Here is another play by the amazing Joanne Hudson. I was lucky enough to see Pop Art at Columbia and HERE.
Worked well in both places with both casts, which proves it's a versatile play that fits in varied environments with varied audiences.
For more on Joanne check out OUTSOURCING.
As always - if you use Pop Art, let us know at erinkellyb@hotmail.com and joannehudson1@mac.com
POP ART - based on the art of Andy Warhol and the evolution of a trend.
2 men 2 women -run time approx. 10 mins.
Pop Art has been performed at Columbia University, directed by Rachel Chavkin, Abingdon Stage and HERE Art Center, directed by Meghan Finn. Feel free to update pop culture references, or leave as is.
POP ART
by
Joanne Hudson
(Inspired by the art of Andy Warhol and the evolution of a trend)
copyright 2006
TIME: The present
SETTING: A livingroom
CHARACTERS:
WOMAN - A control freak
MAN - A passivist
SHE - A follower
HE - A consumer
POP ART, BY JOANNE HUDSON
(A MAN and A WOMAN in a living room.)
MAN
I have a gun.
WOMAN
I have some frozen pizza’s in the fridge. They’re Tofutti,
non dairy, vegan, whatever.
MAN
Fine. I have a gun.
WOMAN
I heard you the first time. Am I supposed to be surprised by
that?
MAN
No. Don’t you want to know where I got it?
WOMAN
Down the street?
MAN
Yeah. They’re giving them away down the street.
WOMAN
Yeah, I saw them when I came out of the grocery store. They
come with a six-pack of Coke?
MAN
Yeah.
WOMAN
So you actually bought a six-pack of Coke?
MAN
Just for the free gun.
WOMAN
What are you going to do with the Coke?
MAN
I’ll throw it out, okay?
WOMAN
Good.
MAN
What would you do if I drank it?
WOMAN
I don’t know, we’d have to seriously discuss our
relationship.
MAN
Would we?
WOMAN
YES!.
(THEY sit in silence for a moment.
After some thought, MAN gets up.)
WOMAN
What are you doing?
MAN
Nothing.
(HE pulls a brown paper bag from
underneath something - his jacket on a
chair?)
WOMAN
What is that?
MAN
Our relationship is inside this bag.
WOMAN
Is it?
MAN
YES!
WOMAN
So, let me see it.
MAN
How much do you love me?
WOMAN
What sort of question is that?
MAN
Do you love me enough to let me keep this?
WOMAN
We’re having guests for dinner. Do we have to do this now?
MAN
If not now, then when?
WOMAN
It’s not open for discussion!
MAN
Want to see my new gun?
WOMAN
I’ve seen a gun before.
MAN
Not mine.
WOMAN
What do you need one for anyway?
MAN
Everybody’s got one, even you.
WOMAN
So?
MAN
I should have one too.
WOMAN
Everyone is afraid to use theirs because everybody’s got one,
it renders them useless. Guns are impotent masses of metal.
People use them for paperweights. Why do you think they give
them away free?
MAN
I should have one if everyone has one.
WOMAN
Why?
MAN
Just...just because, that’s why.
WOMAN
Fine. What do I care? Be a keeper of paperweights. Now give
me that six-pack of Coke. I’m throwing it out before the
guests arrive.
(A doorbell rings.)
MAN
They’re here.
(HE hides the paper bag behind his
back.)
WOMAN
Let me have the Coke. I don’t want them to see it.
MAN
I’m keeping the Coke.
WOMAN
You’re what?!
(MAN flings open the door and reveals
SHE and HE in the doorway. HE holds a
brown paper sack and smiles. SHE is
frowning. THEY enter.)
MAN
Come in! We’ve been expecting you. Let me take your coats.
HE
Here. This is for the party.
(HE hands MAN the paper sack.)
SHE
It’s a six-pack of Coke. I’m sorry. I told him not to bring
it, that you’d be offended.
WOMAN
Oh my!
SHE
Honey, I told you not to bring it. It’s disgusting having one
of those in the house.
WOMAN
We’ve already got one. I was just going to dispose of it.
MAN
I told you, I’m keeping the Coke. And this one we’re opening
right now!
SHE
It’s an epidemic. All the men want six-packs of Coke now.
WOMAN
They’re giving free guns away with it.
SHE
I know. We’ve got a whole box of them at home. Just piling up
in the corner. It’s not like you can even recycle them. He’s
a Coke addict. He can’t get enough of it. What’re you gonna
do?
WOMAN
Let’s sit down and eat. I got Tofutti pizzas!
SHE
Oh, how nice!
(THE WOMEN go to prepare the pizza. THE
MEN break open the Coke and take large
swigs of it.)
MAN
I told her, she’s not going to tell me what to do anymore.
HE
She actually told me she’d leave me if I brought the Coke
into the house.
MAN
Her too! Can you believe it? “If you do, we’ll have to
seriously discuss our relationship.”
HE
Is that what she said?
MAN
Yep. I told her. I’m keeping the Coke. I’ll eat Tofutti
cheese, but I am keeping the Coca-Cola.
HE
Good for you.
(THEY take big swigs of Coke and laugh,
as the women return with pizza.)
WOMAN
Disgusting display.
SHE
It sure is. But, what’re ya gonna do? Let’s eat.
(WOMAN pulls out a gun and aims it at
MAN.)
WOMAN
Not so fast. One more sip of that Coke and I blow your head
off.
(HE pulls out a gun and aims it at
WOMAN.)
HE
Leave the guy alone, will ya? Let him have his Coke.
(SHE pulls out a gun and aims it at
HE.)
SHE
Put the Coke down.
(MAN pulls out a gun and aims it at
SHE. THEY all move slowly in a circle
aiming guns at one another.)
WOMAN
I will not have Coca-Cola in my house!
MAN
It’s my house too!
WOMAN
It’s a deal breaker, you know this!
MAN
I never agreed to never having a six-pack of Coke.
WOMAN
It was implied!
MAN
Implied!?
WOMAN
Yes, you knew how I felt about Cokes when you married me! How
could you? How could you do this now?!
MAN
Coke is the egalitarian soft-drink. Everybody drinks
Coke...World Leaders, movie stars, poor people!
WOMAN
Not us!
HE
Mormons don’t.
MAN
Mormons don’t drink Coke?
HE
No.
MAN
Okay, everybody but Mormons.
WOMAN
Everybody but Mormons and US!
MAN
Do you really want to be associated with Mormons?
WOMAN
Why not?! What’s wrong with Mormons?
MAN
They...They go door to door!
WOMAN
So?!
HE
People, people, let’s not get political!
SHE
No, no let’s not get political.
MAN
You’re right, we shouldn’t get political.
WOMAN
That goes without saying.
MAN
Fine. No Cokes in the house.
SHE
I won’t have it either.
HE
Whatever you want honey-bunny.
WOMAN
Pour it out!
SHE
Yeah! Pour it out!
(THE MEN circle around back to the Coke
and pick it up, still holding the guns
on the women. THE MEN hand the six-
packs of Coke to the WOMEN who are
still holding guns on the men. Each
woman takes a six-pack of coke from the
men (who are still holding guns on
them) and backs out of the room. THEY
exit. THE MEN put their guns down and
begin to eat pizza.)
MAN
She always gets her way.
HE
She too.
MAN
Are we even fit to be called men?
HE
Sure we are. It’s just, we’re married men.
MAN
At least she still let’s me eat tuna.
HE
You’re kidding, tuna? She would kill me if I ate tuna!
(THE WOMEN return.)
WOMAN
Hey, there’s a great new internet parlor game we can play
after dinner if you guys want!
HE
Yeah, okay.
SHE
What is it?
WOMAN
Oh, it’s great. It’s a role playing game. You play it with
strangers and you each take on the personality of a celebrity
serial killer and stalk people on Friendster. The winner is
the person who gets the most complaints sent to the site
administrator!
SHE
Sounds great!
HE
I’m in.
MAN
Hey, did you all catch Celebrity Date Rape last night?
SHE
It was a rerun.
HE
Yeah, but a good one.
SHE
Have you seen Nebish’s new blog?
HE
He discusses the partisan-ism of partisan-ism.
SHE
The partisan-ism of partisanship!
HE
The partisanship of partisanship!
SHE
That’s it!
WOMAN
Oh, we’re not partisan.
SHE
Oops! Let’s not get into religion. That wouldn’t be polite.
WOMAN
Of course not!
MAN
I’ve got a gun.
(LIGHTS dim. CURTAIN.)
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