Lodestar Quarterly

Issue 4 • Winter 2002 • Featured Writer • Drama

Half-Light Dances

Brian Thorstenson

A beginning: night

A beginning: night

DARYL
It's a night. After the commuters have gone. Past the afternoon breeze, the descent of fog. You pocket your keys, head out to push your face around.

DEREK enters and passes DARYL.

They take two steps, stop, then turn back.

DEREK takes two more steps, then turns back. DARYL isn't looking.

DARYL takes two steps, then turns back. DEREK isn't looking.

Just as DARYL turns away, DEREK looks back at DARYL.

Two steps. They both turn. They both see each other looking.

They walk towards each other.

DARYL
Hey.

DEREK
Hey.

DARYL
What's up?

DEREK
Not much. You?

DARYL
Hanging. You?

DEREK
Hanging. You?

DARYL
You been out?

DEREK
Yeah.

DARYL
Where?

DEREK
Around. Out around. With friends. You?

DARYL
Just got out.

DEREK
Oh.

DARYL
Yeah.

DEREK
You live around here?

DARYL
Yeah. You?

DEREK
Yeah.

DARYL
You close?

DEREK
Close enough. You?

DARYL
Yeah, sure. Enough.

beat

You want some company?

DEREK
Maybe. You?

DARYL
Maybe. You?

DEREK
Maybe.

DARYL
There's a boy, at the end of the block. Standing in a doorway, or leaning against a signpost. Same doorway. Same signpost. He charts a course between the two all night long. I walk by, try to catch him in between. Try to catch his eye. I never can. Do you know him? Have you seen him?

DEREK
No.

DEREK exits.

DARYL alone

***

Next Page:   A beginning: unexpected singing   (page 5 of 13 pages)

All Pages:   See the entire play on one page

Table of Contents:   Half-Light Dances

Brian Thorstenson lives in San Francisco. His first play, Heading South, received a Bay Area Critics Circle Nomination and was part of the 1996 Berkeley Art Centers' performance series. His play Summerland was selected for the 2000 Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the 2000 Z Festival of New Performance, and opened in New York City at Wings Theatre Company. The play is included in the anthology Plays and Playwrights 2002. His poetry has been published in Transfer and Six Thousand Five Hundred. Brian has received writing fellowships from the Djerassi Resident Arts Program and Blue Mountain Center. He currently is a lecturer in playwriting at San Francisco State University and Santa Clara University.

Go To: Issue 4 or Lodestar Quarterly home page