SAMPLE SCENE

THIS is a trial scene to work out in dialog some conflicts between characters. I just picked the names out of thin air ... here goes:

PLAY BEGINNINGS

ACT 1 SCENE 1

AN ASSISTED LIVING HOME. IN THE COMMON ROOM. THE LADIES ARE SITTING NEAR THE WINDOW, WHICH LOOKS OUT OVER A GRASSY AREA AND MANY BIRDS WHICH FLIT HERE AND THERE.

THE WOMEN ARE

ANNA, A HISPANIC WOMAN OF 70+. SHE SITS IN A ROCKING CHAIR, KNITTING.

BETH, AN ANGLO WOMAN OF 80, VERY TALKATIVE AND INTERUPTIVE. SHE THUMBS THROUGH A MAGAZINE

DORIS, 75, INDIGNANT, ALWAYS KNOWS THE WAY SOMETHING SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

MAUREEN, A WORKER, WHO CLEANS UP THE COMMON ROOM, BRINGS TEA, CHANGES THE TV CHANNEL.

1.1.

MAUREEN: WAS THAT YOUR DAUGHTER I SAW LEAVING THE BUILDING?

BETH: DID SHE HAVE ON A BLUE SKIRT AND RED SHOES?

MAUREEN; YES SHE DID

BETH, THEN THAT WAS HER.

ANNA: YOU ARE SO BLESSED, A DAUGHTER WHO COMES EVERY DAY.

BETH: (SHRUGS)

ANNA; WHAT I WOULDN’T GIVE FOR MY DAUGHTER TO COME EVERY DAY,. EVEN IF SHE COULDN’T BRING THE CHIDLREN, I WOULD BE SO HAPPY.
‘
BEHT: IT’S NICE, BUT

ANNA: BUT? BUT WHAT?

BETH: SHE COMES DURING MY PROGRAM. I’VE ASKED HER TO COME AN HOUR LATER, BUT SHE SAYS SHE CAN’T. SHE HAS TO COME AT 1.30, JUST WHEN MY PROGRAM ISON.

ANNA; YOUR PROGRAM? YOU’D RATHER YOUR PROGRAM THAN YOUR DAUGHTER?

BETH. I DON’ TKNOW WHY SHE CAN’T COME LATER.
THIS IS THE ONLY PROGRAM I WANT TO WATCH. AND I MISS IT EVERY SINGLE DAY.

ANNA: BUT YOUR DAUGHTER COMES TO SEE YOU. SHE LOVES YOU, WANTS TO BE WITH YOU. I’D GIVE ANYTHING IF MY DAUGHETER WANTED TO COME EVERY DAY.

BETH: BUT YOUR DAUGHTER TAKES YOU TO MASS EVERY SUNDAY AND THEN OUT TO LUNCH. YOU SHOULD TALK. ONE DAY A WEEK WHEN YOU CAN DEPEND ON YOUR DAUGHTER BEING THERE WHEN ITS CONVENIENT FOR YOU!

DORIS: IT IS NICE WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT. BUT REALLY, YOU WOMEN COMPLAIN NO MATTER WHAT THEY DO. MY CHILDREN DON’T COME AT ALL, DO YOU HEAR ME COMPLAINING?

ACT 1 ;2

THE DAUGHTERS

MARIAN, TALL, MATTER OF FACT, SPENDING TIME WHEN SHE’D RATHER BE HOME WITH HER OWN FAMILY.

JOSIE, FLIGHTY, RUNS IN RUNS OUT, ALWAYS IN A HURRY

MARY, A GOOD DAUGHTER, ALWAYS READY TO ACCOMMODATE.