Scene from Excelsior:

A work in progress

Matt G.


Maya

You're so stupid

Elijah

That's why you love me. SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? (this develops into a talkie chant. It is a song that wants to start, but can't.)

Maya

I don't love you.

Elijah

You don't? Then I'm leaving.

Maya

Elijah!

Elijah

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

Maya

Come back.

Elijah

What? You said that you didn't.

Maya

I don't. Not I didn't. Come here.

Elijah

Cum? Right here?

Maya

Stop.

Elijah

You want me.

Maya

You want you.

Elijah

You do too and so that's why I'm asking you WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? I win. You rolled your eyes.

Maya

Just cause I roll my eyes, does not mean that you win.

Elijah

I win.

Maya

I win just for putting up with all of your shit.

Elijah

You put up with my shit cause you love me.

Maya

So?

Elijah

So. I win.

Maya

Fine. You win.

Elijah

What's wrong?

Maya

Nothing is wrong.

Elijah

Nofing is wrong!

Maya

Don't put "f's" for "th's".

Elijah

Happy birfday!

Maya

Stop.

Elijah

Say "it's my birfday!"

Maya

It's not.

Elijah

Hey! What's up!

Maya

Nothing is up!

Elijah

My dick's up right now.

Maya

What else is new.

Elijah

You're pissed off?

Maya

I'm pissed off and so, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?

Elijah

What are you bloody?

(the song stops)

Maya

Excuse me. I…

Elijah

I'm joking. Oh come on, I'm fucking joking.

Maya

Don't joke.

Elijah

Show me your journal.

Maya

No. Please no.

Elijah

Show me your journal. I haven't read in a week. (pause) I'll leave.

Maya

Fuck you. You can't read my journal. Fine. Wait.

(she hands him her journal and he sits down to read it.)

Elijah

(reading) "I dreamt last night of the little girl. Now she wasn't walking in the land of the dead; She was dead in the Land of the living. And she was covered with a cloth, and laying next to her mother. But her mother wasn't crying at all. And I came into the room to pay my respects, and all I kept wanting to do was to take the cover off the girl and see her face. But before I could, they wrapped her in a goat skin and the men carried her off to be buried. And I just felt awful for not having seen her face. I sat there and no one was crying and no one was speaking and she was gone forever. And then I woke up and I was thinking about Pater Clare. When I saw him last week, he said we did not choose to cut our own throats. And now I keep thinking that we are cutting deeper and deeper and can't even see the misery that we are inflicting on ourselves. It isn't just them. It's us too. " That's it?

Maya

Did you think there'd be something about you.

Elijah

No, I just thought you had more sense than to turn into a dove lover.

Maya

I'm not a dove lover. I don't like murder. And I think that we have to see our role in our pain.

Elijah

So we should let the men who murdered my family go free?

Maya

If it means we can stop this madness and talk rationally, yes.

Elijah

What the fuck is rational here? If you reward evil with good, how the hell do you reward good?

Maya

Stop yelling.

Elijah

I'm not yelling! Look at this place! WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF THEY COME FOR YOU? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN THEY COME TO YOU AND TELL YOU THE WORLD YOU KNOW IT IS A LIE?
WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN THEY HATE YOU? WHEN DO YOU DO WHEN THERE'S NO ONE ON YOUR SIDE? WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN YOU MORALS ALL ESCAPE YOU? YOU LEARN YOUR GOD WAS IN YOUR MIND.
AND I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO, YOU.
I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. OOOOOO.

Maya

TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF I LOVE YOU?

Elijah

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF MY LOVE IS A LIE?

Maya

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF I STAY HERE AND SIT WITH YOU UNDERNEATHE THE MOONLIT SKY? AND I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. YOU.

Elijah

I'LL KISS YOU AND TELL YOU GOOD NIGHT. WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF I LOVE YOU?

Maya

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF MY LOVE IS A LIE?

Both

WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO IF THE MOON FALLS AND TAKES YOU

Elijah

I'D COME AND FIND YOU EVERY NIGHT. AND I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. YOU.

Maya

I THINK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO. YOU.