WEEK SEVEN ~ EXEUNT, ...

Another one I want to flush out more...

EXEUNT, ...

By

Kyle Gregory Boynton

Cast of Characters
Derek:
Chris:
Mona:
Tina:
Comedy:
Tragedy:

Scene
a Stage.

Time
Now.

Lights up on DEREK. He sits center stage. Reads.

DEREK
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women
merely players; They have their exits and entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts.

DEREK stands.

DEREK
Infant, whining school boy, lover, soldier, justice,
Pantaloon...

Pause

DEREK
Last scene of all... ends his strange eventful
history... mere oblivion.

MONA enters.

MONA
Is all our company here?

TINA enters

TINA
Our season opener is going to be Shakespeare’s cursed
play.

MONA
And, because of this, we’re going to be fairly delicate
with the title.

TINA
So, during auditions, rehearsals, performances--

MONA
--And for marketing purposes--

DEREK
(aside)
Words, words, words.

TINA
We’re calling this particular production.. The Scottish
Play.

MONA and TINA exit.

DEREK lights a cigarette.

CHRIS enters

CHRIS
Can I bum one?

DEREK hands a cigarette to CHRIS

CHRIS
How do you think auditions went?

DEREK
Waste of time.

CHRIS
How so?

DEREK
I just played Hamlet...

CHRIS
Ah..

DEREK
What’s the point of auditioning? They know what I can
do.

CHRIS
You’ll make a great Mac, too.

DEREK
Yeah.

MONA enters with two folders/scripts. She hands
one to each DEREK and CHRIS.

Hugs CHRIS.

MONA
Congrats, Chris! You’re going to be a great Mac.

CHRIS
Thanks! I’m still completely shocked.

Pause.

CHRIS
I’ll see you inside.

CHRIS exits.

MONA
Congrats -

DEREK
Save it.

MONA
You’re replaceable, you know? Do you want the part or
not? I don’t need you moping around.

DEREK
I’ll be fine.

MONA
I don’t want to hear it! Just, do your job. You should
be happy for Chris, this is going to be his first lead
role with us. You’ve had plenty.

MONA exits.

DEREK begins to exit. Stops. He sees "something"
in the audience. He moves slowly to center, gazing
outward.
Pause.
On either side (right/left) of the stage, COMEDY
and TRAGEDY enter. (Both wear all black. Each have
a white mask - Comedy mask for COMEDY and a
Tragedy mask for, you guessed it, TRAGEDY) They
move in unison, with the sound of a HEARTBEAT
offstage.
DEREK slowly becomes aware of them, as they begin
to circle him. DEREK quickly moves to one side of
the stage, they STOP. He raises his right arm,
they copy. DEREK lowers his arm, they copy. DEREK
doesn’t move.
They start circling again, now moving closer.
Faster. The HEARTBEAT goes faster and faster. They
reach DEREK. COMEDY holds out a slapstick, TRAGEDY
holds out a dagger.
LIGHTS OUT!
Pause
Lights up. COMEDY and TRAGEDY are gone. DEREK is
alone on stage, holding a dagger.
Lights out.
CHRIS screams.
Lights slowly rise on DEREK standing over CHRIS’
body.

DEREK
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts
and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no
more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and
fury, signifying nothing.

CURTAIN