world's end, a beginning.

Here's the beginning of my final project.

World's End, a play in one act.

Scene:  Hotel Bar.  DSR is a window, USR of window is a closed door.  These lead “outside”.  Across the back of the playing area is a wall.  On the USR corner of this wall is another doorway, double doors, perhaps french doors, leading back into the hotel lobby.  These doors are open.  There are stairs that deposit just beyond the wall, SL of the doorway.  The USL half of the stage is the bar, classic bar look with a dark wood bar top.  The wall behind the bar has some bottles, some glasses, some brand signs perhaps.  It should look like a functioning bar.  In front of the bar are five stools.  There are tree low round tables with two chairs at each table.  These tables are located in front of the bar.

There is a man, Mike, standing in front of the window looking out as a lovely golden orange light comes through.  We never see what causes this light and it is never identified in an absolute way.  Mike is holding a drink in one hand and his other is in his pocket.  He is dressed in dark pants and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up.  It looks like he is watching something.  Another man, Ray, comes down the steps.  He looks around before coming into the door.  He appears confused and disturbed, but not frantic.  He is wearing dark pants, a button up shirt, and a sport jacket.  He is carrying a satchel.  His dialogue begins before he enters the door.

Ray:  Hello?  Anyone . . . what the fuck?  Hello?  (Walks through door into the bar)  Hey!  Hi.  Pretty sure you’re the first person I’ve bumped into in . . . where is everybody?

Mike:  I think it’s just us right now.  (takes drink.  moves back toward bar.)

Ray:  Right now.  Right.  Hi.

Mike:  Hi.

Ray:  You work here?

Mike:  Manner of speaking.

Ray:  Where am I?  (looks out the window)

Mike:  Hotel.  Bar of said hotel actually.  Hotel bar.

Ray:  Can I get a drink?

Mike:  We shall do as the room implies.  What would you like?

Ray:  Old fashioned please.  With a twist--if a maraschino cherry gets near the glass I don’t know if I can be held responsible for my actions.

Mike:  A man who knows what he wants.

Ray:  People forget sometimes, how things are supposed to be.

Mike:  Or they were never properly taught to begin with.  Well, friend, I was taught well.

Ray:  Right.  What hotel?

Mike:  You don’t know?

Ray:  No.  Forgoing the rest of the potential embarrassment, I doubt I’d be standing here like a dumbass if I knew.

Mike:  Blunt.

Ray:  I apologize.  (moves to the bar.  takes one of the stools.)  It’s just--it’s like I was just suddenly here, you know?  In a room.  Maybe I took too many Ambien last night, or had a dozen drinks that I don’t recall.  All I know is that I’m here, in this bar talking to you and I don’t really know where here is.

Mike:  This happened to you before?

Ray:  Nope.  Pretty sure anyway--not enough time lost at any rate that I noticed it missing.

Mike:  World’s End.

Ray:  Excuse me?

Mike:  The name of the hotel, well inn actually.  World’s End.

Ray:  Of course it is.

Mike:  Here you go.  One old fashioned, with a twist.  Cherries be damned.

Ray:  Thanks.

Mike:  Not a problem.

Ray:  You look very familiar to me.  Do we know each other?

Mike:  Perhaps.  Though it is pretty unlikely.

Ray:  I feel like I’ve met you before.  I’m Ray.  (Hold out his hand).

Mike:  Mike.  (Shakes Ray’s hand).

Ray:  Where do you suppose everyone is?  This is really good.  (the drink.)

Mike:  Can’t really say.  Not a whole lot going on right now.

Ray:  It’s just so quiet.

Mike:  From the city?

Ray:  Yes.  Got that stink on me?

Mike:  Not at all.

Ray:  I’m not originally from--but now, yes.

Mike:  Few people are from the places that they are anymore.

Ray:  That almost made sense.

Mike:  Well, it’s a lot quieter here.  A little less lively.

Ray:  Off-season?

Mike:  Sort of.

Ray:  Well, that’s not always a bad thing.  Sometimes a little quiet is necessary.

Mike:  Sometimes.

Ray:  Jesus, that light is bright!  Can’t see anything out there.

Mike:  Would you like another?

Ray:  Gone already?  What time is it?

Mike:  It’s still early.  But not too early.

Ray:  I feel like I have an appointment.  Somewhere I need to be.

Mike:  When?

Ray:  Not really sure.

Mike:  A lot of that today, huh?

Ray:  It’s funny.  Or maybe it’s not.  I normally have a really good memory--names, dates, faces, random facts that no one else retains . . . but today--it’s like my brain took the last twelve hours or so off.  Feel like I’m in that old TV show.

Mike:  Which one?