A series of mini-dramas based on public conversations, as overheard and rewritten by local playwright/director Aurora Stewart de Peña.
Overheard at The Lakeview at 3 am…
Heather is in her late 40s. She wears no make-up, and hairs stray from her ponytail. She looks deep into her soy milk latte.
Elise is 35. She drinks a glass of house white.
Elise: You look tired.
Heather: I am tired.
Elise: I remember, I remember what that was like in the first few months. You’re tired all the time.
Heather dips a finger in the milk foam. She watches the bubbles pop, then wipes her finger on the napkin.
Elise: You look good, though.
Heather: You just said I look tired.
Elise: Yeah, but you still look good. You always look good.
Heather smoothes her hair back into the semblance of a ponytail. For a second she does look good, then she frowns. Her face falls.
Elise touches Heather’s knuckles.
Elise: You’re beautiful, you’ve got that glow.
Heather looks at Elise. They look at each other.
Elise: Have you told Steve, yet?
Heather looks at her latte.
Elise: You haven’t, have you?
Heather: No.
Pause.
Heather: And I’m not going to. I’m too old for this, Elise. I’m too old.
Elise: I know you feel that way, but…
Elise trails off.
Heather: Will you come with me?
Elise: Of course.
Elise stares at her glass of wine. Her fingers tense around the base.
Elise: Of course I’ll come with you. You don’t even have to ask.
____
Aurora Stewart de Peña is half of the theatre company Birdtown & Swanville (the other half is Nika Mistruzzi). You can follow her on Twitter at @Aurorahhh.
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