COVEpod | Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast | Storytelling, Interviews, Poetry, Music, Arts & Inspiration
A variety of entertainment and inspiration for your weekly podcast rotation.
In the Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast, host Paul Carganilla [joined by his family and friends] offer a wide variety of entertainment offerings, including: music, poetry, storytelling, special guest interviews, dramatic readings, thought-provoking conversations, inspiration, and more!
Along with highlighting the work of established creators, this podcast celebrates the power of creativity, imagination, and inspiration. More than just an entertainment podcast, the COVE Podcast seeks to inspire its audience through performances and introspection from a community of like-minded individuals driven by the belief that dreams can become reality. Together, we cultivate a positive and supportive podcast community that entertains and empowers listeners to take bold steps toward their creative, professional, and personal life goals.
COVEpod | Carganilla Online Variety Entertainment Podcast | Storytelling, Interviews, Poetry, Music, Arts & Inspiration
"Wonderful Time" - A Play by Jonathan Marc Sherman | COVEpod 37
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Imagine the electric atmosphere of a theater, the stage alive with the raw emotions of young adulthood, as we share Jonathan Marc Sherman's "Wonderful Time," a play that strikes the chords of love, life, and the laughter in between. This episode isn't just a casual listen; it's an invitation to the front row of an intimate, energizing performance starring Stephanie Renee Wall, Hunter Ackerman, Darrin Ingram, Todd Stubbler, Karen Baughn, Sam Mikelic, and COVEpod host Paul Carganilla, as they navigate the trials of rebellious prom nights, candid wedding speeches, and the unpredictable waves of new romance. It's a tapestry of human connection, complete with mature language and the unfiltered zest of life.
[ NO COPYRIGHT OR PROFIT INTENDED. Jonathan Marc Sherman is the Author and sole and exclusive Author of the Play "WONDERFUL TIME" ]
CAST:
Linus Worth - Paul Carganilla
Betsy Flynn - Stephanie Renee Wall
Clyde - Hunter Ackerman
Female Utility - Karen Baughn
Male Utility - Todd Stubbler , Sam Mikelic
Narrator - Darrin Ingram
COVE EPISODE VIDEOS: www.covetube.com
COVE DIRECTORY: https://linktr.ee/covepod
COVE PATREON: www.patreon/covepodcast
CONTACT: covepod@gmail.com
VOICE-OVER INTRODUCTION: Jonathan Freeman ( 'Jafar' in the "Aladdin" animated films )
SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM: Craig Jackman, Emily Thatcher, Christina Marie Bielen, Dary Mills, Amanda Benjamin
PATREON CURATORS: Jamie Carganilla, Emily Thatcher, The Faeryns, Charity Swanson, Krista Faith King, Kelsey B Gibson, Angelica Bollschweiler, Anna Giannavola, Gina Dobbs, Merrill Mielke, Susan Kuhn, Josefa Snider
INTRO MUSIC: “Papi Beat” [ KICKTRACKS ]
CREDITS MUSIC: “Fat Banana” [ KICKTRACKS ]
HOST, CREATOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, EDITOR: Paul Carganilla
[ NO COPYRIGHT OR PROFIT INTENDED. Jonathan Marc Sherman is the Author and sole and exclusive Author of the Play "WONDERFUL TIME" ]
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Carganella Online Variety Entertainment Podcast. Here's your host, Paul Carganella.
Speaker 2Hello and welcome to Cove. This is the online variety show at which we aim to both entertain and inspire both our podcast listeners and YouTube viewers through a variety of different art forms, including music, storytelling, poetry, special guest interviews, travel blogs and so much more. Today, I'm going to feature a full-length play reading of a play called Wonderful Time by playwright Jonathan Mark Sherman. Now, when the COVID pandemic came down, my friends and I started a YouTube channel called the Vodacity Network and on that network, we did some improv comedy, we did live shows, live music and featured several live readings of plays, and this is just one of them. We actually read this one in April 2021, three years ago but I wanted to dust it off because it was just so much fun and I think you will enjoy listening to it here in the podcast realm. And, of course, if you want to watch the video, head over to CoveTubecom. It's on our CovePod YouTube channel as well if you want to see the performances and not just hear them. Speaking of performances, I want to thank, three years later, my friends Darren Ingram plays the narrator. Todd Stubbler does a utility, several different smaller male roles. Karen Bond she read the female's utility roles. My friend Sam Miklitsch read a couple of roles as well. Hunter Ackerman is one of the main actors in this reading and I played the lead opposite, my friend Stephanie Renee Wall, here in Jonathan Mark Sherman's wonderful time. I hope you enjoy it.
Speaker 2Now, just a side note. This is we're performing this completely for free. We're not making money off of this and we have no copyright or profit intended from streaming this story. Jonathan Mark Sherman is the author and sole and exclusive author of this play, but you know we want to share it with as many people as possible, so his word gets out there. I hope you enjoy Jonathan Mark Sherman's wonderful time. I do need to say before we begin that a lot. There is some strong language in here, so we'll go ahead and say that it is rated R, but if you are of mature demeanor and you can handle a few bad words, that's all it is. There's a few bad words, but we're very excited for this. Can't wait to bring it for you, to you. So, without any further ado, ladies and gentlemen, here is Mr Jonathan Mark Sherman's wonderful time.
Speaker 3Scene one a nondescript room. Linus Worth sits against a bland background. He's sort of good looking, sometimes charming, always lost. He is interviewed by an offstage voice Name.
Speaker 2Linus Worth Age 23. Height 5'8" Weight, 1.75" Eyes Brown.
Speaker 4Hair.
Speaker 2Black Race. I'm kind of a mutt and I shouldn't have to answer that that's an optimal question. It's optional, yes, optional. I didn't know that. Ask me again.
Speaker 4Race.
Speaker 2Marathon.
Speaker 4Occupation.
Speaker 2Film, student Drugs, confusion, alcohol Confusion. Music Makes the heart grow, fonder.
Speaker 4That's absence. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Speaker 2Yeah, the absence of music makes the heart grow fonder. In other words, I'm fond of music, I like music. I have some CDs, compact discs, no certificates of deposit from my grandparents.
Speaker 4Sex Confusion, male or female.
Speaker 2Confusion Life, uh Confusion.
Speaker 3Scene 2. Linus' dormitory room. On the wall by the bed is the famous Robert de Signo poster, la Bessaire de L'Hotel Deville, paris 1950. With a man kissing a woman as people walk by, linus sits on his bed with Robin, his girlfriend. They're in the middle of a conversation.
Speaker 2That is a bizarre dream. Was Miss New York a finalist?
Speaker 6Have you been with anybody else?
Speaker 2Been with. What do you mean?
Speaker 6Have you kissed or fooled around with or slept with somebody else? Have you been unfaithful? Have you cheated on me? You know been with yeah. What.
Speaker 2Yeah, I have been yeah.
Speaker 6With who?
Speaker 2Different people.
Speaker 6What different people? Specifically, all sorts of different people.
Speaker 2It sounds like a lot yeah.
Speaker 6Why.
Speaker 2Well.
Speaker 6Am I not good enough?
Speaker 2No, that's not, it at all.
Speaker 6Are they better in bed? I hope so. I really do. I hope you're not losing me to a bunch of amateurs, losing you.
Speaker 2Losing me.
Speaker 6Why, I don't know. Maybe because you're a cheating liar and a lying cheat.
Speaker 2I never lied to you. You never told me the truth. You can't walk out on me now.
Speaker 6I can't. What about Clyde's wedding? I'm not going.
Speaker 5Yeah, hey, clyde, I'm going.
Speaker 3Linus stands and blocks the door.
Speaker 2We're just getting ready for the trip. Get away from the door. Linus. Robin's excited to meet you too.
Speaker 6I'll scream.
Speaker 2Yeah, I know Primal scream thing releases tension. She's Clyde buddy. I gotta go. I'll see you soon, later Robin. We've been planning this trip for so long.
Speaker 6Get away from the door.
Speaker 2I told everybody at home about you.
Speaker 6Tell them a little bit more. Tell them I left you. You're an unfaithful prick. Tell them whatever you want to tell them. Just get away from the door, you macho, macho, shithead.
Speaker 2One macho would be fine.
Speaker 6Oh, don't try to turn this into a lesson. You stupid, stupid fuck. Yes, I needed to say stupid twice to illustrate the depths of your stupidity. One stupid just would not do.
Speaker 2Not stupid. Okay, Robin. Okay, you were right. Those other girls amateurs. Okay, you want a comparison? Okay, those girls were Snickers bars. You're a steak, You're the main course. Just please, can't you wait until after the wedding to leave me.
Speaker 6They're Snickers bars.
Speaker 2Yeah, what's the matter?
Speaker 6And I'm a steak.
Speaker 2Prime rib filet mignon what's wrong?
Speaker 6Snickers bars are sweeter than steak. Is that what you're saying? Is that what you mean? Robin, you think I'm not sweet enough. Snickers bars are sweeter than steak.
Speaker 2Snickers bars, give you cavities.
Speaker 6Snickers bars are satisfying right. Do those other girls satisfy you?
Speaker 2Come on Robin.
Speaker 6Do they taste better than me? Huh, do they?
Speaker 2I can't believe we're talking about food.
Speaker 6You're sweeter, more satisfying. They taste better One night stands Robin. It adds up Linus Seven one night stands make a week. Three hundred sixty-five one night stands make a year.
Speaker 2You overestimate me.
Speaker 6No, I don't Not anymore. I don't, I'm going. What about the wedding? Take a Snickers bar. I don't want to. I want you to get away from the door.
Speaker 2I don't want you to leave like this.
Speaker 3Robin tears down half of the Dosenio poster from the wall.
Speaker 6What are you doing, getting you away from the door?
Speaker 3Linus moves away from the door and walks towards the poster.
Speaker 2This poster is ruined.
Speaker 6We're ruined, Linus.
Speaker 2No, no, but I mean, this is really ruined.
Speaker 6You wouldn't get away from the door. I told you, but you wouldn't move.
Speaker 2I don't want you to go, robin. I'm going, maybe I'll change.
Speaker 6Maybe Bye.
Speaker 3Robin walks out, closing the door behind her. Linus flops down onto the bed in between the two halves of the poster the man's half which hangs on the wall by the bed and the woman's half which hangs on the floor. Scene three an editing room. Linus and Ernie watch images on the viewing screen of a flatbed editing machine. Ernie is a film student like Linus, and he's editing Linus's film. Linus seems edgy, ernie seems distant.
Speaker 6That's it.
Speaker 2That's all the generic footage we have.
Speaker 5Yep.
Speaker 2We don't have more airplanes taking off. That's all she wrote. Well, none of it really lifted my spirits. None of it made me soar alongside the plane. It's all we got, but it's so cliched the plane taking off thing it's going to look like every other movie in the world.
Speaker 5What should we do? Get some footage of some kid riding on a big wheel. It's a plane scene, Linus. The scene takes place on an airplane. The easiest way to establish that is to show a plane taking off. It's why people use these shots because they're easy.
Speaker 2Easy is for two o'clock in the morning at some party after you've had eight beers. Now is not the time for easy.
Speaker 5What's wrong? Nothing's wrong. What's?
Spontaneity and Self-Discovery
Speaker 2wrong Everything. Do you ever feel like you're about to explode? I mean, like I feel like I'm about to explode?
Speaker 5Linus, you're a smart guy living in a confusing technological maze of fear and pain, you're supposed to feel a little lost, it's normal.
Speaker 2Not lost. I'm about to explode. I literally I mean boom. I'm 23 years old. You know, all of a sudden, my oldest friend is getting married and it's time to grow up.
Speaker 5Growing up is great. You can go to bed whenever you want.
Speaker 2I got to get my life straight, figure everything out, get it in order and move along toward a happy future. Right, that would be nice. How can I do that? I don't understand anything. You understand movies? Fine, yeah, I understand movies sort of, but I don't understand women, or love or sex, or truth or my friends.
Speaker 5Or my family, or work or society or technology, then or now or later, or any of it, I know I know you understand nothing, but don't let that prevent you from having a wild skateboard ride through this huge translucent spider we call life.
Speaker 2Are you on something?
Speaker 5Not really. I mean, I'm just shrooming. What Shrooming? You know, I eat some magic mushrooms and I'm tripping my brains out. Man, I just gave you some good advice and I just don't want you to deny it.
Speaker 2You're editing my film while you're tripping. I got to get out of California now.
Speaker 5You should get some good wedding footage.
Speaker 2Everybody makes wedding films. The wedding banquet 16 candles, the wedding dinner Betsy's wedding.
Speaker 5Diner the marrying man, godfather, splash Wedding in blood. Of course there are lots of weddings and films. All tragedies and in death, all comedies and in marriage, Death marriage. What's the difference? You really are down, man. Take a volume right before the plane takes off. Wash it down with some scotch. Before you know it, you'll wake up 3,000 miles away, refreshed and feeling like a newborn baby.
Speaker 2I don't have volume. I do, of course you do. I'm going. Don't edit anything without me, I'll be fine. Seriously, I'm leaving you with my film. Don't turn it into yellow submarine.
Speaker 5Have a nice trip.
Speaker 2You are having a nice trip. I will have a nice flight.
Speaker 5You get so obsessive and specific when it comes to words man Relax.
Speaker 2My best friends getting married. You're eating magic mushrooms and floating around Jupiter when you're supposed to be editing my film. My girlfriend dumped me and I don't have a date and my flight is only a couple of hours away, so this is not the time to relax, man.
Speaker 5Why'd Robin dump you Matt?
Speaker 2I don't know. Yes, I do. I do kind of know. Actually, I was unfaithful. How'd you get caught? She had a dream I was kissing all the finalists in the Miss America pageant. So she asked me if I'd been with anybody else and I said yes.
Speaker 5What Rewind? Play that back again. She has some sort of dream. You ask if you've been fucking around and you say what?
Speaker 2She asked and I said yes.
Speaker 5Yeah, yeah, stupid, stupid, stupid dumb. What are you? What are you out of your mind? I don't say yeah, you say no, just say no. What were you thinking?
Speaker 2I was thinking I should tell the truth.
Speaker 5Why would you want to do that Lie? Everybody lies. Robin probably lied. Who dreams about the Miss America contest? Lie, fuck the truth. The truth sucks. That's why you make films. That's why I take mushrooms. The truth can suck my dick.
Speaker 2I gotta go.
Speaker 5Have a wonderful time.
Speaker 2What'd you say?
Speaker 5Have a wonderful time.
Speaker 2Why wonderful? Huh? You always say good. Whenever I go someplace, you say have a good time. Why should I have a wonderful time this time? What's different about today?
Speaker 5Linus man, listen, I'm tripping. All right, understand that you want to have a good time. All right, have that. Just stop being so harsh. You're really bumming me out.
Speaker 2I'm sorry, I'm just really not calm. I'm tense.
Speaker 5If you're so tense, go to the wedding.
Speaker 2Yeah, I have to go. I'm the best man.
Speaker 5Somebody's got to be. I'm the best man. No, I'm the best man. I'm the best man. No, I'm the best man. I'll be the best man. My hero, fuck shit, fuck shit, fuck shit. Foil again.
Speaker 3Ernie continues to absently slap himself on the left cheek, then the right cheek, over and over Scene four. Linus walks along a path on the college campus, lost in thought, a backpack on his shoulder. He passes a female student with a video camera. She calls out to Linus. Her name is Betsy and she's a lovely free spirit, wearing a baby doll print dress with a long string of knotted pearls around her neck and wire sunglasses with blue frames on her eyes.
Speaker 7Linus right.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 7Quick. What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
Speaker 2What.
Speaker 7Right, what's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done?
Speaker 2Oh, um, well, this right now.
Speaker 7Answering this question.
Speaker 2No, well, you see, I haven't done it yet. I'm about to do it.
Speaker 3Linus pulls out two plane tickets. You see these.
Speaker 7Looking at the camera.
Speaker 2Well, these are two round trip tickets to New York City for the weekend my best friend's getting married. I'm the best man, so you know, obviously one of these tickets is for me.
Speaker 7Very spontaneous thing to do New York for the weekend. Highly spontaneous, great.
Speaker 2You know, the spontaneous thing is that this ticket right here, that's yours.
Speaker 3Linus hands one of the tickets to Betsy.
Speaker 2And our flight is in one hour.
Speaker 7I uh, I'm finding. Scene five Thank you, yes good.
Speaker 3Linus and Betsy are sitting next to one another on the airplane. Linus is sitting in the aisle seat. Betsy is next to the window. Betsy has a large purse on her shoulder and a copy of Rook's Letters to a Young Poet in her hand.
Speaker 7I was getting so fed up with all the boring things people were doing. It seemed like all the poetry had disappeared from daily life and nobody just did interesting things. Everything was just so planned and planned and self-indulgent. So I decided to do a class project exploring spontaneity among today's college students.
Speaker 2At the risk of sounding cliche, what's your major?
Speaker 7American Studies.
Speaker 2At the risk of asking too many questions.
Speaker 7What's life without risk?
Speaker 2If you're an American Studies major, why are you reading Rilke? He wasn't American. The last time I checked.
Speaker 7Sometimes you need to take a break from something to be able to see it with fresh eyes.
Speaker 2That's what I said to my girlfriend. She told me to stop trying to justify cheating.
Speaker 7Girlfriend.
Speaker 2Ex-girlfriend.
Speaker 7Cheating.
Speaker 2Yeah, possibly ex-cheating, possibly just a preview of things to come for the rest of my life. I am trying to improve.
Speaker 7That's admirable.
Speaker 2It's a baby doll dress, isn't it?
Speaker 7This, yeah, yeah, it's Betsy Johnson.
Speaker 2I have many weaknesses. One of my weakest is for baby doll dresses. Let me correct that. One of my For girls in baby doll dresses. Let me correct that for women in baby doll dresses.
Speaker 7I'm going to need some more formal dresses then.
Speaker 2You can borrow one of my sisters for the wedding. What else are you going to need?
Speaker 7Shoes. Everything else is in the bag. It's toothbrush, skin care volume.
Speaker 2Volume.
Speaker 7Thank God I have some. Six hour plane trips are not my idea of Papa Valium. Wash it down with those little bottles of something. Wake up when you get there. You should try it.
Speaker 4If you look towards the screen in front of your cabin, you'll see a preview of our in-fight movie feature.
Speaker 1Gatorade Tarkington from the Dallas Cowboys is Romeo, a patriotic cop who's starting to lose hope. We're losing the strength to these drug lords and I don't think there's a damn thing we can do about it Without my motorized skateboard. The owner Dresseldorf from the Calvin Klein commercials is Juliet, a hooker with a heart of gold. Only her heart stopped beating last year.
Speaker 6I don't care who you are, god, you have to send me back down to Earth. My kid needs me.
Speaker 1There's never been an action-adventure love story quite like this one Romeo and Juliet and Guns.
Speaker 3Scene 6. Linus and Betsy sit in the back of a limousine. Betsy is looking at the small bar.
Speaker 7Want something to drink.
Speaker 2Betsy, I'm going to try something with you.
Speaker 7I see.
Speaker 2No, that didn't sound right. I mean, I'd like to be totally honest with you.
Speaker 7Totally honest.
Speaker 2I want to tell the truth.
Speaker 7The truth.
Speaker 2I never. I thought I never lied to my ex-girlfriend and she thought I never told the truth. So you know, I think I should make sure I tell the truth rather than just being quiet. I think it's a good idea.
Speaker 7Go right ahead.
Speaker 2Let me start with something easy. I'm riding in a limo with you. Your name is Betsy.
Speaker 7My name is Linus. So far, so good.
Speaker 2Now things get more complicated.
Speaker 7Okay, have you ever killed anybody?
Speaker 2No.
Speaker 7Just checking.
Speaker 2I'm nervous around you.
Speaker 6What did I do?
Speaker 2It's not something you did, it's just who you are. I mean, we just flew across the nation together.
Speaker 7Oh, what do you think we should get married?
Speaker 2What.
Speaker 7I was, I was joking.
Speaker 2Betsy, if you have to say I'm joking after a joke, chances are it wasn't really funny. We're going to a wedding tomorrow. Come on, it's not something to joke about.
Speaker 7You just seemed so serious all of a sudden.
Speaker 2I didn't. I didn't used to be the person I am now. I was crazy. It was crazy for a while.
Speaker 7What do you mean, crazy?
Speaker 2I was different. It all came to a boiling point when I had this date with Destiny.
Speaker 7What kind of date with Destiny?
Speaker 2The kind where you take a hooker to the prom.
Speaker 7Is this for real?
Speaker 2I'll show you the prom pictures. I have them at home.
Speaker 7No, couldn't you have? I don't know, asked a cheerleader.
Rebellious Period and Friendship Bond
Speaker 2I got really obsessed with going to the prom with a professional. It was my rebellious period. I had long hair, drugs, drinking, but it didn't seem complete without a prostitute named Destiny as a prom date.
Speaker 7Your name wasn't really Destiny.
Speaker 2Destiny O'Toole. Oh my God, she said it was on her birth certificate. She was actually pretty sweet, but when I was, you know screwing her.
Speaker 6You slept with her.
Speaker 2You buy a car, you drive it. Oh, there I was. I had created my own little scandal. I was wasted. I was on top of this woman, my hair was longer than her hair and I thought of Jennifer.
Speaker 7Who's Jennifer?
Speaker 2Jennifer Kretnik. She was a friend of mine when I was a little kid, eight or nine years old, I used to go over to her apartment to play. I tell my mom, hey, I'm going to Jennifer's to play, didn't know what we'd do, we didn't plan anything, we just set aside an afternoon to just have fun. You know, and we did, we always did. We found a way to enjoy ourselves. We didn't need props or poses, it didn't have to be hip or cool or interesting, we just played. And I decided right there, on top of an Irish hooker named Destiny, I wanted to play again, just play.
Speaker 2I cut my hair the next day.
Speaker 7I wrote a Huey Lewis fan letter.
Speaker 2That's not so bad.
Speaker 7I sent him my underwear.
Speaker 2That's bad.
Speaker 7I sent my underwear to every teen idol I could think of praying. My parents would get upset you know, and I like my parents.
Speaker 2Did they get upset?
Speaker 7No, no, they just kept buying me more underwear. I tried, I tried everything. Anything to get them to pay attention. I tried to get them to pay attention to the typical stuff. Anything to shock the shit out of them. They kept trying to set me up with everybody's uh, you know these twisted parade of a bunch of rich, handsome boys marching, headed for success, marching towards our house with this parental seal of approval Boring as hell, incredibly predictable, always doing something to prove that they weren't like everybody else, that they were really wacky and different. I started out with a guitar player who bit my breasts. He bit the. Are you okay? No, yeah, that part was great, that was great, but he stole my second favorite necklace, and that that wasn't so great. He did make my parents really upset, though, so I guess it was worth it in some weird twisted way.
Speaker 2He got the job done.
Speaker 7Finishing and work weren't really his specialties, but he was dynamite for our first two and a half weeks. Those, those were undeniably great.
Speaker 2They always are Sure are, Do you? Do you think we were meant to mate for life?
Speaker 7You and me.
Speaker 2Nope People in general. The average caveman only lived 17 years. You know, that's true. It's a true fact. I'm a scholar in caveman.
Speaker 7Okay, listen, hold on, imagine, just go with me. Imagine an eight and a half year old caveman having a midlife crisis Okay Divorcing his nine year old cavewife and dating a cave girl half his age.
Speaker 2Four, just four.
Speaker 7It's fine.
Speaker 2I mean till death. Do us part to a caveman was like saying till next week. I don't know what things like modern dentistry, keeping people alive until they're a hundred years old, it's a. It's a frightening commitment to make.
Speaker 7You have given this one a lot of thought.
Speaker 2I just broke up with my girlfriend. Actually, she she broke up with me because I couldn't stay faithful. Yes, it's been on my mind. I'm stressed out and I just want to play. Spin the bottle.
Speaker 7Well, it might not be too suspenseful with just the two of us, but you know we could. We could ask the chauffeur.
Speaker 2Do you like me at all? What do you think I'm cute or nice or funny or I don't know interesting or anything remotely attractive? Or was I just something spontaneous?
Speaker 7I like you.
Speaker 2I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I'm just. I'm just trying to be truthful, you know I'm. I was wondering and you see, I kind of like you too, I think. But the but the main, the, the main reason I wanted you to come I actually really like you come to think of it and the main reason I wanted you to come was absolute fear and terror.
Speaker 7You keep saying things like that, you keep getting tense and afraid, and then we make some jokes and then you get tense and afraid again. Is this, is it just the going home? Is it going home with me? What is?
Speaker 2it. All the things I did back back back when I was crazy before, before I cut my hair, all of the things that I did I did with Clyde. I did everything with Clyde and he's getting married and he's expecting me to come and be his best man. He's expecting to meet this wonderful young woman I've been telling him about for years and she broke up with me this morning.
Speaker 7Oh, this morning.
Speaker 2This morning.
Speaker 7I didn't know that.
Speaker 2It's because I didn't tell you. I didn't tell you, I mean functionally. I guess the relationship has been over for a while, but officially, 1045 this morning, pacific time.
Speaker 7Are you all right? Do I seem like I'm all right? No, actually I'm sort of all right.
Speaker 2But the prospect of facing my past alone would have made me not all right. So I asked you to come with me, and here you are and here I am. I'm not going to be your husband. I'm not going to be your husband. I'm not going to be your husband. I'm not going to be your husband.
Speaker 7And here I am.
Speaker 3Scene seven Linus' childhood bedroom with a teddy bear on the bed. Linus and Betsy walk in.
Speaker 7Where is everybody?
Speaker 2Well, my sister's a little party queen and my dad travels a lot ever since my mom died, I think he's in Japan now no, is he doing in Japan? I'm not at liberty to say.
Speaker 3Linus takes a photograph from the bookshelf and hands it to Betsy.
Speaker 2This is my prom picture.
Speaker 3Linus walks to the closet and takes out a tuxedo.
Speaker 2This is my tux.
Speaker 3Linus reaches into the jacket pocket and pulls out a business card and this is Destiny's card.
Speaker 7Oh, that's all Just just Destiny.
Speaker 2It's her name and her phone number 337-8469. T-e-s-t-i-n-y.
Speaker 7How convenient. I told you I wasn't making it up. Oh, my God, you sure weren't. Oh, she's very pretty.
Speaker 2I paid double for this, you stupid. I figured you know how many proms does the guy have? Mm-hmm, um, you can sleep in here. I'll sleep in my, in my dad's room. Okay, I'll get some dresses from Sally's closet so you can pick something out for tomorrow.
Speaker 7Um, can I? Can I take a t-shirt or something to like sleep in?
Speaker 2What's mine is yours, you may regret that Okay.
Speaker 3Linus walks out of the room. Betsy takes a t-shirt and box her shorts from the closet, goes into the bathroom and shuts the door. After a few moments, Linus walks in and hangs five dresses on some hooks that hang on the wall. The bathroom door opens and Betsy walks out wearing the t-shirt and box her shorts. She just washed her face.
Speaker 2That shirt Never looked like that when I wore it.
Speaker 7Wow, a couple of silicone injections. You'd be a new woman, Linus.
Speaker 2I brought five for you to look at.
Speaker 7Ooh, rainbow colors like assorted fruit lifesavers that's what.
Speaker 2I was going for.
Speaker 3Betsy takes letters from a young poet from her purse.
Speaker 2You gonna read.
Speaker 7I always read in bed. Puts me to sleep.
Speaker 2I could read it to you if you wanted.
Speaker 7Sure, that would be nice.
Speaker 3Betsy flips on the lamp by the bed, turns off the main room light and gets into bed. Linus walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. Betsy picks up the teddy bear.
Speaker 7Does this bear have a name?
Speaker 2He more the bear. He's great for venting aggression.
Speaker 3Linus throws the teddy bear across the room and hits the wall. I've missed that bear.
Speaker 2It's horrible. It's a stuffed animal.
Speaker 3Linus opens the book.
Speaker 2Now let's see here Letters to a young poet. Letter number three Grow up and stop rhyming. It doesn't say that I'm reading between the lines. You do your way, I'll do mine.
Speaker 7Can you just read it?
Speaker 3Let's see now. Linus reads Betsy a bit of the third letter as lights fade. Scene eight a banquet hall where Clyde's wedding is taking place. Linus picks up a glass of water from the table. He taps a spoon against the glass a few times.
Speaker 2I'm Told, its customary for the best man to make a toast. So Clyde was my first friend. We got baby pictures together. We grew up together. I Remember when we were ten, clyde and I, we were bored.
Speaker 2We were bored one day and we decided to go check out the the temple of danger at the Met. So there we are. I'm about to throw a penny into the water surrounding the temple to make my wish. Clyde hands me a skateboard to hold and says and Says he wants to wade through the water. He starts taking off his sneakers and socks and I'm standing next to him saying Clyde, you're crazy, you're gonna get in trouble. I'm, I'm staying right here, right. But he wouldn't listen. He said he had a Big wish to make, too big for just a penny. He had to really use himself, really use his whole self for this one. So, sure enough, when the coast is clear and no guards are in the room, yeah, clyde walked through the wishing pool and got out the other side. Uh-huh, and the next day he he not only Not only got his first kiss, but he got his second kiss as well. Mm-hmm. Yeah, thereby beating me to female lips by approximately two years. And now I'm not.
Speaker 2Here we are 13 years later and Clyde's getting married. I'm supposed to make a best man a Toast, because I'm the best man and all I can say is you must be crazy. You may, you may get in trouble. You may be crazy and at least for the moment I'm staying right where I am. But you, clyde, you, you know you. You have a beautiful bride, jolie. May all your wishes come true. That's it, I'm done. Everybody can go back to what they were doing.
Speaker 3See, nine Linus and Clyde are sitting at a table talking passionately to one another with the way too old friends who haven't seen each other and a way too long can do after they warm up. Clyde is a wealthy young beatnik with a goatee and a gold card. He's wearing tails and sunglasses.
Speaker 8Racism. It's big issue. It's tough to comprehend. It's lots of different angles. I mean, it's massive. See, I take little steps, refuse to do my laundry, eat Reese's peat and butter cups instead, what you see, this is this is exactly what I'm telling you. You, you overlook this kind of stuff when you do your laundry. You're supposed to separate the colors from the whites, right? Well, there's no way I'm gonna support something like that. So instead I find comfort in a Reese's peanut butter cup. You get your chocolate in my peanut butter. No, no, no. You got your peanut butter on my chocolate. The first. Granted, it's a rather frightening concept, but you taste it and you realize combining different elements and tastes, you know it isn't such a bad idea. You just have your maid do your laundry.
Speaker 2You just have your maid do your laundry, that's beside the point the point is.
Speaker 8The point is that there are important messages in unexpected places and it's our duty to search for them.
Speaker 2I Do that with good and plenty. I Always get them as a sort of model for my life, my desire for a balanced life, a life of good and plenty.
Speaker 8Too much candy. It's just not good for you. It's in fruit instead.
Speaker 2Good and plenty moral, yet still an abundance of riches.
Speaker 8Riches or women?
Speaker 2Yes, both either yes.
Speaker 8I don't know man, I've modeled my life after Applejack, you know, the kid on the cereal box, just an upside-down happy kind of guy.
Speaker 2But what about the reality before the reality behind the fantasy? Applejack falls on his head. If people need fantasy, I don't know. I don't know. You buy a piece of bazooka chewing gum. You read the comic. There's bazooka Joe with his patch on his eye. Nobody ever says hey, bazooka Joe, remember that one time the Spike went through your eye and you bled profusely? Wasn't that funny? I?
Speaker 3Need a drink. Well, I'd finish this the drink on the table in front of him. I.
Speaker 2Need another drink you're drinking a lot.
Speaker 8You want a drink? I.
Speaker 2Don't drink anymore, Clyde.
Speaker 8Oh, right, right, I'm sorry, I knew that. I'm sorry, I just I'm, I'm used to you, just I know. Well, I do want another drink. Come get one with me. You can get a, surely temple or something.
Speaker 2You are the groom.
Speaker 3Linus and Clyde get up. Clyde spots two half finished drinks and stops.
Speaker 8Now is the glass half full or half empty? See, here's the trick. You find one each. You mix them together.
Speaker 3Clyde pours the drink in one of the glasses into the other glass and stirs it with his finger.
Speaker 8Good stiff drink.
Speaker 3Clyde drinks his concoction and walks off. Linus follows him. Scene 10 the men's bathroom. Linus and Clyde walk in. Clyde is drinking a vodka cranberry. Linus is drinking a surely temple.
Speaker 8I like her. Linus Is I really do. I Mean, I think she's a good person. We laugh. I think she's smart. I Like the way she looks when she wakes up. We have really good sex. You know, we laugh sometimes and sometimes we don't laugh and I don't know. Man, I guess you know, I guess I, I guess I love her. Valentine's Day doesn't bug me anymore. You know what I'm saying. Plus, it's a great reason to throw a party and wake up into adulthood really fast. Right, it's just like. It's like a microwave coming of age, but I really do love her.
Speaker 2I really do love catfish, but I don't want to eat it three meals a day for the rest of my life. I'm a Gemini, I can't choose just one thing, and I shouldn't have to Four basic food groups. So why just one woman? Tell me that.
Speaker 8Because women aren't food.
Speaker 2We evidently don't know the same people. I walk around campus at school, you know, and it's really hot, the temperature is high, the girls don't wear a lot and they look delicious. You talk to them at a party or a class or a cafeteria and you know they just they sound tasty.
Speaker 8They sound tasty.
Speaker 2It's like a buffet of women. There's just so many of them.
Speaker 8There are a lot of extraordinary women in this world, I know.
Speaker 2I had this twisted dream the other night. Three menage trois, a menage trois of menage trois, a triangle right, two women on each point, me smack dab in the middle. Diana Ross and Farrah Fawcett were over there. Audrey Hepburn and Vivian Lee were over here. Marsha Brady and Rosalyn Carter were over there. Wait did you just say Rosalyn Carter? Hotest first lady until Michelle Obama?
Speaker 4Yes, six older women and me.
Speaker 2It was, it just was. I love older women, except how do you pick them up, right? What do you say? Remember Watergate? I don't.
Speaker 3Clyde finishes the drink he was holding and pulls a pack of rolling papers and a small bag of marijuana from one of his pockets. He starts rolling a joint.
Speaker 2You know, from an evolutionary standpoint it makes more sense. It makes sense for men to fuck around.
Speaker 8Biologically. I mean Wait, where the fuck did that come from?
Speaker 2It's just stuff that's been on my mind.
Speaker 8Just because something's been on your mind doesn't mean you can use Darwin to justify your sex life. All right.
Speaker 2I'm serious. Minogamy just makes more sense for women. For women, the focus is quality, for men, quantity.
Speaker 8I can't believe you are really using Darwin to justify your sex life. Linus, linus, I'm shocked, I'm serious. I'm aware of that. Listen, you can justify your point of view and I can justify mine. I've got somebody who I know, somebody who I really care about. I know stories about our childhood. Why would I want to go through all the getting to know somebody, stuff again?
Speaker 2Because that's the best part, that can be the best part. I just I love the mystery, the excitement of getting to know somebody new, exploring their body for the first time, getting used to the way their skin tastes, not knowing who they are, just knowing you want to be together.
Speaker 8Sounds very less tango in Paris, if you ask me.
Speaker 2Exactly. Yes, I love that movie. No names Everything outside this room is bullshit. Yes, exactly, that is what I love. That's what I love.
Speaker 8May I remind you what happens at the end of last tango in Paris, linus? Well, after the sodomy with the butter, the lady kills the guy, he gets killed at the end.
Speaker 3Clyde turns and speaks directly to the audience.
Speaker 8By the way sorry if I spoiled it for you there is a scene with sodomy and butter, and you should have seen it by now.
Speaker 3Scene 11, the banquet hall. Betsy is sitting alone at a table. Peter, an attractive guy the same age as Linus and Clyde, sits down next to her. People are starting to talk.
Speaker 7What about?
Speaker 3You sitting here all alone. They say you're in love with yourself. Say it ain't so.
Speaker 7Well, if you don't love yourself, how can you begin to love anybody or anything else?
Speaker 3Touche, I don't think I've ever seen you before.
Speaker 7I know I've never seen you before.
Speaker 3Are you a friend of the bride?
Speaker 7No, no, I'm a friend of the groom.
Speaker 3I'm a friend of the groom, but you're not with me Makes me think you must be with a different friend of the groom.
Speaker 7Sherlock Holmes move out of the way.
Speaker 3Who's your friend?
Speaker 7Linus Worth. Oh God.
Speaker 3You must be Robin. All of us heard about you for so long. You know, I grew up with Linus.
Speaker 7Excuse me, my name is Betsy. I'm not Robin. I'm Betsy.
Speaker 3Oh, I'm sorry.
Speaker 7Nice to meet you.
Speaker 3My name's Peter.
Speaker 7Nice to meet you, Peter.
Speaker 3Nice to meet you. Betsy, I just thought you know that Linus will be coming with Robin.
Speaker 7Oh, they broke up yesterday.
Speaker 3Oh, that's too bad. Well, good old Linus, sort of a Superman that way, faster than a speeding bullet, gets right back on the proverbial horse and all.
Speaker 7I don't mean to burst your bubble or whatever, but Linus and I haven't even so much as kissed one another.
Speaker 3Oh, I see Just friends.
Speaker 7We just met, actually yesterday.
Speaker 3We didn't, he didn't, he didn't buy any chance hire you.
Speaker 7Are you asking if I'm a whore?
Speaker 3I just it's just that at our prom.
Speaker 7No, it's okay, I'm not. I'm not a professional. I go to school with Linus. We hang out with different people, but I saw this film we made.
Speaker 3How are his films? All of us back here are always trying to make him send something along a videotape or something, but what's his stuff like? What's it about?
Speaker 7Well, the one I saw. They were showing a bunch of student films and Linus showed his this short film called First Kiss. It starts off one afternoon, late late in the afternoon, on this empty beach, and this boy drives up in a big truck with a friend. Okay, and they start taking things from the back of the truck an enormous brass bed and beautiful bedding. And then there are. They use these two poles with some canvas stretch between them. They secure the poles in the water, so there's a small movie screen a little ways off off the shore and it keeps getting a little darker bit by bit.
Speaker 7Okay, then the friend gets into the truck and drives off While the boy put some film into the projector and make sure nobody comes along to ruin anything and adjust everything, just so. And then finally the truck comes back and the door opens and out walks this girl who sees the boy and the bed and the moon and the makeshift movie theater, and she smiles. So they, they get on the bed and the movie starts. It's Willy Wonka and they kiss for the first time and they just keep kissing as if none of it was planned. All of it just happened. This, this one moment, that just just was.
Speaker 3It reminds me of this film I saw when I was in Paris in my junior year, scene 12. The men's bathroom. Linus and Clyde are standing in front of the bathroom mirror.
Speaker 2Clyde is smoking a joint and she asked me if I had been unfaithful, and he told her the truth. I'm so confused.
Speaker 1You want to hit.
Speaker 2No, I just want to be not confused.
Speaker 8You sure you don't want to hit?
Speaker 2Why do you so smoke that stuff? You know, I want to hear. I want to hear what you have to say.
Speaker 8I mean Sherlock Holmes said to escape on we, I say to alleviate boredom, Same idea.
Speaker 2Clyde, if you have to alleviate boredom at your own wedding, you might be in some serious trouble.
Speaker 8It calms me down, all right. I mean, who knows if this is even real? Any of this is real, I don't know. Maybe we're not in control of our own lives anyway. Maybe we're elaborate puppets. Maybe maybe this mirror is a camera. Maybe maybe there's an audience of people and it's some kind of crazy psychedelic zoom meeting being broadcast on something like YouTube that we haven't even heard of yet. Maybe there's just this audience of beings out there watching us, just watching what we do. So what if I get married or don't get married, you know, in the long run, we're born, we fuck and we die, you're baked, I'm married and I'm drunk and I want to go on my honeymoon and bone down. That's it.
Speaker 2We've been away from your party for so long. Your wife has probably run off with the DJ.
Speaker 8Hug me why.
Speaker 3Because I love you. You fuck. Now come here, hug me Linus, hugs Clyde.
Speaker 8I love you man.
Speaker 3Same here. Buddy Clyde breaks from the hug.
Speaker 8All right, I got a honeymoon to get on with.
Speaker 3Clyde stubs out the joint on one of the sinks. He takes out some vising in binocca and puts some vising in his eyes and sprays the binocca in his mouth.
Speaker 8Over and.
Speaker 2Oh, um out.
Speaker 3They exit the bathroom, scene 13, the banquet hall. Betsy and Peter are sitting at a table. Linus walks over.
Speaker 2Hey Peter.
Speaker 3Hey, Linus Betsy here was just telling me about the stuff you're doing out on the West Coast. Sounds great.
Speaker 2Actually, no, it doesn't sound great because all I've made are silent films so far. But when I make one that does sound great, you'll be the first to know.
Speaker 3Same old Linus, always kidding.
Speaker 2Yeah, you obnoxious, boring piece of shit.
Speaker 3Excuse me.
Speaker 2Oh you know, same old Linus, always kidding.
Speaker 3Right, well, betsy, it's been a pleasure. Excuse me, peter walks away. Linus sits in his chair, ahem.
Speaker 7Linus, that wasn't very nice.
Speaker 2There's a lot to unpack there. He's been a prick since we were seven.
Speaker 7Well, at least he's consistent.
Speaker 2Did he have anything interesting to say?
Speaker 7Well, he talked to me, which is more than I can say for you.
Speaker 2I'm talking to you now.
Speaker 7Where have you been the past 45 minutes?
Speaker 2I was with Clyde, we were talking.
Speaker 7I was about to call the police and report you as kidnapped.
Speaker 2What if I said I was sorry?
Speaker 7Well, it depends on if it's an apology or a description Both Well, I'd say that actions speak louder than words.
Speaker 2You shouldn't have to say actions, speak louder than words. You should act. You should speak louder than words. Okay, alright, what if I show you the best time of your life tonight? Spontaneity at its finest. You will paint the town red.
Speaker 7I'd say red is my favorite color.
Speaker 3Linus pulls the cherry out of his Shirley Temple and hands it to Betsy.
Speaker 7Here, oh, thank you.
Speaker 3Betsy eats the cherry holding the stem.
Speaker 7You're wondering if I can knot this stem with my tongue, aren't you?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 7Keep wondering.
Speaker 3Betsy toss the cherry stem away.
Speaker 2What'd you and Peter talk about?
Speaker 7Oh, and we just kissed a lot.
Speaker 2Oh, really.
Speaker 7No, no, we talked about you mostly.
Speaker 2What did he say?
Speaker 7I said more than he did. I told him about first kiss.
Speaker 2My film first kiss. Yeah, you saw that yeah.
Speaker 7Last year.
Speaker 2What'd you think?
Speaker 7I don't think I'd be here with you if I hated it.
Speaker 2So things are not as spontaneous as they seem.
Speaker 7Maybe not Maybe so.
Speaker 2I have a confession to make. I sort of knew you too.
Speaker 7How. I saw you at a party once, I remember it very well.
Speaker 2I looked across the room and I spotted some pearls which you don't see every day these days. So I looked up to see who was wearing them. And there you are and you were talking to somebody just smiling and laughing, and I forgot about the pearls.
Speaker 3I was just like. I'm going to take a picture of you. I'm going to take a picture of you, let's go. Linus takes Betsy by the hand and starts to walk out.
Speaker 2Betsy doesn't quite know what to make of Linus's abruptness. What's the rush?
Speaker 3I don't like goodbyes, and also I don't want to miss the temple of Dendur. What they walk out, no, before the temple of Dendur, it was to be called the person fuel tank of god or the spirit that made themισomple, but is profound and beautiful in its own eye.
Speaker 2They temper disciples in Japan and owned a sister crowd and stroked the hands of coconuts in国 no-transcript weeks later.
Speaker 3Then they headed to Gegie's frogs堅城, which they said was safe in எh생玉冔道. Parent can tie up this 还是 take our license and paint together in אנ.
Speaker 7All those different wishes in there.
Speaker 2I love wishes. The only reason I own a digital clock is when it's 11-11, you get to make a wish. You do that Ever since I was a kid Same with me the only two things you can trust in this world 11-11 and the wishing pool at the temple of Jendur. Nothing else works.
Speaker 7What makes you so short?
Speaker 2God told me.
Speaker 7Oh, oh, oh. God tells you things, does he?
Speaker 2We were getting drunk once at a bar and he confided in me oh God, drinks he used to. Oh, he's an AA now, or is it AAA?
Speaker 7Oh, that's actually cars Right.
Speaker 2Yeah, he doesn't kiss his Jeep brakes, but AA really keeps him alive.
Speaker 7My name's God. I'm an alcoholic.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 7So all that God is dead, stuff was wrong. That's good, that is good to know.
Speaker 2He was so upset by the whole thing. He wasn't dead, he was just a hangover. He just needed a nap. You're not tired, are you?
Speaker 4No wide awake.
Speaker 7I slept like a baby last night.
Speaker 2We have a whole, a full night ahead of us.
Speaker 7Oh, what's it full of.
Speaker 2Spontaneity. That's all I claim to know.
Speaker 7There's no plan, just go along for the ride.
Speaker 2Yep, okay. Well, we didn't miss the temple of Jendur. I had to see it for old time's sake. I've seen it, you've seen it. Well, let's go Okay.
Speaker 7Are we going to be leaving every place in a hurry?
Speaker 2this evening Is that there's no plan.
Speaker 7That's not true. Spontaneity is a plan.
Speaker 2Well, aren't we in college?
Speaker 7Well, what's that supposed to mean?
Speaker 2I'll analyze sentences back in California. There's no time for that sort of thing right now. Okay, we've got a town to paint.
Speaker 3Blindness starts to walk out. Betsy glances at the pennies in the water.
Speaker 7I wonder if my wish will come true. What?
Speaker 3do you wish for?
Speaker 7I don't even try it.
Speaker 3They walk out Scene 15. Linus and Betsy are standing on the Empire State Building's observation deck looking out over Manhattan and beyond through the clear night air, at the lights and the birds flying around.
Speaker 2Last time I was here, I got a nose bleed.
Speaker 7Ugh, no wonder.
Speaker 2I was doing a lot of things. I was doing a lot of cocaine with Clyde. The view looks so different when you're paranoid.
Speaker 7You can see everything.
Speaker 2Give me something to throw at the birds.
Speaker 7If you dropped a penny from up here and hit somebody on the head, you think you would really drill a hole and kill them.
Speaker 2The bad news is, yes, it would kill them. The good news is, it'd be an epic wish.
Speaker 7No, no, no. I thought 1111 and the Temple of Dender were the only surefire wishes.
Speaker 2Yes, but it also works when you kill somebody with a penny.
Speaker 5Cool, Cool cool, cool.
Speaker 7You and your wishes. You made one too, yes, but I didn't make a speech about God being an alcoholic.
Speaker 2He's an alcoholic, he's a workaholic and I mean it took him six days to create the fucking earth.
Speaker 7Okay, he made some mistakes he was drunk.
Speaker 2Oh my God, you are you are here.
Speaker 7we are on the top of the Empire State Building on a Saturday night and you're wearing a tuxedo, trying to tell me that God is an alcoholic. I think I find that funny.
Speaker 2Could you come here. A second Come here.
Speaker 3Betsy moves closer to Linus.
Speaker 2Closer.
Speaker 3Betsy moves closer.
Speaker 2Closer.
Speaker 3Betsy moves closer. She's very close to Linus now.
Speaker 2Would you ask me to come closer to you and then kiss?
Speaker 7Closer.
Speaker 3Linus moves closer to Betsy and she kisses him A tender first kiss.
Speaker 2Thank you. I hate making the first move, but I'm also impatient, so I Betsy kisses Linus for a long while. No matter how many times I do that, I always feel like I'm 12. Let's kiss for hours. Let's kiss until our lips hurt.
Speaker 3They kiss for as long as it takes to make an average theater audience slightly uncomfortable. In 2016, Linus and Betsy are sitting at a table inside a 24-hour greasy spoon diner, glowing in their formal wear, looking totally out of place, yet also looking exactly right.
Speaker 2Do you like kissing me?
Speaker 7What kind of a question is that?
Speaker 2I just wanted to make sure it was okay.
Speaker 7How do you think it was?
Speaker 2I thought it was great.
Speaker 7So what's the problem?
Speaker 2I just want to know if you think I was great.
Speaker 7What do you think?
Speaker 2I think I was exceptional.
Speaker 7All men think they're exceptional kissers, you know, I mean.
Speaker 2But very few have a trophy to prove it.
Speaker 7You don't have a kissing trophy Sure I do I do?
Speaker 2It's a little one, it's not much. If you've got a trophy then what do you need me for? You're prettier than my trophy. You kiss better too. Your skin smells sweeter. Your hair wraps around my fingers. I mean, my trophy doesn't even have hair.
Speaker 7Well, I mean, you could buy a trophy wig.
Speaker 3A waitress comes over, Pat and pencil in hand.
Speaker 4Hi, welcome to Lennings. What can I get for you tonight, please?
Speaker 2Ready to order.
Speaker 7Yes, I will have, please, a grilled cheese with tomato and a fruit salad.
Speaker 4What kind of cheese?
Speaker 7Cheddar.
Speaker 4What kind of bread?
Speaker 7A whole wheat, please.
Speaker 4Anything to drink with that?
Speaker 7New Coke, please.
Speaker 4Excuse me.
Speaker 7New Coke.
Speaker 4We only have Coke.
Speaker 7Oh, which kind Coke. You don't know if it's classic or new.
Speaker 4Just Coke Okay.
Speaker 7I'll have a lemonade, thank you.
Speaker 2Okay, and you Seven up.
Speaker 4Sure Sprite okay.
Speaker 2Yeah, sprite's okay, okay, but I'd like a seven up.
Speaker 4We don't have seven up Is the sprite that we have okay.
Speaker 2Does it have a taste of lime in Look?
Speaker 4it's Sprite, it's just Sprite.
Speaker 2Awesome, just Sprite, then Thank you. And cheeseburger, medium rare with feta cheese.
Speaker 7Oh, blindness, what Do you know how bad that is for you?
Speaker 2It tastes good.
Speaker 7Okay, but sure it tastes good. But are you aware what you're putting in your body?
Speaker 2You washed down a volume with booze, thousands of feet in the air, and you're telling me what I should and shouldn't put in my body.
Speaker 7The heart attack unit. My father's hospital has never had a vegetarian come through its doors.
Speaker 2When I get back to California I'll hire a vegetarian to come through his doors. But right now I'll have a feta cheeseburger.
Speaker 7No, I won't kiss you.
Speaker 2I'll have a grilled cheese on white bread with feta and tomatoes, a fruit salad and a Sprite. How does that sound.
Speaker 4Are you finished?
Speaker 1I think so.
Speaker 4In that case, it sounds great.
Speaker 3The waiter takes the menus and walks away.
Speaker 7Here pressure, she hates us but you know what your heart attack will. Thank me.
Speaker 2Taste Spudzel. Hold a grudge forever.
Speaker 3Betsy leans over and kisses Linus.
Speaker 2My taste buds will like you to know that they officially forgive you. You taste sweet.
Speaker 7Oh, dessert from the wedding, it was creme brulee. You were talking it quiet.
Speaker 2I'm glad you came out this weekend.
Speaker 7You're a pretty great kisser. I just thought I should just tell you.
Speaker 2Thanks to Detango.
Speaker 7What does Detango have to do with kissing?
Speaker 2I don't know. All I know is I got my wish.
Speaker 3Scene 17. Betsy is sitting on Linus' bed. Linus is searching through a box of tapes.
Speaker 2What was I thinking listening to this stuff? I hate every tape I ever bought Chicago 16, Chicago 17, Chicago 18.
Speaker 7Just put on the radio.
Speaker 3Linus flips on the radio in search of a station. A song like Don't Cry Out Loud is playing. Yes.
Speaker 2Suppress your emotions, that's a good message.
Speaker 3Linus turns the dial. Take good care of yourself as playing something overly possessive.
Speaker 2A cheery song about slavery. It is not about slavery it might have more been the theme song to Roots.
Speaker 3Linus turns the dial. A Gregorian chant is playing. Linus sits on the bed.
Speaker 7Whoa, whoa, whoa whoa. What are you doing?
Speaker 2I'm about to kiss you.
Speaker 7You're not going to leave that out, are you?
Speaker 2You don't find Gregorian chants romantic.
Speaker 4Hmm, hmm, hmm.
Speaker 3Linus turns the dial, a song about always loving somebody and everlasting love. Love forever is playing, hmm.
Speaker 2This. This should be illegal. There should be a law against these kinds of songs.
Speaker 7I like this song no come on.
Speaker 2You can't tell me you really fall for this. There should be somebody who tracks down songwriters who write songs about everlasting love forever and they're not still in love with the person. If the songwriter is not still in love with the person who inspired the song ten years later, they should have to give back their royalties.
Speaker 7Okay, they're singing about what they feel.
Speaker 2Most of them are lying.
Speaker 7The songs might not be factual, but they're emotionally true. They're capturing the feeling of being in love.
Speaker 2So they should sing. I think I'll always love you. I hope I always do.
Speaker 3I know the statistics indicate otherwise, but Linus turns, the dial Song like Wonderful Tonight is playing.
Speaker 2Now this this is the song. You see, he's being positive but he's being realistic. You know, tomorrow, who knows? But tonight, tonight, you look.
Speaker 7If you keep talking, it will soon be tomorrow.
Speaker 3Linus takes Betsy in his arms and kisses her with great passion.
Speaker 2Do you remember when Classic Rock was just rock? Yeah, yeah, I do.
Speaker 3Betsy kisses Linus.
Speaker 7I loved having you read to me last night.
Speaker 2I have a few talents Kissing, directing films, reading to girls named Betsy at bedtime.
Speaker 7My father reads to my mother to help her go to sleep, and she told me that's why she fell in love with him.
Speaker 2Are your folks still together?
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Are they happy?
Speaker 7Yeah, yeah, they are, I think. I think they're probably the happiest married couple I've ever seen.
Speaker 2Why? I mean, what do you think they do?
Speaker 7They're kind to each other, they're polite with each other. They still like each other. You know it's pretty weird actually.
Speaker 2Does your father still read to your mother?
Speaker 7Every night she falls asleep with her head on his chest.
Speaker 1What's wrong? Nothing.
Speaker 2I just can't sleep. Why not? I'm not really I don't fall asleep when I'm in bed with somebody else. It's difficult, I need.
Speaker 7I love Lucy Bets, so you do want me to go to sleep in the living room, or something.
Speaker 2No, no, no, no. I want to sleep. I want, I don't. I don't know what I want, I just know. It's just that I know Robin used to fall asleep exactly like you Head in the same place, same exact thing. I'm sorry, it's not your fault, it's just I shouldn't I woke you up. I'm sorry.
Speaker 7No, no, it's okay, it's okay, I'm up now. What's actually wrong?
Speaker 2It's just that when Robin and I first fell in love, you know what? It was a big deal. I mean, she was really it, my first love. Big stuff, earth-shaking stuff. I could never fall asleep with her in my bed. So, you know, I just lay awake all night staring at this beautiful creature in my arms, wondering what I did to deserve such luck. I would always be a zombie the next day. I had to take naps all the time. I felt like I was five years old again.
Speaker 1But it didn't matter.
Speaker 2It was worth it just to watch my princess fall in love, to watch her sleep every night. And then one day it wasn't worth it. I'd leave at night, go back to my dorm room, get a full night's sleep, the romance, the thrill, the excitement. It had dulled a little and all that was left were these two people me over here sleeping in one bed, her over there sleeping in another. And for the first time there's just this space in between separating us. No matter how hard I tried, she was just too far away.
Speaker 7You really miss her.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, she was my first love. You know, like I said, yeah, I miss her God.
Speaker 7What.
Speaker 2You know, I kiss Robin, I sleep with Robin. I grow distant from Robin. I kiss somebody else, I sleep with them. I never want to see them again. And then here I am, kissing you, sleeping with you, sleeping near you, got it? Yeah, and you know, is it just going to follow the same pattern? Am I just some romantic flying Dutchman? How do I know? You don't?
Speaker 7You don't know. You shouldn't know anything You're not supposed to. You know, love isn't facts, it isn't knowledge. You know, if it was, it would be known and people would say well, you know, I've fallen in knowledge, right, I mean, and it would be boring and we'd all find something else to do.
Speaker 2Do you think it's easier for fortune tellers to fall in love since they know it's going to happen?
Speaker 7I don't believe in fortune tellers.
Speaker 2I wish I did.
Speaker 7Oh, you um, you can't wish.
Speaker 3Why not it's?
Speaker 7not 11-11.
Speaker 3Betsy points to the alarm clock Don't do it. Scene 19. Airplane Linus and Betsy are sitting next to one another.
Speaker 2Now hold on a second. Let me get this straight Love isn't knowledge, but it's an airplane.
Speaker 7Sort of.
Speaker 2First, pat Benatar says it's a battlefield. Now you say it's an airplane, love's an airplane.
Speaker 7All I'm saying is it might be Okay, listen, you made a decision by getting on this plane, right, you wanted to get someplace and you might have had more freedom, in a way, you know, if you had stayed on the ground, but you might not end up getting where you wanted to go.
Speaker 2What if I wanted to get on the plane but decided halfway through the trip that I wanted to be on the ground?
Speaker 7Well, you know, there are parachutes, risky parachutes. But if you didn't want to get off, if you were enjoying the ride, you could just stay on and maybe you could become the pilot.
Speaker 2And you could become a stewardess.
Speaker 7Or I could become a pilot and you could become a steward.
Speaker 2No, I'd want to be a stewardess because I want to wear that skirt.
Speaker 7You should say I'm joking sometimes, Like after that one. You could have said I'm joking after that one.
Speaker 1So, let me go straight.
Speaker 2Bear with me for a moment. The plane ride that's like marriage, or at least some sort of commitment. The ground no. Plane ride that's like little journeys, total freedom, not a lot of distance covered. Pilots stand for a lifetime monogamy. Did I get all that right?
Speaker 7Yeah, you are very clever. Sorry, you got a little baby silver star there you go Baby gold star. Well, that's, I'm sorry, pal, you got a gold star. When you get the moral behind the symbols, it'll work a little harder. You know what am I saying? Big picture time, come on.
Speaker 2Something about airplanes.
Speaker 7Make a choice, just make a choice. Okay, who knows which, who cares? Catch a later flight, get off the airplane at the airport, go straight back to where you came from. But you got to know what you want, you know. Don't act like you're flying when you're really walking, or walking when you're really flying, or walking and flying at the same time.
Speaker 2But I'm a Gemini.
Speaker 7Well, I'm a Pisces Linus, that doesn't mean I'm a fish Geez.
Speaker 2Did you take some sort of course in all this?
Speaker 7No, no, I just think about it Like all the time.
Speaker 2I didn't realize how important airplanes were in your life.
Speaker 7No, not just airplanes. You can turn almost anything into a metaphor for love.
Speaker 2The airplane. Food could be a metaphor for love.
Speaker 7No, no, absolutely not.
Speaker 4If you look towards the screen in the front of your cabin, we'll now be showing a preview of our in-flight movie feature.
Speaker 1Gatorade Tarkington from the Fadalis Cowboys is Romeo, A patriotic cop who's starting to lose hope.
Speaker 2This is one of my films.
Speaker 7Actually, I'm very proud of it, you could never, never make a movie like that.
Speaker 2Why not? I thought it was my, my choice to make whatever. I made it.
Speaker 7No, it's just not. That is not you.
Speaker 2Well, what's me then? Well, I only saw first kiss but you saw one short film and yet you're already ready to define me in my work. I swear everybody's a critic. Let's hear it. What's me, what's me?
Speaker 7Well, okay, you seem to be all about going to these ridiculous lengths to manufacture romance. How's that? I mean, I get it. There's a man and he wants to sweep this woman off her feet, but it's almost the whole process that turns him on, rather than the woman herself. You know, she could almost be an object, as long as, as long as he could still play the game, complete the chase. It's romantic, it's really romantic, but there's room for growth.
Speaker 2Right.
Speaker 7What's wrong?
Speaker 2Nothing, nothing.
Speaker 7You sure?
Speaker 2No, yeah, it's just I've been. I was thinking about this new film I've been putting together.
Speaker 7Oh, you didn't. You didn't tell me you were working on a new film.
Speaker 2Yeah, well, that's, I'm a film student, so it's usually what I'm doing.
Speaker 7What's it about?
Speaker 2It's about this guy. He's writing a love letter to his girlfriend on her birthday. She's 3000 miles away, on the other side of the country. He decides to write a letter, a love letter, in longhand, because it's more romantic than and typing. Obviously his pencil breaks he. He tries five pencils, they all break. So he writes the letter in his own. He writes the letter in his own blood. He goes to send it to Federal Express, but he gets to the office four minutes late and it's closed. Of course. Very suspicious, super stiscious guy, great believer in fate. He takes the broken pencils and the closed FedEx office as signs and he just realizes he has to see her. He has to bring her the letter by hand. So he books a flight but the plane runs out of fuel. He has to make a splash landing. Luckily, like he survives. He can't find his wallet. He tries to call his girlfriend but her answer in machine picks up and she's just not answering.
Speaker 7Wow, where?
Speaker 2OK, where is she, she's not there, she's not picking up. So he breathes. It takes a deep breath and he starts to walk, walks to her door, sits on her porch waiting. Finally she arrives home, they embrace, he gives her the letter and she is Moved. The guy just wants to put the day's troubles behind him All the. He just wants to settle in for a romantic evening with his love. They try to put on some romantic music, but her stereo is broken. So, even though the stove doesn't work and they don't have lighters to light any matches, they managed to light a candle with the help of two twigs and a magnifying glass. Wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 7No, how Hold on? How is there sunlight during the evening? The sun lamp is involved somehow.
Speaker 2Ok, anyway, the girlfriend is like this tan obsessed daughter of George Hamilton, whatever they have, yeah. So the point is forget the problems, forget the hassles, because they're these two, they're finally together and they're in love, and they set the candles on the bedside table and they go about their naughty business. Fortunately, they go about their business with a little too much zest, a little vicar zest, and they knock the bedside table over, so the candle drops on the floor, they set the rug on fire and then there's this neat effect that makes the film burn up, and after, after that, there's the long, the closing credits, so it's called Burning Desire. You don't think I'm too predictable to you? No, I, I think you're adorable.
Speaker 2But you're totally right about my films, like I said there, there's room for growth.
Speaker 7But when you're ready to grow, you will. But I'm only talking about your stuff, because there's something really good there already. There's room for growth in everything you know. It's not a bad thing.
Speaker 2You make me feel better than I did before. I knew you Same here.
Speaker 7You know what I mean.
Speaker 2But you know, I felt the same about Robin when I at first Well, not her, Linus, Not a variation on some theme.
Speaker 7Ok, I am a whole different composer. Ok, sure there are. There are going to be things in common. Mozart had ears, Bach had ears. Mozart put notes down on paper. So did Bach. But listen to the music, Linus. Listen. Listen to what each one wrote.
Speaker 2The metaphor thing is it's getting pretty out of hand. First planes, now dead guy music and Is there any? Is there anything that isn't like something else, that's just Itself?
Speaker 7When do you have to be back at school Tomorrow afternoon.
Speaker 3Do you feel like taking a drive when we got home, when You'll see A beautiful expensive, tastefully decorated house on the beach in Malibu colony at sunset, betsy walks in the front door, followed by Linus who shuts the door behind him. Whose place is this? Well, my family's Not bad. It's my favorite place in the world.
Speaker 7I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure.
Speaker 2Not bad.
Speaker 7It's my favorite place in the world. Follow me.
Speaker 3Linus follows Betsy as she walks her through the house. She reaches some glass doors and opens them, and we are outside on the deck. Nothing comes between Linus and Betsy and the vastness of the Pacific Ocean but a thin strip of sand.
Speaker 1Wow.
Speaker 7This. This isn't like anything else, this is just yes.
Speaker 2I'd love to shoot a film here.
Speaker 7Don't film it Just be here, yeah, but I'd still be great to shoot a film.
Speaker 2It's just, it's Amazing Infinite possibilities. I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure, I'm not sure.
Speaker 7Infinite possibilities. Sometimes, when I was younger, I'd be walking around, just walking around here during the day, and you know, get willing with my friends, or talking on the phone or watching TV, and you know my father would tell me that this place was special, that I should be careful not to waste my time here. He wanted me to take advantage of it, you know, not to miss out on it when I was here, when I was young, and I think that's why he got it in the first place. Actually, what.
Speaker 2I wish I'd known you when you were a little girl. I wish I'd. I wish I'd Knew what you were like.
Speaker 7Well, we have pictures, I will show you.
Speaker 3They both look out at the ocean. Betsy loves it, of course, but she's seen it before. Linus is captivated by it since he's visiting it's precious.
Speaker 7I'm going into the bedroom, I'm going to come.
Speaker 3Yes, they kiss.
Speaker 2I'll be there in a second.
Speaker 3Betsy walks inside, Linus stares off at the ocean, which is filled with so many choices Perhaps too many for confused young man who's fully aware that one day he'll be gone.
Speaker 7Linus.
Speaker 2I'll be there in a second.
Speaker 7Linus.
Speaker 2I'll be there in a second.
Speaker 7Linus, are you coming in?
Speaker 2I'll be there in a second.
Speaker 7Linus, I'll be there in a second.
Speaker 2Be there in a second.
Speaker 3Linus stays put, not moving, staring out at the ocean with a blank look on his face, paralyzed. He's going to play.
Speaker 2I'd like to say thank you He'll probably never hear it, but to Jonathan Mark Sherman, the playwright of Wonderful Time, again for that play and that Wonderful Time had by all performing, and hopefully you had a wonderful time listening as well. Thanks again to the cast Darren Ingram, todd Stubbler, karen Bond, sam Miklitch, hunter Ackerman, stephanie Renee Wall. And I want to thank, as I get to do every month, our Patreon curators for keeping the show going and growing Angelica Bolschweiler, anna Ginovola, charity Swanson, emily Thatcher, gina Dobbs, Jamie Carganilla, josepha Snyder, kelsey Blaine Gibson, krista King, merrill Milky, rom Farran and Susan Kuhn. Thank you all so much for everything you do, all your support of this show, and we'll see you very soon.