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A cutting from HOTLINE by Wes Chick
Copyright 1993 Unpublished work Wes Chick
Wwindship@yahoo.com
(From Notes on the Text) ...the text works best when performed in the
round or full "Arena" staging. Only the Hotline space (Center)
is defined in full realism. The acting area used by the "Clients", for the bar
scene, the alley scene, and the hospital
scene, is simply a network of platforms and levels surrounding the Hotline space.
There is no need to give the "Clients" phones, phone receivers, or any prop
to suggest a phone. Full freedom of movement, or some other character
related prop, allows these actors to quickly define the character. The "Clients"
are being seen from the point of view of the Hotline. There is no reason
for them to have phones. The "Workers" within the Hotline may use headsets.
This minimizes the suggestion of a phone and allows freedom of movement.
It works to conform with the convention, physically and visually, that no one
is handling a phone receiver.
In the following scene, ZACH, a Crisis Hotline Counselor, is once again confronted
with his chronic caller, DAWN. ZACH works the graveyard
shift alone. The time would be approximately 5:00 A.M.
(The phone trills. Lights come up on DAWN as ZACH answers.
DAWN is a neatly dressed, precise, business woman.
She is holding a large book of matches. )
ZACH
Crisis Hotline, may I help you?
DAWN
Hello, Z-boy.
ZACH
Dawn? Why are you calling?
DAWN
It's time.
ZACH
No, it's not morning. It's not . . .
DAWN
Does it matter?
ZACH
Dawn?
DAWN
Dawn time, for Dawn. You miss me?
ZACH
I, uh . . .
DAWN
That's okay, baby. I'm right here. You recording?
ZACH
No. You know this is the personal line.
DAWN
When will you lie to me?
(DAWN strikes a match. She holds it
between two fingers and watches it burn.)
ZACH
I don't lie to you.
DAWN
No? You just tell me truths I don't want to hear. You miss me?
ZACH
Look, I can't, uh . . . I can't.
DAWN
You can't? Can't anything at all?
ZACH
It's not morning yet.
DAWN
It's after midnight. Dawn time is any time I like. Hey, you miss me? What's
the matter? You miss me?
ZACH
Dawn, you're gonna have to work out some other way, some other way to . . .
You've got to talk to someone.
DAWN
Answer my question. You miss me, Shithead?
(Pause. DAWN strikes another match.)
ZACH
Yeah. Yeah, I missed you. Where you been?
DAWN
And I'm talking to you, right? That's someone, isn't it? Or maybe not. Maybe
not, huh?
ZACH
I'm not sure.
DAWN
Why? Why aren't you sure, Z-boy? Because you can't help? What does Z-boy stand
for tonight?
Zero? Or zircon. Maybe after all this time you're starting to come up in the
world. Zircon is better
than nothing. It's fake but at least it's something.
ZACH
So, you've had a bad evening.
DAWN
Fuck you.
ZACH
I'm sorry. How was your evening?
DAWN
Too late, Z-boy. You already guessed. What do you want to do?
ZACH
Dawn, look, we don't have to do this now.
DAWN
We'll do it when ever I say.
(DAWN strikes another match. She
holds the palm of her hand over the flame.)
ZACH
Let's do something else. We could go look at the kids. That'd be nice. Look
in on them sleeping. Dawn? Please?
DAWN
I don't care to be distracted, Z-boy. Play by the rules.
ZACH
Let's get past this. It's not even time. It's not . . .
(Pause.)
ZACH (Cont.)
You haven't called in a while. What have you been doing?
DAWN
You mean, what happens the mornings I don't call?
ZACH
Yeah, okay. Things go good when you don't call?
DAWN
I run late. I just have to wake up in the car.
(DAWN takes a razor blade and a few tissues from a pocket.)
ZACH
That's not . . . very safe.
DAWN
You've got to be kidding. I'll call you on my cell. You can join me every morning.
ZACH
It doesn't have to be every morning. We could just talk.
DAWN
I don't have time for this, Z-boy. What's it gonna be?
ZACH
No, Dawn. Just stop.
DAWN
Cut or burn? What's it gonna be?
ZACH
I'm not a part of this.
DAWN
You're making a lot of stupid statements today. Choose. Cut or burn.
ZACH
No.
DAWN
Hurry up.
ZACH
No.
DAWN
Cut.
(With quick precision, Dawn pulls up the sleeve of her left
arm.
She takes the razor blade and pushes it into the skin of her inner
left forearm. She does not slice. She simply pushes and holds
the blade there. She bleeds.)
DAWN
You need to learn to make decisions more quickly. You've always been lousy at
that. Oh, my.
ZACH
What?
DAWN
I'm waking up.
ZACH
God.
DAWN
I don't think so. You wanna say it.
ZACH
Dawn . . .
DAWN
Very good. Go on.
ZACH
No. I meant you, Dawn --
DAWN
Same thing.
ZACH
I can't do this any more.
DAWN
Seven little words and then we're done.
ZACH
Dawn . . .
DAWN
Very good. That's one.
ZACH
Time to feel a new day.
(Pause. She removes the blade from her arm, places it between
her teeth, places the tissue over the cut, rolls her sleeve over the
tissue, sucks the blood from the razor blade, and places it back
in her pocket. She realizes what ZACH has said.)
DAWN
Well, well. You finally did it. You said wake-up time for me.
You know, morning after morning gets so routine. I think we
should consider more opportunities, don't you?
ZACH
I have to go.
(Lights fade up slowly on KATY and SCRUFF in another area
. SCRUFF, a wino/street person, is asleep on the ground. KATY
is sitting next to him, watching him.)
DAWN
Z-boy? Zach? What is it, really? Zachery or Zachariah?
ZACH
I really need to go.
DAWN
You surprised me. For once.
ZACH
Please
DAWN
You go on now. Do your little helping things. We'll talk again.
(Lights black out on DAWN.)
ZACH
No.