VANILLA SUEDE
a play by Adrienne D. Wilson
for
Walter Dallenbach
copywright SBWC 2019
based on her short story Vanilla Suede first published at ERWA c. 2013
CAST OF CHARACTERS
THE MOURNERS an assorted group of people at a funeral
TRENT a man in his 50’s, divorced
MARINA a woman in her 50’s, divorced
CORE THEME: Love conquers all, even death
SCENE
A temporal space on a black stage
An apartment, a balcony, moonlight
TIME
The present
STYLE OF ACTING FOR VANILLA SUEDE = METHOD ACTING
VANILLA SUEDE
SCENE ONE, ACT ONE
SETTING: We are at a funeral attended by several mourners. They are all friends who have known the deceased. The stage is PITCH DARK BLACK. These are the MOURNERS and all of them form a circle around a capstone laid flat on the floor. ONE WHITE CANDLE sits near the capstone on the grave. Each MOURNER carries a FLOWER to represent taking flowers to a grave. EACH MOURNER PRESENTS THE EMOTION OF SADNESS IN DEAD SILENCE almost as a PANTOMIME.
AT RISE: We see the lights slowly come on to illuminate a group of people. In silence and slowly one by one while doing a pantomime style set of grief actions similar to Marcel Marceau audience watches them each in turn place a flower near the candle. They will show grief as EXPRESSION on faces and BODY. At the LAST MOURNER we hear the words, “TAKEN TOO SOON.” THE MOURNERS HAVE WALKED SLOWLY UPSTAGE INTO COMPLETE DARKNESS TO EXIT IN TURN STAGE RIGHT AND LEFT. Characters TRENT and MARINA are the only two left on stage. The LIGHTS move to their faces and TRENT is the first to speak, after a long audible sigh.
TRENT
(letting out long and deep sad sigh)
Sometimes you just need to be held.
(he looks at MARINA, as he says this – lights illuminate their faces only)
MARINA
(looking sadly up at him)
What do you mean?
TRENT
It helps, especially when life throws you curve balls
MARINA
Maybe you’re right
TRENT
I am
MARINA
What about the ghosts of the past
(she moves away from him, looks off into space as if she is remembering all the ghosts of people and her marriage, that ended very sadly)
TRENT
Forget ’em
MARINA
What if I can’t?
(she looks back at him across a great void on the black dark stage, light illuminates her expression, which is of a lost thing)
TRENT
You have to
MARINA
I can’t
TRENT
You have to
(he looks off into distance, across the great black void of space and we see him turn back to face her)
TRENT
Going to that Halloween Party tomorrow?
MARINA
I might
TRENT
Let’s go together
(he puts his arm around her, as a friend would, after the sadness of the funeral – not romantically, as a friend. They begin to walk a little, lights are on the two of them, as full bodies now)
TRENT
What are you going to wear?
MARINA
I thought I might go like the 1920’s. I saw some shoes.
(says this wistfully)
TRENT
What kind?
(he perks up out of sadness, gives a little smile at her)
MARINA
Vanilla suede with a tiny strap,. My grandmother would have worn shoes like that, while the moon shimmered off the surface of the lake. My grandfather would have taken her in his arms.
TRENT
A different time I guess
MARINA
It was
TRENT
People fell in love
MARINA
I guess they did
END SCENE – STAGE FADES TO DARKNESS AGAIN
VANILLA SUEDE
ACT ONE, SCENE TWO
“Moonlight Serenade”
SETTING: TRENT APARTMENT
Look: EMPTY STAGE, only a table with a portable record player. There is an opened wine bottle and two empty glasses. Trent has invited MARINA over before they are both about to go to Halloween Party together, for a drink. This will be liquid courage for Trent. He has invited her in friendship.
AT RISE:
TRENT paces around his empty apartment nervously awaiting MARINA’S arrival. This is shown in PANTOMIME perhaps with “Sugar Mountain” playing. For instance he could MIME himself as brushing his hair, he keeps checking his looks in the mirror. Both TRENT and MARINA live in a small town, and so some of the MOURNERS will also be at the PARTY they plan to go to. They have been friends in the way that they have known each other across many years and even in their marriages at parties and social events. They had not seen each other in many years, until the funeral. Now they are both divorced.
I love the imagery in this one for TRENT inner state.
WE HEAR A KNOCK AT THE DOOR (sound of knocking)
MARINA
Trent I’m here
TRENT
Just a second, I’ll be right there Marina
MARINA
(entering from stage left)
TRENT
(warmly)
You look beautiful
MARINA
(smiles softly, turning to show him a tilt of her new shoes)
TRENT
(smiling)
Let’s have a glass of wine, shall we?
MARINA
(glances around apartment and heads over to bookshelf – this can be pantomime and she says)
I can’t believe you have read e.e. cummings, he is one of my favorites
TRENT
I have a favorite one
MARINA
(smiles softly at Trent)
So do I
TRENT
Another glass?
MARINA
(nods, smiling, hands her glass to him so he can refill it)
TRENT
(Pantomimes looking through records til he finds it)
Moonlight Serenade have you ever heard that?
MARINA
I don’t think I have
TRENT
I’ve got it around here somewhere
MARINA
(to opening of the song)
It’s beautiful
TRENT
Want to dance?
MARINA
I’m not sure I know how
TRENT
You just relax and let me lead
MARINA
What if I trip you?
TRENT
You won’t
TRENT
(very gently and softly, with great male confidence, places her hands into a position for a slow dance to Moonlight Serenade, they begin to move every slowly)
My hand goes here and yours goes there, now we’ll just sway a little in place before we start moving
MARINA
(slowly starting to relax, in a slow whisper)
That’s nice, like this
TRENT
(nodding softly against her)
Your hair smells so wonderful
MARINA
Does it?
TRENT
You’ve always smelled like that
MARINA
I’m afraid
TRENT
Of what?
MARINA
The past and the future
TRENT
Don’t be.
MARINA
I can’t take any more death
TRENT
This is the worst decade isn’t it?
MARINA
I think it is
TRENT
You know what we have to do?
MARINA
(spoken very softly, against him, she almost exhales at the word and the feeling of relief as she says)
No
TRENT
Try and love
MARINA
What if that’s not possible?
TRENT
It is. Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
You’re so warm
TRENT
Am I?
MARINA
Strong. You feel so strong. Stronger than me.
TRENT
Maybe
MARINA
What did you do after Janine?
TRENT
Rambled
TRENT
(pauses for some time, softly says)
What did you do after Evan?
MARINA
Folded up
TRENT
You don’t seem folded to me
MARINA
I don’t?
TRENT
No
MARINA
Our grandparents, they lived in such a different time
TRENT
1929
MARINA
All those years they were together
TRENT
Yes, mine too
MARINA
They knew about love
TRENT
(nods, slowly, pressing her more tightly)
They did. I’ve made so many mistakes
MARINA
I feel like that too at times. Maybe it’s this era we have lived
TRENT
Shhhhhhhhh
MARINA
That feels good Trent. Having your arms around me.
TRENT
Good
MARINA
You’re warm. It’s like you are solid
TRENT
(rubs his stomach)
I’m solid, as solid as can be. Feel
MARINA
You big silly. I wasn’t expecting a washboard
TRENT
Yes you were
MARINA
No, I wasn’t
TRENT
Let me hold you?
MARINA
What do you mean?
TRENT
It’s been years since I’ve touched anyone
MARINA
Trent?
TRENT
It would feel good Marina
MARINA
I haven’t since Evan
TRENT
Janine cut me off at the end
MARINA
She did?
TRENT
The last ten years. It’s been so long
MARINA
I can barely remember Evan, Trent. I never thought I could go fifteen years without sex, you know?
TRENT
Me neither
MARINA
How did we do it?
TRENT
I don’t know. Love’s a funny thing
MARINA
After marriage?
TRENT
Yeah. Let me put that song back on.
MARINA
Okay
END SCENE FADE TO BLACK
VANILLA SUEDE
ACT ONE, SCENE THREE
SETTING: TRENT’S Apartment, BALCONY SCENE
AT RISE: In soft light, we see MARINA and TRENT a little giddy from the wine, having danced away the sadness of the funeral of their old friend.
TRENT
Which one of the poems is your favorite, can you read it to me?
MARINA
It’s somewhere I have never traveled, gladly beyond.
TRENT
I don’t think I know that one
MARINA
(clearing her throat a little)
begins to read https://poets.org/poem/somewhere-i-have-never-travelledgladly-beyond
TRENT
Did you see the moon tonight?
MARINA
No
TRENT
Take my hand, let’s go see
MARINA
(puts her hand in his, he leads her to the balcony)
Funny old moon
TRENT
Ever see the face, I did once
MARINA
Really?
TRENT
I’ll never forget it
MARINA
I don’t want to say anything
TRENT
Me either
MARINA
What if our lips
TRENT
Met?
MARINA
I don’t know
TRENT
Let me make love to you
MARINA
Must be the moon or that song or?
TRENT
It’s you
MARINA
We’ve always been friends
TRENT
(kisses her on her neck)
MARINA
If you keep that up I might melt
TRENT
You look so beautiful in this moonlight
MARINA
So do you
TRENT
I think we should lie down
MARINA
On this balcony?
TRENT
We can use my jacket and make our bed out of moonlight. I just want to hold you. It’s been so long since I felt a woman underneath me.
MARINA
Starts to cry a little
TRENT
It’s okay if you cry Marina, I understand
MARINA
It’s been so long
TRENT
Do you know how I want this to be Marina? Like the Moonlight Serenade neither of us ever had in our marriages.
MARINA
I thought I’d be rusty
TRENT
I guess it’s the kind of thing you never forget
MARINA
You’re crying
TRENT
Must be the magic
MARINA
Must be the moonlight
TRENT
Must be you
MARINA
Must be you Trent
TRENT
Put your head on my shoulder
MARINA
But Janine was
TRENT
Forget it. Life can be Heaven or Hell here on earth.
MARINA
Your eyes are twinkling
TRENT
Stars, I saw them for the first time
MARINA
I did, too.
END FADE TO BLACK
Adrienne Wilson 