A Swim in the Laughing Soup
SETTING
Under a bridge. Debris on stage includes a broken ladder, a cardboard box large enough to hold two people, a shopping cart filled with junk, and a fire barrel. It is night time in midwinter.
AT RISE
Gene Autry, Hungry and Thirsty are gathered around the fire in the barrel. Hungry and Thirsty are in the box; Gene Autry is with his shopping cart.
SOUND: a car passing over the bridge; should have a singing quality.
GENE AUTRY
No, Joe Joey-oe makes six. Six dead since summer.
(NOJO enters wearing an extra large hooded sweatshirt; the hood is down. The others do not notice him.)
HUNGRY
Think they’ll take us at the Gibson Street shelter?
GENE AUTRY
Deader than dead, Joey. Broke his promise too.
THIRSTY
I need a drink a hell of a lot more than a bed.
HUNGRY
Me, I need food. Stomach is tight as a fist.
(Pause.)
NOJO (to audience)
As long as I don’t say anything, they can’t see me. If I speak to them, there I am.
(NOJO pulls his hood up, goes to the shopping cart, takes things out, examines them. The others do not notice him.)
THIRSTY
Someone stoke the fire. It’s fuckin’ cold.
GENE AUTRY
This ain’t cold, Joe. Christmas is cold.
(Pause.)
HUNGRY
You want to check out the Colonel?
THIRSTY
Dumpster biscuits. Side of slaw.
(Pause.)
GENE AUTRY
Valentine’s Day, Joey-oey.
THIRSTY
What about it?
GENE AUTRY
That’s cold.
HUNGRY
Yeah.
(Long pause. NOJO waits for someone to speak; nobody does. HE turns away. SOUND: car passing over the bridge. HE looks up immediately, and begins to sing and dance along with the sound. HE moves surprisingly well.)
NOJO (singing)
Stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni, Yankee Doodle, pass it up, Yankee Doodle Randy…
(GENE AUTRY stares in his general direction as if HE has heard something but can’t quite figure out what it is. NOJO freezes. After a moment, GENE AUTRY shakes his head and looks away. NOJO moves on, more cautiously.)
