Title: Artichoke Dip
Author: Peter Wood
Draft date: 13-08-07
Contact: peterwood2@gmail.com
Matt, Julie, Tim, and Sophia are at a table in a bar. They are drinking various microbrew beers and sharing an artichoke dip and an order of nachos. The sounds of a moderately busy bar are in the background.
MATT
So . . .
Pause.
SOPHIA
Yeah.
TIM
Good dip.
MATT
Yeah.
JULIE
Shouldn’t we be . . .
Pause.
MATT
What?
JULIE
I don’t know. Creating some form of plot.
SOPHIA
Plot?
JULIE
Or, you know, at least some kind of dramatic . . . something?
TIM
Like . . . what? An argument?
JULIE
Maybe. I don’t--
SOPHIA
Oohh, I know, Matt and I could be having an affair. And you two have just discovered it and--
TIM
No.
SOPHIA
Why not? All sorts of dramatic possibilities in that.
TIM
Just. No.
MATT
No.
SOPHIA
Ok. Ok. Just a thought.
They drink. They eat.
JULIE
It is good dip.
Pause.
JULIE
I just can’t think of anything that isn’t utterly cliche. Or about love or sex.
MATT
Violence?
JULIE
Us? No, I just can’t picture it.
SOPHIE
But why do we have to . . . do plot or dramatic . . . something or other. And yeah. All I can think of too is about sex or love or betrayal having to do with sex or love.
TIM
What about loss? Maybe one of our parents died.
JULIE
Grief seems too . . . I don’t know. It just doesn’t feel right for the circumstances.
SOPHIE
But why?
JULIE
Because. Who’s gonna want to just watch us drink beer and eat appetizers at a bar?
MATT
She’s got a point. Man this dip is good.
SOPHIE
It really is.
They eat. They drink.
A waitress comes to their table.
WAITRESS
Everything ok? Another drink for anyone?
MATT
Yeah, it’s good. Great dip. I’ll have another beer. Same thing.
SOPHIE
Me too.
TIM
Sure.
WAITRESS
Same?
TIM
Yeah.
JULIE
I’ll have the same too.
WAITRESS
I’ll be right back.
They eat. They drink.
The Waitress returns and serves their drinks. She leaves.
They drink. They eat.
TIM
Really fabulous dip, isn’t it?
JULIE
It is.
MATT
Yeah.
SOPHIE
Very good.
They eat. They drink.
BLACKOUT