Blogger Word Verification: Carshea!

A play in 5 Variations

VARIATION 1

A MAN walking by ANOTHER MAN, his arms full of groceries. They almost collide.

MAN
Carshea!

ANOTHER MAN
Hey, carshea yourself, buddy!

***

VARIATION 2

A MAN standing next to ANOTHER MAN at a party. MAN holds out a plate filled with strange small food items.

MAN
Carshea?

ANOTHER MAN
No thank you. I'm on a diet.

MAN shrugs and eats one himself.

***

VARIATION 3

A MAN approaches ANOTHER MAN in the street.

MAN
Carshea?

ANOTHER MAN
I'm sorry?

MAN
Car-shea?

ANOTHER MAN
I'm...I don't speak...[stops, not sure what language MAN is speaking]

MAN
[thinks, then, acts it out]
Car-[pantomimes]-she-[an action]-uh! [conclusion]

ANOTHER MAN
Oh! [understanding] Car-she-a. [points] Around the corner, straight ahead, you can't miss it.

MAN
[perfect English, no accent]
Thank you very much!

ANOTHER MAN smiles politely, MAN exits; then, with a double-take, ANOTHER MAN stares after him.

***

Variation 4

MAN is in a room, kissing a WOMAN.

MAN
[softly]
Carshea...

WOMAN/CARSHEA
Frank...

ANOTHER MAN enters. Sees them!

ANOTHER MAN
[in surprise]
Carshea!

WOMAN/CARSHEA
Frank!

ANOTHER MAN
Frank! [back to the WOMAN] Carshea!

WOMAN/CARSHEA
[as if to say, I can explain]
Frank.

ANOTHER MAN
Don't say another word. I'd expect it of my evil brother, Frank...[truly hurt]...but you, Carshea. How could you!

ANOTHER MAN goes to leave. WOMAN/CARSHEA follows him as far as the door!

WOMAN/CARSHEA
FRANK!!!

But ANOTHER MAN is gone. WOMAN/CARSHEA turns back to MAN, who smiles.

MAN
Carshea.

WOMAN/CARSHEA
Frank.

She returns to him, and they kiss again.

***

VARIATION 5

A MAN and ANOTHER MAN stand at a train station. The train whistle blows, a long drawn out, haunting whistle. MAN has a suitcase next to him.

ANOTHER MAN
That's your train.

MAN says nothing, filled with emotion.

They stand there, together, not knowing what to say, and neither moves. Silence. And then the whistle blows again.

ANOTHER MAN
You better go.

MAN does not speak.

Silence. A third and final whistle. Suddenly ANOTHER MAN embraces MAN, holds him for a moment, and then they separate.

MAN
[with meaning]
Carshea.

MAN turns and goes. ANOTHER MAN stands stunned for a moment, and then moves after him!

ANOTHER MAN
Wait!

MAN turns back to him, stops.

ANOTHER MAN
I don't know what that word means.

Silence. MAN looks at him, and then turns away again, moving quickly off the platform.

ANOTHER MAN
[yelling off to him]
I don't know what it means!

He is stopped short by the sound of the whistle and the train pulling away from the station (which we do not see), the chugging, the sound of steam, away and away, and gone. We hear this for a long moment and then silence.

ANOTHER MAN
[after all sound has gone away, saying the word as if it is all he has left]
Carshea.

End.