Imagining a Conflict with an Armed Villain

WAITING GAME

Cast of Characters:

Carl: husband, dressed for an evening out, ready to go, standing in the hall

Ann: wife, putting on makeup and finish her hair (with rollers) in the bathroom

Rita: a young woman in a red dress

Armed Aggressor

CARL (from the hall)

Don’t make us late.

ANN (somewhat frantically opening the bathroom door to answer)

Don’t rush me!

CARL (grumbling under his breath)

You knew we had to leave at 6. You had all day. Why are we still putting on our makeup?

ANN (overhearing, stomping out of the bathroom for the kitchen offstage)

I had a crying baby, kids to feed, a house to clean up--!

CARL (hands up, sarcastic, placating)

All right, allright…

Carl is rolling his eyes as he turns his back to her and crosses his arms, sighs, impatiently looks at his watch. Ann quickly and loudly comes back onstage and goes back into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Carl stands dully looking at the audience for a moment…

Then suddenly: A tremendously loud bang from offstage. Ann comes out of the bathroom, wide-eyed.

ANN

What was that?

CARL (looking out the window)

Transformer, maybe… I don’t know.

The same loud bang again—impossible to tell the direction from where it is coming—but loud and close.

ANN (somewhat frightened)

What is that?

The same bang again…

CARL

What in God’s name…?

Bang bang bang bang…!

ANN

Carl! …Is it the house?

CARL

I don’t…know…

Silence as they both stand still, bracing themselves… Then: a short rap on the front door—knuckles knocking quickly, briefly—then more forcefully, urgently…Carl moves to answer the door. Before he can get to it, a woman bursts in: a woman in a red dress. She slams the door shut behind her and throws herself into Carl’s arms.

RITA

He’s trying to kill me!

VOICE (angry, loud, shouting from offstage)

Get out here!

RITA (nearly hysterical)

Don’t let him…!

CARL

What is…?

Ann runs to the lock the front door, steps back, runs offstage to lock the back door as well. She comes back in with her phone.

ANN

Should I call the police?

CARL

Is someone after you? Was that shooting?

ANN

I’m calling the police.

VOICE (just as angry but now more insistent and closer)

GET. OUT. HERE!

CARL (trying to look out the peep hole although the woman is still clinging)

Don’t call the police. …Get my gun.

ANN

What?!

CARL

He’s on our front porch. There isn’t time anyway. I’m within my right.

Banging on the front door, loud, forceful, heavy. Followed by kicking. Bam bam…bam…bam go the kicks.

Who is he?

RITA (hushed voice)

He’s crazy… He’s…he’s…

Shooting at the house. BANG! BANG!

CARL (forceful, angry that his order has not been carried out)

Where’s my gun?!

ANN (dashing off while also on the phone)

(Into the phone) We have an intruder, he’s firing a gun at our house…! (offstage from here) No, he’s not inside…! No… My husband has a gun, what should we…? (returning with the weapon, stopping in her tracks). (Repeating what she is hearing from the other end of the phone) Okay, don’t shoot anyone if we don’t have to, wait for police…

CARL (taking the gun, checking to make sure it is loaded)

We have to. (Pointing with his arm) Get in the bathroom. Both of you.

ANN

Carl, she says we should wait, police are on their way…

Sirens faintly in the distance…

You can already hear them.

CARL

It’s too quiet out there.