Sunday, July 19, 2009

Week 26, Day 182 - “The Last Word”

“The Last Word”
Written by Joe Janes
7/19/09
182 of 365

CAST:
Dr. Menlo, 60s
Mr. Evans, 20s

(Lights up on a psychiatrist’s office. Dr. Menlo sits at his desk. Sitting across from him is Mr. Evans, a young, clean-cut man.)

DR. MENLO
Mr. Evans. We are going to do word association. I will say a word and you will say the first thing that comes into your mind. Do you understand?

MR. EVANS
Yes, Dr. Menlo.

DR. MENLO
Good. (Pause) Bicycle.

MR. EVANS
Bicycle.

DR. MENLO
Let’s move on to the Rorschach test. I will show you a picture. You tell me what it looks like. Are you ready?

MR. EVANS
Yes.

(Dr. Menlo shows Mr. Evans a blotter stain.)

DR. MENLO
Tell me what you see?

MR. EVANS
It looks like someone spilled ink onto a board, folded it in half and opened it back up again.

(Dr. Menlo takes out his pocket watch and holds it in front of Mr. Evans by the fob. He makes it sway from side-to-side.)

DR. MENLO
You are getting sleepy.

MR. EVANS
Yes. I am.

DR. MENLO
Mr. Evans, you are cured.

MR. EVANS
I am? On my first session? But my father and I don’t speak. My mother ran off to Las Vegas with an Elmo impersonator. I’m a wreck around women. My career is in the dumper. And my cat died.

DR. MENLO
Get over it.

MR. EVANS
Oh. Okay.

DR. MENLO
That’ll be $200.

MR. EVANS
Thanks?

(Blackout)