Overview
- Female: 1
- Male: 2
Context
One year ago, Anna left her husband, Paul, and moved across the country to start up again in New York. She left without a word to Paul and he has finally tracked her down. With the help of their friend, Alex, Paul has come to Staten Island to see Anna. He wants to know, after all this time, the real reason why she left him. Anna is shocked to see Paul and Alex at her door, and she is reluctant to reveal to much about her decision to leave her marriage.
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A knock at the door.
A beat.
Another knock, louder this time.
ANNA, early 20s, rushes in from an adjoining bedroom.
She hisses towards the door.
ANNA One minute!
Anna goes to her purse and digs out a five dollar bill. She goes to the door and swings it open.
ANNA Sorry, I was--
Outside the door stands PAUL, flanked by ALEX, both early 20s.
A beat.
ANNA Hi.
PAUL Hi.
ANNA (re: the bill in her hand) I thought you were someone else.
PAUL I bet.
ALEX Hey, Anna.
Anna nods to Alex.
A long beat.
PAUL Can we come in?
ANNA Sure.
Anna steps aside and Paul and Alex enter the apartment.
Paul takes it in.
PAUL When I heard you went to New York, this isn’t what I expected.
ANNA It’s cheap. Well, cheaper. Than other places.
PAUL It doesn’t feel like New York.
ANNA Well, it is.
PAUL It’s a house. I didn’t even know they had those in New York.
ANNA It’s a multi-... They call it a multi-family home. It’s an apartment. In a house. So...
PAUL We had to take a boat to get here.
ANNA (gesturing to the window) Well, you can see the city from here...
Paul goes to the window and looks out. He nods. A long silence.
ANNA I’m sorry.
(a beat, re: “I’m sorry”)
I don’t know why I said that.
PAUL I do.
ALEX He’s sorry, too, Anna.
Paul shoots a look at Alex.
ANNA Look, this isn’t a good time.
PAUL Well, we don’t always get to choose the timing of things. Like, for example, last April sixth wasn’t a great time for my wife to just disappear. Just, poof, disappear. I get home from a weekend fishing with my dad and... It was a week before taxes were due. I didn’t know where any of our receipts were. I looked everywhere, but... I was able to get an extension, which was good. Because I figured you’d be back. But--
Paul gestures -- “you never came back.”
ANNA I did them and left them in the middle drawer. Of the desk. For you to sign. So you wouldn’t have to.
PAUL Well, I was looking for a shoebox, so. I found them. Eventually. After I had already redone them myself.
ANNA I should have left a note.
PAUL Or something.
ANNA (genuinely) I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.
PAUL It was more than an inconvenience, Anna. It was my life. You destroyed my life.
ANNA I didn’t do it to disrupt your life.
PAUL Not disrupt. Destroy.
Links
All the Way Here was developed with The CRY HAVOC Company
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