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Out of Tune

CHARLIE How long? (beat) How far...

Overview

Show Type
Play
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Genders
  • Female: 2
  • Male: 0
Playing Age
Adult
Style
Dramatic
Length
Medium
Time Period
Contemporary
Time/Place
The Atrium at the Lincoln Center, New York City, Present Day
Act/Scene
Act 1

Context

Text

CHARLIE How long?

(beat)

How far along are you?

LOUISE Twelve weeks.

Charlie looks away.

LOUISE (cont’d) You have to wait a couple of weeks to see if it works. And then I wanted to be sure everything was okay. And I knew we had tickets to see the show tonight--

CHARLIE You’re supposed to wait three months to tell people on Facebook, not three months to tell your girlfriend.

LOUISE But I’m telling you now!

CHARLIE Exactly.

LOUISE We talked about this for months, Char. It’s what you wanted. You said you’d “already seen it.” We would dress her in stripes all the time. We would sing to her every night before she went to bed. This is a good thing.

CHARLIE You should have talked to me before you did this.

LOUISE You’ve talked about wanting a baby since I’ve known you, Charlie.

CHARLIE And then you ran out on me at the doctor’s office.

LOUISE I didn’t run out on you. I ran out of the office. I was scared. And you have been holding that against me for six months now.

CHARLIE No I haven’t.

LOUISE I barely see you anymore. And anytime I do, no matter what I ask you, you just answer yes or no. If you answer at all.

CHARLIE That’s not true.

LOUISE And no matter how early I get up, you leave the apartment before I’m out of the shower.

CHARLIE I’ve been busy.

LOUISE I’ve been getting up so early! You’ve been avoiding me. And I miss you.

CHARLIE I’ve been busy.

LOUISE Why won’t you let me fix it?

Charlie locks in on Louise.

CHARLIE Having a baby doesn’t fix it, Lou. Having a baby without me does not fix it.

LOUISE I’m not having a baby without you!

CHARLIE This is the first time I’m hearing about it.

LOUISE You leave before I’m out of the shower! The pooch isn’t new.

Silence.

CHARLIE You didn’t think this through.

LOUISE You’re supposed to be happy. And I did. You can’t just walk into the doctor’s office and get a baby. You have to make an appointment. I made a plan.

CHARLIE You lied to me.

LOUISE That was part of the plan.

CHARLIE I don’t need you to have a baby for me.

LOUISE Yes you do.

(beat)

I’m sorry. But that’s not my fault.

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