Hell

Hell by Evan Stefanik

HELL

By Evan Stefanik

Characters

ELISSA: Paranoid and guilty. Female, mid twenties.

BOY: Disturbed, then malicious. Male, 10 y/o.

BOYFRIEND: Longing and sorrowful. Male, mid twenties.

MOTHER: Judgemental and furious. Female, early to mid forties.

Costuming

ELISSA: Cheap clothes, outfitted carelessly.

BOY: Shorts and a Disney-themed shirt; then all black, almost demonic clothes.

BOYFRIEND: Dirty cargo pants, construction boots, a dirty work shirt, an optional neon yellow vest draped around his shoulder.

MOTHER: Typical clothes; one of the blouses grandmothers wear.

Scenery/Props/Effects

-Car crash sound effect

-Bed with boyish covers

Hell

(There is silence. ELISSA lays, sprawled and unconscious, on the floor. Suddenly, stern voices come from offstage, sounding trance-like.)

MOTHER: You were always such a disobedient brat.

BOYFRIEND: You ripped away all the things I ever loved.

MOTHER: You knew who you were hurting.

BOYFRIEND: You ruined my life.

MOTHER: You did this to yourself.

BOYFRIEND: You never listened.

(The delivery of the following lines should be seamless. ELISSA begins to stir.)

MOTHER: You're-

BOYFRIEND: Selfish-

MOTHER: Ungrateful-

BOYFRIEND: Irresponsible-

MOTHER: Loveless-

BOYFRIEND: Wreckless-

MOTHER: My biggest mistake-

BOYFRIEND: My worst regret-

MOTHER & BOYFRIEND: And now you're gone forever!

(ELISSA wakes, startled. She assesses the scene.)

ELISSA (With many pauses): Hello? Who's there? Who was talking? (Beat. She becomes more scared, and plays with the space.) Where am I? Where the hell am I?! What do you want?! (No one answers.) Help me! Someone! Anyone?!

(BOY enters in his first costume, reassuring.)

BOY: I'm here, I'm here! Don't worry.

ELISSA: (She runs to him immediately, holding on to him.) Kid! You have to help me, I don't know where I am!

BOY: What? Where else would you be? (Beat.) I promise, you belong here.

ELISSA: (She suddenly clasps her head.) Ah, it's too noisy!

BOY: You're safe! That's all that matters. Just breathe-

ELISSA: I can't fucking breathe! It's too hot, too dark, too loud!

BOY: Please, just calm down! Focus on my voice. (She settles for a moment.) There you go. Do you feel any better?

ELISSA: Please tell me where I am.