Acting Graduate scene

Benjamin, why are you here?

Would you like to come in?

I want to know what you're doing here in Berkeley.

Would you like some tea? I have tea.

I want to know why you’re stalking me.

I’m not.

I see you on campus. You duck behind doorways. On the bus you hid behind a magazine.

I’ve been meaning to speak to you.

You’ve been following me around for days.

Would you like to come in?

No!

Why not?

I don’t want to be in a room with you. Now why are you up here?

I’m just living here temporarily. I thought I might be bumping into you. I thought I remembered you were going to school up here.

Did you move up here because of me?

No.

Did you?

I don’t know.

Well, did you?

Well, what do you think?

I think you did.

I'm just living in Berkeley. Having grown somewhat weary of family life. I've been meaning to stop by and pay my respects but have not been entirely certain how you felt about me after the incident with your mother which was certainly a serious mistake on my part but not serious enough I hope to permanently alter your feelings about me.

• (Slamming the door as she enters.)
• Benjamin, you are the one person in the entire world I never want to see again. I want you nowhere near me. I want you to leave here and never come back. (He hangs his head.) Promise me you’ll go.

Elaine . . .

Promise me.

• (He stares at her for a moment.)
• Alright.

Pack your bags and go tonight.

Alright.(!!)

So promise me.

• Alright.
• (He flops down, his head between his arms.)

Goodbye, Benjamin.

I love you. (almost a wisper.)

You what?

I love you. I love you and can't help myself and I'm begging you to forgive me for what I did. I love you so much I'm terrified of seeing you every time I step outside the door. I feel helpless and hopeless and lost and miserable, please forget what I did please Elaine O God Elaine I love you please forget what I did? Please forget what I did Elaine, I love you.

Yeah, well, I don’t think so.

I do.

You do not.

Honestly, I . . .

How can you love me Benjamin when you’re so full of hate?

Of hate?

How else could you have done that?

Done what?

How could you have raped my mother?

What?

You must have so much hate inside of you.

Raped her? (Elaine starts to cry.) Did you say raped her?

Virtually raped her.

Did she say that?

I want you out of here by the morning.

• No!
• (He runs between Elaine and the door.)

Don’t touch me.

I’m not.

Then get away from the door.

What did she say? What did she say?

Why?

Because it isn’t true.

She said you virtually raped her.

Which isn’t true.

Is it true you slept with her?

yes.

Alright then, get away from the door.

What did she say? What did she say?

She said you dragged her up to the hotel room . . .

I dragged her?!

. . . . and you made her pass out and you raped her.

I what . . . I drugged her? I dragged her up five floors and I drugged her? I raped her?

You virtually, yes.

I what?

Could I leave now please?

That is not what happened.

I have to leave.

My parents gave me a party when I got home from college. Your mother came up to my room.

I don’t want to hear this.

She asked me to unzip her dress.

May I go now?

She took off all her clothes. She stood there entirely naked and she said. . .            (Elaine screams, long and hysterical. Benjamin frozen. She calms down. He brings her a chair. He brings her a glass of water. She drinks it.)

What did you think would happen?

What?

When you came up here?

I don’t know.

You just came up here?

I drove up. I made reservations at a restaurant.

You were going to invite me to dinner?

Yes.

Then what did you do?

I didn’t invite you.

I know.

I just came up here. I got this room. I kind of wallowed around. I wrote you some letters.

Love letters?

I don’t remember.

So what are you going to do now?

I don’t know.

Where are you going

I don’t know.

Well, what are you going to do?

Are you deaf?

Excuse me?

I don’t know what I’m going to do.

Well, will you get on a bus or what?

Are you concerned about me orsomething?

You came up here because of me. You messed up your life because of me, and now you’re leaving because of me. You made me responsible. I don’t want you drunk in some gutter because of me.

You want me to stick around?

I want you to have a definite plan before you leave, then I want you to leave.

I have no plans.

Then just make up your mind.

What?

Don’t you have a mind?

Of course.

Then make it up.

I could go to Canada.

You want to go to Canada?

No.

You think I can study? You think I can think with you here?

Just tell me to leave and I’ll leave.

I have so much work this semester.

Would you just tell me to leave, please?

Are you simple?

What?

I mean what do I have to say to you?

I don’t know.

Can’t you see the way I feel?

Shall I go then?

Why don’t you?

Why don’t I go.

Yes.

• Alright, that’s all you had to say.
• (Elaine goes to the door.)

You know what she gave me for my eleventh birthday? She gave me a bartender’s guide. I made her cocktails all day.

She’s a strange woman.

Is she attractive?

Yes. Not really.

Well is she or not?

I don’t know.

You don’t know which she is or you don’t know which I’d like to hear?

Either.

And am I?

I’m sorry?

Am I as attractive as her?

Oh, yes.

I have to go now.

Would you marry me?

Would I what?

Marry me. Would you?

Marry you?

Yes.

Marry you?

Would you?

Why would I?

I think we have a lot in common.

Well, that’s true.

So will you?

Marry you?

Yes.

Hah. Ha ha ha. Oh Benjamin, you are something.

Am I?

Yes you are, but I don’t know what. Why do you want to marry me?

It’s the way I feel. I feel we should.

What about the way I feel?

How do you feel?

Confused.

Are you fond of me? (She sniffs.) Are you?

Yes, fond.

Then let’s get married.