Tana’s Requiem for a Dream in D Minor
A brief glimpse into something that will lead to understand something else.
[Here’s how the scene will be set up: It is exactly noon and the bubbles are high and the water lukewarm in the bath. The window in the bathroom is opened and shifts the room from light to deep gray in intervals of half hours. In the tub are two people. The first laying the correct way and reading is Drunk Tana. On the ledge to her left is a mason jar of Vodka from Holland and Cran-grape juice. She sips it throughout the whole scene. At the opposite end is Sober Tana watching Drunk Tana half distraught and purely annoyed.]
Drunk: Why is it whenever I come looking for a piece of mind you come following me around with that grim look?
Sober: Why do you do it?
Drunk: Please don’t start in on me. I just started to feel tipsy.
Sober: You start in on yourself.
[Drunk Tana half laughs.]
Drunk: That’s funny. When did you become funny?
Sober: The minute you become stupid.
Drunk: I’m never stupid.
[Sober Tana in an almost plead.]
Sober: You are right now!
Drunk: No I’m not. You hate me so you’re bias. You won’t leave me alone even though I try my best to keep from you.
Sober: I have to be near you, I can’t help it.
[Drunk Tana takes a sip of her drink and turns the page in her book.]
Drunk: Well then be quiet I’m trying to read.
Sober: Don’t. I’ll just ave to go over it again in the morning.
Drunk: You wouldn’t if you’d just shut up.
Sober: The one person to give a damn and you’re cruel.
Drunk: You don’t give a damn about me. You give a damn about you.
Sober: It’s the same thing!
[Drunk Tana almost drops the book alarmed.]
Drunk: No it’s not! (A little pause) No it’s not.
Sober: You’re being stupid again.
Drunk: Shut up. (Takes a sip and turns another page.) Anyway why’d you come here? I thought you only liked showers.
Sober: I like baths.
Drunk: No I do.
Sober: What are you going to do today?
Drunk: Eat four frozen burritos to make you feel bad. I can’t put my finger on it, but you really do have some form of eating disorder. One of the nameless type that won’t be discovered until twenty years after you’re dead.
[Sober Tana splashes drunk Tana.]
Sober: Get out.
Drunk: Be careful, the book. All I’m saying is that you lost more weight than anyone we know and you cringe every time the scale says anything over 135. Then you start skipping meals like you’re so brilliant.
Sober: I skip meals because everything makes us-
Dunk: You-
Sober: Everything makes us throw up. We have a weak stomach, that’s not my fault.
Drunk: Blah, blah, you still cringe at 135. 5'7 and afraid of 135. You know I looked up what weight your height is supposed to be in and yours is 136–147/ You’re actually underweight you idiot.
Sober: Read your book.
Drunk: I can do both.
[Pause]
Sober: Please don’t eat four burritos.
Drunk: See you do care.
Sober: It’ll make us-you throw up, and you always cry like a child and it breaks my heart.
Drunk: I’m hungry, that’s what I’m eating.
Sober: Why are you so mean to me?
Drunk: Because I hate you.
[Pause]
[Sober Tana speaks low.]
Sober: No you don’t.
Drunk: Oh yes I do. I hate you and your headaches, your barfing, your laugh, and I especially ate when you break into tears. If you cried as much as you felt the whole dam world would be a flood.
Sober: I almost never cry.
Drunk: My point. (Takes a sip and turns page.) Can you turn on the hot water? It’s starting to get too cold.
[Sober Tana turns on the hot water.]
Sober: Can I tell you something without you getting mad?
Drunk: I already am mad so you might as well say it.
[Pause]
Sober: I-
Drunk: But don’t say that. Turn off the- never mind keep it going.
Sober: I’m sorry you’re lonely.
Drunk: I’m not.
Sober: Yes you are. I go to the same places you do, I do the same things-
Drunk: You don’t do anything I do! I am not lonely bu you’re making me tired.
[Sober Tana turns off ho water.]
Sober: Stop fighting me
Drunk: I’m not but it seems you want to. Okay, here’s a fight: I think you’re pretty. Not drop dead but not awful either. You have an interesting personality that people respond well to, so damn your crooked teeth. Put back on your retainer if it’s driving you crazy. Also, you’re funny.
Sober: Stop indulging your own ego. We’re average with average charm.
Drunk: You might be but I’m not. I’m going to take a bite out of each thing I put my hand on.
Sober: You’re drunk.
Drunk: And your self deprecating. Listen, stop letting people make you feel bad their road is not your own. Screw what they got you don’t want it anyway. You know you don’t.
Sober: Stop pretending you don’t like to be in your own skin!
Drunk: What’s that supposed to mean?
Sober: It means you’re okay with being yourself, you like being yourself.
Drunk: I’m missing the insult.
Sober: If you like being yourself why do you try and attempt to be someone else?
[Drunk Tana laughs, drinks more, and turns page.]
Drunk: I never do that.
Sober: Yes you do!
Drunk: No you do that. I don’t know how to do that Tana my beautiful little idiot. My young, reckless, pure little idiot. I’m going to shed a tear for you later.
Sober: You flirt with too many people in hopes that-
[Drunk Tana becomes a little more serious.]
Drunk: So I’m lonely, okay, you’ve said that before.
Sober: You flirt with too many people all in hopes that one of them will knock you over.
Drunk: Being knocked over is a hell of a lot better than you thinking your in love with someone only to get repulsed if they love you back.
Sober: No one loves me.
Drunk: And you hate it.
Sober: No you hate it.
Drunk: Shut up,
[Sober Tana is pleased.]
Sober: Oh did I hit a nerve your highness?
[Drunk Tana going back to being subdued.]
Drunk: Leave me be I’m reading.
[Drunk Tana turns a page.]
Sober: Now who will be shedding a tear for whom?
Drunk: Still me for you, now be quiet I really like this part.
[Pause]
Sober: It’s okay to want to be loved.
Drunk: Tell it to the zoo.
Sober: No I’m serious.
Drunk: Okay then love me and move on.
Sober: It’s not the same and you know it. Besides I already love you.
Drunk: This isn’t some after school special.
Sober: I know,
Drunk: So leave me alone.
Sober: But why?
Drunk: I already told you. You’re an idiot, you are, but you are not stupid.
Sober: It’s okay to want to be loved.
[Drunk Tana takes a sip and turns the page a little upset.]
Drunk: Will you stop saying that?
Sober: Why?
Drunk: Because I don’t want to hear it.
Sober: Yes you do.
Drunk: No, yes you do. Damnit I don’t want to be loved. I want to live and die alone it’s why I’m lonely. But you want to belong to someone and trying to make me feel bad about it. Belong to someone if that’s what you want.
Sober: I can’t because every time I think I want to you come dragging me out the door by the hand.
Drunk: Those people are never good enough.
Sober: You only think unattainable people are interesting.
Drunk: Because they have no need to pretend.
Sober: Other people are interesting too.
Drunk: You’re talking to the zoo again.
Sober: Stop saying that it’s not a saying.
Drunk: Zoo (Short pause). You should stop blaming me for all your problems.
Sober: I am not blaming you.
Drunk: You want to be loved and you want to belong to someone, but you also don’t want to be loved and don’t want to belong anywhere.
Sober: If you really liked being lonely you wouldn’t flirt with people in hope that they’ll get a rise out of you.
Drunk: I’m conflicted. I’m lonely but can’t stand to be bored either.
[Drunk Tana turns a page.]
Sober: You mean fickled.
Drunk: I mean conflicted. You’re fickled. You never let people close and when you accidentally do, because there’s always that one person who can keep up with your wit, you start kicking at them with your heels as if they caught fire. I only come to pull you out before the building burns down. You burn your life down a lot.
[Long pause]
[Drunk Tana continues drinking and reading. Sober Tana watches before becoming angry. Sober Tana splashes water at Drunk Tana.]
Sober: It’s okay to want to be loved! It’s okay to want to be loved!
Drunk: Stop it.
[Sober Tana continues splashing.]
Sober: It’s okay to want to be loved! It’s okay to want to be loved!
[Drunk Tana slams book into water furious.]
Drunk: Stop saying that!
[Sober Tana realizes what’s happened and becomes a little guilty in a short pause.]
Sober: Look what you’ve done.
[Drunk Tana looks down at hands to see the book is in the water. She picks it up slowly, looks at Sober Tana, and begins to cry.]
Drunk: Look what you made me do!
Sober: I’m sorry. We’ll get another.
Drunk: I don’t want another I want this one!
Sober: Please don’t cry.
Drunk: You ruin everything! You ruin me, you ruin yourself by trying to ruin me, and now you’ve ruined this poor innocent book!
Sober: I said I was sorry!
Drunk: What’s this book done to you aside from letting us read it?
Sober: Nothing. I already feel bad, okay?
Drunk: You feel bad but my whole soul hurts. I just wanted to read.
[Drunk Tana reaches for glass.]
Sober: Please don’t drink anymore.
Drunk: I’ve got to.
Sober: Why?
Drunk: Because,
Sober: You don’t even have a real answer!
Drunk: I’m only in my twenties and I like to!
Sober: Not good enough.
Drunk: I’m going to cry forever my heart is so broken.
Sober: No you won’t. (Sits up in tub to wipe Drunk Tana’s eyes.) You’ll move past this.
[Pause]
[Drunk and Sober Tana stare at each other. Sober Tana sits back again.]
Drunk: I don’t hate you.
[Sober Tana reaches for a face towel in the water. Sits up again and wipes Drunk Tana’s face.]
Sober: I know. Close your eyes.
[Drunk Tana closes eyes. Sober Tana continues cleaning her face.]
Drunk: Only I wish you’d stop doing that thing.
[Sober Tana stops cleaning her face.]
Sober: What thing?
[Drunk Tana takes the towel to start cleaning her ears.]
Drunk: You always rush past the ears. (Slight pause) You always do that thing where you think you love someone and when you discover you don’t you feel bad about it. You shouldn’t do that. It’s okay to love something without being in love with it.
Sober: Then you should stop doing something too.
Drunk: What?
Sober: Stop feeling bad for wanting to be loved without wanting to love anything in return.
[Pause]
Drunk: Are we bad people?
Sober: I think we just are.
[Pause]
Drunk: I want to get out. I want to go to sleep.
Sober: Okay, okay.
[Scene]
