Passing Thoughts



		PASSING THOUGHTS For the transitions between a character’s dialogue and a character’s interior thoughts, a bell dings and the rest of the family freezes in their positions. If possible, a light should highlight the character voicing his thoughts aloud. The same bell animates the family when thoughts are concluded The family is sitting around a table eating dinner, silently. They do not regard each other for a few moments, choosing instead to eat their food, alone HAROLD So… Wendy… did you pass your test today? WENDY I didn’t have a test today. HAROLD I thought you had a biology test today? WENDY No. HAROLD Oh. HAROLD’S INTERIOR I bought a gun today. I’m going to fire it into the air tonight. I hope I hit a bird. Do birds fly at night? MELINDA How’d the Meyer account turn out? HAROLD Didn’t finish it before work ended. MELINDA I thought you said you were going to be able to finish it. HAROLD Didn’t work out that way. MELINDA Will you have to stay late tomorrow? HAROLD No. No, I should be able to finish up the work shortly after lunch. MELINDA Good. Good. HAROLD Yes. It’s been a long case. MELINDA It certainly has. MELINDA’S INTERIOR Randy Johnson, Summer, 1975, Yard Park, touched my breast and then my thigh, made him stop, too much sweating. MELINDA Wendy; did you clean up Sammy’s cage like I asked you? WENDY Yep. MELINDA Very good. I’m glad we finally decided to buy you that iguana. Aren’t you glad, Harold? HAROLD Absolutely. MELINDA Good. Aren’t you glad, sweety? WENDY Yes. WENDY’S INTERIOR He’s dead and buried I killed Sammy I cut him and drowned him and killed him and now he knows my true power Sammy knows now he knows I have power within me. WENDY I got back my midterm today. HAROLD Yes? WENDY I got a 78%, but after the curve it was an 84%. MELINDA Why, that’s wonderful news! Isn’t that wonderful, Harold? HAROLD Yes. We are proud of you, kiddo! MELINDA Yes! HAROLD’S INTERIOR I can take the car tonight and drive to South Dakota I know there’s enough gas in the tank. I have a will and a way and a gun. I will pack wine. MELINDA Harold… MELINDA’S INTERIOR Sam Parker, 1987, Halloween Party, He was Purple Rain, I was Appolonia, Sex as the sprinklers went off around us, I caught pneumonia. MELINDA How do you like the potatoes? HAROLD Mashed! MELINDA No, Harold, how do you like these potatoes. HAROLD Fine. MELINDA I made them. HAROLD They really are very good. MELINDA And Wendy? What do you think? WENDY’S INTERIOR The blade is sharp and true and shines like orange fire in the bellies of… MELINDA Excuse me? Wendy, what do you think? WENDY’S INTERIOR …dying beasts whose teeth stretch like forgotten… MELINDA Wendy? WENDY What? MELINDA How do you like these potatoes I made? WENDY Mashed? MELINDA Silly, that’s your father’s joke! MELINDA’S INTERIOR Philip Stanton, 1994, Habitat for Humanity, roof of a debilitated townhome, fell through a weak structural point. HAROLD If you go on stealing my jokes like that, it means I’ll have to come up with new ones! HAROLD’S INTERIOR I have the strength of a jungle man, I can conquer and run into my woods and survive tonight with my gun and water, what rural animal would I eat? WENDY That would take a while! WENDY’S INTERIOR Flesh tears like trends through absolute division, I can see how bright it grows in the darkness alone! MELINDA You have that right! MELINDA’S INTERIOR Arthur Clegg, 1991, Mattress Giant Going Out of Business Sale, last of the inventory. (In this next moment, the interior thoughts are spaced with laughter from the family) HAROLD’S INTERIOR I need to buy clothes that cling closer to my body so I can impress the check-out girl at the A&P and my gun. WENDY’S INTERIOR Caws are echoes in lonely dusk as the wings beat steady on obscurity. MELINDA’S INTERIOR Charles Grodin, 1984. (Wendy thinks she is thinking this next line with Wendy interior, while in reality she is speaking it out loud. Harold and Melinda do no freeze) WENDY Bowels move like orphaned children through streets of… MELINDA Wendy Williams! In this family, we do not speak like that! HAROLD Your mother’s right, Wendy. Not in this family. (Harold and Melinda reach across the family to join hands - simultaneously) HAROLD’S INTERIOR Cold steel gun slaps against my thigh and I like it. MELINDA’S INTERIOR Stephen Mitchell. 1981. Super scientist. WENDY It won’t happen again. HAROLD It better not, kiddo. It better not. HAROLD’S INTERIOR Or else I’ll shoot you.