31 Plays in 31 Days, #15 - "Enter Justin"
Aug. 15th, 2015 11:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
breakinglight11Yesterday I had a reading dinner for version 1 of Base Instruments, and it went well! I have such amazingly talented, thoughtful, and helpful friends. I've been finishing the draft over the last couple of days, but I don't want to publish these late-game, highly spoilery scenes without the rest of the play yet. So instead I'm putting up earlier scenes in their place, to give you a taste of what Base Instruments begins with.
This is the first scene featuring Justin Hawking, who turned out to be an extremely popular character at the reading. :-) He's used to charming people quickly.
Day #15 - Enter Justin
from Base Instruments
by Phoebe Roberts
VICTORIA HAWKING, lady’s society avenger
MARY STONE, her housemaid and assistant
NATHANIEL HAWKING, her gentleman nephew
JUSTIN HAWKING, Nathaniel’s elder brother
London, England, 1883
~~~
(MARY answers the door. Enter JUSTIN HAWKING, handsome and dapperly dressed.)
JUSTIN: Forgive the intrusion, miss. It’s only I have an appointment.
MARY: An appointment, sir?
JUSTIN: I assure you, little else could draw me to find myself at Mrs. Hawking’s. But then, I hadn’t expected a friendly face.
MARY: Well, you are quite welcome to wait. May I offer you some tea?
JUSTIN: Only if you’ll join me.
MARY: Beg pardon, sir?
JUSTIN: If you have the time. I should so enjoy the company.
MARY: Oh. If you like.
(She goes to pour cups.)
JUSTIN: So you’re the new girl. What might I call you?
MARY: Mary Stone, sir. And I suppose so. Though it’s been a few years now.
JUSTIN: Forgive me, it’s been a few years since I’ve been in town. I’m a traveler, you see, and I’ve just returned from touring the Malay kingdoms and the subcontinent.
MARY: I spent most of my girlhood there.
JUSTIN: Really! Whereabouts?
MARY: Tellicherry. And some in Bombay.
JUSTIN: The Paris of Kerala! Did you see much of the sights?
MARY: I’m afraid my work kept me most of the time.
JUSTIN: Of course. I suppose it’s just as well, or London might seem terribly dull by comparison.
MARY: I don’t know, sir. I’ve found life here to be quite exciting!
JUSTIN: Indeed? What have you been doing, besides brightening the Colonel’s old parlor?
MARY: Well, there’s just so much going on in the city. And Mrs. Hawking’s rather taken me under wing.
JUSTIN: Mrs. Hawking has? However so?
MARY: Oh, she has me… visit all over, hear interesting stories, meet so many interesting people. And… I’m learning a great deal.
JUSTIN: And do you ever have any fun? Or doesn’t she permit it?
MARY: I find I’m very much enjoying my work.
JUSTIN: My goodness. Lovely and capable. I can see why the family’s so pleased to have you.
MARY: I’m pleased to hear that they are.
JUSTIN: It’s not often to find a miracle worker fallen into your lap. I may have plunged into some of the empire’s darkest corners, but you’re a braver soul than I!
MARY: I’m sure when you see madam, she shall be everything you could hope.
JUSTIN: Please, miss. I may be a fool, but I’m not a damn fool.
(They laugh. At that moment NATHANIEL bursts in the door.)
This is the first scene featuring Justin Hawking, who turned out to be an extremely popular character at the reading. :-) He's used to charming people quickly.
Day #15 - Enter Justin
from Base Instruments
by Phoebe Roberts
VICTORIA HAWKING, lady’s society avenger
MARY STONE, her housemaid and assistant
NATHANIEL HAWKING, her gentleman nephew
JUSTIN HAWKING, Nathaniel’s elder brother
London, England, 1883
~~~
(MARY answers the door. Enter JUSTIN HAWKING, handsome and dapperly dressed.)
JUSTIN: Forgive the intrusion, miss. It’s only I have an appointment.
MARY: An appointment, sir?
JUSTIN: I assure you, little else could draw me to find myself at Mrs. Hawking’s. But then, I hadn’t expected a friendly face.
MARY: Well, you are quite welcome to wait. May I offer you some tea?
JUSTIN: Only if you’ll join me.
MARY: Beg pardon, sir?
JUSTIN: If you have the time. I should so enjoy the company.
MARY: Oh. If you like.
(She goes to pour cups.)
JUSTIN: So you’re the new girl. What might I call you?
MARY: Mary Stone, sir. And I suppose so. Though it’s been a few years now.
JUSTIN: Forgive me, it’s been a few years since I’ve been in town. I’m a traveler, you see, and I’ve just returned from touring the Malay kingdoms and the subcontinent.
MARY: I spent most of my girlhood there.
JUSTIN: Really! Whereabouts?
MARY: Tellicherry. And some in Bombay.
JUSTIN: The Paris of Kerala! Did you see much of the sights?
MARY: I’m afraid my work kept me most of the time.
JUSTIN: Of course. I suppose it’s just as well, or London might seem terribly dull by comparison.
MARY: I don’t know, sir. I’ve found life here to be quite exciting!
JUSTIN: Indeed? What have you been doing, besides brightening the Colonel’s old parlor?
MARY: Well, there’s just so much going on in the city. And Mrs. Hawking’s rather taken me under wing.
JUSTIN: Mrs. Hawking has? However so?
MARY: Oh, she has me… visit all over, hear interesting stories, meet so many interesting people. And… I’m learning a great deal.
JUSTIN: And do you ever have any fun? Or doesn’t she permit it?
MARY: I find I’m very much enjoying my work.
JUSTIN: My goodness. Lovely and capable. I can see why the family’s so pleased to have you.
MARY: I’m pleased to hear that they are.
JUSTIN: It’s not often to find a miracle worker fallen into your lap. I may have plunged into some of the empire’s darkest corners, but you’re a braver soul than I!
MARY: I’m sure when you see madam, she shall be everything you could hope.
JUSTIN: Please, miss. I may be a fool, but I’m not a damn fool.
(They laugh. At that moment NATHANIEL bursts in the door.)
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