Wedged



		WEDGED The basement den is the color of burnt mustard. Posters, comprised entirely of concentric circles, paper the walls, serving as a kind of vertigo for the nostalgic. Milk cartons, hopefully empty, litter the floor Lights up on GIRL and BOY. They sit across from each other, staring lackadaisically. Their clothes and mannerisms are thirty years past the heyday of their setting, and are entirely unappreciative of their surroundings. After a moment of silence, they begin speaking abruptly GIRL Did you end up going to Julian’s house? BOY No, did a lot of people go? GIRL No, I wanted to. But I was too lazy. I’m really lazy about leaving Manhattan. BOY Actually, I’m even lazy about going to the Lower East Side. GIRL Well, I have to take a train in. BOY Did you go? GIRL No. They stop speaking as abruptly as they began, and fall into a few moments more of silence and staring A dead Iberian lynx falls from the ceiling and onto the table between the two seats. Both BOY and GIRL jump back in revulsion, knocking over their chairs. NOTE: Their bodies and behavior do not betray the reaction to the reality of a dead lynx falling from the sky GIRL So where’d you go? BOY After Friday’s class I went somewhere on like Bowery and uh… uh. GIRL West Village? East Village? BOY Yeah, Lower East Side. The BOY has inched his way around the table and lynx to embrace and protect the girl. He looks upward, towards the place where the animal initially fell. There is no visible hole BOY And actually, I was back again on Saturday. I live in Brooklyn, so that’s probably as far as I go. GIRL I have a friend like that from Brooklyn. So, where do you live? The BOY moves his attention from ceiling inspection to GIRL, and fiercely shakes his head, grimly. She does not respond; he shakes his head a second fierce time BOY So, where do you live? A second dead Iberian lynx falls from the ceiling, landing on top of the first BOY (frightful) So, where do you live? The GIRL shakes her head in unknowing. She is beginning to cry BOY So, where do… A third lynx falls from the ceiling on top of the other two, a Brazilian guitar-fish spilling from its mouth as it lands BOY WHERE DO YOU – GIRL UPPER WEST! After a moment of silence, the pair look up towards the falling ceiling spot. GIRL then proceeds to pick up both their chairs, as BOY pushes the lynx carcasses off the table, begrudgingly sticking the lone guitar-fish in an almost-empty milk carton. They resume their positions from the start of the play BOY (calming) So how is it there. GIRL (working through tears) V-very nice. It’s like a lot of… a lot of… BOY glares at GIRL, pursing his lips GIRL …a lot of parents and little kids. Yeah! I… GIRL has forgotten what to say. BOY sits stunned for a moment, but is interrupted in his action by the sound of heavy lynx carcasses raining upon the roof of the home. BOY stands up, kicking back his chair, and drags GIRL under the table with him. He is cradling her as both his cub and mate. She is crying into her shirt; he is staring defiantly upwards GIRL (reserved) I live with actually this woman. Her daughter’s like my age. BOY Oh. GIRL It’s not bad. I enjoy them both. BOY pulls GIRL close to him BOY I wish I grew up in New York City. GIRL No, seriously, you… you can live here when you’re older. BOY is now clutching tightly to GIRL, who has stopped her tears and closed her eyes. He is still staring defiantly upward – the sound of raining carcasses reaching a fever pitch, punctuated at its peak with a single guitar-fish falling on top of the table and a BLACKOUT CURTAIN