Tuesday Excerpts

...and the verdict? You get something else, and not my play. Because we didn't get around to reading mine today.

Today's excerpt is an entire piece for playwriting this semester. It's just a monologue, so enjoy!

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August 2007

Scene is the bench at a softball field. It is Sunday night, and Andy, a tall 34 year old man, is watching his team play while he takes his turn at the bench. He has a Bud Select in hand.
ANDY
(yelling throughout)
Let’s go, Know Skills, let’s go! One-two-three, come on, just like they got us last inning, we can do it!
(pause)
Back, Mary, Kathy, Steve, Paul! Back up, this guy’s got power. Steve, watch that line! Watch the line!
(pause)
Good pitch there, Mark, little higher, little higher, looked good from here.
(pause, the crack of a bat)
Go! Steve, run! STEVE! STEVE!
(pause, his face gets intense)
HIT THE CUT-OFF, GO HOME GO HOME! JOE, GET OUT THERE, MARK COVER HOME, LET’S GO!
(under his breath)
Fuck.
(yelling again)
That’s okay, way to hold him at three, way to hold him. Elliot, play’s coming to you. Mark, Joe, Marybeth, check the runner at third, get the girl at first. Outfield! Move in! In! IN, STEVE, IN! PAUL, IN!
(to himself, but with a big smile)
Christ, bunch of five year olds.
(weak crack of the bat, yelling again)
Check him, Mark, check him. GET IT ELLIOT!
(pause)
HOME! HOME, ELLIOT! MARK, COVER HOME!
(pause)
Good throw, good throw, good play to first, Mark.
(to his left)
They got one, Mom. Mom, they got one. Mom, are you still keeping score? Okay, Dad, they got one.
(back to the game, top of his lungs)
LEFTY! SHIFT, OUTFIELD, SHIFT, MOVE BACK! WATCH THE LINE, KATHY!
(crack of bat, under his breath)
Fucking left field!
(shouting)
STEVE! LEFT, BACK STEVE! JOE, CUT OFF, CUT OFF! MARK, ELLIOT, SOMEBODY GET HOME!
(pause, to his left)
One more, Dad.
(back to the game)
Alright, Know Skills, one down, come on, easy out easy out! Move in outfield, move in, Elliot, play’s coming to you at first.
(crack of the bat)
BACK! BACK, MARY! BACK! WAY BACK! MARYBETH, GO OUT FOR THE CUTOFF, ELLIOT, HELP HER!
(pause)
SHE’S MOVING, SHE’S GOING HOME, GET THE BALL IN, GET IT IN!
(pause)
Way to hold her, Know Skills, shake it off.
(looks at batter approaching)
Move back, outfield! Way back. Steve, watch that line! Back! Keep going. Let’s go, Mark, make him want it!
(crack of the bat)
Mark! That’s you! Catch it!
(pause, Andy gets wild)
THROW TO THIRD! THROW TO THIRD! THROW TO THIRD! TAG THE BASE, COLLEEN, TAG IT! YEAH!
(claps wildly)
Alright team, alright. Mark, you’re up, then Kathy, then Elliot. Let’s go, Know Skills, let’s string some runs together.
(pointing as he says names)
Mark, Colleen, good play out there. Elliot, Steve, Marybeth, Kathy. Lookin’ good. Let’s have some fun.
(pause)
Well, okay, let’s win and have some fun, guys. Let’s go team! Who wants a beer?

===

You guessed it...softball! Yay! And now I have a question for all of my readers: What's your favorite novel? I will answer that same question for you all on Friday. Until then!

Pen names are masks that allow us to unmask ourselves. -C. Astrid Weber