My first play, Last Call, was sort of a 9/11 play. I guess. What really makes a play a 9/11 play? A story about the particular events of that day in regards to the terrorist attacks? A story about people's reactions? A story that takes place anywhere in this world after that day, since we are told over and over how the world changed forever that day? I don't know. I do know it was a weird day, and that the country went insane for awhile. On the advice of Jack Halpin, I took an unfinished play and finished it. I put people in it who were tired and scared and lost. I put in a bartender who took a crucifix and wrapped an American flag around it, so that it looked like Jesus was wearing the flag as a loincloth. And I set the play far, far away from NYC, in the town of Salinas- which might as well have been the other side of the world that day. People seemed to like the play when it got produced by hope theatre, inc. as part of the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival. It won an award, and then got published. Here's a little bit. If you like it, you can buy the whole thing at IndieTheaterNow.
VINCE
Oh, you’re just freaked out from 9-11. Everything’s gonna be fine. Relax. This is a natural reaction.
DAVID
I’m not talking about 9-11. Not exactly. I mean, yeah, that freaked me out, and it sucked, and still
sucks, but that wasn’t the deciding factor.
JERRY
What the fuck are you talking about?
DAVID
I’m talking about blood and guts and life and
death.
JACK
I don’t understand.
DAVID
It’s a long story.
JACK
What is?
DAVID
What happened to me.
JACK
What happened to you?
DAVID
Well, I guess it all started the night I
tried to kill myself.
JERRY
You tried to kill yourself?
DAVID
I was going to.
VINCE
So first you’re dying, and now you’re trying
to kill yourself?
JACK
What the Hell are you talking about?
DAVID
It was about three months after 9/11. After everyone started acting like
their normal, boring, creepy selves.
VINCE
Including you?
DAVID
Oh yeah. Especially me.
Thousands of people dead. A
war on terrorism that just gets curiouser and curiouser. Anthrax, some kid putting pipe bombs in
mail boxes- things are totally fucked up. And there I am, buying this and
selling that, closing deals like nothing ever happened. Keep going on like before. That’s what everyone said to do to
fight the terrorists. Keep going
on like before. Even if you’re an
asshole, keep going on like before.
It’s all so fucked and weird.
You ever feel like nothing makes sense, that time and space are all
warped and you’re just sort of floating through it, powerless?
JACK
All the time.
