An Evening

[elainegrey]

I'm not doing the creek clean up today.

--==∞==--

Stage is filled with golden LIGHT, as if late afternoon. Stage right is a small outdoor table with two chairs. Stage left is a bicycle covered by a clear plastic TARP. Extreme stage left is a small table with a big plastic bin on it, taller than the bike.

Hanging on stage left are two bird feeders, hanging on stage right a suet feeder.

CHRISTINE enters through stage center door. Sits on furthest chair to right, closes eyes, basks in LIGHT.

ELAINE enters through stage center door. Sits on chair closest to door, turns face to bright LIGHT and blinks.

ELAINE gets up and mimes getting clippers out of a drawer on stage left.

ELAINE "I'm just going to dead-head these flowers."

ELAINE clips away.

The LIGHT begins to slowly dim.

ELAINE "This plant has been wonderful hasn't it?"

CHRISTINE, with eyes closed, "The daisy?"

ELAINE "It's not a daisy."

CHRISTINE "But it looks like one."

ELAINE "Well, the flowers look look like daisies but the the plant doesn't."

CHRISTINE "Right, that has a trunk. Daisies are on long stems so they can look little girls in the eye."

ELAINE continues clipping, exclaims, "Oh there are aphids on this rose!"

CHRISTINE "I guess you'll need to spray it."

ELAINE mimes getting spray from a shelf on stage right. Holds sprayer up and reads to audience, "Made from chrysanthemums. Safe to use on day of harvest. It can't be too noxious to use?" Mimes spraying plants and checking for aphids. Puts SPRAY down center stage, sits in chair.

LIGHT is now not too bright.

EDWARD enters from center door, lays down under the bike tarp, sleeps.

GREYCIE LOU enters from center door, stares at EDWARD, then notices SPRAY.

GREYCIE LOU sniffs SPRAY from every angle.

CHRISTINE "You changed something. You have no idea, but when you come out here, you just wreak havoc."

ELAINE "Edward doesn't seem to care."

EDWARD continues sleeping. A FAN is turned on and off from stage right, catching and billowing the clear plastic TARP.

GREYCIE LOU turns attention to sleeping EDWARD. Her actions, such as stalking him, preparing to pounce on him, rushing up to the plastic and back, continue as --

MR M enters center door, notices SPRAY.

MR M sniffs SPRAY from every angle.

CHRISTINE glances knowingly at ELAINE.

A small group of GOLDFINCHES enter from stage left and begin eating upside down from one of the feeders.

ELAINE "Welcome to Cafe Sur La Deck"

LIGHT begins dimming again, very slowly.

MR M sits comfortably to stage right.

GREYCIE LOO, ELAINE, and CHRISTINE turn their attention to the GOLDFINCHES.

GOLDFINCHES begin rushing in and out from stage left, landing on the feeder and leaving quickly.

GREYCIE LOO jumps on top of the stage left plastic bin.

GOLDFINCHES exit stage left.

GREYCIE LOO peers off stage left.

CHICKADEE enters stage right, visits a feeder.

ELAINE and CHRISTINE watch CHICKADEE.
GREYCIE LOO continues peering off stage left.

CHICKADEE startles it own self and flutters around feeder.

FEMALE HOUSE FINCH enters stage right, flies to feeder with CHICKADEE. They jostle for perches.

CHICKADEE visits suet feeder.

ELAINE and CHRISTINE smile.

GREYCIE LOO turns to notice just as CHICKADEE and FINCH exit stage right.

GREYCIE LOO peers down at EDWARD.

EDWARD sleeps.

GREYCIE LOO jumps down and sits stage center. The FAN begins gusting the TARP again. MR M gets up and charges GREYCIE LOO, who then exits through center door. MR M sits in her spot.

CHRISTINE "Did he just take her warm spot?"

MR M looks at CHRISTINE and ELAINE with mild annoyance. "I'm going to go get some 'nip." Exits center door.

HUMMINGBIRD enters stage left and mimes visiting all the flowers.

CHRISTINE "That Bay Nature article on humming birds is quite nice."

While CHRISTINE is speaking, EDWARD wakes up and begins stalking the HUMMINGBIRD.

ELAINE "Oh, no Edward, that's a bad idea."

CHRISTINE "Why?"

ELAINE "Look at that pointy beak!"

HUMMER ignores EDWARD, CHRISTINE, and ELAINE, feeds, exits stage right.

EDWARD stands alertly at edge of stage to right.

JUNCO enters stage left, stands at edge of stage to left.

EDWARD crouches, staring at JUNCO.

JUNCO hops towards EDWARD, slowly, in small increments.

EDWARD gets more tense, more alert.

JUNCO hops closer,

closer,

closer,

and then is lifted straight off stage.

FAN blows the TARP more insistently.

LIGHT is dim.

ELAINE and CHRISTINE exit center door. EDWARD exits stage right.

The End.