Людмила Ансельм - Короткие пьесы
(Misha slumps from exhaustion. His eyes fill with tears. He takes a cigarette… He lights it… takes a hungry drag. Xenia doesn’t stop him)
MISHA (seriously intensely): Now I have come to the conclusion that it was a complete mistake to leave our native land…
XENIA (upset): Oh Misha! Stop! Stalin was crazy. He was arresting actors right and left…
MISHA(still intense, distressed, another brief but relaxed drag on the cigarette): I toed the line. Stalin respected… my uncle…
XENIA (tensely): Don’t be silly… Misha dear, don’t break down. We are alive here, in America!
(Pause)
You have accomplished so much here…
MISHA (intensely, enjoying each cigarette drag): What have I accomplished in your opinion? Except I’m alive?
XENIA (hasty): Your books are selling well… You have taught many famous actors, and friends…
MISHA(smiling infectiously): And now I know what they will write about me in obituary: “Died: Michael Chekhov, nephew of famous Russian writer Anton Chekhov. A teacher of Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brunner”
XENIA: Also Gary Cooper… and James Dean, and Gregory Peck…
MISHA: M-m.-m… Marilyn Monroe…
XENIA(Laughs): You go on so!
(She turns as if to exit)
MISHA: Xenia, I love you…
XENIA: I love you too Misha, despite all your craziness…
MISHA: We have been so long together, that we seldom try to bare our souls to each other… I’m very obliged to you…
(Misha takes a last long pleasurable drag on his cigarette and promptly snuffs it out).
XENIA: For my frankness?
MISHA (with a vague smirk, and twinkle in eye): You let me peacefully smoke my cigarette… at last…
THE END
NIGHT WORK
MIKLE: Thirty-five year old. He is driving a car.
ANNA: Thirty-five years old.
Mikle is driving home after working all night. He keeps yawning, falling asleep at the wheel, and catching himself. He sees Anna trying to hitch a lift. She is dressed in nurse’s “scrubs”… Mikle stops and opens the door:
ANNA: Thanks… I’m late for work.
MIKLE: Get in.
ANNA (sitting in car): My car won’t start. (Beat) Maybe you’ll take me as far as you’re going on route 18. (Beat) I work at South Shore Hospital.
MIKLE: I had a little trouble starting too…..dampness……
(Pause)
ANNA: I know it’s unusual to hitch hike in “scrubs”.
MIKLE: I suppose… didn’t think much about it. People wear all sorts of things.
ANNA: I hate to waste time changing at work… how far are you going?
MIKLE: If I don’t hit a tree, I’m going to South Weymouth…. I can take you right to the hospital.
ANNA: Good! Thanks!
MIKLE (head nods): I’ve worked all night…
ANNA: I’d like to pay some. (She finds and hands him a $10 bill).
MIKLE (waving the money off): No, no, just keep talking. I’m sleepy…..
ANNA: I’m Anna… you?
MIKLE (turning towards Anna): Mikle..l…l..l…l
(His head falls on Anna’s shoulder. Anna elbows him in the ribs and grabs wheel just holding it straight).
ANNA: Hey!!
MIKLE (head jerking up): Cut it…
ANNA(calmly): Please! This is very dangerous!
MIKLE: Talk! Speak up. Make it interesting…
ANNA: About?
MIKLE: Anything, just anything…
ANNA: My, what a lot of rain we had last night (beat) more this afternoon and…tonight… and
(Mikle falls asleep again, falling toward Anna. She pushes him away and again grabs the wheel. Michael recovers and continues driving.
ANNA (moving further away): Do you have a wife?
MIKLE: Yes…
ANNA: Does she work?
MIKLE: Why do you ask?
ANNA: I’m just making conversation. People start talking about the weather and then go on to talking about their work. It’s important that you talk too.
MIKLE: She works at a store…..
ANNA: What does she think about your working nights?
MIKLE: She doesn’t like it…
ANNA: Why?
MIKLE: She’s afraid to be home alone at night. She asked me to find another job… Anyhow she has found how to get over her fear…
ANNA: How?
(Mikle’s head falls to steering wheel, asleep. Anna reaches for the wheel and punches him in the side)
MIKLE: Ah! Wha..?
ANNA: I asked what way?
MIKLE: Way?
ANNA: How did your wife cure her fear?
MIKLE: Oh, that… She starts work early. She goes to bed early and takes a sleeping pill… As long as I’m on night shift this has to be the solution.
ANNA; She is still home when you get there?
(Mikle’s head drops, but he catches himself).
MIKLE: She…she usually has left……
(Michael’s head drops again, but he catches himself)
ANNA: Michael! Try harder!!…Who gets dinner?
(Mikel’s head drops again, but he catches himself)
MIKLE: I… I usually get dinner….she talks on the phone
Pause
I don’t have to leave until 10 o’clock. (Beat) I think she wishes I would leave earlier.
ANNA: Don’t you at least have children to discuss?
MIKLE: No kids…
(Anna opens her pocket book. She takes out a sandwich, unwraps it and offers him a half)
ANNA: My lunch… You’re probably hungry. It’s left over from my frozen dinner last night…..Here… I haven’t touched it… eat at least a half…
(He waves the sandwich away)
You need to keep your jaws moving or you’ll fall asleep.
Pause
You practically never get to talk to your wife!
MIKLE: At least we have the weekend together…..
ANNA: And that’s enough time for you to get together for a bit of sex?
(Milk’s head falls to chest, but he catches it in time)
ANNA (Face hardening with resolve): You know… I liked it when my husband worked nights.
MIKLE (surprised): You didn’t mind being alone at night?
ANNA: I certainly wasn’t afraid.
MIKLE: Why so brave? The house creaks! Shadows at the windows!
ANNA: I had a love affair….
MIKLE (appraising glance at Anna): Oh…
ANNA: While my husband got ready for work, I went to bed. I had changed clothes but I was nicely dressed. I pulled the covers up to my chin and pretended to start to sleep.
MIKLE: Clothes on in bed? Why?
ANNA: I didn’t want to waste time… My husband only worked two nights a week. My boyfriend, Ted, and I were very much in love… Impatient.
MIKLE: And when your husband left?
ANNA: I hurried out to Ted. He parked outside, waiting for my husband to leave. We headed for his apartment…sometimes we didn’t manage to get to bed…on the floor… we…
MIKLE (now wide awake): On the floor fully clothed!
ANNA: Practically…and sometimes we would do it in the car.
MIKLE: In the front seat?
ANNA: No, not in the front, in the back.
MIKLE: Hard in the car?
ANNA: No… but on the floor is better!
MIKLE: And…..next?
ANNA: Oh! We straightened up….Ate dinner. Flowers….music, wine… candles…
MIKLE: Yes?
ANNA: And then (recalling) All night! I still think about that time. Hardly any sleep… I was very happy…my heart beats faster when ever I think about it.
MIKLE: Morning!. In the morning?
ANNA: We ate breakfast together. Coffee, the sun streaming in. Then he drove me right to the hospital…..
MIKLE: Suppose your husband had come home earlier from work?
ANNA: I would say that the head nurse had called me in early on an emergency… car didn’t start… took a taxi… It sometimes happens anyhow.
MIKLE: How long did this go on?
ANNA: About two years…
MIKLE (incredulously): And during those two years your husband never suspected?
ANNA: Mikle…I made…
Pause
It’s not important…
MIKLE: Why not important?
ANNA: I see you’re awake now!.
(Pause)
MIKLE: What time is it?
ANNA: Seven forty.
MIKLE: Hold on.
(Michael sits up straighter and steps on the gas)
ANNA (thrown back by the acceleration): Mikle! Mikle this is dangerous! I’ll get there on time. I don’t start till eight.
(Anna holding tight to the hand grab, is thrown from side to side as Michael negotiates some sharp curves)
ANNA: I’m afraid you’ll hit something…
MIKLE: Have to go faster…I’m afraid….
ANNA: That last light was red!
MIKLE: Huh huh…
ANNA (hanging on for dear life): Oh…oh I can’t!… Stop!
(Pause)
ANNA (continues) Mikle, I made it all up!… All…About husband…about affair… I have no husband…I’ve never been married.
MIKLE: Made up?
ANNA: Fantasies. They woke you!
MIKLE: Made up? Prove it!
ANNA: I was trying to keep you awake!… I’m sorry!
MIKLE: Made up?…Sorry!…
ANNA: I’ll swear on it… Just a good story.
MIKLE: Never sex on the floor and in the car?
ANNA: Never! Honest!
MIKLE: Hardly! You lied to your husband. You’re lying to me. Lies!
(Both are thrown back as the car accelerates more)
ANNA: Do I really look like a married woman? Look at me!
MIKLE (looking straight ahead): You really…don’t look…
ANNA: And what do I look like… in your opinion?
MIKLE: No one!
ANNA: That’s all?
MIKLE: Don’t know…maybe a prostitute…
ANNA (starts to whack Michael on the shoulder): You’re mean. Nasty! Stop! I want to get out!
MIKLE (jerking the wheel): Stop it! I hit the curb!
ANNA (opens the car window and shouts): Help! Police! Help!
MIKLE: Shut up! Shut the window!
ANNA: You asked me to wake you up…”Say something interesting”…
MIKLE (grimly): Best you had been quiet…
ANNA (car swerves, she shouts): If I had been quiet you would have had an accident… We both would be dead…
MIKLE: Be quiet!
ANNA: Why?
MIKLE: I need to concentrate… Why did you become this kind of woman?
ANNA: What kind of woman?
MIKLE: A liar! Maybe your husband was very kind to you? Did he give you a lot of freedom? Did he just talk with friends and not pay much attention to you?
ANNA: No husband, no boyfriend… Only my dreams…
MIKLE: I don’t care. I don’t believe you…
ANNA: If you don’t believe me you can ask at the hospital.
MIKLE (car slows): That’s my house. Yellow, on the right……
(Mikle’ turns his head and looks right for a bit)
MIKLE: Nope! Her car is gone. She’s left…
(Both jerk forward as the car stops. Then they sink
back again as the car accelerates forward.)
MIKLE: She left early… I’ll take you to the hospital.
(They ride in silence for a long time. Finally)
MIKLE: Which entrance is yours?
