Balancing on the Wind.

Stage Play

By Rich Henry

Copyright 2000

The Birthplace of dreams CLICK FOR LARGER IMAGE

Main Characters: Sarah, earthy type, slightly sad. Michael, middle class, arty, in love with Sarah but too shy to speak to her. Carolyn, Michael's uninhibited friend. Tim, Sarah's cynical friend, he once dated Sarah. Carolyn is friends with Tim and knows Sarah socially, although they never speak of Michael.

The time is winter, the year 1987. The place is a rural college campus.

ACT ONE

INT. COFFEEHOUSE -- MORNING

Michael comes into the seating area of the college coffeehouse carrying a cup of coffee. He sits by himself at an empty table and looks around and then opens a campus paper. He is facing the audience. He seems edgy, nervous trying to act casual. He constantly looks up from his paper.

MICHAEL

(Sips his coffee and looks around.)

Out of the corner of his eye he spots a woman walking his in direction. She crosses stage left to right, slowly, deliberately. He becomes very tense and looks down at his paper wondering what to do. A tall strawberry blonde walks past him. She is nervous too but carries it off better. She is dressed in a white peasant dress and sandals. She is wearing very little makeup.

SARAH

(walks past him on her way outside. Looks at him but turns away the moment Michael looks up.)

She walks right past him does not look at him. It is obvious she is ignoring him. She goes and sits outside with a clipboard-Stage Right. The sun is shining brightly on her giving her a very beautiful profile. Michael cannot do anything but stare at her from behind his cup of coffee. Michael gets out a book on Sartre to try and impress her should she come back inside. Michael cannot stop staring at her, occasionally she looks over at him. After a few minutes she comes back in and breezes past him to stage left. He makes a pathetic attempt to make eye contact with her but she just keeps walking on by.

MICHAEL

(sighs heavily.)

She's really beautiful. How can I meet someone like her?

(he looks at his drab clothes)

I wonder what she's is like? I bet she is really nice, really sweet, and smart and fun.

COFFEEHOUSE -- EVENING ONE

Michael is sitting inside the coffeehouse with his friend Carolyn. Michael is looking around for Sarah so he can show her to Carolyn. Michael seems to have become very earthy. He is wearing earth tones, and sandals. They are talking about their art classes.

CAROLYN

(relaxed tone)

I think he has some great ideas. I like him much better than the sculpture teacher. He seems a little arrogant. Have you seen him?

MICHAEL

(looking around)

No. But your right about Oxford. He really knows his shit. I like the fact he doesn't really respect the establishment.

CAROLYN

I get the feeling some people in the class don't like him though.

MICHAEL

Really? Like who?

CAROLYN

A couple of those older ladies.

MICHAEL

(obviously looking for sarah)

I think they are used to the other teachers who sort of let them do what they want. I think he'll force them to think too much and they don't like that.

CAROLYN

(drinks her coffee)

I hear there's a party this weekend.

MICHAEL

Yeah? Where at?

CAROLYN

I'm not exactly sure but I have the flyer in my room. I'll call you with the details.

MICHAEL

Cool.

CAROLYN

So where's this woman that your so smitten with?

MICHAEL

(searches the room)

I don't know. I usually see her here around this time. I think she's a supervisor or something.

CAROLYN

What does she look like?

MICHAEL

Straight reddish blonde hair. Blue eyes and a kind of crooked smile. She's very earthy.

CAROLYN

(grinning and looking at his clothes)

So, that explains it.

MICHAEL

(caught)

Yeah, well...

CAROLYN

Does she have a boyfriend?

MICHAEL

I don't think so but I don't really know.

CAROLYN

You should ask her out.

MICHAEL

I want you to see her first and get your opinion. There is something about her.

CAROLYN

Wow. You're really smitten aren't you?

MICHAEL

I'm afraid so. But I just have nothing to say to her.

CAROLYN

Why don't you just say hi?

MICHAEL

Because after I say 'hi', I have to say something else and that's where I get tripped up.

CAROLYN

Funny.

MICHAEL

How do you figure?

CAROLYN

If you weren't attracted to her you could probably just walk up to her and say anything.

MICHAEL

It's because if I wasn't attracted to her I wouldn't notice her reaction. When you're attracted so someone you really react to their body language. I don't want to just start talking about nothing. I want to come across as intelligent.

CAROLYN

But that's so fake.

(smiles)

She'll know if your trying to hard. It will come off as insincere. She's just a person, treat her like one.

MICHAEL

(casual)

You're no fun.

CAROLYN

(surprised)

Why do you say that?

MICHAEL

(leans forward)

Well, part of the fun of meeting someone new, is talking about it with your friends. Sort of plotting how you're going to meet her. Don't you think?

CAROLYN

I guess. But you've been wanting to talk to her for three weeks. Constantly telling me about her; it's time to step up.

MICHAEL

It's because she knows I want to talk to her that I can't. That's how all this tension was created. When we finally do meet it will be such a let down.

CAROLYN

I wouldn't way that! You can't be so extreme. You can't really have an engaging conversation until you know what she's interested in. She probably wants to learn about you too, otherwise she would walk right past.

MICHAEL

(shrugs)

CAROLYN

Sometimes you say more by saying nothing.

MICHAEL

(not convinced)

I don't...

CAROLYN

You two try so hard to ignore each other; but in such a way that the other is aware of it!

MICHAEL

(rolls his head)

If I'm going to try this hard to ignore her I want her to know how much effort I'm puting into it.



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