a scene

The curtain rises on a dark stage.

A woman screams in frustration.

A man's voice, coming from the opposite end of the stage chuckes and says "Honey..." in a calming tone.

A glass shatters on the man's side of the stage.

The stage lights come up, slowly, to reveal the scene.

A woman stands with her back facing the audience. She is wearing a little black dress. Her hair is slightly tussled. A man is standing opposite her, facing the audience. He is dressed in a tux, though his bowtie is undone and his shirt is untucked. There is not much furniture on the stage. The woman is standing next to a table. A high top surrounded by four chairs. There are a number of wine glasses on the table, some knocked over, as well as several empty bottles of wine. The man is standing behind a large recliner, taking cover. The man and the woman each has a spotlight on them, but the rest of the scene remains fairly dark.

The woman lets out another cry of frustration and heaves another glass at the man.

He dodges out of the way as the glass explodes against the wall beside him. As it does, the woman lets out a giggle.

Man (still calm) : Hey, hey hey! Let me explain!

Woman (loudly) : You Can't Just --

Man: Not to you. To them. Let me explain to them...

The man guestures to the audience. The woman turns to see who the man is talking about and recognizes the presence of the audience.

Woman (exhasperated) : Fine!

She throws her hands up in the air in frustration and makes her way to sit in the recliner. As she does this, the Man makes his way towards the front, center of the stage. As the two pass each other, the man attempts to pull the woman by her hips in to him for a kiss, but she spins deftly out of his reach and plops gracefully into the chair, giggling away. The Man shakes his head and smiles as he reaches center stage.

Man: It wasn't always like this. We used to love each other--

Woman: We still love each other

Man: Ok, fine. We still love each other. But it used to be different

Woman: Much different

Man: Fine. We love each other, but it used to be much different

Woman: Better.

Man: Better. Wait. Better?

(He looks over his shoulder at the Woman, to find her smiling back)

Woman: Different.

Man (looking back towards the audience, smiling) : So as I was saying... We love each other. We always have and

(takes a peek back at the Woman)

Man: and we always will. It used to be different, though. Less of these types of fireworks...

(He picks up one of the wine glasses off the table and hurls it at the wall above the Woman. As the glass shatters above her, the Woman lets out a short scream followed by laughter)

Man: and more of these types of fireworks...

(The man turns and runs towards the woman, he drops to his knees and slides towards her. As he does so, the woman pulls her feet up onto the chair and giggles. when the man reaches her, he springs to his feet, lifting her off the chair. She screams again, laughing as he spins her around the room in his arms. they're both laughing. he puts her back down in the chair and them moves behind her, behind the chair, standing over her. He leans down.)

Man: Do you remeber when we first met?

Woman: Nope. I've completely blocked that from my mind.

Man: Well I haven't...

(The stage lights go on all the way to reveal the rest of the stage. It is a high school classroom. The teacher is standing at a chalkboard on the far right of the stage, facing the left. The desks are in three rows of four, heading back towards the left side of the stage where the Man and the Woman are seated. All the desks are filled except one. The corner desk, at center stage. All the students are talking excitedly as the teacher writes on the chalkboard. As the bell starts ringing, all the students settle down and face the teacher.)

Teacher: Welcome to Contemporary Lit. I believe I have had every single one of you before, but just in case you've forgotten over the summer, I am--

(A boy comes bursting in to the room. He quickly takes a look around the room. He sees the last empty desk and rushes in to it.)

Teacher (obviously annoyed) : I am Mr. McCourt. And you, sir, are late.

Woman (from her spot in the chair) : You were always late.

Man: Hush now, I'm trying to tell a story here....

....

And that's the start of my play. So the whole thing unfolds like that. The couple tell the story of what took them from meeting in high school to the event that leads them to throwing wine glasses at each other; making amusing comments and interuptions the entire time.

What do you think?