Work Text:
At rise: LIGHTS UP on WILBUR, walking downstage center. He is exhausted, shoulders hunched over. He struggles to walk straight. He wipes his nose on the sleeve of his trenchcoat; he is clearly in bad shape. Despite being so weak, he commands the stage. The infamous button that is usually on the wall upstage center is no longer there.
WILBUR
(Staring into the audience,
resentment plastered on his
face, in a frustrated voice)
What are you looking at? Just fucking – will you give me a moment to myself? Can I not even have that?
(WILBUR drags a hand across his face, his anger
leaving as quickly as it came, replaced with
exhaustion)
Pathetic. This is so fucking pathetic.
(Exasperated)
They made it so hard. And I was too much of a showman to actually do what I wanted. They were supposed to run out, them two. But I broke the button. Said I’d follow Tommy.
(WILBUR cheats out to look at where the button
used to be, conflicted. He then turns back to
the audience, his face shaping into a scowl.
He pauses)
I'm trying to get rid of you, you know. This–
(WILBUR spreads out his arms, palms up)
–is useless to me. I put on the show of a fucking lifetime, and even when I'm about to end it, and all you can do is stare at me.
(WILBUR laughs, almost deliriously)
And you don't even clap until the lights go down! Until I can't see you! Don't you think that's pointless?
AUDIENCE
(Stares guiltily at WILBUR, slowly
Breaking out into awkward, slow
applause.)
WILBUR
(Gives a dead, fed up expression. Does not
even have the energy to feel humiliated)
Oh, don’t clap now. Don’t pity me. I don’t deserve that.
AUDIENCE
(Falls silent once again)
WILBUR
(Stands in silence for a while. It’s hard to tell
if he’s just spaced out, or if he’s thinking.
He shakes his head and chuckles lightly)
And you know what makes it worse?
(WILBUR pauses for the AUDIENCE to reply, and
laughs again at his own failure. He smiles,
clearly pained)
I catch Tommy talking to you sometimes.
(WILBUR pauses, collecting himself)
I don’t know if he can see you, but it doesn’t matter. He got it from me.
(WILBUR leans forward, his eyes growing darker.
He looks disgusted and terrified)
He got you from me. And now I’m supposed to follow him, after I’ve ruined him with this shit.
(WILBUR runs his fingers through his hair
anxiously. He begins to pace; the only
sound that can be heard are his boots
hitting the stage)
AUDIENCE
(Continues to sit in silence)
WILBUR
(Finishes pacing, stops downstage center, at the
very edge of the stage. The front end of his
boots are hanging off of the stage. He is
looking straight into the audience once again,
a small smirk on his face)
But hey, there’s always a silver lining right?
(WILBUR chuckles, dark and sad)
When I blow this place to shit,
(WILBUR opens his arms again, palms up,
taking ownership of not only the stage,
but the AUDIENCE as well)
you better go with me, you sick motherfucker.
(WILBUR flicks his hand upward to the
lighting and sound box. BLACKOUT)