PEOPLE ON BLOCKS BY JEFFREY LO (DOWNLOAD PDF HERE)
Busy city streets.
Maybe New York?
Probably New York.
The streets are so busy that any normal human being would be overwhelmed.
Yeah, it’s New York.
On these sidewalks are people.
Lots of people.
A variety of people.
A variety of people you would find in New York.
They walk and walk and walk.
They weave around each other like ants scrambling from destination to destination.
They don’t look at each other.
Most of them have earbuds on.
Suddenly, lights dim and everyone freezes.
One by one, a light shines on different people in the crowd as they speak.
PERSON 1: God I don’t want to go to work today.
PERSON 2: I hope I nail this job interview.
PERSON 3: I need to finish that project…
PERSON 4: I wish I had a job…
PERSON 5: First day. Here goes nothing.
Then suddenly FLASH!
Lights come back up and everyone starts moving as hectic as ever.
Some time passes.
Maybe like… 10 seconds.
Then, again, lights dim and everyone freezes.
One by one, a light shines on different people in the crowd as they speak.
PERSON 6: I wonder where she’s going to take me tonight…
PERSON 7: Shit, I didn’t mean to swipe right!
PERSON 8: Ugh… I thought I wasn’t the type of person to ghost someone but… ugh…
PERSON 9: I’m going to ask her out today.
PERSON 10: I’m going to get drunk and fuck him tonight.
PERSON 11: I’m going to go home and watch Netflix alone tonight.
Then suddenly FLASH!
Lights come back up and everyone starts moving as hectic as ever.
Some time passes.
Maybe like… 15 seconds.
Then, again, lights dim and everyone freezes.
One by one, a light shines on different people in the crowd as they speak.
PERSON 12: I hope Dad is sober by the time I get home…
PERSON 13: I’m so tired.
PERSON 14: I’m so sad.
PERSON 15: I’m so bored.
PERSON 16: I hate my life…
PERSON 17: Keep it together… keep it together…
PERSON 18: I better buy some gum.
Then suddenly FLASH!
Lights come back up and everyone starts moving as hectic as ever.
Some time passes.
Maybe like… 2 seconds.
Then, again, lights dim and everyone freezes.
A light shines on one person.
PERSON 19: I’m hungry.
Then suddenly FLASH!
Lights come back up and everyone starts moving as hectic as ever.
Some time passes.
Maybe like… 30 seconds.
Then, again, lights dim and everyone freezes.
One by one, a light shines on different people in the crowd as they speak.
PERSON 18: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 2: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 15: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 9: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 19: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 13: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 11: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
PERSON 5: Everyone else seems to have their life together.
Suddenly the whole theatre is filled with a cacophony of people all saying –
“Everyone else seems to have their life together.”
They start walking again as they keep repeating over and over –
“Everyone else seems to have their life together.”
Then…
Blackout.
END OF PLAY.