ANTHONY:

Um. Do you… like jazz?

CAROLINE:
Uh.
ANTHONY:
I like jazz. A lot.
CAROLINE:
OK.
ANTHONY:
The music.
CAROLINE:
I know what jazz is.
ANTHONY:
I’m just saying we could break for minute.
Regroup. Recharge.
CAROLINE:
Fine. Jazz me.
ANTHONY:
Sorry I got… anyway.
Ok. So we have a lot of options. We could go Bill
Evans, we could go Miles Davis. Do you like
Coltrane? I love Coltrane. Coltrane is the king – ok,
this is great. I haven’t met anyone at school who
gets it like I do.
CAROLINE:
And you still haven’t.
ANTHONY:
Oh. But you’ve heard some of it before?
CAROLINE:
Of course I’ve heard it.
In elevators.
ANTHONY:
Do not even – no – Jazz is the heartbeat. Of the Ohmygod lets hear it already. Hand me your
universe. True jazz is the actual way the world – I phone.
mean, it's the chaos – the order out of chaos. The
musical form of – I dunno – like – giddy. perfect.
math.
CAROLINE:
And what instrument do you play?
ANTHONY:
Saxophone.
CAROLINE:
Of course you do.
ANTHONY:
What?
CAROLINE:
Watch out for guys who play sax.
ANTHONY:
What? Why?
CAROLINE:
Because it’s the kind of instrument that gets
people in trouble.
ANTHONY:
Who said that.
CAROLINE:
My grandma.
ANTHONY:
HoldOn. Saxophone is an instrument that is
flexible and sonorous and textured and it carries
the human range and it’s made for jazz and jazz is
the essence of our creativity – as a species – it’s a
perfect – syncopated and improvised
perfection in this life.
CAROLINE:
(He gets out his phone to give her.)
ANTHONY:
YeahBut. Ok. Don’t look at my texts – this girl sent
me weird stuff.
CAROLINE:
Well look at you.
ANTHONY:
Shut up.
CAROLINE:
A sexting jazzman.
ANTHONY:
It’s not sexting.
CAROLINE:
Whatever. Everyone leads a double life in text.
ANTHONY:
Shut up.
CAROLINE:
“Hello ladies, would you like some “–
awesomepause – “jazz?”
ANTHONY:
Shut up. Come on.
CAROLINE:
I bet the girls like it.
ANTHONY:
Ugh.
CAROLINE:
Oh yeah. The “I’m already grown up” thing you
do.
ANTHONY:
I do not.
CAROLINE:
Oh you totally do – you read poetry and play jazz feelings. You have like a trillion girlfriends. How
and have – whatever – some many facebook friends do you
have?
ANTHONY:
I dunno.
CAROLINE:
Everyone knows.
ANTHONY:
A lot but they’re mostly basketball guys.
CAROLINE:
AND you play basketball! You are such a senator.
ANTHONY:
I JUST LIKE JAZZ.
(he takes the phone back – plugs it in.)
It is not about girls. I do not get girls. They get all
weird, and then they get mad, and then I’m
supposed to know what they want and I really
don’t, so I try to avoid the whole thing because
they seem to be a lot of stupid work for no real
purpose.
CAROLINE:
Thank you.
ANTHONY:
Not you. The sexty ones.
CAROLINE:
Ah.
ANTHONY:
I don’t mind you.
CAROLINE:
Thanks again.
ANTHONY: CAROLINE:
You know what I mean. Do I?
ANTHONY:
I mean. You’re real. Whatever.
(Pause. That’s probably the nicest thing a guy has
ever said to her.John Coltrane’s “Love Supreme -
Part 1, Acknowledgement” plays from the
speakers.)
CAROLINE:
What is this?
ANTHONY:
John Coltrane.
CAROLINE:
Does it have a title or is too cool for that?
ANTHONY:
It’s called A Love Supreme.
It’s the best thing Coltrane ever did. It’s his
version of… prayer, I think. There’s four parts all
recorded in one day, in one sitting, and the parts
have these great names, this one is
“Acknowledgement,” and “Pursuance” is the third
one, which
is cool because they all make up this journey, like
he’s wandering, like he’s trying to find something,
you know?
CAROLINE:
What’s he trying to find?
ANTHONY:
I think like… peace.
(They just sit. Still.
She’s enjoying it actually.
He is concentrating.)
ANTHONY (cont):
Now. What do you hear. CAROLINE:
I… uh… notes?
ANTHONY:
No, in the music what do you hear? Or see – what
do you see when you close
your eyes – close your eyes.
CAROLINE:
Ok.
ANTHONY:
Ok. Feel it for a sec. Then just follow it. Where
does it go?
CAROLINE:
Um… a city.
ANTHONY:
What kind?
CAROLINE:
A big city. At night. And there’s a lot of people –
not kids though – real people –
and they’re walking – with like purpose – like
strutting through the city.
ANTHONY:
CAROLINE:
Yeah.
ANTHONY:
At midnight.
CAROLINE:
Yeah. And there’s… music… and restaurants and
everything’s open late and all these people are
wandering around this big city and they’re
drinking and talking about big things, and - oh!
taking cabs!
ANTHONY:
Awesome.
CAROLINE:
And one of them is an actress, and one writes for
a magazine –
ANTHONY:
And one’s a fighter pilot.
CAROLINE:
(trying to go with this…)
Or a fighter pilot.
ANTHONY:
Or like professor of Poetry or something.
CAROLINE:
Cool. And one’s a science guy – girl – a science
girl.
ANTHONY:
She studies dark matter.
CAROLINE:
She’s so smart. She wears RayBans.
ANTHONY:
And they’re all friends, and they love music, and
stay up late and they go back to someone’s
apartment – and the apartment has a roof deck,
and they go up and look out and see the whole
city – the whole thing – and it just… shines.
(Pause.)
CAROLINE:
I like that.
ANTHONY:
I’d love to go to New York.
CAROLINE:
My mom’s taking me when I get better. That’s
where I told her I wanted to go first. ANTHONY:
I’ve never been.
CAROLINE:
You’ll go.
(Pause. He turns down the music.)
Cause I kinda want to work for a magazine or
something. Photography. Because I wanna see the
world. But like actually see it. And show other
people. Because if you can see it - the good stuff,
the bad stuff - if you see it, it becomes a
part of you. Right? You can’t unsee, and that’s
power, and that’s like… how we start to change…
things. I guess.
I mean I think the camera is the best thing
humanity ever came up with. That and maybe…
sleeves. Anyway, I’m gonna go to New York. And
I’m gonna go to school there and then I’m gonna
travel and I’m gonna show people.
ANTHONY:
Show them what?
CAROLINE:
What matters. Or at least what’s really there.
Or something.
ANTHONY:
That’s cool.
CAROLINE:
You should come. Play jazz.
ANTHONY:
That’d be nice.
CAROLINE:
So, I’ll see you in New York.
ANTHONY:
See you there. CAROLINE:
(Pause. Pause. Caroline turns off music.) (tease)
I don’t know but… that sounded a lot like you
being nice to me.
ANTHONY:
Uh, excuse me. You were being nice to me.
CAROLINE:
That has not been confirmed.
ANTHONY:
I’m saying, it’s not fair if you get to be nice to me,
but I can’t be nice to you.
CAROLINE:
Whatever, Senator.
ANTHONY:
Whatever, ShutIn.
CAROLINE:
(enjoying his “dark side”)
Whoa! ShutIn? Nice.
ANTHONY:
Oh no – not “nice” – I was instructed to never be
nice to you.
CAROLINE:
And your “not nice” is just adorable,
thanksforthat.
ANTHONY:
(seeing her insult and raising her… as best he
can)
Ok. Ok. You’re stuck in your room cause you’re a
ShutIn CatLady –
CAROLINE:
Oooh.
ANTHONY:
And you have something seriously weird with that
turtle – CAROLINE:
HeyNow.
ANTHONY:
So. My question to you and turtle and Bitter –
CAROLINE:
Aww.
ANTHONY:
– is this: What do you actually care about?
CAROLINE:
What do I what?
ANTHONY:
Care about. Care the most about.
CAROLINE:
I just told you. New York. Hello.
ANTHONY:
Not in the future – Right Now. Something you love
about Now.
CAROLINE:
I don’t know, All the Stuff White People Like.
ANTHONY:
I’m serious. What do you look forward to the most
of – like – all things?
CAROLINE:
I don’t know, Anthony. I try not to look forward to
things. Ok?
ANTHONY:
But. New York. And graduating.
CAROLINE:
Yeah that’s basically fiction. So. I don’t “like” a lot
of things. I can’t.
ANTHONY: CAROLINE:
But I thought – Sorry – I just… Please don’t freak out.
What do I like? I guess… nights? I like nights.
Weeknights, late. No one else is really doing much
–they have school or whatever so I guess I don’t
feel like I’m missing anything. For once. And I can
think. And I like the moon. And my music.
ANTHONY:
Ok. Now we’re talking. What’s your music?
CAROLINE:
No. No. You’d hate it.
ANTHONY:
Probably not.
CAROLINE:
Probably yeah you would. It’s very “white people.”
ANTHONY:
I like white people.
CAROLINE:
Shut up.
ANTHONY:
What’s your music?
CAROLINE:
You’re not gonna like it.
ANTHONY:
People get along even if they don’t agree on stuff.
CAROLINE:
Not when they don’t agree on music. That’s a
relationship-killer.
ANTHONY:
“Relationship-killer.”
CAROLINE: ANTHONY:
It’s true. I shared my music. Gimme yours.
CAROLINE:
Nope.
ANTHONY:
That’s not fair!
CAROLINE:
That’s not my problem.
ANTHONY:
I wanna know your music.
CAROLINE:
And I wanna care, but I don’t.
ANTHONY:
Who are you, Caroline? What’s your music? And
what’s your thing with that
turtle?
(Pause.)
CAROLINE:
Somebody gave it to me and I think its for
toddlers but I kinda love it anyway it's a turtle
that’s a planetarium so even if I can’t get outside
all the time I can still see the stars which is really
lame I know but also makes the dark not so dark.
So.
ANTHONY:
(appreciative)
So.
(sneaky)
What’s your music?
(He smiles. She glares.)
CAROLINE:
Ok.
But. Preface…
I already know that you’ll think it’s weird, and I
already don’t care, but if you
ruin my song for me I will post that WhatFace
picture of you.
ANTHONY:
You wouldn’t.
CAROLINE:
You know I would. Don’t make me.
ANTHONY:
Yes. Understood. The suspense is killing me.
CAROLINE:
Well don’t get too excited.
Ok.
Ok.
(She presses play on her computer and we hear…
“Great Balls of Fire” as performed by Jerry
Lee Lewis
During the song Caroline goes from tapping her
finger -
To tapping her toes -
To spinning in her chair and singing along -
To a full on air-piano dance-a-thon…)