Two-handers by Hedva Anbar

This Play is the copyright of the Author and must NOT be Performed without the Author's PRIOR consent

A F T E R T H E P A R T Y

KEITH (off): Drive carefully.

SHARON (off): See you soon.

KEITH and SHARON enter. They are in fancy dress outfits appropriate
for Hallowe'en (e.g. witch and wizard, ghosts, ghouls, poltergeists)
and somewhat dishevelled.

SHARON, obviously upset, sinks into a chair.

KEITH sits down, tense and uncomfortable, a bit too far away from
her.

SHARON: (shakes off her shoes.) My feet! I don't know how I'll make it
to bed.

KEITH: If you think I'm going to carry you, you can think again.

SHARON: You've a heart of stone. I don't know why I put up with you.

KEITH: I don't know why you insist on wearing shoes that don't fit.

SHARON: They do wonders for my ankles.

KEITH: Vain creature. (He gets up and starts tidying in a desultory
fashion.) What a mess.

SHARON: Leave it for tomorrow.

KEITH: They put the food and drink away all right.

SHARON: They came. Ate, drank and made merry.

KEITH: It's so easy here. Californians are so friendly and open
compared with us Brits. But if you want another Hallowe’en party
next year, count me out.

SHARON: Why? You seemed to be having a good time. / In fact -

KEITH: Putting on a good act.

SHARON: Such a good time that you couldn't spare a moment to introduce
me to your new friends.


A T L I F E’S D O O R

(characters can be either sex, runs about 25 minutes)

SQUEAK is seated at a desk, shuffling through the in tray.

SQUEAK accidentally overturns the in tray, scattering papers on the
desk and floor.

SQUEAK: Holy Bagel! (Crawls on the floor collecting the scattered
papers.)

Sound of souls approaching (off).

SQUEAK jumps up, dropping the papers already collected.

The door opens and an unwilling BUBBLE is shoved into the room by an
unseen soul. The door closes.

BUBBLE: What the shit's going on?

SQUEAK: Language! Language! Take a seat.

BUBBLE sits down.

SQUEAK gathers the scattered papers, except for one (an Identification
Record) which remains on the floor, and goes back to shuffling through
the in tray.

BUBBLE: Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

SQUEAK: I’m sorry. I put some Identification Records somewhere and
if I don't find them very soon I'll be in scalding hot water.
(Continues looking through the in tray.)

BUBBLE: I have to put my death on hold because you've lost some
Identification Records. You're not the only soul whose time is
precious.

SQUEAK: You're right. I'm sorry. It's just that if The Supervisor
finds out ... if it comes to light ... Okay. Shoot. What do you want?
Why did you ask to see me?

BUBBLE: All I want is to be left in peace.

SQUEAK: So what's stopping you?

BUBBLE: The Guard informed me that you want to see me immediately and,
to make sure I came, The Guard yanked me here in soul.

SQUEAK: Are you sure? I don't remember asking to see you.

A T R I S K

(1M1F, run time c-12 minutes)

MIMI enters a secluded glade. She is smoking and wears modish teen
gear, big sunglasses, ear-rings ankle bracelet, backpack, headphones,
make-up.

PAUL appears upstage in jeans, t-shirt and multi-pocketed "travel
vest" with binoculars and phone or pocket-camcorder.

MIMI checks her phone - it's time to change. She stubs out her
cigarette, produces a
cigarette packet and puts the stub in. She looks round and doesn't see
anyone.

PAUL sees MIMI from a distance through his binoculars, hides behind some trees and surreptitiously films MIMI changing.


MIMI takes her school uniform out of the backpack, changes quickly into the uniform and puts her discarded clothes into the backpack

Without her noticing, the clasp of her ankle bracelet bursts open and the ankle bracelet falls to the ground and rolls away.

PAUL saunters round the area with his binoculars raised to his eyes.


MIMI takes off and puts away her ear-rings and sunglasses, produces a
mirror and cleansing wipes and removes her make-up. She realises that
her ankle bracelet is missing,`empties her backpack and goes through
the contents looking for it.

PAUL deliberately on purpose almost trips over MIMI.

MIMI jumps.

PAUL: Oops! Sorry. I hope I haven't hurt you.

MIMI shakes her head.

PAUL: That's what happens when your eyes are on the sky instead of the
ground. I spotted a male redstart. (He points.) There he is (He holds
out the binoculars.) Look at that gorgeous orange tail. Go on. Too
late. He's gone. Their numbers are declining, redstarts or, to use
their Latin name, phoenicurus phoenicurus. They're on the amber list.
The at-risk list.

MIMI crawls about looking in a disorganised way for her ankle
bracelet.

PAUL: Are you looking for something? Have you lost something? Perhaps
I can help? If you tell me what you're looking for. (He raises the
binoculars to his eyes.) That's a fine buzzard. Almost black. Want to
see?

(He holds out the binoculars.)

[End of Extract]