February 16 Play: QUARTET

47: QUARTET - by Ed Valentine
© February 16, 2010 * ed@edvalentine.com

LIGHTS UP: A stage in a concert hall. The QUARTET enters, as if to begin a concert. Applause. They sit. They look, and breathe. Raise their instruments.

Suddenly:

VIOLA: Wait.
-
Wait. I can’t go on.

FIRST VIOLIN: Don’t.

VIOLA: Don’t tell me don’t. I’m telling you, I said it, I can’t.

(Starts to gather her music.)

SECOND VIOLIN: They’re paying customers!

VIOLA: (glaring at CELLO) Tell HIM to pay them, then. From his lockbox of a heart.

(VIOLA walks off, through the center aisle.)

(A terrible pause.)

FIRST VIOLIN: We’re - sorry. We’re very.

SECOND VIOLIN: Sorry.

FIRST VIOLIN (TO CELLO): This is all your fault.

(Apologetically, embarrassed, FIRST VIOLIN and SECOND VIOLIN go to walk off into the wings.)

SECOND VIOLIN: (To CELLO) You coming?

(CELLO, without a word, begins to play. Alone in the light. FIRST VIOLIN and SECOND VIOLIN watch from the wings. Lights only on CELLO. CELLO only hearing the music. Spill of lights on the others in the wings. Music ends.

VIOLA enters in the center aisle. Waits. Watches. Listens. Hears.

Lights fade.

END OF PLAY.