Play 05

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

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