copyright © 2005 Danielle Santangelo Kovalick

See-Through Mask

~by danielle santangelo~

 

LIGHTS.

A MAN stands center, in a chair, face covered by a bag. A GIRL enters with a piece of luggage. SHE stands next to him. A long pause, SHE frequently glancing at him curiously.

GIRL

Did you know that I’m a clown?

The MAN doesn’t respond.

My teacher, Mrs. Smith, she says that I’m the class clown. (pause) ‘Cause I play tricks on her. And she says that that’s odd for a girl. To be like the class clown.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

This one time in Girl Scouts, we were having Egg Wars, and that’s where you throw eggs at each other. (pause) And, I didn’t like this one girl, so I emptied out an egg and I filled it with ketchup, and I threw it at her and it exploded on her face! (pause, giggling) And it was funny ‘cause her face was all…it was, it was all ketchupy.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Why do you have a bag on your head?

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Are you a grown-up?

The MAN doesn’t respond.

When I grow up, I’m gonna be a paleontologist and a dolphin trainer. (pause) And if I’m rich, I’m definitely gonna be a mermaid.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Paleontology is when you study dinosaurs. (pause) Have you seen Jurassic Park?

The MAN doesn’t respond.

It’s in my Top Five. (thinks) Top Three. It’s so realistic. (excited) And this one time I had this nightmare, and I was being chased by the T-Rex, and I ran into a cave! And I thought I escaped the T-Rex; but no way, jose! He was right behind me the whole time and he stuck his nose in the cave and he got stuck ‘cause the cave was small, but it was REALLY loud ‘cause he was roaring! And I woke up and I was so scared that I ran to my dad’s room and I told him about it and he was like, "YOU CAN’T WATCH THAT FUCKING MOVIE ANYMORE!"

The MAN doesn’t respond.

And then the next day he threw it in the fire place and it melted and he was like, "BALAALABABAALAAAALABABABAAA!" (high-pitched tribal sound)

The MAN doesn’t respond.

You’re a good listener. I can tell you lots of stuff.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

My dad, he’s not really a good listener. ‘Cause he’s crazy. (pause) Like, seriously.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Before my dad went crazy, we’d always go to New Jersey, and that’s when my mom was alive ‘cause we were visiting her family. (pause) And we’d always go to Sesame Street theme park on the way home, ‘cause Sesame Street was like my all-time favorite show when I was a little kid. And this one year my dad said, "WE’RE NOT GOING TO SESAME STREET THEME PARK! WE DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY!" And I got so mad and I was crying! (excited) But then, we went to Sea World instead! And Sea World is WAY BETTER than Sesame Street theme park. And my dad bought me this really beautiful bottle-nosed dolphin beach towel. (pause) And I still use it like all the time.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Why’re you wearing that bag on your head?

The MAN doesn’t respond.

Wanna help me find a new dad? (pause) That’s what I’m trying to do. It’s ‘cause I ran away from home, and my dad wasn’t there. (pause) This one time he was there when I came home from school, and I showed him my clay project, and it was a Dilophosaurus, and he broke its head off and ran out of the house and he was screaming so hard like "FAST FAST FAST FAST FAST!" And then he was gone for like two days.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

He always runs away and when he is home he never listens. He just talks to himself all day, like about food and colors and stuff. And he doesn’t really understand what I’m saying, he just kinda has his own language. And I try to take care of him, but he makes me sad. This one time I had to leave school in the middle of the day ‘cause he told me to be home at 12:30 ‘cause he said we were having company, and I got home and he was taking a shower with his clothes on. (pause, beat) I don’t like going home after school.

The MAN doesn’t respond.

My name’s Kelly. What’s yours?

The MAN suddenly turns his head and removes the bag from his head.

Dad. There you are.

MAN (mumbling)

…I need the pink sugar packets all they have is the blue type blue kind of sugar packets bad bad for tummy I need the pink sugar packets that’s good that’s good for blue to be the evil sugar packets and that’s all they have here the bad ones versus the good ones…

HE crawls off the chair and exits, still mumbling. The GIRL looks after him.

GIRL

Someday…someday soon…we’ll both live in the same house.

SHE jumps up and calls after him repeatedly, using an odd nonsensical language. The MAN returns, still mumbling.

C’mon Dad, Let’s go home. (hitting her back) BACK! BACK! BACK! BACK! BACK!

The MAN climbs on her back (as if this is routine). They start to slowly exit as the GIRL speaks to her dad, who continues to mumble. The LIGHTS s-l-o-w-l-y fade to BLACK.

I’ll get you the pink sugar packets when we go home…The blue packets are way evil, yeah…You wanna see the shirt I made at school today? It’s a harp seal and it’s puffy paint!…or not…When we get home, can you draw me an "X" on my permission slip? I’ll hold your hand while you’re doin’ it. Maybe we can watch a movie. We can watch The Little Mermaid again. You like that, right? It’s in my Top Five…

 

BLACKOUT

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