Confession Room

10minute play
Confession Room

It’s a room. It feels small, and claustrophobic. There are two chairs center stage, and there are two people in them. SAM is sitting in the center stage right chair. She is in her late 20’s. She’s an independent, selfish, passive person. On the center stage left chair is CHUCK. He is in his early 30’s. He’s needy, aggressive, and a liar. The chairs are back to back of each other. They are tied up. First Sam struggles to get herself free, but fails. Then Chuck tries and fails.

SAM
I can’t believe that you brought me here!
CHUCK
Well, if you were more decisive this would have never happened.
SAM
Don’t you dare put this on me. Tonight was supposed to be exciting, adventurous…
CHUCK
What do you call this?
SAM
Stop interrupting me. (SAM takes a deep breath) Like I was saying tonight was supposed to be exciting, adventurous, and romantic.

CHUCK
You know that I’m not a romantic guy.
SAM
I just wish you’d try.
CHUCK
I do try Sam, it just seems like nothing is good enough for you.
Beat
SAM
I hate you right now.
CHUCK
Right back at ya, babe.
Silence fills the room. SAM struggles again to get herself free, but fails. Then CHUCK tries to get himself free, and he fails. CHUCK laughs
SAM
What’s so funny?
CHUCK
Oh, nothing.
SAM
Come on tell me. It’s not like I have anything else better to do. (Beat) Please.
CHUCK
I was just thinking about the time when we both first met. Do you remember?
SAM
Of course I do. We were on a double date with other people.
CHUCK
It’s strange that we actually ended up together.
SAM
What were their names?
CHUCK
Whose?
SAM
The people we went on the date with.
CHUCK
Oh. (Beat) Lillian and… I don’t remember that guy’s name.
SAM
Ryan. His name was Ryan. The quarterback of the football team.
CHUCK
Yeah some lousy quarterback. That kid could never get a complete pass. That team sucked.
SAM
Well, I’m not really into football; however, he happened to think that I was the coolest girl on campus. Or he wanted help with his homework.

CHUCK
(Laughing)
If he was blind.
SAM
You’re a jerk.
CHUCK
At the time you were still trying to figure out who you were. You were nothing like Lillian. Do you remember her?
SAM
She’s sord of hard to forget. She looked trashy that night.
CHUCK
No she didn’t. She wanted to look extra attractive for me. She was my foxy lady. She looked too sexy in that tight, red, mini dress. Those long silky, tan legs and dark hair. She had red lipstick on. Ah, and the way she swayed when she walked in those high heel shoes. It was to the beat of a drum. Baboom, baboom, ba…

SAM leans her head forward, and head buts CHUCK
OWCH! Hey, what was that for?
SAM
(Rubbing her head)
You know what that was for. (Beat) What did you think of me?
CHUCK
Well, you looked nice.
SAM
NICE?!
CHUCK
I mean, you were beautiful. You were very shy though.
SAM
No I wasn’t.
CHUCK
Yes you were. I don’t think you said much to your date the whole night. You just sat their picking at your food, and looked at all of us over your glasses.
SAM
Thank goodness for contacts. (Beat) I was hungry.
CHUCK
I thought you were charming. I liked your nerdy qualities. You were shy, but confident, and you were yourself. Lillian, although she was hot, she didn’t really have the smarts. I mean, even though you were quiet most of the time, when you would speck you could make me laugh. I really liked that about you. You make me laugh Sam.

SAM
Then that very same night you gave me a call and asked me out on a date. I was so surprised. I still don’t know how you got my number.
CHUCK
That is my little secret.
SAM
I thought that it was very charming, and sweet. You’re sweet Chuck.
They both smile and chuckle. Long beat
SAM/CHUCK
I just wish…
CHUCK
No you first.
SAM
No you.
SAM/CHUCK
I just wish that…
SAM
We…
CHUCK
still were…
SAM/CHUCK
that way.
Long beat
SAM
What happened to us? Everything was going great. We were so happy.
CHUCK
I know.
SAM
What am I doing to make you draw away from me?
CHUCK
Nothing.
SAM
Well, I must have done something. We hardly talk anymore. I think this is the first time in a while that we actually talked for more than a couple of seconds. Do we have to be in this kind of situation to speak to each other?
CHUCK
It seems like we both have became distant after the honeymoon was over. Man, most people don’t start having these problems until they are super old.

SAM
Maybe we got married too young. Maybe we should have waited. Maybe you should have known for sure that you wanted to really be with me.

CHUCK
I did want to be with you. I still do.
SAM
Than why did your eyes have to drift to someone else Chuck?
Long beat
Speechless huh? I actually can’t believe I said this.
CHUCK
I thought that we left that all in the past.
SAM
I thought that I did but it still haunts me. It always creeps into my thoughts whenever I see you talking to another woman. Or when you are on the telephone I wonder if you are talking to her. I wonder if you are going to meet up with her again. I think is he lying?

Beat
I wonder to myself every night when you are going to decide to and leave me for her.
CHUCK
I told you before that I no longer speck to that woman, and never again will. I chose you. You are the woman I want to be with. I married you right?

SAM
Yes you did. We took vows before the Lord, and you broke them. If you broke them once, how can I guarantee that you are not going to do that again?

CHUCK
Because I said that I wouldn’t.
SAM
Actions speck louder than words. You know that Chuck.
CHUCK
I know. But, I truly mean it Sam. I love you. You are mine, and I am yours. I want that to be forever.
SAM
Me too.
CHUCK
So let’s make that happen. Let’s start all over, and pretend that we are meeting for the first time.

SAM
How do we do that Chuck?
CHUCK
Well I can say… uh… um… hello, my name is Chuck.
SAM
I already know your name.
CHUCK
Sam, we are pretending that we don’t know each other remember.
SAM
Then how did you already know my name?
CHUCK
This isn’t going to work. You’re not playing along.
SAM
Sorry, I just think that this is a dumb idea.
CHUCK
Yeah. I should’ve known that you would think that. Every idea that I have is dumb.
SAM
Stop putting words in my mouth. I didn’t say that. I think that some of your ideas are great. But just not this one.
CHUCK
You always belittle me, and you are doing it again. We talked about this in counseling. You said you would stop doing things like that.

SAM
I know that’s why I consciously have been making an effort to stop doing that.
CHUCK
You’re not trying that hard.
SAM
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…
CHUCK
Don’t apologize if you don’t actually mean it.
SAM
I did mean it.
CHUCK
I am trying to make you happy Sam. I want to show you how much I really do love you, but you just turn me down every time I attempt to do something right. What do you want from me Sam?!

SAM
Why are you getting so upset?
CHUCK
Because you always have to be the one that is right, you are never wrong. Don’t you know that you are also the reason why our marriage is crumbling to the ground?
SAM
I never said that I wasn’t apart of it. You keep putting accusations on me.
CHUCK
There you go again playing the victim while I am the criminal.
SAM
What are you talking about?
CHUCK
I’m talking about how you are never the one that hurts other people. Where were you when we were arguing? I’ll tell you. You were always the first one to walk out on me, and leave me wondering where you were. Are you safe? Are you coming back? When you left she came over to comfort me. When you left she would stay and listen to me. When you left she would hold me, love me, and take care of me. Those were things that you couldn’t do for me. You are selfish. It’s always about you.

Long beat
Speechless huh? I can’t believe I said this.
Beat
SAM
I can’t do this anymore.
CHUCK
What?
SAM
I can’t do this anymore. I’m not doing this anymore.
CHUCK
You’re just running again. Looks like old habits are hard to break.
Lights dim. While in the black out they move their chairs facing the audience. Lights up
VOICE
Yes Sam, you were going to say something?
SAM
Not really.
VOICE
Chuck? Do you have anything you want to say to Sam today?
CHUCK
No.
CHUCK and SAM look at each other. No expressions. Silence. Black out

A Dash of Style

Well, it is the end of the book. The end was my favorite part of the whole book. Why? Because he let us know what marks we can not really use, and the ones to use sparingly. Well for my last exercise, I think that I am going to write something that most writers, or readers, or what Lukeman calls "amateur" writing. Also, I am going to use some of the lines from the book that I would like to call them "amateur no nos"

Here goes:

Did I kill my wife? Will I be caught? Will others find out that I did it!? What provoked me to do such a thing? Just watching her body upon the floor - she's draped with blood. Oh, I'm sick to my stomach. At this moment I wish that I could turn back the hands of time, and bring her back. I'M SORRY!!! I'm sorry. Should I run? Should I hide? I have no where to go [He turns to walk toward the body. He longs to embrace her. To kiss her face, but he is to afraid to go the marks of death on his hands. His eyes are in a gaze. Tears run down his face. He whispers...] I love you honey [He walks out the door].

The End

Thoughts:

Yea, I can see why those are not supposed to be used often. It is funny because when you read the story, it really sounds like a melodrama... a really bad melodrama! I am proud to say that I wrote this horrifying piece. It was actually kind of fun.

Writing Exercise

Question: Take two pages from your work and cut the paragraph length in half. You might need to cut or add material so that these paragraphs work at half length. Take a step back and reread the material. How does it read now? What impact did it have on pacing, on style? Did switching to such a style spark any ideas? Can you apply this technique elsewhere in your work?

1st Draft:

The sky is a blue hue with a hint of white in it. Not because of the clouds, but because there are no clouds in the sky. The sun shines so bright where if I look at it, it makes my eyes become engulfed in the flaming, beaming, blinding rays that shimmer, and flick behind a giant tree which shades and hugs my being. The mountain with its colors of red, orange, brown, tan; and cracks that are deeply formed which looks like a female womb. And mysterious caves that are dark, black, and have inner ridges. The mountain stands supreme, determined, destined to continue its growth toward the never ending sky.

Revised:

The sky is a blue hue with a hint of white in it. There are no clouds. The sun shines bright. I can not look at its flaming, beaming rays because it's blinding. The trees shade my being. The mountain is covered with the colors of red, orange, brown, and tan. There are cracks in the mountain that looks like a female womb. Mysterious caves are dark, and black. They have inner ridges. The mountain stands supreme. Determined to touch the sky.Thoughts:That was interesting. I felt that I had to change my style from what it was before. When I read both again, it sounds different. Not as much description. I think in a way it was harder. But than when I think about how I write. I sometimes can drag a thought out way to long. How does one person find a good balance?