Act I, Scene 5: Arthur, Alone

(Lights come up on Arthur, alone with his writing)

Arthur.

(after a moment’s pause, reading what he’s last written)

And they all lived happily ever after.

(beat)

Arthur, alone.

Pam.

(Maybe onstage in darkness, maybe offstage)
Not alone.

Arthur.

The end.

Pam.
Not the end!

Arthur.

Only the words left.

Pam.

Not if that’s not what you want.

Arthur.
What do you mean?

(Pam is gone)

(Silence for a moment)

Maurice.

(from wherever Pam was)

Years ago –

Cherry.

(from the same place)

- when Maurice was still living with me -

Maurice.

- Arthur hung a picture of his family on the wall.

(beat)

And then promptly turned it over. He never told me what it was and forbade me to ever try to sneak a peak at it. It seemed silly, but he was deathly serious about it. So I never did.

Cherry.
Never?

Maurice.

Never.

Cherry.

Wow. Even I looked at that thing once. When Arthur was in the bathroom.

Maurice.
To turn it over, for him… or to have it turned over… would be to display to the entire world that he did care about people. That he did care about his family. But hew couldn’t take it down.

Cherry.
Because he did care.

Maurice.

He did care.

Arthur.
I did care.

(beat, pause)

I do care.

(Pause, then: breakthrough. Jumps up, turns over picture in a rush. Cherry and Maurice disappear.)

I do care! See? I care!

(silence)

Hello?

Cherry.
(offstage)

You’ve shown us.

Pam.

Now show them.

Maurice.
Connect.

Arthur.
(resolutely)

Connect.

(strides towards phone confidently.)
Connect.

(hand hovers over receiver.)

I…

(falters, drops hand)

Someone…?

(sporadically:)

Pam?

Gone.

Cherry?

Gone.

Maurice?

(the word almost catches in his throat)

…Gone.

(pause)

…Arthur?

(catches:)

Alone.

(Pause. Struggle. Finally:)

That’s not what I want.

(Resolutely picks up the phone, flips through address book, dials. Pause. Tension. Finally:)

Hello? Mom? …It’s Arthur.

(Blackout.)

The End?