Following in the footsteps of my friend and writer Jacob Juntunen, I've decided to post short plays now and then in my blog. The one I'm posting today was recently seen in Nashville at the Ten-Minute Playhouse (even if runs about 7 minutes). 

                                                         We’re in a subway car. It’s run down, but efficient.
                                                         Well traveled and in a major metropolitan area. 
                                                         It’s a weekday, about lunchtime. 

                                                         LAURA, mid-20s and casually dressed, is seated 
                                                         and reading a book. She’s near the door. Across 
                                                         the train is SAM, maybe 30s or 40s, sitting with a 
                                                         newspaper and briefcase, dressed in a suit.
                                                         We hear a train announcement, in a automated 
                                                         kind of voice that is just clear enough to 
                                                         understand.

                                                         ANNOUNCEMENT
Next stop Fulston Station.

                                                         LAURA looks at SAM over her book. And goes 
                                                         back to reading. But then looks at him again and 
                                                         puts her book down.

                                                         LAURA
Anything happening in the world today?

                                                         No response from SAM.

                                                         LAURA (cont’d)
Great.
                                      (to herself)
Awesome.

                                                         LAURA goes back to her book.
                                                         
                                                        ANNOUNCEMENT
Now approaching Fulston Station, please exit the train on your right. Thank you.
                                     (PAUSE)
Doors opening.

                                                       ALAN enters. 20s and fit, he’s also dressed 
                                                       casually. HE sits in the seats near LAURA. HE 
                                                       carries a small cooler, the kind that might hold a 
                                                       six-pack.

                                                       ANNOUNCEMENT (cont’d)
Doors closing. Next stop, McKinley Avenue.

                                                      LAURA looks at ALAN and his cooler.


                                                      Then her book. 


                                                      Then ALAN.

                                                      LAURA
Hi... I’m Laura.

                                                      ALAN
I’m working.

                                                      LAURA
Oh. ... Okay.

                                 (Pause.)

                                                      ALAN
I’m sorry -- you were being nice. 

                                                      LAURA
I was trying.

                                                      ALAN
This is my first time doing this.

                                                      LAURA
Riding the subway or talking to strangers?

                                                      ALAN
My new job, I’m on the clock. I’m really nervous. I don’t want to get distracted and 
miss my stop.

                                                     LAURA
Understood. No distracting.

                                                     There’s a pause... just awkward enough as 
                                                     these people suss each other out.

                                                     LAURA (cont’d)
What’s in the cooler?

                                                     ALAN
I’m sorry?

                                                     LAURA
The cooler. In your lap. What’s in it?

                                                     ALAN
Don’t worry about it.

                                                     LAURA
What, is it like a bomb or something?

(SAM glances over.)

                                                     ALAN
What? No! What is wrong with you?
                                   (to SAM)
It’s not a -- don’t worry, it’s not what she said.

                                                     LAURA
You don’t have to freak out.

                                                     ALAN
And you don’t have to go around mentioning incendiary devices on public 
transportation.

                                                    LAURA
Well it’s not a bomb is it?

                                                     ALAN
Would you stop saying that word?

                                                     LAURA
What, you think that one over there is an FBI agent? Uncle Sam might hear us 
joking?

                                                     SAM
I’m not an FBI agent.

                                                     LAURA
See? No harm. I was just kidding.

                                                     SAM
You shouldn’t joke about such things in this city.

                                                     LAURA
Damn, sorry. I was just making small talk. Forgive me for trying to pass some time 
and make some friends.

                                                     ALAN
I’m sorry -- I’m just ... I’ve got three more stops till we get to Central Station and 
then I can connect to the hospital line.

                                                     LAURA
Oh my god, are you transporting human organs? Can I see?

                                                     ALAN
No!

                                                     ANNOUNCEMENT
Approaching McKinley Station. Please exit on the right.
                                 (PAUSE)
Doors opening.

                                                     LAURA
Well, then we’ll just sit here and bear the silence.

                                                     ANNOUNCEMENT
Doors closing. Next stop Anderson Street.

                                                     LAURA puts down her book.


                                                     SHE and ALAN exchange awkward glances.


                                                     LAURA moves over and sits by SAM. SHE stares 
                                                     at him; he puts his paper down.

                                                     SAM
Can I help you?

                                                     LAURA
Can you believe that guy? He won’t show me what’s in his cooler.

                                                      SAM
He just met you.

                                                      LAURA
Actually, I don’t even know his name. A little suspicious don’t you think?

                                                      SAM
I’m Sam by the way.

                                                      LAURA
Nice to meet you Sam. I’m Laura.

                                                      They shake.

                                                      LAURA (cont’d)
Where are you headed?

                                                       SAM
Central Station.

                                                       LAURA
And then?

                                                        SAM
Just Central Station. I have business there.

                                                        LAURA
Was that so hard?

                                                        SAM
No, it was quite lovely small talk. Very enjoyable.

                                                        SAM goes back to the paper.
                                                        LAURA goes and sits by ALAN.

                                                        LAURA
Very enjoyable.

                                                        ALAN
I heard.

                                                        LAURA
Good.

                                  (PAUSE.)

                                                         ALAN
What do you want from me?

                                                         LAURA
Small talk.

                                                         ALAN
Why? We’re just strangers. In two stops, we’ll never see each other again.

                                                         SAM
We’re all strangers, even in the best of times. But right now, play along. Or she’ll 
never shut up.

                                                         LAURA
I like that one. He’s observant.

                                                         ALAN
I need to focus on my job.

                                                         LAURA
We’ll help you focus. Sam’s getting off at Central Station so you won’t miss it. Right, 
Sam?

                                                         SAM
That’s a pretty good assumption.

                                                         ALAN
What’s the point? Now Anderson’s coming up and after that, it’s one stop.

                                                         LAURA
The point is that everyday I sit here on this train and watch the world ignore itself. 
And it hurts. Everyone has a paper, everyone has a book, or music shoved in their 
heads... but you, you had a cooler. And you were going to be different. Something to 
talk about. Something to break the silence. 

                                                         ALAN doesn't say anything.

                                                         LAURA (cont’d)
You know what? I don’t care if you are a terrorist, it’s something new.

                                                         ALAN
I don’t have a bomb, Jesus, here look --

                                                         HE opens the cooler for her.

                                                         LAURA
Oh my god, look at it... it’s so small.

                                                         ALAN
It’s for a child. That’s why I’m so nervous. My first day on the job and they give me 
a kid’s heart. It’s terrifying. To hold something like that in your hands.

                                                        LAURA
It’s beautiful. Look at all that life. So fragile.

                                                         ANNOUNCEMENT
Approaching Anderson Street.
                                          (PAUSE)
Doors opening.

                                                         SAM exits without his briefcase.

                                                         LAURA
Hey, Sam -- you forgot your...

                                                          HE’s already gone.

                                                          ANNOUNCEMENT
Doors closing. Next stop Central Station.

                                                          LAURA gets up and goes over to Sam’s 
                                                          briefcase. ALAN seals up the cooler.

                                                          ALAN
What are you doing?

                                                          LAURA
I’m going to see if Sam has a business card or something. 

                                                          SHE opens the case.

                                                           LAURA (cont’d)
I might be able to call and... 

                                                           SHE stops. Frozen.

                                                           ALAN
What is it?

                                                           No response. SHE’s focused on the case.

                                                           ALAN (cont’d)
Hey, you’re freakin’ me out, come on.

                                                           ALAN comes over and sits by Laura, looking 
                                                           inside the case.

                                                           ALAN (cont’d)
Jesus. Is that ...?

                                                           LAURA
It’s not a heart.

                                                           ALAN
We have to call the -- we have to get off this train.

                                                           LAURA
There’s no time... he was going to Central Station, he had business there. It’s the 
next stop. 

                                                           ALAN
So this is it? 

                                                           LAURA
I don’t even know your name.

                                                           ALAN
It’s Alan.

                                                           LAURA
Nice to meet you Alan.

                                                           LIGHTS begin to FADE as we hear:

                                                           ANNOUNCEMENT
Now approaching Central Station.

                                                END OF PLAY

To read more of my short plays, you can 
visit my download scripts page.

As of February 16, 2014, I have a tumblr. Honestly thought I had one, but alas no. So I created one.

As you're more than keenly aware, I already have a blog. This one. On my website. So why in the name of all things good and Holy do I need a Tumblr account too? I'm already on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram, and some other social media sites fading into obscurity. Do I actually have THAT MUCH to say? Well... as it turns out, I sorta do.

While all my other social media sites are generally geared toward promoting my writing, projects, and theatre related news & topics, and this blog is focused on narrative, writing, theatre, and---again---my projects, the tumblr will be different.

Daily observations of an effulgent dreamer. It's exactly as it sounds. The tumblr will feature a daily post, an observation if you will, that could be about anything. Sometimes pop culture, sometimes current events, sometimes a meme of my cat (that happened yesterday). These are meant to be quick thoughts or reactions to the world at large and my place in it. Some will have substance, some will just be there. A photo. A quote. A link to a video. Today I wrote about the revolution in Kiev. 

The tumblr blog gives me a place to process things that might not have anything to do with structure and narrative, and share them back into the world. I deal with things by writing about them, but not everything I write fits into a play. Often, it's simply a conversation that's aching to happen. That's where tumblr comes in.


A long time ago, I used to have a blog called "Thwarting Complacency" (a few die hard Jeremy Sony blog fans---who met me as Burton, back on Blogger---might recall it). It was a blog that talked about things happening in my life. This new one is an evolution of that. My thoughts. My reactions. To my life. To our lives. To stuff in the world that strikes my fancy (like kittens that look like baby werewolves). These are my observations. On a daily dose kinda schedule.

I'm excited for the potential of this tumblr and the conversations it might create. The whole point of social media is to be social and engaging---I will endeavor to foster that ideal on my new tumblr. I hope you'll follow this effulgent dreamer there.