HARRY. This is nice. This is a rehearsal jacket? Wow. Broadway. Very nice. ROXANNE. We're really happy that you like the jacket. Can you try taking the gun out? (Harry tries to take the gun out, It gets stuck.) HARRY. Hang on. Hang on. (Beat.) Hang on. JAKE. Its not that hard, Harry. HARRY. Its not hard, I'm just getting used to it. ROXANNE. Ie’ just one move, Harry. HARRY. Got it. (He takes the gun out and trains it at Jake in a big awkward gesture, holding it with both hand.) JAKE, Is he going to do ie like that? HARRY. That’ how you d JAKE. No. (He gestures to Harry. Harry gives him the gun. Jake surns ‘away hides the gun inside his sweatshirt, then turns and points is at Harry. He does is with a good deal more movie star panache, and he looks quite a bit better.) HARRY. Thar’s what I did. JAKE. Its not what you did. ROXANNE. Well itis what he did, Jake, ic just doesnt lock as good when Harty does it. Could you show it to him again? (lake does his smooth move a second time.) HARRY. But it not supposed co look that good, is it? This isnt Special-Action Kafka, This is just Kafka Kafka. Irs amazing the guy has a gun at all. Who on earth has a gun in Kafka? JAKE. This guy has a gun. HARRY. Okay, right, okay, so against all odds Kafka has given him ‘gun. But he’ not the judge, or the guard, or the butch bartender, or Karlsman, He’ a loser. Would he be that smooth with a gun? JAKE. He’ the detective. HARRY. He's the loser detective. He just thought he was the detective and then it turns out he’s the criminal. JAKE, Well he’s not really a criminal. HARRY. I know he’s not really a criminal! He's just a loser that the whole universe is crashing in on! He’ Kafka! Would Kafka look like this using a gun — (Does what Jake did.) Or like this using a ‘gun? (And he does the nerdy move.) ROXANNE, Wonderful point, Harry buries not the way weve been doing it. HARRY. You were just showing him how to do something differ- ent than the way that Bruce does it. How come you're allowed to 36 change it and I'm not? ROXANNE. Because Im the ‘stage manager and you're the under- study! You need to do it the way Jake does it because that's what understudies do! HARRY. I understand that, but — ROXANNE. Are we going to have to have another conversation about rights and points of view, Harry? No? Good. Let's get going. JAKE. No, he's right. ROXANNE. What? JAKE. He’ right. The way I'm doing ir, thar’s bullshic. Kafka if he ‘ever had a gun? Held look like this. (He does a kind of neurotic dance with the gun.) HARRY. That's what I think. JAKE. We've been doing it wrong. ROXANNE. You're doing it the way you've been directed to do it. JAKE. Yeah but it’s wrong. HARRY. Yeah, because — ROXANNE. Set! Harry! You're the understudy! You don't get to redirect the play! HARRY. I’m not saying redirect. But I could call the director and just mention — ROXANNE. The ditector is not going to talk co the understudy! JAKE. It doesn't have to be a big deal. I'll just do it that way, tonight, you can tell Bruce that we're changing the blocking a tle bit, He'll be okay with it. (A beat, then.) ROXANNE. (Sofi) Bruce is not going to be okay with it, Jake. JAKE, Tl eake care of it ROXANNE. No. No. I will take care of it. JAKE. Ie’ fine! ROXANNE. (Very firm.) I said, I will take care of it. (She looks at Jake. He shrugs, turns away for a moment, stretching bis arms. Bebind ‘his back Harry makes a face at Roxanne.) HARRY. (Quier,) Is there a problem with Bruce? JAKE. There is no problem with Bruce, But she’s right, ir'll be better coming from her. Where you want to pick this thing up, Harry. (Harry looks between the two of them, but they are not look- ing at him now.) HARRY. Wall... just after your specch, does that seem? JAKE. Sure. Great. Maybe Ill take the end of it so we ramp up a little. 7HARRY. Olay. ROXANNE. (Continuing.) Okay the rest of the scene blah blah blah at the table, blah blah blah at the door, blah blah blah gun, blah blah blah Jake exits. Take it away, Jake. (She leaves the stage. The lights sift. There is the sound of thunder in the distance. Jake looks at Harry, who nods.) JAKE. Accept your fate, my friend. There is nothing anyone can do. HARRY. (Frightened,) I do not accept chat. JAKE. (Quiet.) Then it will be the worse for you. (Harry takes a step back, looks around, runs to the door.) HARRY. (More and more upset.) | must — speak to someone in ‘authority. They must be made to understand! JAKE. They will not speak to you! You are nothing to them! HARRY. You must send for my sister. My mother. My neighbor, Frau Kaufman. If I write to Frau Kaufman, she can tell my sister — JAKE. Ifyou ask for their assistance they will come under the same suspicion which has befallen you! HARRY. How can I defend myself if you isolate me from everyone! JAKE, You are a criminal inspector! You know what people are. Your family will not know you. Your friends will not recognize you. ‘They fear your guilt has doomed them and so they hide inside their own hearts and wish you were already gone. (He and Harry stare at ‘each other.) You are alone. HARRY. There is one person ... JAKE. Yes? Who is that? HARRY. Can I ask a question? ROXANNE. (Yelling from house.) Oh my god. Do you have to? HARRY. Who is this one person? ROXANNE. No one knows, Harry that's why it’s called Kafka. HARRY. Yeah, but — ROXANNE. Just do the scene! HARRY. I'm doing it. ROXANNE. Do it! HARRY. I'm doing it ROXANNE. Do it! Do it! HARRY. I'm doing ict (Harry goes back to she door.) There is one petson ... one person JAKE. Yes? Who is chae HARRY. I can't remember. (He thinks about this, sad. Jake stands, fone person ... 38. stretches, yawns.) JAKE. There is always one person we cannot remember. If we could, what a different world it would be, You must wait here, until the magistrate arrives to read the charges. HARRY. I will not wait. (He pulls out the gun, and waves it at Jake, in a foolish and weak gesture. Jake considers it.) JAKE. You are still thinking of the power you once had. You would do better to ponder other possibilities. (Jake goes. Harry is Left alone with the gun. He goes to the windows) HARRY. The storm is coming. Soon night will fll. I will be trapped here. This is outrageous. They don't see me, they don't see what I do, they don't see what I have, if T protest they shout he is not one of us, they write he is nothing when I did what I was asked to do. How can I be nothing? I did what I was told ro do! (Beat.) The storm is upon us. (Beat.) The storm is upon us. (Beat,) The storm is upon us, ROXANNE. LAURA WHERE IS THE STORM? (There is 4 sharp change in light, and loud thunder. Rain comes. Music, It is really spectacular, what is happening on that stage. Harry looks ‘around, terrified. He collapses, ina pool of light, looks at she gun, looks ‘around, desperate and helples. The effects stop, and the lights come up.) That was good, Harry. (To air) Laura can you reset so that we can try the cue again? JAKE. (Entering.) Okay, it works much better, What he's doing ‘with the gun just works much better. (To Harry.) Can you show me that again? I mean that was awesome. (To Roxanne.) Is that okay? ROXANNE. Ie fine, its going to take her a minute to reset. HARRY. I didn't do much I just .. ROXANNE. Laura, are you up there? Are you with us Are you stoned but trying? HARRY. (Distracted.) Wow. U'm sorry, I'm just. JAKE. You okay? HARRY. ((Mpstified.) I, the speech — so much despait, Kafka puts you in so much despair that you're just lost-and then you feel .. Something ... not something. Nothing. He makes you nothing. ‘And then there's something else. JAKE. Something else? HARRY. Yes, in the despair. In your heart — something — plain, just plain — and curious JAKE, What is ie 39.HARRY. I dont know. (A cell goes off) ROXANNE. CELL PHONE. CELL PHONE. JAKE. It’s me, its me, sorry sorry sorry sorry my agent. (He ‘answers the phone.) Hey, what's up? Yeah, its going good, we're ‘working on the trial scene and coming up with some new stuff so its ... oh they did! Whaed they say? (Beat; disappointment.) Oh. ‘Well — so what they say? Uh-huh. Uh-huh. (le isso clearly bad news that Roxanne and Harry cannot help but notice.) Did they say who they were going with? Well, is just — if the part’s nor cast, I dont see how they can be so definitive, they dontt want me. I mean, if they dont even have somebody who's accepted the doesnit matter, Tony, ie just, do they — I have a hard ing they didn't see the grosses from, sixty-seven million in one weekend is, I just think that does put me in a different category and it doesnit sound like they're even acknowledging ... yeah of course the effects were great, but a movie is more than effects, I think I get a litte credit for bringing in some of — Jesus, Tony if the movie had tanked you know they would have blamed the whole thing on me, not the effects. I dont think I'm asking roo ‘much to get little credit that the thing isa big fucking hit. I don't think that. And this show T'm doing, its Broadway, for crying out, and the notices have been — Look. Is there anybody I can ... alle to? (Then.) Never mind, I'l rato you later. (He hangs up. A beat. Roxanne and Harry watch him, worried.) I need to take a piss. (He ‘goes. Harry and Roxanne are left alone.) ROXANNE. (Then.) He was up for a big movie. He really wanted it. Its a little more serious apparently than what he usually dees. He's actually pretty tired of all the action scuff HARRY. So that... must be pretty disappointing for him, ROXANNE. Sounds lke it. HARRY. (A beat.) So what's the problem with Bruce? ROXANNE. Theres no problem with Bruce. HARRY. Before, you said — ROXANNE. I know what I said before. But there is no problem with Bruce. Bruce isa big star and that means there’s always a prob- lem, Which is the same thing as no problem. Understand? HARRY. Sure. ROXANNE. Good. (Yelling. Laura the rain is leaking through the windows again, can you put a call in to Ricky o Paulie or Joey oF whoever it is we're supposed to be talking to, over there at IATSE? 40 Anybody except Junior. That guy is an idiot. (She starts to mop up the floor.) HARRY. You're good at this, aren't you? ROXANNE. What? : HARRY. I mean, you just seem — on top of things. Ie's impressive, You seem so much more sure of yourself than you were — before. ROXANNE. I'm not talking to you about “before,” Harry. HARRY. I'm sorry. (Beat,) 'um ... when I was in the bathroom, I could hear you. On the loudspeaker. And, you'te right. I never said ... anything. I was a coward. ROXANNE. Yes. You were. HARRY. And you were... the one person, ROXANNE. What? HARRY. That thing that Kafka says, there was one petson. That he can't remember who it is? And that, without that one person, you're alone? (Beat.) You were that. For me. I felt not alone, with you. I fele whole, on the earth. And I — I've never felt that. Since. Its so lonely. The world is so lonely to me now. It wasn't when I was with you. ROXANNE. (Ties this, then.) Then wiry did you leave? HARRY. Who knows. I'm an actor. We'e insane. ROXANNE. That’ the explanation? That's the lousy explanation? HARRY. Ie all I got. ROXANNE. Then stop talking! HARRY. Roxanne — : ROXANNE. Stop talking! You say one more word and I am going to hit you on the head with a shovel. (She starts to walk away. He grabs her by the arm.) HARRY. Donte Please ROXANNE. Harry. Dont. You have to not touch me, Harry. Harry. Harry. (Harry puts his hand on her face. She stops. He leans in «and kisses her. The kiss goes on. She finaly pushes him away. They look cat each other for a moment, and then she wallops him.) HARRY. Owww! Hey, owww! ROXANNE. That’ all you have co say? Owwww? Owwww? HARRY. You hit me! 2 ROXANNE. Yeah, well you left me. That made me say “owww’ too. (She stalks off Harry considers this) HARRY. I know a lot of people who say we're crazy. Crazy actors! Don't date an actor, they're crazy! And I'm not actualy in any posi- 4