Cast of Characters
TANDE lost person with only an address and no memory of anything else
SLEEPER a person to be feared who is the only one who can guide TANDE
TERRY a friendly and concerned person who befriends TANDE
SHOUTER an angry individual who is annoyed easily
HYPE quick to get into other peoples business
WHINER complains about everything and everyone
SWEET an overly friendly person who is upset by harsh words
DOWNER willing to cast a dark shadow on any situation
Scene 1
(Lights in this play are dim to show darkness. A
blue tint to the lights might add to the effect.
On stage are several cots with people sleeping on
them. TANDE enters cautiously among the sleeping
people. He reaches about center and is distracted by
a sudden loud snore behind him. This causes him to
run into a cot, C)
SLEEPER
Who that? What's with knockin' my bed?
SHOUTER
Quiet!
SLEEPER
You quiet yourself.
TANDE
I'm sorry. Please go back to sleep.
SLEEPER
Don't you start tellin' me what to do. You done plenty already.
TANDE
It was an accident.
SHOUTER
Will you shut up?!
HYPE
Who's yellin'?
WHINER
Hey, man. Go to sleep. There's other people around here ya' know.
SLEEPER
Yeah, I know. So shut your trap.
TANDE
Please, all of you, go back to sleep.
TERRY
Who's the fancy talker? I bet he wears a tie?
SLEEPER
I don't see none on him. He lucky. I would a used it to strangle him.
TANDE
I'm sorry. I just need a place to sleep.
SLEEPER
There ain't none here.
TERRY
You got two cots. Why don't you give him one?
SLEEPER
What with you? You take a likin' to him?
TERRY
Well, he ain't got no tie.
SLEEPER
And I ain't got no cot. So go somewhere else.
TANDE
I'll go. It's okay.
SWEET
You can always sleep with me, honey, I got lots of room.
DOWNER
What're you talkin' about? You're the one who needs two cots.
SWEET
Careful what you say, I might cry.
WHINER
Oh, man. Last time she cry, she wouldn't shut up all night.
TANDE
Everyone, please. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.
SLEEPER
You too late. You already did. Now, you have to pay.
SWEET
(Almost a whisper)
Be gentle with him.
SLEEPER
Shut up, woman!
SHOUTER
Why don't you?! I'm tryin' to sleep here.
(Silence. SLEEPER crosses to SHOUTER's bed, DR. He
stands over him a moment)
What do you want?!
SLEEPER
No one mouths off at me.
SHOUTER
Too late, I already did.
(In a quick motion, SLEEPER tips the cot, kicks
SHOUTER, and pins him to the floor with his foot.
TANDE tries to escape L during this but is caught
by HYPE and WHINER. HYPE and WHINER
push TANDE roughly into a sitting position on
a cot, DL. Once again everything is still again)
SLEEPER
What you say to me, boy?
SHOUTER
Nothin', nothin' at all.
SLEEPER
And what you say to me later?
SHOUTER
Nothin'.
HYPE
(Holding TANDE)
We got this one.
WHINER
What you gonna do with him?
SLEEPER
(Crosses to TANDE, grabs his face roughly and
makes TANDE look up at him)
Does I scare you?
TANDE
(Softly)
Yes.
SLEEPER
(Smiles, still holding him, looking into his eyes)
It's that look I love. I loves it more than women. And you's got it.
(He roughly releases TANDE. Others leave him
alone and go to the corners to converse. SLEEPER
sits on his cot. TERRY goes to TANDE)
TERRY
Hi, there.
TANDE
Hi.
TERRY
My name's Terry.
(Holds out hand. They shake)
TANDE
Tande.
TERRY
I think Sleeper likes you.
TANDE
I think you're wrong.
TERRY
He's not as bad as he looks. He's really a cat deep down.
TANDE
Yeah, with long claws, long teeth, and rabies.
TERRY
Oh, youre funny. I like you.
TANDE
(Brushing off the unwanted intimacy)
Where am I?
DOWNER
(Joins them)
You're down, man. You're at the end of existence.
TERRY
He exaggerates.
DOWNER
You eg-za-der-dates if you's sayin' otherwise.
TANDE
I was told to come here. At least, I think so.
(Takes out paper)
Here's the address.
(TERRY is silent when he sees paper)
DOWNER
That's bad man. Real bad.
TANDE
What is?
DOWNER
That place.
TANDE
Then this isn't it?
DOWNER
This place is far from it, man. This is Disneyland to that.
TANDE
Maybe I shouldn't go.
TERRY
You have to.
TANDE
Who will take me there, then?
TERRY
(No longer cheerful)
Sleeper can take you.
TANDE
Sleeper? Why him?
DOWNER
That's a bad place. Only Sleeper goes there.
(To TERRY)
They say he's from that neighborhood.
TERRY
If that's possible.
TANDE
Can it be that bad?
DOWNER
Where you comin' from, man? Don't you know nothin' about this neighborhood?
TANDE
This is all new to me.
DOWNER
It better be unnew and fast or you's gonna lose yourself here.
TERRY
That place where you're going...
TANDE
Yeah?
TERRY
It's dangerous... cops don't even go there.
DOWNER
And when Sleeper goes, he don't bring no one back