Gabrielle Poisson ’17 Wins NJ Young Playwrights Contest

Gabrielle Poisson Playwrights Contest“Worn Thin,” a play by Gabrielle Poisson ’17, written for Newark Academy’s “Page to Stage” June Term class and revised in Creative Writing class, won the 32nd annual NJ Playwrights Theatre Contest and was performed by professional actors at the NJ Playwrights Festival on June 2, 2015. Gabi worked closely with NJ Playwrights’ directors, dramaturges and actors to bring her play to life. The performance, held at the Barn Theatre at Fairleigh Dickinson University, was a huge success. By virtue of this competition, Gabi was given membership in the Dramatists Guild of America and was awarded a 2015 Governors Awards in Arts Education. Gabrielle Poisson was interviewed by the Playwright’s Theatre about her writing process. Gabi also won the Blank Theatre’s National Playwriting Contest for her play, “Wouldn’t That Be Lovely?” Enjoy this wonderful play.

WORN THIN by Gabrielle Poisson

CHARACTERS

MELANIE 43. Loving but lonely mother of Jared.

JARED 11. Youthful, imaginative, and naïve. He is on the Autism spectrum and many of his actions are a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from an incident a few years before.

SETTING

PLACE The dining room of a modest suburban house.

TIME The present. Ten o’clock at night.

(Lights up on a simple but nicely furnished dining room/kitchen. MELANIE is sitting at the table knitting agitatedly. There is a booming sound coming from offstage)

MELANIE
Jared, honey, can I talk to you for a minute?

JARED
(Offstage)
Just a sec!

(JARED enters sharply dressed in an enormous suit jacket and a ridiculous tie. On his head is a plastic magician’s hat. He wears Bermuda shorts and shiny dress shoes. He clearly has trouble walking in them.)

Yes mother?

MELANIE
Well, what are you up to?

JARED
Ahh mother, I’ve got a hot date.

(He twirls around a few times for her, but then stops. He starts to head towards the door and freezes)

I almost forgot.

(Handing his mother a crumpled dandelion from his suit pocket)

For my other lovely lady.

MELANIE
Honey, where’d you get this? I don’t remember you asking permission to go outside.

JARED
I picked it a while ago, but I was saving it for a special occasion, and I didn’t want you to be sad I was going out without you.

MELANIE
You’re the sweetest. But Jar, could you sit down for a second? There’s something we need to talk about, something important.

JARED
Can’t mother. I’ve got a beautiful woman waiting for me.

MELANIE
A woman?

JARED
You betcha. Aww they always said if I was a gentleman, I could get any lady. Any lady at all. Even a lady as swell as Miss Purple.

MELANIE
Miss Purple?

JARED
She’s a real lady you know.

MELANIE
Sweetheart, I really need–

(MELANIE tries to interrupt JARED but he talks incessantly so that she cannot stop him. She grows anxious that he is going to have an episode.)

JARED
So when Miss Purple asked me what the time of day was, I just gave her my biggest smile, the one you say is real handsome, and then I stuck out my hand for her. And then–

MELANIE
(Soft)
That’s enough Jared.

JARED
And then she offered me a half of her sandwich when I told her it looked delicious. But that’s not how a man does it. He doesn’t eat a lady’s sandwich. So then I asked her to come on a date with me–

MELANIE
(Louder)
Jared!

JARED
I told her I’d meet her at 10 o’clock right here at the house. I know, I know, I’m supposed to be in bed asleep by 10:15 but a gentleman takes his woman out late at night. I figured I’d impress her–
MELANIE
(Even louder, colder)
Stop.

JARED
Impress her, by riding her out on my bicycle.

(Beat)

She’s a real skinny lady so she could fit right in the handle basket and I could see right over her head so I wouldn’t hit anything. Maybe I’ll ask her to bend over, just to make sure; do you think that would be rude? I don’t think so. I think she’d just bend right over; she’s a real nice lady.

MELANIE
Jared, come here and sit next to mommy. We need to talk about school. I’ll get you an ice pop.

(MELANIE gets up to get the ice cream)

JARED
Ice cream! It’s ten oh seven at night; oh boy I never eat ice cream this late. Not at ten oh seven, not even ten oh six. Wait! Actually, can I have one of those banana Sundaes with the whipped cream?

(MELANIE returns with a firecracker ice pop)

MELANIE
Sorry sweetie, we’re out of vanilla.

JARED
This isn’t even the good kind.

MELANIE
I know you like the Ben & Jerry’s better, but they didn’t have them at Kwik-Mart.

JARED
(Speaking with the ice pop in his mouth)
The Kwik-Mart! But you only buy organic.

MELANIE
Honey we can’t– I didn’t have time to drive all the way out there.

(Beat)

That’s a nice outfit Jar.

JARED
I’m glad you like it. I know Miss Purple will. See, I wanna be lookin’ sharp next to her. She’s real, real beautiful.
The shoes are my church shoes because I want Miss Purple to think that I’m pious. She seems like a very holy lady. And the hat, it looks like a real gentleman’s hat. And… And… The tie, it has Legos on it. Remember when you said I could get myself an early Christmas present… and that it would be from Dad? Well this is it, this is the tie I got. It was nineteen dollars and ninety-nine cents; only you gave me a twenty-dollar bill so I kept the penny. I hope you don’t mind, I’m saving up to buy a bigger handle basket, one that will fit bigger ladies too, like you Mom. So we can go riding together except you won’t have to worry about pedaling. You can just sit and let the wind blow in your hair… and I’ll keep you safe. Anybody that gets in our way…

(JARED squints his right eye, cocks his head, and sticks his hands out together in a pistol formation. He makes faint popping sounds, like the sound of a revolver.)

You can even bring your knitting if you’d like.

MELANIE
I don’t need protecting, Jared.

(JARED turns away, suddenly uncomfortable. There is an tense silence until MELANIE notices he his adjusting his jacket)

That’s a nice suit jacket. Is it Daddy’s?

(No response from Jared, he refuses to look at her)
Jar…

JARED
Yes mother?

MELANIE
Is that jacket Daddy’s? It looks real nice.

JARED
You think so? I wasn’t so sure, but Daddy said that Miss Purple would think I was sharp.

MELANIE
Daddy said?

JARED
Yes.

MELANIE
Daddy knew Miss Purple?

JARED
Don’t you know Miss Purple?

MELANIE
How would I know Miss Purple?

JARED
Well she lives upstairs.

MELANIE
Upstairs?

JARED
Yes.

MELANIE
In our home?

JARED
Well, not full time. She travels all over. When she stopped in the neighborhood I had to invite her to stay with us. Daddy said it was only polite.

MELANIE
Your father would have told you that…

JARED
Mmhmm.

MELANIE
But how would your father have told you that?

JARED
Just like he would say any other thing, by whispering it in your ear.

MELANIE
Just before bed each night.

JARED
(Sing-songy)
He’ll whisper good night,

MELANIE & JARED
(Playfully with each other)
I love you, and I’ll see you in the morning.

JARED
He gives very good advice.

MELANIE
He sure did. He was the only one around here who ever knew how to do anything.
(Drops her voice to a gruff imitation)
“Melanie if you want Jared to stop crying you should probably check his diaper.”
“Melanie, if you’re stressed out, why don’t you take the weekend off?”
“Melanie, stop obsessing over work and just love your kid.
He’s the only one you’ve got.”
(Back to normal. JARED is for once, quiet in fascination)
Well he’d be proud today, wouldn’t he? Look at you and me. I don’t work half as much as I used to.

JARED
And you don’t drive into that big, terrible city anymore. It was so dirty and it smelled worse than gym socks.

MELANIE
It was really a beautiful place…
JARED
Beautiful? No no no. You’re so close to school now that you’re there to pick me up right as the bell rings, and you get to wear that pretty uniform from the restaurant. And I’m doing so well in my classes, Daddy would sure be proud.

MELANIE
Well it is different. But we’ve held together, we’re a team.

JARED
I guess, but it’s just that he’s awful lonely in there. You really should go talk to him sometime.

MELANIE
Honey, talk to him where?

JARED
In his closet.

MELANIE
His closet Jared?

JARED
Oh yes. I go talk to him quite a lot. He told me I could borrow his suit jacket as long as I didn’t get any stains on it. He said it’s because you would spend an awful long time washing it out, although I don’t know why, it’s not like he wears them anymore.

MELANIE
He was always very tidy.

JARED
Mrs. Karp said he’s on another plane.

MELANIE
(She’s really had enough)
Another plane Jared?

JARED
Mmhmm! A spiritual plane! And she also said that in order to speak to him, I should go to the place where I can feel him the most, and so I go to his closet and he tells me secrets and I ask him questions.

(Beat)

We can go together, if you want.

MELANIE
Is Mrs. Karp friends with Miss Purple?

JARED
Oh no, Mrs. Karp was our substitute gym teacher last Tuesday. She said that instead of basketball, we were going to do yoga meditations. So we all sat in a circle on mats, and we did downward dog, and plank, and warrior II, and then Mrs. Karp told us to imagine that we were in a meadow and we were with our sisters or brothers and our mother and father, and that’s when I shouted out. So Mrs. Karp came over to me and asked me what was up, and I told her that I couldn’t imagine that because I had no sisters and brothers, and I had no father because one day when he was taking me out for ice cream,
a man with a gun told him to “get down on the floor” and give him his gold watch and his wedding ring, but my Dad didn’t give it to him, no, no, no. My dad told me to run, so I did. So I ran and I ran and I was running really fast and really far, and I heard three gun shots,

(Makes the gun hand gesture again)

“Pew, pew, pew.” And by the time I got back, the ice cream was melting and red.

(A decisive pause)

And besides, my mother would never go to a meadow because she’s allergic to pollen; it makes her sneeze. And that’s when this real big kid, Brett Hanson yelled from his mat across the gym that this was a load of bullshit and that I was just an attention seeker. And that made me real mad so I said that he was a liar. And the whole time this really pretty girl from my algebra class was laughing at me, and Mrs. Karp just sat there on her orange mat. They didn’t believe me! They said if my father was dead why didn’t I cry, but I said I could speak to him! I would talk to him in my dreams and we would share secrets and advice. But then they laughed harder. And then Brett Hanson was standing over me and he told me that I should just shut my mouth. And he pushed me just a little right on my ear and so I punched him in the stomach. And then he was on the floor and I was kicking him and you should’ve seen me Mommy, I was so brave. I bet you’re so proud of me.

MELANIE
Jared, Jared sweetie, Mommy couldn’t be proud of you for that. Not for hurting him.

JARED
You’re not proud of me?

MELANIE
You broke Brett Hanson’s nose.

JARED
He said I was an attention seeker.

MELANIE
He needed three stitches in his head.

JARED
Well that’s because he fell over.

MELANIE
You can’t go back Jared.

JARED
I know; he’d beat me up.

MELANIE
No Jared.

(Beat)

They don’t want you back.

JARED
Mrs. Karp?

MELANIE
No Jared, the school.

JARED
What about Mrs. Karp?

MELANIE
I don’t know Jared.

JARED
I hope she didn’t get in trouble because–

MELANIE
Jared, please!

(A very long silence)

JARED
I hurt him?

MELANIE
Yes. But it’s not like you. I’ve asked the principal if you can have another chance.

JARED
I hurt him? I hurt him. I didn’t mean to, I really didn’t.
(Calling out)
Daddy? Daddy? I promise I’m not a bad person. I would never’ve shot him and not for a wedding ring.

MELANIE
Jared! Listen to me. Listen to me. You’re not a bad person. Come here, come back to me, sweetheart.

JARED
No, no, no, no, no.

MELANIE
Please. Please, we can work it out. I know we messed up and it doesn’t make sense and Daddy’s not here to give advice, but maybe if we just go into his closet–

(JARED closes his eyes, covers his ears, and shakes his head)

JARED
It’s my fault; it’s all my fault. I asked him to go. I made him go. No, no, no, no, no.

MELANIE
Jared no. Jared, don’t you dare–

JARED
Daddy’s dead. I killed him. I killed him.

(JARED pushes MELANIE back and moves away from the table)

MELANIE
That’s not true, sweetheart, please.

(She moves to grab JARED’s arm again but he smacks her hand away. She speaks angrily with tears in her eyes)

Get back here right now.

(JARED stops but stands away from MELANIE. He is suddenly very calm)

JARED
It’s 10:18.

MELANIE
We are not done here.

JARED
I was supposed to be in bed sleeping three minutes ago.

MELANIE
I’ll quit my job, I’ll teach you myself.

JARED
Good night.

MELANIE
I’ll call up Grandma and she can come stay here for a while.

JARED
Good night, Mom.

MELANIE
Please just come back here. I’ll go run out to the store. And I’ll get the ice pops you want. I’ll drive all the way out and we can get the good ones.

JARED
Can’t mother. I’ve got a hot date.

(JARED walks slowly out of the room. Lights get down as MELANIE, completely worn out, picks up her knitting and slowly begins to unravel the whole thing.)

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