Next/Life by Matthew Capodicasa
Current Revisions: 12/19/19
CONTACT: Sam Barickman ICM Partners SBarickman@icmpartners.com 212.556.5743
CAST Elise (played by an actor in her 70s) Elise (played by an actor in her 40s) Elise (played by an actor in her 20s) Janie, 20s Nathan, 60s Leon, 30s (also plays younger Nathan)
TEMPO This play should run about 95 minutes.
Hello, my life, I said. We had once been married for twenty-seven years, so I felt justified. He said, What? What life? No life of mine. -Grace Paley, "Wants"
1.
I IS IT WORKING? 1. A modest but lived-in apartment. Do those even still exist in New York? This one’s probably rent-stabilized. Maybe even rent-controlled. ELISE, 73, in a hospital bed. She wears a cannula that connects to an oxygen machine. That clicks. And wheezes. She’s also hooked up to an IV. A heart rate monitor beeps, lullingly. NATHAN, 68, is asleep in a chair nearby, halfgraded student test papers strewn across his lap. JANIE, 24, their granddaughter, sits nearby, as well. Elise is very sick, but still sharp. She occasionally has some trouble breathing. ELISE I don’t wanna complain but actually You know what? I am a little miffed I didn’t get to you know officially retire
2.
What? They would’ve thrown me a party That would’ve been fun A party I worked there for fifty-one years Janie It would’ve been a nice party
JANIE ELISE
JANIE ELISE
JANIE The longest anyone’s worked at my company is like eight ELISE Well I win then I guess So yeah That kind of gets my goat a little I suppose ... Grandpa fell asleep
JANIE
ELISE Oh He falls asleep whenever and wherever he can And then when he wakes up he says he wasn’t sleeping Like a child You thirsty Grandma? Sure Honey Are you thirsty or are you not thirsty?
JANIE ELISE JANIE
ELISE Not particularly but if it gives you something to do It’s not about me giving you something to do
JANIE
3.
It must not be very interesting Watching this Wouldn’t you rather be at work? Grandma No Work’s not good? Work’s Work’s work but Grandma I wanna be here with you Suit yourself Are we starting by the way? Is it happening? The drip’s been going for a little while now Oh I missed it Is it working? How fast is this supposed to like take effect? Oh I don’t really remember Grandpa was taking notes so I didn’t Nathan NATHAN NATHAN
ELISE
JANIE
ELISE JANIE
ELISE
JANIE ELISE
JANIE
ELISE
Nathan wakes up. Mmm What? You fell asleep
NATHAN
ELISE
4. NATHAN
No I didn’t
See?
(to Janie)
I wasn’t sleeping
ELISE
NATHAN
ELISE Okay well Janie wants to know how long it will take for this treatment to work? Oh um
NATHAN He pulls out a small notebook.
NATHAN This is one of the earliest human trials so they But Doctor Malhotra said that apparently in rats it took four to six days before their tumors started to reduce in size ELISE So will I be faster or slower than a rat I wonder The eternal question There’s no guarantee this will work by the way You know that Right? She knows I don’t want you all getting your hopes up Our hopes
NATHAN ELISE
NATHAN ELISE NATHAN
ELISE I think I’ve been very clearheaded about this Am I sounding loopy? Am I sounding loopy? Will this treatment thingamajig make me loopy?
5.
Who would be able to tell the difference?
NATHAN
ELISE I’m ignoring you I’m just saying The truth is these doctors They act like they know things but more and more I realize they don’t know anything about anything so Don’t worry I still may be kicking the bucket imminently JANIE
Grandma Don’t joke about that
ELISE What else am I supposed to do? I don’t wanna be one of those people decaying on their deathbeds just trying to prove to themselves that they led a a a consequential life and sit there shouting “I count I count I count” to make it seem like they did She starts coughing. Grandma
I
JANIE
(coughing)
Take it easy
NATHAN
ELISE
She’s coughing too much to speak. Janie hands her a sippy cup. Nathan rubs her back. Elise drinks. NATHAN
Not too fast
Don’t tell me what to do
(coughing)
ELISE
She eventually gets control.
6.
Well That was thrilling
ELISE
Time passes. Gently, gracefully, like an elongated— but still brief— blink of the eyes. We barely even notice. Oh my god Grandma Indulge me I’m dying This like isn’t the time Would you prefer a later date? Oh Leave her alone Elise
JANIE ELISE
JANIE
ELISE NATHAN
ELISE This is what he does Trust me He’s just as curious as I am but he makes me do the legwork That’s not true / I Well?
NATHAN ELISE ...
I mean If we must like go full problematic cliché We must We must
JANIE
ELISE
7.
I Um No No not really Not really? I mean Like You know A full sentence Please?
JANIE
ELISE JANIE
ELISE
JANIE I mean I went out with this one girl a couple times but A-ha What’s her name? Oh I dunno if I That makes it like real or Isn’t that the point?
ELISE
JANIE
ELISE ...
Nadine Her name is Nadine And I mean we’re not I mean we just kinda hung out once and It’s nothing I’m too busy right now with like You know Ah Blame Classic strategy
JANIE
ELISE
8.
No I’m just not like looking for a relationship right now Okay? What was that you were saying about clichés? (to Nathan) Are you gonna jump in here or She’s right It was a cliché Thanks
JANIE
ELISE JANIE
NATHAN
JANIE
Thank you But you’re not getting any younger If you want kids Jesus Grandma These things are facts Maybe I don’t wanna have kids
ELISE Okay Okay It’s your life you have to figure these things out for yourself JANIE ELISE
JANIE ELISE JANIE ...
Oh Really?
ELISE
... Yeah Does that Does that make you Are you mad?
JANIE
...
9.
No I’m No I don’t think so No
ELISE
Time passes. Again: gentle, graceful, like an elongated blink of the eyes. We barely even notice. ELISE Did you know he’s still working at the library on weekends? And some days after he finishes at school I Yeah Well Everyone knows everything I guess She stops by and brings me dinner sometimes Really? It’s not far from my office Janie I say this with love But you need to get a life Elise No She’s right I do
JANIE
ELISE
NATHAN ELISE JANIE ELISE
NATHAN JANIE
10. NATHAN
I think it’s nice Thoughtful I think he needs to retire From teaching
ELISE
NATHAN
I don’t wanna retire
ELISE They make him do this sanitized textbook version of ecology just so they can say they did it And the kids don’t care I’m just not good at delivering it yet And the parents! The parents have become Hmm
NATHAN ELISE
NATHAN
What’s wrong? Nothing I just I think I think something’s I think I’m starting to feel it? Either that or it’s just gas Oh that’s That’s
ELISE
Time passes. In one long blink.
Did I ever tell you Did I ever tell you You remember this
(to Janie)
ELISE
(to Nathan)
(to Janie) Did I ever tell you the story of the time we took your mother to the beach? (MORE)