Cast of Characters
ALEJANDRO QUISPE: 40s/50s. Peruvian. Male. Rugged. In charge of oil rigs.
(Pronounced: Ah-lay-HANN-dro KEES-pay)
SOLVEIG ULBERG-CARRASCO: Late 30s/50s. Female. Attorney/Advocate for ORPIO,
Regional Organization for Indigenous People of the East.
Professionally dressed. Norwegian. (Pronounced: SOLE-vay Ool-behrg
Cuh-RASS-koe)
Playwright’s Note
In real life the characters would be speaking Spanish, but for the sake
of consistency, all the dialogue is written in English: i.e., they say
“Missus” and “Mister” instead of “Señora” and “Señor.”
Accents aren’t required, though SOLVEIG might have a slight Norwegian
accent if you want to go that way. Up to the director.
Scene
Antiqua Disco Club. Lima, Peru.
Time
March 6, 2020. Night.
Setting
March 6, 2020. Night. Antiqua Disco Club, located right on the
beach in Lima, Peru. Specifically the upstairs terrace overlooking
the beach. Ideally, there would be a banister downstage, but this
also works on a bare stage.
Scene
ALEJANDRO leans, a bottle of overpriced fancy beer dangling in his
hand. He’s a rugged Peruvian man in his 40s/50s. He’s in dockers,
a plain button-down, a light leather jacket.
Behind him, light reflecting from a disco ball intrudes from offstage,
as does DISCO MUSIC. ALEJANDRO closes his eyes and ignores it. The DISCO
MUSIC GROWS FAINT and the SOUND OF OCEAN WAVES HITTING THE BEACH GROWS
LOUDER replacing it. He opens his eyes and looks out. The SOUND OF THE
WAVES STAYS AT FULL VOLUME and he takes a deep breath, lets it out,
then takes a long pull on his beer. As he does…
SOLVEIG
Mr. Quispe?
(The OCEAN WAVES and DISCO MUSIC blend to realistic levels as SOLVEIG
(pronounced “SOLE-vay”) approaches him, a tall flute of champagne in her
hand. She’s an attorney, dressed professionally, anywhere from late 30s
to 50s.)
SOLVEIG (Cont’d)
You’re the last person I expected to see here.
ALEJANDRO
I could say the same for you, Mrs. Ulberg-Carrasco.
SOLVEIG
Why? Don’t I seem like the disco type?
ALEJANDRO
No.
SOLVEIG
Sorry to shatter your perception of me.
ALEJANDRO
Not at all. I like it when people surprise me.
SOLVEIG
What about you? Is your secret identity John Travolta in a shocking white leisure suit?
ALEJANDRO
What you see is what you get.
SOLVEIG
Ah. So you’re not here for the music at all. You’re here…
(Looking out over the ocean.)
I see.
ALEJANDRO
They’ve got the best overpriced beer and the best free view.
SOLVEIG
Didn’t you pay a cover charge?
ALEJANDRO
You’re right. They’ve got the best overpriced beer and the best overpriced view.
(SOLVEIG smiles at his unexpected charm.)
ALEJANDRO (Cont’d)
So… did you come out just to say hello?
SOLVEIG
Would that be so strange?
ALEJANDRO
I thought it might be to gloat.
SOLVEIG
I’m Norwegian. We don’t gloat.
ALEJANDRO
I don’t believe you.
SOLVEIG
Nor should you; it’s a bald-faced lie. Besides, why would I gloat? It’s not like we’ve won yet.
ALEJANDRO
No, but you will. I wouldn’t have been so sure yesterday, but after today… When the most persuasive part of your case is that you’re protecting the indigenous population from commonplace diseases they haven’t built up immunities to, the arrival of a pandemic couldn’t come at a better time.
SOLVEIG
So, you think I’m glad this virus has reached us? That thousands of people potentially dying makes for a banner day in court for me?
(ALEJANDRO looks her over.)
ALEJANDRO
I suppose not.
SOLVIEG
Thank you…
ALEJANDRO
It’s funny. I was so worried about losing my job if you won. The people who work with me and under me not being able to make a living, not being able to feed their families. Those natives in the woods, in the forest 600 kilometers northeast of here…
SOLVEIG
They didn’t matter to you?
ALEJANDRO
I want to say they didn’t seem real. That’s good bullshit, isn’t it? The lie that they were just numbers or something you read about. But you’re right. They didn’t matter to me. They were just more wildlife standing between me and keeping a roof over my family’s head. But now…
(Looking out over the ocean.)
Wouldn’t it be funny if… when all this is over… they’re the only ones left standing? Our mighty civilization will be brought to its knees and these people, living in–what did you call it?
SOLVEIG
The forest?
ALEJANDRO
“Voluntary isolation.”
SOLVEIG
Oh right, that.
ALEJANDRO
They might inherit the earth.
SOLVEIG
You’re a Stephen King fan, aren’t you?
ALEJANDRO
Just the early stuff, but…
SOLVEIG
I think you’re overestimating the direness of the situation. Not that it won’t be dire. But civilization will prevail. And maybe the Indigenous People of Peru and the Wildlife of the Sierra del Divisor National Park… I mean, your company wants to drill in a National Park! Doesn’t that bother you?
ALEJANDRO
My answer is going to disappoint you.
SOLVEIG
I think the most disappointing thing is that it doesn’t surprise me. I was really hoping it would.
(Pause.)
I should be getting back inside. My husband’s waiting.
ALEJANDRO
Is he “the disco type”?
SOLVEIG
He prefers La Marinera.
ALEJANDRO
Good god. He must have a lot of energy.
SOLVEIG
It’s ridiculous. He’ll dance to anything. He especially loves mixing movement and music. Dancing ballroom to disco. American square dancing to minuets, if that’s a thing that’s possible.
ALEJANDRO
That’s what you’re doing here. One last big night out before the inevitable lockdown.
SOLVEIG
Something like that.
ALEJANDRO
I won’t keep you.
SOLVEIG
Good night, Mr. Quispe.
ALEJANDRO
Good night, Mrs. Ulberg-Carrasco.
(SOLVEIG starts out, then turns back.)
SOLVEIG
Would you care to join us? I’d love to buy you another overpriced beer.
ALEJANDRO
Thanks but… Better not. Don’t want to be seen fraternizing with the enemy.
SOLVEIG
Right. Perhaps when this is over. And we’re not enemies anymore.
ALEJANDRO
Perhaps.
SOLVEIG
Good night, Mr. Quispe.
ALEJANDRO
Alejandro.
SOLVIEG
Are you sure?
ALEJANDRO
As long as no one’s listening.
(She smiles.)
ALEJANDRO (Cont’d)
Good night…
SOLVEIG
(Again, it’s “SOLE-vay.”)
Solveig.
ALEJANDRO
That’s how you pronounce it!
SOLVEIG
How did you think it was pronounced?
ALEJANDRO
I didn’t expect the “g” to be silent.
SOLVEIG
Enjoy your ocean, Alejandro.
ALEJANDRO
Enjoy your square dance. Solveig.
(Raises his beer to her.)
Until we meet again.
(SOLVEIG raises her glass to him. They drink to each other.
They nod to each other. She exits. He turns back out to the ocean…
and listens..)
(AS THE MUSIC FADES AND THE OCEAN WAVES TAKE OVER…)
(LIGHTS FADE)
Scott C. Sickles’ plays have been performed in New York City, his native Pittsburgh, across the United States, and internationally in Canada, Australia, the UK, Singapore, and Lebanon. He is a member and former artistic director of the award-winning WorkShop Theater Company. His acclaimed comedy Intellectuals is included in Smith & Kraus’ New Playwrights: Best Plays of 2007. He received the 1999 Beverly Hills Theater Guild/Julie Harris Playwriting Award for Lightning from Heaven, a biographical piece about Boris Pasternak, his muse Olga Ivinskaya, and the creation of Doctor Zhivago. Gulfshore Playhouse presented Shepherd’s Bush, depicting the private life of E.M. Forster, in its Second Annual New Works Festival. His intense romantic drama Moonlight & Love Songs was the inaugural production of GayFestNYC 2013, benefiting students of the Harvey Milk High School. His new play Composure received a Roundtable reading at the Lark Play Development Center. Sickles was named Outstanding Playwright of the 1995 Pittsburgh New Works Festival for his one-act drama The Harmonic Convergence. Published short plays include murmurs (Samuel French Festival Plays #21), and Beautiful Noises (S&K’s 2009: Best 10-Minute Plays…). In February 2015, Reno Little Theater will present his evening of short plays, Demon Bitch Goddess, as part of its Off-Off-Wells fringe series. In addition to his theatrical work, Mr. Sickles has received multiple Emmy and WGA Award nominations as part of the writing teams of the daytime serials One Life to Live and General Hospital. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild.
