Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Week 43, Day 297 - "Seance"

“Séance”

Written by Joe Janes

11/11/09

297 of 365

Cast

Madame Orlenka, 50s

Miranda, 30s

Peter, 30s

Nina, 40s

Stuart, 40s

Norman, 50s

(Lights up around a dimly lit table. Everyone is seated in a semi-circle with Madame Orlenka in the center. She is flanked by Peter and Miranda. The séance is already underway.)

MADAME

Everyone, keep your hands delicately on the table, with our fingertips touching ever so lightly. (She takes a deep breath) I feel the presence of a spirit.

MIRANDA

Is it Alicia? Is it our baby?

MADAME

Shhhhhh…. I am attempting to be in tune with the spirit world. I need silence.

MIRANDA

But-

PETER

Silence, Miranda.

MADAME

Oh, spirit. Make yourself present in our world. Let us know that you are with us. Give us a sign.

NINA

Oh!

STUART

Someone’s moving the table.

(The table rises and lowers. It does it again, but stays risen.)

MIRANDA

Alicia. Baby, we miss you.

STUART

Alicia would never lift a table.

NORMAN

I agree. Sweet girl, but I never saw her lift a finger except to scratch her own fanny. And even that caused her to break a sweat.

(The table lowers as if dropped.)

MADAME

Spirit, oh, spirit. If you are the dear spirit of Peter and Miranda’s daughter Alicia, please give us a sign. Some kind of sign.

(They see a trumpet dangling in the air and they hear what sounds like a horn blast from the trumpet.)

NINA

That was obnoxious.

STUART

Why would Alicia play a trumpet? She never played the trumpet.

NORMAN

Apparently, she still doesn’t.

PETER

So, it could be her.

MIRANDA

Madame Orlenka, please tell her we love her.

MADAME

She hears you.

MIRANDA

We love you, Alicia.

PETER

Did you hear us, baby?

(The horn blasts, again.)

NINA

Couldn’t she take up a different instrument in the after life? Who takes up the trumpet when you’re dead? Harps are nice.

STUART

Harps are nice. I only hear them when I go out to brunch.

NORMAN

Ask her to play the harp for us.

MADAME

She wants to know why you summoned her here.

PETER

To tell her that we love her.

MADAME

Anything else?

MIRANDA

And that we miss her.

PETER

We miss her terribly.

MADAME

She says she’s got it.

(Pause)

PETER

Alicia, your whole family is here. Daddy, Mommy, Aunt Nina and Uncles Stuart and Norman.

(Pause)

STUART

Well, this is awkward.

NINA

Isn’t she going to say anything back? Like, “miss you, too”?

NORMAN

I always thought she was a rude little girl.

STUART

Not so little.

MIRANDA

Alicia. It’s okay. We know you love us.

MADAME

No, she doesn’t.

MIRANDA

What?

MADAME

She just said she didn’t. She’s happy to be on the other side. Please don’t bother her. See you when you get here…maybe.

PETER

Now, you see here, Alicia. This is your father and you’ll listen to me. Your mother and I gave you everything you ever wanted. You were our world. Now, we probably could have been better parents. We probably shouldn’t have left the Christmas lights up that far into spring and so close to the swimming pool. But you really probably shouldn’t have been swimming when I hadn’t cleaned the leaves out, yet. Or taken the cover off.

MIRANDA

But we know you liked the flashing colored lights, so you did get to see them one more time before…

PETER

We did everything for you, Alicia. A little thank you is all we ask. Just a little thank you.

(They hear a weak, sustained blast from a horn.)

MADAME

She’s gone. I think that was a thank you.

(Peter and Miranda hug.)

MIRANDA

Thank you, Madame Orlenka. Thank you. You’ve helped make us very happy.

MADAME

My job is helping loved ones connect with one another. I’m glad I could do that.

PETER

Let’s go to the den. I think we should toast this momentous evening.

NINA

I need a drink. What do you take in your whiskey, Madame?

MADAME

One ice cube. Hold the ice cube. (She giggles as they walk off.)

(Stuart looks at Norman suspiciously.)

STUART

That last one didn’t quite sound like a horn.

NORMAN

Just my way of saying “thank you.”

(Lights fade.)