Cafe La Tragédie by Jeffrey Lo (DOWNLOAD PDF HERE)
NUNES sitting in her favorite coffee shop.
She is working with amazing focus and diligence on her laptop.
She is typing away and sipping her coffee.
DAVE, a barista at the coffee shop approaches NUNES’ table to wipe the open area beside her.
DAVE smiles at NUNES.
NUNES: Hi.
DAVE: Hey.
DAVE finishes wiping up and exits.
NUNES takes another sip of coffee but realizes its empty.
NUNES gets up to order another coffee but before she can head to the register –
DAVE enters with a fresh mug of coffee.
DAVE: For you.
NUNES: Oh.
DAVE: I spotted yours was running low as I was wiping up.
NUNES: Wow. That’s what I call customer service.
NUNES takes her wallet out to pay DAVE.
DAVE: Oh, don’t worry about it,.
NUNES: Are you sure?
DAVE: It’s on the house. You’re a regular.
NUNES: That’s so nice. Thank you.
DAVE: Of course.
Beat.
DAVE: You’ve working hard.
NUNES: Am I? I mean. Yeah. I am haha.
DAVE: Yeah, you came in just after I started my shift and you’ve been at it at a pretty furious pace over there.
NUNES: Deadlines. You know how it is.
DAVE: Totally.
NUNES: I procrastinated – is really what it was – so a bit my fault.
DAVE: Now that – I reallyunderstand.
They share a laugh.
DAVE: Well I’ll let you get back to it.
NUNES: Right.
DAVE: Enjoy the coffee.
NUNES: Thanks again.
DAVE: You’re welcome again.
They share another nice laugh.
DAVE exits.
NUNES smiles to herself.
Beat.
NUNES drinks her coffee and gets back to work.
She jumps back into the same feverish pace as before.
Lights shift a tad darker.
DAVE enters out of uniform.
DAVE: Alright – well I’ll see you around.
NUNES: Are you off?
DAVE: Yeah, shift’s over.
NUNES: Already?
NUNES drinks her coffee.
DAVE: Already? It was a full eight hours.
NUNES: Has it been?
DAVE: Yeah! Have you not noticed?
NUNES: What time is it?
DAVE: Seven at night.
NUNES: Sev… I’m drinking coffee at –
NUNES looks at DAVE in fear.
DAVE: What?
NUNES looks at her empty coffee mug in horror.
DAVE: Are you ok?
NUNES looks at the dark night sky out of the coffee shop’s window.
Horror music starts to play.
Lights suddenly shift into crazy strobes.
The coffee shop falls apart and becomes NUNES bed.
NUNES lies in bed, eyes wide, muttering under her breath.
NUNES: I can’t sleep…. I can’t sleep… pleasepleasepleaseletmesleep. I WANNA SLEEEEEPPPPPSLEEPSLEEPSLEEPSLEEPSLEEPSLEEP.
The horror music grows.
NUNES begins to scream.
NUNES: CURSE YOU COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!
The horror music grows louder and louder and louder.
Blackout.
END OF PLAY.