The Games We Play (Excerpt)
WAR
SETTING: It is 7:00pm, November 6th 2014. 9 months have passed. The room has gone into a state of disarray. Lots of Pizza boxes cover the place.
AT RISE: HANNA, 26, is sitting at the table once again. She is waiting quietly. COOPER, 25, eventually walks into the room, having prepared a fancy dinner. HANNA is playing some punk-rock song on her Bass Guitar.
COOPER
Happy anniversary.
(He kisses her head)
HANNA
Happy anniversary.
(COOPER offers HANNA a cookie. She takes it. She eats it, but doesn’t make eye contact.)
COOPER
What do you think?
HANNA
They’re Good. I acknowledge they took you some time to make, and I appreciate you for doing that.
COOPER
I appreciate you noticing. I made them really gooey for you.
HANNA
And I appreciate that.
COOPER
Dinner took a little longer than I figured, I’m sorry. I acknowledge punctuality is important to you.
HANNA
I appreciate that.
(COOPER sits across from HANNA. He looks up at HANNA, but she’s unresponsive.)
COOPER
What do you want to play?
HANNA
I don’t know.
COOPER
Clue?
HANNA
That’s a lot of set up. How about cards?
COOPER
Sure. Wanna do War?
HANNA
Sure.
COOPER
I appreciate your bass playing, but don’t you think we could hold off until after the game?
HANNA
I acknowledge that, and you’re right. It can wait.
(HANNA goes and puts the bass guitar away, frustrated. She then puts a rock song on the record player quite loudly. COOPER shoots her a look, before HANNA lowers the volume. COOPER grabs a deck of cards and begins dealing out the cards in two separate piles)
How was your day?
COOPER
It was fun, actually. The kids went down to the fire-station so I had free-time after recess, and I ran a one shot for the fellow teachers. I appreciate you asking. How was your day?
HANNA
Fine.
COOPER
Did Kim give you an answer about the O’Riley account?
HANNA
Not yet.
(COOPER looks at HANNA expectantly.)
Right, I appreciate you asking. I also appreciate you making dinner, I appreciate this table, I appreciate Donald Duck-
COOPER
I know you don’t like it but it’s what Dr. Ritter said we should do.
HANNA
You’re right, I’m sorry Cooper.
COOPER
And I appreciate you saying sorry.
(COOPER finishes dealing out the cards.)
Did you want to talk about your day?
HANNA
I would appreciate it if we didn’t talk about it.
COOPER
Then we won’t talk about it.
(They start playing War. COOPER continually wins. The two eat dinner while playing)
Did you know that War isn’t technically a game?
HANNA
You already told me this.
COOPER
You’re right, I did.
(They play the same card)
COOPER HANNA
I. De. clare. War. I. De. clare. War.
(HANNA wins the round. She is still out of it. They keep playing, COOPER winning more regularly.)
COOPER
Are you sure you’re okay?
HANNA
I told you I don’t want to talk about it.
COOPER
We can stop playing.
HANNA
I don’t want to talk about it, but that doesn’t mean that I want to sulk about it.
COOPER
You’re sulking right now.
HANNA
Yes, because I am upset.
COOPER
Did I do something?
HANNA
I don’t want to talk about it.
COOPER
When were we going to talk about it?
HANNA
Not right now.
COOPER
Okay, serious talk time.
HANNA
No please-
(COOPER begins to cross to grab a notebook)
I can’t do the notebook right now.
COOPER
It's the rules.
HANNA
All I want is to just play board games with my husband on our anniversary.
COOPER
It’s hard for me to sit here, see you visibly upset, and do nothing about it.
HANNA
It’s not about you.
COOPER
You said I did something.
HANNA
You didn’t mean it.
COOPER
Then tell me.
HANNA
Fine, I am upset because I had a shitty day, and when I got home I had to wait an hour for my husband-
COOPER
Hey-
HANNA
No interruptions, those are the rules. Yes I know you were making dinner, but frankly I didn’t need a fancy dinner, I just wanted to spend time with you. Can we just go back to playing?
COOPER
Fine.
(They go back to playing, HANNA still out of it and COOPER a bit frustrated)
I just wanted to say that I acknowledge your feelings. And I appreciate you for saying what is on your mind, but we talked about having a fancy dinner and I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up ingredients-
HANNA
This is exactly why I didn’t want to talk about it
COOPER
What?
HANNA
I know it’s not your fault-
COOPER
I just don’t see what I’m supposed to do there.
HANNA
Nothing. There is nothing you can do which is why I didn’t even want to bring it up in the first place.
(They play the same card)
COOPER HANNA
I. De. clare. War. I. De. clare. War.
(COOPER wins the round.)
HANNA
I mean what do you want me to do?
COOPER
I don’t know, which is why we should use the notebook-
HANNA
Don’t you dare.
COOPER
It’ll help us resolve this.
HANNA
What is there to resolve, you made me wait again.
COOPER
“I feel like I am always waiting for you.”
HANNA
I’m tired of saying I appreciate and I acknowledge and all of it, it’s bullshit-
COOPER
It centers our conversations on our perceptions as opposed to more subjective matters.
HANNA
Stop reciting Dr. Ritter.
COOPER
He’s a medical doctor.
HANNA
Who has only driven a bigger wedge between us.
COOPER
Because you don’t talk in therapy.
HANNA
No. I talk.
COOPER
You don’t say what you mean.
HANNA
You just aren’t listening to what I’m saying.
COOPER
I want to listen to you.
HANNA
If you listened, you wouldn’t have made a fancy dinner.
COOPER
You said you liked the fancy dinner.
HANNA
After you said we’re having a fancy dinner.
COOPER
You could’ve said no.
HANNA
You love food.
COOPER
We could’ve cut the fancy dinner.
HANNA
But then you’d say okay and pout and I’d ask are you okay and you’d say I’m fine and then I feel guilty.
COOPER
That’s what you’re doing.
HANNA
No I’m not.
COOPER
I just wanted to give you a fancy dinner because it’s our anniversary.
HANNA
Exactly why I didn’t want to talk about it.
COOPER
I can’t read your mind-
HANNA
/Oh my god Cooper
COOPER
Nope. No interruptions. Those are the rules.
HANNA
Fuck the rules.
COOPER
Can you let me finish?
HANNA
Fine.
COOPER
I wish you had told me you didn’t want a fancy dinner, but you didn’t, so don’t get mad at me for something I didn't know.
HANNA
I wished we didn’t talk about this.
COOPER
Well we are.
(They play the same card)
COOPER HANNA
I. De. clare. War. I. De. clare. War.
(COOPER wins the round.)
HANNA
This whole fight could’ve been prevented if you just accepted that we didn’t need to talk about it.
COOPER
It was going to come out anyways.
(COOPER goes to change the music)
HANNA
Look at that! More classical music huh?
(COOPER changes the music. It moves away from Rock into the Danse Macabre in G Minor, Opus 40. The game of war is getting very intense.)
COOPER
It was getting loud, Hanna-
HANNA
Oh you just hate punk, Cooper./ Admit it.
COOPER
I don’t hate punk.
HANNA
You hate punk.
COOPER
It was loud-
HANNA
So lower the volume-
COOPER
Punk music is loud.
HANNA
Then just ask me what song I want to listen to.
COOPER
It’s just music.
HANNA
You never consult me on things.
COOPER
What are you talking about?
HANNA
It’s never “Where do you want to go to dinner,” it’s always “Let’s go to Dante’s”
COOPER
You could tell me no.
HANNA
It’s hard to always be the one who says no.
COOPER
Okay I’m sorry, but part of that is you don’t initiate.
HANNA
I initiate.
COOPER
When was the last time you scheduled a date?
(They play the same card)
COOPER HANNA
I. De. clare. War. I. De. clare. War.
(COOPER wins the round. HANNA slams her hands on the table, knocking the cards everywhere.)
HANNA
God Dammit, that was my ace!
COOPER
You’re making a mess.
HANNA
Not this again.
COOPER
Who’s the one who’s going to clean it up?
HANNA
I’m trying to be better.
COOPER
All I ask is that you put your cup of water in the sink.
HANNA
I forgot one time.
COOPER
No, you always forget.
HANNA
Last night I didn’t.
COOPER
Y’know what, I’m tired of fighting.
HANNA
We could’ve avoided this if you just listened to me.
COOPER
Can we just play games?
HANNA
I am tired of playing games.
COOPER
Great!
(COOPER gets up and begins angrily putting the cards away.)
I’ll take my dinner and just go back to my room.
HANNA
Perfect, because you always lock yourself in your study and leave me to clean up the mess.
COOPER
I am tired of this.
HANNA
So now when you don’t want to talk about it, we diffuse?
COOPER
FINE!
HANNA
(taunting)
Ooo, I didn’t know you were capable of raising your voice.
COOPER
Is that what you want, for me to yell?
HANNA
Yes!
COOPER
Well fuck you! Fuck you for ruining our anniversary.
HANNA
Oh don’t stop on my behalf.
COOPER
I just wanted to spend time with you, to do something together because work has been keeping us apart and instead of just having a nice conversation we are yelling, and I’m mad because this is what you want.
HANNA
I’d rather us fight, scream, yell. Just don’t give up.
COOPER
I’m going to my room.
HANNA
Stay, we are making progress.
COOPER
This isn’t progress.
(COOPER goes to leave)
HANNA
If you leave right now you’re giving up again.
COOPER
Yeah, I’m giving up because I don’t see a world that this ends without one of us killing the other.
HANNA
So what? We go to therapy on Monday? It doesn’t work.
COOPER
The fights are only getting worse.
HANNA
Maybe there’s nothing else we can do.
(COOPER stops.)
COOPER
What does that mean?
HANNA
The fights are getting worse. You are hurting. I’m hurting. Therapy isn’t working. This isn’t working.
COOPER
We can make this work.
HANNA
What else is there?
(beat)
I think you should move out for a little while.
COOPER
Hanna-
HANNA
What else is there? I will try anything, but you have to answer the question.
(Beat)
COOPER
I love you Hanna Banana.
HANNA
I love you Coop Coop.
(The lights fade on them standing apart. Transition: HANNA crosses over and hands COOPER her wedding ring. COOPER begins packing his stuff.)
BLACKOUT
END OF SCENE
