PARTING

A Play in One Actby William C. Seward

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April 8, 2023

Copyright © 1999 by Bill Seward

Characters:RAY – a man. JEN – a woman OLD JEFF – eccentric beach bum.

(SETTING: The beach, a seascape *backdrop. 1975. Sounds of gulls, waves, wind.)

Scene 1AT RISE:

(‘70’s radio music comes up with lights. Morning light. JEN is lying on beach towel face down, sunning her back. She is wearing an appropriate swim suit for the young, attractive girl that she is. The music is coming from a small radio near her. Something light is finishing, maybe Barry Manilow. The next song is Elvis. JEFF enters in his shades, his towel is around his neck like Elvis’s scarf. JEFF wears the same Hawaiian shirt, cut-offs and sandals throughout. He is holding a short stick he uses like a microphone, mimes Elvis gestures, crouch. JEN is oblivious to him but abruptly turns the radio off mid song, stopping him mid-crouch. RAY enters, catches this scene. JEFF straightens, exits. RAY moves closer to JEN, a bit shyly. Ray wears swim trunks.)

JEN(not looking up)

You’re blocking my sun.

RAYOh, sorry.

(starts to turn away, stops)Don’t burn.

JENIt’s still early. Who was that over there?

RAY(relieved to change the subject)

Old Jeff. He’s sort of a beach bum. He’s harmless. Walks around doing impressions.

JENLet’s see, judging by the song . . .

2

RAYElvis. In Vegas.

JENOf course. And you?

RAYI don’t do Elvis.

JENNot even in the shower?

RAYWell . . . sometimes.

JEN(Rolls over and looks at RAY for the first time)

You’re honest. Hi, I’m Jennifer.

RAY(quotes old commercial)

Raymond, “You can call me . .

RAY and JEN(together)

Ray!”

JEN(continues)

I hate that commercial. Good to meet you Ray.

RAYDo your friends call you . . .

JENAnything but Jenny. My mom calls me Jennifer. . . Jen?

RAYJen. Will you be around awhile?

JENSure.

3

RAY(Awkwardly)

They show Elvis movies down the beach. “Clambake” is tonight, I think. Have you seen it?

JENI don’t think so.

RAYWell . . . would you like to . . . you know . . . go with me? I mean . . . it’s okay if you don’t.

JENSure.

RAYOh well, I understand. Maybe some other . . . . did you say yes?

JENYes.

RAYReally? You’ll go with me?

JENWho else? Elvis has left the building.

RAYThat’s great. Meet me here, about sundown?

JENOkay.

(she lies back down, RAY stands there a moment, awkwardly, JEFF enters again, arm outstretched, cap in hand, stiff vaudeville walk as Jimmy Durante. Walks across, then exits.)

JEN(Not looking up)

Who?

RAYJimmy Durante, I think . . . later.

4

JENLater.

(lights fade to blackout.)

Scene 2(Time: 1975, six months later than Scene 1. Setting: Same as Scene 1. Added party music, limbo? )

AT RISE:(It is noon. RAY and JEN are sitting on blanket/towel with picnic basket. They are finishing glasses of champagne. Used picnic dishes are stacked nearby. Both are dressed like before, but with t-shirts or other cover-ups on. They are watching JEFF who has just found a coconut and is miming a bowler making a strike. JEFF exits.)

JEN(putting down glass and flopping back onto blanket.)

Oh, God!

RAYHow do you feel, Mrs. Allen?

JENWhy don’t you feel me and see, Mr. Allen?

RAYDon’t mind if I do.

(he grabs her and starts to tickle her. It escalates to both tickling each other, then evolves into a long kiss. JEN finally breaks it.)

JENI beg your pardon sir, do you often do this to women you meet on the beach?

RAYOnly the ones I marry.

JENAre all your weddings as nice as this one was?

RAYEvery single one!

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(JEN tickles him again, then more kisses. They both break and lie back.)

RAYAre you happy?

JENOh yes! . . . I love you.

RAYMe too!

JENYou love you?

RAYI love you too!

JENOh! Are you happy?

RAYPretty happy.

JENOnly pretty happy?

RAYWe could try for ecstatic.

JENAnd how do you plan to do that?

RAYWell, . . . our dune is just over there.

JENHow do you know it’s the same one?

RAYSee, it has the two . .

JENRay!

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RAYIt reminds me of you, you remind me of it. How could I forget? Remember how we christened it?

JENYou’re impossible. It’s the middle of the day.

RAYSo?

JENSo, didn’t your mother ever tell you to wait half an hour after eating?

RAY(a bit pouty)

That was for swimming and it was an hour.

JENSo who wants to wait an hour?

(they kiss again, are quiet, lost in each other. JEFF crawls across the beach like a dying man in the desert. They ignore him. He sees a conch shell, examines it and replaces it, then exits, still crawling.)

RAY(Lies back on the blanket.)

Why can’t we just stay here?

JENWe still have another day.

RAYIt’s not enough.

JENWe have jobs now.

RAYAt least you like yours.

JENYou have a good job!

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RAYIt’s not what I want to do.

JENIt’s a good job. Uncle Ted says you’re doing great.

RAYI wanted to be a writer.

JENThere’s nothing wrong with selling insurance. It pays good!

RAYI wrote good poetry in college!

JENYou can still write.

RAYIt’s not the same.

JENYou’ll write if you need to write.

(she kisses him)

RAYYou think so?

JEN(snuggling closer)

Write me a poem . . . for our honeymoon.

RAYI can’t just . . . write a poem . . . right now!

JEN(teasingly)

Why not? Don’t I inspire you?

RAYWell, yes, but . . .

JENRemember the dunes?

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RAYAh, the dunes.

JENDoes that inspire you?

(JEFF re-enters with coconut, he’s added seaweed hair to it, and mimes much of the poem as RAY says it, treating the coconut as his lover. Neither of them notice him. He exits on the last line.)

RAYCome my love and take my hand.You’ll walk with me across the sand.I’ll stroke your hair and kiss your lips.I’ll mold you with my fingertips.

I’ll be the sun, you’ll be my moon.I’ll be the sand, you’ll be my dune.You are the music, I am your tune.You are the lake, I am your loon.

JEN(after a beat)

My loon?(they kiss as lights fade to blackout)

Scene 3(Time: 1985, ten years later than Scene 1.Place: On the beach, mid afternoon.Setting: Same as Scene 1. Perhaps some pop music and sound of kids playing rises as JEFF finishes his bit.)

AT RISE:(JEFF finds an old umbrella and goes into a dance ala Gene Kelly “Singing in the Rain.” He is alone on stage. As he strolls off JEN comes on. She drops blanket and beach toys. She is dressed more conservatively now and has a covering with hat.)

JEN(calling, off)

Mark . . . Amy we’ll be over here. Ray, is this okay?

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RAY(enters. He still has his swimsuit but wears an open sport shirt on top. A cloth hat on his head, avoiding sunburn. He puts down his beach items.)

Sure. Looks like the usual spot.(he calls, off)

Watch your sister, Mark. Not too deep!

JENI’m glad Uncle Ted gave us this weekend for our anniversary.

RAYI threatened to quit if he didn’t.

JENYou did not!

RAYYes, I did.

JENHe knows you wouldn’t.

RAYMaybe, maybe not.

JENWell, that would be just about the stupidest thing you ever did.

RAYMaybe.

JENJust stupid.

RAYThat’s me.

JEN(unpacking picnic basket, handing RAY plates and sandwiches)

Here, help me set out the food.

(JEFF enters with metal detector and earphones, crosses behind RAY. )

10

RAY(not looking behind him)

Is that Jeff?

JENYes.

(without looking, RAY tosses a sandwich, in bag, over his shoulder, then glances back. JEFF hardly looks up or breaks stride, but catches the sandwich and continues off.)

RAYHe’s better than a seagull!

JENHe’s just a bum, you shouldn’t feed him.

RAYHe’s part of the beach. Always has been. Remember?

JENLife goes on, he’s still here, just like always. He hasn’t changed. I think he’s still wearing the same clothes.

RAYSome things shouldn’t change. I think he’s happy, anyway.

JEN(accusingly)

I think you envy him. You’d be just like him if you could.

RAYIn a way I do envy him. People should be happy.

JENDoes that mean you’re not happy?

RAYNot lately, no.

JENWhat does it take to make you happy? . . Is it me? . . . Are you tired of me?

RAYI’m tired of me, of the person I am now. I don’t like this person.

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JENI don’t understand you. You have a family that loves you. You have a job that pays good money. You get up every morning at five to do your precious writing that nobody wants to . . .

RAYI made a sale.

JENYou made a sale?

RAY“Landscape Magazine” bought three articles and a poem.

JEN(bitingly)

Well, that’s just great. When were you going to tell me?

RAYToday, I thought we could celebrate.

JENCelebrate!

(grudgingly)Well, okay, I’m proud of you.

RAYThere’s more. They want to put me under contract. I’ll be on the staff.

JENYou’re not considering it are you?

RAYYes, I am. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

JENWhat about us? Me and the kids?

RAYI don’t understand, it’s a good job. The pay’s a little lower but . . .

JENYou have a good job. The pay is great. You’re a good salesman. Uncle Ted says . . .

RAYUncle Ted’s a petty tyrant.

12

JENHe’s my mother’s brother. He’s always been good to us.

(she makes an effort to calm herself)We’re not going to talk about this any more. I know you’ll do the right thing. You have responsibilities. You’re not the same footloose boy I met here. When you think it over . . .

RAYI have thought it over.

JEN(continuing)

. . . when you think it over, you’ll see I’m right. Call the kids now.

RAYJen, I . . .

JENCall the kids. That’s enough for now.

(RAY looks at her for a moment, then turns to call off)

RAYLunch time! Mark, where’s . . . okay. Come on and eat.

(as lights fade, JEFF steps into view at edge of scene. He and RAY look directly into each other’s eyes until blackout.)

Scene 4(Time: Sometime between Scenes 3 and 5.Place: Same beach afternoon.Setting: Same as before. Only beach sounds.

AT RISE: Beach is empty. JEFF enters doing Marcel Marceau, tug of war on both ends of long rope. ( In other words, he pulls one end of long rope onto stage, strains back and forth, then succeeds to pull offstage, re-enters on other end of rope, same pull back and forth.) As he is finally pulled off. Lights fade again.

Scene 5(Time: 1990, five years later than Scene 3.Place: On the beach, near sundown.Setting: Same as Scene 1. No music. Beach sounds.)

13

AT RISE:(RAY is sitting on the beach, reading a magazine. JEFF walks aimlessly by muttering to himself; he pauses, sees RAY, shakes his head and walks off. RAY takes no notice, reads on, JEFF returns, stops, sees a conch shell, picks it up, and listens. Disappointed, he replaces it exactly where it was, then moves off again. JEN enters, carrying a beach bag and a book. She sees RAY, looks doubtfully around, makes a decision and sits as far as possible from him.)

RAY(without looking up, brusque.)

Well?

JENWell what?

RAYWhat do you want?

JENA tan, a few shells, finish reading my book.

RAYWhy here?

JENI like it here. It’s my favorite beach.

RAYI don’t remember you getting custody of it too.

JENIt’s big, we can share it.

RAY(getting up to go.)

I think we’re through sharing things. I’ll leave.

JENDon’t be a jerk.

RAYSo now I’m a jerk. Was I always?

14

JENHardly ever. Only now. Sit down.

RAYWe’re not married now, I can walk away.

JENIt never stopped you before.

RAY(looks at her, makes a decision, sits again deliberately.)

So?

JENTan . . . shells . . . all that.

(long pause, both try to read.)

RAYWhy did you come here . . . now?

JENIt’s a free country. I like it here.

RAYBut you had to pick now of all times.

JENI didn’t know, okay? I didn’t know you were coming here for the honeymoon. It’s a big beach, we can share it.

(JEFF marches through with military posture, sunglasses, nods to them, inspects the beach.)

JENI see Old Jeff is still around. Who is he being now?

RAYI think. . . MacArthur. Yes, definitely MacArthur.

(JEFF salutes, exits)

JENSee, it’s okay with him if I stay.

15

RAYOld Jeff’s nuttier than a fruitcake. Not exactly Miss Manners.

JENHe’s sweet.

RAYAre you . . . with anyone?

JENNo.

RAYThe kids?

JENMy mom.

RAYOh.

JEN(sweetly)

Where’s Pam?

RAYBack in the room. She was burning.

JENGood!

RAYGood?

JENWell, good that she’s taking care. Can’t have her aging prematurely.

RAYMeow!

JENSorry.

(Pause)RAY

None of it was about her!

16

JENI know.

RAYShe didn’t break us up!

JENI know, I said I was sorry.

RAYIt doesn’t help, you know. The things you say. The kids tell me.

JENReally? I am sorry, I didn’t know that.

RAYJust because she’s younger.

JENA lot younger.

RAYSee there?

JENYou do it to yourself, you know. You show up places with this sweet young thing. You know what people say.

RAYMiddle aged crazy, is that what you mean?

JENWell, yeah.

(short pause)Does she know about this place?

RAYWhat?

JENThat we met here?

RAYNo.

17

JENGot drunk . . . made love . . . got married . . . here?

RAYNo, no, no!

JENInteresting!

RAYI’m going to go now.

(Starts to gather his things. JEFF enters, beach towel around his head Arabian style. He walks across, picks up same conch shell, listens, nods, replaces it. Wanders back off.)

JENWho?

RAYLawrence of Arabia, I think.

(he pauses, looks after JEFF thoughtfully.)

JENWasn’t it that dune just over there?

RAY(Looks, almost smiles)

I think . . . probably not. Dunes move you know. They’re never the same.

JENLooks the same. There’s that hollow to the side, and the two peaks beyond. Remember? You even compared them to . . .

RAY(Interrupting)

No, no. It’s different.(A bit sadly)

We’re different.

JENWhat happened?

RAYYou changed, I changed, the world changed, just like the dunes.

18

JEN(Looking down ruefully)

My sand sure shifted!

RAYMine too!

JENI’m sorry I couldn’t stay young for you.

RAYThat never mattered to me. You’re still an attractive woman.

JENIt wasn’t age, huh? Then . . . Pam?

RAYI know how it looks, okay? We’ve been through all this, the tears, the talks, the counseling.

JENI know. I’ve just never understood. Help me understand. We were so good. You said it wasn’t my looks, I don’t think it was sex, was it?

RAYNo, that was fine.

JENIt wasn’t another woman, it wasn’t my age . . .

RAYMaybe it was my age.

JENWhat?

RAYI hate the term “middle age crazy”. It’s too pat, and I don’t think it’s crazy, not really. It’s just that, you reach a point when you realize the person you married isn’t the one you live with now. Heck, the person she married isn’t around either. Neither of those kids exists anymore. Our personalities, our needs changed. It’s hard to explain.

JENOh, I understand.

19

RAYReally?

JENSure. Your needs changed, yours, not mine. I still needed you. God, how I needed you!

RAYYou hear what you just said? “I”, that’s what I mean. It was both of us. We separated, while we were still together. We stopped thinking “what do you need” and started on “what do I need.” We stopped supporting each other and started cutting each other down. All of a sudden it was all wrong.

JENWrong? All those years? How can they be wrong?

RAYThey weren’t wrong. We made two wonderful children, had great times. It wasn’t wrong . . . then.

JENThen what?

RAYI don’t know for sure. It wasn’t any one thing I can think of. I think it was a lot of things. Just finally it all went from “it’s wonderful in spite of . . .” to “it’s all wrong because of . . .” Somewhere a dividing line was reached and nothing was ever the same, at least for me.

(JEFF leaps onto stage, poses, hands on hips, the super hero. Neither of them notice him, he leaps off again)

JENThat’s crazy!

RAYMaybe you’re right. Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe some of us just have a time limit on our relationships. I don’t know. I just know none of it worked anymore. I had to get out.

JENAnd it’ll be different with Pam?

RAYI don’t know. I hope so. Maybe the counseling helped, finally.

JENToo late for me.

20

RAYYeah.

JENLucky for Pam.

RAYIs that another . . .?

JENNo, I mean it, she’s a lucky girl. You really are a good man.

RAYThanks.

JENI’m glad our marriage wasn’t a mistake. I wish we could have saved it, for all of us.

(JEFF enters, towel held like a cape over his lower face. He sneaks furtively around, moves as if stalking JEN, is distracted by conch shell, picks it up, chuckles silently, replaces it, suddenly notices sun, cowers, runs off)

JENDracula?

RAYOr Bela Lugosi.

(a long pause)

JENYou really are a good writer, you know. The kids say you’re much happier, too. They’ve noticed. Maybe there’s something in what you said.

RAYYou think so?

JENIt wasn’t all a mistake.

RAYI never said that.

JENOne thing we learned, got better at.

21

RAYWhat?

JENHurting each other.

RAY(a bit ruefully)

Yes.

JENDo you think we can stop? For the kids’ sake?

RAYI think we have to, for our sake. Neither of us can move on until we do.

JENTruce?

RAYTruce.

JENWe really were friends once. . . before everything else, I mean.

RAYYes we were. I think I miss that more than anything.

JENIs it possible for us to be friends, . . . now? Buy me a drink?

RAYWhat will people say? We’re divorced. I think there’s some law against friendship.

JENWould you autograph my book?

(RAY and JEN walk off, talking, JEFF walks on just in time to see them leave. He is striding with a long stick. Towel over his shoulder ala Moses. He looks after them, picks up the shell, listens, nods, puts it in his bag. He turns majestically toward the sea, raps his stick on the sand. The sea parts in the center, JEFF passes through and off. Ocean sounds rise, fade to black.)

End of play

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*A critical piece of scenery is a pair of overlapping flats with the waves painted on them, probably at center rear. These flats should be able to be rolled apart or separated enough for someone to pass, exposing ocean bed with water and sky visible beyond.

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