strike blog

http://unitedhollywood.blogspot.com/

scene 2, first draft as always

2

(A hospital. The CRIMEFIGHTERS become NURSES. LISA in another area being examined by PETER, a heart doctor.)

NURSE 1
Is she in there?

NURSE 2
She’s in there with him.

NURSE 3
Lucky girl.

LISA
Thank you for seeing me so soon.

PETER
It’s no problem.

LISA
I’m sure you must be very busy these days, what with the rash of heart crimes.

PETER
Lot’s of people worried about their hearts. Lot’s of people sleeping alone. People who don’t even have to sleep alone. Don’t even want to. Lots of fear.

LISA
I was scratched.

PETER
You were?

LISA
By a syringe.

PETER
So you’re concerned.

LISA
I have concerns.

PETER
Well, let’s take a listen.

NURSE 1
He listened to my heart once.

NURSE 2
He did?

NURSE 3
He didn’t.

(LISA opens her shirt. PETER takes the stethoscope and listens to her heart.)

NURSE 2
Was the stethoscope cold?

NURSE 1
Only a little.

NURSE 3
Were his hands warm?

NURSE 1
He brushed my arm with his fingertips. They were like butterflies.

NURSE 2
Did you kiss him?

NURSE 1
I was too afraid. There was his breath in my ear. Pounding in my throat. I remember, he said—

PETER
Your heart is beating fast.

LISA
Is it?

PETER
You need to relax.

NURSE 1
He listened for a long time but when he was done, he told me I could go.

NURSE 2
And you went?

NURSE 1
There was nothing else to do.

PETER
(to LISA)
You have a strong heart. There are other tests I can run if you want but from what I’ve heard your heart is strong and capable of many things.

LISA
Thank you. That’s nice to hear.

PETER
Not everyone has such a strong heart. My own heart. It was damaged once and has never quite been able to recover. It’s a muscle you know.

LISA
I know.

PETER
And it atrophies if you don’t use it. Sometimes I don’t use mine as much as I should. Yours, though. You can be as active as you want. A heart like that.

LISA
Thank you, Doctor.

PETER
Call me Peter.

LISA
Thank you, Peter. (pause) There’s something else I wanted to ask you about.

PETER
Oh.

LISA
Sorry.

PETER
No. No. You heard about my experiments. It’s hard to keep anything a secret. I tried to keep it out of the papers, but I guess in the current climate—People are afraid to sleep together even when they shut their windows and lock their doors. My artificial heart would of course protect them. We could all sleep with our lovers without fear. We wouldn’t fear to love.

LISA
You have a lover you’re afraid to love?

PETER
No, no. With this heart? No, not me.

LISA
There’s not anyone?

PETER
No, not now. Not anymore. Not anyone.

LISA
But I’m sure, a man like you—

PETER
Please. I don’t want to talk about it.

LISA
Sorry. I just thought--

PETER
You were asking about the artificial heart. I’m going to be the first test subject. I can’t do the operation myself of course. But if the heart works on me and my body doesn’t reject it. . .

LISA
But doctor, can your heart . . . I mean, the artificial heart—can—Can it love?

PETER
There’s only one way to find out.

LISA
But what if it keeps you from ever loving again?

PETER
That’s the chance I’ll have to take, for science. For the hope of mankind.

LISA
Don’t you want to love again?

PETER
Me? Oh, no. Not me.

LISA
Why not?

PETER
My heart can’t handle it.

(LISA kisses him. A sound of a heart beating fast can be heard.)

LISA
It handled that OK.

(PETER looks shocked)

NURSE 1
I could fall in love with that doctor.

NURSE 2
Me too.

NURSE 3
In another life.

PETER
Well, I think we’re done here. I have other patients. You, I’m sure have other—

LISA
Come out to dinner with me.

PETER
Well—I—I don’t normally—with patients.

LISA
Have dinner with me.

PETER
It’s not—

LISA
Come out to dinner.

PETER
OK, Yes. OK. Yes. I would love to join you for dinner.

Krugman on healthcare myths

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/opinion/09krugman.html?em&ex=1194757200&en=20ebaac94b8d4d4c&ei=5087%0A

WGA

Ken Levine on the strike:

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2007/11/12000-man-march-on-pico.html

give free rice

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

I got up to level 46 before falling back down

early morning

I worked some on this new play today that I was calling The Heart Stopper but now I think is called Open Heart. I like what I'm doing. I feel good about it and the writing is coming slowly which I'm actually enjoying. It's more like laying bricks than letting the play fly out of me. Food For Fish was like that a lot of the time and the play that resulted is a play I'm proud of so I hope it will be like that. Right now it feels like it will be the best thing I've ever written, although I have to admit I often feel that way at this point in the process. Otherwise, why would I continue? Two shows that I recommend: Page 73's production of Grote's 1001 Peter and Jerry by Albee at Second Stage

the problem with chuck

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/11/6/85342/1863

the WGA and what the strike is about

http://web.mac.com/ziboskwitz/iWeb/Cooper%20Family/Home/EF3D1C1D-C652-4650-8BB1-FFC2E383EF75.html

2

After a day of watching a reading of Herbie: Poet of The Wild West and then some scenes from Open Minds, I discovered something my subconscious mind may already know. First of all, they were written 3 years apart and are very different kinds of plays but they both have a character named Herbie in them. (I also have 3 plays with characters named Bobby--3 very different Bobbys.) And the Herbies are different too. And the plays are very different. But, I wasn't aware that they had similar lines. From Herbie, a scene between him and his mother: MARY Well I guess you have to kill him, then. Who’s my soldier? HERBIE I am. MARY That’s right. Just, um…shoot him in the back, OK? Don’t let him take a shot at you. From Open Minds: MOTHER Not quite yet. Oh, you’re such a good boy. Stand up straight. Now aren’t you a smart looking boy? Who’s my soldier? HERBIE I am. MOTHER That’s right. You are, aren’t you? Now what are you going to do when people come to visit? Now in one way I have no idea where this phrase Who's my soldier came from. But also, apparently my subconscious thinks this phrase is funny. Funny enough to use twice. The readings both went well yesterday. We'll see what happens next.

click to feed rescued animals

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

To Put you in the mood for my monday reading

on the humanity front

I know waterboarding is torture - because I did it myself By MALCOLM NANCE "One has to overcome basic human decency to endure causing the effects. The brutality would force you into a personal moral dilemma between humanity and hatred. It would leave you questioning the meaning of what it is to be an American. " h/t Mirrorup

in addition to that addition

Go see 1001. I saw it last night and it's fantastic!

in addition

First Flux Bar Series this Monday You are invited to the first performance of our Bar Series, a selection of short scenes from various plays that have been explored at Flux Sundays. It's a chance to see the work we are doing as well as kick back and have a drink with us. Monday, November 5, 7pm Jimmy's No 43 43 East 7th St (2nd and 3rd Ave) http://www.jimmysno43.com/ ADMISSION FREE!!! Featuring scenes from: Erin Brown's Narrator #1 Directed by Angela Astle With: Michael Davis, Kitty Lindsay, Brian Pracht, Christina Shipp August Schulenburg's Angel Juice Directed by Kelly O'Donnell With: Tom Del Pizzo, Candice Holdorf, Marnie Schulenburg, Jane Lincoln Taylor Adam Szymkowicz's Open Minds Directed by John Hurley With Jake Alexander, Tiffany Clementi, Felicia Hudson, Joe Mathers, Jason Paradine, Isaiah Tanenbaum, Cotton Wright ALSO SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FIRST IN OUR POTLUCK READING SERIES Pretty Theft By Adam Szymkowicz Sunday, December 2 FREE!!! The potluck reading series is a reading of a full-length play, where members of Flux bring their favorite dishes