About to head off the the zoo with my kids! Thought I'd post this before I go… This is my 29th play, The Beach for the 31 Plays in 31 Days challenge. I'm done writing my plays, and now I'm posting random plays here throughout the month. This is a play that I think has some potential… I didn't read it through after I wrote it, so there will be mistakes… Plenty of them. I'm human.
###The Beach, a ten-minute play by Rachel Bublitz
Characters:
Franny, f, 30-40s, any race.
Liz, f, 30-40s, any race.
Setting:
The beach.
A beach. FRANNY and LIZ lay on beach towels. THEY wear bathing suits, and are each reading a book or magazine.
FRANNY Such a gorgeous day.
LIZ I know. We lucked out.
FRANNY I lucked out. Thanks for dragging me with you.
LIZ Any time, Franny.
FRANNY I’m supposed to be doing laundry right now.
LIZ This is better.
FRANNY Absolutely. Absolutely, 100% correct… It’s weird not being here with my kids though.
LIZ Oh?
FRANNY Yeah, they’d be playing in the sand or the water, laughing, playing…
LIZ Dumping water down your back, getting sand all over your towel, stressing you out.
FRANNY Weird in a good way.
LIZ Good.
FRANNY It does make me feel a tiny bit guilty. They love the beach.
LIZ Take them this weekend.
FRANNY I could… But it won’t be like this during the weekend, it’ll be backed with people! And that would just make having them here even more stressful…. Parking would be a nightmare…. And Mark would be NO help.
LIZ Then just sit back and enjoy yourself.
FRANNY You’re right, I will.
FRANNY starts to read again.
FRANNY (CONTINUED) Liz?
LIZ Yeah?
FRANNY Do you ever think about what it would be like I were to die?
LIZ Um… No.
FRANNY Oh? I think what it would be like if you passed. How hard it would be on Donald, and the kids…. I’d look out for them. I’d make them meals, and make sure everyone brushed their teeth. I’d do that for you.
LIZ Well thanks. I’d do that for you too.
FRANNY It would be hard.
LIZ Right.
FRANNY Because I’d be so sad. But I’d be strong. Stoic. You have to be in times of crisis. I thin women, especially women that have had kids, are best prepared in those times. When little Elizabeth had to be in the hospital, with the RSV… She was… She was a peanut! Two weeks old. Had to be on a breathing machine…. It was awful… Mark couldn’t even come into the hospital. He never saw her all hooked up. Said he couldn’t. I did. I spent every minute with her in that room. The whole week…. He couldn’t do it. But, I think we’re made for that sort of thing.
LIZ I could see that.
FRANNY It’s why I think a woman would make an excellent president. You know what I mean?
LIZ Yeah, sure.
FRANNY I wonder if Hilary is planning on running. She has my vote, I don’t know about you…. I think she’d have a lot of votes.
LIZ lays down on her blanket.
FRANNY (CONTINUED) You listening?
LIZ Oh yeah, I’m just going to put my head down for a few minutes.
FRANNY It’s just nice getting to actually talk. I feel like all day long I’m talked at. “Mom, where’s my unicorn sweater?” “Mom, I’m hungry.” “Mom, what’s five times three?” It never stops!
LIZ Tell me about it.
FRANNY And then when Mark gets home, you’d think I’d have a minute to myself, but no… Mark is like another child. “Honey, where’s the remote to the TV?” “Honey, did you iron my blue shirt?” “What’s for dinner, honey?”
LIZ Donald is the same way.
FRANNY How do you put up with it?
LIZ I come to the beach!
LIZ puts a towel or hat over her face.
FRANNY That’s smart. I might have to join you more often. You’re kinda the best, Liz.
LIZ I know.
FRANNY … I do relax sometimes…. I mean other than right now.
LIZ Oh?
FRANNY Well, you know how much I work out. I know it’s not for everyone, buy working out really relaxes me. I go to a woman’s only gym, and the atmosphere is incredible. So many powerful, confidant woman taking care of their bodies. It’s beautiful. And there’s no weird man machismo energy in their messing with our minds. It’s like an oasis. I go every day. I have to, or I just wouldn’t get anything done. They’re funny too, the women. Well, some of them are. I don’t know them all, obviously… But the ones that I have met are just salt-of-the-earth type of people, you know? There’s this one lady there, Jennifer. She’s… You’d love her right away. She’s just so relaxed all the time. No kids, no husband, and loving every minute of it. Do you ever feel… Do you ever regret getting married and having your girls? I love my kids, but sometimes… There are days I wish I could be as free as Jennifer is. She has nothing holding her to anything. She could pick up tomorrow and move to France. France, Liz! I’ve never been to France… She’s pretty too, Jennifer, is I mean. Beautiful, really. Can I… Can I confide something in you? This is top secret though, never a word to a soul, got it?… Sometimes I think maybe I’d be happier if I hadn’t married Mark… Sometimes I think, I’d have been happier with a woman. I’m mean, I’m not a lesbian, or anything like that. No. I just think a woman, would make a nice partner in life. And they’re so soft, and understanding… Maybe I am a lesbian…. I think I might be kind of a lesbian. I have… I have a longing for Jennifer- Does that offend you? I just realized that if you fell in love with a woman I’d be a little miffed that it wasn’t me. I love you Liz, I just don’t think of you like that, I hope you understand. You are very attractive, don’t get me wrong, but… You don’t get me going, not like Jennifer does… She was working out one morning, I’d seen her around for probably six months, when I finally got the courage to talk to her. I asked her if I could use the free weights when she was done… She handed me the weight and my body exploded. I almost had an orgasm right there in the middle of the gym! Can you imagine? Obviously, I was mortified… And I made sure not to touch her after that… I don’t see her these days. She usually gets in at 9, so I’ve been making sure to be done well before then. I just… It’s not right. I mean, even if you ignore the whole lesbian thing… I’m married. She asked me out. She didn’t know I was married, I take off my ring to work out, it’s so bulky. But that’s when I switched my work out to earlier. It’s sad… But sometimes I wait in the parking lot until I see her car pull in. Then I can wave to her as our cars pass and I try to say something clever like, “Beat you again!” But really I want to yell, “Let’s run away to France!”… Is this all terribly shocking to you Liz? I hope I haven’t put you into an uncomfortable situation. I know that you are fond of Mark… And I’m not going to leave him, I wouldn’t. I can’t…. But when things are quiet, like now, like right here at the beach… I think of how quiet my life would be if I were living with Jennifer, the love of my life, yes I’m fairly certain that she is the love of my life, and well, I just think that’s too bad. It’s just too bad, and it’s just bad timing. You know?… Liz?
FRANNY removes the towel or hat from LIZ’s face?
LIZ Hm? You say something?
FRANNY You’re sleeping!
LIZ I just nodded off for a second. You were talking about running or something?
FRANNY Go back to sleep.
LIZ I’m sorry, what were you saying?
FRANNY Nothing. Really… We should do this more often.
LIZ I completely agree.
End of play.