Come with Me: A Collection of Short Plays - Part 1
This October, ST.ART has compiled its first experimental dramatic writing collection to bring you Come with Me. Five student playwrights from St Andrews, Stirling and DePaul University (Chicago, USA) have collaborated to write a short series of one-page plays. The only rule was that each play had to begin with the line “Come with me.” The result is a wide range of creative interpretations, tones and situations. This is the first play of the cycle.
Picture sourced from https://goo.gl/v6oM9r
PLAY 1
By: Connor Bredbeck
And so there is a man. He is ordinary. He is average. His name is unnecessary. His story begins upon the screen once he leaves his job. He comes home, and is joined by himself in dialog. “A” enters his apartment.
A: Come with me. Let’s get bagels.
B: I really need to clean up.
A: Yeah, It’s pretty messy. (He goes to get a beer from the fridge, he goes to get the bottle opener, but cannot find it) Where did I put the…
B: (Runs over with widened eyes, concerned) Oh shit. Is it lost? Fuck. Where could I have put it! Oh my god!
A: It will turn up, no big deal just keep looking.
B: Oh fuck. I’m never gonna find it. I’ve had that since college! There are feelings attached to it! Like… Oh Jesus! I can’t remember! What’s wrong with me!!!
A: Can you just look please.
B: But…
A: (He finds the opener under the counter) Here, I found it. All good.
B: Oh thank god. (Takes a deep breath for a long pause) I need to go sit.
A: Please do. (He opens the bottle, then all of a sudden) It’s amazing.
B: How you can be around so many people…
A: Yet still feel so alone. (pause) At least I’m on the same page with someone.
B: That’s not saying much in this case, but it means a lot.
A: You know what I just realized.
B: Yes, but I’m going to pretend like I didn’t.
A: I am my own best friend.
B: Life can never get you down with that thought.
A: Never…we have all the same inside jokes.
B: That’s just sad.
A: Oh, existence is sad. We’re just spat out onto a rock and expected to figure it out.
B: There’s a network of other people, you know, that were in the exact same place as you. You
have to join the network in order to…
A: Oh, and what is this network, society?
B: The network is the human race, ya dum dummy. Ignorance looks bad on you, I learned that before you did.
A: No you didn’t, I just choose to ignore it.
B: Exactly. Come with me. Let’s get bagels and stare at people.