This is the first and possibly only play I will ever write. It was certainly a departure for me to focus my imagination into the confines of what works and what doesn't on a stage. I don't believe I was entirely successful, however I still enjoy the image I hold in my head: a small room strewn with the clutter of a life reduced to boxes; clutter which becomes the barrier between a couple speaking to each other, but not really listening.
Boxes
Characters
John, A man approaching mid-thirties, dressed in paint-stained sweats.
Laura, A woman in mid-thirties, dressed professionally.
Setting: Interior of a small house. Open door to the right shows a bedroom. Door to the left enters into a living room with furniture pushed into odd angles and boxes stacked haphazardly around. The boxes are spilling over with clothes and those in front visibly hold pots and pans. The room is small, and with the obstacles it is incredibly cramped. Spots on the walls show where pictures used to hang.
Ten Minute Play
It is dusk. John moves around the room shifting boxes, humming tonelessly to himself. Laura enters from the door.
Laura
(Enters door without looking up. Reaches out to drop keys next to door, when they hit the ground instead of a table she looks, then realizes that things are different.)
What the hell is going on?
John
(dropping a box with a crash, flinches, and turns)
You’re back! I thought you would work late again, I was hoping to finish at least the kitchen.
(crosses to her, weaving around boxes. He trips. He goes in for a kiss, she backs up a step.)
Laura
John what’s going on? Why are there boxes?
John
(smiling)
I’m packing.
Laura
You’re packing?
John
(nods)
Laura
(distraught)
You’re leaving me?
John
What? No, of course not, how could you think I would leave you?
(Pause)
I’m- We’re leaving.
Laura
What’s going on?
John
You know the money we were expecting from the estate?
Laura
You mean your father’s?
John
Yeah, Jack’s estate. The check came today, and it was more than we ever thought. Must have been easy for him to save money with no one to spend it on. But it’s ours now, and we can do everything we dreamed of.
(He reaches out to hold her, but she holds him at a distance.)
Laura
John, why are you packing? What’s going on, why is the skillet in a box?
John
The house, Laura. We have enough for our dream house, we can finally get out of this pit.
(Laughs.)
Laura
You think this place is a pit?
John
You know that’s not what I meant. Be happy, this is everything we want. I put an offer in on the house. I made sure to move quick, and it looks like they’ll close within the month. A few weeks, and we’ll be living in our dream place. Isn’t it fantastic?
Laura
(quietly)
You made an offer on a house without talking to me?
John
I wanted to surprise you.
Laura
Well, you sure did.
(She moves past him to enter the bedroom, closing the door)
John
(Calling to her)
Don’t be that way! I did this for us!
Laura
(calling from offstage)
Did you pack my closet?
John
(looks at one box near the couch overflowing with clothes.)
Nooo…
(trailing off, he pushes it behind couch with his foot.)
Laura
(returns in same pants and shirt with no jacket, top button open and hair down.)
If you had discussed this with me first, we could have talked about timing is all I’m saying.
John
Timing? This was a sign. No better time in the world.
Laura
This isn’t about a feeling, John. You don’t make decisions like this in a day, and you certainly don’t do it alone. Christ John, I haven’t even seen the interior.
John
Come on Laura, you know that’s your dream house. Every time we pass it on our way to the store you sigh, and you tell me how you always wanted a house with a wrap-around porch, and how you love willow trees. Have you changed your mind?
Laura
Of course not. I just want to have a discussion first. You shouldn’t have done this John.
John
What’s so bad? The surprise? The romance? This is our dream.
Laura
(sighing)
John, we need to talk about finances before doing things like this. We have debt. My student loans, the credit cards.
John
Hey, it’ll be okay. This is us. We always make it through.
(He reaches to pull her to him. She lets him pull her into an embrace.)
I know you’re worried. You’re always worried, always so tense. It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna move in to the home we always wished we could have. We’ll have the life we’ve always wanted. The one I never had growing up.
Laura
Tell me about the yard.
John
It’s amazing. You can’t see from the road how much space there is. From the porch you can see the meadow that runs out the farm land past the highway, and it’s cool in the shade from the great big willow tree. There’s room to run, room to grow.
Laura
Mmm. It would be nice to have room again. We could get a dog; finally be able to stretch a bit.
(she holds a hand to her neck, sighing.)
John
You’ll finally be able to relax, you won’t have to worry about working anymore.
(Laura tenses)
And as soon as we move in you can redecorate however you want. We should-
Laura
(pulls back to look at John.)
What makes you think I’m going to quit my job?
John
(smiling)
Well you’ll be pretty busy. We need to repaint most of the interior, I need to re-stain the porch, there’s two extra rooms. I was thinking one could be an office for you.
(Pause)
Maybe the other could be a nursery.
Laura
Don’t do that.
John
(smile fading)
Don’t do what?
Laura
You know I’m not sure about children.
(pushes him away, turn.)
I know you want kids, but I haven’t decided. There’s still so much I want to do. Don’t take that decision from me too.
John
Take from you? All I’ve done is give. This is for you, this is for us.
Laura
If it were for me I would have had a say in it. Did you ask me what I wanted? We could have paid off our debt with your father’s money, or-
John
(Interrupting)
That man is not my father.
Laura
Fine, okay. But there are other things we could have done with the money.
John
I wanted to give you a home. A life, the kind I dreamt about growing up in a shit place like this.
(gestures around them)
Laura
You never asked me if I wanted to move. I know this house is small-
John
(Interrupting)
It’s three rooms for Christ’s sake.
Laura
We’ve lived here for four years, John. We have memories here. I can have more in my life than a house. I talk about the porch I want, but I also talk about the places I want to travel, the adventures I want to have. You want me to be a housewife, but did you ask why I’m home early? Did you even wonder? I got promoted! The work I do happens to be important to me. I don’t want to give it up for a family I’m not sure I want.
John
(His voice raising.)
How can you say that? Is this not important to you? Do you not care about us, about me?
(Stomps away, picks up a box and starts moving it, continues shuffling boxes around.)
Laura
I want you to ask me what I want.
John
(muttering)
I can’t believe you’re making me out to be the bad guy.
(pause. Continues, louder.)
Me and my mother spent years in dumps like this exact building. We didn’t have anyone or anything. I could give you more than this, this, damn mediocre life.
(voice rising)
I would be a great father. A better father than he ever was. Why won’t you let me? Why won’t you give me a family? Don’t you trust me?
Laura
It’s not that I don’t trust you, John. But I want you to hear me. I want you to ask me what I want.
John
I’ve given you everything, all of me. But you won’t give me a family. Why won’t you give me a family?
Laura
Damnit John, I want you to ask me what I want!
John
(Dropping the box he’s holding with a crash. Turns to her. Shouting.)
What do you want!?
Laura
(pause. Quietly.)
I want you to leave.
Darkness.
End.
