What About Mimi? by David Christner

This Play is the copyright of the Author and may not be performed, copied or sold without the Author's prior consent

Cast of Characters

Alex Brownell 22, a senior at Brown University
Kip Dyer 22, Alex's friend, an African American
Melanie Chase 21, Alex's fiancée
Max Halley 45, a detective from Atlanta
Madison Halley 21, Max's daughter
Jack Brownell 47, Alex's dad
Lisa Brownell 45, Alex's mom
Mimi 7 months (a prop)

Time: The present

Place: Newport, RI.

Setting: The play is staged on an area set. Most of the action takes
place around a lifeguard tower, which must be painted white and high
enough to move beneath. Close to the tower, slightly upstage, there is
a bench overlooking the beach on the "boardwalk." Other areas,
which are lighted when in use, include the porch of a Victorian B&B
and the patio of a typical American home. Mood is more important than
realism in the sets.

Playwright's Notes: African American, Hispanic, or Asian actors can
be cast in the roles of Max and Madison Halley with no changes to the
script. The extent to which nudity is used in Act II is at the
discretion of the producing theatre. The scene with optional nudity
will work if the actor wears a bikini top or bra while playing the
scene. The part of Mimi does not require the use of a real baby, only
a prop.

ACT I, SCENE VI

SCENE: LIGHTS COME UP on MAX and MADISON later the same afternoon on
the porch of the B&B. Madison's hair is pinned up and she's
wearing just enough make-up to accentuate her natural beauty. She is
dressed in a pastel sundress and is bare foot. A pitcher of lemonade
sits on a wicker table in front of them.)

MADISON (checks her watch): It's 5:30.

MAX: He'll be here.

MADISON: He told you 5:00.

MAX: No, he told me after work.

MADISON: Most people get off at 5:00.

MAX: Honey, relax. He'll be here.

MADISON: How do you know?

MAX: Because I know people-just like you said. Now relax. Have
some more lemonade.

(He fills her glass.)

MADISON: I never should have agreed to this.

MAX: He's a good kid; he'd want to know.

MADISON (near tears): Okay, so he'll know. (A beat.) Then what?

MAX: I don't know.

MADISON: I don't either! (A beat.) I don't even have a clue of
what I want.

MAX: That makes you pretty much like the rest of us, Honey. (Looks
up the sidewalk.) Here he comes.

MADISON: Oh God! (She wipes away a tear and straightens her dress.)
Do I look okay?

MAX: You look beautiful.

(Alex enters carrying a bouquet of fresh cut flowers. Madison looks
up and forces a smile. )

ALEX: Madison-hi!

MADISON: Hello, Alex.

MAX: I'll leave you two alone.

ALEX and MADISON: That's all right. You-

(They both smile as MAX EXITS.)

MAX: I won't be far.

MADISON: Please, sit.

ALEX (sitting opposite her): Sure.

MADISON: Lemonade?

ALEX: No, thanks. (A beat.) Okay, sure. Make mine a double.

MADISON (smiles uneasily as she pours): So-how have you been?

ALEX: Me? Fine. You?

MADISON: Fine.

ALEX: We've both been fine.

MADISON: That's a fine thing. (A beat.) Pretty flowers.

ALEX: Oh, Jeeze. They're for you.

MADISON: Thank you, they're lovely.

ALEX (making small talk): Newport has all kinds of flowering plants
and trees. Sailing ships used to load tons of earth from countries all
over the globe for ballast. When they got back home, they off loaded
what they thought was just dirt, and it had all kinds of exotic trees
and plants seeds mixed in with it. Of course, not everything survived,
but lots did-thrived here, in fact. That's why we have such a wide
diversity of plants on the island.

MADISON: That's fascinating. All that-new life from tons of
dirt.

ALEX: So, how have you been?

MADISON: I think we've already established the fact that we've
both been fine.

ALEX: Right. Fine. We did-establish the fact that we've both
been fine. Fine. (A few beats.) I'm sorry; I'm just-so
surprised-stunned really-to see you. I'd pretty much given up
hope of-ever seeing you again.

MADISON: But you did have some?

ALEX: Hope? (She nods.) Yeah, but after I-missed our-farewell
meeting-

MADISON: Max told me what happened-busted for picking up litter.

ALEX: I hope you didn't think-that what happened between us
down there-didn't mean something to me.

MADISON: I didn't think that.

ALEX: Anyway, it's a little late for an apology, but I'm sorry.
Really.

MADISON: You don't have to be sorry. I wasn't there either.

ALEX: What?

MADISON: I didn't make the meeting either.

ALEX: Oh . . . I guess that makes us even. (A beat.) Why not?

MADISON: I-don't know for sure. I just sort of freaked out-and
some-personal reasons.

ALEX: Fine. (A few beats.) I did try to contact you when I got
home.

MADISON: Healy isn't my real name. I know.

ALEX: Mine's Brownell, not Brown.

MADISON: I know. (A beat.) Mine's Halley.

ALEX: "Halley?" Same as Max.

MADISON: Max is my father.

ALEX: Oh, Jeeze, what did I tell him?

MADISON: Nothing he didn't already know. And, don't worry. If he
didn't think you were okay, you wouldn't be here.

ALEX: Damn! He plays rough.

MADISON (laughs): Here with me!

ALEX: Oh, good. For a minute there I thought maybe you meant-here
on the planet.

MADISON: You make me laugh; I think that's why I was first
attracted to you.

ALEX: You make me feel comfortable by laughing at all the right
places.

MADISON: And you told me you'd never been high or drunk.

ALEX: That's still the case. I have very little trouble making a
complete ass out of myself when I'm stone sober.

(A CAR PASSES ON THE STREET AND SOFT DANCE MUSIC CAN BE HEARD FROM
THE RADIO.)

MADISON: Pretty.

ALEX: Yeah. (A beat.) Do you remember what you told me-the night
we met?

MADISON: I told you lots of things.

ALEX: That your dream was to dance under the stars with someone who
would love you unconditionally-for exactly who you are.

MADISON: I told you that?

ALEX: How else could I have known it?

MADISON: Just a romantic notion-has nothing to do with reality. (A
beat.) You have any dreams?

ALEX: Me? No, all my plans-have to do with-making a living, I
guess. So, how was school last year?

MADISON: I took the year off. You?

ALEX: I'm still on track-graduate next May.

MADISON: And then what-graduate school?

ALEX: No, the Navy. Going to Officer Candidate School. Do my three
years, and then-I don't really know.

MADISON: Why the Navy?

ALEX: I think I have an obligation to serve-whether it's
mandatory or not.

MADISON: You big on fulfilling obligations?

ALEX: So far. Besides, I don't know what I want to be when I grow
up. (A beat.) You still planning on med school?

MADISON: Not-immediately. But that is still my ultimate goal.
I've had to make-a minor course adjustment, to put it in nautical
terms.

ALEX: This is the right town for that. (A beat.) Minor adjustments
aren't so bad.

MADISON: Well, this one was a major minor adjustment.

ALEX: Oh . . . you want to tell me about it.

MADISON (thinks, then): There's someone I want you to meet.

ALEX: Hope it's not a big brother.

MADISON (laughs): No.

ALEX: Good. Had me worried there for a minute.

MADISON: I'll be right back. Have some more lemonade.

(MADISON EXITS. Alex pours himself some lemonade, takes a sip and
checks his watch. MADISON ENTERS carrying their 6-month old daughter,
MIMI. Alex looks up at them but cannot speak.)

MADISON (sitting next to Alex): Alex, this is Mimi. Say,
"Hello."

ALEX (faintly): Hello, Mimi.

MADISON: Mimi is our daughter.

(Alex drops his lemonade. BLACKOUT to END THE SCENE AND ACT I.)

[end of extract]

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