10-min play, draft 5

AGING MAN

She didn’t get to play it again.

She told me all those years ago, some thirty five years ago, she said, “Sammy I’ll play again, you’ll see, we’ll play again”.

We’ll play it again. We’ll play it again.

I don’t know how to play, I didn’t play it, I was fourteen but “we’ll play again”.

What will we play, what’s there to play?

Play, play, no such thing.

Looked up at her, a tall woman older than I was, still younger than most. Gone, she’s going. She’s going, am I going?

Shhh. shhhhh. If we hide her they can’t take her.

“If we hide her she’ll go anyway.”

They can’t take her.

“They need to take her.”

Hide her.

“It’s time.”

Jimmy?

“He’ll be fine.”

She won’t play again.

[Enter KID]

AGING MAN

She didn’t get to play it again.

KID What

AGING MAN

She told me all those years ago, some thirty five years ago, she said, “Sammy I’ll play again, you’ll see, we’ll play again”.

KID What play

AGING MAN

A piano.

KID

What that?

AGING MAN

It doesn’t matter now forget it.

KID

Tell

AGING MAN

I said no.

KID

Fine.

AGING MAN

You should go be with her before she leaves tomorrow.

KID

Why she go

AGING MAN

You know why, she can’t take care of herself anymore so they’re taking her away.

KID You go Tio

AGING MAN

Hmm?

KID

Someday you go

AGING MAN

Maybe, but that’s okay Jim

KID Why

AGING MAN

You’ll go someday too, we’ll all go.

KID

No I stay

AGING MAN

Okay okay go on now, go.

KID

What pino tell

AGING MAN

Pi-an-o

KID

Pi-an-o

AGING MAN

It’s something she played to make music

KID

Music

I want

AGING MAN

I’m sorry

KID

What for

AGING MAN

I’m so sorry

KID

What Tio

AGING MAN

Your abuela is going, your abuela is going

KID

Tio

AGING MAN

We’re going, we’re going -

KID No we stay we stay

AGING MAN

- we found you on the side of the street, you were so small, so small -

KID

Abuela

AGING MAN

- she loved you so much, so fast -

KID Pi-ano

AGING MAN

You children, my god, I’m so sorry we should be so sorry -

KID

Tell about piano

AGING MAN

All of us should tell you -

KID

What it sound like

AGING MAN

- should say we’re sorry -

KID

Piano TELL

AGING MAN

We’re not human.

KID

Tio

AGING MAN

Yes?

KID

What it sound

AGING MAN

It sounds soft but it’s big and it has many small white and black things, they’re called keys I think. Haven’t seen one since they took ours away when I was a boy.

KID

I never see one

AGING MAN

No one has, not anymore at least

KID It cost much gallons

AGING MAN

This was before gallons but yes, it was expensive.

KID

Tio idea

AGING MAN

What?

KID

We get piano

AGING MAN

Huh?

KID

We get piano abuela get better

AGING MAN

Oh no, no, she won’t.

KID

But

AGING MAN

It’s too late now Jim, she’s old, she’s tired and she’s done it’s okay.

KID

We take care her

AGING MAN

We can barely take care of ourselves

KID No wrong

AGING MAN

You will miss her.

KID

She want leave she leave

AGING MAN

She doesn’t want to leave!

KID

That what all say but how matter

AGING MAN

She still loves you.

KID

How matter

AGING MAN

She has no choice -

KID

What that mean

AGING MAN

This is how it is and she wants to accept it.

KID

How much gallons she gave to say this

AGING MAN

Not a drop.

[Wait.]

KID

No pianos now

AGING MAN

No they were sold off between the rich

KID

Rich people

AGING MAN

Luxuries cost a lot -

KID

Rich people in jeans

AGING MAN

- where are they now?

KID Keep all things

AGING

- how is it none of us have seen a single piano in years -

KID They steal they steal

AGING MAN

- where do they keep them, maybe they even sell the parts -

KID It for abuela no rich jeans people

AGING MAN

- Jimmy, they took many things many years ago, things to keep safe, paintings, books, instruments maybe.

KID They took

AGING MAN Yes yes they took the things and -

KID

Where where

AGING MAN

- I don’t know I think they collected things in one of those old museums or places like that…

KID They keep pianos they keep pianos

Piano be there maybe piano be there

What piano don’t know

Abuela play Abuela leave tomorrow no Abuela leave

Abuela tired she play she play please

Where piano what mus-e-um don’t know nothing know

Abuela gone then we gone also

If she play then she stay cause music come and we happy and we no forget

Everyone then know Abuela if Abuela play

Remember Abuela then no one forget we remember music we happy

Happy happy Tio what happy

You happy

Don’t know what happy

How much gallons make happy

“Not drop”

How all need gallons need water water we thirsty

“Happy free”

Ya why for rich only no no we happy we be happy

“We no human”

Music make human

“Go say Abuela bye”

No bye Abuela play music before she go

Music make happy

“Go say Abuela”

Music make happy

“Go say Abuela bye”

Music make happy

“Go say Abuela bye she die”

Music make

Music make ha

Music make hap

Music make happy

Make Abuela happy

She no go

Tio no go never

[Wait]

KID

Come we get piano

AGING MAN

What do you mean?

KID

For Abuela we go get piano

AGING MAN

How, there’s no way -

KID Don’t matter we find way

Let go

AGING MAN

There’s no point, she goes tomorrow!

KID

Before she go she play she play piano

Let go let go now

Come

Abuela play again

Before she go

Let get piano

End.