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    True Love Lies

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    MADISON

      I hate it when you say things like that.

      CAROLYN

      That’s why I say them.

      MADISON

      I know.

      KANE

      Well okay then now.

      Pause.

      MADISON

      I’m meeting Willett.

      KANE

      Don’t be too late.

      MADISON kisses KANE.

      MADISON

      Don’t wait up.

      CAROLYN

      Please don’t hate me forever.

      MADISON

      Working on it.

      MADISON exits.

      ROYCE

      I’m tired and my mouth is really dry.

      CAROLYN

      Good night sweetie. We’ll talk tomorrow.

      ROYCE exits.

      KANE

      It’s not going to be as great as you think.

      CAROLYN

      Whatever it was we were meant to do together—it’s done. It is. You know it too. It’s all just habit now. Fear of the unknown.

      KANE

      But I love you.

      CAROLYN

      I know.

      Pause.

      Don’t forget to replace the furnace.

      KANE

      Right.

      CAROLYN exits. KANE goes to the fridge and gets himself a beer. He sits at the table and sips the beer. Lights rise on DAVID in the restaurant. He’s looking at the reservation book and shaking his head. MADISON enters.

      MADISON

      What’s going on?

      DAVID

      What?

      MADISON

      You haven’t looked me in the eye for the last two days.

      DAVID

      Let’s talk after your shift.

      MADISON

      I’d rather talk now.

      DAVID

      After your shift is better. Really.

      MADISON

      You’re going to fire me.

      DAVID

      Yes.

      MADISON

      Why?

      DAVID

      My costs are through the roof and with this downswing.

      MADISON

      Why me?

      DAVID

      Last hired first fired.

      MADISON

      That’s me and Willett.

      DAVID

      And three of the kitchen staff and one dishwasher.

      MADISON

      This is about him isn’t it?

      DAVID

      No.

      MADISON

      I see you watching us all the time.

      DAVID

      I watch you and Willett because I can see you falling in love and it’s such a wonderful thing I can’t not look.

      MADISON

      Seriously?

      DAVID

      I don’t think Willett’s the sharpest knife in the drawer and thankfully I doubt he’s going to be your one great love but I know you’re enjoying it and that makes me feel—surprisingly good.

      MADISON

      But you still have to fire me.

      DAVID

      Yes. You won’t have any trouble finding another job. You should be someplace where you can make real money anyway.

      MADISON

      True. Think Mary’ll close the place?

      DAVID

      Hopefully not—if we can get our budgets in line. I’ll probably pick up some floor shifts.

      MADISON

      Waiting? Really?

      DAVID nods.

      That’s sad.

      DAVID

      Anything necessary to survive. You don’t have to work your shift if.

      MADISON

      Don’t worry. I’ll do it.

      DAVID

      You’re sure?

      MADISON moves to DAVID and gives him a quick kiss.

      MADISON

      Thank you.

      DAVID kisses her again.

      DAVID

      No thank you.

      They hug.

      Dinner later?

      Short pause.

      MADISON

      You know it.

      MADISON exits. Lights rise on CAROLYN at her new place. She’s getting ready to go out. There’s a knock at the door and ROYCE enters using his key.

      CAROLYN

      Hey handsome.

      ROYCE

      That your new car in the lot?

      CAROLYN

      Like it?

      ROYCE

      It’s kinda showy.

      CAROLYN

      That’s the point.

      ROYCE

      I like it. Tasha and I are on our way to the cat show. You wanna come?

      CAROLYN

      That’s so sweet. Where is Tasha?

      ROYCE

      Didn’t want to come in because she saw one of her dead guys sitting on your steps.

      CAROLYN

      Thanks but I already have plans.

      ROYCE

      Like a date?

      CAROLYN

      Like drinks with some of the girls from work.

      ROYCE

      Sounds fun.

      CAROLYN

      Thanks beats sitting alone in front of the TV for another night. How’s Kane?

      ROYCE

      Don’t ask.

      CAROLYN

      Try to get him out of the house.

      ROYCE

      We’re working on it. Have fun.

      CAROLYN

      You too.

      ROYCE blows CAROLYN a kiss then exits. Lights rise on the restaurant. DAVID is carrying two plates of food to a table. KANE enters.

      DAVID

      She’s just finishing up. This is her last night.

      KANE

      You finally fired her?

      DAVID

      Business is shit.

      KANE

      Sorry to hear that.

      DAVID

      But not sorry to see her go.

      KANE

      It doesn’t really matter anymore.

      DAVID

      She won’t have a problem finding another job. She’s very good. Hold on. I’ll get her.

      DAVID gestures for KANE to sit at the table and exits. KANE is tempted by the wonderful smell of the pasta. He dips his finger into the sauce on one plate and tastes it. It’s amazing. DAVID enters with MADISON’s apron, billfold, cash envelope, etc.

      Apparently she finished her section early and slipped out the back door.

      KANE

      She phoned me for a ride half an hour ago.

      DAVID

      Debra saw her drive away with Willett.

      KANE

      Then why would she need a ride?

      DAVID

      She knew I was making a final dinner.

      Short pause.

      Oh.

      KANE

      Oh.

      DAVID

      Yes.

      KANE

      Set-up and everything.

      DAVID

      She mentioned you weren’t getting out much.

      KANE

      She says you never go anywhere.

      DAVID

      She’s wrong. I go to lots of places. Just no place fun.

      KANE

      What is this?

      DAVID

      Three-cheese tortellini in an aromatic tomato vodka sauce.

      KANE

      Smells amazing.

      DAVID

      Hungry?

      KANE

    &n
    bsp; I’ve been eating out of the microwave for months.

      DAVID

      Would you like to join me?

      KANE

      You wouldn’t mind?

      Short pause.

      DAVID

      No.

      KANE

      Okay.

      DAVID

      Wine?

      KANE

      Please.

      DAVID pours wine for them both.

      DAVID

      How you doing?

      KANE

      My family’s fallen apart. You?

      DAVID

      My restaurant’s failing and I have no life or friends.

      Pause.

      KANE

      I am such a total failure.

      DAVID

      No.

      KANE

      My wife—my kids are—

      DAVID

      Fucked up. Who isn’t? They’re essentially good people—and interesting. That’s more than a lot of parents accomplish.

      KANE

      Since Carolyn left me. I can’t. It’s. Just.

      Pause.

      DAVID

      Have some wine.

      KANE

      Thanks. Sorry. Can I smoke in here?

      DAVID

      No.

      KANE

      I’ve been very—emotional lately.

      DAVID

      Perfectly understandable.

      KANE

      I bet you feel like you know my family almost as well as I do.

      DAVID

      Almost.

      Pause.

      KANE

      I still don’t understand any of this.

      DAVID

      Shit happens. We never really know why.

      KANE

      It’s been a long time.

      DAVID

      Doesn’t seem like it.

      KANE

      I guess there’s a lot we can catch up on.

      DAVID

      Yeah. And we will. Later.

      KANE

      You’re sure? That might be kinda weird after everything.

      DAVID

      Kane.

      KANE

      What?

      DAVID

      Eat.

      They eat as the lights slowly fade to black.

      SPECIAL THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      Iris Turcott, Tamara Bernier-Evans, Trina Davies, Peni Christopher, BJ Radomski, Ken Gass, Brent Carver, Noah Reid, Arin Mackinnon, Michael Spencer-Davis and, as always, my greatest supporter and collaborator, Braham Murray and the wonderful people at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

      photo by Manon Cousin

      BRAD FRASER is a playwright, director and producer whose work has been greeted with success across the globe, garnering him such awards as the London Evening Standard Award for most promising playwright, the LA Critics Award and Toronto’s Dora Mavor Moore Award for best new play to name only a few. His films include Love and Human Remains (directed by Academy Award-winner Denys Arcand and winner of the Genie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay) and Leaving Metropolis, adapted from Poor Super Man. For television, he spent three seasons as a writer/producer on Queer As Folk for Showtime and two seasons hosting his chat show Jawbreaker with Brad Fraser on OutTV. Check out Bradfraser.net for more info and occasional updates.

      True Love Lies © Copyright 2009 by Brad Fraser

      Playwrights Canada Press

      202-269 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada M5V 1X1

      phone 416.703.0013 • info@playwrightscanada.com • www.playwrightscanada.com

      No part of this book may be reproduced, downloaded, or used in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except for excerpts in a review or by a licence from Access Copyright, www.accesscopyright.ca.

      For professional or amateur production rights, please contact Rena Zimmerman, Great North Artists Management

      350 Dupont Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5R 1V9

      phone 416.925.2051

      Cover art and design by DC Hillier

      Cover photo by Brad Fraser

      Type design by Blake Sproule

      Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

      Fraser, Brad, 1959-

      True Love Lies [electronic resource] / Brad Fraser

      A play.

      Electronic monograph.

      Issued also in print and PDF formats.

      ISBN 978-1-77091-234-2

      I. Title.

      We acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC)—an agency of the Government of Ontario, which last year funded 1,681 individual artists and 1,125 organizations in 216 communities across Ontario for a total of $52.8 million—the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities.

     

     

     



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