Transcript

QUESTA - Act 2 · Table Read

0:00
Speaker 1: Previously in Act One. It's 1991, Chelsea, an hour after
0:05
Speaker 1: the rain. Paul, a grieving gay widower, has just killed
0:08
Speaker 1: a young man in the alley behind a gay bar.
0:11
Speaker 1: He says it was self-defense. He kept hitting anyway. He
0:14
Speaker 1: runs to his sister Susan, who hides his bloody clothes
0:17
Speaker 1: and lies to her husband. What Paul doesn't know is
0:21
Speaker 1: that someone saw the whole thing. Daniel, a homeless street witness,
0:25
Speaker 1: watched it happen from behind the trash cans and and
0:27
Speaker 1: gave the police a description that looked nothing like Paul.
0:31
Speaker 1: The dead boy was Will. His mother, Lori, cuts hair
0:34
Speaker 1: in the village, and she has been sleeping with her
0:36
Speaker 1: parish priest. She told her son about it before he died.
0:39
Speaker 1: He laughed. Susan is pregnant, Bradley is dying of AIDS,
0:43
Speaker 1: and Daniel, who has been watching Paul longer than anyone realizes,
0:47
Speaker 1: has decided to keep his secret. By the end of
0:50
Speaker 1: Act 1, Lori has destroyed a customer at her salon
0:53
Speaker 1: and walked out for good. Exterior, New York City Street,
0:59
Speaker 1: a moment later. Lori begins descending the subway steps to
1:03
Speaker 1: the PATH train. Paul runs across the street and follows
1:06
Speaker 1: Lori down into the subway. Exterior, PATH train exit later.
1:11
Speaker 1: Lori exits onto the street. Paul is seen in a
1:14
Speaker 1: cluster of people also exiting onto the street. Exterior, Jersey
1:18
Speaker 1: City Street later. Paul watches Lori entering her building. Interior,
1:23
Speaker 1: Lori's bedroom, evening. Lori and Father James are in bed.
1:27
Speaker 1: They just had sex.
1:31
Speaker 2: You shouldn't have quit your job.
1:33
Speaker 3: What I really wanted to do is scald his head
1:35
Speaker 3: with the dye.
1:36
Speaker 2: That's not like you.
1:39
Speaker 3: I'm enjoying the hatred. It's giving me something else to feel.
1:44
Speaker 4: He wants to be a platinum blonde this season. Useless
1:47
Speaker 4: and ugly in this frightening world.
1:49
Speaker 2: You don't know that.
1:51
Speaker 3: He'll probably live to be a hundred.
1:53
Speaker 2: Bury us all. Please, See somebody?
1:59
Speaker 3: Find me a therapist whose son was murdered.
2:01
Speaker 5: I'll see her.
2:02
Speaker 1: Father James gets out of bed and starts dressing.
2:06
Speaker 2: What are you going to do?
2:08
Speaker 3: Maybe move to Florida, Tampa. My sister's there.
2:12
Speaker 2: Well, that might not be a bad idea.
2:17
Speaker 4: So I'd leave here, and you wouldn't care?
2:20
Speaker 3: Of course I would.
2:22
Speaker 2: I'd visit as often as I could.
2:27
Speaker 3: You'll find somebody else to take care of your priestly needs.
2:31
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's already a waiting list.
2:36
Speaker 4: In a way, you're ideal for a middle-aged woman who's
2:40
Speaker 4: used to living alone, you're dependable, you stick to a schedule,
2:44
Speaker 4: and you're.
2:45
Speaker 3: Never around long enough to mess up an apartment.
2:47
Speaker 2: Well, maybe you should write my ad for the church bulletin.
2:50
Speaker 6: If I move to.
2:51
Speaker 4: Florida, do you think finally you could.
2:56
Speaker 3: Spend the night?
2:59
Speaker 2: Most definitely.
3:01
Speaker 1: Interior, AA meeting, evening. Some people are taking their seats,
3:05
Speaker 1: but most are standing and chatting. A few people surround
3:08
Speaker 1: the coffee area. Paul is seated. Daniel nervously makes his
3:12
Speaker 1: way over to Paul.
3:13
Speaker 2: Is anyone sitting there?
3:15
Speaker 7: No.
3:15
Speaker 1: Daniel sits down.
3:17
Speaker 2: I like this meeting. It's okay. It's friendlier than most.
3:22
Speaker 2: I hope I'm not bothering you.
3:24
Speaker 5: I'm just not very talkative tonight.
3:26
Speaker 2: You never are. You don't share. I've never seen you
3:30
Speaker 2: talking with anyone.
3:32
Speaker 5: What are you?
3:34
Speaker 4: A.A.
3:34
Speaker 5: Police?
3:35
Speaker 1: Paul is uncomfortable with Daniel sitting next to him. Could
3:38
Speaker 1: be Daniel's clothes or perhaps his smell. Daniel is super
3:42
Speaker 1: aware of this and is equally uncomfortable.
3:44
Speaker 2: Sorry, I'm bothering you. I just wanted to say hello
3:50
Speaker 2: and I wanted to let you know.
3:54
Speaker 1: Daniel's getting more and more nervous. He gets up.
3:58
Speaker 2: That I think are very beautiful.
3:59
Speaker 1: Paul has no idea what to make of this. A
4:02
Speaker 1: man is stepping up to the podium.
4:04
Speaker 2: Hi, my name is Robert, and I'm... By the way,
4:07
Speaker 2: my name's Daniel.
4:08
Speaker 1: Daniel quickly leaves. Interior shower, homeless shelter, that evening. Daniel
4:14
Speaker 1: is in the shower. Martin, a 60-some-year-old, passes the shower stall.
4:18
Speaker 2: Daniel, this lights out in a couple minutes.
4:21
Speaker 1: There's a ruckus up at the front door.
4:23
Speaker 2: You know the rules, Carl.
4:25
Speaker 5: It's Celia, bitch.
4:27
Speaker 2: You can't come.
4:27
Speaker 6: In here high.
4:28
Speaker 1: The sound of Martin slamming the door is heard.
4:30
Speaker 4: Where the hell am I supposed to go tonight?
4:34
Speaker 1: Daniel, hearing all this, tries to shut out the sound
4:36
Speaker 1: of Celia's voice. Interior, the candle. Gay bar on the
4:41
Speaker 1: Upper West Side that evening. The bar's not very crowded.
4:44
Speaker 1: In the corner, sipping a beer, is Richard, Lori's ex-boss.
4:47
Speaker 1: Paul pauses at the bar. He's not seen Richard yet.
4:50
Speaker 2: What'll it be?
4:51
Speaker 1: Paul wants a real drink, but can't decide if he's
4:54
Speaker 1: going to have one.
4:55
Speaker 3: Water.
4:56
Speaker 1: The bartender hands Paul a small bottle of water. Paul
4:59
Speaker 1: pays and turns around and spots Richard. Should he walk
5:03
Speaker 1: over to him? He decides yes.
5:07
Speaker 5: Hi there.
5:08
Speaker 2: Hello.
5:09
Speaker 5: You're Richard, right?
5:11
Speaker 6: How did you know?
5:13
Speaker 5: I'm clairvoyant. I know people's names, ages. That's a real curse.
5:19
Speaker 5: And their favorite I Love Lucy episode. I've been to
5:23
Speaker 5: your salon.
5:24
Speaker 6: Really?
5:25
Speaker 4: Yeah.
5:26
Speaker 5: Oh, I've been there. The woman who cut my hair,
5:30
Speaker 5: she's the one whose son was killed. How's she doing?
5:35
Speaker 2: Not well.
5:39
Speaker 5: Does she have any other children?
5:41
Speaker 2: I really don't want to talk about her.
5:45
Speaker 6: Sorry.
5:48
Speaker 5: You know, once upon a time, people thought I was charming.
5:52
Speaker 2: Once upon a time, we all were. Another time, another universe.
5:58
Speaker 5: Boy, it's empty in here tonight.
6:00
Speaker 2: It's the times.
6:03
Speaker 5: And the boys are getting more efficient. They're on the
6:06
Speaker 5: phone lines now. You're very attractive.
6:12
Speaker 6: For an older guy.
6:15
Speaker 5: You look married. I bet you got a boyfriend.
6:19
Speaker 2: I had one. He died.
6:22
Speaker 4: Oh.
6:23
Speaker 5: Those dead boyfriends. They're all over the place these days.
6:28
Speaker 5: I've got one of them, too. Sorry. Let's not swap
6:33
Speaker 5: war stories.
6:34
Speaker 1: Paul starts shaking and sweating.
6:37
Speaker 5: You okay? I can't believe this. I'm not drinking anymore.
6:43
Speaker 5: And suddenly all I want is a beer. Craving it.
6:49
Speaker 5: I didn't think this would happen to me. Um, let
6:51
Speaker 5: me give you my number.
6:52
Speaker 2: Don't bother. I'm not ready to hook up.
6:56
Speaker 1: Although Paul is slightly shaking, he goes into his pocket,
6:59
Speaker 1: pulls out a piece of paper, and writes his number down.
7:02
Speaker 5: Well, you never know. Some night you might be interested
7:05
Speaker 5: in war stories.
7:06
Speaker 2: You okay?
7:08
Speaker 5: Or maybe some night you'll have an erotic dream about me.
7:11
Speaker 6: I don't have them anymore.
7:12
Speaker 5: Please, take it. I can't believe how much I'm shaking.
7:17
Speaker 1: Richard takes the number.
7:19
Speaker 5: Thanks. You never know.
7:23
Speaker 1: Paul rushes out of the bar. Richard is worried about
7:26
Speaker 1: this stranger. Exterior, Jersey City, in front of Lori's building, day.
7:31
Speaker 1: Lori walks out of her building and heads for the
7:33
Speaker 1: coffee shop on the corner. Paul, looking tired, is not
7:36
Speaker 1: far behind and follows her into the shop. Interior, Jersey
7:40
Speaker 1: City coffee bar, moments later. It's a Starbucks-like coffee bar.
7:44
Speaker 1: Lori has gotten her coffee. She looks around the room
7:47
Speaker 1: and stops at the only empty table and sits. Paul
7:50
Speaker 1: is watching her. He's gotten his coffee. Lori pulls out
7:54
Speaker 1: a newspaper. Paul approaches her.
7:56
Speaker 5: Hello.
7:59
Speaker 3: Do I know you?
8:01
Speaker 5: Lori, right? You used to cut my hair in the village.
8:06
Speaker 3: Sorry, I don't remember you.
8:09
Speaker 5: Well, not that memorable. Paul.
8:13
Speaker 4: Sorry.
8:14
Speaker 5: Sorry. May I?
8:17
Speaker 1: Paul does not wait for her response and takes a
8:19
Speaker 1: seat at her table. This makes Lori uncomfortable.
8:23
Speaker 5: You're not there anymore, are you? No. Are you at
8:26
Speaker 5: some other shop now?
8:28
Speaker 3: A beauty parlor. Around here. It's just women.
8:33
Speaker 5: Is it easier than gay guys?
8:35
Speaker 3: They're about the same.
8:37
Speaker 5: Fussy, right?
8:38
Speaker 3: That's one way of putting it. I don't remember you.
8:43
Speaker 3: And I usually remember my clients.
8:45
Speaker 4: Yes.
8:45
Speaker 5: Maybe I wasn't that fussy.
8:47
Speaker 3: Then I'd really remember you.
8:49
Speaker 5: It's nice seeing you again. I believe there's a mass
8:53
Speaker 5: tonight at St. Anthony's.
8:55
Speaker 1: Lori's getting more and more uncomfortable with this guy. She's
8:58
Speaker 1: glad there are other people around.
9:01
Speaker 5: I think I need church these days.
9:04
Speaker 3: Why?
9:05
Speaker 5: I lost my lover.
9:08
Speaker 2: He died.
9:09
Speaker 1: Lori softens a bit.
9:11
Speaker 3: So you're looking for a reason.
9:15
Speaker 5: Maybe.
9:15
Speaker 3: Or you're hoping you'll see him again?
9:18
Speaker 5: Oh, I don't know about that. That seems too fairytale-ish
9:22
Speaker 5: to me.
9:23
Speaker 2: It is.
9:25
Speaker 3: Then don't you wonder what the sense of believing any
9:28
Speaker 3: of it?
9:30
Speaker 5: It gives you the possibility.
9:35
Speaker 3: Kind of like that.
9:38
Speaker 5: Are you okay?
9:41
Speaker 3: You know about my son, don't you?
9:46
Speaker 2: Yes.
9:47
Speaker 5: Damn you. Are you from some activist group?
9:51
Speaker 3: Don't you people understand? I don't want to have anything
9:53
Speaker 3: to do with you.
9:54
Speaker 5: I'm not part of any group. Really, I'm not. They
9:58
Speaker 5: should all leave you alone.
9:59
Speaker 3: Like you're doing.
10:02
Speaker 5: I am so sorry Paul gets up I'm sorry I
10:07
Speaker 5: shouldn't be bothering you we have to deal with our
10:09
Speaker 5: grief in our own way don't we chip at it
10:13
Speaker 5: bit by bit how's your chipping going won't be over
10:18
Speaker 5: not in this lifetime.
10:21
Speaker 1: Better go paul tries to smile at laurie but he's
10:23
Speaker 1: now crying for the first time since the accident laurie
10:27
Speaker 1: grabs paul's hand and pulls him back to his seat
10:30
Speaker 1: a couple of customers glance their way laurie hands him
10:33
Speaker 1: a napkin.
10:36
Speaker 3: I hate to see boys cry but we do i.
10:42
Speaker 4: Shouldn't have come over to you why did you were
10:45
Speaker 4: you looking for someone sadder than yourself i'm gonna ask
10:49
Speaker 4: what everyone is asking me Are you getting any help?
10:54
Speaker 5: There is no help.
10:56
Speaker 3: I know what you mean.
11:00
Speaker 5: Would you like to come to Mass with me? What?
11:04
Speaker 1: Paul starts pulling himself together.
11:07
Speaker 5: I don't know why I asked you that. I'm acting crazy.
11:10
Speaker 5: I'm sorry.
11:10
Speaker 4: I used to feel comfortable in church, but not anymore.
11:17
Speaker 4: When you go there, where do you like to sit?
11:22
Speaker 5: In the back?
11:23
Speaker 4: Huh.
11:24
Speaker 5: Me too. The front for movies?
11:27
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
11:28
Speaker 5: The back for church?
11:30
Speaker 3: No church for me right now.
11:33
Speaker 5: Why not?
11:34
Speaker 3: Ever since my son was killed, I've become paranoid.
11:37
Speaker 4: Afraid.
11:38
Speaker 6: Of what?
11:43
Speaker 2: God.
11:45
Speaker 5: But he's love. Is he?
11:48
Speaker 1: They sit silently for a moment, looking away from each other.
11:51
Speaker 1: Then Lori looks more and more uncomfortable. She looks away
11:54
Speaker 1: from him and Paul notices.
11:56
Speaker 5: Sorry.
11:57
Speaker 1: He slowly gets up and leaves. Exterior street. Paul walks,
12:02
Speaker 1: looking like life has been drained out of him. Dissolved
12:05
Speaker 1: to interior Ron's apartment early that evening, Paul is sitting
12:09
Speaker 1: in Ron's small living room. It looks like a meeting
12:12
Speaker 1: has been held there. Few chairs are in a circle.
12:14
Speaker 1: Plates filled with the remains of snacks and popcorn are
12:17
Speaker 1: all over the room, as are water glasses and coffee cups.
12:21
Speaker 7: I thought you were coming to the team meeting tonight.
12:24
Speaker 7: The team was looking forward to it.
12:26
Speaker 5: I forgot I had a meeting with this woman.
12:29
Speaker 6: From AA? Yeah.
12:32
Speaker 2: Oh well.
12:33
Speaker 1: Ron comes out of the bathroom and starts straightening up
12:35
Speaker 1: his living room.
12:37
Speaker 5: How'd the meeting go?
12:38
Speaker 4: It was a tough one.
12:40
Speaker 5: Are you okay?
12:41
Speaker 7: I'm sorry I'm not my perky positive self.
12:44
Speaker 1: The two men just look at each other for a moment.
12:46
Speaker 1: Ron almost looks like he's shaking.
12:48
Speaker 2: I'm sorry. How'd your meeting go? Not well.
12:53
Speaker 5: She's suffering a great loss and I didn't help.
12:56
Speaker 2: How do you know?
12:57
Speaker 5: I know. What happened at your meeting?
13:03
Speaker 7: Two of my team members had clients that are dying.
13:06
Speaker 7: And I kept thinking to Bradley. He's going to die soon.
13:10
Speaker 2: I'm in a rage.
13:11
Speaker 5: I know.
13:12
Speaker 7: At our government. At the churches that tell us we're
13:14
Speaker 7: all going to hell. At those comedians who still think
13:17
Speaker 7: it's okay to tell a fag or AIDS joke.
13:20
Speaker 5: I remember when I was on your team.
13:22
Speaker 7: You make it sound like it was a century ago.
13:25
Speaker 7: It was less than six months.
13:29
Speaker 5: I've lost all consciousness of time. Some things feel like yesterday,
13:33
Speaker 5: and some yesterdays feel like a million years ago. Anyway,
13:39
Speaker 5: I was sitting with Joe in the hospital. You remember Joe?
13:43
Speaker 5: Of course.
13:44
Speaker 1: Ron sits down.
13:47
Speaker 5: We were watching some talk show, and some comic made
13:49
Speaker 5: an AIDS joke. Joe said, They hate us. All I
13:55
Speaker 5: could think was suppose some other guy in the hospital
13:58
Speaker 5: had the TV on and he was alone in his
14:01
Speaker 5: room and dying and that was the last thing he heard.
14:07
Speaker 5: I wish I could cry.
14:07
Speaker 2: I can't.
14:09
Speaker 5: I did today for the first time in a long time.
14:14
Speaker 2: With that woman?
14:15
Speaker 5: Yeah.
14:17
Speaker 6: How did it feel?
14:19
Speaker 5: It was all wrong. Do you feel like dinner?
14:25
Speaker 6: No.
14:29
Speaker 5: I know rage. It doesn't help. We have to try
14:33
Speaker 5: seeing the good.
14:34
Speaker 2: Where?
14:36
Speaker 5: In the work you're doing. How many on your team now? Ten.
14:41
Speaker 5: And they each have a client?
14:42
Speaker 2: Yes.
14:43
Speaker 5: Well, you're giving comfort to ten, no, counting Bradley, eleven people.
14:50
Speaker 5: Maybe I should come back to the team.
14:53
Speaker 7: Do you think you're ready?
14:56
Speaker 5: No.
14:58
Speaker 7: Bradley and I are worried about you. Something is going
15:02
Speaker 7: on that you're not talking about.
15:05
Speaker 2: Be honest.
15:07
Speaker 6: Are you sick?
15:08
Speaker 5: No. Really?
15:10
Speaker 2: Really. Thank God.
15:14
Speaker 5: I don't feel like being alone, and I don't feel
15:18
Speaker 5: like talking.
15:19
Speaker 2: Ditto.
15:22
Speaker 7: How about if we watch some bad TV? We might
15:25
Speaker 7: even have a laugh.
15:27
Speaker 5: Wouldn't that be something?
15:29
Speaker 1: Exterior, street near Riverside Drive, later that night. Daniel and
15:33
Speaker 1: Celia are walking down a deserted street.
15:37
Speaker 6: You heard me screaming outside that horrible place? You were there.
15:46
Speaker 6: Why didn't you say nothing?
15:47
Speaker 2: There was nothing I could do. You know that.
15:49
Speaker 6: You're smelling squeaky clean. What do they do? Lysol you
15:55
Speaker 6: at the shelter? I don't think he's going to like that.
15:59
Speaker 6: He likes his tricks dirty.
16:00
Speaker 2: I don't know if I'm in the mood for one
16:02
Speaker 2: of your jobs.
16:03
Speaker 6: This one's real easy. And it's $ 25 for each of
16:06
Speaker 6: us and some nice pills. Oh, that's right. You're going
16:11
Speaker 6: to that AA now.
16:14
Speaker 2: I go there to see him. And they have cookies.
16:18
Speaker 6: You don't even have to touch this guy. I don't
16:20
Speaker 6: even have to touch him. All you got to do
16:23
Speaker 6: is pretend like I'm a real woman.
16:25
Speaker 2: Can you say that's easy?
16:26
Speaker 6: Twirl on it. And you're my mean bastard of a pimp.
16:30
Speaker 1: Interior car on a deserted street a few minutes later.
16:34
Speaker 1: Celia is in the back seat with the John. He's
16:36
Speaker 1: jerking off as he caresses her leg. Daniel sits in
16:39
Speaker 1: the front seat. Only now and then does the John
16:42
Speaker 1: notice what a bad actor Daniel is tonight.
16:45
Speaker 2: You want that leg? Oh, I do, sir. Can I
16:48
Speaker 2: touch your pussy?
16:50
Speaker 6: A piece of shit like you?
16:52
Speaker 2: What would you do to me if I touched it, sir?
16:54
Speaker 2: You wouldn't want to know.
16:56
Speaker 6: Slap him.
16:57
Speaker 2: You said no fucking touching.
16:58
Speaker 5: You'd slap me, sir? Wouldn't you?
17:02
Speaker 2: Slap my white scumbag face?
17:03
Speaker 6: Do it. That's right.
17:05
Speaker 3: That's what you do.
17:06
Speaker 1: Daniel is feeling that this is ridiculous, but he turns
17:10
Speaker 1: and looks at the John and is suddenly, truly angry.
17:13
Speaker 1: He lets the John have it with a real good,
17:15
Speaker 1: hard slap, and the John comes. Daniel instantly steps out
17:20
Speaker 1: of the car. Exterior street continuous. Daniel walks a few
17:24
Speaker 1: paces from the car. He is disgusted with himself and
17:28
Speaker 1: the John. Celia and the John can be heard.
17:32
Speaker 6: That's 50 plus the pills. You brought the pills, didn't.
17:36
Speaker 5: You, Dr.
17:36
Speaker 6: McPherson?
17:37
Speaker 2: Of course. Was he into it? I couldn't really tell. Oh, yeah.
17:42
Speaker 6: It's just that he's getting over a cold. I bet
17:45
Speaker 6: when he wants to, you can be a real mean
17:48
Speaker 6: son of a bitch. Oh, yeah, yeah.
17:51
Speaker 2: Next time I want to see that side of him.
17:53
Speaker 4: Okay.
17:53
Speaker 6: Okay.
17:54
Speaker 1: Exterior, street in front of the burger barn, later. From
17:57
Speaker 1: the street, Daniel and Celia can be seen eating burgers
18:00
Speaker 1: and french fries. Celia is laughing. She's high. Daniel gets
18:04
Speaker 1: up and starts walking away from her.
18:07
Speaker 6: Where are you going?
18:08
Speaker 1: Dissolve to exterior, near Paul's building, later that night. It
18:13
Speaker 1: is pouring. Daniel is huddled in the doorway across the
18:16
Speaker 1: street from Paul's building. He sees Paul run into the building.
18:19
Speaker 5: Night, Paul.
18:21
Speaker 2: I know your name well.
18:25
Speaker 1: Dissolved to, close-up of Susan's face. She looks worried. She
18:29
Speaker 1: puts down the phone. Interior, Susan's living room, continuous. Late afternoon.
18:34
Speaker 1: Susan gets a jacket and is about to leave her apartment.
18:38
Speaker 1: Now his answering machine is off.
18:39
Speaker 2: I'm coming with you.
18:41
Speaker 3: No, I'd better go alone.
18:43
Speaker 1: Nicholas looks worried.
18:44
Speaker 6: I'll be okay.
18:45
Speaker 1: Interior, Paul's front door later. Susan is pounding on the door. Paul,
18:50
Speaker 1: open the fucking door!
18:52
Speaker 5: I'm coming!
18:52
Speaker 1: Paul slowly opens the door. Interior, Paul's apartment, continuous. Susan enters.
18:58
Speaker 1: The apartment is neat, except for the cartons of takeout food.
19:02
Speaker 3: You're making me feel like a grade B actress.
19:04
Speaker 5: Well, hello to you too.
19:06
Speaker 6: I have to see you.
19:08
Speaker 3: Phone calls are not enough, and today your machine was off.
19:13
Speaker 6: You look like you're losing weight.
19:15
Speaker 5: I've become a vegetarian.
19:16
Speaker 6: Since when?
19:17
Speaker 5: A couple weeks now. It's a way to curb violence.
19:22
Speaker 5: Not ingesting any more fear from the animal's When they're slaughtered. Uh-huh.
19:28
Speaker 5: Do you know how they kill chickens we eat? They scream.
19:32
Speaker 5: They cry. They want to live as much as we do.
19:35
Speaker 6: Shut up!
19:36
Speaker 1: Silence for a moment, then.
19:38
Speaker 5: I'm trying to be good.
19:39
Speaker 6: You need help. Now, who are we going to call?
19:43
Speaker 5: I don't want any help. Not now.
19:47
Speaker 6: Can you go back to work? It'll be good for you.
19:50
Speaker 5: Can't. Not for a while.
19:51
Speaker 6: This leave of absence was not a good idea. What
19:56
Speaker 6: are you doing for money?
19:58
Speaker 5: I've got some.
19:58
Speaker 3: Oh, for Christ's sakes, you're really frightening me.
20:01
Speaker 1: What do you do all day?
20:04
Speaker 6: Think.
20:06
Speaker 5: I visit Bradley... And sometimes I go to church.
20:11
Speaker 6: But you're an atheist.
20:13
Speaker 5: Don't remind me. I'm trying to believe. I so want
20:19
Speaker 5: to believe. I keep thinking. Keep praying. Keep praying. And maybe,
20:28
Speaker 5: maybe a miracle will occur. And suddenly I'll believe in God.
20:33
Speaker 5: They say that can happen. A God whose arms are
20:37
Speaker 5: open to everyone. A God who's embracing all our debt.
20:42
Speaker 6: Paul, look at what's happening to you.
20:47
Speaker 3: There has to be something or somebody that can help.
20:50
Speaker 5: If I could bring back that boy in the alley
20:52
Speaker 5: and make him love me, make him love us all.
20:57
Speaker 1: Susan is overwhelmed and has no answer for Paul's last statement.
21:00
Speaker 1: Brother and sister just look at each other. And then, suddenly...
21:04
Speaker 1: It was self-defense! It was an accident!
21:08
Speaker 5: How do you know?
21:09
Speaker 6: Because you wouldn't kill anybody.
21:12
Speaker 5: Look what I've done to you.
21:13
Speaker 1: You've taken care of me since I was six.
21:16
Speaker 3: That's what you've done to me.
21:17
Speaker 1: Paul embraces his sister. Silence for a moment, then.
21:22
Speaker 5: I can see a baby bump. I want to be
21:26
Speaker 5: a good uncle. I do. I'll find my way. I promise.
21:33
Speaker 5: I'll do it for you.
21:34
Speaker 1: Paul slowly lets go of Susan and heads to his
21:36
Speaker 1: answering machine and turns it on.
21:39
Speaker 5: Look, it's on.
21:41
Speaker 1: Exterior, in front of St. Anthony's Church, day. Lori climbs
21:44
Speaker 1: the steps to the church. Interior, St. Anthony's Church, continuous.
21:49
Speaker 1: Lori enters the church suspiciously, almost afraid. A few people
21:54
Speaker 1: are in the church. Father James is hearing confessions. A
21:57
Speaker 1: young man enters the confessional box. Lori looks at him.
22:01
Speaker 1: She looks around as if she's never been in a
22:03
Speaker 1: church before. She heads for the confessional box and hovers
22:07
Speaker 1: near it, waiting for the young man to come out.
22:09
Speaker 1: When he does, she enters the confessional. Interior, confessional box, continuous.
22:14
Speaker 1: Laurie makes the sign of the cross.
22:17
Speaker 3: Bless me, Father, for I have sinned. My last confession was.
22:20
Speaker 1: Father James recognizes Laurie's voice.
22:23
Speaker 2: Laurie, I shouldn't be hearing your confession.
22:26
Speaker 5: Why?
22:26
Speaker 3: Are you afraid that this will be more intimate than
22:28
Speaker 3: our fucking?
22:30
Speaker 2: Please, not here. I'm sorry.
22:32
Speaker 5: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
22:35
Speaker 3: Don't deny me my confession, and it's you that has
22:38
Speaker 3: to hear it.
22:40
Speaker 2: Why did you feel such a strong need to confess
22:44
Speaker 2: at this moment?
22:45
Speaker 3: I feel our Lord has singled me out to suffer.
22:48
Speaker 1: Interior, AA meeting, the same time. An AA meeting is
22:52
Speaker 1: in process. Only the voices of Father James and Lori
22:55
Speaker 1: are heard. Paul is staring at the speaker, but not
22:58
Speaker 1: really paying attention. Daniel, a few rows behind, is looking
23:02
Speaker 1: longingly in Paul's direction.
23:04
Speaker 2: I know it feels that way, but it's not true.
23:08
Speaker 1: As Laurie speaks, the camera studies Paul's face and Daniel's face.
23:13
Speaker 4: I met this stranger. I was convinced that God did
23:16
Speaker 4: not exist. I was comfortable with that idea, but then suddenly.
23:21
Speaker 5: There it was.
23:22
Speaker 3: God exists!
23:26
Speaker 4: And he sent this stranger to me as a punishment.
23:30
Speaker 4: Now I'm frightened of him and frightened of my hate
23:34
Speaker 4: for him.
23:36
Speaker 2: Of this stranger?
23:37
Speaker 4: Of God!
23:38
Speaker 1: Close-up of Paul's blank stare, dissolved to exterior alley, night.
23:44
Speaker 1: A silent scene. Again, only the voices of Father James
23:47
Speaker 1: and Laurie are heard. A series of blurred, surreal images.
23:51
Speaker 1: Paul and Will. Will is laughing, shouting at Paul, pushing him,
23:56
Speaker 1: hitting him, slapping his face. Paul is trying to protect
23:59
Speaker 1: himself and is fighting back.
24:02
Speaker 2: Now is the time you should take refuge in his love.
24:06
Speaker 4: All I see is his vengeance, his punishment for all
24:13
Speaker 4: our sins.
24:14
Speaker 3: My sins.
24:16
Speaker 2: You are a wonderful mother. Our Lord loves you.
24:20
Speaker 1: Back to interior confessional box the same time.
24:25
Speaker 3: You are arrogant. They should rip that collar from your neck.
24:32
Speaker 2: I want you to see a therapist. I want you
24:35
Speaker 2: to call one today.
24:36
Speaker 3: I don't need a therapist.
24:38
Speaker 4: I want this idea, this idea of Christ to forgive me.
24:43
Speaker 4: I want to bathe in his light, that light I'm
24:46
Speaker 4: always hearing about but never seeing.
24:48
Speaker 3: I want you to ask for his forgiveness too.
24:52
Speaker 2: Our love did not kill your son.
24:54
Speaker 3: What are you doing in the church?
24:57
Speaker 2: Try to do Christ's work.
25:01
Speaker 3: The stranger, he's gay.
25:05
Speaker 4: He said, God is love.
25:09
Speaker 2: If he exists, he is love.
25:13
Speaker 4: The night my son was killed, earlier that evening how
25:16
Speaker 4: my boy and I laughed. I was making fun of
25:20
Speaker 4: Richard and the fussy little cookies he brought into the shop.
25:24
Speaker 5: I minced around the room. We roared. Richard doesn't mince.
25:29
Speaker 4: A few hours later, my son gets murdered by somebody
25:32
Speaker 4: who hates gay people. What an enormous sense of humor
25:36
Speaker 4: our creator has.
25:37
Speaker 6: He sent me this stranger.
25:40
Speaker 4: He was like a razor blade slicing my fucking heart.
25:44
Speaker 2: Let me take you home. I'll pray with you, hold you,
25:50
Speaker 2: whatever you want.
25:51
Speaker 3: Why am I talking to you? You can't deliver this
25:56
Speaker 3: God to me. Mary, she's a mother.
26:00
Speaker 5: She'll help me.
26:02
Speaker 1: Laurie pulls out a rosary and begins rocking back and forth.
26:05
Speaker 5: Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
26:09
Speaker 2: Stop this.
26:10
Speaker 1: Father James quickly gets out of the confessional. Interior, in
26:13
Speaker 1: front of the confessional, continuous. Father James is pulling Lori
26:17
Speaker 1: out of the confessional.
26:18
Speaker 4: You must never touch me again. Never.
26:22
Speaker 3: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit
26:25
Speaker 3: of thy womb. Jesus, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray
26:27
Speaker 3: for us sinners now and at.
26:28
Speaker 6: The hour of our death.
26:29
Speaker 7: Amen.
26:30
Speaker 1: The five people now in the church all look toward
26:32
Speaker 1: the confessional. Two of them run up to help Father James.
26:36
Speaker 5: It's okay.
26:37
Speaker 1: They stop, but continue to stare, riveted at the scene.
26:41
Speaker 1: Lori screams. Then instantly she falls silent. She looks around,
26:48
Speaker 1: almost not sure where she is. She is swimming in grief.
26:52
Speaker 1: End of Act 2.
26:55
Speaker 5: Excellent.
26:55
Speaker 2: I love that scene. Very great.