Dim the Fluorescents Page #4

To buy new packs

of cigarettes, frequently.

- Which means, I'm gonna buy new packs of cigarettes.

- Mmm-hmm.

If and when I do.

What I want you to do is

take them from me

by force if necessary.

And emphatically toss them

into the distance somewhere.

Can you do that?

Emphatically?

Yeah.

[grunts]

[thud]

Exactly.

- Badges?

- Tickets.

Well...

- What, uh, what you need are badges.

- Tickets, yes.

- Yes.

- Industry comps.

Well, what we have are badges.

- Conference badges.

- Okay, great. [scoffs]

- Okay.

- I don't think I'm properly conveying this to you gals.

[stutters] The thing here is

that, uh...

A lot of major corporations will... will

pay a substantial amount of money to, uh,

buy these badges for

their employees.

- We just need 20.

- Or a smaller number.

[sighs] Well, uh, uh, we plan a

lot of this in advance, you see.

- There's...

- We completely understand, Gary.

- Ten tickets.

- Badges.

Just so we can say to the people in

our industry you know, this is...

This is what we've been

working on.

- My hands are really tied here.

- I need this.

Well, that's the thing with

you actors, isn't it?

You really do need a...

An audience to perform for.

Exactly.

I was just talking about this,

uh, to my niece.

- Niece, Gary?

- Yeah. Yeah, uh, Fiona.

In fact, uh...

Maybe, there's a part for

her, uh, in your production?

- Well... [scoffs]

- That's, uh,

something to consider anyways while I'm

working on the, uh... On the badges.

[whispers] Badges.

Wilt thou be led by me

and try the venture?

Aye. Indeed.

Lead on.

Why should

we tarry?

First we need a rich and trailing

robe of fine linen to gird thee.

Nay,

my, a woman,

then...

and no man more.

Wouldst have them slay

thee dead?

No man may see

their mysteries.

What garb wilt thou bestow

about me?

First, a long tress dangling

low beneath thy shoulders.

Aye.

And next?

The said robe, falling to thy

feet and on thy head a snood.

Enough!

I cannot wear a robe

and a snood.

[exhales] Okay.

So, who are we inviting?

- [Lillian] Raul LaSalle.

- [Audrey] Nope.

[Lillian] Arts Council.

Theresa Walsh-Gibbons,

Hoberman Grant.

Nicholas Kingston, impresario.

It's art. Get your mind

out of the gutter.

It would also be good to get a

handful of press out to this thing.

Agreed.

I'm thinking Kevin Carlino,

Stage Whispers.

Thomas Kilgallen,

Spotlight Drama.

Julian Westlake,

Theatricality.

You don't look like this, Dad.

Don't I?

- What about your agent?

- He's not the best.

If we can, I'd like to invite

some others.

Such as?

[Audrey]

Jason Clavir, GPA.

Lisa Preston

of Preston, Kaplan, Walker.

- Andrew Morrison.

- [Myles] Well, I've got good news and bad news.

[Audrey] Morrison Fell.

Just kidding,

it's only good news.

[Lillian] Who else?

- [Audrey] June, of course.

- And maybe, when you say that you could look up?

Good, that's good.

- How many is that?

- Doesn't matter. Keep going.

[Peter over voicemail] Hi, you've

reached the office of Peter Fielding.

I'm afraid I can't come

to the phone right now.

So, please leave a message after

the tone and I'll get back to you.

- Bye for now.

- [voicemail beeps]

[Audrey] Peter, hi.

Audrey Green again.

I just wanted to update you on

a booking on December the 19th.

Lillian and I will be performing

at the Walbrook Hotel at 2:00 p.m.

for an audience of 300.

Can you believe it?

Uh, anyway, you have my number.

I hope you're okay.

Bye.

Leadership. What that says to me

is, "What's the power dynamic?"

Who's in charge? You or me?

- I think I should be in charge.

- I think I should.

See, this is good. Conflict.

Is that the thing?

Are we vying for some...

There's a chain of command.

And that's a source

of tension,

All they really wanna see is

someone in a position of authority

- help another person.

- Whom they outrank.

Help this lower-ranking person

through some kind of personal...

- Crisis?

- And change, yes.

Is that the title, by the way?

We can come back to that.

Chains.

Is that a serious suggestion?

I don't know. Do you like it?

I'm your boss.

Your concerned boss.

- I have a drinking problem.

- I know you do.

You know I do.

I drink too much.

- Much too much.

- I'm an alcoholic.

Yes.

We still have to come up

with a part for the kid.

Oh.

We have always talked about

having additional characters.

[exhales]

Right.

- She has to have a role.

- And lines.

Or a line.

You attack me.

It's all very personal.

But I stay in control.

The kid comes in,

says something. One thing.

One quick thing

and then it ends.

But there's hope.

I don't know. Are we

challenging ourselves enough?

Yes.

It can't just be another

active listening...

- What's wrong with active listening?

- It needs to be special.

Everything we do is special.

[sighs]

It will be.

It has to be.

- So, these two girls.

- Women.

Women. They come up to you and

ask you to be in this thing?

They know my uncle.

They asked if he knew anyone.

People know my uncle too.

They don't ask me to act.

I have a certain thing,

I guess.

- I won't deny it.

- I mean, whatever.

If this is my destiny,

I'm not gonna fight it.

Wait, is that your destiny?

Babes demand your presence?

I guess so.

Are they babes?

Don't let's be vulgar, buddy.

Fiona, are they babes, though?

They totally are, right?

You might say so, Marion.

But I judge you for it.

Can I break something?

- What did you have in mind?

- A thing of water.

- Carafe?

- Yeah. Yeah, maybe a few glasses.

- Sure, assuming Gary's on board.

- F*** Gary.

Gary's been good to us.

For the purposes of this,

f*** Gary. For now.

All I'm saying is that if we're

gonna have shattered glass on stage

- where there are other pres...

- It's not just a glass.

It's that they want to see this

and the pamphlets say that.

It's part of the process.

This is not the process.

I love the process.

The process is art.

This is just...

We've been hired to do a thing, okay.

This is that thing.

This is that thing.

Do I want it to be good?

Of course.

- But we've gotta meet certain criteria or...

- Or what?

Or we are not going to get

hired again,

See, when you say things like that it makes

me think that this is just a job for you.

It isn't just a job.

But it is a job.

If we start cutting ourselves off from

things this early in the process...

Stop saying process.

We're just having a conversation here.

What is your problem?

I'm not the one raising

my voice.

[shouting] Process!

[panting]

I'm sorry.

No, I am.

This is part of it.

I have a question

about memorization.

That won't be a problem.

You won't have many lines.

I'm just here

for the experience.

- That's a great attitude.

- Thanks.

This isn't our choice,

your being here.

- Lil...

- She has to know this.

- But I thought you guys...

- Oh, is that what he told you?

- I could leave.

- No, you can't. That's exactly the point.

- It's a condition.

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