ACT I
RICHARD (mid-30s) and GREG (mid-30s, gay) are racquetball partners and close friends.
Greg also plays tennis with their mutual friend, JOCELYN (early 40’s). Greg is in good health, so Richard and Jocelyn are stunned when they learn he’s in the hospital - lying unconscious in the ICU — with a bleeding aneurysm.
Then Richard is flabbergasted to learn that Greg has named him as his Durable Power of Attorney:
if Greg is unable to make his own medical decisions, Richard has been empowered to make life-and-death decisions for him.
Fortunately, Greg recovers. But the aneurysm is inoperable. It could happen again, and next time it could be fatal.
When Richard and Greg discuss Richard being Greg’s DPOA, it’s Greg who’s taken by surprise — Richard doesn’t want to do it.
He says “I’ll think about it”, but it’s clear he’s saying no.
Feeling guilty, Richard seeks out Jocelyn, who doesn’t conceal the fact that she thinks Richard should do it.
When she mentions that Richard hides from life (“It comes too close, you walk away”), Richard gets angry
and literally does walk away from her.
An acquaintance of Richard’s, FRANK (40’s), sees Richard’s point of view. He thinks Richard would be crazy to take on
something like this. (“You’d be around all that hospital stuff. And what if you have to...you know...make a decision.”)
Richard wonders why Greg hasn’t asked someone in his family to do this.
Until he meets Greg’s brother, GRANT (late 30’s). Angry and always about to explode, Grant has a gift for homing
in on people’s weaknesses, and doesn’t pull any verbal punches when expressing what he thinks of you.
Arriving in town with no warning (but with a definite agenda), Grant loses no time in alienating everyone.
For some reason he feels particular enmity toward Richard.
Richard has been avoiding Greg, but when he does try to discuss any aspect of their dreadful unfinished business,
he runs smack into Grant.
By the end of Act I, Richard is feuding with Jocelyn, openly battling Grant, and his relationship with Greg is seriously on the rocks.
ACT II
Ironically, Richard and Grant find, in each other, someone they can talk to. And so tumbles out the history between Greg and Grant, at the center of which is Greg’s complete rejection by his family when he revealed he was gay.
Richard begins to understand Grant — and his anger — a little better. And being around Grant opens up Richard;
he begins to reconsider his position about the DPOA.
Greg sees a second doctor, who says he can fix his head. But the procedure is risky, and if it goes wrong Greg could be worse off than ever. In the wake of this news, Richard happens to create circumstances that give Greg and Grant a chance to reconcile —
if they’re willing to take the emotional risks.
Richard now has new priorities... He and Jocelyn reconcile.
And Richard tells Greg that he wants to be his DPOA.
But now Greg feels differently: disappointed by Richard’s initial reaction, he’s angry at Richard for cutting him off
during the last week-and-a-half, and now thinks he made a mistake in choosing Richard as his DPOA.
If Richard is serious about doing this, he’s going to have to convince Greg that he’s a good choice.
And that he can be a better friend.
Second Place — 2009 Jim Highsmith Playwriting Award, San Francisco State University
Grant's Monlogue published as "Reconciliation" in Scenes and Monologs from the Best New International Plays.
Meriwether Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO
RICHARD (mid-30s) and GREG (mid-30s, gay) are racquetball partners and close friends.
Greg also plays tennis with their mutual friend, JOCELYN (early 40’s). Greg is in good health, so Richard and Jocelyn are stunned when they learn he’s in the hospital - lying unconscious in the ICU — with a bleeding aneurysm.
Then Richard is flabbergasted to learn that Greg has named him as his Durable Power of Attorney:
if Greg is unable to make his own medical decisions, Richard has been empowered to make life-and-death decisions for him.
Fortunately, Greg recovers. But the aneurysm is inoperable. It could happen again, and next time it could be fatal.
When Richard and Greg discuss Richard being Greg’s DPOA, it’s Greg who’s taken by surprise — Richard doesn’t want to do it.
He says “I’ll think about it”, but it’s clear he’s saying no.
Feeling guilty, Richard seeks out Jocelyn, who doesn’t conceal the fact that she thinks Richard should do it.
When she mentions that Richard hides from life (“It comes too close, you walk away”), Richard gets angry
and literally does walk away from her.
An acquaintance of Richard’s, FRANK (40’s), sees Richard’s point of view. He thinks Richard would be crazy to take on
something like this. (“You’d be around all that hospital stuff. And what if you have to...you know...make a decision.”)
Richard wonders why Greg hasn’t asked someone in his family to do this.
Until he meets Greg’s brother, GRANT (late 30’s). Angry and always about to explode, Grant has a gift for homing
in on people’s weaknesses, and doesn’t pull any verbal punches when expressing what he thinks of you.
Arriving in town with no warning (but with a definite agenda), Grant loses no time in alienating everyone.
For some reason he feels particular enmity toward Richard.
Richard has been avoiding Greg, but when he does try to discuss any aspect of their dreadful unfinished business,
he runs smack into Grant.
By the end of Act I, Richard is feuding with Jocelyn, openly battling Grant, and his relationship with Greg is seriously on the rocks.
ACT II
Ironically, Richard and Grant find, in each other, someone they can talk to. And so tumbles out the history between Greg and Grant, at the center of which is Greg’s complete rejection by his family when he revealed he was gay.
Richard begins to understand Grant — and his anger — a little better. And being around Grant opens up Richard;
he begins to reconsider his position about the DPOA.
Greg sees a second doctor, who says he can fix his head. But the procedure is risky, and if it goes wrong Greg could be worse off than ever. In the wake of this news, Richard happens to create circumstances that give Greg and Grant a chance to reconcile —
if they’re willing to take the emotional risks.
Richard now has new priorities... He and Jocelyn reconcile.
And Richard tells Greg that he wants to be his DPOA.
But now Greg feels differently: disappointed by Richard’s initial reaction, he’s angry at Richard for cutting him off
during the last week-and-a-half, and now thinks he made a mistake in choosing Richard as his DPOA.
If Richard is serious about doing this, he’s going to have to convince Greg that he’s a good choice.
And that he can be a better friend.
Second Place — 2009 Jim Highsmith Playwriting Award, San Francisco State University
Grant's Monlogue published as "Reconciliation" in Scenes and Monologs from the Best New International Plays.
Meriwether Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO
RICHARD |
Mid 30s. Intelligent, verbal, quick-thinking.
|
GREG |
Mid 30s. Intelligent, confident. |
GRANT |
Late 30’s. Angry and confrontational. Something’s eating at him. Has a gift for zeroing in on anyone’s flash point.
|
JOCELYN |
Mid 30's-Early 40’s. Intelligent, self-assured, perceptive |
FRANK |
Early 40's. A worrier. He owns an office supply store. |
DR. MELNER |
Age Unimportant. Can be a man or a woman. (Can be played by the actor who plays Greg, Grant, or Frank) |
