Silence in the Theater

Mar 20, 2008 - 23:36 PM PST

ESTB. Empty Theater, Stage Curtain is Open

BACKSTAGE. Looking Diagonally Across Stage to Seats
We hear footsteps coming closer from behind camera. ARIN (18-21) walks into frame. He is tall, skinny and he slouches just slightly. Drops backpack in front of camera. He walks towards center of stage.

M.S. of ARIN’s back looking at empty audience. He breathes in deeply through his nose.

C.U. of ARIN’s face. He slowly opens his eyes. They drift and wander. A tiny grin creeps onto his face.

L.S. from Audience. ARIN walks to edge of the stage, hands in pockets. Metal scraping can be heard O.S.

M.S. ARIN is startled and looks in direction of sound. He looks confused and almost disappointed.

L.S. from audience again. KERA (18-21), a thin girl in jeans and a zip-up hoodie walks towards Arin.

M.S. of ARIN and KERA are facing each other. ARIN still looks confused. KERA looks expressionless at him. Her eyes stare straight into him.

KERA:
It’s good to see you again, Arin. I missed you. How long has it been?

ARIN:
(Mesmerized. There are long pauses between each sentence.)
Three weeks. (Long pause) You missed me? But we like, never talked. Ever.

KERA:
I know we never spoke. That’s been my biggest regret, never saying what was on my mind. That’s why I’m here. To finally spend some time alone with you.
(Pause. Slightly sarcastic.)
Can we sit anywhere?

ARIN:
(confused now)
Um, yeah. Sure.
ARIN turns to walk down the steps into the audience but not before KERA grabs his hand. ARIN stops, looks stunned but shakes it off and leads her down to the middle of the audience. They take seats dead-center and look onto the empty stage. Throughout the dialogue, eye contact is rare. When KERA speaks, she looks longingly at ARIN who stares at his knees. When ARIN speaks, he alternates his gaze from the stage, to his knees to KERA. By the end, they are both looking at each other with sad expressions.
ARIN:
(breaths through his nose loudly)
I love it when it’s like this.

KERA:
(interested)
When what is like this?

ARIN:
When this theater is empty. I mean, it’s so rare to find a place to perfectly quite these days. It’s…refreshing.

KERA:
Nowhere is quiet anymore. But this is about the best you can do. Bit ironic though, don’t you think? Finding silence in a theater?

M.S. from behind looking over empty theater for a moment before going back to the two-shots.

ARIN:
(more stern than he intended)
Bit ironic that you’ve come to see me now, after all that’s happened.

KERA:
(slightly upset)
I guess I was waiting for the right moment. But I ended up just waiting and waiting and waiting, assuming that the right moment would present itself to me.

ARIN:
(after a while)
But then why now? Has the moment presented itself or are just sick of waiting?

KERA:
(serious yet saddened)
No, the moment hasn’t presented itself yet, but I don’t think that it ever will. But that’s what we awkward kids do best, isn’t it? Waiting until something unrealistic happens?


ARIN:
Haha yeah, I guess you’re right. A bit sad though.

KERA:
(After a pause, KERA gets up and hops over the row in front of them so that she is on her knees facing ARIN from the chair in front of him. )
Yeah but that’s what I’m sick of Arin; I’m tired of waiting on myself. The right moment hasn’t presented itself yet because you and I haven’t created it. I’m sorry that I’m ruining your silence here but it’s time that we started speaking to eachother out loud so that the whole audience can hear. (gesturing to the empty theater)

ARIN:
You’re not ruining anything, Kera. To be honest, its been great seeing you and hearing your voice. I can’t think of a more appropriate place for us to be talking....But I’m still not sure why you’re actually here.

KERA:
(She inhales deeply and slowly).
I came here to break our silence, Arin. I came here to tell you how I felt...How I still feel.
(Another pause with a deep breath)
Everytime I see you, my heart starts pounding against my rib cage. If you ever looked my way, regardless if you saw me or not, my cheeks burned and I had to look away. And as creepy as it sounds, I really can’t tell you how many times I fell asleep to the thought of us being together.
(Pausing. With a breath)
I…I just needed you to know.
(On her last line, KERA shrinks back and looks down. ARIN is also staring down, absorbing what KERA just said)

ARIN:
(After a moment, he turns to KERA and smiles a little)
You know, it’s funny, when you finally say the words that I’ve been wanting to hear for six months, I almost wish you hadn’t

KERA:
Why?

ARIN:
Because I felt (catching himself)…I feel the same way about you.

KERA:
(concerned)
But now you know that this wasn’t just some fantasy, Arin. You can sleep knowing that there was something real that we shared. Maybe the only thing we ever got to share.

ARIN:
( Cutting her off with a remorseful half-smile.)
And now I know what I missed because I didn’t have the balls to act. I can’t move on now Kera. Not when I know that I was so close to being with the girl I love.

KERA:
(Long pause as she stares at the stage)

Love is a strong word, Arin. You didn’t love me. You were infatuated with me. You and I both wanted to be needed. Someone to make us feel loved, not someone to fall in love with.

ARIN:
(defensive)
I’ve barely slept these past three weeks Kera. God, every night I convinced myself to just grab you and kiss you on the mouth but by the morning, I could barely say “hi” to you.
(short pause)
But now all of a sudden, you’re here, looking right at me and I know exactly how I feel. It’s love, Kera, and I know that that’s how you feel too.

KERA:

(after a long pause-KERA is thinking)
You’re right Arin. I do love you. Maybe I was just hoping that this was something other than love so this would be easier. But its too late for that. I guess it’s too late for a lot of things, huh?

ARIN:
Yeah, but I guess it’s okay now. You gave me the chance to say what I never could…. I got to finally say that I love you.

ARIN looks at her. KERA smiles and leans forward and gives ARIN a long, soft kiss on the lips.

KERA:
(almost whispering. Looking deep into ARIN’s eyes)
You gave me that same chance. I love you too Arin.

A quick, soft kiss on the lips again. KERA gets up and starts to walk back to the stage, still facing ARIN.

ARIN:
(After a long pause he calls out.)
Kera!
(KERA turns her head)
I still wonder what would have happened had I been there.

KERA:
(Turning to face him. Sad but earnest)
I know Arin, but there’s nothing you could have done. I died as soon as the car flipped over and you would have died too, so be grateful you weren’t there.

ARIN
(Knowing this to be true, though he still wishes otherwise)
I know. But still, I like to imagine how things could have been.

KERA:
So do I.

ARIN:
(pause)
How can I find you again?

KERA:
(Walking to the stage, talking over her shoulder. Smiles)
The same place we always found each other; in the seconds before sleeps takes you.
(Pause)
Goodbye Arin.
(She walks off of the stage)

Arin gets up and runs up to the stage and off towards where KERA left. She is gone. ARIN leans his head against the wall and breathes slowly.

M.S. Professor in doorway. One hand on the door frame, one on his hip.
PROF.
(Oblivious to ARIN’s state)
Hey Arin, could you set up the shell for me today?

ARIN:
(taking a moment)
Yeah, sure.

PROF.
Thanks. Check in with me when you’re done.

ARIN
Alright.

PROF. leaves doorway. ARIN walks slowly towards the center of the stage and looks out over the empty audience. He stands there silently and then walks out of the frame and the lights dim.

THE END.



*This is not a final draft so I'd appreciate your comments. Thanks.