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An original one act “dramedy”



A story of a young man struggling deep within

the pits of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green district.

With worries about his career and his determined love,

he searches for his dreams; his Cabrini Dreams.



Setting

Cabrini-Green District

Chicago, Illinois

Bayside Laundry



Time

Present-Saturday night



Cast

Tee-NU Graduate. He has managed the Bayside Laundry for the past

four years, and is looking to break into his line of work:

the journalism industry.

Razzy-A Starving model who frequents the Bayside every Saturday Night.

Biz-The neighborhood drunk who gives everyone something in

exchange for something. Ranging from harassment to words of wisdom,

Biz knows it all.



Original players

Michael LaPointe as Tee

Brandie Reeves as Razzy

Cynthia Riley as Biz



Story is set in a laundromat. Minimal stage props needed, and you may improvise with any other props. One table or a counter, two benches, a push broom, a basket, laundry detergent, etc. Any specific movements or gestures are mentioned, but any others may be added or improvised.



MUSIC LEAD-IN

FADE-IN FROM BLACK TO TEE WIPING A TABLE DOWN WITH A RAG WHILE HUMMING.



TEE

(HUMMING AND WIPING TABLE, THROWS DOWN THE RAG ONTO THE TABLE) Damn, this job is so damn boring. It’s not like I don’t have a degree or anything. (BIZ ENTERS)



BIZ

Hey boy quit your complainin about not having anythin goin on in your life. At least you’re not at the bottom ... like I am.



TEE

Biz ...



BIZ

You’re gonna have your place to be ...



TEE

But Biz ...



BIZ

And it ain’t gonna be no Bayside.



TEE

But Biz, I’ve been working here at the Bayside for over four years ever since I was a Freshman at Northwestern. I graduated in May, and that’s been over a month. I have been to over forty job interviews, and no one wants to hire me. No one’s going to pay a two-bit sports photographer more than six bucks an hour. It’s just not gonna happen.



BIZ

Well you see boy. You know exactly what it is that you want, and you’re not gonna take anything that comes along. But you gotta start somewhere and with a paper I imagine it’s gonna be at the bottom. You just gotta have faith in yourself.



TEE

I have faith. It’s just all those editors out there look at hundreds of photographers a year, and if you’re not the Pulitzer Prize winner before you go into the industry you don’t have a chance. At least not here in (CHI)Cago. (THROWS HIS ARMS UP)



BIZ

(WALKING TOWARDS THE DOOR) Yeah whatever boy. I’m sick and tired of your complainin. I’ll see your ass later on tonight. (PAUSES AND LOOKS BACK  AT TEE) Hey ... maybe Razzy will come in tonight ... just to see you! (PELVIC THRUST AND WALKS OUT LAUGHING)



TEE

Shut up biz you old bitch. (TEE PAUSES AND GRABS A PUSH BROOM) Old woman doesn’t even know what she’s talking about; like she’s ever had a job that I’d want. I don’t know what’s worse, doing nothing (BRUSHES DOWN HARD WITH EACH WORD) or doing crap like this. (YELLS AND THROWS HIS HANDS IN THE AIR) I have a degree in journalism!!! Where I graduated in the top two of the Clarion Press, and here I am working night and day at the Bayside Laundry which gives you the cash to pay your rent and barely enough left over to buy TP to wipe your ass with. (HE PICKS UP A BASKET AND TAKES IT TO THE BACK WASH AREA) At least I get to do my wash for free. Go figure. (PAUSES) What’s the point of going to college if you’re going to work in a laundry for the rest of your Godforsaken- life. (PAUSES) I’m never going to get anywhere. (RAZZY ENTERS WITH A BASKET, TEE GETS NERVOUS) Oh hi, how are you doing? Doing good I hope.



RAZZY

Oh, I’m ok ... considering.



TEE

Considering what?



RAZZY

Oh it’s nothing ... just ... (PUTS THE BASKET ON THE BENCH)



TEE

Hey Razzy, what’s the matter?



RAZZY

My photo shoot fell through today! Brian said he wasn’t going to shoot me because the way I looked. I mean I can’t believe him, I didn’t hire her. It’s not my fault! (SHE PICKS AT THE CLOTHES)



TEE

(HE LOOKS DOWN AS HE TALKS TO HER) If I worked at a paper or studio, I would jump at the chance to shoot you. Really, uh, I would like to shoot you someday if only I had the cash to do it with. (HE SITS ON THE BENCH BY THE TABLE)



RAZZY

(CONTINUES PICKING THROUGH CLOTHES) I didn’t know you were in the industry Tee. (TEE LOOKING DOWN SHRUGS HIS SHOULDERS) How come you never told me before?



TEE

(TAKES A BASKET FROM HER INTO THE BACK AREA)  Well, i just didn’t think it would make much of a difference, but since you got the shaft from Brian, I really would love to shoot you sometime. But like I said ...(RETURNS BACK TO THE BENCH AND SITS DOWN) no dough.



RAZZY

Well thanks for offering. I understand your situation. (PAUSES)

Tee, can I ask you a question?



TEE

Sure ... shoot.



RAZZY

What does Tee stand for? I mean is Tee your name, or does it stand for something? I just wondered where you got Tee from.



TEE

(SHY) Well it’s kind of a nickname. I got it when I was a kid before my parents passed away. They used to call me Tee because my little brother couldn’t say my real name. That’s how I got Tee.



RAZZY

So ... what’s your real name?



TEE

Well it’s really kind of stupid sounding like a schoolboy or something. I like Tee cause if I ever get a byline or a cutline in the paper ... (HANDS OUT IN FRONT OF HIM LIKE HE SPELLS IT OUT) Tee Devon sounds cool! (SHYLY) Uh, Devon’s my real last name I just don’t really use it.



RAZZY

Tee damn it, what the hell is your real name??!!



TEE

It’s Thomas, OK! (HE LOOKS AWAY)



RAZZY

(CHUCKLES) Thomas isn’t that bad. You just don’t like it. You just like Tee because you got used to it all your life. You know if you really hate it that much you should have it legally changed that way you don’t have to tell everyone your big sob story. (SHE GETS UP AND WALKS TOWARDS THE DOOR) You know Thomas, you’ve really got some problems. You really do! (STOPS AND LOOKS BACK) I’m going across the the street to the Moonlight for some coffee. If you absolutely need me for something, call but otherwise ... Leave me alone. I’ll give you some time to cool off. (SARCASTICALLY) Ok Thomas? (SHE EXITS)



TEE

(WALKS TOWARD THE DOOR) Damn Bitch!!! (PAUSES AND WALKS BACK TOWARD THE BENCH) God she’s so fine i could drink her with wine. (DOES A LITTLE SHUFFLE AND SITS ON THE BENCH) Oh god listen to me, I sound like the cat in the hat. (PLOPS DOWN BACKWARD ON THE BENCH) I’m probably going crazy.  It’s probably all those Clorox fumes. (HE SITS UP FAST) God she’s so fine! (PAUSES) I wonder if she ever really go out with me? Her Saturdays are free.  (BIZ ENTERS)



BIZ

Hey boy ... hey. (GRABS A SCARF OFF THE TABLE) I saw Razzy down at the Moonlight.



TEE

Yeah.



BIZ

Have you seen her yet?



TEE

(BLINDLY HAPPY) Yeah she came in a while ago. man Biz, don’t you think she’s fine? I mean who wouldn’t? (HE STANDS UP) She’s great!



BIZ

Hey have you ever heard the saying ... you get what you reach for? Sometimes if you reach and reach (PAUSES AND BLOWS HER NOSE IN THE SCARF) and if you want it bad enough you just might get it. (TOSSES THE SCARF AT TEE)



TEE

(DISGUSTED-CATCHES THE SCARF AND THROWS IT BACK ONTO THE TABLE)

But Biz you don’t get it. I really am trying. I really do want her!



BIZ

Ah just remember boy, wherever you go whatever you do ... it’s good to want things. (GRABS TEE’S BUTT AND EXITS OUT THE ALLEY DOOR LAUGHING)



TEE

(SHRUGS HIS SHOULDERS) You know she’s right. It is good to want things. I want a good job, I want Razzy and I want a lot more things. I guess I really do have to work for it, and all this crap like the Bayside are just pit stops on the way. I guess I’m not the only one having a hard time. I guess I’m just the only one complaining about it. (PAUSES) Hell, I dunno. (HE SITS ON A BENCH-RAZZY ENTERS THROUGH THE MOONLIGHT DOOR)



RAZZY

Hey Thomas. You cooled down yet? (WALKS BACK TO THE WASH AREA WITH A BASKET)



TEE

Yeah ... hey Razzy. Could you please call me Tee? Please?



RAZZY

Yeah I’m just kidding. (SITS DOWN ON OTHER BENCH-PAUSES WHILE FOLDING CLOTHES) Tee, can I ask you a question?



TEE

Sure ... shoot.



RAZZY



If you had just one more day to live, what would you do?

TEE

Well that’s one of the freakiest questions I’ve ever heard.



RAZZY

What would you do Tee?



TEE

Well (PAUSES) I’d want to spend it under Orion with a bottle of Vodka, you and my Cabrini Dreams.



RAZZY

With me?



TEE

Yeah ... I’d die for you.



RAZZY

(PAUSES) Tee, do you ever wish on falling stars?



TEE

Nah, I actually wish on Orion.



RAZZY

Why so?



TEE

Well because with falling stars they die away, but Orion the mighty hunter, he lasts forever. He’s immortal like all my dreams.



RAZZY

Your dreams huh? Your ...



TEE

Cabrini Dreams.



RAZZY

Well Tee, (PATS HER HAND ON THE BENCH) Come here. (TEE SMILES AND SHUFFLES OVER) I was talking to Biz earlier. I was talking to her about my life and my problems, and she said something to me. She said something that really stuck in my mind like ... it’s good to want things. (TEE SMILES AND LOOKS THE OTHER WAY) You know, never before would that have made any sense if I hadn’t heard it used in context. You want these things, your Cabrini Dreams  and you aren’t afraid to reach for them. (PAUSES) It’s like Orion. Nobody knew what a great hunter he was until he was gone. It takes a lot to be well known Tee, and you’re already there in your own small way. Hold onto it Tee. Hold onto your Cabrini Dreams. (SHE GETS UP AND WALKS TOWARDS THE DOOR) I’ll see you next Saturday and oh yeah... (SHE TURNS TOWARDS TEE) don’t forget the vodka. (RAZZY EXITS)



TEE

(STANDS UP AND SMILES) Damn she’s fine!!!



MUSIC LEADS OUT AND HE SHUFFLES BACK TO THE TABLE AND WIPES IT-FADE TO BLACK