KARLA: A charismatic woman in her early thirties whose pretty face and somewhat childlike demeanor belies an incredibly dirty mouth and mind. Spunky, spirited, angry, wickedly funny. A stand-up comedian with a real penchant for dark humor which she uses to hide behind and distract herself from the pain of her mother’s sickness.
DON: An unassuming man in his late forties. The kind of person who you would never even notice on the subway or walking down the street—an “everyman” in the most boring sense of the word. Clearly has been through a lot of stress both in life-in-general and also more acutely quite recently. Employs a raging temper to mask the gaping wound left from his recent marital split and his mother’s illness.
MARCIE: Karla’s mother. A painfully thin, pale, dyed-redhead in her fifties. Recovering from a hysterectomy that she had to treat her Stage I endometrial cancer. Very dry wit, like Karla. In her case, her dark humor belies not only oceans of pain but also an abusive, selfish cruelty. Still, she is capable of deep love and moments of tender vulnerability.
GEENA: Don’s mother. A heavyset woman in her sixties who hasn’t paid attention to her personal appearance in about forty years. Has been battling ovarian cancer for seven years. Brave. Tired.
SETTING
A hospital room in New York City.
NOTES
A “/” indicates overlapping dialogue.
A “…” does not necessarily indicate a pause. Rather, it connotes a sort of shift in thought—a momentary, often almost unrecognizable jump, snag or tangle in communication.
Beats can be very quick—they need not linger, unless otherwise indicated.