The Drawer Boy

Michael Healey

• Editorial: Playwrights Canada Press
• Año: 2005
• ISBN:
  9780369102652
• Edición: 2
• Categoría: Littérature
• Categoría: Théâtre canadien

A young actor from the big city lives with two aging bachelor farmers to gather stories about rural life. The farmers' lives are irrevocably altered when art attempts to imitate life and the line between truth and fiction is crossed.

The Drawer Boy

Act One, Scene One

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The kitchen of a central Ontario farmhouse, dominated by a large, old oak table; there is a wood stove for heat and a rather modern oven in some ghastly colour. What decorating touches there are, are from the forties. Back door stage left, with a small, unheated mudroom. Downstage a yard (chickens? small vegetable garden?), the barn is offstage right. 1972. Summer.

Lights up. ANGUS alone in the kitchen. Long moment where he sits, eventually gets up, and then starts making sandwiches. Just as he finishes one, MORGAN comes in to the kitchen.

ANGUS: Morgan! Hello!

MORGAN takes the sandwich, eats a couple of bites, and then leaves, taking the sandwich. ANGUS starts to make another sandwich. Meanwhile, MILES wanders into the yard. He looks at the farmhouse, and then leaves. He comes back, and knocks on the door. ANGUS opens the door.

Hello!

MILES: Good morning sir. My name’s—

ANGUS: Hey! Who’re you?

MILES: …I’m, my name’s Miles.

ANGUS: Miles! Hello!

MILES: Hi. I’m from Toronto.

ANGUS: Oh. That’s too bad.

MILES: Yes. Uh, I’m here with a group of actors. We’re making up a play about farmers.

ANGUS: Oh.

MILES: Yes. I was wondering, could I help out here in any way? We want to spend time with—

ANGUS: We’re farmers.

MILES: I… yes. Could you use some help around the farm for the next couple of weeks? Free of charge. I just need a place to stay and the chance to watch you.

ANGUS: Watch me.

MILES: Uh, yes.

ANGUS: Watch me what?

MILES: Well, whatever you do all day. As a farmer.

ANGUS: As a farmer.

MILES: Yes.

ANGUS: I better ask Morgan.

MILES: Okay.

ANGUS: Okay.

ANGUS goes inside. MILES waits. ANGUS heads across the room. He notices the sandwiches and this stops him. He returns to the counter and continues sandwichmaking. As he finishes, MORGAN comes in and takes it.

Morgan! Hello!

MORGAN: Angus. Did I hear you talking?

ANGUS: Talking?

MORGAN: Forget it. Thanks.

MORGAN goes. ANGUS makes a sandwich and starts to eat. MILES waits patiently outside. Slow fadeout of lights, as ANGUS eats and MILES waits.

Act One Scene Two

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In the blackout, there is ...