CHRISTA This film is so f#&king awful....

CHRISTA This film is so f#&king awful. I’m sorry I made you come all the way here for this.

ELLIE It’s not awful. It’s your truth. It’s just not real.

CHRISTA (recognizing the truth in it) Mmmm. And it’s really badly done. I should have just acted in something. For my thesis. I don’t know why I thought I could make a movie. It’s so dumb. I’m going to fail.

ELLIE You won’t.

CHRISTA I don’t have time to do anything. Not anything good.

ELLIE Then do something brave.

(a beat)

I came here because I want to be your friend again.

Ellie reaches out and puts her hand on Christa’s. Christa thinks for a moment, then slides her hand away.

CHRISTA I don’t think I can.

ELLIE You can. You just don’t want to.

CHRISTA Then I don’t want to. I did well enough without friends before you came along. I’ll be fine.

A long beat. Ellie stands and goes to the corner. She picks up her bag and heads for the exit. Before she gets there...

CHRISTA (cont’d) What am I going to do?

ELLIE You’ll figure it out. You always do. And she was kind of a bitch about it, but some of what Sam said--

CHRISTA I didn’t mean about the film.

A beat.

ELLIE Courbet was an extraordinary man. But he ended up dying in exile. Don’t do that to yourself.

A beat. Ellie waits for Christa to answer. She doesn’t.

ELLIE (cont’d) You really were the best part of New York.

Ellie then turns and leaves.

Christa sits alone for a moment, staring up at the painting. She gets up, picks up her things, and exits.

Courbet: or Woman with a Parrot was developed with The CRY HAVOC Company

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