Die Honorable (A Short Play)

Die Honorable (A Half Act Play)

DISCLAIMER:

All cuss words will be censored with a more “lightened” version of them with a “” sign as I am using my school account. If one chooses to stage such using its original form, it is perfectly acceptable.

CHARACTERS:

ALICE FERNSBY

MARTHA TUFFKIN

SYLVIE MAY

CHARLIE BECKETT

GUSTAVE SALLOW 

TIME:

4:00 PM. Late afternoon 

SCENE:

The living room. There are two “modern victorian” style chairs facing each other on the left and right. A large sofa between the two. A wooden coffee table with four cups of tea, a box of chocolates and a white teapot with floral motives on top. A fuzzy rug underneath said coffee table.

When the curtain opens, MARTHA TUFFKIN, a young woman in her early twenties wearing a white balloon sleeved floral summer dress is seen cleaning the area profusely with a feather duster. Occasionally, she grunts and scratches her head in the frustration of attempting to achieve a spotless and shining living room for her and her close colleagues to bond in. Unknowingly, ALICE FERNSBY, a rather stylish woman of twenty-three sporting a chignon bun and dressed in a chic black pencil dress, SYLVIE MAY, a girl of twenty-one years clothed in a bright puffed sleeved yellow blouse and a pleated light blue skirt with her hair in braids, and CHARLIE BECKETT, currently twenty-two wearing a dark green buttoned vest over a white long sleeved shirt and a pair of brown plaid trousers with her hair tied into a ponytail, enter her home which causes MARTHA TUFFKIN to be surprised.

ALICE FERNSBY: [Cheerfully] Martha!

MARTHA TUFFKIN: [Shocked and looks at ALICE FERNSBY] Alice? Is that you?

ALICE FERNSBY: Why of course, dear. Why wouldn’t it be?

MARTHA TUFFKIN: How did you go inside? I locked all the doors!

CHARLIE BECKETT: Mrs. Foreman opened the gate and let us in.

MARTHA TUFFKIN:[dusting off the chairs one last time] Oh, really? Well, you’ve come too early then.

ALICE FERNSBY: Too early? It’s already past three, darling. Oh please don’t stress yourself—

MARTHA TUFFKIN:[Racing around the room tidying the place] The place isn’t as tidy as I wanted it to be.

SYLVIE MAY: [Laughing hysterically] What? Not tidy? Why my eyes are literally being blinded by your chairs! Whaddaya mean “not tidy”? [Whispering to CHARLIE BECKETT] She must’ve been blinded by the light, too. I don’t doubt it one second.[CHARLIE BECKETT rolls her eyes]

ALICE FERNSBY: Darling, the place is perfect already! I suggest you sit down and rest with us for a while.

MARTHA TUFFKIN: [She finally stops] Oh, I don’t know—maybe you’re right. [She gestures them to sit down as she sits down as well] Please sit down. [The others follow her. SYLVIE MAY skips to the left chair, MARTHA TUFFKIN and ALICE FERNSBY sit on the sofa and CHARLIE BECKETT silently walks to the right.]

MARTHA TUFFKIN: I sincerely apologize. The place isn’t as clean as I wanted it to be. I hope you forgive me.

SYLVIE MAY: [Sipping tea] Nonsense! You’ve tidied up the place like a huge, gargantuan, castle. My, my, I even feel like a prim and proper princess just looking at the place! Honestly, it’s quite impressive.