Open Your Eyes: A Play in One Scene

SCENE 1

SETTING: An office cafeteria, brightly lit. Upstage and stage right are walls with big windows revealing a painting of a clear sky and skyscrapers. The room is sparsely populated with men and women in nice suits and dresses. The clothes and room colors are cool and dull. A complimentary Starbucks bar is stage-left upstage, manned by a barista. Big glass doors leading in and out of the cafeteria are stage-left downstage. The rest of the stage consists of tables, chairs, and garbage cans. DIANE and SARAH occupy a table downstage center, and they sit at either end finishing their lunches and talking. DIANE sits stage right and SARAH stage left, with an empty chair between them.

BEFORE RISE: The sounds of people eating, talking, and walking, but not loudly.

AT RISE: After half a minute, JUDY walks into the room from stage left, looking unhappy. She sits between the other women.

DIANE

JUDY, what's wrong?

JUDY

I went up to that jerkoff Smith and asked for a bigger cubicle. But he said the best he could do was give me a midsized office.

SARAH

That sucks.

JUDY

I know! I hate this. This is weight discrimination, and I'm going to sue!

DIANE

Now, now, don't be too hasty. Why don't we have a fresh cup of double-mocha-latte-chino? That always cheers you up, right?

(SARAH gets up and walks to the coffee bar.)

JUDY

Yeah, but what should I do? I mean, you think I have a legitimate claim, right?

DIANE

Of course I do.

(SARAH comes back with the drink. She sits and gives it to JUDY, who takes a sip and looks at the drink in thought.)

JUDY

Do you think I've gotten fat because of these things?

(SARAH places a hand on JUDY's shoulder.)

SARAH

Oh, honey ... Of course not.

JUDY

Are you sure? My husband can't figure it out either, and he's still pretty pissed that I haven't passed the bar.

DIANE

Don't be so hard on yourself.

(SARAH rolls her eyes at DIANE, who stifles a laugh.)

SARAH

You'll pass it one of these days.

(JUDY looks up and sighs.)

JUDY

You girls are the best.

DIANE

Oh, please, it's the least we can do ... I know—why don't you blow off some steam by going over to the Barney's warehouse sale?

JUDY

I don't know ...

SARAH

What are you worried about? You deserve it, especially after the way Smith treated you.

(JUDY thinks for a few seconds.)

JUDY

You know what? You're right.

(JUDY gets up with her drink and, after a few steps, turns around.)

JUDY

Do you girls want to come along?

(DIANE and SARAH look at each other.)

DIANE

I don't know. I left my credit card at home.

SARAH

Me, too.

JUDY

That's okay. I'll charge your stuff on mine, and you can pay me back later.

(DIANE and SARAH look at each other, trying not to smile.)

DIANE

Sounds good to me.

(DIANE and SARAH get up, throw out their garbage, and head out the door with JUDY.)

Curtain Falls

THE END