Poker Night
A Play in Three Scenes
by
Tori Buckley
ENGL-A211-002, Intro to Creative Writing
Prof. Dale Hrebik
Loyola University New Orleans
April 15, 2011
Cast of Characters
Nigel
Meredith
Cary
Sharon
ACT I
Stage is empty except for aluminum bleachers
TIME
The present.
SCENE I
NIGEL, who is wearing a t-shirt and shorts, repeatedly checks his wristwatch while looking around for his wife. NIGEL makes a call on his cell phone, but hangs up after several rings with no answer.
NIGEL
[Under breath] Dammit, Mere! Where are you?
SHARON and CARY enter. SHARON is wearing a visor, pastel-colored tank top, khaki capri pants, and sandals. CARY is wearing a short-sleeve button down shirt, shorts, and loafers. NIGEL puts on a smile and waves at the couple.
CARY
Hey, man! [CARY shakes hands with NIGEL] We still on for poker tonight?
NIGEL
You bet. Hey, Sharon. [NIGEL greets her with a kiss on the cheek.]
SHARON
[Speaking rapidly] Hi, hon. Where's Meredith? She can’t miss the big game! Never in a million years did I think the Owls would make it to the playoffs. But, Coach has been working those boys so hard all season. I don’t know about Christian, but when Mark gets home from practice for supper, that boy eats twice what Cary does. I know he’s a growing boy, but I wasn’t expecting his appetite to explode for at least a few more years. You always hear teenage boys will eat you into bankruptcy, but Mark’s only eleven!
[EXTRAS filter in while SHARON is talking and take a seat on the bleachers off to one side.]
NIGEL
I know exactly what you mean. I’ve had to double all my recipes to have enough to fill Christian’s new appetite. Meredith should be on her way… She had to go into the office. She has a big case next week.
SHARON
I swear, that woman is always working! I can never keep up with what she has going on. She's lucky to have such an attentive husband, though. I can't even get this big lug [playfully slaps CARY on the chest] to take out the garbage half the time. Oh, and thanks for the fundraiser idea at the PTA meeting Wednesday. Oh! Game’s starting!
NIGEL
Alright. Good to see you.
Alright. Good to see you.
CARY
You better scrape together Christian's milk money. You’re going to need everything you’ve got. I've been kicking ass on Full Tilt all week.
NIGEL
Yeah, yeah. We'll see. The real world is very different from what happens inside your computer monitor [NIGEL takes a seat at the top of the bleachers in the middle. SHARON & CARY sit on the bottom row off to the side.]
SCENE II
It is obviously well into the game, and all the parents are clapping and cheering.
SHARON
Go Owls!
NIGEL
Come on, Christian!
CARY
Run! Run!
[MEREDITH enters wearing a black coat jacket and pencil skirt with stilettos. Her ankles wobble and her pace is slightly slowed as if her stilettos were sinking into the grass. As the cheering dies down, MEREDITH begins to noisily climb the bleachers. She squeezes past other parents on her way up where NIGEL is sitting.]
MEREDITH
[MEREDITH sits beside her husband and immediately begins picking at her shoes] Fucking grass. I don’t know how I’m ever going to get all this mud off these shoes. This is fucking ridiculous.
NIGEL
Nice to see you too, sweetheart.
MEREDITH
I knew it was too good to be true. You don’t find Manolo’s on sale for only $450 and not have something go catastrophically wrong a week later. Not when you’re me! Do you know what fucking Robert Kirklen just did in the office? That’s why I’m fucking la-
[Cheering ensues in the crowd again, and MEREDITH continues angrily motioning as she relays the story, although the audience can no longer hear her.]
MEREDITH
[As the cheering dies down] -fucking deal with it anymore! If Kirklen tries to pull shit like this one more time, I swear to God, I’m out!
NIGEL
Maybe watching the game will take your mind off of work. Christian is playing great today. Watch.
[MEREDITH turns to face forward and watch the game, but after a few seconds starts typing an email on her phone.]
MEREDITH
[Soon after she finally looks up from her phone, MEREDITH quickly stands and starts cheering] Wooo! Run, run, run! Woohoo! You’ve got this, baby!
NIGEL
Mere… Meredith! [NIGEL tries to get her attention as she cheers] What are you doing? That’s not Christian.
MEREDITH
What do you mean that’s not Christian? He’s number 44. Isn’t that 44 on the field? I can’t fucking see a thing. It’s so goddamn sunny out here. Besides, I think I need to go get a Lasik tune up. I’ve been noticing things are starting to get blurrier than usu-
NIGEL
Meredith! Just shut up! Are you really so self-absorbed you don’t even recognize your own son anymore?
MEREDITH
[Starting to tear up] How could you say that? Of course, I recognize him. I just have so much on my mind… [MEREDITH begins crying] This case is killing me. I work my ass off to provide for you and Christian, you know? Everything I do is for him! How could you say I don’t know my son? I know my son…
NIGEL
[NIGEL leans over to console his wife] I know, I know. I’m sorry I lost my temper. I know you love us. I’m sorry.
The stage goes black as NIGEL holds a crying MEREDITH, and the curtain drops.
ACT II
The stage is divided in two. Stage right, very dimly lit, contains CARY and EXTRAS sitting around a poker table. Stage left is a living room with a sofa and coffee table. A wooden mini dry bar can be seen behind the sofa up against the wall. MEREDITH and NIGEL are seen sitting on the sofa, and appear to be watching television. A doorbell rings. NIGEL rises, walks off stage, and comes back with Sharon in tow. SHARON is carrying two bottles of wine, one in each hand.
SHARON
[SHARON dances into the living room, and presents MEREDITH with the wine bottles exclaiming] Here comes the party! [To NIGEL] You really better head over to my place soon! I’m pretty sure Cary and the other guys have gotten started by now. Besides, Meredith and I have some serious catching up to attend to!
NIGEL
Okay. Well, I’ll make sure I’m not out too late. [He kisses MEREDITH on the forehead and exits the stage.]
SHARON
Ok, now tell me!
[MEREDITH gets up and walks to the mini-bar]
MEREDITH
Tell you what?
SHARON
What the hell was going on with you and Nigel at the game today!
[MEREDITH comes back to the sofa with two wine glasses and a wine cork, and begins to open one of the bottles of wine.]
MEREDITH
Well, it all started wi-
[The lights dim to a low glow on stage right, and stage left becomes brightly lit as NIGEL enters into CARY’s living room. CARY is picking up cards and poker chips off of the table.]
CARY
You just missed the other guys. Game wasn’t very long tonight. I robbed ‘em of everything in an hour flat.
NIGEL
Good, I timed it just right then. I was afraid I would end up having to play a hand.
CARY
I told you I’ve been practicing online. Why do you doubt me? [pause] While I’m in the kitchen can I get you a drink?
NIGEL
Yeah. I need a stiff one after the day I’ve had. [CARY exits, and NIGEL raises his voice so CARY can hear him from the other room] Meredith is unbelievable! The only time she paid attention to the game today, she mistook Johnny Gibson for Christian. I don’t know how I’ve put up with her shit for fifteen years.
[CARY re-enters sipping his drink and hands a glass of scotch to NIGEL, who is standing directly in front of the poker table. Their fingers touch as the glass is exchanged, and NIGEL lifts his head to meet CARY’s gaze. The lights on stage right brighten, as those on stage left return to a low glow. One of the bottles of wine is on its side on the coffee table, and SHARON is pouring wine from the second bottle into the two glasses.]
MEREDITH
Where the fuck would I be without you, Sharon? My husband doesn’t get jack shit. Did I ever tell you that he almost divorced me about three years ago, right after we moved here? It was actually his idea that we hang out with you and Cary…only good idea the dumb bastard has ever had. All I know is Nigel became a hell of a lot easier to tolerate when he came home from poker nights with Cary and the guys. After a few months of testosterone-time [MEREDITH makes air quotes] and the whole divorce thing was just kind of forgotten…
[After Meredith’s air quotes, the lights on stage left slowly grow brighter to reach the same level as the lights spotlighting stage right. CARY brings his hand up to NIGEL’s face and caresses his cheek. Nigel leans in to kiss CARY.]
SHARON
Men! They’re so simple-minded and predictable. That’s why they don’t understand us! All it takes to keep them happy is a weekly poker game!
[CARY and NIGEL’s kiss grows more passionate, as NIGEL wipes aside the remaining cards off the poker table. CARY and NIGEL lie on the table making out, while SHARON and MEREDITH clink their wine glasses and laugh together.]
I loved this!
ReplyDeleteA little bit of dialogue felt forced to me, in Sharon's first line and Meredith's last. Also, I think an unneeded "and" snuck into this sentence:
"After a few months of testosterone-time [MEREDITH makes air quotes] and the whole divorce thing was just kind of forgotten"
Also, for the purposes of reading this, I liked how you described everyone's clothes because it set me up for their characters, the way that seeing them come onstage would before they talk. The only little problem is that such specific detail is stepping on the director's toes. I would just say that everyone is dressed casually except Meredith, who is in business clothes and heels.
Other than that, amazing job! I obviously love the ending and the irony and the foreshadowing and all. You really seem to have a flair for drama. I also love the way you use the set and lights in Act II, it's very clever. Also, I really appreciated the way that Meredith's story about the office was passed over by background noise, because Nigel just doesn't give a shit at this point.
I was thinking that if this were developed into a longer play, it would be effective to show Cary interacting with Meredith's son better than she does, but it's definitely fine as is.
Great job Tori!
ReplyDeleteWhat a twist at the end. I was totally shocked when their fingers touched on the glass. I thought it was interesting that I HATED both of the main characters in a good way. There was no good guy, no one to sympathize with, and i liked this because that's how it usually is in a dysfunctional marriage.
Sometimes your dialogue feels a little forced, and I don't think that Meredith would cry so easily at the game. It didn't feel genuine when I read it. Maybe she would be more defensive, or just stay disconnected.
I really liked it, though! So tense and uncomfortable in the good way!
Oh my! I loved your ending. It was a nice twist to a somewhat life-like marriage. I thought everything flowed really well. I would maybe show how Nigel is more of a mother-type and how Mereidth is into herself and her job more so the audience could angrier at Meredith and feel even more shocked at Nigel.
ReplyDeleteI also loved Sharon and Cary. They were awesome opposites to Nigel and Meredith. Great job!!
Great job! I love your use of split-stage during Act 2. It really showed the duality of their relationship. At the same time it really doesn't show how Cary's and Sharon's relationship is suffering, maybe have Sharon complain to Meredith about her relationship too. I loved how there was no "good guy" in the relationship either, they both had problems. I caught the hint right away when Cary's hand touched Nigels, very subtle but very effective. I can understand why Meredith would cry at the game. It sounds like she's under a lot of pressure from work and Nigel really doesn't care. Very tense play! I loved it.
ReplyDeletegreat job! I loved how you split the stage in two! It made it more dramatic! I also like how you told us what the characters were wearing. It helped me paint a clear picture of each of them. Like other people, I felt some of the dialogue was forced, but nothing too big! I also caught the hint right away when the two hands touched. Great job tori!
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
ReplyDeleteSome aspects i liked:
1. I liked the dialogue, the characters seemed real and their speech did as well. Great.
2. Loved the split stage. I used a similar technique in my drama assignment so msybe I'm biased, but i think it works well on stage.
3. Nice dramatic tension. You used irony well with the split stage effect.
I know this is only a short play, but you could really expand on this story! Why is Mere a bitch? Is she aware of her husband's infidelity? If not, will she find out? This story has a good driving fkrce behind it and i want to know more!
Instead if fadin the lights each Ike you switch, I would just have one side of the dialogue fade out and the other fade in. Alot of technical cues gets reall messy real fast and you don't want to risk dead air if one cue is late. I love the twist but I feel like we dot entirely reach a conclusion. I need a little denouement, like maybe Nigel coming home and he and Meredith ironically riches how their marriage is improving. Perhaps something to that effect.
ReplyDeleteYou used the stage very well at the end. A lot of the dialogue was too fast, so build a little more leading up to the end. The dialogue at the end was excellent. So ironic! But definitely expand more.
ReplyDelete