"PS DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC. ESTABLISHED BY MEMBERS OF THE

DRAMATISTS GUILD OF THE AUTHORS LEAGUE OF AMERICA

for the HANDLING OF THE ACTING RIGHTS OF MEMBERS' PLAYS

and

THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE

440 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016 www.dramatists.com

THE PAVILION BY CRAIG WRIGHT

* Revised Edition

* DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE

INC.

"I guessed the wrong keys, I picked the wrong roads. 0 God and start all over back where I where the roads all came together

from "Ambassa J J rzef" by Carl Sandburg

Pavilion n. 1. An ornate tent. 2. A light, sometimes ornamental roofed structure used at parks or fairs for amusement or shelter. 3. A temporary structure erected at a fair or a show. 4. The surface of a brilliant-cut gem.

THE PAVILION received its world premiere by City Theatre's New Works on Stage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 8, 2000. It was directed by Aaron Posner; the set design was by Tony Ferrieri; the lighting design was by William O'Donnell; the sound design was by Jennifer Fritsch; the original guit'J.r music was by Craig Wright; the costume design was by Lorraine Venberg; and the pro-duction stage manager was Patti Kelly. The guitar music was per-formed by Tom Cunningham. The cast was as follows:

NARRATOR ......................................................... Joel Van Liew PETER ................................................ J. Christopher O'Connor KARI ................................................................ Kathryn Petersen

8

CHARACTERS

NARRATOR

PETER, a 37-year-old man

KARI, a 37-year-old woman

PLACE

Th play takes place at The Pavilion, an old da?ce ?all in thee fictional town of Pine City, MN. The settmg Is sug-gested only by a pair of benches.

TIME

The time is the present.

9

THE PAVILION ACT ONE

NARRATOR. (To the audience.) This is the way the universe begins. A raindrop (that isn't really a raindrop) drops, like a word, "rain'' drops, into a pool (that isn't really a pool, more like a pool of listening minds), and tiny waves circle out in an elegant decelerat-ing procession, -cession, -cession. Then, after a time, the pool of lis-tening minds grows still once more.

Now, but backwards, this is the way the universe begins: the still pool of listening minds, the sudden shrinking circles dissolv-ing at the center, conserving at the center until boom, sloop!, up goes the droplet, up towards the voice that raindrops words, up towards the voice and it hangs in the air - remember it there -because that's the way the universe begins. A little pavilion. A momentary sphere. A word made of stars, dancing.

From the fire-latticed floor of the earth, sweet shoots of green spring up through the cooling webs, and mountain deep water sloshes over continents, swinging. Volcanoes of ice snow crystal-blue ash across miles of moss-seething tundra, and creatures crawl up on the shore, imagining things. The air is blood-thick with insect songs and the palm fronds tinkle like gongs in the tropical rain. Monkeys in slow-motion turn into women and men and soon campfires dot the plains for days in every direction. And around each campfire, minds spring to life like sudden stars in a blank, black sky. The tiny tea leaf of consciousness spreads its bittersweet smoke through the sea of the primitive mind. Law is invented; then morality, then love, then forgiveness. Thousands and thousands of ideas, knit together over time, each one less practical and more ornamental than the last, all stretched taut above the wandering, wondering heads like a little

11

pavilion; a temporary shelter for the human project. (Peter enters, holding a spray of flowers.)

Once secured, time speeds up like a language being learned. Very quickly, like words and ideas forming in a mind, African empires rise and fall, greatness sprays up in fountains all across the Fertile Crescent and then shatters into droplets of novelty and nu.ance;. Alexander .and his Macedonians hammer through Persia, Asia Mmor, deep mto India, and blood and knowledge spread ma~hine-l~ke through the valleys, float down the Ganges on a bed of s1mmenng pollen, algae and dharma. Christ is born, and a sec-ond later, nailed to a tree; Europe is invented and then the Renaissance and then the Enlightenment and then the steam engine and then suddenly! - his family came to Minnesota in the late 1800s. From Finland. His great-great-grandmother wrote a book which is actually in the Library of Congress, about her first winter in the new world. Anyone can read it, it's there. It's called Pioneer Days. Years came and went, faster and faster, there were two world wars, one right after another, and then he was born right here in Pine City, Minnesota in the year we call 1969 (Adjust as necessary.) in the house across the bay there, on the shore of Lake Melissa, that's you, and this ... this is The Pavilion. (Narrator indi-cates the stage.) The windowed walls of this century-old dance hall are all opened out toward the lake. The tables are set, the floor's been swept, and the napkins are folded like fans in the water glass-es. There's a cool breeze blowing, and every now and then the buzz and hum of water-skiers passing by can be heard through the din-ner music being piped in over the sound system. (To the techs.) Excuse i:ne, could we have some dinner music, please? And a water-skier, perhaps? Thank you. (To the audience.) This is a play. Ab?ut time. It's sevei: ~,clock. Ten or twenty couples have already amved. Some are mdlmg about, some are seated at their tables reading their place mats, upon which are printed The Class of 1987's (Adjust as necessary.) Hall of Fame. That was twenty years ago. The Boy Most Likely To Succeed is now a Microsoft million-aire. The Girl With the Best Sense of Humor is still single. And one half of the Cutest Senior Couple is suddenly picked out of the crowd by a friend. (To Peter.) Peter Mollberg? PETER. Pudge?! Is that you?

12

, no LlTOR. (As Pudge.) It's me! NJU'-'-" ~ . h ' d PETER. You've lost we1g t. I h 'tl My body has change ,

.ARRA-TOR. You know what, aven . ~ t I still weigh the same! p~TER. You look great, though~ d k eps telling me! I'll take it! NARRATOR That's what every o y e d me we're in the

I d i~ the program book, Peter, you an ' Hey, rea same business! . , PETER. You're a psych~log1st. 1 NARRATOR. Yeah, I kinda a~. PETER. What does thakit' mea~.h t the Suicide Hotline! NARRATOR. I'm wor n!f mg t~ a PETER. (Befuddled.) Thats grea~ 1 teering through church, NARRATOR. Yeah, I got stdarte. ,vSo ufquit the turkey farm and

I' ally goo at it. o 'd 1 but it turns out m re . . h benefits! A nationw1 e company. they hired me on fulll ~1me wit d PETER. Congratu anons. . h k me in the office an

Yi ah The guy m c arge too , NARRATOR. e . h' like it, Pudge, you ve got 'd "Yi u know I've never seen anyt mg

Sal O ' f ff" ' al ability for this sort o stu a natur ,

PETER. I bet you d~d I' t a comforting presence, an~ that} NARRATOR. He sa1 ve go . l Kent) Hey, have either o

h . takes right' (Suddenly, grim ry, as . w at it ' . , you guys seen Cookie. PETER. No.

ARRATOR. (As Kent.} Thanks. ~ETER. Pudge, I'm a little confused ... NARRATOR. What? 800 number? PETER. How do they ~ake mon~~~nn~mber, Peter. It's a 900 NARRATOR. Aha! Its not an number. PETER. Ahh. ah . nine cents a minute. NARRATOR. Ye , nmety~ PETER. For a Suicide ~otl.1;~orks it's a bargain! NARRATOR. Man, w en i all 'd ' PETER. You don't get a lot of l t: ~:;all from around here NARRATOR. Only thous~n \ d Didn't even get a break! either. Like last night, I was JUSt s amme .

13

This one guy, his name was Kevin Conzemius from Fresno, California ... what a sad sack, he kept me on the phone for two hours, this guy, with a gun to his head the whole time! PETER. (Adding it up, horrified.) That's 120 bucks ... NARRATOR. Yeah, ka-ching! See, he went out to California from Louisville, where he was from, with this girl, Kendra, and then she left him for some guy and he was really freaked out. I mean, I think he had some pretty deep-seated self-esteem prob-lems going way back. PETER. Sounds like it, going to California. NARRATOR. That's what I told him too! What a freak! But every minute or so, Peter, he was interrupting me, tapping the barrel on the telephone, saying, "You're not listening to me, man! Youre not listening to me!" And then BANG! PETER. What happened?

NARRATOR. That's confidential, Peter; you understand. (Kari enters, catching Peter's eye.) You know, after the reunion, they're gonna burn the old place down, right? PETER. (Distracted by Kari.) The Pavilion? NARRATOR. Yeah, the fire department's gonna burn it down. PETER. Why?

NARRATOR. Because starting tomorrow, they're gonna build a big concrete amphitheatre. PETER. For Summer Carnival? ~ARRATOR. No, there's gonna be a five-day country music fes-tival here every summer from now until 2028. PETER. Jesus.

NARRATOR. Yeah, Cookie Brustad's mayor now, Peter, every-thing's changing. Everyrhing's changing. Who are the flowers for? PETER. Kari. NARRATOR. (As in "bad idea.') 0-o-oh. KARI. Denise! (Narrator becomes Denise.) NARRATOR. (As Denise.) Kari! KARI. You are the last person I expected to see here tonight! The world traveler! You didn't even come to the ten-year! NARRATOR. I tried! KARI. You did not! NARRATOR. No, I had the date mixed up, I came a week early.

14

KARl. That is a lie! h d up at the Dude Ranch, and NARRATOR. No, I swear, Is o~e haps and spurs and I was here were all these people wear~g c d "

th. ki "Boy everyone's really c ange ... tmng, ' . fu KARI Oh my God, that is so nny. d k "MMMMMM" NARRATOR. Give me a hug. (They hug an ma ea hug sound) KARL I'm so glad you,came. ' NARRATOR. Wheres Hans. KARI. Home sick. NARRATOR. Aww. h , been up to; last I heard KARI But I want to know w at youve

. . Thailand or somewhere? you were m ... NARR. Bangkok, mmhmm. . h ,

h , 1 Domg w at. KARI. God, t at s so coo . Wi rking for the embassy. NARRATOR. Drug Enfor~e~ent. o KARI. That must be so exc~tmg. fi Pine City. Lot of drugs. NARRATOR. It's not so different rom And you're ... KARI. . .. still at the bank.

NARRATOR. (Weakly.) Woi; . but they keep me locked up KARI. I've tried to get out, em.se, e basement -with all the valuables dow~ there m th de osit box? NARRATOR. You're still m the safety P d d by diamonds KARI. Yeah, but hey, I spend my days surroun e

d 1 ould be worse . an pear s, it c , 11 ith Hans. NARRATOR. And you re sn w KARI. I am, yeah. , , NARRATOR. And hows that. KARI. Fine. N

ARRATOR. Really? . bad Denise. In fact, do . D ) Hans 1s not so , . d KARI. (Reassuring emse. 1 b d t is of being marne to

ant to know what the on y a par ' you w , Hans, the only bad part.

NARRATOR. Wha;? 11 b dy ever that I said this, okay? KARI. And you cant .te. ,any o

NARRATOR. Wh~t is ~t. ) I all hate golf Isn't that awful? I KARI. (Almost whispering. re Y 15

didn't know it when I married him, I was actually thinking it might be kinda fun to live on a golf course and be married to the pro, you know? I don't know, you know, all the grass, maybe, it just seemed ... pastoral. But now I know, I hate gol NARRATOR. I do too ... KARI. And you should see it, Denise, our house is so full of tees -NARRATOR. I can imagine -KARI. - and balls and visors and dubs, it's so ... NARRATOR. Golfy-KARI. Yes, and he has this putting green set up in the rec room that he practices on every night and I swear, the sound of that ball popping out of that machine ... it's like a baby spitting up. NARRATOR. Do you two have any kids? KARI. No, we've got a dog, though, Tramp, he's our big baby. NARRATOR. (Conspiratorially.) Peter's here. KARI. Who cares? (After a beat.) So, uh ... are you married or ... whatever . . . involved with . . . anybody? (Peter and Kari see each other for the first time.) NARRATOR. (As Narrator, to the audience.) At the center of everything in the universe, there's you. PETER. Hi. KARI. Hi. NARRATOR. A fragile crystal (that isn't a crystal, really, more like a way of being), spinning and changing, gathering and giving off light. And this method, this bright idea that is YOU is dis-played, like a jewel, in a body. Your body. PETER. (Tentatively.) How are you doing? KARI. I'm fine. NARRATOR. (To the audience.) And beyond the edge of your body lie the gemlike worlds, each one nested snugly in the next; the world of air, the world of people, the world of emotions, of ideas, of the sky, of fire, of the stars, of cold darkness and mystery; and nothingness. And at the center of everything in the universe, there's you - this force, sending out trajectories, creating webs of relationships with your words, with your work, with your love. It seems so simple, and yet, there are these other people -PETER. You haven't changed a bit. KARI. (Uncomfortably.) Yes I have.

16

. ) eve one of them also a cen-NARRATO R. (To the audzen7 h- ls rycradled and maintained ter of everything, e:ery one o t. em a o

the hub of all existence -~~TER. I just mean you look greatk KARI. (Coldly matter of fa~t.) T)han. s. t like you and yet, not you. NARRATOR. (To the audience. -JUS v" o T You look tired. r-.ru'-'- d all day PETER. I've been nvmg . ) An infinite number of centers to NARRATOR. (To the aut~en~. can stand right next to them an infinite number of w~r s; . ut youomplex geometry. And then

alk I all akes 1or qmte a c ) and t t m h" fi (Peter offers the bouquet. there's time. It's seven t irty- ive. PETER. I got you these. , KARI. (Not t~king them.) WhI~to Slick at Sundberg's Cafe and he PETER. I don t know ... I ran h d me around the flower shop. walked me down thhest,re~l a~:~to;;;l like you have to take them. I thought of you. T at s . KARI. I don't. ' . conversation.) I guess marrying PETER. See, thats cool. (Making h" g Slick ever did, huh ... into that family was the smart~st t m KARI. Yeah, Slick's a r~al genms. hat lace now, and he never PETER. All I mean is he owns t p would've-KARI. Half. PETER. What? KARI. He only owns half. .

H told me he owns it all. PETER. e . , dies but not until then. . KARI. Once Jackies mo.m bl 'k she's dead and he owns it. PETER. He told me pomt an KARI That's what he tells ever,rb~dy. . '

. Wh"l Jackie's mothers snll alive. . ' PETER. i e d"d ' 11 him those were for me, did you. KARI. Yeah, you i n t te PETER. No. h ld 't be good. (Brief pause.) KARI. Because t at wou n PETER. Ho:v's Ha)nsH? . s fine. How's your Dad? KARI. (Closing up. ans i . PETER. I'm just trying to be polite. KARI. Nice try.

17

PETER. Didn't mean KARI. (Mad) I'm not :a;ak:e you mad. were coming! I JUst really wish you let kn PETER Wh me ow you

. y? KARI. Because I Id , come. Are you gonn wou ~ t have come, okay? I wouldn't have PETER Wh a stay.

. y? KARI. Because if 0 ' PETER. Then I y ~re gonna stay then I won't KARI wont stay

{After a beat.) No d , :it~y, dyou stay, just don't . '.. ~U:. do me any favors, if you want t nen s, okay? to me or anything or talk o

PETER. Okay to my KARI. {After~ beat.) Act 11 don't want to b . . ua y, do whatever o you NOT d . e lllvolved with you I d ' y u want, because I whatever ~mg something becau;e o/;: wan: to be here with PETER. Oka;ppens ... happens! Okay? , so )Ust be here and KARI. Good! PETER. (To himself ! NARRATOR. 'll 'J'/f1m':J.) That Went well.

Tc \' s 1 varrator.) It' h swmg. oasts are b s eig t o'clock n ' . t:;,:~c: to :t:~ ::~::; ;~~o:h!e~a t ti,,;~~; ilie~; - if you'r un Is settmg across the lake i sl pan 1 of bro-eve~one i: :~:t;~0':; i:h~a:~ge !ou can see~; fr~;e~h~~;rle mist 1;;:~~avender light. (To the te:t, I~ :,a;; summer air and the ~:~ KARI you. (To the audience.) It's ~~1 e stage turns a bit lavender.) bl

. And then he has the e y very grand. ows my mind' (M nerve to show up 'th fl NARRATOR . arrator becomes Ang.. ) WI owers, it just

KARI (Troubled) Ma b h , ie.

People don't h Y e es changed. NARRATOR c ange. KARI. No I kn~be he wants to change. g H ' what he wants An KizI! B~;~nts everybody to say, "Would~~~: wanhts to be a good

e must really feel bad b d at t at ... Peter d pregnant, but gee, it looks r a out' umping her when sh an all these years blah blah blatik~1~:1:1Iie~ foun~ it in her hearte;~

' I don t Want to d h o t at!

18

NARRATOR. Do you have a Kleenex? KARL (Absently.} Yeah, here - I don't want to spend this whole evening having people whisper ln my ear, "Peter's here, did you see, Peter's here, are you gonna talk to Peter?" NARRATOR. But he looks so lost. KARL That's because he is, he shouldn't be here! I mean, if you're gonna live by a certain set of rules, then live by them; but don't come crawling back, don't try to change the rules later just because you feel bad -NARRATOR. Why? KARL - what? NARRATOR. Why not change the rules? Why not try, if you're not happy? KARL Because, you should live with what you did. You did it, you suffer, you live with it. NARRATOR. But that's why I'm ... KARI. What? NARRATOR. That's why I'm seeing Cookie now. I'm changing the rules because I'm not happy. Kent doesn't make me happy. KARI. But it's different -NARRATOR. You told me you thought it was a good idea ... KARI. For you, Angie. For you. NARRATOR. But not for Peter. KARI. Not for me. (Angie bursts into tears.) What, Angie? What is it? NARRATOR. I'm pregnant. KARI. Is it Cookie's? NARRATOR. I don't know. KARI. Oh my God. (Narrator becomes Nolan.) NARRATOR. (As Nolan.) I was sitting around a campfire with about five or six of my Roman centurions. Peter, it was so real. PETER. Sounds like it. NARRATOR. We were camped in a wide valley in the Caucasus Mountains. For hundreds of yards in every direction I could see fires and circles of my soldiers and I could hear horses whinnying out in the darkness. (He does two distant whinnies and a snort.} And there was a goat, roasting over the fire on a spit. I could hear the fat crackling and smell the meat. It was amazing. And I looked around at my men and I suddenly knew they were all going to die

19

in the midst of battle th who knew. e very next day. And I h PETER. That was t e only one NARRATOR does sound ~mazing. PETER. Yeah So yes, I believe in it. Kari really h t NARRAT . a es your guts. h OR. She doesn't beli .

s ould be together eve m remcarnation eithe Yi PETER She's . r. ou two NARAA marned to Hans. KARI

TOR. In this life Peter's gott ki d. NARRA en n a fat, hasn't he' (, KARI TOR. (/1.s CoraL) Fat? No Ar . Narrator becomes CoraL)

he' . But look at him; he's gotten bn~ you gonna eat that? NAAM of ... pushy-mushy, hasn't Wi' TOR. (Chewing.) Don't b '

ere all older. And what i h e mean, hes just older K . He never h s e, a counselor or h' ' an. Th moves, e sits in a chair all d (T s~met mg like that?

ese are so go d' "C''- ay. 1akzn(7 a h hi Yi ' o . ! ' newing.) I think ' o. not. er morsel) KA~ our r~ ~o spring chicken either you re bemg too hard on . . sit In a chair all da do ..

NwARRA:eigh the same as I did in h{gh whn ml the box at the bank and I

TOR 0 1 SC 00. Look at all th~ al n y because you're sad. That's n . we did - oh i. s. !""feather, Alison. If you'd h Jt a goo~ thmg. Cookie? Or Ans. i; Im sorry - (/1.s Kent.) He: hsome kids like KARI gie. J> ave you seen K . They were, he was ri ht N~' a moment ago. Anlr hover, there by the punch bowl kn

TOR. (/1.s Kent.) Thank av~~ t seen Angie recently. ' ow why I said h s. 1ns CoraL) I'

ner dishes have b~e~t.cl(/1.e s Mdarrator.) It's eight-~hirtym_::~ry;T, hr dd~n't d are away b h . e m-t~ts ~n , white shirrs, thirty-five d~llt e ~eenagers in their black

t eres a woman sta d' ars ror one night of k phone that obviously isn'~ ;::rton the stage, talking into a m~~: ~ and. a squeal, it is. (Narrator ng, an? then suddenly, with a o :a:;ngh ;alass can be moved /or;~:dm:: ;~:~tMt.hote:hthe year of the .:aJ.

1 vt rrator as L . :!" e c ange in d. . time? Fabulous' F zsah to audience.) Is everybody h . pro uctzon Gulbranson, and rfm~ ose o~ you who don't know :~ng ,a go?d wonderful dinner and w y;h~u ve all been here for a while' hr m. Lisa

catc mg up with each th ' avmg a o er, but now let me

20

formally welcome you, on behalf of the whole reunion committee, (which is essentially me and Angie), to the Class of 1987's (Change as needed.) twentieth reunion! Yay! There's some school spirit! Pine City Panthers, P-C-P! I see a lot of familiar faces out there! And don't everybody forget we've got Skippy Schouviller from Ingebretsen Photography set up right over there all night taking pictures, so if you want your picture taken with the old gang, you just talk to him.

Now, when we first started planning this party, Angie and I thought it would be fabulous if we could get The Mustangs back together to play. But it didn't take long for us to realize only two of the original Mustangs were still with us: Eddie Gieselhardt and Peter Mollberg. Then we never got an RSVP from Peter ... naughty. But, even worse, last month, as many of you probably have heard, Eddie was killed in a car accident on his way to a "gig" in Fargo. So when Peter called and told us last week he'd be com-ing, I asked him if he could just play us all a song, to remember and whatever, in Eddie's honor. So, before we head into the danc-ing portion of the evening, let me introduce to you, and it makes me kinda sad to say this, the Class of 1987's (Change as needed.) Vice-President, and the only surviving member of The Mustangs, Peter Mollberg! (Peter enters with guitar.) PETER. (To audience.) Hey. It's nice to see everybody tonight. Uh, you'll have to imagine the rest of The Mustangs are up here with me. Spencer would've been over here on bass, Brad on the drums, and Eddie would've been right there. This, uh ... this was the last song Eddie and I ever wrote. Ever since high school, we've been sending tapes back and forth in the mail, writing songs, just for fun. I wrote the words to this one and Eddie wrote the tune, and he would've played it a lot better than I'm gonna play it, but that's the breaks. Also, I gotta apologize a little bit, it's kind of a sad song, but this is a reunion, so that's okay, a little, right? So I figure this is Eddie's way of being here, and we can all get drunk and dance afterwards and he can't, so here it is. Nobody's ever heard this before. First time ever. (Sung.)

COME MY DARLING, COME MY LOVE WE'LL GO DOWN IN THE RUINED WORLD OF STRIP MALLS, CIGARETTES, RUBBER GLOVES

21

AND CALIFORNIA GIRLS

IN EVERY CORNE THERE'S A COAL R, IN EVERY CAR THE PEOPLE MA~~y COUPLE CURLED DOWN IN THE RUINf6;~~~AYTHEY CAN SO COME MY AN WE'LL GO DO GEL COME MY PRIZE DON'T VEIL Y

NARRATOR (As Smok J

of that? e, azsznterestedly.) Yeah C PETER H an I have a sip me . . ere, and not one of the h tio::J;i;e~;:!y, s~op and think ab~ut a;h~;e~eally worked out. I right, as in Ille as ever truly been health. odt one single rela-funn I k , not even dose! I look back y an normal and ...

y, now, because I' wreckage Wh h . my shit together, okay, h mha psychologist so I'm suppo. d Ich Is Smoke wh . , a- a. But I alwa s se to ave sudd l ere I JUst stop feeling I fj y get to a certain point N~~RnotShing, numbness, ~bs~fut~ozm everything and the~

ee that' h , ero. exactly. , s w ere Im at with Th PETER Wh eresa and the kids, NARR.Ar y d~e~ that happen? PETE OR. Its Just life, Peter o N~ If you let yourself, mayb: u get emptied out. I , TOR. No, you don' h . ~s a p~ysical thing, it's a nat~raJ~ee any co~trol, you're powerless ~E~E~r-~ou lose your feelings. generative process, like losin~

N o . . ARRA.TOR. Yes M In fk . en are born w h ha~e--:0 ~:n;o:c"~1.1' they've only go;\o a~:~;in capacity for feel-every death ev ee ~n~s. And life uses them u e~gs - men only uses up ou; fee~Il:gs~I~~ evhery j~k~ that's fun~~ t~:7 ~o~e affhair, suck any mo fi. . w en life s done . h e aug at PETER v re eel1ngs out of us life to W1t . us, when it can't N l!. on; IOU really think sol ' sses us aside.

"-J.'-L\.fiTOR. Peter I' . PETER. It's like ' ma mm1ster. I know these th" NARRA.To mgs. PETER N R. (Bored) What? N o, you don't w h n~T\>R. (Relieved) ~:o ear about this.

ER. Its like wh I . Y. NARRATOR en s~d no to Kari back the PETER. It's ik(Slzghtly impatient.) Yeah? n, when I left town? b I e I got on th een on this train now for twe~ wrong train, you know? And I'

go where this train i . ty years, and Jesus I d , ve NARRATOR Whes going, I really don't. , ont want to PETER. I wa~t to re do you want to go?

go ... I Want to o h g w ere I maybe could h

ave

24

gone with her, you know? ... if I had been more ... I don't know, strong or something. When I s_aw Kari for the first time, Smoke, I'll never forget it; it was like the first or second week of high school and I walked into the audiovisual lab and there she was. And I swear - I couldn't have put this into words back then, but it's all I think about lately - it was really like I recognized her or something. And I don't mean it like we'd met before or anything. We'd never met. It was just ... it was as if in her face ... in her beauty ... I was finally seeing the beauty of everything, you know? ... the unreachable beauty of the whole world that I'd always felt inside and tried to hold onto but never could, it was all in her. The whole universe had articulated itself in her. To me. That's just how I saw it. And I just knew that if I could be with her ... by her side, you know? ... then I could be alive and be a part of things. I'd at least have a chance. Now I know it sounds crazy, Smoke, I know, given everything that's happened, and there's a lot of water gone under the bridge, and a lot of time has passed, and there's been a lot of stupid shit and I've done most of it, but when I see her now, I still feel the same way. I look at her and I still see it, I see her face and I think, "Oh, there you are ... the world. Where have you been?" I love her, you know? I screwed up back then, there's no getting around it, but I love her. I think she's great. I love her. NARRATOR. Have you told her that? PETER. No. NARRATOR. Don't. (Narrator becomes Carla.) Whatever you do, honey, don't forgive him. KARI. I'm not gonna forgive him! NARRATOR. No, but I can see it in your eyes, you're suscepti-ble. It was that song, wasn't it? Kari, just because Satan gave him that guitar to torment you with doesn't mean you have to take the bait like a dummy! KARI. Carla, I'm just saying that I'm tired of being angry! NARRATOR. Tough it out! KARI. No! NARRATOR. Yes, you tough it out! You stay angry! Because lis-ten to me, honey, when you forgive a man you lose yourself, and that's the God's honest truth. You want some words to live by? Here's two: NEVER FORGIVE.

25

KARI. Carla N ... 1 ARRATOR. No, I'm right' r ook at him over ther ak. im s~rewed around on me

h e, m es me k h once -zie wu a girl we had working fc s1ch - e screwed around on ~m Holland named Anna (D o~ t e summer, this little bitch

na, Anna. (Shudders) And h utc accent.) Anna, Anna An godforsaken knees in ~h kie begged me to forgive him' hn~, begged . e par ng lot at tw . h ' on is

me, crymg like a baby; l'k h 0 1ll t e morning h surgery; "Oh I need you C '1 1 el e was awake having open h, e KARI p h ' ar a, p ease pl fc eart

oor t ing. ' ease orgive me " NARRATo , (R R. Thats exactly h I h d itting her~elf in the face.) Du:.i:r, ~ ough:, and I forgave him. d~;;l (~ Tzm.) Worst thing I ever ~~ulJ~t th~g I ever could have b oo at me that way, it's tr b ave one. (To Kari.) No d een oalnle down; and in marriag:~ ecau~fe ev~r since that day, I'v;

own the way; and I kn , oney, 1 you re one down , KARI Wh . ' ow you kn h , , you re NARMTO~ is that supposed to mea~~ w at Im talking about. . Oh please. Christ 1 k h.

;e want to vomit. Someday; th , ~o at im over there. Makes ence - so med h , ' oug - I tell you th. .

he will h , akay es gonna do it again h h is 1ll confi-, es we h 'll - e says e ' b e~eryrhing he's go~ al~; with ~~d ':hen he does I'm g::::at, taku:

With the money - this is e kids, and the first thin I'll - the first thing I'll d . my dream, I think about it e g . ~o my truck, and you kno o is get .n;yself a vanity plate and very ~ig t get eight letters - w what its gonna say? "I HATE TI~t,,1~ on KARI. Carla - . ou NARRATOR (C . ~ Carla!. ountzng the letters.) "I HATE TIM."

ARRATOR. What? KARI. You only NARRATO get seven letters. h' R. Oh. Then i 'll

KARit mk people will still get tht 'd)ust have to be "HATE TIM" I

Oh I h' e 1 ea. . NARRATOR t mk they will too. know? Tc Maybe they'd even ak KARI

. o get more involved? t e it as a challenge, you Maybe.

NARRATOR L'k

1 e Greenpeace.

26

l(ARI. Gotcha. NARRATOR. That'd be good. (Resuming her train of thought.) See, these reunions are very sneaky and the men know it too; they request the old songs from the DJ and talk about the old times, "oh baby I've changed"; there's women feeling generous all over this place tonight. But listen to me, forgiving a man will not make you any younger; and, don't you dare dance that sweetheart dance with him, it's like giving yourself cancer indulging in that nonsense! Tim's asked me twice already and I've said no, and I'm married to him! Peter Mollberg hurt you. He didn't have to. He chose to do it. And that's the end of it. Christ, wouldja look at Tim over there? "Haw haw haw ... " I swear I'm getting a case of infectious diarrhea just looking at him. (Narrator becomes Cookie.) Peter Mollberg?! PETER. Cookie? NARRATOR. I've gained a lot of weight, I know, it's all the pot, man, I live in a state of continual munchies, but listen, you're a therapist or something in the Twin Cities, right? PETER. Cookie, before we talk about anything else, we're gonna talk about The Pavilion -NARRATOR. Now is not the time! PETER. I heard on "Talk of the Nation'' there are laws about landmarks and historic buildings -NARRATOR. I heard the same show, Peter, but this is not a church, it's just the motherfucking Pavilion and the laws don't apply! PETER. It's a church to me! This is a cathedral of memories in my head, and I bet it is to a lot of other people too -NARRATOR. You know what it is to other people? It's a problem, it's old and in the way -PETER. Yeah, well, I'm gonna call for a referendum -NARRATOR. We had a referendum, man, the people have already spoken, now would you please facking listen to me?! PETER. What is it? NARRATOR. (Heightening intensity of stoned paranoia.) You're a shrink, right? Like you talk people down from buildings and stuff? You've got methods of ameliorating really high-pressure situations? PETER. Why? NARRATOR. I'm in totally deep shit, man. I'm desperate and on the run.

27

PETER. From who:> N_t1DnA

'u'-LVl.TOR. Kent' PETER . N t1 D n : Kent Luneburg?

'u'-LVl.TOR. Yeah' H called me th. . . e ound out about d PETER v I~ mor~mg and said he's gonn mkilel an Angie and he

ioure seeing An a me NARRATOR D h gie on the side' . S u ! And K : a1d Jesus told h. . ent said hes go kill PETER C . im It was alright! nna me tonight! NARRA ookie, settle down' H

TOR. He's the Chie-1'~[ ;7 you called the police? program! :J o ice, Peter, get with th fu ki PETER. So what d e c ng NARRATOR ,.,... "~you_ want me to do? fi 1au~ to h ' "TT J uck it is im. unuerstand" h KARI. c!o~b~~ople do! (Kari enters scene.) im, or whatever the N .

ARRA.TOR. (Trying to be l.) KARI. Kent's looking r coo Hey, Kari. NARRA.T ror you. OR. (Freakino- 0 ) lk me, he's stalki . 0 ut. now! Peter

PETER. (Toi ~e like a ~ucking jungle ca~! man, you gotta help VA nr arz.) Where lS h ;> ivuv H , . h e. N t1 n~ 'T' es ng t over there.

, U'-LV\.1 OR Sh" 'All k It. I want t d ~~~ ~ sJome decent weed and n~w ~ Is mfuakekil!fe better for people and ivuv. esus? got c ng Jesus afi:e PETER K r my ass! KARI . ent says Jesus told him .

(To Narrator.) And _to kill Cookie. NARRATOR. Well. h _you believe him? not g d' H . 'w at if Jesus reall ld h" v A n ~o . ey, IS it true you guy y t~ Im that, Kari;> That' ivuv Ar 1 . s are gettm b k . s PETER. e you te lmg people th ;i g ac together?

. No! at. KARI. (To Cookie) Wh . NARRATOR. I d~n't knere ~1~ !ou hear that? Peter's m b ow, Its }Ust been ki d . KARI S oh'.'1~g(,.,... ack and Hans is outta th ~ a gomg around that

It. 10 Peter.) H e picture. PETER. No' ave you been saying that NARRATOR E . to people? d ven1fyo' ~ thNe sweetheart dance ~e ~~~rg~;ing back, you two should

0 we shouldn't.

28

NARRATOR. But it'd be perfect, you guys were the Cutest Senior Couple and all that shit. We'll turn down the lights, turn on the glitter ball, give everybody a little hope for the future, you know? I mean, you guys were so fucked up, what a testament. !(ARI. To what? NARRATOR. Where is he now? PETER. He went into the bathroom. NARRATOR. Thank you, God. (Narrator addresses audience.) It's nine-thirty; the sun has gone down, and there's a warm corona of indiscriminate voices and sounds and grey-purple light that spreads for thirty yards in a circle around the old dance hall at the edge of the lake. Cars are beginning to cruise the lakeshore road ... can you hear those radios? And the catering trucks are pulling away, having deaned up the last of the dinnertime dishes; and the fire trucks are pulling up, groaning into the parking lot, and the hoses are being unrolled, and the crew of new volunteers, with "helmets and every-thing," are nervously awaiting their instructions in the quiet, spin-ning light of the silent sirens. And the party's still going strong. PETER. Lot of people came. KARI. Yeah. PETER. More than I woulda thought. KARI. Yeah, Angie and Lisa really got their shit together. PETER. It's really a great party. KARI. Yeah, it's a great party. PETER. (After a beat.) So look, do you wanna ... get out of here? KARI. With you? Are you kidding me? PETER. I'm not, actually. NARRATOR. (As Jeff) Hey, Peter, that song was beautiful, man! PETER. Thanks! (To Kari.) I thought maybe we could ... you're looking at me funny, is this the craziest thing anybody's ever said to you? KARI. It's close. PETER. I almost forgot, I got you these. (He offers her a small box of chocolates.) KARI. God, Peter, you're like Monty Hall. What are they? PETER. Just some chocolates. With caramel. Your favorite. (She does not take the box.) NARRATOR. (As Sarah.) Kari, Darren and I are going home, do

29

you want us to drop you off on the way? KARI. No, I've got a car, Sarah, thanks! NARR.ATOR. You're okay to drive? KARI. Uh-huh. NARR.ATOR. (DoubtfaL) Okay. PETER. Come on, we'll just get the hell out of here and go have a drink at The Shoreview or something. Nothing romantic. KARI. Like it's up to you whether it's romantic. PETER. I'm just saying my intentions are honorable. KARI. Are you nuts? PETER. No, listen, it'll be nice. We'll play some air hockey and see Cork and Patty and the Ruika brothers. We'll say hi to Frostie and Booger. We'll just check it out and then I'll take you home. No big deal. Please. KARI. Peter. The Shoreview was torn down three years ago. There's a waterslide there now. Cork and Patty broke up. Cork is working on a fishing boat up in Alaska and Patty and the three kids, one with leukemia, are living with Patty's mom in Staples. The Ruika brothers are in jail for robbing the bank in Wadena. Booger is dead -NARR.ATOR. (As Arne.) Kari, would you tell Hans I'm gonna be late for my tee-time tomorrow, I'm so fucked up. KARI. Yeah, Arne, I'll tell him -NARR.ATOR. (As Arne.) Thanks. Hey, Peter, I love you! PETER. (Disconcerted) Hi. KARI. - and I don't want you to take me home. PETER. {Astonished) Booger's dead? KARI. Yeah, he fell from six stories working construction up in Grand Forks after the flood in ninety-eight. (Change as necessary.) PETER. Jesus. NARR.ATOR. (As Carl) Yo, Peter, Mustangs forever! PETER. (Distractedly.) Yeah, Carl, rock on! (To Kari.) Sorry about that. KARI. No, it was a nice song. PETER. Kari, what do I have to do to get that look off your face so you can see me? This is not twenty years ago, I'm not who I was; can't we just be together for a couple of minutes to talk as human beings? I'm not asking you to hold my hand or anything - (She

30

d'd . inu on it.) h d with the we mg r o h' g to you? Does lt lds n her an . an anyt m d ho Urp look! Does this rm~ me k ' I'm attached. Vowe . l(ARI. eter,. all' I'm marned, o ay.

'fy anything at . d sign1 wr ld d I'm marrie ! dded we e . We , k with Hans. H ? PETER. ~:,o d~y you mean ;r, okay wi~htha::'~hat you'" worci,d l(ARI. . , k with Hans, 1 ETER. Just that, its o ay p 1 d him' about. all d Hans what, you ema1 e . T/ i1. u T You c e ' h .LVU'-'- d him at the pro-s op. PETER. I calle fu ki kidding me? ,,,. i1. uT Are you c ng

lVll'-'- N h' and asked him what? PETERO. h mo.y God So, okay, you calbled imyou after the reunion, KARI. . ld may e see h _ I

. t asked if I cou knew each ot er PETER. JUS - he knows we town to try to clear some thmgs up knew each other, everyon~dm this? KARL I know he knowhs ~~od, are you really as stup1 as kn w each ot er. knows we e . , I ' better devious' Shit! d he wasn t go mg. ts Or as R H ~asn't in our class, he sha1 . I felt out of line, you PETE . . e, . at he knows? Ot erw1se that way, IBn t u, th . call my hmbond? know? kn how creepy that is, to KARI. Do you ow

' h' fi r you -How mvas1ve. . to do the right t mg doh. hat' For per-PETER. I was trymg husband and aske im, w . KARI So you called my h' ,

. ak me out or somet mg. mission to t e eah PETER. Sort of, I guess, y . . . g'

1 b I was wron KARI. Grow up. it was a good idea, may e ' PETER Look, I thought b 't Peter you were wrong. , be a out 1 , ' KARI Theres no may . . f

I'm sorry! . l ht oing nuts thm~ng. 0 PETERG d I've been sittmg here al . ~ig . gwould put me m with KARI. o ' . d cide what posltlon lt . ' d what that what t.o do, try1~t t~ t~ you, if he knew, if he did~lt, ;~im and he Hans if I even t e tell me that you c e would mean, and no~ you

You asshole. knows - , 1 I've been PETER. I said Im, sorrr; doesn't change the posmon KARI. Saying youre so ry

31

put in! "Sorry" isn't even a word! "Sorry" is just a noise people make when nothing else can happen! God, do you know what it's gonna be like when I go home tonight? What I'm going to have to wade through? Shit! You are always doing this to me! Do me a favor and just go away! I mean it, go away! Move apart .from me! NARRATOR. (As Jake.) Kari, are you okay? KARI. I'm fine! I'm fine. PETER. I just didn't want to get you in trouble with Hans! KARI. I'm his wife, not his daughter! PETER. You know what I mean. KARI. Yes I do know what you mean, you mean you didn't want to get yourself in trouble with Hans. Or maybe you did, I don't know, you're such a weirdo! Anyway, Peter, let's just get the cards on the table, even ifl wasn't married, even if you were the last man on earth, I wouldn't go with you to The Shoreview or even for a walk around the block, okay? PETER. Kari, I know I hurt you, that's why I'm here -KARI. "Hurt"? "Hurt" barely touches this, Peter, this is not about being "hurt." There's a pain beyond hurt; and it's vast and it's end-less and it doesn't sting and it doesn't burn, it just weighs all around you like some sick, nauseous gravity, that's what you did to me, okay? The day I called your house and your father told me you'd left town for college? Excuse me? And not to call back ... are you kidding? Seventeen years old and this adult who knows his son has made me pregnant says "don't call back"? Do you have any idea how alone I felt? God, I felt so alone! And now you show up here twenty years later, talking about old times ... and you think you can ask me our for some kind of weird penitential date at The Shoreview without even really mentioning what you've done ... like it'll be in bad taste or something even to bring it up, and I'm willing to sit here and listen? That's so sick. PETER. Bur that's exactly what I want to talk about, if you'd just give me a chance -KARI. No! I never had a chance from the day we met, and now you don't get one either! Every molecule of my life is, like ... sev-enteen degrees off from where it should have been .... and it all started with you. Because of you, I'm seventeen degrees and an eternity away from everything under the sun, and my baby -

32

d f baby, and it stretches across b b I have a sha ow o a instead olf a a ~ddamned ... life.

who e . d' ~lTER. I do, too!, have nothing but a gimt '~eking nee . TT Ao T No you don t, you t ri"d of that baby. ~'-'- d"d ' ake you ge PETER. Kari, I i n t m d to do? KARI So what was I suppose . 1

E.R You could have kept it. ~ And you could h~ve '~yet~ di I wi'h I had fought !=de~ TER I know! And I wish t at :n~ the past twenty years wit

PEdo what was right, I wish Ialhad sp the world's greatest fuck-up, I to . d of one as .

u and our baby mstea . d do it all over agam - . y~sh I could go back in time an kind of fucking credit fo.r w1sh-w And what, you want son:e " " it's nothing and lt refers KARL th" 1 It' J. ust like sorry, work-. g' Wishing is no mg. . s . the beginning of time was m . thing' God. Everythmg sm~e ssible- and then you, you to no ak happmess po ' . d you

ther to m e my flannel shirt an ing :01~ to the audiovisual lab ~n you~ D you understand that? wfualked .1tnup' You fucked everyth1~g up. do forever! (Brief pause.)

c e 1 . e 1s rume b ak fyou the entire umvers d. ) We'll take a short re . Because o , I A "/\ rarrator. to au zence. NARRATOR. \flS lVI ' (Music rises. Lights down.)

End of Act One

33

\ t t \:

I

I J

ACTlWo

The scene is the dock that extends ftom the doors of The Pavilion and out to the edge of the lake. Light rises on Narrator.

NARRATOR. (To audience.) In the middle of life, we find our-selves alive. Disoriented; lost; but alive. Time, like an immense pavilion, stretches above us, behind us, and ahead of us - sand beneath our feet - how did we get here? We can remember one moment ago with what seems at first to be an intense accuracy: we were standing right there; we were saying thus and thus; a decision was made, irreversible effects were somehow caused by the causes of other effects, we swear we were standing right there . . . but already it blurs and decays, and the wind in our faces, all the oncoming moments wash over us with a deafening roar, we're pulled forward, and then back, by memory's undertow, forward and back . . . it's dizzying. And does the future exist? Is it already there, an undiscovered landscape, waiting in shadow just beyond our footfall, down we go, there it is, ahhhh; or do we stand at a precipice, eternally falling onto a track which only a runaway train can lay? Do we become by forgetting or by remembering the past? Are we building ourselves, or are we rather foaming into existence on the developing curve of a wave? At the edge of the water, at the edge of the land, on the shore of the past and the future we stand; somehow, in the middle of life, as if born again in the foam of the ancient oceans, we wake in the wake and we find ourselves: alive. (Kari mtm, with a 'hampagnt bottle and gkm,,. Sht ,;,, on tht td&' of the stage.)

It's ten o'clock. Outside The Pavilion, here in the dark beyond the beach and the volleyball nets, a few couples are preparing to leave early, to pick up the kids at Grandma's, to start the long drive home to Breckenridge, Moorhead or Devil's Lake. Inside, the pounding darkness is lit intermittently by a sudden strobe light, a

34

dance floor packed with bodies, and a fl h revealing all at once a . h dred and five feet along the W::,do~ill that ."retch~, fut on~.,:',~, wine coolcr" napkiru "'.'d them wall, lmed with be~r g f h" h-school sweethearts are s1t-'~uundone tie. And a few ha"d o k '!iking about old time" and ~n cro,>-leggtd out on t . e ocm~' uito away &om a longed-fut ten~erly brushing the occahs10nhal tarsqare slowly wheeling around F b e the eart , t e s . . )

cheek. ar a ov . his guitar zn zts case. P 11 s /Peter enters, carrying oar \' PETER. I'm leaving.

KARI. Goodbye. h . b 'to+ a rush.) Could we have some NARRATOR. (To the tee 'zn a z 'J, stars please? (Scant stars come ou~:e out here. I thought you went PETER. Angie told me you w hKARiome. Right like I'm in a hur~y to go homhe.to actually have the

. ' ld . b king too muc 07' N AnnATOR Wou lt eas 1 . intheyear20 . .n.LUV1. ar the summer so stlCe

Northern Hemisphere ne. kl ;> (The sky fills up with stars.) /Chanue as necesssary.) Qmc y. 1 drive back, so ... (Narrator \, o- I've got a ong b ) PETER. Anyway ;h~ sk and a shooting star races '.Y traces a path across '.Y KARI Oh Peter, look! NARRATOR. (To the techs.) Thank you. PETER. What? , KARI. Didn't you see t~a,t. . PETER. No, what was lt. . ma be? Or a comet? What is KARI. I don't know, a shooting stahr, ti:g star and a comet?

between a s oo . the difference anyway, ally l~tentd in mence. d PETER. I don't know, I ~ifever re ) Just stick around a secon ' KARI. Me neither. (Brze pause. ma be it'll happen agam. . ) Oka . . PE.j'.ER. (Suprntd at,;,, mmtatt~:;;,,an h~toty, evcry little clung N A n n ATOR. (To audience.) In . 1 ot too close to Karz.

.n.LUV1. / t. down cautzousry, n . ,+ h makes a difference. \Peter sz ;,l+fi ., nee and contemplation OJ t. e Id b t>le space tf!.; or sue Ther~ shou e f.m-:S in the scene that follows.) stars zn between zn . "d . ht' KARI How long until m1 mg . h

. I d 't wear a watc . ,_ k ) PETER. I don't know, on 11 . b the stars? (They both wo up. KARI. Me neither. Can you te nme y

35

PETER. Not really. It must not be midnight yet, though, we're not on fire. (Brief pause.) KARI. I can't believe that dress Rhonda Porkonnen's wearing, can you?

PETER. I told her she looked like a big ripe strawberry. KARI. You did? You dork. PETER. No, she took it as a compliment, it kinda worked out. I got lucky. KARI. I think her husband is a criminal. PETER. The guy with the mustache? KARI. Yeah, doesn't he just have that look? PETER. He does have kind of a Snidely Whiplash thing going. KARI. And I think I heard somewhere tonight that he was a ... video pirate, or something. He pirates videos. PETER. {After a beat, half-heartedly, like a pirate.) Aaarrrgh. (Brief pause while they look at the stars.) KARI. I suppose you should get going. It doesn't look like any-thing else is gonna happen. PETER. No, it doesn't, does it? {After a beat.) Probably the minute I leave, though, there'll be some huge cosmic event, right, like fireworks in the sky and stuff KARI. Probably. PETER. That's how my life usually works, anyway. I'm always missing things by just a few crucial minutes. KARI. Seventeen degrees. PETER. Yeah. KARI. Me too. (Brief pause.) PETER. {Wz'th a sigh.) Well ... I guess ... KARI. You could stick around for a minute or two, maybe -PETER. Oarred) Oh, sure ... I could do that. No one's expecting me. KARI. What about your girlfriend? PETER. (Totally taken aback.) We don't live together, who told you I had a girlfriend? KARI. I don't know, everyone in town who comes into the bank always feels compelled to tell me every little thing about you whenever they hear something. PETER. You've known I've got a girlfriend all night?

36

h. ;> ' Lou Ann or somet mg. Sure. Her names . -~R Lou-Marie. But co~ld ;.e ) And she's a painter or some-~. {Rmh;ng ovrr hU P""""' '"' . , thing, right?ah but could we really not talk about this. PETER Ye ' . ;i

What does she pamt. . ;> ~R. Why did.n't you "Y.;"~~(;;ing h" up, what doe; 'h' KARI. I was waitmg to see i y aint? Tell me.

p TER Still lifes. d h' ' . . ' PE L.k fruit in a bowl an s it. d h' But very realistic, its KARI i e . b 1 An s it. d h PETER. Yeah, like f~uit m ~ ~~ iike you can reach out_ an_ touc

. te as dumb as lt soun s. 1 ;> - are very convmcmg. not qm . Like her app es. h' she pamts. eKARiveryt i~tat must be so greaht for ~o~didn't want to talk about her!

. k I' the one w o sai PETER. Loo ' m d -KARI. I know! . hen you're the one that aske ER Don't pick on me w . ' h ;> PET . d h ' kinda young, isn t s e. KARI. An s es PETER. Kari -KARI Isn't she? ng nowadays? all

. I d 't know ... what is you . '11 tell me ifl re y PETER. on . he' Someone else m town KARI. How young is s . is she? Thirty?

ant to know. How young ;ETER. (Asham~d.) ;ower. KARI. Twenty-eight. PETER. Lower. ;i KARI. Twenty-seven. PETER. Twenty-thr?~e. KARI. Twenty-three .. PETER. Yep. p hat does she see m yo . u' Oh God eter, w . ;> KARI. my, ' hat did you see m me. PETER. I don t know, w e' God! KARI. Somebody my own ag . PETER. I think - .

1

KARI This is astoundmg. . that I think what the deal is, is ... PETE.R. Thank you for saymg ' KARI. What?

37

PETER. I don't know. I th" how fucked up I am . mk she's too young still to all KARI. Oh com re Y get PETER N h e on, she must know. KARI . o, s e doesn't. . PET . Oh, she must.

ER. Trust m h d KARI S e, s e oesn't owhyd"d' PETER 1 n t you bring her?

Why are you e alki another sho . ven t ng to m ? (Th KARI p otzng star across the sk1

PETER I kno b . KARI w, ut 1s this a wom . PETER D~n~ aDnd Sonya have thei:~h~:t~ghee;hsh~t together?

. . an, enny has b l . er. ever since grade school' een s eepmg with Tina Hawke KARI H d nson PETER ow o you know that? . . . He told me tonight! Th 1;!do: ;rm~ by being married to S~n;:y Den:y sees it, he's cheat-

. es re ly torn up about it heh d' no~ t e other way around' minutes po h" h ' a me in th r KARI unng Is eart out - e corner mr twenty

That doesn't ak PETER S . d m e any sense _ KARI . ure It oes, I feel that wa ab .

. Okay, I got it! y out you with everybod PETER. What? Y KARI. I know wh h h PETER. Who? 0 as t eir shit together. KARI. Me. PETER. You've . KARI. I do In !ot your shit together. to k I d Y way. I go to work d PE~~k' Anod my ~hing, I don't compla:ery ay, I go home, I go KARI . , you re happy with Hans kn . Thats not the point' The . . .

or everybody, Peter, the~ com~O~nt IS, ! don't complain! You ;:r\h' and they complain, they tell meo~hn. Into tbhe box where I

e past twenty I' eir trou les kn It's a lot l"k years, ve been listeni ' you ow? the peopl~'se:e~~:,j:d ~{:;ee;ceptkat your:~~e~~~P;;c~~:;i;;:i: ~he dynamic's the same, "blah ~f~' ~hlahey keep them in boxes, but

own there when th , . blah blahr'' Th d. ey re gettm d" ey come 1es, or when th . g 1vorced or wh b t~ey feel a little e;e~~~~:~~~~ s~e. their s:uff, youe~:;:,~: nght, I must not have anyrh. t elf valuables, and there I been there forever I'll b h mg to do or say, I'm just K . I~ and the ' e t ere forever so th an, ve I d , y open their boxes and "blah blcili bl ey come down there evenonot put other people through that I dah' blah blah!" But see,

pen my b I ' on t com l I h ox, )Ust leave it all h Pam, don't s utr up and do my job, you kn ~ IIndt ~re where it's safe and I pay ror my p bl ow. on t mak b that's h r? ems, they're mine! And m b e eve? ody else

not avmg your shit together b ay e, according to you , ut as ar as I'm ' concerned,

40

given how fucked up the universe: is, it'll do! PETER. But you're not happy! l(ARI. Nobody's happy like they thought they'd be! PETER. So you don't even think happiness is possible? :KARI. Like you mean it, probably, no. PETER. How do you think I mean it? KARI. Like "la dee dah dee tra la la!" PETER. But see, that's not what I mean, I just mean that it's exciting and -KARI. Bearable? PETER. No, better than bearable! KARI. How could it be, Peter, it's life! Bearable's the best we can hope for! PETER. See, I can't believe that! I won't! KARI. Really, this morning, Hans was inside me, right? (Peter smiles tightly, not really ready - ) Just listen, he was inside my body. If there's anybody else on earth I can tell this to, it's you. I get one life, right, and one body, and this morning Hans was inside it. And we were all finished, but he was still on top of me and I could tell he was thinking about something. So I said, like a dope, "What are you thinking about?" And he said, "A really difficult hole." And it wasn't even a joke. That's what I live with. Me and that, alone every night in a split-level pro shop with beds for the human beings to rest on in between rounds! On a good day, it's bearable. On a bad day, you don't know. PETER. What? KARI. He's so mad, Peter. In his mind, he rescued me from the jaws of ill repute, right, because you'd dumped me and I'd had an abortion and "oh God," right, and he brought me out to be the Baroness Von Nine Iron of the most beautiful executive golf course in Becker County! And he did rescue me, kind of, see, that's the real problem, he did! And he was really sweet about it too, I mean, I can see his point, because I had been really lonely ever since you broke up with me, and Hans was so chivalrous about it, he took me out around town like it was all perfectly normal even though everybody always looked at us funny. One time he took me to The Voyager and he announced to the whole bar that we were getting married and he bought everyone a round of drinks. And Arne Neubeck was

41

really drunk, like he always is and h "You just made the bi est fu ,ki ~came over and said to Hans punched him so fast a~d h c dn~ ~ake of your life." And Han; entire room and I got Jo ar , e ocked the wind out of that an apology. So Hans w:s ~~? roses the next day from Arne with he ever wanted from . y sweet, and he rescued me and all

me m return the w h . ' wanted from me was a " th fu ,ki ay e sees It, all he ever h" mo er c ng b b " give im one, and I won't ive him o a .Y ... and I wouldn't

off at me about it but heps t . ne, land his parents are all pissed ' ' oo nice to d Its Just ... bad! It's such an awfa!. bad. ~ave me an I can't change, PETER. {Afier a beat.) Hey. , , ome. mry long pause.) KARI. What? PETER. Listen. You get h. h . . KARI. Yeah? t Is muc time m your one life, right? PETER. Like you said with b d get this many people o' nl yh~ur 0 y, only this much. And you h Y t 1s many. And f h . t e people you're given you mak h . out o t e time and

life, right? e w at you make, and that's your KARI. Right ... P~TER. But what if there's such a h. . thmk about that? t mg as destiny, do you ever KARI. There isn't. PETER. B h f . .

ut w at I there Is m the h person who could unlock the ke to sense t. at, wh~t if there was a what you did to them h yh your life precisely because of

. . or w at t ey did t were stupid like me and . . . o you, or because you Destiny like that, nothini~~;;~~ ~ed .1t the first .time around? w~ere when you're young you think it~: if ... what if it's like life, thm~s and you prepare yourself for it thg~na ~e .ab~ut a lot of

so wild, there's gonna be h ' . m ng, L1fe Is gonna be t" h . so muc commg at Ion, ow will I ever keep up'" Th , h me rom every direc-le~ me tell you, I sat down all. read at s w at I alw~ys thought, and this explosion of millions f . y to get my ha1r blown back by so the question becomes oh ex~;nences that never ever came. And there's suddenly 1 ust on' w at I you open your eyes after that and

e person, and it t h . se-?se your entire life is really all about wh urns, out t at m some this one person and then h "[ . at you re gonna do about telling me there's only wh at I you made a mistake? Are you

one c ance?

42

KARI. Doesn't it seem that way? PETER. The whole world exi_sts so that everyone gets just one chance? KARI. Yes! PETER. One chance is enough of a reason to make a whole world? You're telling me there's no mercy, there's no forgiveness, there's no air in the system to breathe and no room to move and we're just trapped in the net of what we've done forever? Look, I was young and I was scared and I made a mistake. A big mistake. And I know it hasn't cost me what it cost you to live without that baby, but it's cost me a lot. It has. And when I look at you now, Kari, and I see those little wrinkles around your eyes ... ? And I realize I've missed so much of you already ... ? The thought that I won't see the rest, that I won't get to know you any better and hold your hand and see you smile ... and then one day you'll be gone forever? That breaks my heart. KARI. Peter ... PETER. I can't live any further into my life without you. Please. Come back to The Cities with me tonight. Get a divorce. Marry me. Or live with me. Or let's have another baby and just be friends, I don't care, let's ... just ... come on. We'll start over. KARI. Peter, we can't. PETER. Look, whatever we've done, both our lives are a mess, right? A mess! And I've got a car and a full tank of gas. (After a beat.) Are you coming? KARI. (Amused at his bravado.) Who do you think you are? PETER. I am the guy who sang "Mandy'' in Swing Choir. I am the guy who played Lancelot in Camelot. I am one half of the Cutest Senior Couple and I'm leaving and I want you to come with me! Come on! KARI. No! PETER. Why, because you'd rather stay married to Hans, who hates you? In this town where they burn things down that oughta last forever? Or is it that you'd rather have me feel lousy forever than be happy for one more minute yourself? KARI. Do you ever think about anything but you? PETER. Yes, I'm offering you a way out! KARI. To YOU! I need a way to ME!

43

PETER c ' . ant I be a way to ;i Y< ' KARI. Not eve bod you. oure a way to me'

PETER. All I W1;nt i;as~~s people like that, Peter! Ju;t you! KARI. Peter fc ance to start over!

1 , or you and me to st PwEou d have to begin again (Br.,./' art) over, the entire universe

TER. Say that again. . Zt;J pause. What? ~. For you and me to start ove h h to egm again. (Long pause. Peter 2 t e w ole universe would have w_ho looks away. Peter looks back at j//~s and ;tlan~es at the narrator, ~sadness of the impossibility. A Jzh who zs quietly living with the

. Where are you go in ;i n t. en Peter gets up - ) PETER H g.

ang on a second (Jf, for a moment. To narrator.) H. e goes to the narrator. Stands bry him NARRATOR i. PETER L .. (Gracious but taken aback.) Hell

1sten can y h o. ~~TOR. No. ou start t e entire universe all over again? ER. No, come on, sure o .

the universe begins" and all ~a~ ~~~' y~u )Ust say ... "This is the way NARRATOR. No. er ocusy-pocusy shit, right? PETER. You can do h NARRATOR Wh It, ng t, you just won't. p at exactly ld b N

ETER. Come on - 1ust th:vou e the difference? To you' ARRATOR , 1s once_

PETER B . Its not possible. NARRATO~ause you won't ~et it be.

. . . No, because it's sim 1 u~1verse, if you like, a different o P y n?t. I could start another different words, but not this o ne . : . with a different voice and ;odd, not this Pavilion. ne agam. Not these stars, not this

ETER. Would she and I be in . NARRATOR. No. the new universe if you did that' PETER. Then what ld . NARRATOR E wou be the point?

ki . : xactly. Don't you se I d , ;~Tr ng W1thm limits just like you r~' on.t make the rules? I'm N ER. Bullshit! m not In charge!

ARRATOR. It's true! Time onl . . your problem! It's not y . , y goes Ill one direction th , PETER. No, don't apof u,. Its nhot her, it's time. I'm sorry ' at s NARRATOR I ' . og1ze, t at's great - .

. ts )Ust that you're asking th e wrong person for the

44

wrong thing. I could try something else if you wanted -PETER. No! That's fine! Fuck it! I don't need you! I'll do it myself! Let's see. (Brief pause. To audience.) This is the way the uni-verse begins, a raindrop drops, uhh, now but backwards, boom, sloop, up, it's a little pavilion -NARRATOR. (To audience.) Just so everyone's clear - the uni-verse isn't actually starting over. PETER. Water, continents, insects, creatures -NARRATOR. Time only goes in one direction ... PETER. - the tea leaf of consciousness, the primitive mind -NARRATOR .... and this is just a desperate ploy. PETER. - love, morality, whoosh, it's a little pavilion! Europe, time, the Renaissance, time, the steam engine, my family, me -NARRATOR. Look away! I mean it, look away! It's bad magic! PETER. Uhh, oh, umm, my great-great-grandmother wrote a book, it's called Pioneer Days, it's in the Library of Congress, there's a house on the hill on the shore of the lake - that's you - this is The Pavilion and this is a play about time! (Brief pause. And then, remembering what he'd somehow forgot . . . ) This is a play about time. (Brief pause. To Narrator.) That didn't change a thing, did it? NARRATOR. No. PETER. (To Kari.) You're still married to Hans? KARI. Yeah. PETER. And I'm still me. ~ry long pause. Finally, Kari speaks. Simply. Not sympathetically. This is about her.) KARI. It's okay. (After a long beat.) I don't want the universe to start over. PETER. You don't? KARI. No, I don't. (After a beat, very gently.) Do you remember that day in the spring of junior year. .. ? It was really hot ... and you came and got me out of study hall and we skipped out and went to The Sandwich Hut for a crunch cone? And we walked down here by the lake, and I told you I was hot, and you picked me up. Do you remember that? PETER. Yeah. KARI. You picked me up just like in a movie and you kinda dipped me back into the water so I could get my hair wet. And when you did that ... I saw the sunshine upside down making ...

45

glittering little bubbly patterns on the water, like I was on a ferris wheel, kind of, and, boom!, it was like all the feelings in the lower parts of my body swooshed back up into my head, and as you lift-ed me up out of the water, I tilted up and all my thoughts, swoosh, all my sensibility rushed down into my underwear and I looked at you and you looked so handsome, Peter, I just suddenly knew it was the right time. And I felt so silly because just like ten minutes befme I had ,a;d all that ""IF to you about how I was alwal" going to be a virgin, and I just didn't see why people thought sex was so important. And we walked back to my house holding hands and your hand was shaking so hard. God (Brief pause.) To be held like that, at that age; to see those shining things; and to walk that mile with you right down the middle of the street ... I don't want to lose that. I don't want the universe to start over. I just want to let it go. I want to let it go on. Okay? NARRATOR. (To the audience, exactly as at the beginning, with-out special emphasis.) This is the way the universe begins. KARI. (To Peter.) Okay? (Peter lives with the pain of Kari's words for a long moment.) NARRATOR. (To audience.) At every single moment, the whole creation is beginning again, stretching the tent of the present moment to bursting. And the waves that push up through the oceans, and the waves that push up through the stars; and the waves that push upwards through history are the same waves that push up through us. And so we have to say yes to time, even though it means speeding forward into memory; forgetfulness; and obliv-ion. Say "no" to time; hold on to what you were or what she was; hold onto the past, even out of love ... and I swear it will tear you to shreds. This universe will tear you to shreds. (Brief pause.) PETER. Kari, I'm really sorry that, uh, we only get one life, and that I wasn't better to you. KARI. I know. (Long pause.) PETER. {After a beat.) The day you told me you were pregnant I Went home and told my dad, and he was, like, "Son, here's what we're gonna do," and I knew it wasn't right; I knew that he had married my mom when she got pregnant and he had always been mad about it, and he wanted me to ... it doesn't matter what he wanted, I just knew it wasn't right, but I did it. And I'm sorry.

46

KARI. I know. kn I feel really lucky that I got the PETER. But I want you to o.wh, y you are as a person; and nd to see t e wa . h

chance to know you, a d after we die or somethmg, w o I J. ust hope that maybe some ay,ld kn be we cou ... knows, you ow, may out'

KARI (After a beat.} hang d just remember PETER. Yeah, maybe we could hmg out an . . . .

how it was. h' k 'II be able to remember anythmg.'h KARI. I don't really t m, we . n to remember everything. (Ti e PETER. I'm going to. Im goi g ) Narrator abruptly enters the scene as Kent. NARRATOR. (As Kent.} Hey, you guys. KARI. Hi, Kent. b t ou otta clear outta here. NARRATOR. I'm sorry, you guys, ~ y l.e pumps on the lake. The fire department, wants to st~: s~~;~ ~~it. . , KARI. Oh, so thats ho":' t?ey ga be the biggest fire Pine Citys NARRATOR. Yeah. Th~s ~s f;~;ough water. Besides, it gives the ever seen. The trucks cant ~ ent It's fun for , em. guys a chance to use the equ~pm . . The Pavilion not being here? KARI. God, Kent, can you imagme NARRATOR. No. h' ' KARI. And some big ugl~ co,ncrete lo/frg.Cookie said he'd get me NARRATC?R. I ~ow. I didn~ ~l~~ et behind it, but what do I Hank Williams Jr. s autograp /[ happens that matters. bout that? This is where everyt mkig ;> care a fi d Coo e. KARI. Kent, did you ev~r m NARRATOR. Yeah. Hes funny. PETER. Yeah he is. fu

R I' er been nny. NARRATO ve nev . , kill him, did you? . KARI. (After a beat.) You. di~n t . i' didn't do anything. I saw him NARRATOR. No ... I didnt ... and I ... didn't do anything. You guys -

KARI. What? . h I love her so much. But I've R I l Angie so muc 1 NARRATO . ove h' h' . ur twenty-year reunion.

. I n s it, t is is o all I wasted so much nme, m~ah 'h b t where have I been re y, I' b n wit er, u kn h ti Twenty years ve ee . . l ft I mean you ow w a d h uch time is e ' ' h' h don't know! An ow m h bably Cookie got me ig

' I'm not making muc sense, pro . mean.

47

KARI. Kent, you're the Chief of Police! NARRATOR. I know I am! KARI. And you got high? NARRATOR. What can I say, it's complicated. It's all complicated. When I woke up this morning, I thought there was a God, I thought there was justice, I thought there was a right way to live. And now, all I know for sure is I haven't loved Angie as much as I wanted to when we were young and now that's all a mess and time's running out and I look up at the stars and I don't see anything but ... stars. (Long pause.) PETER. They're kinda beautiful anyway, though, huh? NARRATOR. (Still disappointed) Yeah, they'll do. (Long pause.) I'll settle for stars. (Brief pause.) KARI. (To Kent.) Hey, Kent, can you tell time by the stars? NARRATOR. Actually, Kari ... Bari-Kari ... I bet no one's called you that for a while ... I can. (To the audience, as Narrator.) It's twelve o'clock. (Lights shift. Glitter ball starts. Music begins. To techs.) Thank you. (To the audience.) And that means it's time for the sweetheart dance everybody

So find that old flame and give it one last go, and then we'll burn the place down Goodbye!

If you want some pot, later, I can get you some, all you want There's a chance we won't ever see each other again I tried taking in a daycare kid, but you know, this is going to

sound unkind - I didn't like him This is my wife, Karen; Karen, this is Andrea And they've already created photons in the lab that can surpass the speed of light

They look cute together (Peter and Kari come together to dance.) But you don't like being at home with your kids? - see, that's

such a shame, because I would give anything to be able to stay at home with our kids

It's gonna be two hours to get TO the airport, and then two hours to get THROUGH the airport, so, yeah

We should go

Of course I still love you; but God forgives me for that, don't you think?

48

. h Sambuca and then you light . h fingers mto t e You dip t ree h"l ou shoot the rest . h m on fire - ouch! -. w 1 e Y.d "ll for the person on the ship t e h uld mean time stan s sti Yest atwo

but not for the observer . .

Hold me tighter . being in the same s1tuat10n I ead somewhere that repentance is r . later and not doi~g It. ' et it started f h

I've tried it twtce, JUSt ~a? t g d . the long, slow end o t e And what if we were hvmg ur~nalg '

d" m shift or an ax1 age. world, or a para igf . ' my own business I'm thinking o startmg .

I saw the way you looke~ at h~r:o Because I'm sick of teachmg P~ tremendous collapse on the Either way, how can there not e a . ?

honzon. h r le boys 1 d And these are our t ree ltt h I'd go back to schoo ' an

. act toget er, if I could JUSt get my , doctorate get a masters or a . know'

thing I can believe m, you . I look up and won-some . h" g sometimes God, I don't believe m an('1 m . der if anybody's really watc~nt . it's the last dance, people will We should probably go ac m, ""''to wonder go out . , d

It's different, we ~ave unh, w~ thouoht it would be, but its goo ' hat 1t was, w at 0 No, its not w d ' ever let me go . '

Don't let me go'. pl~ase, h~~~ deer in the yard on a regular basis. And the great thmg is w~ We're planning on movmg Yeah, getting out someday Hold me

Maybe someday . . bl but the money's great and I have Yeah, I'm still wamng ta es,

lots of spare_timel d b a happy survivor of the good old days, Oh, I'm JUSt g a to e . kn

, kn my spare time you o'!'. . . b d and painting, you ow, m I'm smgmg m a an ' God

49

spare time like, who will ever remember what it was like, you know, when

we're gone? I'm divorced Staying up at the cabin I'm divorced Just two little kitties named Sadie and Sylvia (Peter and Kari

separate. Kari exits.) And who will ever remember I loved her that way, or the way

she looked that day? I see him with her now, I can't take it Bow-hunting, golfing, fishing, you know, jack of all trades,

master of none

The children keep us pretty busy, but we'll have plenty of time for ourselves in four more years

Five more years Oh, maybe ten more years No, I know exactly what you mean, because sometimes I swear

I can almost feel myself being remembered And the fact that we'll all be gone and not a trace left behind I meant to do more with my life, you know? Hurry up! There are so many things we don't say I wish you could stay I wish we could too Goodbye!

(Peter Exits.) Goodbye! Goodbye! Goodbye! Of course my heart's broken but all m all I'm very happy

because life's been good.

End of Play

50

Down In The Ruined World Lyrics by Craig Wright Music by Peter Lawton

and Craig Wright G D

Bm C ~ G G/F# Em ] tt;J 4 I fl a n n JO fJ~JJJ~J nl_ J n ~-=- of we'll go down m the rm-ned Come my dar-ling, come my_ love --

G Em Bm C G D ~

J J.l 1 ~ fl iO J I ;J Jl 14 ~ti J J n 3 ;9- I a s strip malls, ci- ga-rettes, rub-ber .._... Cal - i- for - nia girls. In gloves_ and

Bm c C/B Am7

J j ~ti a r u u rt 9 ner in ev - 'ry car there's a ev _ 'ry cor coal grey cou-ple curled;

G G/F# Em Bm c D G

'ti ~ fj J J J A J I J n n. J J. j II 12 peo-ple make love the way they G G/F# Em

'ti ii J. j J J J come my an gel come

c G D

'ti J n . j Ld j 16 down in the rui - ned world. Bm c

can down

my --

A

in the rui-ned world.

Bm

-----------------prize

G G/F# Em

I J. j J J J. Don't veil your face, don't hide

G D

'tia t __ J nl~] 19 see the oil

8 fJ. J lj J. ------------ ------swirl.

eyes -- in the wa - ter

. h R . d World" may download d" f"Down mt e ume Anyone wishing to hear a recor mtbo DPS website at www.dramatists.com. it from THE PAVILION page on e

So,

n1 we'll go

1 1a your

The

Down in the Ruined World, p. 3

c G D

scent's to spin your head, but

oh how the co-lors ~# j J j J J '3

j &t J Em Bm7 c D G

J3 J set-tle for a beau-ty sunk in chains

down in the rui - ned world._ Andwith a_

C G C G c G

in the rui ned down

G G/F# Em

Jtt :1 J J J. j J 45

are for - ev swers

c G

world. _______ _ Where the

Bm

J J er __ ~ and they're near

D

lone-ly kind of heart-break we look a-round, do a dou-ble take. ls it Ba-by-Ion or E-den in a

D

C G C G

J J J as cul tu red pearls. _______ _ If the

@# J " real

Bm Em

J_____j_J ___ J c C/B Am7

mist? There's no way of know ing. ls the great world just a black hole or e-ter-ni-ty's great goal?

c G

r LJj m world is what the eye can see

;,~.nngw_J_J Jh 1 then God's a pret-ty girl, and the

D

'\' ~ "' "'

. J . our names were on the list. But where are we go ing? c G D

G/F# Em Bm G

"~ tt J J --J J. j 1a J u free-dam is to give on Iy

c D G

I n n. J J down in the rui-ned world.

c G

Down in the rui-ned world.

j J There's no way of know - ing.

Down in the rui -ned D G

c D G

55~ tt I H - J J rl. the rui- ned world. Down in

c D G

j H - J FJ. Down in the rui- ned world.

ii I n . u

world. Down in the rui-ned world. _____ _

G G!F# Em So,

I I J Bm

come my dar ling, come