(Table & 2 chairs center stage. Fade up slowly on A & B who are talking already.)
A: Oong!
B: Ong?
A: Oong!
B: (Pause.) Ong?
A: Oong! (Shaping his mouth.) Ooooong!
B: (Pause.) Ong?
(Fade lights down. C sits on the table with a ukulele. Lights up. He plays a happy tune for a brief while, & when he is about to sing, the lights abruptly go down.)
C: Hey!
(Lights up on D sitting at the table. A enters. All their dialogue is dripping with sarcastic tones, & builds up to enraged shouting at the end.)
A: Sorry I m late.
D: Oh, that s fine. You know I d always wait for you.
A: That s so kind of you.
D: It s nothing, really. So, how was your day?
A: Perfect. There was not one thing wrong with my day. You?
D: About the same. I had a headache, but it went away.
A: You know the highlight of my day was?
D: No, I don t.
A: Spending this time with you.
D: Gee, you know just what to say, don t you?
A: I mean it.
D: Thank you very much.
A: That s quite alright.
D: You know, I really enjoy spending time with you. We really should do it more often.
A: I agree. Why don t we set a date?
D: I don t know. Why don t we?
A: Okay. How about this Saturday?
D: Six o clock?
A: Great.
D: Great. Well, I m sorry to cut this meeting short, but I really have to go.
A: So soon?
D: Pressing business engagement.
A: I understand. Saturday, then.
D: Saturday. Have a nice day.
A: You, too.
(D exits.)
A: What a pleasant chat.
(Lights down. Lights up on C sitting on the table, strumming the same tune, looking at the lights.)
C: (Singing.) Yesterday, I finally saw the light.
(Lights abruptly down.)
C: God Damn it.
(A & B are sitting at the table. A is laughing hysterically throughout B s monologue.)
B: What? What s so funny? No, what is it? What are you laughing at? Hey! I m talking to you!
What are you Stop it! Tell me what you re What! What the f What the fuck are you laughing
at? I asked you a question, asshole! Stop laughing, you cock! If If you don t stop laughing and
tell me, I m gonna kick your fucking ass! What?!? What the fuck is so fucking funny?!? Just tell
me! Godammit, fucking tell me, fucker!!
(A just continues to laugh. B finally exits. D enters.)
D: What? What? What s so funny? No, seriously, what?
(Lights down. C sits at the table. Lights up on him, arms crossed, looking up at the lights. After a moment, he picks up the ukulele, hesitates, and begins to play. Lights down.)
C: Screw this.
(He exits.)
"SIX ANGRY SKETCHES" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE
DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE
EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
Cast: A: Chris Stangl, B: Arlen Lawson, C: Jamal River, D: Aprille Clarke
Performed at
Best of No Shame on December 10, 1999.
"Six Angry Sketches" debuted October 29,
1999.