Romero and Julianne
A Short Dramatic
Play with Words and a Park Bench
by conrad a. panganiban
written 9/3/2012
Cast of Characters
ROMERO:
Late 50s. Male. Speaks with a British Accent. Homeless.
JULIANNE:
40s. Female. City worker.
Setting
A Mid-afternoon at a Park in front of a park bench.
Lights up to reveal ROMERO, a homeless person, standing with an umbrella raised in a fencing “En Guard” position in front of the City Worker, JULIANNE, who is wearing hard hat and carrying a clipboard. They are both standing in front of a park bench, which has Romero’s belongings all around it.
ROMERO
In all protestations, you shall leave my dwellings be!
JULIANNE
Sir, I’m just trying to do my job.
ROMERO
Nay! It is a God-given testimony, that all should have dwellings to comfort all souls.
JULIANNE
I think what God is talking about is the human body being the vessel for a soul.
ROMERO
You spread any more blasphemous theories of God and I swear you shall perish by my sword.
JULIANNE
I don’t think it’s going to rain.
ROMERO
Dost thou truly believe that thy tongue is sharper than my blade? Perhaps ye would like to find out? En guard, good wretch!
(ROMERO lunges very slowly towards JULIANNE giving her plenty of time to sidestep him. As ROMERO gathers his breath for another lunge, JULIANNE writes down something on her clipboard, and in mid write, ROMERO moves forward again with umbrella raised, and once again JULIANNE moves out of the way while still writing! ROMERO stands in amazement staring at Julianne.)
ROMERO
I doth see, that you madam are an accomplished swordsman as well and I am of no contest to you.
(ROMERO falls down to his knees and lays down his umbrella.)
ROMERO (CONT.)
I yield to you, good madam. All I ask is that you tell my dearest, Genevieve, that I loved her with every drop of blood that courses through the very veins in which you are about to strike through. In all regrets and lamentations, I have disappointed her to no ends, and without confession, my soul shall be tied to earth forevermore. Please make it quick so as the incantations of the lowly spirit held in this vessel, as you say, be able to roam in mourning through the woods beyond my dwelling.
JULIANNE
Ummm… you’re gonna have to remove your items sir?
ROMERO
Why dost thou continue to torture me by not yet taking my life? Take it! TAKE IT!
JULIANNE
Okay.
(As JULIANNE moves the bench, ROMERO flinches, but all she does is to pick up one of its ends. ROMERO realizing what is happening quickly gets up and sits on the side of the bench that is being lifted, and begins to plead once again…)
ROMERO
The only thing of value I have left as a remembrance of my being is what is in your hands. So please, with the assistance of God’s own merciful hand, let my dwelling be! And in return, I ask that you take my life.
JULIANNE
Sir, you’re not making this any easier for either of us. I have a job to do. Now will you please let me do it. I’m sorry. Please.
ROMERO
Oh, you’re very cunning in your cold, evil, and wicked ways of turning a phrase of countenance on my vulnerable soul. To that, I recuse my offer and I protest your actions with every fiber of this inaction!
JULIANNE
I’m not going to tell you again, Get off the bench!
ROMERO
Never.
JULIANNE
This doesn’t belong to you!
ROMERO
I don’t see any other’s belongings astrewn about so I manifest that this IS MINE! Mine. MINE!
JULIANNE
How ’bout I call the cops and then you can call the clinker your home?
ROMERO
I was waiting for you to give call to the knights of the most crooked-est of kingdoms, called San Francisco. They are an evil batch, they are. In the midnight oil blackened of nights, they are the ones doing the prodding with their light sticks telling the villagers to vacate our abodes. Devil spunk they be! Well, fine, if that is your recourse, then CALL ON THEM! Call on them, ALL! Much like Peter, I will be the Rock, supplanted on this very corner spot and whomever doth even attempts to move me shall be stricken dead with no remorse whatsoever as they will be the ones forever wandering the woods as I have prayed to Peter to throw away their keys to their Heaven’s home. For I. SHALL. NOT. MOVE.
JULIANNE
This can’t be happening. Sir, I don’t want to call the cops on you, but I will if I have to.
ROMERO
You have my answer.
JULIANNE
If you don’t move, I can lose my job. Sir?
ROMERO
This home. This home upon which I am seated. Is the only home I have known for the past 425 nights and 424 days. I have counted each one as light sets behind me and shines in front. And I will still be seated here in order to count my 425th rising of the fair sun to let me know that I am alive. To let me know that I have a purpose to fulfill. To let me know that there is a God and that He can somehow forgive me of the pains that I have caused to so many others. If this home is to be taken from me, that hope of an unattained purpose shall render me a worthless wretch. An ocean with no water in its fill. A forest filled to its brim with sand. And time with no memory. I shall be a complete waste of breath without this home.
JULIANNE
Look, I don’t wanna call the cops.
You seem like a nice man. A very confused man. But nice.
But I have a job to do.
A job to keep my family fed.
JULIANNE (CONT.)
A job that will keep a roof over our heads.
An obligation to them to keep everything together.
To keep myself together.
To not lose it… again.
I hear you.
I listened with keen ear to your story of woe.
And I understand. Fully.
I know about losing a home, the dwelling, the place where you can hang your hat.
As you sat here waiting for each day to rise in front of you,
I’ve had each one of mine sink into the bitter, cold and isolated darkness of
The abyss of my heart’s floating mystery: Why did my husband take his life?
Questions hath lead to more wondering to more sleepless nights of rocking Jennelle and Coby to sleep with their question of “When is daddy coming home?”
And as I wiped the brow from the rain of tears, which shed over them, I whispered,
“He is home.”
So as you await your 425th day to begin here on this bench,
I still await for my own sun to rise again here in this life.
My life.
For my babies lives.
Because it’s hard. It’s damn hard,
When the person I loved, my everything, my Rock
Took his.
(beat)
Please forgive me, but if you can see it in your heart, can you please let me do my job, here and as a mother, and leave?
(Without further protests, ROMERO nods, “yes”, picks up his things and begins to move on, but stops and turns around.)
ROMERO
Will you please take good care of her?
JULIANNE
Of course. But you’re free to “visit” your home if you wish?
ROMERO
I don’t understand.
JULIANNE
We’re just moving it. To the other side of the park. In front of the Newberry Stage.
ROMERO
The Newberry Stage?
JULIANNE
Yes. That’s where they’re going to begin the Shakespeare in the Park Summer Shows.
ROMERO
Serious?
JULIANNE
Yes, Sir. Apparently, there are more and more fans of the Bard wanting to see his work. Hence, the need for more seating areas.
ROMERO
And there rightly should be!
JULIANNE
If you want, you can head back there later this afternoon to see it, but since we’re moving all these benches over there, I don’t know how you’re going to be able to spot this one.
ROMERO
I have already foreseen the solution. You may foresee it yourself, if you wish.
(ROMERO goes behind the bench to point something out to JULIANNE.)
JULIANNE
Shakespeare Rulez with a ‘z’.
ROMERO
Well, he does.
(ROMERO returns to his belongings and picks them up.)
Good day, Mrs…?
JULIANNE
Capaletti. Julianne Capeletti.
(ROMERO presents a flourished bow.)
ROMERO
And I, Romero Martinez, am forever in thy service. I wish you a good day, Mrs. Julianne Capaletti.
JULIANNE
And same to you, Mr. Romero Martinez.
(ROMERO exits.)
END OF PLAY
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