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VERSAILLES
© 2012 by Richard Ploetz
All Rights Reserved
VERSAILLES is a full length contemporary drama with 7 characters and a single set.
SHARON, a 28 year old single mother, is waking up to the hard reality of her life. Her youth gone, her beauty and power going, she is caught in a web of dead end relationships and a nowhere job. As her house is slowly sinking into the swamp her young daughter appears to have gone missing. A mysterious figure, MR MASON, a kind of investigator/conscience, surfaces. Is he the resolution to Sharon’s problems?
There are also Sharon’s younger, blue-collar boyfriend, BRANDON, her father, HARMON, who may have molested her as a child, and NICK, her boss, owner of the Golden Lady where she works (and with whom she is sexually involved). Lastly there are BOB and BETH the seemingly ideal married couple who have moved into the house across the street.
The play, in 28 scenes, was inspired by the Casey Anthony trial in Florida.
Excerpt:
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SHARON: 28 – very attractive, sexual, headstrong – used to getting what she wants
BRANDON: 24 – Sharon’s boyfriend, garage mechanic – tough exterior, but vulnerable
BOB: 34 – used car salesman, mid-western, somewhat naive
BETH: 32 – Bob’s wife, mid-western, high strung, also rather naïve
HARMON: 50ties – Sharon’s father – a not-unsympathetic suspect character
MR MASON: 50ties – retired lawman, Harmon’s old hunting/drinking buddy
NICK: 49 – Sharon’s boss, sleazy owner of the Golden Lady strip club
VERSAILLES: Excerpt
SETTING: Sharon’s livingroom – cheaply furnished, untidy – stairs going up
1.
(In dark, sound of wind soughing through pines; then haunting cry of pileated woodpecker. Silence. Lights. MR. MASON sitting in chair;
SHARON on floor beside him, head leaning against his knee.
She holds a child’s stuffed animal, a puppy. Peaceful, almost an image of father and daughter. A moment. He glances at his pocket watch – holds to ear – it has stopped – stares at it.)
MASON
It stopped . . .
(beat)
Why don’t we?
SHARON
You can always get a battery.
(Beat. He tosses watch off – BLACKOUT as it is in the air)
2.
(BOB enters through front door; he carries stuffed animal, the puppy)
BOB
Hello? Anyone home?
(pause)
Ah, Mrs . . . ?
(After a moment SHARON appears at top of dark stairs. BOB sees her)
BOB
Ah. Hello. I found. . . Sheryl-lee’s . . . puppy. She . . . I guess she lost it, so . . .
SHARON
It’s “Miss”.
BOB
So I hope you don’t mind.
(pause)
I brought it over.
(SHARON comes slowly down the stairs. She is a little mussed, as though
she may have been sleeping)
SHARON
That’s nice. Who are you, the milk man?
BOB
The milk—Oh, ha, ha. Bob – from across the street.
(pause)
We met – briefly – at . . . the barbeque . . .
SHARON
Oh, yeah. Bob . . .
(Pause)
BOB
I just thought . . .
SHARON
You were passing by . . .
BOB
I happened to see . . . On the curb . . .
SHARON
Old Mr. Puppers, and you thought . . .
BOB
You wouldn’t want him getting lost, and . . .
SHARON
You thought you’d look in on me.
(Pause)
SHARON
That’s nice of you, Bob.
BOB
Yes. Well . . .
SHARON
Drink?
BOB
Oh, no, no thanks. I just . . . It’s kinda early . . .
SHARON
. . . And you thought . . .
BOB
. . . Well . . .
SHARON
You’re a good neighbor. Across the street . . .
BOB
Number 24.
SHARON
I’m 23 . . .
BOB
. . . Ah . . .
SHARON
Close to one another . . . Numbers.
(She comes close to him)
SHARON
Drink?
(beat)
Little reward?
(beat)
I’m sure Beth wouldn’t mind.
(beat)
It’s Beth?
BOB
Beth . . . yeah . . .
SHARON
She’s not here is she?
BOB
Sheryl-lee . . .
SHARON
I’m here, Bob.
3.
(BOB and SHARON. After a moment BRANDON appears at top of stairs.)
SHARON
This is Bob. Guy who stopped in the other day.
(BRANDON comes down the stairs. Bare-chested, he is not wearing shoes or socks)
BRANDON
Oh yeah?
SHARON
He was concerned.
BRANDON
Bob. Live around here?
SHARON
Bob’s a neighbor. Him and Beth.
BRANDON
Beth. Sounds fruitful.
BOB
What? Fruitful?
BRANDON
Is she? You know . . .
BOB
I’m afraid--
SHARON
They’re married, Brandon. Married.
BRANDON
Why didn’t you say so? I didn’t mean to step out of line here, champ, suggest she was . . .
(Pause)
BOB
It’s ok.
BRANDON
I couldn’t see you with a dog, Bob. Married. And here you are.
SHARON
He stopped by. He was concerned. About . . .
BRANDON
Uh huh.
BOB
(barely audible)
Mr. Puppers . . .
SHARON
Brandon’s her father.
BOB
Oh? I didn’t . . .
BRANDON
Why don’t you bring Bethy over? We’ll have a party.
(beat)
A regular fuck fest.
BOB
It’s just I saw him -- out on the curb, and . . .
BRANDON
What’s he, the neighborhood nanny?
SHARON
Brandon . . .
BRANDON
What? He “stops in” with Uncle Puppers. It’s one o’clock in the afternoon. I got a right, don’t I?
(to BOB)
What’d you expect to find?
BOB
Well, I just thought . . .
BRANDON
. . . you just thought . . .
SHARON
Brandon . . .
BRANDON
Milkman comes at 7, Bob. You’re a little late.
BOB
Margie asked about her is all. She hasn’t played with Sheryl-lee in--
BRANDON
Know what I’m thinking? There ain’t no Margie. Margie’s an -- optical –
whatever. Know what I mean?
BOB
There certainly is a Margie. You just look out the window.
BRANDON
(glancing out window)
Zip, Bob. Zip Margie.
BOB
She was there. On the . . . teeter-tot-- Listen, Brandon, I don’t care for what you’re implying. I am happily married, and, if you think I am coming over here to, to . . .
BRANDON
Easy there. Did I say I didn’t believe you? I’m a great kidder, huh Sharon?
(Pause)
SHARON
She’s at her grandmother’s, Bob.
BOB
Margie asked about her is all.
SHARON
She hasn’t been feeling too good.
BRANDON
You told me she was at the baby sitter.
SHARON
My mother baby-sits, Brandon.
(Pause)
BOB
Where are your socks?
BRANDON
Huh?
BOB
Socks.
4.
(SHARON and MR. MASON, in the dark)
MASON
Morgan Towers . . .
(Lights)
He’d be walking along the sidewalk on Elm Street. Like this – up and down, up and down. . . . He’d been gassed in the First World War, and that caused the way he walked. Like he was . . . floating. “Floating Towers”, my daddy called him . . .