LaBute Reasons to Be Happy

Main
ISBN: 978-0-571-33177-2
Verlag: Faber & Faber
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 96 Seiten

Three years after a difficult breakup, Steph and Greg are wondering if they can start over again. The trouble is, she's married someone else and he's started a relationship with her best friend Carly. Meanwhile, Carly's ex-husband Kent wants her back, and even more so when he hears about her new romance with his best friend Greg. As emotions run high, all four find themselves entangled in a web of hidden agendas and half-truths in their pursuit of a happy life. A companion piece to the acclaimed Reasons to Be Pretty, Neil LaBute's Reasons to Be Happy received its UK premiere at Hampstead Theatre, London, in March 2016.

Neil LaBute received his Master of Fine Arts degree in dramatic writing from New York University and was the recipient of a literary fellowship to study at the Royal Court Theatre, London. He also attended the Sundance Institute's Playwrights Lab and is the Playwright-in- Residence with MCC Theatre in New York City. LaBute's plays include: bash: latter-day plays, The Shape of Things, The Mercy Seat, The Distance From Here, Autobahn, Fat Pig (Olivier Award nominated for Best Comedy), Some Girl(s), This Is How It Goes, Wrecks, Filthy Talk for Troubled Times, In a Dark Dark House, Reasons to Be Pretty (Tony Award nominated for Best Play) and The Break of Noon. In the spring of 2011 his play In a Forest, Dark and Deep premiered in London's West End. LaBute is also the author of Seconds of Pleasure, a collection of short fiction which was published by Grove Atlantic. His films include In the Company of Men (New York Critics' Circle Award for Best First Feature and the Filmmaker Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival), Your Friends and Neighbors, Nurse Betty, Possession, The Shape of Things, a film adaptation of his play of the same title, The Wicker Man, Lakeview Terrace and Death at a Funeral.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Labute, Neil

Leseproben

The lights pop on. Bam. Just like that.

A parking lot. Two people – Greg and Stephanie – standing in front of a discount store. Both with bags of food in their arms. Smack in the middle of yet another fight.

Greg … No, no, no, no, no! / No … uh-uh, no!

Steph Yes! / Don’t lie, you fucker!

Greg Steph, no! (Beat.) We are not gonna do this again, so just stop!

Steph So then explain it to me … liar.

Greg Look … this is … not here, alright? Not in the parking lot of Trader Joe’s … / I am not willing to do that. / I don’t have to so I won’t. I’m not gonna. No.

Steph Fuck, that’s so … / Of course you won’t. / You won’t because you can’t is why, you won’t because you don’t have a fucking leg to stand on, that’s how come, Greg. Not because you don’t have time or that you don’t need to, because you do.

Greg is about to say something but stops. Glances around for the cavalry to arrive. Sorry. Not today.

Greg I’m totally happy to go somewhere with you – not tonight, but some time – and sit with you and discuss this. Discuss it like people do, over coffee or whatever, but not like two snarling dogs off in an empty lot … That’s ridiculous and, and … frankly, it’s just not cool … So no.

Steph So, you won’t, then? Right? You will not?

Greg No, Steph, I won’t. You can’t make me.

Steph Oh really? / I can’t? No? Yeah? You sure?

Greg No … / No! Stop!! You always have that … God, there’s always like this sort of threatening tone in your voice when we fight … I haven’t been around you for however long, years now – barely, anyway – and I get that same feeling in my stomach the second you start in like this again … Why is that?

Steph Maybe because you feel like shit, like a guilty fucking asshole, maybe that’s why. (Beat.) I’m just guessing, but maybe.

Greg That’s not … for what? What for?

Steph You tell me, Greg. You say it for once … instead of me always dragging it out of you with a team of fucking Clydesdales!

Greg Oh please! (Beat.) I’ve got ice-cream sandwiches in here, by the way … / Just so you know.

Steph Fuck that, asshole! / Just be a man once!

Greg This is ridiculous! It’s … so …

Steph Yeah it is, Greg, the whole situation is ridiculous … the fact that you guys have never said anything to me is ridiculous! It’s pretty fucking amazing, when I even think about it for two seconds at a time!

Greg What?! I just … I mean … why?!

Steph Because Carly’s my friend, Greg, one of my very best friends from my life, or so I thought up until about two days ago …

Greg You’re … This doesn’t have anything to do with that. / Seriously. It’s …

Steph Oh, really? / It doesn’t?

Greg No! Who says you can’t be friends?!

Steph You! You sleeping in her bed at night … / That puts a real fucking kink in the arc of our friendship, that’s who says!

Greg I am not sleeping in … / We’re just kinda …

Steph Doesn’t matter! / Does not!

Greg Does too! / Yes, it does!

Steph No, it doesn’t!

Greg Ahhh, yeah it does, Stephanie … I’m not living with her, OK, so yes, that’s a completely different thing there. Let’s just be clear about that … We’re dating.

Steph … You and your fucking words …

Greg I didn’t do this to hurt you! Jesus, it’s not like we, we, we … planned it.

Steph She’s not taking my calls, Greg. She lets them go to voicemail and that’s a first. First time in our lives since I’ve known her to not pick up her phone when I call and it’s ’cause of you! OK? YOU! (Hits Greg.) / I mean, fuck, I didn’t see this one coming!

Greg Owww! / What’s it matter, Steph … I mean, really? Huh?! We found each other, long after you and Kent were ever in the picture and …

Steph So what?!

Greg So … why is this a big deal?! You’re … married now! I just … I mean, aren’t you guys moving or something? That’s what I heard …

Steph Maybe! We’re ‘maybe’ moving … or getting transferred, we think, but so what? That’s not the issue here … you’re the issue!

Greg Why should you care who I’m with?!

Steph I don’t! I don’t give a fuck, Greg, who you’re with … as long as it’s not one of my long-time girlfriends, because then I do care, then it starts to feel creepy and like … when cousins marry, and maybe that’s just the way I was brought up but I’m not the only person from our lives that feels that way, trust me …

Greg … Then … I don’t care …

Steph No shit, Greg, I’m completely aware of that simple fact, you don’t care about very much at all … about other people or the messes you make or … the trail of shit you leave behind! / Fuck you, Greg, you fucking piece of … / FUCK!

Greg Steph, stop! / Please, just … / Stop this!

He reaches out and grabs her by the shoulders. She shakes him off like his hands are on fire.

Steph Don’t you fucking touch me! Get off me! / You prick!

Greg I’m not! / I am not touching you!

Steph Yes, you are! You put your fucking hands on my shoulders, what do you call that?!

Greg I’m trying to … / Just …

Steph Stop it! / Get off me, fuckhead!

Greg Steph, you stop it! Stop shouting!

Steph Then quit holding on to me!

Greg I’m not! (He lets go.) See?! I am not anywhere near you, OK, so just stop! Stop the screaming thing!

Steph I’m not screaming!

Greg OK then!

Steph Shut the fuck up and back away from me! / Further!

Greg backs away, holding up his hands in mock surrender.

Greg … Stephanie, just … / Stop it. (To some guy in the distance.) No, we’re good, man! We’re good! (Back to Steph.) Shhh!

Steph Fuck off, Greg, don’t pull your shit with me. I have got zero tolerance toward you and your bullshit ways now, so just fuck right off. You hear me?

Greg Yes, I hear you …

Steph Yeah? Ya sure?

Greg Umm, yes, Steph. I do … Helen Keller could hear you, so I’m pretty sure that I can …

Steph Who?!

Greg Nothing. No one.

Steph You mean the little blind girl? Do you mean that Helen Keller?

Greg … Yes …

Steph Why the fuck would you bring her up now?! I really don’t get you sometimes …

Greg Doesn’t matter.

Steph It does to me. When you say stupid shit it bothers me, especially when you think it’s smart stupid shit … so go ahead and explain yourself. (Beat.) Go on. Make your point.

Greg She was deaf. That’s why.

Steph Helen Keller was blind, Greg.

Greg Yeah, I know, but she was deaf, too. / And dumb …

Steph … No … / What?

Greg ‘Dumb.’ Her, not you … meaning unable to speak … (Beat.) That’s what they used to call it, before people made other people change it, to, like … They called it dumb.

Stephanie looks at him, considering this. Still angry but now a little confused as well. Greg checks his groceries.

Steph Oh. (Beat.) Well, that’s dumb … I mean, stupid.

Greg I know, but, that’s what it was. / They did used to say that.

Steph Huh. / Fine. Whatever. You were still trying to say something mean. To me. /...