THE GAME Joe McCabe SETTING: Throughout the play, LYNN (male or female, 65, dressed for success) mimes playing one or more games, such as: football, basketball, tennis, baseball, golf, hockey, and bowling. ALEX (male or female, 22, also dressed for success) enters and watches LYNN intently. LYNN notices ALEX and speaks. LYNN: I'd feel much better about running out the clock, if I was sure I was ahead in this game. ALEX: Don't you know the score? LYNN: I don't even know what game I'm playing. ALEX: You're kidding...Right? LYNN: I wish I was. I don't have a clue. ALEX: Where's your opponent? Who are you playing against? LYNN: For a while I thought I might be playing against everyone else in my age group. But now I suspect I'm playing against some standard of perfection. Like par on a golf course. ALEX: What about the rules? LYNN: All the rule books I found contradicted each other. I think you've got to figure out the rules for yourself. As well as you can. ALEX: Where's the umpire or referee? Who's in charge? LYNN: Official-looking people come by and say things, but they don't always make sense to me. ALEX: What's your strategy? LYNN: I don't even know whether I'm playing to win or just playing not to lose. ALEX: How do you score points? LYNN: Who knows? Maybe I just lose points. By not playing as well as I could have. ALEX: It can't be that confusing. (A COACH WEARING A HOODED BLACK SWEATSHIRT ENTERS BLOWING A WHISTLE LOUDLY.) COACH: That's it, Lynn. You're all through. It's YOUR turn now, Alex. Do your best. (LYNN AND THE COACH EXIT TOGETHER. ALEX LOOKS AROUND. AND TENTATIVELY BEGINS TO MIME PLAYING A GAME. SOON ALEX GETS INVOLVED AND PLAYS ENTHUSIASTICALLY. LIGHTS TO DARK.) END