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