genesisFall2016.pdf genesis fall 2016 29 ACT I Scene 1 the refrigerator door in the center of the stage. There is darkness once more. For a moment, nothing changes, and then the lights MARSHALL Holy mother of biscuits! Emily! Would you come down to the kitchen, please? - Darling, why is your uncle’s prop skeleton in the fridge? EMILY MARSHALL EMILY Yeah. He’s always dreamed of living up in Alaska where it’s cold. It’s too hot here. He said it makes his bones sweat. MARSHALL Emily, would you take him out of the fridge? EMILY No. MARSHALL Please? EMILY You can’t make me! - lence, and then DELILAH comes from stage left. She is DELILAH Good morning, Marshall. MARSHALL Good morning, Delilah. You won’t believe what I found in the fridge this morning. DELILAH you found in the fridge this morning. But try me. Phil the Plastic Prop Skeleton Kathryn Staublin 30 genesis fall 2016 Kathryn Staublin MARSHALL fridge, you know. That skeleton is at least three DELILAH Please. MARSHALL Two spoonfuls of sugar? DELILAH spoons. MARSHALL Oh. Well, I don’t prefer sugar, so I wouldn’t know. DELILAH MARSHALL Can I ask you a personal question? DELILAH We’re married. Not sure how much more personal we can get. What’s on your mind? MARSHALL Well, I’ve been thinking— DELILAH That’s dangerous. MARSHALL —about, you know, the afterlife and such. And I was wondering how you felt about it. DELILAH About the afterlife? MARSHALL Yeah. I mean, what you believe. Do you…you know. Believe in ghosts? DELILAH I don’t see how that’s really a personal question, dear. MARSHALL I think it is, kind of. DELILAH Do you? MARSHALL Do I what? Believe in ghosts or think it’s a person al question? DELILAH Marshall, we don’t really have time for this. Emi ly has to get ready for school, and I haven’t even started breakfast. - MARSHALL I can help with breakfast. Would you like me to make some eggs or something? DELILAH No, dear. We’re running a bit late. Cereal will have to do. - ther. Unaware, Delilah sets the gallon of milk on the MARSHALL You never answered my question. DELILAH Yes, Marshall, I believe in ghosts. genesis fall 2016 31 Phil the Plastic Prop Skeleton MARSHALL Thank god. I mean, I don’t exactly believe in them, but at the same time, the idea kind of scares me, too. DELILAH I never said they scared me. MARSHALL What? DELILAH Ghosts. They don’t scare me. MARSHALL What do you mean? DELILAH Think about it. In real life, and in real life alone, ghosts are simply something we don’t understand. A ghost isn’t there, in our world, like us. A ghost can’t hurt you, Marshall. People can. MARSHALL What about poltergeists? You know. Spirits com ing back, haunting places, throwing things, pos sessing people…talking about how they wish they’d moved to Alaska. DELILAH Alaska? Movies aren’t real either, you know. I would be far more side of the table to the other. DELILAH What’s sparking this conversation? Did you have a dream or something? MARSHALL I’m just curious. There’s a lot we still don’t know about each other, and since the wedding we ha ven’t really had much time to ourselves. I mean, the honeymoon was nice, but we didn’t really talk much— DELILAH It’s not my fault we had to cut the honeymoon short, Marshall. Funerals aren’t exactly planned weeks in advance. MARSHALL MARSHALL (cont’d) Your uncle, was he a big Halloween decorator? DELILAH tually had what he called his “creepy room” in the basement, where he kept all these strange things he found at antique stores and whatnot. I don’t know why he felt compelled to share any of it with Emily. It must have meant a lot to him. His things, I mean. MARSHALL Shame I never met him. DELILAH I miss him. Marshall doesn’t say anything. He is still holding the MARSHALL Hey, I noticed it’s been a while since Emily went to stay over at any of her friends. 32 genesis fall 2016 DELILAH What? Are you interested in a romantic night alone? MARSHALL Well—actually, that would be nice, but I was just thinking about Emily. She and her best friend were so close way back when. And I’ve noticed her work… DELILAH Emily’s grades always go up and down. Kids can’t be perfect all the time. You’ll notice that after a while. MARSHALL DELILAH So she does. MARSHALL You know, I caught her laughing with that skele ton the other night. She must crack herself up. DELILAH Marshall? MARSHALL I just— I don’t know if she should be spending so much time with...out real people. She might end up— DELILAH Like you? MARSHALL What? DELILAH Introverted. Like you. Is that what you were going to say? MARSHALL I’m not introverted. I’m the best salesman in my department. DELILAH I know you are, dear. MARSHALL Delilah, let me be frank for a moment. Emily and I…haven’t spent a lot of time together. We’re not close. And I can’t say I know what’s best for her. But I’d like to think I could help her, you know, with her friends and her grades. I could even read to her if she’d let me— DELILAH She’s too old to have someone read to her. She likes to do it on her own. MARSHALL See, that’s what I mean. She can’t raise herself. DELILAH Excuse me? MARSHALL No, I didn’t mean— DELILAH No, I’m sure you didn’t. MARSHALL Lilah— DELILAH Marshall, don’t dig yourself into a deeper hole. fast. MARSHALL Do you want to talk about this later? DELILAH There’s nothing to talk about. You’re talking in cir cles. Ten minutes. MARSHALL Lilah, I think Emily should talk to a professional. DELILAH Professional? Why? (She takes a dish rag from the Kathryn Staublin genesis fall 2016 33 Phil the Plastic Prop Skeleton MARSHALL I think she’s going through some problems right now that you can’t help her with. She’s just been so withdrawn. DELILAH I’m not sending her to an overly educated knob about anything. MARSHALL Well, you, yes, but she doesn’t say anything to me— DELILAH You’re not her dad, Marshall. MARSHALL Legally, I am. Listen, Delilah, would never hurt you or Emily. DELILAH I’ve heard that before. MARSHALL Just because Emily’s father got sent to jail for stab doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same. Give me a chance to be everything that man never was. DELILAH I didn’t mar ry you so Emily could have a father. I married you because I didn’t want to be alone anymore. MARSHALL Well, did you ever think about why I married you? Did you think that maybe, just maybe, I wanted to have a family, and to be part of a family? DELILAH If you want to be part of a family then you need to act like it. MARSHALL What’s that supposed to mean? DELILAH Great, now Emily doesn’t have time for breakfast. Toaster pastries will have to do. MARSHALL Delilah, you need to listen to me. DELILAH I don’t want to hear it. - MARSHALL Delilah? Delilah, look at me! MARSHALL (con’t) Why do you have to make this so goddamned hard? There is a moment of silence, and then Emily, who is and then he looks at Emily, realizing what he has done. EMILY Why? Why did you do that? (Emily holds onto the Don’t you know that I love him? Why would you do that to him? Emily sits on the stairs for a moment, crying, and then 34 genesis fall 2016 Kathryn Staublin MARSHALL DELILAH Save it. - stands alone, watching. She stands straight and walks You said you wanted to be part of a family. If you really want to be a father— —then prove it. he’s now holding. Delilah crosses her arms. Marshall him to stage left. the stairway on stage right. DELILAH (cont’d) Emily? Emily, would you please come down here? I’d like to talk to you. - ing. EMILY Where’s Phil? DELILAH The prop skeleton? Marshall is looking after him. Here. Sit with me for a moment. (She sits down on the last We need to talk about...Phil. EMILY Why? - Is he going to be all right? DELILAH Honey…you didn’t know your uncle very well, around a prop skeleton all the time—well, that’s me is that you’re happy. EMILY I don’t understand. DELILAH You like Marshall, don’t you? - DELILAH (cont’d) I know you don’t always get along. But can you try, just for me? - Why did you name him Phil? EMILY wants to be called Phil. DELILAH Do me a favor? EMILY What? DELILAH Don’t ever tell Marshall that. EMILY But why? genesis fall 2016 35 Phil the Plastic Prop Skeleton DELILAH Marshall can’t handle things like that. You know, would be best to keep anything about Phil away from him. You don’t want to upset him, do you? EMILY No. DELILAH Good girl. EMILY Mommy? DELILAH Yeah? EMILY You do believe me, don’t you? DELILAH What? EMILY About Phil. That he talks to me. That he’s real. DELILAH Honestly, honey, I don’t know. But it doesn’t mat ter. If you’re happy, and if you keep in mind the fact that Phil might bother other peo ple…then I don’t see why you can’t keep him. I don’t want to take him away from you. After all, it was, in a sense, the dying wish of your great uncle. EMILY I like having him around. He’s good company. DELILAH Is he now? Are you ready for school? EMILY Yes. DELILAH Good. I’ll bring some toaster pastries so you can have breakfast on the way. EMILY Okay. Delilah kisses Emily’s forehead and then walks to the items away. - shall. EMILY (cont’d) MARSHALL Yeah. The plastic screws were just loose. Every (He hands I’m sorry I broke him. EMILY EMILY (cont’d) DELILAH Well, would you look at that. I think it’s an im provement. Go get your backpack, honey. I don’t want you to be late to school. EMILY Okay. DELILAH Emily? 36 genesis fall 2016 Kathryn Staublin EMILY Yeah? DELILAH Would you leave Phil here? He’s had a long day. I think he could use the rest. EMILY Yeah. Okay. Got it! DELILAH Go out to the car honey. I’ll catch up. Emily exits stage right. Marshall is still standing awk- him on the cheek. MARSHALL What was that for? DELILAH It doesn’t take much to be a good dad, Marshall. more patience. MARSHALL Thank God it’s Friday. DELILAH Come on. MARSHALL You really creep me out, you know. Huh. The End.