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
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
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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.