I met June in the sixth or seventh week of a 10 week seminar. I had never seen or noticed her before amidst the 300+ participants. Seated next to one another, there were several exercises where we had to share. I remember thinking what are we going to talk about and lamenting it was going to be a long three hours. In our second exercise, June told me about the recent loss of her mother and her struggle with accepting and coping with her mother’s paranoid schizophrenia. At that moment, I was immediately reminded for the millionth time how closely connected we are.
June’s submission is an excerpt from an one-act play, Scrambled. Scrambled takes place in one of your ordinary, neighborhood greasy spoons in New York City. A young woman is sitting at a table with her Mother. The restaurant is empty except for the handsome waiter/ actor who is taking their breakfast order. Everything appears to be normal, until the Mother begins to have hallucinations very similar to the delusions she’d had in her disturbed past.
Scrambled
DAUGHTER
Give her same as me. And two coffees too.
WAITER
Back in a jiffy.
(Waiter exits.)
MOTHER
I told you. I don’t want anything.
DAUGHTER
Why not, Ma?
MOTHER
Didn’t you see him?
DAUGHTER
See him what?
MOTHER
His head.
DAUGHTER
His head? It looked normal to me.
MOTHER
It was green.
DAUGHTER
Green! His head was not green!
MOTHER
Yes. It was green. Bright green and his eyes were. Oh God, his eyes were yellow. Lemon yellow with red specks.
DAUGHTER
Mom, he did not have yellow eyes. Or red specks.
MOTHER
Yes. He did. I know exactly what I saw.
DAUGHTER
What on earth are you talkin’ about? That guy looked as normal as you and me. And he was kinda cute, too.
MOTHER
No. He was not cute. And he didn’t take your order. He was taking your measurements.
DAUGHTER
Excuse me.
MOTHER
Yes. To see if you’d fit.
DAUGHTER
Fit into what? His arms. I’d like that.
MOTHER
No. Fit in the ship.
DAUGHTER
What ship?
MOTHER
Their ship. I’ve seen this all before.
DAUGHTER
Maybe I should ask him for a date and he can invite me on his ship. It sounds kinda mysterious and sexy.
MOTHER
I’m not fooling around here.
DAUGHTER
Mom, you’re freakin’ me out. Please.
(Waiter returns and places two coffees on the table.)”
This is a short excerpt from Scrambled, a one-act play. For the full one-act play, contact at june0spa@aol.com
About the Author: June Rachelson-Ospa
June Rachelson-Ospa is writer and producer. Along with her partner, Daniel Nieden, June has the following credits with her company Bozomoon Productions.
(Book, Lyrics and Music) (www.bozomoonshows.com) Producing credits: MEESTER AMERIKA (St Luke’s Theater). NO MORE WAITING (NYC premiere/Duplex). MIDTOWN CHILDREN’S MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
Writing Credits: WELCOME TO TOURETTAVILLE Very Special Arts Playwright Discovery Award: performed at Kennedy Center; BOLLYWOOD AND VINE with Edward Jordon; RAPUNZARELLA WHITE (Woodlawn Theatre/San Antonio and Bergen County Players) TRUE COLORS OF WEEDLE. Ship of Dreams (from T’ville) featured on CD: “Songs for Children 3 To 103.” UP AGAINST THE WALL (vocals Rock Icon Peppy Castro.
As Producers: OH RATS (Doug Katsaros, San Antonio, Oregon); GUARDIAN ANGEL (Bramble/Katsaros/La Mama), for TRU Musical series: ADDING MACHINE. June’s lyrics: GONE TO TEXAS (Globe Winner/San Antonio), STELLALUNA (Scholastic Ent./MGM). TRIANGLE (Book-June, Music-Mark Barkan).
Daniel/June are currently developing: THE HOTEL BELLECLAIRE (Music, Kezia Hirsey), STUPID WIG (Music, Daniel Neiden), THE ACCIDENTAL PERVERT Theme Song, TOURETTAVILLE (as an animated film of a Dr. John song, by Jacob Ospa) BULLY ON YOU (Book, Stephen McCall). WELCOME TO TOURETTAVILLE 2012 at 13th REP in NYC.
Familiar Minds 