The Dreamer or the Dream
CHARACTERS
ALICE A small lady, dark haired.
CHARLES Tallish man, mid thirties, always wears
grey gloves.
SETTING
An empty room. There is a settee, a small tea table, and a
banjo.
TIME
Yesterday, today or tomorrow.
ACT [1]
SCENE [1]
(CHARLES’ sitting room. ALICE and CHARLES sit a demure space apart from each other on the settee.)
ALICE
So…
CHARLES
So…
ALICE
Have you heard from the coroner’s office?
CHARLES
The coroner’s office? Why would I be hearing from them?
ALICE
Oh. I don’t know. Why wouldn’t you? Sometimes they just like to ring just because.
CHARLES
That’s never happened to me. Ever. Has it happened to you?
ALICE
Just the one time.
CHARLES
The time your father died?
ALICE
Yes. That time. Happiest day of my life. That stupid bastard. Too bad he’d squandered any money he had on investing in treacle wells. Not that I need his money. I’m quite well situated thanks to my husband.
CHARLES
You mean the slot machine?
ALICE
Yes. My husband the slot machine.
CHARLES
Ever so glad to hear that’s still working out.
ALICE
And what about you and…
CHARLES
The mechanical bat?
ALICE
Yes. The mechanical bat. Is that still as…wonderful as ever?
CHARLES
Yes. I wind it up. It flies about. I watch it fly. Eventually it falls to the ground. I enjoy our predictable interactions. If only people were so easy to work and understand.
ALICE.
You mean they’re not? Then why do I have this abominable key in the small of my back?
CHARLES
(excitedly)
You do?
ALICE
No. I don’t.
CHARLES
Oh.
ALICE
So.
CHARLES
So.
ALICE
I see you still have the banjo.
CHARLES
Oh. Yes. I do.
ALICE
Have you learned how to play it?
CHARLES
No. Not yet. I’ve been busy with the bat. And the book. And the walks around the park. And the wondering…always wondering…
ALICE
Why do you always wear those gloves?
CHARLES
I.
ALICE
As long as I’ve known you, you’ve worn those grey gloves. No matter what the weather. No matter how hot or damp or sunny you wear those grey gloves. You wear them when you drink your tea, or caress a flower…do you wear them when you touch a woman? Hold her hand?
CHARLES
That is not an appropriate topic of conversation for a young lady.
ALICE
Do you remember the night I played the banjo for you? You said you wished that my rooms could adjoin yours, so we could pop over and play music together and tell stories to each other any time we wished. Any time the spirit moved us, no matter what the time of day. You wore my hat, remember? You plucked it right off my head and paraded around this very drawing room. You wore my hat and ALMOST took off your gloves and, dear sir, I would really like to know what you meant by that.
CHARLES
I. I don’t know.
ALICE
You must have some idea! You didn’t just accidentally take my hat off and put it back on your head. It was a deliberate gesture! And just as deliberately, you peeled back the wrist of your grey glove. On your right hand. And you would have taken your glove off completely if you hadn’t remembered yourself. What made you remember yourself, Charles? And what was so frightening about it that you forced yourself to forget yourself again?
CHARLES
I don’t know. Honestly, Alice, I just don’t know.
ALICE
So.
CHARLES
So.
BLACK OUT