Play 3-November 17th-"Chestnut Grooves"
“Chestnut Grooves”
Matt: 17
Maggie (Matt’s Mother): 50
(Matt and Maggie are having their pre-thanksgiving tradition of peeling chestnuts and there is a pretty much silence due to their concentration on the task until Maggie speaks)
MAGGIE:
Well you seem solemn today honey. What’s on your mind?
MATT:
Nothing.
MAGGIE:
Are you sure?
MATT:
Yes.
(long silence/both peeling chestnuts.)
MAGGIE:
Are you sure?
MATT:
(somewhat annoyed)
Yes.
MAGGIE:
Well okay then….
(medium silence)
MAGGIE:
So….have you got any plans with Sarah tomorrow? Because if not- I would like to have the shutters painted before your sister and her friends fly in from New York. You know how I get with company- and I’ll be too busy cleaning every surface around to do it myself.
MATT:
(sighs)
Sarah and I broke up yesterday.
MAGGIE:
Oh.
(long pause, peels a half a chestnut)
So you can paint the shutters?
MATT:
Mom!
MAGGIE:
Well I’m sorry honey, but there’s nothing really new about this. How many girls has it been in the last six months?
MATT:
Not that many mom.
MAGGIE:
Well, there was Tiffany, and Andrea, and Natalia, Summer, Ashley, Bridgette, Melissa, Alyssa, Jenny, Ashley P., Peggy Sue….
MATT:
It was Elsie Mae mom and I only technically dated one of the Ashleys.
MAGGIE:
Do you remember which one?
MATT:
(silence, looks down at steaming chestnuts)
MAGGIE:
I’m just sayin honey…you have been through quite a few girls…more girls than months really…and its just odd considering you-
MATT:
(looking up and cutting her off)
Don’t go there mom.
MAGGIE:
Well you were with Adeline since your freshman year honey…and you had secretly liked each other since the third grade. Deny it all you want but you learned to love by her dear- and I know people grow up and apart but it was kind of you who quickly turned it over on her…was it not?
MATT:
You don’t know the whole story though mom. She wasn’t perfect either.
MAGGIE:
Oh I know that Matt. But I’m also your mother and I know where your heart's going.
MATT:
Oh yeah? Where then.
MAGGIE:
To the dump.
MATT:
(plops peeling knife on table)
What?
MAGGIE:
Come on Matt, eleven girls in six months?
MATT:
I told you mom I only dated one Ashley.
MAGGIE:
Ah. But you don’t remember which so we’ll just have to count both.
MATT:
(frustrated sigh)
MAGGIE:
All I’m saying is that you’re going to date yourself right into a hole. Soon there won’t be anymore girls wanting to date you- I mean you did dump all twelve- now including Sarah- I’m taking an educated guess and assuming that you broke it off with Sarah?
MATT:
(reluctantly nods head)
MAGGIE:
Okay, so twelve girls. Well I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re looking for something. Am I right?
MATT:
(shrugs)
Maybe mom I don’t know.
MAGGIE:
Another Adeline Anderson perhaps?
MATT:
No mom.
MAGGIE:
You can say that out-loud- but what is your heart sayin’ honey.
MATT:
Its telling me to tell you to lay off.
MAGGIE:
(silent)
(long pause as theirs eyes are down at the chestnuts they are peeling)
MAGGIE:
You know- I remember when she peeled one of these babies whole-no broken pieces
(holds up bare chestnut)
and I remember your smile at her like she was the greatest creature that walked the planet.
MATT:
Mom…
MAGGIE:
You two would just hold hands and smile at each other. It was just the sweetest thing I’d ever seen. You’d look at each other and just start laughing-you’d just make the silliest expressions and she would just burst.
MATT:
Mom! I told you to lay off already. Come on. That was when times were good. You know that.
MAGGIE:
Well as I recall the “time” for you just got bad within a three week period. Three weeks out of the years you two were happy. And you just kind of kicked each other out of the ring. Just gave up. And look where you are now. Six months, and tons of girls- I haven’t seen you smile the smile I know that counts in any of those months. There’s never going to be another Adeline Anderson for you Matthew.
(pause)
Now (beat) I’m not saying that you still love her. I am, however saying that you just aren’t happy the way you were and that you owe it to yourself to at least admit she was worth a damn to you. You quit listening to your heart the day you shoved her out the door.
MATT:
What good does it do? She’s with someone else now. And she won’t even look at me anymore.
MAGGIE:
You’ll at least stop lying to yourself.
(Matt is silent, solemn, looks down at chestnuts, not even picking up knife)
(very long pause- everything is completely silent)
MATT:
(still looking down.)
(sighs)
I miss her.
(lights dim, scene ends)
Matt: 17
Maggie (Matt’s Mother): 50
(Matt and Maggie are having their pre-thanksgiving tradition of peeling chestnuts and there is a pretty much silence due to their concentration on the task until Maggie speaks)
MAGGIE:
Well you seem solemn today honey. What’s on your mind?
MATT:
Nothing.
MAGGIE:
Are you sure?
MATT:
Yes.
(long silence/both peeling chestnuts.)
MAGGIE:
Are you sure?
MATT:
(somewhat annoyed)
Yes.
MAGGIE:
Well okay then….
(medium silence)
MAGGIE:
So….have you got any plans with Sarah tomorrow? Because if not- I would like to have the shutters painted before your sister and her friends fly in from New York. You know how I get with company- and I’ll be too busy cleaning every surface around to do it myself.
MATT:
(sighs)
Sarah and I broke up yesterday.
MAGGIE:
Oh.
(long pause, peels a half a chestnut)
So you can paint the shutters?
MATT:
Mom!
MAGGIE:
Well I’m sorry honey, but there’s nothing really new about this. How many girls has it been in the last six months?
MATT:
Not that many mom.
MAGGIE:
Well, there was Tiffany, and Andrea, and Natalia, Summer, Ashley, Bridgette, Melissa, Alyssa, Jenny, Ashley P., Peggy Sue….
MATT:
It was Elsie Mae mom and I only technically dated one of the Ashleys.
MAGGIE:
Do you remember which one?
MATT:
(silence, looks down at steaming chestnuts)
MAGGIE:
I’m just sayin honey…you have been through quite a few girls…more girls than months really…and its just odd considering you-
MATT:
(looking up and cutting her off)
Don’t go there mom.
MAGGIE:
Well you were with Adeline since your freshman year honey…and you had secretly liked each other since the third grade. Deny it all you want but you learned to love by her dear- and I know people grow up and apart but it was kind of you who quickly turned it over on her…was it not?
MATT:
You don’t know the whole story though mom. She wasn’t perfect either.
MAGGIE:
Oh I know that Matt. But I’m also your mother and I know where your heart's going.
MATT:
Oh yeah? Where then.
MAGGIE:
To the dump.
MATT:
(plops peeling knife on table)
What?
MAGGIE:
Come on Matt, eleven girls in six months?
MATT:
I told you mom I only dated one Ashley.
MAGGIE:
Ah. But you don’t remember which so we’ll just have to count both.
MATT:
(frustrated sigh)
MAGGIE:
All I’m saying is that you’re going to date yourself right into a hole. Soon there won’t be anymore girls wanting to date you- I mean you did dump all twelve- now including Sarah- I’m taking an educated guess and assuming that you broke it off with Sarah?
MATT:
(reluctantly nods head)
MAGGIE:
Okay, so twelve girls. Well I’m pretty sure it’s because you’re looking for something. Am I right?
MATT:
(shrugs)
Maybe mom I don’t know.
MAGGIE:
Another Adeline Anderson perhaps?
MATT:
No mom.
MAGGIE:
You can say that out-loud- but what is your heart sayin’ honey.
MATT:
Its telling me to tell you to lay off.
MAGGIE:
(silent)
(long pause as theirs eyes are down at the chestnuts they are peeling)
MAGGIE:
You know- I remember when she peeled one of these babies whole-no broken pieces
(holds up bare chestnut)
and I remember your smile at her like she was the greatest creature that walked the planet.
MATT:
Mom…
MAGGIE:
You two would just hold hands and smile at each other. It was just the sweetest thing I’d ever seen. You’d look at each other and just start laughing-you’d just make the silliest expressions and she would just burst.
MATT:
Mom! I told you to lay off already. Come on. That was when times were good. You know that.
MAGGIE:
Well as I recall the “time” for you just got bad within a three week period. Three weeks out of the years you two were happy. And you just kind of kicked each other out of the ring. Just gave up. And look where you are now. Six months, and tons of girls- I haven’t seen you smile the smile I know that counts in any of those months. There’s never going to be another Adeline Anderson for you Matthew.
(pause)
Now (beat) I’m not saying that you still love her. I am, however saying that you just aren’t happy the way you were and that you owe it to yourself to at least admit she was worth a damn to you. You quit listening to your heart the day you shoved her out the door.
MATT:
What good does it do? She’s with someone else now. And she won’t even look at me anymore.
MAGGIE:
You’ll at least stop lying to yourself.
(Matt is silent, solemn, looks down at chestnuts, not even picking up knife)
(very long pause- everything is completely silent)
MATT:
(still looking down.)
(sighs)
I miss her.
(lights dim, scene ends)
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