHER) Hush.

ALEX : (face NORMAN) Why the stand in?

NORMAN : (face out) We thought there might be shooting.

ALEX and #5 : (face each other) (face out)

#5 : (turn away)