Beat sheet

This is the beat sheet for my play, “Saturday Night” that I did with Adam. I just want to say that after everything… no matter what the results are, I’ll still be very proud of us. By the way, if I put “…”, it means the rest of the lines that I don’t remember.

BEAT SHEET

Both Corey and Alex walk into their apartment. They’ve just had dinner and they begin to even debate about the food.

Corey : Well, that was nice. (He places his keys on the coffee table)

Alex : It’s uneven. It’s inconsistent (She puts her bag on the coffee table) But, it’s one of the better meals we’ve had there.

Corey : I thought it was pretty good. It’s just like other restaurants, you have to know what to order.

Alex : (Looks at him and gives him a “matter of fact” look) I am NOT ordering the wonton soup anymore. I am not making the same mistake again.

Corey : Sure sure (…) and the broccoli and beef (both Alex and Corey go “Urgh” at this point). It has that gelatinous consistency that so… just so…

Alex : (Walks over to Corey and touches his arm) Disturbing?

Corey : (Looks at Alex) Well, I wouldn’t put it like that (Alex walks away from him and flicks her wrist as if to dismiss his answer) but I get what you mean. The fortune cookies are great though (Looks at her as if waiting for an agreement.

Alex : (Nods) Yeah! They have that lemony bite to them, don’t they?

Corey : Yeah, they were pretty good.

Alex : (Corrects him even in her tone of voice) No, it IS good. (Alex emphasizes on the “Is” to make her point clear)

(Alex and Corey sit down on the sofas, as if to say, Round one complete.)

Corey : So… what time is it? (He looks at her)

Alex : (looks at him and then to the clock on the wall and then back to him) Six thirty.

Corey : Right… so… what would you like to do? Have you given it any thought?

Alex : (Thinks for a second) Well, Lacey called.

Corey : Oh. (Looks away. He isn’t really interested)

Alex  : Yeah, she’s having some people over for cocktails. It’s going to be a small one I think. (Alex emphasizes on “small”)

Corey : Right. (Looks down and thinks of what to say next and looks around his apartment) She has such a smart apartment.

Alex : What do you mean? (She looks at him and eyes him. She can’t understand why he would even say such a thing)

Corey : Well, it’s just that her apartment is so nicely decorated and so tasteful (…) (He gets up and goes on and on and on about Lacey’s apartment and annoys Alex)
 Alex : (She gets up and while he’s talking, gives him a look and imitates his gestures as if to mock him) Right (She glares at him and pauses) I. (She pauses again) I think our apartment has a (She touches one of the sofas) (She tries to find the right word) Grace. (She looks at her sofa and around her apartment)

Corey : Sure sure, like a vague grace. (He looks around too)

Alex : (Shoots him a dirty look.) Vague???

Corey : Yeah, like an afterthought. (Alex gasps) Well, I mean (…)

Alex : Well, I think Lacey’s kind of, kind of, high strung, you know. I mean, her apartment is so specified. I think it reveals her repression. (Alex raises her voice a little, at this point)

Corey : Right, right… I see what you mean. (He sits back in the sofa)

Alex : (She sits in the sofa too) Well… so maybe we’ll go but probably we won’t.

Corey : Okay.

(Round two of argument complete)

Alex : (Looks at the newspaper on the table) How about a movie?

Corey : (Perks up and looks at Alex while readjusting himself on his seat) I could watch a movie. What are you in the mood to watch?

Alex : Well, I think this new movie (Shows him the paper) Bridge Under Water, looks good. It’s the one with the flood. (Flops the paper down on the coffee table)

Corey : Oh right! I read a review about it.

Alex : Mhmm.

Corey : Well, I keep hearing great things about The Red Onion.

Alex : Oh… right… the farming movie (Her tone of voice mocks him)

Corey : I keep hearing great things about it.

Alex : Yeah, it’s based on a book that I read.

Corey : Oh. (Shifts in his seat)

Alex : Which was. It was a pretty pretentious book if you ask me. (Alex gets up) Very boring and grossly sentimental unless you’re interested in Northeastern farming communities in the 1800’s, and farmers with heart murmurs.

Corey : OH! (Corey stands up suddenly) My friend Tyler called. Tyler from.

Alex : (Gets extremely annoyed by his sudden jolt) Tyler???

Corey : Yeah… that (…) I saved it on the machine.

Alex : (Realized that she deleted the message, runs over to the answering machine and watches as Corey tries to listen to the message) Oh, you saved it??

Corey : (Realizes that there are no messages) It says no messages.

Alex : (Shrugs) I’m sorry. I thought you heard it already.

Corey : (Puts the phone down and looks disappointed) Oh well. I guess he’ll call back later.

Alex : (Shrugs off and remains silent. She hesitates to speak) So… errr… well… What’s Tyler been up to these days.

Corey : (He has just poured himself a glass of Whiskey and decides to change the topic) Well, Barbara and Ellen (…) invited me out to The Wharf.

(Corey and Alex are seated at this time. Round three was just about to start)

Alex : Oh. Well, Michelle and Gregory. Actually I guess they have this documentary thing going on. They’re real documentary freaks. And they have this documentary about a circus fire. Some old circus fire. And invited me over. (She crosses her legs)

Corey : Well, we could (…) meet up later and read in bed or something. That used to be fun. (Holds his glass to his chin and recalls good memories)

Alex : Oh. You always liked that. Which was, really, to be honest, I found incredibly stupid and boring. (Corey shoots Alex a look and Alex hesitates to looks at him) I mean it’s like one of those “Oh, we’ve only been dating for a couple of months and I’ll go along with it because he seems to like it” kind of thing. I mean, it’s a Saturday night you know. (Alex stands up at this point and walks away) We can read in bed any night. It’s stupid to do it on our one real night of the week to go out.

Corey : You know me! (He stands up and walks away too) Speaking of, like, things then and things now. You were never so opinionated. Using these horrible words like “stupid”, “dumb”. (Corey approaches the wall) And I am. I’m SICK of this (At the word “sick” he slams the wall with his fist). All these judgments. All these opinions.

Alex : (She walks up to him angrily) Oh, now you just wait a second.  (She holds up a finger and wants to speak but is stopped by Corey)

Corey : Everything’s either this or that or (He imitates her voice) “I like this rug, it’s classy” (He gestures to the carpet) or “I hate that lamp, it’s you know” (gestures to the lamp) or “Oh that actor from that movie, oh he’s so dreadful.” (Gestures to the imaginary tv).

Alex : (Gets closer to his face) Well, I think that there’s nothing that either one of us really wants to do tonight! (Alex raises her voice as if to make a point)

Corey : (He raises his voice too) Well, Barbara and Ellen are (…) you’re welcomed to come.

Alex : (She raises her voice even more) Well, Michelle and Gregory are good people too, you know. (…) They’re not out boozing it up and being self-loathing about their appearances. (Alex walks away from Corey)

Corey : (Corey comes close to Alex) Well, at least Barbara and Ellen don’t sit around watching documentaries all day and when that’s over (…) sit around judging the moralities of people who actually have some experience of success in their lives! (Corey yells)

Alex : (Yells back) Okay. Barbara and Ellen. Number one. They’re grown women with no love in their lives (…) VANITY FAIR (She mocks him with the word)

Corey : (Yells back) Well, calling showcase cinemas, we’ve got a projectionist you’ve been looking for!

Alex : At least I know how to mourn. (Alex yells)

Corey : Excuse me. Did I miss a line? (At this point… both Alex and Corey stare at each other and let their words sink in).

Alex : People. People like Barbara and Ellen. They’re ignorant. (She separates and walks away from him) (…) Little stories of sex, business deals, cocktails and home decorating. (This part she says softly but in a very harsh tone of voice)

Corey : Well. Apparent self-loathing and social elitism is at the top of the list. (Both Corey and Alex are seated.

(Round three complete)

(The silence prolongs a little)

Alex : (looks at Corey, looks at the clock and back at Corey) All right now. We are way past the five minute mark. This is officially a fight.

Corey : Well, it sounds like it could go on forever. So, why don’t we stop here? (Asks in a nice tone)

Alex : (Looks at him and gives him a sarcastic smile) Well… These are some pretty severe ideological differences.

Corey : (Corey shrugs) These are questions of joy. Others’ joy and our own.

Alex : (Gives him the smile again) Well, joy… yes… but also predictability, stagnation (…) entertainment industry.

Corey : (Smiles and laughs to himself ) So, why don’t we (…) take baths. (looks at Alex eagerly, implying something more than just a bath)

Alex : (Takes the hint and smiles) That might be nice.

Corey : (Shifts his body to face her) Relaxing.

Alex : (She traces her fingers on the sofa’s armrest) Low key.

Corey : OH! There’s that play!

Alex : Play?

Corey : Yeah, that play that’s playing at. (He watches as Alex continues to trace her fingers on the armrest seductively) You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking. (Corey gets up) So, maybe I could go downstairs and get some (He whispers in Alex’s ear) Ice cream.

Alex : Good.

Corey : See. This is. Here we are in an agreement. Clearly we understand the joys of the simple (Corey goes down to Alex other ear and whispers) Pleasures.

Alex : (She listens intently) The joys of simplicity. (She smiles at Corey)

Corey : Sometimes, I wish I had been a Shaker.

Alex : Sometimes I wish we didn’t have all this money.

Corey : We didn’t have it when we first met remember.

Alex : I remember.

Corey : So many choices.

Alex : So many people. I remember when it was just us (She pulls his coat and brings him closer to her) alone on a Saturday Night.

Corey : (Takes the hint) We didn’t do Anything really. Cookies and cream, okay?(He slides his finger up her arm and pushes her hair away from her neck and kisses it)

Alex : (Thoroughly enjoys the kiss and is very much turned on by it) Cookies and cream, okay. (Her voice drips in sexual innuendos)

Corey : (Touches her chest and her hair as he walks away. Before he leaves, he gives her a look)

Alex : (Alex smiles) (She stands up, looks around and sits back down while seductively saying) Six forty.