Hope and Gravity Flashcards
Memorization
1
Q
Scene 6 Out of Order
(Show Opens)
A
Jill:
I don’t know where it came from, it just….bubbled up. Like some, I don’t now, underground stream or something . LIike in the Bible, in the desert? When these streams just, out of nowhere- wait, is that what I’m thinking of?
Anyway, it’s probably crap.
2
Q
Steve:
Shhhh
A
Jill:
God. I hate this elevator. Every time I wait for it, I can feel my life draining away.
3
Q
Steve:
Will you shut up?
A
Jill:
I heard somewhere that over the course of a lifetime, the average person spends a total of three years waiting for elevators. Which. I don’t know about you, but I find absolutely…Wait that can’t be right…well? Is it crap?
4
Q
Steve:
No, it’s…great
A
Jill:
Say what you really think.
5
Q
Steve:
It’s perfect, Jill. You wrote this last night?
A
Jill:
Most of it.
6
Q
Steve:
In the laundry room?
A
Jill:
You said you and blacktooth Barb needed space. Beside, my load wasn’t done, so I figured I might as well write a poem.
7
Q
Steve:
How do you do this?
A
Jill:
What?
8
Q
Steve:
Know them out like this. In the middle of a rinse cycle.
A
Jill:
Wait till Douglas has his way with it, it’ll be covered in red, like always. You finish yours?
9
Q
Steve:
What do you think?
A
Jill:
Again?
10
Q
Steve:
I know…
A
Jill:
That’s like, what, three weeks in a row?
11
Q
Steve:
I don’t know what’s happening.
A
Jill:
You used to be the pacer…
12
Q
Steve:
Yeah…
A
Jill:
….each week, while the rest of us limped along-and brilliant stuff. Even Douglas, who we both know lavish praise /on-
13
Q
Steve:
I just couldn’t finish it all right?
A
Jill:
All right.
What’s it about?
14
Q
Steve:
Icarus.
A
Jill:
That’s cool. What’s it called?
15
Q
Steve:
“Icarus”
A
Jill:
Okay…
How much have you written?
16
Q
Steve:
The title. Look, it’s hard, okay?
A
Jill:
We all get stuck sometimes
17
Q
Steve:
Not you!
A
Jill:
Even Douglas, he said so himself
18
Q
Steve:
It’s just- every time I sit down to write. I can’t help thinking about graduation…
A
Jill:
That’s three months away…
19
Q
Steve:
And after that, this huge abyss…
A
Jill:
Hey
20
Q
Steve:
Meanwhile, you read these masterpieces, like…I don’t know, Dover Beach, or, or Musee des Beaux Arts, or,or
A
Jill:
Spring Remembrance
21
Q
Steve:
Spring Remembrance! And then you stare at your empty page, your…pathetically empty page, and it’s like, I don’t know, like it’s mocking you or something- like every poet from Homer on down is daring you to step into the ring. And all you’ve got is a lame-ass title and a buttload of student loans.
A
Jill:
I don’t know what to say
22
Q
Steve:
Yeah, well, obviously neither do I.
A
Jill:
You did push the down button, didn’t you?
23
Q
Steve:
I thought you pushed it
A
Jill:
sighs
You hear about the accident?
24
Q
Steve:
What accident.
A
Jill:
Elevator crashed last night, across town.
25
Steve:
Get out
Jill:
Nine stories, no brakes-boom
26
Steve:
Anybody hurt?
Jill:
Two people were killed.
27
Steve:
Holy shit
Jill:
I know
28
Steve:
Want to walk down?
Jill:
Six flights? No?
29
Steve:
It'll take us two seconds
Jill:
The staircase always smells like pee.
It does: you just don't notice because your nasal receptors are, like, dead
30
Steve:
We're gonna be late
Jill:
Speaking of odors, what was that you cooked for Blacktooth Barb last night?
31
Steve:
Will you stop saying that?
Jill:
What?
32
Steve:
You know what
Jill:
Blacktooth barb?
33
Steve:
She's really self conscious.
Jill:
How about gray tooth barb?
34
Steve:
How about you don't say her name at all?
Jill:
Fine. How was Your Girlfriend's birthday?
35
Steve:
It wasn't
Jill:
Wasn't what?
36
Steve:
I got the date wrong: her birthday's today
Jill:
Well....at least you weren't late again.
37
Steve:
And she's not my girlfriend anymore.
Jill:
You broke up?
38
Steve:
She's my fiancee now
Jill:
Oh
39
Steve:
You don't sound too excited
Jill:
I'm not the one who should sound excited. You're the one who's going to have to look at her every time she smiles.
I didn't say Blacktooth Barb...oops yes I did
Well...congratulations
40
Steve:
Thanks.
Jill:
You give her a ring?
41
Steve:
She wants me to go into advertising.
Jill:
Yeah, well, Barb would.
42
Steve:
Says those big firms always need "Creative Types
Jill:
Did she really put that in air quotes>
43
Steve:
I guess
Jill:
God, I hate when she does that. It's like those people who use apostrophes for plurals.
44
Steve:
Um...I don't know
Jill:
Going out of town?
45
Peter:
Trying to.
Jill:
Where are you headed?
46
Peter:
Greece
Jill:
Nice, work or play?
47
Peter:
Work.
Jill:
Still- Greece
48
Steve:
I don't hear anything
Jill:
What do you do?
49
Peter:
I'm a spy
Jill:
Really?
50
Peter:
Yeah
Jill:
Wow
51
Peter:
No
Don't tell anybody
Jill:
Um, okay
52
Marty:
Scuse me, folks, I'll need to get in there
Jill:
Is it broken?
53
Marty:
Ladies and gentleman, the vertical transportation safety Code requires me to inform you that we are engaged in a Randomized Floor Test, which may add some time to your elevator ride. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Jill:
How much time?
54
Marty:
Second floor? Anybody?
Jill:
First
55
Marty:
Okay then. Clearin second floor
Jill:
Does this test have something to do with that cash last night?
56
Peter:
They figure out how the cable snapped?
Jill:
Cable?
57
Marty:
Seventh Floor. Anybody?
Jill:
First
58
Marty:
Momentarily.
Jill:
Why?
59
Marty:
Clearin seven
Jill:
I better text Jeff- let Douglas know we're going to be late.
60
Marty:
These babies have electromagnetic brakes that clamp shut during a power outage.
Jill:
Oh, was there a powe-
61
Marty:
I'm not allowed to say.
Jill:
This isn't going through...
62
Peter:
10:45
Jill:
I think
63
Marty:
Then let's give her a spin
Jill:
Um...that says Cleveland
64
Peter:
What?
Jill:
You said you were going to Greece
65
Steve:
What are you doing?
Jill:
Seeing if Jeff got my text.
66
Marty:
Miss...
Jill:
Just a second.
67
Marty:
Clearin sixteen
Jill:
Huh
68
Steve:
What?
Jill:
He says class is canceled
69
Steve:
Why?
Jill:
I don't know
70
Peter:
"not allowed to say"- shoulda known
Jill:
I heard it got stuck
71
Peter:
Oh yeah?
Jill:
And the passengers jumped up and down to dislodge it
72
Peter:
How do they know that?
Jill:
Security Video
73
Marty:
This wouldn't budge
Jill:
Then how do you explain the fact that-
74
Peter:
HEY!`
Jill:
What's going on?
75
Marty:
It was a miracle
Jill:
A "miracle"?
76
Marty:
I'm not gonna argue theology with you. I'm just sayin this one defied the laws of physics
Jill:
Sounds to me like physics was working just fine
77
Steve:
Not if our class was canceled. You coming back up?
Jill:
Just a second
78
Marty:
Miss, you comin back in or what?
Jill:
Oh, God.
79
Scene 8 Spring Remembrance
Steve:
Sorry
Jill:
Where have you been?
80
Steve:
On the phone
Jill:
I said I didn't want to do this alone.
81
Steve:
I know
Jill:
It's been really awkward
82
Steve:
I was- We were in the middle of something
Jill:
Not another screamer with blacktooth barb
83
Steve:
Will you please stop calling
Jill:
Sorry. Not another screamer with your fiancee
84
Steve:
She's not my fiancee anymore
Jill:
What? What happened?
85
Steve:
She says she met a guy. Two months ago, at that...self-help thing in Cleveland
Jill:
"Met a guy"
86
Steve:
You know-hooked up, whatever
Jill:
Oh, no...
87
Steve:
Turns out he actually loves here, so they've been seeing each other
Jill:
Jeez Louise
88
Steve:
And now she says she'd rather be with him than me. He's a "professional"
Jill:
Did she really put that in air quotes?
89
Steve:
No, that was me
Jill:
I'm so sorry, Steve.
90
Steve:
Thanks
Jill:
Did she at least give back the ring?
91
Steve:
I don't want to talk about it!
Jill:
Okay...
92
Steve:
So, where's Douglas?
Jill:
Um, he went back up to his office to get something.
93
Steve:
How does he seem?
Jill:
Well...he's got a cane...
94
Steve:
We know about that. What about his...you know? Is he all there?
Jill:
Um....not really?
95
Steve:
What do you mean not-? is he or isn't he?
Jill?
Jill:
He called me Tanya
96
Steve:
Tanya?
Jill:
More than once.
97
Steve:
Who's Tanya?
Jill:
How should I know! I didn't have the heart to correct him.
98
Steve:
Wow
Jill:
He seemed so sure of it.
99
Steve:
Well- people forget names all the time
Jill:
He couldn't remember the word for pencil
100
Steve:
Get out
Jill:
He was tapping one on his knee, then stopped, looked at it, and said "what's this called?"
101
Steve:
Maybe he was joking.
Jill:
No, it was really weird. Awful actually.
102
Steve:
Damn. To think the mind that came up with Spring Remembrance
Jill:
God, I love that poem.
103
Steve:
If he can be at a loss for words...
Jill:
That poem's the reason I came here
104
Steve:
Me too.
Jill:
I could have gone to Brown. I got in. But I wanted to sit at the feet of the man who wrote those words. "Beneath the brown law, grizzled. Winter-worn.
105
Steve:
Great line.
Jill:
Beneath the naked dogwood, Under the birdhouse (vacant since November)
106
Steve:
It's September
Jill:
I'm pretty sure it's Novem-
107
Steve:
It's alliterative: "Since September" Lies a bulb
Jill:
Tupila tarda.
Hidden, like a promissory note.
A spring remembrance, waiting for-
108
Steve:
God I'm such a loser
Jill:
What? No...
109
Steve:
I'll never write anything people remember
Jill:
Of course you will! You just-
110
Steve:
Barb always said I should quit the program and-
Jill:
Barb is the devil. You hear me? The devil. She only ever wanted to bring you down, to stick you with a house, and car, and kids, so you'd have to be a "creative type". Well you're not a creative type you're a poet and Barb is a fucking receptionist.
111
Douglas:
.... and every now and then, you run across something you never knew you had to begin with, like...William Demarest.
Jill:
William Demarest?
112
Douglas:
That's it. Shelves- one book at a time
Jill:
That's a great metaphor
113
Douglas:
Good god, man, this is the prime of your life! Keats was dead by the time he was your ae. Is that right? Did Keats die young?
Jill:
Yeah
114
Douglas:
Jill
Jill:
Yes?
115
Douglas:
Your name is Jill: I called you Tessa
Jill:
Tanya
116
Douglas:
Tanya? Sorry, I thought it was Jill.
Jill:
It is Jill. You called me Tanya.
117
Douglas:
God, I must seem pathetic.
Jill:
Not at all.
118
Douglas:
Grateful, In a way.
Jill:
Grateful?
119
Steve:
Uh...
Jill:
I think you mean Tennyson...
120
Douglas:
Tennyson? Tennyson. Doesn't sound right.
Jill:
He was a poet, though
121
Douglas:
Who's Venison?
Jill:
I...I'm not sure.
122
Douglas:
Wow. Well- at least they rhyme, right? Tennyson, Venison?
Jill:
*laugh*
Right.
123
Douglas:
Would you like to hear one?
Jill:
Really?
124
Douglas:
.....
The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made
But at spring mending time we find them there
Jill:
Um, Douglas?
125
Douglas:
Yeah?
Jill:
I...don't know how to say this...
126
Douglas:
Well that would explain the yelping dogs
Jill:
Yeah
127
Douglas:
Yeah, I thought so too. Unfortunately so did frost...
Jill:
Well...read us a different one.
128
Douglas:
No, let's hear one of yours
Jill:
No...
129
Douglas:
You two are the future of peotry: I'm just a part of its past.
Jill:
Don't say that...
130
Steve:
I want to hear something else
Jill:
Me too
131
Steve:
Then we'll read something
Jill:
Both of us
132
Douglas:
...."As well belongs to you?"
Jill:
Uh...no
133
Steve:
No, good is...
Jill:
Good
134
Douglas:
I loafe and invite my soul
I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass
Jill:
Um...
135
Douglas:
Don't tell me...
Jill:
I'm sorry
136
Douglas:
Oh god...
Jill:
I'm so sorry
137
Douglas:
Whose is it?
Jill:
Walt Whitman
138
Douglas:
Damn it! Damn you Whitman!
What's it called?
Jill:
Song of Myself
139
Douglas:
Huh. I like epiphany better.
Jill:
Me too
140
Douglas:
Christ!
Jill:
Steve...
141
Steve:
What?
Jill:
This isn't Name That Tune!
142
Douglas:
I should've known I couldn't fight it
Jill:
Fight what?
143
Douglas:
Gravity. The tendency for even the lightest things- hope, joy, love- to come crashing back to earth
Jill:
You'll put them all back. I know you will
144
Douglas:
Hmm?
Jill:
The books in your head
145
Douglas:
Oh
Jill:
You'll get them on the right shelf
146
Douglas:
It was a good couple of hours
Jill:
Can we hear it?
147
Douglas:
Besides, it's probably Whitman
Jill:
You don't know that
148
Douglas:
Or keats, or plath, or Ginsberg. Is there a poet named Ginsberg
Jill:
Yeah!
149
Douglas:
Betty Ginsberg
Jill:
Actually, Allen
150
Douglas:
They're all good. And they wrote so much. Apparently everything.
Jill:
Read your poem. *sit* please? The one you started this morning? Then I'll read one of mine and Steve one of his. And then we'll take turns, the three of us- okay?
151
Douglas:
You read it: I'll listen.
It doesn't have a title yet, but it'll come. They always do
Jill:
Beneath the brown lawn, grizzled, winter-worn.
Beneath the naked dogwood
under the birdhouse vacant since November
152
Douglas:
Dickinson, Cummings? Tell me.
Jill:
No, it's yours.
153
Steve:
It is. It's really yours.
Jill:
And...it's beautiful
154
Douglas:
Thank god. At least they left me one. Please- continue
Jill:
Under the birdhouse vacant since November
155
Douglas:
Maybe September instead?
Jill:
Yeah
156
Steve:
September's better
Jill:
Alliterative
157
Douglas:
Go on
Jill:
Lies a bulb.
Tuplipa tardda
Hidden, like a promissory note,
A spring remembrance waiting for redemption.
158
Scene 9: Small World
Steve:
Good to know
Jill:
There you are...
I was talking to you upstairs and wondered why you were being so quiet.
159
Steve:
I was down here
Jill:
So I see. Thank you for leaving everything so clean.
160
Marty:
Oh sure.
Jill:
Lets you really see the possibilities. Did you check out the basement?
161
Steve:
Yeah- all good.
Jill:
Well then, I guess we've seen all we have to see
162
Marty:
What do you kids do?
Jill:
We're writers
163
Marty:
Well...copywriters
Jill:
In advertising
164
Marty:
I'll bet that's a pretty paycheck. Written anything I might know?
Jill:
Funny you should ask...Do you want to tell him?
165
Steve:
That's okay
Jill:
You know the new slogan for Ovenfresh Party Puffs?
166
Marty:
Um...not off the top of my-
Jill:
"Always Puffy, Never Stuffy"?
167
Marty:
OH- yeah, Now that you mention it.
Jill:
Well, Steve wrote that.
168
Nan:
Hello?
Oh, good- you're still here.
Jill:
Hi
169
Nan:
Well, I wanted to give them this. I came across these when we were packin
Jill:
Oh- thanks
170
Nan:
Baby clothes, from when our daughter was little
Jill:
That's so nice of you.
171
Nan:
And who is this little one?
Jill:
Oh- Auden
172
Nan:
Auden...what an interesting name
Jill:
Thank you
173
Nan:
Is that a boy or a girl?
Jill:
Either
174
Marty:
They don't want to hear this
Jill:
Sure we do
175
Nan:
So enjoy
Jill:
We will
176
Marty:
Hey...
Jill:
Are you okay?
177
Nan:
Sorry...sorry! I don't know what-um...I hope you liked the house
Jill:
We do
178
Marty:
I apologize for my wife, she
Jill:
No.
179
Marty:
She gets a little, you know, sometimes. 'Specially around the move.
Jill:
She seems lovely
180
Marty:
That too
Jill:
Well. I think we're ready to make a decision Aren't we?
181
Steve:
What?
Jill:
Ready to buy.
182
Marty:
If you want to talk it over..
Jill:
We did. Ever since the open house. We love it. Don't we?
183
Marty:
Well...great. I'll get the papers over to you right away.
Jill:
We're so happy.
Oh, gosh- we've got to get to work, too. I just need to stop in the powder room.
184
Steve:
Beneath the brown lawn, grizzled, winter-worn...
Jill:
Steve?
185
