Baggage is about an encounter between a middle-aged WOMAN and a scruffy,
homeless,
harmless YOUNG MAN and their conversation that gradually becomes more
intimate.
CHARACTERS: 1 MALE, 1 FEMALE
WOMAN:
Australian, mid- to late-50s, reasonably well-heeled, medium weight and size,
widowed, recovering from husband’s death, jogs but is not very fit, wears
middle-range active wear, carries water bottle and phone with earbuds.
MAN: Australian, mid- to late-20s, stringy beard, long hair,
scruffy clothes, friendly, non-aggressive, reasonably well-spoken and alert but
occasionally confused and clearly suffering a mental illness that is managed
with medication. He plays a battered guitar that has only two strings.
LOCATION
Melbourne, Australia. A small, suburban park with a park
bench, water fountain and paths. Off stage are a children’s playground (SR), a
Cricket Ground (also SR), a Neighbourhood House (SL).
SET
The stage is empty apart from a park bench (or 4 chairs to represent a bench) Centre Stage. Behind the bench are three large, cheap zippered
bags (or large cheap sports bags). Could
add a narrow, tall box as water fountain.
Any other items in the play are ‘space objects’ ie not seen
or handled.
MUSIC
TBC by director.
Sample extract
from Baggage:
WOMAN:
Do you live nearby? I mean...now?
MAN:
(pointing) Past the park.
WOMAN:
You share?
MAN:
Nah. I don't like living with other people. It gets... complicated. Used to
live in a group home. I was on this Residential Care Order. I had to stay in
this place with...they were all really sick people and it was
really...difficult. I didn't like it so ...I used to leave and sleep somewhere
else for a night... and they'd find me and I’d have to go back there. Had to go
where they told me to go. And had to take the meds... every night. It made me
feel...fuzzy.
WOMAN:
Where did you go, those nights?
MAN:
I'd wander around. Or I'd go back to Gran's place. Stand in the street and
remember the good times and how we used to cook dinner. One time, I was looking
at the house, and the lawn was really long and weedy. I used to do the mowing
and weeding. I’d do it for people ... neighbours sometimes. They’d give me 10
bucks to mow lawns. I could buy ciggies or help Gran with shopping because her
pension wasn't much. So, I started weeding in the front garden because it
hadn't been weeded for ages. So, I go to the shed down the driveway to get the
lawnmower out of the shed, you know, to do the lawn. And I just got the
lawnmower and I'm wheeling it out the shed door and this guy comes running out
of the house shouting, He’s stealing the lawnmower! And his wife’s on the steps
shouting, Call the police! He's stealing the lawn mower! And I said, I was just
gunna mow the lawn because it's really long and I used to mow the lawn for Gran
here, and it just needed mowing, but I'll go. I'll just go. So I left the
lawnmower and I ran up the drive and down the road and I keep running till I
got back to that house that I hated.
WOMAN:
Sorry about your Gran.
MAN:
Yeah... Me too.
_
End Extract
No comments:
Post a Comment