Part two, wow, I didn’t think this series would actually go on, considering all the attempts seem to fall on their face (okay, because I get bored of the effort required behind them). It is funny that would be the section that would follow my previous post—the conversation of my ill-fated would-be film career to V. This is definitely one for the ages.
COMMENTARY:
Responsibility is kind of my Achilles Heel and for Kay it proves to be his motivation, or at least he perceives it as such in this section. In reality there was a real “Forlorn” being produced by a colleague (the real Rich). Throughout the time I knew him, on and off he was working on his short horror film. It wasn’t really what you would call a friendship, if not more of a self-imposed rivalry—I wound up making “Idlewild Park” as a competing idea. The irony being, I would never finish it because I don’t know if he ever finished his. Now we met from a mutual friend Lisa and then later he would introduce me Groggy-Ego and through Groggy-Ego I would hear periodically of his progress.
Now the conversation in this piece never happened. It is really just an amalgamation of a number of conversations he and I had over our tenure. Though I did see him before I gave up on film and this conversation is made up (possibly one I imagined having during my time in the archive), at the back of my head I did have the fear that he would finish his film or it would become something bigger. The reality of this scene: a flashback in the play and a fantasy/nightmare in my Delusional.
So without further ado, here is “The Next Counter” Part two….
“THE NEXT COUNTER”
(pt. 2 of 7)
SCENE II:
MORE THAN HALF A DECADE AGO:
LIGHT is focused on the computer aisle.
Kay is in everyday clothing and his hair is out. He is walking down the aisle with a short man wearing a handmade Forlorn T-Shirt. This man is RICH, the one with a produced film in the present.
Kay is reading through a script, pretending to listen to Rich.
RICH
...So I think it would be great to have Cole stand in front of a mirror and see his reflection...
KAY
Uh-huh.
RICH
...And then have the glass shatters to the many overtones of the ghost’s voices...
KAY
Uh-huh.
RICH
...Then I think it would be great for him to spread his arms like he is being crucified.
KAY
Crucified, yeah that’s real... original.
Rich realizes Kay isn’t paying attention.
RICH
Then Richard Nixon and Optimus Prime will duke it out reffed by Kevin Smith in Vietnam.
KAY
Kevin Smith the ref... It’ll be pretty hot in Nam with that coat... That’ll be a hell of a dream.
RICH
(Stops walking)
Dammit Kay! You’re not listening.
Kay stops and turns to him.
KAY
No, I’m not.
RICH
What the hell? I haven’t seen you in over a year, you have me meet you here and then you act like you don’t care.
KAY
Well...
(sighs)
I don’t.
RICH
Dude!
KAY
Don’t dude, me... Christ, Rich--
RICH
--Hey! Don’t use the Lord’s name in vain.
KAY
Seriously... Not my god, man.
RICH
Atheist!
KAY
Yeah and?
RICH
(Scoffs)
Nothing.
KAY
Exactly, nothing.
(Short Pause)
Rich you have been working on that movies for what? Five years now?
RICH
Four!
KAY
Four years... wow, that’s...
(mulls over)
RICH
What?
KAY
Stupid.
RICH
Stupid?
KAY
For something as insignificant as a movie... a single movie.
RICH
You feel that way about your stuff but I don’t feel that way about my films.
KAY
Four years is a great waste... a waste of time, a waste of effort, a waste of everything... So much has happened... and so much could have happened.
RICH
I’m sure you’re right, but I’m also sure taking this long happened for a reason... God has a plan for me, Kay, a plan for us all... I’m sure he has a good reason for all that has happened. I don’t care if it takes ten years to finish my film, come hell or high water I will finish it.
KAY
Well... “God” Bless you, man... you have a level of tenacity I don’t think I ever had.
RICH
That’s not true.
KAY
I think it is. I can’t put off growing up forever.
RICH
You think I’m not an adult?
KAY
Doing ghost stories are--
(Changes his train of thought)
Look, man, you and Lisa want to be kids for the rest of your lives... She wants to take classes towards no end and you want to make movies. Which is great for you guys, but I feel like I have to be responsible.
(sighs)
And that’s kinda why I’m here today, not just to meet with you, but to swallow my pride and get a job... an actual job.
RICH
Well good luck with that, dude... just don’t grow up too fast, otherwise you might grow old before your time.
KAY
Yeah...
(Scoffs)
We’ll see.
(short pause)
And, man, good luck with the movie. I’m sure something will happen with it.
RICH
Even if it is stupid?
KAY
What do I know, man? You might be right.
RICH
Thanks for saying that.
KAY
Yeah.
RICH
(Extending his hand)
Good luck, Kay.
Kay shakes his hand. The two hug as brothers.
KAY
You too, Rich.
Kay pats Rich on the back and the two part offstage.
LIGHTS FADE.
CLOSING COMMENTARY:
Re-reading this myself, I am actually surprised by how good-natured I made the conversation. The way Kay is admitting to “swallowing his pride” is how I felt at the time when I went to get a job at the Enemy. Rich really was someone who believed God was guiding him—I’m not sure about that, but you never know. I don’t really have much to say about the technical of this, except that I took out most of Kay’s dialogue and allowed Rich’s character to speak more. In fact, what I do remember from the handwritten draft was a bit with a Clerk but I took it out to contain it to just the Kay and Rich. After all was said and done, at the time I wrote it, I figured it was the best means of facing a fear, even if there was a chance of it coming true.
TEASER:
Back in the “present”, Kay will comfort more layers of his past, but this time another desire that went downtrodden. Stay tuned for Part III of “The Next Counter”.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
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