A horrible evening.
DINNER FOR TWO - a play
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DINNER FOR TWO - A Play
- Pronouns
- He/Him
DINNER FOR TWO
CAST:
ROSE, a melancholy man
GILL, a former athlete
WAITER
~
[SETTING: A long wooden bench, as used in the fancier sort of restaurant sits behind two tables; one on the left, short, set for one, one on the right, long, set for six. They are both covered in white tablecloths – stark, bright. The silver- and glassware is fine. At both are water and wine and bread and butter. All the glasses are filled. The table on the left has one chair, empty. The table on the right has three. In them, along with another on the bench, are cloth dummies, with crudely drawn-on faces and rough wigs. At the left table sits ROSE, dressed modern, but plainly, too casual for the setting. He is reading a book. It is obscure.]
ENTER RIGHT, GILL (dressed in a rumpled suit, with a slight limp): Boys!
[The dummies sit silent. Gill goes to pat one on the shoulder but thinks better of it. He rounds the table, and notices ROSE]
GILL: Look who it is!
ROSE (startled from a reverie): Sorry?
GILL: Don't apologize. It's been too long. Did you guys arrange this?
[He looks back to the dummies, who are silent.]
ROSE: I don't know-
GILL [snapping back to Rose]: How dare you? Forget me?
ROSE: No! No. I remember you. Your friends.
GILL: Well, the stars align.
ROSE: Cross, I think.
GILL: Exactly!
[ROSE laughs without smiling]
GILL: So, you're back in town?
ROSE: I never left.
GILL: Right, right. No sense of adventure?
ROSE: There's plenty here.
[Unconsciously, ROSE puts his hand on his book. Gill notices.]
GILL: Well, you seem just as you were.
[Gill laughs, too loud]
ROSE: You don't.
GILL: No?
ROSE: You're ignoring your friends.
GILL: Ah!
[He sits on the bench, right beside the silent dummy there. For a moment, he moves in close – but if drawn by wire, at the last moment, turns to ROSE again, who has reopened his book. As they speak, GILL scoots closer and closer.]
GILL: Aren't you curious?
ROSE: What?
[ROSE keeps holding the book]
GILL: You're not happy to see me.
ROSE: No – sorry – just tired, that's all.
GILL: Bullshit. You can read this crap-
[GILL grabs the book; ROSE does not let go]
ROSE: Stop it!
GILL: Give it up!
[With a tug, GILL tugs it out of Roses hands. He grins in triumph, then looks at it for a second, not noticing it's upside down.]
GILL: You can read Greek?
ROSE: It's not-
GILL: Well, whatever it is, it's no fucking adventure.
[GILL shuts it with a slam, then holds it keep-away]
GILL: Ask me what it was like.
ROSE: Gill-
GILL: Ask me! I'm your fucking friend.
ROSE: Can I please have my-
GILL: No! You know what I'm talking about.
ROSE: I don't care.
[GILL gapes – the only break in his confidence so far. A bell rings, and WAITER enters LEFT, serving several large plates of spaghetti marinara to the dummies and GILL. He then exits LEFT; re-enters with a small tiramisu, serves it to ROSE]
WAITER: Bon appetit!
[WAITER EXITS LEFT. ROSE eats, silently. GILL plays with his food. He is only silent for a few moments.]
GILL: Neither do I.
[ROSE keeps eating.]
GILL: It's over now.
[ROSE keeps eating.]
GILL: I'm somebody new.
[ROSE's spoon clinks uglily against the plate.]
ROSE: What ended it?
GILL: Knee.
ROSE: I'm sorry.
GILL: You better be.
ROSE: Might I have my book?
GILL: Can you teach me?
ROSE: What?
GILL: How to stay.
[ROSE turns to look at Gill straight on. His expression is closed.]
ROSE: Don't you dare.
GILL: I always do.
ROSE: Not now. You have no right-
GILL: Right? Right! I did everything right!
[As GILL speaks, he waves out his arms, knocking his meal to the floor. ROSE scoffs]
GILL: You see! I'm fucked!
ROSE: You made your own grave.
GILL: You're in it!
[A pause.]
GILL: Why are you here, anyways? You get stood up?
ROSE: I – sure.
GILL: Sure.
ROSE: What do you want me to say?
GILL: Let me care.
ROSE: I don't.
GILL: Maybe that's why you're eating alone.
ROSE: Any hope of that-
[ROSE takes a swig of his wine. GILL, who's gaze has been fixed on ROSE, notices there's no other place setting.]
GILL: Bullshit.
ROSE: What now?
GILL: There's nobody else.
ROSE: What are you talking-
GILL: There hasn't been, has there?
[ROSE looks away.]
GILL: Goal.
ROSE: Shut up.
GILL: No.
ROSE: Shut up!
GILL: Never.
ROSE: Shut the fuck up!
[GILL, sliding up right beside him, puts a finger to ROSE'S lips]
GILL: You're making a scene, lover-boy.
[ROSE stands up.]
ROSE: Eat shit.
GILL: If that's what you're into.
[GILL laughs alone.]
ROSE: Jesus.
[ROSE grabs for his book, but GILL holds on tight.]
GILL: Weird pet-name, but I'll go for it.
ROSE: Give it here.
GILL: Why?
ROSE: Wh- It's mine!
GILL: And so am I.
ROSE: Don't say shit like that.
GILL: Isn't that what you want?
ROSE: Never.
GILL: Really?
[GILL moves closer]
GILL: You're smart.
[GILL moves closer]
GILL: You know better.
[GILL kisses ROSE who remains for one second, face conflicted, before he pulls back.]
ROSE: You don't get to do that now.
[GILL grins]
GILL: I did.
[ROSE punches GILL in the face.]
ROSE: Welcome home.
[ROSE storms out, LEFT]
[GILL watches him go, then spits blood. Some stains the tablecloth, mixing with the split sauce. He clutches the book and then leans back in his seat. WAITER enters RIGHT]
WAITER: Monsieurs?
GILL: Ah! Could I get a menu? I'm planning to stay.
FIN.
AN: Something for fun.
CAST:
ROSE, a melancholy man
GILL, a former athlete
WAITER
~
[SETTING: A long wooden bench, as used in the fancier sort of restaurant sits behind two tables; one on the left, short, set for one, one on the right, long, set for six. They are both covered in white tablecloths – stark, bright. The silver- and glassware is fine. At both are water and wine and bread and butter. All the glasses are filled. The table on the left has one chair, empty. The table on the right has three. In them, along with another on the bench, are cloth dummies, with crudely drawn-on faces and rough wigs. At the left table sits ROSE, dressed modern, but plainly, too casual for the setting. He is reading a book. It is obscure.]
ENTER RIGHT, GILL (dressed in a rumpled suit, with a slight limp): Boys!
[The dummies sit silent. Gill goes to pat one on the shoulder but thinks better of it. He rounds the table, and notices ROSE]
GILL: Look who it is!
ROSE (startled from a reverie): Sorry?
GILL: Don't apologize. It's been too long. Did you guys arrange this?
[He looks back to the dummies, who are silent.]
ROSE: I don't know-
GILL [snapping back to Rose]: How dare you? Forget me?
ROSE: No! No. I remember you. Your friends.
GILL: Well, the stars align.
ROSE: Cross, I think.
GILL: Exactly!
[ROSE laughs without smiling]
GILL: So, you're back in town?
ROSE: I never left.
GILL: Right, right. No sense of adventure?
ROSE: There's plenty here.
[Unconsciously, ROSE puts his hand on his book. Gill notices.]
GILL: Well, you seem just as you were.
[Gill laughs, too loud]
ROSE: You don't.
GILL: No?
ROSE: You're ignoring your friends.
GILL: Ah!
[He sits on the bench, right beside the silent dummy there. For a moment, he moves in close – but if drawn by wire, at the last moment, turns to ROSE again, who has reopened his book. As they speak, GILL scoots closer and closer.]
GILL: Aren't you curious?
ROSE: What?
[ROSE keeps holding the book]
GILL: You're not happy to see me.
ROSE: No – sorry – just tired, that's all.
GILL: Bullshit. You can read this crap-
[GILL grabs the book; ROSE does not let go]
ROSE: Stop it!
GILL: Give it up!
[With a tug, GILL tugs it out of Roses hands. He grins in triumph, then looks at it for a second, not noticing it's upside down.]
GILL: You can read Greek?
ROSE: It's not-
GILL: Well, whatever it is, it's no fucking adventure.
[GILL shuts it with a slam, then holds it keep-away]
GILL: Ask me what it was like.
ROSE: Gill-
GILL: Ask me! I'm your fucking friend.
ROSE: Can I please have my-
GILL: No! You know what I'm talking about.
ROSE: I don't care.
[GILL gapes – the only break in his confidence so far. A bell rings, and WAITER enters LEFT, serving several large plates of spaghetti marinara to the dummies and GILL. He then exits LEFT; re-enters with a small tiramisu, serves it to ROSE]
WAITER: Bon appetit!
[WAITER EXITS LEFT. ROSE eats, silently. GILL plays with his food. He is only silent for a few moments.]
GILL: Neither do I.
[ROSE keeps eating.]
GILL: It's over now.
[ROSE keeps eating.]
GILL: I'm somebody new.
[ROSE's spoon clinks uglily against the plate.]
ROSE: What ended it?
GILL: Knee.
ROSE: I'm sorry.
GILL: You better be.
ROSE: Might I have my book?
GILL: Can you teach me?
ROSE: What?
GILL: How to stay.
[ROSE turns to look at Gill straight on. His expression is closed.]
ROSE: Don't you dare.
GILL: I always do.
ROSE: Not now. You have no right-
GILL: Right? Right! I did everything right!
[As GILL speaks, he waves out his arms, knocking his meal to the floor. ROSE scoffs]
GILL: You see! I'm fucked!
ROSE: You made your own grave.
GILL: You're in it!
[A pause.]
GILL: Why are you here, anyways? You get stood up?
ROSE: I – sure.
GILL: Sure.
ROSE: What do you want me to say?
GILL: Let me care.
ROSE: I don't.
GILL: Maybe that's why you're eating alone.
ROSE: Any hope of that-
[ROSE takes a swig of his wine. GILL, who's gaze has been fixed on ROSE, notices there's no other place setting.]
GILL: Bullshit.
ROSE: What now?
GILL: There's nobody else.
ROSE: What are you talking-
GILL: There hasn't been, has there?
[ROSE looks away.]
GILL: Goal.
ROSE: Shut up.
GILL: No.
ROSE: Shut up!
GILL: Never.
ROSE: Shut the fuck up!
[GILL, sliding up right beside him, puts a finger to ROSE'S lips]
GILL: You're making a scene, lover-boy.
[ROSE stands up.]
ROSE: Eat shit.
GILL: If that's what you're into.
[GILL laughs alone.]
ROSE: Jesus.
[ROSE grabs for his book, but GILL holds on tight.]
GILL: Weird pet-name, but I'll go for it.
ROSE: Give it here.
GILL: Why?
ROSE: Wh- It's mine!
GILL: And so am I.
ROSE: Don't say shit like that.
GILL: Isn't that what you want?
ROSE: Never.
GILL: Really?
[GILL moves closer]
GILL: You're smart.
[GILL moves closer]
GILL: You know better.
[GILL kisses ROSE who remains for one second, face conflicted, before he pulls back.]
ROSE: You don't get to do that now.
[GILL grins]
GILL: I did.
[ROSE punches GILL in the face.]
ROSE: Welcome home.
[ROSE storms out, LEFT]
[GILL watches him go, then spits blood. Some stains the tablecloth, mixing with the split sauce. He clutches the book and then leans back in his seat. WAITER enters RIGHT]
WAITER: Monsieurs?
GILL: Ah! Could I get a menu? I'm planning to stay.
FIN.
AN: Something for fun.
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