The Stage

Lena Ben Jhon Diana Tim Makeup Tim Kostum Tim Panggung

(PROLOGUE)A man and a woman wearing long coats and hats are talking in a theater.

Their conversation seems serious. (The light turns on little by little)

Ben : I can’t just cast anyone to become an actor.

Lena : Come on, Ben. We’ve been friends since high school. I used to give you money so

that you can go on dates with those women that you were chasing back then.

Ben : Yes, but as a director I have to be responsible for the performance that I direct. If

the performance is a mess, it could destroy my image. Hell, it could even affect the rest of

my career!

Lena : I’m begging you just this once. I will give the very best of my acting ability.

Ben : You puzzled me. You used to make fun of me when I act or when I go to drama-

related activities. But this time you actually want to act in a drama. What the hell happened

to you?

Lena : There’s something you should know. All of this is because of my husband.

Ben : I don’t want to get involved in your marital problems and one more thing, I could

help you be involved in the production. But it has nothing to do with the performance

whatsoever. We were only given two weeks of rehearsal and I only have 3 days left. So I will

only cast experienced actors and actresses.

Lena : Please Ben, you’ve got to listen to me. I’m begging you. (Lights off)

(Scene 1)

The next day. In the theater. The actors and the actresses are preparing for rehearsal.

They are waiting for a new actor that the director had told them about, the one who had

replaced the supporting role whom the director thought did not fit the role.

Jhon :Director, where is this actor that you talked about? We’re five minutes late.

Diana : Yeah. That new actor is so unprofessional.

Ben : You guys should practice you lines and stay focused. I know you all are great actors,

so do not disappoint me.

Diana : So why did you change the actress when we are so close to the day of the

performance? Don’t you think that’s risky?

Ben : I don’t agree with the way Helen plays the character of the maid that fell in love

with the master.

Jhon : So who could possibly replace Helen? I think it will be difficult for the actress to join

the production just three days before the performance.

Ben : I auditioned her last night when everyone already went home. I like her way of

acting better than Helen and she is ready to become an actress in this production.

Jhon and Diana are shocked with Ben’s attitude that decided on things without hearing

other people’s arguments first. They returned back to prepare themselves, toward their

own positions during Diana’s scene where she seduces Jhon. Not long after, the actress

arrived from outside of the building.

Lena : Sorry, I’m late. I had to wait for a taxi because my husband is using the car.

Jhon is surprised to see Lena arrived and immediately approach her.

Jhon : What is the meaning of this? (Jhon looks at Diana with the look of horror on his

face. Diana looks confused) What are you doing here?

Jhon takes Lena’s hand and pulls her aside.

Lena : I got the part when there was an open casting.

Jhon : Why didn’t you tell me about this? I’m your husband. You should ask for my

permission first! (He grips Lena’s hand too tight)

Diana looked shocked to hear that Jhon is married and took several steps backward.

Lena : Ow! Let go off me! (She forcefully let go off Jhon’s grip) You rarely tell me when you

would be back home, or even when you will be home at all. What did you spend all your

money on, huh? You always keep secrets from me.

Lena notices that Jhon is not wearing his wedding ring. She took his ringless hand and

examine his finger.

Lena : What’s this? Where’s your wedding ring?

Jhon forcefully shake Lena’s hand away.

Jhon : I’m acting here. Of course I took off my wedding ring! Why can’t you understand

your own husband?

Jhon glanced sideway at Diana with an apologetic face but then he looked back at Lena.

Jhon : I work here so that I get money to support you. I’m tired of your trust

issues!(Slammed a table and walk back near Diana)

Lena : Don’t you even try to understand me too? I always sit alone at the dinner table

waiting for you. I even drink black coffee to stay awake but you still didn’t come back home.

I rarely sleep. I can’t eat properly. I keep thinking about you. I’m worried about you every

day!

Ben : Quiet! Enough! (He snapped when Lena and Jhon are still arguing) I don’t care

about your marital business. Don’t bring your damn household problems here. Jhon, I have

paid you a lot of money for this production. I told you to not disappoint me. Should I cancel

the show, huh?

Jhon : I’m sorry, Sir. But why did you cast her? What are you trying to do? I know a lot of

other actresses that are much more professional and much more reliable than her who had

never act before.

Ben : Shut up, Jhon! (Angry) We don’t have any money left because we spend it all on the

production. Heck, if I were given more time I won’t even cast you and Diana as actors. I

would cast talented youths so that they can be shaped as actors. That way I can save

money.

Jhon : So I will quit then!

Ben : Go ahead! But you’ve signed the contract. I can sue you, you know, or you can just

pay according to the contract.

Everyone goes quiet, the atmosphere at the theater feels uncomfortable and not conducive

for rehearsal.

Ben : We’ll take a break for a moment. If you have a problem, see me. For makeup and

costume, please prepare Lena for rehearsal. We don’t have much time.

Several people from the crew leave the stage. Lena enter with the makeup and costume

crew so she can prepare for the rehearsal. Jhon goes toward Ben.

Jhon : Director, I cannot accept this situation. You can’t just change the actors as you

please!

Ben : (Ben walks toward Jhon and stare right in his eyes)The director is the god. I am in

charge of the performance. And you are under MY control. (Pokes Jhon’s chest causing him

to step backward)

Diana : What’s wrong with Helen? I think her acting is great.

Ben : I can do whatever I want. I do not agree with the way Helen act. I thought you were

all professional, you should be able to adapt with any actors that you are playing with.

Jhon : But sir, she’s my wife!

Ben : Now you’re making me mad. Look. I. DO. NOT. CARE!I’ve told you many times not

to bring other problems here other than the drama.

Jhon : But you know there is a scene where Diana seduces me. How do you think my wife

would feel about that?

Ben : This is just a drama and you should know that this is a risk that you and Lena should

take.

Diana gained her composure back and walked closer toward Jhon and decided to take

Jhon’s side. Diana scowled at Lena.

Diana : But as a woman, I agree with him. I think it’s not a good idea. (Diana fake smile at

the Director and hold Jhon’s hand. Lena looks away from them.)

Ben : If you want the show to go on, you should follow my direction. If you don’t want to,

you have to pay the fine according to contract. What would you choose, huh?

Ben walked toward Jhon and Diana and looked at them straight in the eyes. Jhon and Diana

look nervous and give in to the director’s order with confusion.

Ben : I thought so. If you want the show to go on, prepare yourselves for the rehearsal.

Both Jhon and Diana give in to the director with a confused feeling. They both went

backstage for touchup and start the rehearsal again. (Lights off)

(Scene 2)

(Lights on) Diana and Jhon enter the stage. Diana act as the woman who accompanied

Jhon to drink. Then Jhon takes her home.

Jhon : Sorry, my house is too dirty.

Diana : That’s okay, I like dirty things. (acting drunk)

Jhon : Let me take you to the sofa.

Diana : No, I’m strong enough to carry you to the sofa (tugging on Jhon’s scarf)

Jhon seems uncomfortable because his wife is watching him acting intimate with Diana

Diana : Come here baby, we should have fun. (Flirting)

Jhon : Let me take off my clothes. (Walking toward his closet)

Diana grabs Jhon’s arm and pulls him toward her.

Diana : No, no, let me do it, I’m good at unbuttoning things.

Slowly Jhon’s shirt is unbuttoned. The scent of passion and the desire to kiss one another

filled the air. However, Jhon looks uncomfortable. Lena enters as the maid that fell in love

with her master. Jhon notices that Lena enters with tears streaming from her eyes.

Jhon :Lena, this is just acting.

Ben : Cut! Stop! That’s not in the script, Jhon. What’s wrong with you? We just discussed

this earlier. You too, Lena. You should not bring your personal feelings to the stage. Actors,

you guys are giving me headaches! Please respect the production crew! They have worked

hard. I see that only Diana is the only one doing well. Jhon, your acting was better

yesterday. What happened? Lena, you should match your level with them. You’re ruining

the mood. Start over again! Don’t make me even more stressed than this!

Lena goes backstageto get her belongings and leaves the theater looking angry.

Ben : Arrgh, you all are making things difficult!

Jhon : So why did you cast her, then? I know a lot of great actress that can play this role.

Ben goes quiet and goes outside of the theater with frustration on his face. Every

production crew went back to organize the setting and the props. Diana approach Jhon.

Diana : Jhon, I thought you were not married. (She pouted and cross her hands)

Jhon : Urghhh, I’m so sorry, Diana. I shouldn’t have lied to you. You know that you’re the

one that I’m in love with, right? Not Lena. (Holding both of Diana’s hands)

Diana : So what’s going to happen with us?

Jhon : It’s going to be fine. I will just act like I care about her so that I can make her leave

the production.

Diana : But… I want to be your only one.

Jhon : Don’t worry babe, I have a plan. After the performance I’m going to ask for a

divorce. I don’t really like her anymore.

Diana : If you say it like that, are you going to leave me too?

Jhon : That’s impossible. How can I leave a woman as sexy as you?

Diana : It could happen. So what’s going to happen to me?

Jhon : I have it all planned, this is going to be a perfect motivation for me to divorce her. I

could say that she does not understand my job as an actor that sometimes have to act out

love scene with other women.

Diana : If that’s the case, to cheer you up, I’m going to wait for you in my house after the

rehearsal.

Jhon : Yeah, after the rehearsal, I have to meet Lena first to make sure that all of this is

her fault. If she killed herself because of me it would be much easier. So I don’t have to go to

court and save my money.

They both laugh as they walk backstage to prepare themselves before they go home.

(Scene 3)

The next day, all of the crew are preparing and organizing the set of the stage and other

things. Jhon and Diana are preparing themselves for the last act of the play. Lena has not

arrived.

Jhon : What now? Are we going to waste our time again waiting for her again?

Ben : I cannot find or contact Lena since yesterday.

Diana : Just replace her already.

Jhon : Yes, today is the final rehearsal and tomorrow is the performance. We can’t cancel

the show as well because the ticket has been sold already.

Ben : Don’t worry. No matter what happens, the show must go on. I have it all figured

out.

Jhon : What do you mean?

Ben : Just rehearse already for this final scene. There will be a surprise later. But I want

you both to show your best for this final rehearsal.

Diana : But if we don’t rehearse, what’s going to happen?

Ben : You both are professional actor and actress so I will stop the rehearsal until the part

where the maid gets angry at you both, okay?

They both do as the director say.

Ben : Okay, everyone get ready. Jhon, Diana, I want the audience to feel the atmosphere

that you both create. Ready! Action! (Lights off and turns on again)

Jhon and Diana acted the last scene well and effortlessly. They look like they have deep

feelings for one another. Passion and lust filled the air in the scene.

Jhon : Sorry, my house is too dirty.

Diana : Don’t worry, I like dirty things. (Acting drunk)

Jhon : Let me take you to the sofa.

Diana : No, I’m strong enough to carry you to the sofa (Pulling on Jhon’s scarf)

Diana : Come here, let’s have fun. (Flirting)

Jhon : Let me take off my shirt first. (Walking toward his closet)

Diana pulls Jhon toward her.

Diana : Let me, I’m great at unbuttoning things.

Ben : Cut! That’s it! I like it that this time you both act naturally. I expect no less from you

both tomorrow. Take care of your health, especially your voice. All of you did great but you

need to maintain it. For the role of the maid, I will make sure that she will be very natural in

doing her part. And there will be a surprise for you all. Now, everyone clean up and get

ready to go home. You can do it!

All of them gather in circle to put their hands together and cheer and then they get ready to

go home. (Lights off)

(Lights on) Diana brings her bag and waits for Jhon to go home together with her on the

stage. Jhon enters from backstage.

Diana : Jhon, back then, I love your acting. You did great.

Jhon : I love yours too. And I plan to continue the scene at home. (grabs her by her waist)

Diana : (Giggle) Now you’re flirting with me. What about Lena? Where is she?

Jhon : I don’t know. Maybe she’s dead? Or she ran away? Who cares. I can’t even contact

her. She didn’t even come to the rehearsal.

Diana : So… now you’re single?

Jhon : I’ve never felt single because I felt like you were my wife since long ago.

Diana : You’re flirting again. (Letting go from Jhon’s hand) Today I’ll be on top. (runs

outside)

Jhon : Hey! But I’m the man in this relationship. (chases after her)

Lights off and turns on again. Ben arrives bringing a glass of milk and bread. He knocks on

the stage trap door that access the room below the stage.

Ben : Lena, it’s me Ben.

The trap door opens and Lena walks out from it. Ben offered her to sit next to him on the

edge of the stage.

Ben : So? Are you happy now?

Lena : Thank you, Ben. I know how things are now. I just need to make sure. I saw it with

my own eyes. I could also listen to their conversation before they went outside of the

theater. It was horrible! (Lena covered her face with her hands)

Ben : Here. I brought you these. Eat. (Hands her the milk and bread)

Lena drinks the milk and eats the bread.

Ben : Yes, I know that Diana and Jhon always act together in every drama. A lot of my

friends even said that they should get together.

Lena : I knew it! He only goes home to give me a monthly allowance. He never told me

where he’s going and with whom he’s going with or how much his pay check per month is. I

tried to understand him, because I know that you don’t have a steady income when you’re

an actor.

Ben : How did you meet Jhon anyway? As far as I know, you don’t even like anything that

has to do with drama.

Lena : I met him three years ago. Back then, I went home by myself after a pickpocketing

incident. I then stopped in the front of the theater. Then, he suddenly approached me. He

introduced himself. That night, he brought me home. I started to like him because he

seemed like a good guy.

Ben : Really? You fall in love with him just like that?

Lena : Well… he used to be so sweet. He would bring me flowers every day when we

dated. I like him more and more. I don’t even see other guys other than him. He is my world.

He promised to take care of me. And then a couple of months after we dated, we got

married. But after we got married he turned strange. He rarely talks to me, he’s drunk all

the time when he’s home, and then this past year after he rarely comes home!

Ben : What a dick!

Lena : Yeah… But I loved him. I even left my family for him. They hate it that I dated an

actor. They said that I will be poor if I married him. But I didn’t care. I loved him.

Ben : “All the world’s a stage” William Shakespeare said. Your story sounds like what

happens to every female character in a play. The female is either villain that seduces the

boring hero or the helpless victim. Damn cliché.

Lena : Sorry that I used to make fun of you back then when you used to be in the school

play. But thank you again for letting me in this production.

Ben : That’s okay. I’m sorry about what happened with you and Jhon. Tomorrow, there

will bea special place for you to change and dress up for the play. So Jhon will not be able to

see you and think that you did not show up for the performance. Do you still remember the

scene during the rehearsal?

Lena : Yeah, I remember the scene.

Ben : Calm down, everything is already arranged. Tomorrow is the day of the

performance, I hope you can show me the best of your acting ability. Don’t disappoint me so

that I don’t regret putting you in the play.

Lena : Thank you, Ben. (Hugs Ben and the lights off)

(Scene 4)

The next day the performance already started. (Lights are still off but there are sounds

coming from backstage)

Jhon : You look drunk.

Diana : No, I’m not drunk. I can go home by myself.

Jhon : I won’t let a pretty lady like you go home like this. Let me take you home.

Diana : You are well-mannered and kind…

Jhon : Ah not really. My manners and kindness is nothing compared to your beauty. Let

me take you home with my car.

(Lights on) Jhon and Diana enters the stage and began acting the love scene.

Jhon : I’m sorry my house is too dirty.

Diana : Don’t worry, I like dirty things. (acting drunk)

Jhon : Let me take you to the sofa.

Diana : No, I’m strong enough to carry you to the sofa. (Pulling on Jhon’s scarf)

Diana : Come here baby, let’s have fun. (Flirting)

Jhon : Let me take off my shirt first (Walking toward the closet as he started unbuttoning

his shirt)

Diana pulls Jhon toward her.

Diana : Let me do it, I’m great at unbuttoning things.

Diana open the button of Jhon’s shirt one by one. Suddenly, Lena enters the stage with a

smile on her face. Jhon and Diana are shocked.

John : Lena? Where have you been? I was looking for you since yesterday.

Lena : Enough with your act, I’m angry at you. You’ve been cheating and messing around

with another woman.

John : What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you?

Lena : I know everything. I have loved you for a long time but now I hate you.

Lena takes out the gun from her back pocket. Jhon and Diana hold up their hands in the air

and backs away slowly. Their faces show horror.

Diana : Baby, what are we going to do? (Diana hides behind Jhon)

Lena : Shut up, bitch. (Lena points the gun at her)

Jhon : Lena, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings like this. (Lena points back the

gun toward him)

Lena : (Laughs) Sorry? SORRY? Now YOU are saying sorry? Wow! It’s nice to hear THAT

after three years. (Her smile disappear.) Shut your damn mouth. I don’t want to hear

anything from you, you filth! You don’t care about me! You were MY WORLD! MY

EVERYTHING!HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!?

John : Lena, please, put down your gun. We can still have a good relationship. This is just

an act. I’ll try to understand how you feel. We could talk. Please, Lena!

Lena : So let the act stop here and let me use this gun to let you UNDERSTAND HOW I

FEEL!

(two gunshot and lights off )

Lena cries loudly but then her cries turns to a hysterical laughter. Silence. Applause.

THE END