Artwork by Rosie Guiliano

Curtains open halfway.

To the left, a wall. To the right, a wall with a door. To the back, a wall with two windows. The blinds are open. The view: gaping black voids. A couch is marooned in the middle of the barren room. LUKE is at the door, fumbling with lock after lock. ALICE sits stranded on the couch. There is nothing for her to look at, so her gaze must fall on LUKE, who walks away from the door. He sits on the couch, an awkward distance from ALICE.

ALICE             Do you ever get scared around here?

LUKE              Nah. But I reckon it’s best if we stay in tonight.

ALICE             [Laughs.] What else can you do these days?

He's about to take her question literally—

ALICE             So, what do you like to watch?

LUKE              I mean, anything by Scorsese. He’s one of the—if not the—

A white FLASH fills the windows. ALICE stares ahead. LUKE rushes to the left window. He calmly closes the blind. He jogs to the other window. A loud BANG. FLASH. LUKE, unfazed, drops the blind. ALICE is still staring ahead. LUKE makes a nonchalant return to the couch, sitting closer to ALICE.

LUKE              You know what we should watch? Shutter Island.

ALICE             I can’t watch war movies. I start thinking about people in real-life wars and…

LUKE              [Pause, he hasn’t thought of people in real-life wars.] You know a movie where you can’t feel bad for anyone? The Wolf of Wall Street.

ALICE             Mm. Except Margot Robbie.

A knock at the door. ALICE and LUKE move closer to each other.

ALICE             Honestly, I’ll watch anything. If there’s no death in it. Just with everything going on.

BANG.

ALICE             I know! We could watch Star Wars!

LUKE              Yeah! [He thinks.] But, I’m just not into anything political right now and… isn’t that a lot of war and… death?

ALICE             [Impatiently.] Let’s go to the movies then.

Beat. LUKE looks past ALICE to the door. ALICE watches him.

ALICE             That’s… only if you want to?

LUKE              I could be down. Do you want to?

ALICE             [Shrugs.] Why not?

Someone screams outside.

LUKE              Okay, let me grab my jumper.

ALICE walks to the door, looking back at LUKE. LUKE walks to the opposite wall, looking back at ALICE. She starts undoing the locks. Someone screams outside the door. ALICE freezes.

ALICE             It is nice in here…

A BANG against the door. One they can’t ignore. ALICE slams the locks shut. They rush back to the couch.

LUKE              Actually, can I be honest with you, Alice? I don’t know, the movies... all those people… the crowd…

ALICE             [Sitting closer to LUKE, leaning into him.] Let’s stay here.

LUKE              If you’re sure?

ALICE             One hundred per cent. We’re lucky just to be here.

A crowd yells. Flashes of light cut under the blinds. A knock on the door. Louder. The yells grow. Louder.

ALICE             We are lucky.

ALICE looks back at the windows, then puts her head on LUKE’s shoulder. They stare ahead, like they're ready to watch a movie. Beat. The curtains open, revealing the whole stage. A parade of people surrounds LUKE and ALICE's box, kinetic bodies under red and orange lights. Endlessly, they pass behind and around the walls. Ecstasy leaps outside of their bodies; feather boas, confetti, and voices in the air. Drums bang a rhythmic march. They're dancing, dancing, dancing. Sometimes, in the height of their dance, they fall against the walls, laughing as they rejoin the throng. Kids scream, chasing each other in weaves through the crowd. Some knock on the door, an invitation as they pass. It's a celebration, and everyone is there. ALICE and LUKE, in their box, keep staring ahead. ALICE jumps when there’s a bang. LUKE pulls her in closer, looking wearily around. Red and orange flashes filter through the windows. The lights rise over the audience. The parade spills off the stage, stretching up the aisles.

CURTAIN