Authors: David Mamet
Goldberg Street (12 page)
THE BLUE HOUR: CITY SKETCHES
The following pieces were written variously as curtain raisers for other plays of mine, as cabaret pieces, and as experiments. They were written to be performed on a bare stage, using only a chair or two, and without props or special costuming.
The Blue Hour
was first performed as a workshop at the Public Theater in New York, in February, 1979 with the following cast directed by David Mamet: Ben Halley, Jr., David Sabin, Arthur French, Patti LuPone, and Lindsay Crouse.
Characters
Prologue: American Twilight:
Man
Doctor:
Doctor, Woman
The Hat:
Customer, Saleswoman
Businessmen:
Grey, Black
Cold:
A, B
Epilogue:
Man
PROLOGUE: AMERICAN TWILIGHT
Man:
In great American cities at
l'heure bleu
airborne dust particles cause buildings to appear lightly outlined in black. The people hurry home. They take a taxi or they walk or crush into the elevated trains or subways; or they go into the library where it is open and sit down and read a magazine and wait a bit so that the crush of travelers will dissipate.
This is the Blue Hour.
The sky is blue and people feel blue.
When they look up they will see a light or “powder” blue is in the Western sky where, meanwhile, in the East the sky is midnight blue; and this shade creeps up to the zenith and beyond, and changes powder blue to midnight and, eventually, to black, whereat the buildings lose their outlines and become as stageflats in the glow of incandescent lamps. This is the Blue Hour-the American twilight as it falls today in the cities.
DOCTOR
Doctor:
Now, what seems to be your problem?
Woman:
I won't pay this. (
Waves bill
.)
Doctor:
Won't pay what, I'm sorry.
Woman:
I won't pay this.
Doctor:
Well, let's see what it is. (
Takes bill
.) Now, what's the problem here?
Woman:
The problem is that it's outrageous. I had an appointment with you for four-thirty and you took me after six . . .
Doctor:
Well, surely, you must realize . . .
Woman:
No, no, I realize nothing of the sort. What makes you think that your time is more valuable, that my time is less valuable than yours? If you made an appointment you should keep to it.
Doctor
(
Pause
)
:
Mrs. Rudin, look.
Woman:
No, you look. I'm alright. I'm fine, but people out there, there are worried people out there. Sitting, who knows
how
long, and you keep them there, they're waiting on your pleasure.
(
Pause
.)
Doctor:
It isn't for my
pleasure
. . .
Woman:
Then what is it for then?
Doctor:
Mrs . . . .
Woman:
Eh . . . ? Now what are two hours of
my
time worth? To you, obviously nothing.
Doctor:
There are economic exigencies.
Woman:
Are there?
Doctor:
Yes, there are.
Woman:
And what are they? (
Pause
.) What are they? That
you think entitles you to treat people like cattle and then charge them like that?
Doctor:
Mrs. Rudin, I am on call at three hospitals in New York, I maintain a complete . . .
Woman:
That's your privilege. I didn't force you to do that. Those are
your
necessities.
Your
fiscal . . .
I
don't know. Why should I have to pay for that? (
Pause
.)
Doctor:
Mrs. Rudin, what is your, now what is your complaint here?
Woman:
I will not pay this bill. (
Pause
.)
Doctor:
You won't.
Woman:
I come here with a broken toe, I sit over three hours, and you take an x-ray and tell me my toe is broken. And you charge me for the x-ray and seventy-five dollars. (
Pause
.) I'm not going to pay it. (
Pause
.)
Doctor:
These are my charges, for an office visit. For the first visit.
Woman:
Well, you can find someone who will pay them, then, because I am not going to. (
Pause
.)
Doctor:
There is a, there's a
contract
here.
Woman:
There is, and what is that?
Doctor:
You have taken my services; look, I don't like to talk about this.
Woman:
I can see why you don't. Look me in the eye, there is a
contract
here? I have defrauded you of
services
? You charge me forty dollars for an x-ray and seventy-five dollars to tell me that my
toe
is broken, and keep me waiting for three hours. You're goddamned
right
that you don't like to talk about it, ‘cause you know that you are
wrong
. You
know
you're wrong.
Doctor:
Well, you'll just have to take that question up with my accountants.
Woman:
Fine. With your collection agency. Fine. I'll talk to them. I'll see you in small claims court. I don't care. This
is not right. You call yourself a doctor. What you are is a thief.
You
live with yourself. No, I'm sorry. Prices what they are,
you
go out and work for a living.
You
go out there and support your family through what you do, and then tell me I should pay that to you.
You
do that. It's
nothing
to you. Nothing, to make people small. To deal with people who are frightened, who are hurt, I don't know, maybe who might think they're dying, and to keep them there
because
they're frightened, and then rob them. Go to hell, you can just go to hell. I damn you. Do you hear me? With your medical car license plates, and tell me there are exigencies? You can go to hell. I'll die before I'll pay that bill. I swear before God. Do you hear me?
Doctor:
There's a distinct possibility . . .
Woman:
You kiss my ass!
THE HAT
Customer:
What do you think?
Saleswoman:
You look wonderful. (
Pause
.)
Customer:
Do you think so?
Saleswoman:
I do.
Customer:
With the veil?
Saleswoman:
I don't know. Let's see. Let's try it on.
Customer:
With this coat, though.
Saleswoman:
Yes. Absolutely. (
Pause
.)
Customer:
I'm going out tomorrow on this
interview
?
Saleswoman:
Uh-huh.
Customer:
No. I don't like the veil. This hat, though, with this coat. (
Saleswoman nods
.) Yes.
Saleswoman:
I think that's the nicest coat this season.
Customer:
Do you think so?
Saleswoman:
Far and away. Far and away.
Customer:
Alright. I need the hat. This hat, this coat. (
Pause
.) This bag? (
Pause
.)
Saleswoman:
For an interview?
Customer:
Yes.
Saleswoman:
I'm going to say “no.”
Customer:
No. I knew you would say that. No. You're right. Alright. The hat, the coat . . . oh, this is going to cost me, I know . . . not these boots, though?
Saleswoman:
No.
Customer:
Too casual.
Saleswoman:
Yes.
Customer:
Alright. Boots. Something dark. Black.
Saleswoman:
. . . You have those ankle boots . . . ?
Customer:
No, no, I want real boots. Dark. Long.
Saleswoman:
Severe.
Customer:
Very severe . . . alright. I need the boots. (
Pause
.) Pants?
Saleswoman:
Or a skirt.
Customer:
I thought pants. Something in dark green. You know? (
Pause
.)
Saleswoman:
Well, you would have to be careful.
Customer:
I know, I know. No, I know I would. And I thought a shawl-neck sweater. Something soft.
Saleswoman:
Uh-huh.
Customer:
In white. (
Pause
.) In off-white. In eggshell.
Saleswoman:
Good. Sure.
Customer:
This is going to cost me. But I
want
. . . do you know?
Saleswoman:
Yes.
Customer:
I
want
. When I walk
in
there . . .
Saleswoman:
Yes
Customer:
I
want
. (
Pause
.) What do you think? Pants?
Saleswoman:
Well, if you feel comfortable . . .
Customer:
I would, I would. You know why? ‘Cause it says something.
Saleswoman:
Uh-huh.
Customer:
And it holds me in. It makes me stand up. I saw the ones that I want.
Saleswoman:
Here?
Customer:
Upstairs. Yes. A hundred-twenty dollars. (
Pause
.) What do you think on top?
Saleswoman:
You've got the
sweater
. . .
Customer:
Underneath.
Saleswoman:
. . . Well . . .
Customer:
Oh. Oh! You know what? I saw it last month. You know, you know, underthings, an undergarment. (
Pause
.) One piece, you know, like a camisole.
Saleswoman:
A teddy.
Customer:
Yes. Yes. Just a little lace.
Saleswoman:
That would be nice.
Customer:
Silk. (
Pause
.) A teddy. Just a little
off
. A little
flush
, what do they call it, beige . . .
Saleswoman:
Uh-huh.
Customer:
Not really beige. A little blusher. (
Smiles
.) I put a little blusher underneath. (
Pause
.) Just beneath the lace. Mmm? (
Saleswoman nods
.)
Customer:
Alright. The slacks, the teddy, not the bag, the boots, the sweater. (
Pause
.) This is going to cost five hundred dollars.
Saleswoman:
No.
Customer:
Yes. With a new bag. Yes. (
Pause
.) But it's worth it, right? If I know when I walk in there?
Saleswoman:
Yes.
Customer:
Look! Look! Oh, look, look what she's got. The clutch bag. Yes. That bag. Yes. Do you think? With this coat.
Saleswoman:
Yes.
Customer:
‘Cause, ‘cause, you know why? You've
got
it. Under
here
. (
Clutches imaginary bag under her arm
.) You know? So when you walk in there . . . you know? Just . . . just a small . . . just . . . just the perfect . . . you know? (
Pause
.) I have to have that bag. (
Pause
.
Shrugs
.) Yes, that bag. The slacks, the teddy, sweater . . . I couldn't get by with these boots, huh?
Saleswoman:
No.
Customer:
I know. They're great, though.
Saleswoman:
Yes. They are.
Customer
(
Sighs
): That bag's got to be two hundred dollars. (
Pause
.) How much is the hat?
Saleswoman:
With or without the veil? (
Pause
.)
Customer:
Without.
Saleswoman:
Fifty-eight dollars.
Customer:
And you're sure that you like it.
Saleswoman:
You look lovely in it.
Customer:
With this coat.
Saleswoman:
With that coat. Absolutely.
Customer
(
Pause
)
:
I think so. (
Pause
.) I'll take it. Thank you. Thank you. You've been very . . .
Saleswoman:
Not at all.
Customer:
No, no. You have. You have been very gracious.
Saleswoman:
Not at all.
Customer:
Because I want to look nice for tomorrow.
Saleswoman:
Well, you will.
Customer
(
Nods
): Yes. Thank you. (
To self
.) With this hat.
Saleswoman:
Anything else?
Customer:
No.
BUSINESSMEN
On an airplane
.
Grey:
. . . Yes yes. We
had
eaten there!
Black:
How did you find it?
Grey:
Well . . .
Black:
What did you have?