Yesterday, I finished the first draft of a play that I have been working on for over 2 years. Yall. YALL! YALLLL!!!!
Ok. I got that out of my system. As I was finishing it I kept wanting to stop, to find a distraction to quit. Because nothing sounded right. It wasn't "working". It wasn't perfect. But then I thought back to words I told another artist just the night before.
“The first step is to finish. Be done. You can work on it from there. But first you have to finish.”
So I took my own advice and I did it. And then I sent it out to some artists that I know and trust before I could get scared. And as I was buzzing with the excitement of a finished script, I read through some of the other works I had written and long since forgotten. And now I am going to share two of them with you. For your reading pleasure, The Death & The Delivery: Two Very Short Plays by Monet Noelle Marshall
The Death
A woman is laying in a bed in a modestly furnished apartment. Very modest. In fact the only things of worth is a huge bass that is the focal point of the room. Everything else has a very worn or hand me down look. There is a black suit hanging on her closet door. Alarm rings. She hits and struggles to pull herself out of bed. She pulls herself out of bed walks over to the bass, reaches out to it and pulls back. She walks offstage we hear the sound of the shower. It is quick. She comes out in a towel. Puts on her clothes. Looks at herself in the mirror. Grabs keys and purse and leaves.
She gets on the subway and we hear the normal hustle and bustle of the subway. She puts on her headphones and we hear the sounds of Scherazade as the lights change and everyone on the train changes as well. There is a musicality to everyone's movements. This goes on for several moments. She pulls out the headphones. It abruptly and everyone returns to normal. She gets off the train and walks begrudgingly she checks her watch and hurries up.
She stops at a door, takes a deep breath and opens it. Walks to the woman at the front desk.
LEXI
Hi I'm Lexi Bloom and it's my first day.
DEBRA
Oh Lexi welcome! Let me show you to your desk. It's right over here...
The Delivery
A very pregnant woman is seen crouched on the floor of her bedroom. The room looks like she tried to be organized and gave up and then tried again and then gave up again. There is a desk with a open, lit computer on it with the screen facing the audience. She is breathing heavily like someone told her to do so.
LIN
I can do this. I can do this. It's ok. I can do this. (Contraction) Aaaahh Shiiii... I cant do this. OH MY GOD!!
Crawls over to her phone and starts to dial.
Oh pick up pick up pick up pick up pick up... Hi Mom... Are you busy?... Nothing much just (contraction) just trying to get er done... Why didn't you warn me?... This is a whole lot more painful than it looks! And it already looks painful!... I don't know Ma, something!... I know I cant stop now... Alright... Alright Ma... ok fine.... I promise... I promise to call you back. Ok bye...
Hangs up the phone. A beat. She begins to cry and then all out wail, rolling around on the ground and all that. Stops abruptly, wipes her nose on her sleeve.
Ok maybe if I just sit down and concentrate it wont be so bad.
Sits at desk in front of computer. Puts hands on keys and...
I need water. (Gets up and goes to get water from offstage kitchen. Goes back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom during next few lines) Yes water will help. Or tea. Tea eases the senses. I should have taken up yoga. Mmm yogurt... and chips.
Returns with lots of unrelated snacks in her hand. More than she can carry really. Gets to the desk when another contraction doubles her over.
Aahh shiii...shucks..SHUCKS!! Im sorry ok.. Im sorry. Whatever I did I am sorry. I'll do better I promise. I'll stop cursing and I'll go to church just please please please please make it better, make it easier. Please God please please please
Crawls towards the desk and pulls herself up on the chair. Pulls the computer onto the chair and is slumped as she tried to use it.
Ok ok ok ok ok HereWeGo. Here. We. Go. I can do this. I can do this. I can AAAAGGGHHHHHHH
Quick fade to black as birthing moan is heard. Lights up on LIN very not pregnant, apartment exactly as before, maybe even neater with no sign of a child.
(On the phone) Yeah I did it... Yes all by myself! I'm a big girl!... Roman Rivers... yeah strong name right? Yeah... I think its my best play yet.