Insipience

by Mackenzie Lewis

A play in one act

Characters

Alice: Female; 22 years old; fried out aspiring screenwriter with intelligence that is often overshadowed by her naivety and cluelessness, has a general excitedness to her

Allegra: Female; 22 years old; kindhearted and driven, gets lost in her anxieties and ponderings then is often overlooked/brushed off because of it, can get rambly a lot of times but for the most part has a point to what she’s saying

Izzy: Female; 22 years old; carefree, lacks motivation in areas that don’t supply immediate enjoyment, flippant and hard-edged but appears softer when interacting with Alice

Scene

Some run down apartment complex in an unnamed city.

Time

Night, around 1:45 AM. Fall/Winter in the Present.

ACT I

SCENE 1

SETTING: A stark bedroom. Books and papers are strewn everywhere.  Downstage center sits a table cluttered with papers, books, pens, etc; an open laptop; and a couple of empty energy drinks. Upstage left there is a messy bed and a nightstand with a lamp and more clutter. A big poofy armchair or bean bag sits stage right next to a floor lamp. More books and papers are scattered around there too.

AT RISE: ALICE, ALLEGRA, and IZZY all begin on stage. ALICE sits at the table, face down on the keyboard of her laptop. ALLEGRA is curled up in the chair, asleep. IZZY is sprawled on her stomach on the bed. The lights slowly come up. ALICE suddenly jolts awake, slamming the laptop closed.

ALICE

What if--

(ALLEGRA  wakes with a start while IZZY  groggily lifts her head. BOTH wait.)

ALICE

Nope. I got nothing.

(Opens laptop again and faceplants into the keys. ALL ELSE groan.)

ALLEGRA

This is getting ridiculous.

IZZY

Oh really? This? This is the point you think it’s gotten ridiculous?

ALLEGRA

Izzy, don’t start.

IZZY

Hey, hey, Alice, you should take Allegra’s advice: “Don’t start.” 

(Gasps dramatically.)

OH WAIT--

ALLEGRA

Oh, don’t even, Iz. Don’t you dare come at me with that attitude. I told you both to start this screenplay weeks ago. Weeks. But does anybody listen to me? No. No, of course not. Instead we went along with what Izzy says. Why? Because nobody ever listens to what Allegra has to say. Screw responsibility. Screw time management. Screw it all, right? So you know what, whatever. You don’t take my advice, now we deal with the consequences. You know--the norm, right? But it’s totally fine because, I mean, it’s completely plausible to get this whole thing written, edited, and submitted into the competition within the next...

(Checks watch.)

...eleven-ish hours, right? You know, I can’t even begin to count all of the instances--

IZZY

Look, Al, are you gonna be done monologuing soon or do I have enough time for another nap?

ALLEGRA

Oh you little--

ALICE

(Sitting up and slamming the laptop closed again)

Two people: One’s a 9 to 5 nobody who lives alone with his car and the other’s—wait for it… a poltergeist that’s in love with him.

 (Pause. ALLEGRA and IZZY stare.)

IZZY

God, what kind of cracked-up shit are you even on?

ALLEGRA                                         /                                               ALICE

Izzy!                                                                                                    Hey!

IZZY

What!

ALLEGRA

This is getting ridiculous.

ALICE

You said that already.

ALLEGRA

Did I?

IZZY                                                   /                                               ALICE

Yup.                                                                                                    Yep.

ALLEGRA

Christ.

IZZY

We’re not getting anything accomplished.

ALICE

Nope.

IZZY

Absolutely nothing.

ALICE

Nada.

IZZY

Maybe…we sleep on it?

ALLEGRA

We have slept on it. We’ve been sleeping on it. It’s turned into our freakin’ bed, we’ve slept on it so much. And guess what? The alarm’s finally going off and we’ve hit snooze too many times! There is no more sleeping! There is no more hitting snooze!

IZZY

I’m gonna hit snooze on you in a minute if you don’t shut up.

ALICE

Okay, okay, okay, everyone just needs to calm down for a minute--you’re both giving me another migraine and that isn’t going to help get this screenplay done.

ALLEGRA

You know what else doesn’t help get a screenplay done? 

(To IZZY.)

Procrastination.

IZZY

You know what else doesn’t help get a screenplay done? Not shutting the fu--

ALICE

Guys, please! I’m trying here but I can’t do it with you two constantly going back and forth.

ALLEGRA

Alice, hun, look I understand that you’re frustrated about this whole thing, but we’re all in the same boat here. We’re just as overwhelmed as you are. But do you at least see where I’m coming from when I say we shouldn’t have waited this long to start this piece? Do you understand where most of my frustration comes from?

ALICE

I mean, yes, I guess, but--

IZZY

Stop making her feel guilty, Allegra. We all know that Alice was putting herself before her screenplay, and as she should!

 (To ALICE) 

You are your number one priority and you always should be. Anyone who tells you differently can kindly go take a nap on a freeway.

ALICE

Well, I agree, maybe minus the whole freeway part, but--

ALLEGRA

But there comes a time when other things need to become your priority so that you don’t let yourself get to points like this where you’re drowning in stress!

ALICE

I get that, and I’m trying to get better, I am, but look, we’re here now and I can’t change anything about it so can we just- 

ALLEGRA

Focus on getting this done so we can be done?

IZZY

Will you let the girl speak for herself, Al?

ALICE

(Interjecting before IZZY and ALLEGRA begin arguing)

Yes, Allegra, thank you. Now--I need ideas of what to write. 

(Silence.)

Anything.

(More silence.)

Neither of you have anything?

IZZY

Yeah, Allegra, you don’t have anything?

ALLEGRA

I don’t hear anything useful coming out of your mouth, Izzy. But then again, I’m pretty used to that at this point.

IZZY

Listen here, you--

ALICE

(Yelling)

Okay, so, ideas! Anyone?

IZZY

Look what even is the point, Alice? 

ALICE

What?

IZZY

What is the point? Why are we doing this? Who are we doing this for?

ALICE

I’m doing it for us--for me... I want to be a screenwriter--

IZZY

Are you sure about that?

ALLEGRA

Izzy… 

IZZY

Alice, I’m not saying all of this to be mean or harsh or shatter our dreams into little pieces, I just--this path has already taken so much out of us and we’ve barely even started. This is one screenplay for one film competition. A film competition whose judges may or may not even want our stuff! And even if they do, by some miraculous chance, like our piece, do you know how much we’re gonna have to go through to get where we want to be? Do you know how many revisions and critiques and even more revisions we’re going to have to do to make other people happy? And what about after that! What happens if or when we get it produced? What happens when people end up hating it? Hating it so much that we question our whole life's purpose and goals because of it? Or what if they love it! What happens then when people love it so much that it’s expected of us to supply even more to fulfill everyone else’s wants? Do you see what I’m trying to get at? 

(Pause) 

Alice, I want what’s best for us. I want us to be happy… I’m just terrified that our “dream” is going to prevent us from achieving that. 

(ALL sit in a contemplative, morose silence.)

ALICE

I understand what you’re saying, Iz, and believe me, I want that too. But we’ve gotten this far. We’re not stopping now--I can’t.

(IZZY goes to interject but ALLEGRA stops her.)

ALLEGRA

We understand, Alice. And we’re going to see this to the end. 

(Pause.) 

Even if it means we stay up all night...losing precious hours of sleep...which our body needs in order to function like--

(ALICE gives ALLEGRA a look.)

Right. Focus. Back on the topic at hand: what’s our story?

(ALICE goes to mention her first story idea, but right as she opens her mouth)

Preferably something that is going to impress the judges and not make them question what kinds of things we like to smoke, huff, or snort in our free time.

ALICE

It’s different! And unique! People like unique! 

ALLEGRA

Yes, sweetie, people like unique, not…well, I’m not even sure what to categorize that idea as. Iz? 

IZZY

Mentally disconcerting?

ALLEGRA

Mentally disconcerting--yes, that’ll work. 

ALICE

Hey, you can’t pick on my ideas if you don’t have anything yourself.

ALLEGRA

You’re right, you’re right. 

(Musing to herself.) 

But… What do you write when you don’t know what to write? What’s the right way to write when you don’t know what’s right to write? Is there a right way to write or is what you write right because you write what you feel is right? 

(ALLEGRA continues to mutter to herself as IZZY speaks)

IZZY

I’m having a stroke. I’m having a stroke, aren’t I? Damn, I did not see myself going out like this. 

ALLEGRA

 (Starting to have a revelation)

But if you only write what you think is right to write, it doesn’t end up being right! You should write what, for you, is right because that’s when your writing is right!

(Pause) 

Right?!

IZZY

(Fed up)

WRONG!

ALLEGRA

Izzy, are you not hearing what I’m saying?! 

IZZY

No! And it’s generally because I’m always trying to tune you out!

ALLEGRA

(To ALICE)

We’ve been making all of this so much more complicated than it needs to be! We’re trying to write something that...isn’t right--isn’t genuine to us, that’s why everything we write sounds wrong!

ALICE

Okay… 

ALLEGRA

We need to go back to the fundamentals. What are you supposed to do when you don’t know what to write?

IZZY

Watch a movie?

ALLEGRA

No.

IZZY

Go to sleep?

ALLEGRA

Izzy! Be serious here! 

(To ALICE.) 

C’mon, I know you remember. When you don’t know what to write...

IZZY

Give up?

ALLEGRA

IZZY!

ALICE

(Realizing)

Write what you know.

ALLEGRA

Yes! Exactly! 

ALICE

Okay, but… how does that help?

ALLEGRA

Write what you know.

ALICE

Yes, I’m getting that, but what am I supposed to say?

IZZY

Hold on, I think I can answer that one: 

(takes a moment to compose herself, then takes on the overdramatized persona of ALLEGRA)

Write…what you know.

ALLEGRA

(yelling)

That’s it!

(grabs a nearby book and goes sprinting after a laughing IZZY who grabs a pillow from the bed and uses it to block ALLEGRA’s blows while also getting in a few hits when she can. Both of them yell random insults at each other as ALICE runs over and tries to break up them fighting. After a brief struggle, ALICE snatches the book and the pillow from the girls and tosses them behind the bed.)

ALICE

I’ve about had it with the both of you! You--

(Grabs ALLEGRA by the ear and drags her downstage right, next to the table)

Go over here! And you--

(Grabs IZZY by the ear and drags her across from ALLEGRA, downstage left)

Go right here!

(ALLEGRA and IZZY rub their ears as ALICE stands centerstage in between them)

You guys are supposed to be helping me and all you’re doing is making it harder for anything to get done! This is important to me--don’t you understand that? This is my one shot at my dream; the very thing I’ve been pursuing almost my entire life! And I can’t do what I need to do if all you guys are going to do is dive at each other's' throats--literally! So can you please be, at the very least, civil for like, ten minutes while we try to figure out what we’re writing?

ALLEGRA

But, Alice, we already told you: you know what to write. Just--

ALICE

Write what I know? Is that what you’re going to say? How, Allegra? How am I supposed to “write what I know”? What do I know? I’m 22 years old! The most I know is that I’m thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt, I have no money, no job that has anything to do with the degree I spent four years trying to get, and no freaking idea what I’m doing with my life! 

(Pause) 

I don’t have any big, transformative stories to share with the world. I don’t have anything that’s memorable about my existence because I’ve barely begun it! So, please: tell me how I’m supposed to write what I know when I don’t even know what I know. 

(ALLEGRA smiles sadly at her.)

ALLEGRA

Alice, you have so much more to offer than you even realize, you just can’t see it. And I think that’s one thing both me and Izzy can agree on.

(ALLEGRA looks meaningfully over at IZZY who shrugs.)

IZZA

Bookzilla over there has a point, Alice. You underestimate yourself too much.

ALICE

But--

IZZY

(Crosses to ALICE)

There are no “buts”, Alice. Those “buts” are what’s holding you back; you are what’s holding you back.

ALLEGRA

(Crosses to ALICE)

So if you could just set them aside and be civil to yourself “for like, ten minutes”…I think you’d be surprised what you could accomplish. 

(ALLEGRA and IZZY each put a hand on ALICE’S shoulder and slowly guide her back to her table)

ALICE

But, I don’t even know where to begin! 

ALLEGRA

Well isn’t that the best part? There is no right or wrong place to start: just pick.

(ALLEGRA and IZZY sit ALICE down in her chair.)

IZZY

Just stay true to yourself, make sure your voice is heard: that’s what really matters. 

ALLEGRA

(Hinting to ALICE)

And… 

ALICE

...write what I know.

ALLEGRA

Now you got it.

IZZY

(emphatically)

Now go with it.

(ALICE looks at both girls, their hands still on her shoulders, takes a breath, and opens her laptop. ALICE hesitates for a moment, then she begins to write. ALLEGRA and IZZY lean in and watch ALICE as she does.)

ALICE

(Reading aloud as she types.)

Interior. A stark bedroom. Night. Books and papers are strewn everywhere. CELIA sits at a table, face down on the keyboard of her laptop. Nearby, GALE is curled up in a poofy armchair, asleep. On the other side of the room, BELLA is sprawled on her stomach on a bed.

(ALLEGRA and IZZY smile knowingly at one another, finally at peace. Slowly, ALLEGRA and IZZY remove their hands and exit opposite of each other. Lights dim. ALICE continues to furiously type, muttering under her breath as she goes. After a few moments, she stops and looks around for ALLEGRA and IZZY, but they’re gone. ALICE looks at her computer screen for a moment, thinks to herself, and smiles slightly. Then, ALICE gets back to work.)

 (FADE TO BLACK)

(END OF PLAY)

Mackenzie Lewis is a double major in theatre and communications with a focus on media studies. She is a member of numerous clubs including her role as the co-founder and vice president of the Burlesque Club. In her free time, you’ll most likely find her in Samuel’s Theatre working, rehearsing, or embracing the void.