Juden Rift by Gary O. Bennett
1 INT. ABANDONED MEAT LOCKER 1
We hear movement. A female voice yells “Aaaaooowww.” A door
slams shut and the lights come up, revealing a windowless
room containing one metal-framed bed pushed up against the
stage-right wall of the room. An old mattress sits center
stage. An old wooden chair on wheels is stage right. A
substantial, heavy wood door with a large steel latch is
stage left. The walls are made of thin strips of old wood.
Several large steel hooks hand on various-length chains from
the ceiling. Ducts run across the ceiling with vent grills
at several points. A bucket sits in the corner next to a
roll of toilet paper. Emma Sager stands in the corner. Emma
wears a knee-length dress or a skirt with a blouse with a
blazer. On the blazer is a gold broach. Emma also wears a
wedding ring, and, if other jewelry, it is simple and
conservative. Emma is slight in build and pale in
complexion. Stephanie Black lies on a mattress. Stephanie
is attractive with a healthy, tan look. She wears a semi
provocative blouse and stylish blue jeans or some other pair
of well-fitting pants. A black cloth blindfold is wrapped
around Stephanie’s head, and her hands are tied behind her
back and her ankles are tied together. Emma waits a moment
before moving. She walks to the door and listens carefully.
Emma looks back at Stephanie. She starts to walk slowly
around Stephanie. Stephanie listens to the footsteps.
EMMA
You’re not alone.
Stephanie doesn’t respond.
EMMA
You’re safe for the moment.
STEPHANIE
Where am I?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
Who are you?
EMMA
My name is Emma. And you?
STEPHANIE
Stephanie. Stephanie Black. Are we
alone?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Can you tell me what’s going on?
EMMA
I’m not certain.
STEPHANIE
Where are we?
EMMA
I said I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
I’m tied up and on a mattress?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Did this happen to you?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Were you blindfolded?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
But not now?
EMMA
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE
You’re not wearing a blindfold now?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
Can you take this off my face?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
What do you mean you don’t know?
EMMA
I don’t know if I can.
STEPHANIE
Why?
EMMA
I don’t understand why they did this.
STEPHANIE
Why they did what?
EMMA
Why they left you here tied up and
blindfolded.
STEPHANIE
But they did this to you?
EMMA
They didn’t leave me on the mattress.
STEPHANIE
Who’s doing this?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
Have you seen them?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
What do they want?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
How long have you been here?
EMMA
I’m not certain.
STEPHANIE
Can’t you take this off me?
EMMA
I’m not certain they want me to.
STEPHANIE
Have they hurt you?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
How can you not know how long you’ve been
here?
EMMA
I can’t see the sun. I’ve lost track of
time. They took my watch.
STEPHANIE
My beeper. Is it on my belt? It has the
date and time.
Emma looks.
EMMA
You’re not wearing a belt.
STEPHANIE
Damn. You can’t see the sun. There are
no windows?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
You’ve been here more than a couple of
hours?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Have they said anything to you?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
What did you say your name was?
EMMA
Emma.
STEPHANIE
Emma, listen to me. I can’t stand this
thing on my face. It itches. It’s
making me nauseated. If they haven’t
hurt you by now, they probably won’t. If
we hear them coming, you can put the
blindfold back on me.
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
Look, we are going to have to help each
other.
Emma looks at Stephanie. A moment passes.
STEPHANIE
Emma, are you there?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Are you listening to me?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Will you please take this off my face?
EMMA
We’ll wait a bit. See what they do.
STEPHANIE
Who took your blindfold off?
EMMA
They did.
STEPHANIE
So you saw them?
EMMA
No. They turn the lights off.
STEPHANIE
So, we’re just going to wait for them to
take this off me, is that it?
EMMA
Maybe.
STEPHANIE
Emma, I’m a trained therapist. I know
how the mind works. These people are
criminals. They have the minds of
criminals. It’s a good bet they’re
scared.
EMMA
They’re scared!
STEPHANIE
Yes. Like frightened animals. I’m a
diver. Scuba diver. Seen sharks dozens
of times. Sharks are frightened of
humans, but if a shark thinks your
scared, he’ll go for you. If you stare a
shark down, he’ll swim away.
EMMA
You want to stare our kidnappers down?
STEPHANIE
It will show them that we’re not frozen
with fear.
EMMA
I’m not convinced people and fish operate
under the same laws.
STEPHANIE
Emma, the mind works in strange ways. If
we’re strong, they’ll treat us better.
Believe me, I know.
EMMA
How do you know? You’ve been kidnapped
before?
STEPHANIE
My clients are all criminals and
perverts. You can only deal with them
from a position of strength.
EMMA
Your clients are criminals and perverts?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
EMMA
What kind of therapist are you?
STEPHANIE
I’m not a therapist anymore. I’m an
agent in Los Angeles. I’m in the
business.
EMMA
What business?
STEPHANIE
The business. The entertainment
business. I represent big talent.
They’re all perverts. And the producers,
they’re all criminals. So I know how the
mind works. Particularly the sick mind.
These kidnappers are small potatoes
compared to what I usually deal with.
Now, Emma, would you please take this
blindfold off.
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
Stop saying that, Emma. Just take the
blindfold off, now, please; it’s driving
me crazy.
Emma covers Stephanie’s mouth with her hand.
EMMA
Shut up.
Emma removes the blindfold. Stephanie opens her eyes slowly.
STEPHANIE
I feel dizzy.
EMMA
You’re disoriented.
Stephanie looks around and spots Emma.
STEPHANIE
That’s an understatement. We don’t know
where we are, what time or day it is, or
why we’re here. I’d say we’re both
disoriented, wouldn’t you?
EMMA
I mean the dizziness. It will go away
when you adjust to the environment.
STEPHANIE
Could you do me a favor and massage my
face? It itches like a bitch.
Emma hesitates briefly, but proceeds to massage Stephanie’s
face.
STEPHANIE
That’s it. You have no idea.
Emma continues to rub.
STEPHANIE
Thanks.
EMMA
Feel better?
STEPHANIE
For the moment. Although I’m reluctant
to express joy under the circumstances.
Stephanie looks around the room.
STEPHANIE
No windows. Wood walls. Big door.
(looking up) What are those? Meat
hooks?
EMMA
That’s what they look like.
STEPHANIE
They’re meat hooks. This is a
refrigerator.
EMMA
Thank god it’s not turned on.
STEPHANIE
It’s an abandoned meat locker. Do you
hear any traffic?
EMMA
Traffic?
STEPHANIE
Cars, trucks.
EMMA
I haven’t.
STEPHANIE
We’re in the country. When they carried
me out of the car, I smelled trees. The
air was wet.
Emma shruggs.
EMMA
You smelled water. I think we’re by the
water.
STEPHANIE
Yes. By a lake.
EMMA
Maybe a harbor.
STEPHANIE
Where are you from?
EMMA
Avenue L in Brooklyn.
STEPHANIE
Brooklyn?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
That’s where you were when they kidnapped
you?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
That’s incredible. I was in Santa
Monica.
EMMA
California?
STEPHANIE
Yes. I had just parked my car. I got
out, and someone grabbed me from behind.
Dragged me into a van, I think. Broad
daylight. After that I don’t remember a
thing.
EMMA
Same here.
STEPHANIE
You were in a parking lot?
EMMA
Yes. They covered my face with a wet
cloth and I passed out.
STEPHANIE
Yes, that’s right. They did the same to
me. My god, I must have been unconscious
for days.
EMMA
How do you know?
STEPHANIE
Because, if you’re from Brooklyn and I’m
from LA, we must be somewhere else,
somewhere far from both. That means we
both must have traveled for days in that
van.
EMMA
I had a dream of being in an airplane.
STEPHANIE
You remember being in an airplane?
EMMA
I think so.
STEPHANIE
They have resources.
EMMA
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE
Resources. They have access to an
airplane. That means they have money.
They’re well financed. But why us?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
Emma, listen, if we’re going to sit here
and talk, maybe you can untie these
ropes.
EMMA
Let’s wait to see.
STEPHANIE
See what? There’s no point in waiting,
and you can’t expect me to sit here tied
up and you not. It’s not fair. Besides,
I’m no more dangerous to them than you.
They probably expect you to untie me.
EMMA
How can you say that?
STEPHANIE
Maybe it’s a test, to see if we will act
together. In unison.
EMMA
Why should they want to test us?
STEPHANIE
I don’t know, Emma. But don’t you think
this is a little strange that I’m sitting
here tied up and you’re walking around
free?
EMMA
I wouldn’t say I’m free.
Stephanie seems to pause.
STEPHANIE
I have to go to the bathroom. There is a
bathroom here?
EMMA
The bucket.
STEPHANIE
Lovely. You have to untie me.
EMMA
If they wanted you untied, they would
have done it themselves.
STEPHANIE
We have to be assertive, Emma.
Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. A brief moment
passes.
STEPHANIE
I’m going to piss in my pants, Emma. Do
you want me to humiliate myself?
Emma breaks from her very brief moment of silence and unknots
the rope around Stephanie’s hands.
STEPHANIE
Thank you.
Stephanie rises. She is a little wobbly. Emma helps her
walk.
EMMA
The bucket’s clean.
STEPHANIE
I don’t really have to go.
EMMA
But…
STEPHANIE
You never would have untied me.
Emma doesn’t respond.
STEPHANIE
Whose side are you on?
EMMA
We don’t know what we’re dealing with.
STEPHANIE
We know a lot already. We know we are
hundreds of miles from where we both
live. We’re in the country somewhere.
We know we were both drugged.
EMMA
That tells us nothing about what they
want.
STEPHANIE
We’re both young women. They’re
obviously men. When I was carried from
the car I could tell it was a large man
with large hands. And there was more
than one. I could hear other footsteps.
That’s good news.
EMMA
What’s good about that?
STEPHANIE
That means it’s not some lone rapist
murderer who takes women to his mountain
home and cuts them up in little pieces.
EMMA
Oh, great, so it’s two rapist murderers.
STEPHANIE
They never come in pairs.
EMMA
You’re a therapist, a scuba diver, a
Hollywood agent. Are you a policeman
too?
STEPHANIE
I told you, I’m not a therapist anymore.
Not enough money in it, plus it’s
intensely boring to listen to people’s
petty problems all day. God knows my
therapist looks bored half the time.
Stephanie sits on the floor in a lotus position. She starts
to breath deeply.
EMMA
What are you doing?
STEPHANIE
I’m thinking, Emma. Using my brain.
Haven’t you attempted to figure anything
out since you’ve been here?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Tell me. Let’s share our conclusions.
We have to work together.
EMMA
They are very clean.
STEPHANIE
Who?
EMMA
Our kidnappers.
STEPHANIE
How do you know?
EMMA
When I was carried in here, my cheek was
against a man’s clothes. It was wool.
Clean, freshly washed and pressed wool.
Like a new suit. The wool itched. And
there was no body odor.
STEPHANIE
Good. That’s a good observation. You’re
right. He was wearing a suit. How
strange. Well-dressed kidnappers.
EMMA
And they’re wearing good shoes. The
sound they make when they walk.
STEPHANIE
Walk where?
EMMA
When they carried me in. When they walk
into this room.
STEPHANIE
They come into this room?
EMMA
They brought you in.
STEPHANIE
Didn’t you see them?
EMMA
No. They turn the lights out. In the
adjacent room as well, (pointing to the
door) so I see nothing. It’s pitch
black.
STEPHANIE
Is that the only time someone comes in?
EMMA
When they brought me in. When they
brought you in. When they clean out the
bucket. When they give me food.
STEPHANIE
How often do they feed you?
EMMA
They’ve done it three times since I’ve
been here.
STEPHANIE
That may be a clue to how long you’ve
been here. If they’ve fed you once a
day, that would mean you’ve been here
three days. Is the food different?
EMMA
Different than what?
STEPHANIE
I mean, is one meal breakfast food and
another meal dinner?
EMMA
It’s always the same thing.
STEPHANIE
What?
EMMA
Bread and water.
STEPHANIE
Bread and water?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Is it bottled spring water?
EMMA
It’s in a glass.
STEPHANIE
Seven-grain bread?
EMMA
I don’t know how many grains it has. I
haven’t tried it. It’s probably not
kosher.
STEPHANIE
You’re concerned about whether the bread
is kosher?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
Don’t you think that’s a little
ridiculous given our circumstances.
EMMA
You’re concerned about whether it’s
bottled water.
STEPHANIE
Emma, wake up. Haven’t you heard about
lead in pipes, chlorine, salmonella.
EMMA
Salmonella’s a chicken problem.
STEPHANIE
Whatever, I’m careful what goes into this
body.
EMMA
Are you Jewish?
STEPHANIE
I don’t practice it.
EMMA
Your mother is Jewish?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
EMMA
You’re Jewish.
STEPHANIE
Both my parents are Jewish, but it’s not
relevant to what’s happened to us.
EMMA
How do you know?
STEPHANIE
Because they couldn’t know I’m Jewish.
EMMA
Your name.
STEPHANIE
Black is not Jewish.
EMMA
Oh.
STEPHANIE
The fact that we are both Jewish is a
coincidence. Tell me about yourself.
EMMA
Like what?
STEPHANIE
Tell me about your family.
EMMA
I’m married with two children.
STEPHANIE
Your family must be looking for you.
EMMA
I’m sure they are.
STEPHANIE
How old are your kids?
EMMA
My son is five and my daughter is seven.
And your family?
STEPHANIE
None at the moment.
EMMA
You have parents.
STEPHANIE
Of course, Emma. But I’ve been divorced
twice and no children, thank god.
EMMA
Are you thanking god for the divorces or
for no children?
STEPHANIE
Husbands are a pain in the ass. I
suspect children are too. Have you
thought about hitting them with
something?
EMMA
My children?
STEPHANIE
Our kidnappers. Maybe with the chair.
Or these hooks.
Stephanie grabs a hook and tries to yank it down without
success.
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
There’s two of us now.
EMMA
I’m not sure that matters.
STEPHANIE
Why, because we’re women? Because we’re
weaker than them?
EMMA
You said yourself that they’re big.
STEPHANIE
You’re right. We have to use our brains
not our muscle. Women are smarter than
men.
EMMA
What do you propose?
STEPHANIE
I don’t know yet.
There is one loud knock at the door.
EMMA
That means they’re opening the door and
they want us to sit on the mattress.
Emma walks over to the mattress.
STEPHANIE
How do you know?
EMMA
Just do it, Stephanie.
Stephanie walks to the bed and sits next to Emma.
EMMA
(loudly)
2 OK. 2
The lights go dark. The door opens. We hear someone step
in. We hear some other noise, and then the door slams shut
and the lights come up. Near the door are two plates and two
glasses of water. Stephanie gets up and rushes to the door.
She places her ear to the door and listens. She doesn’t hear
anything. Stephanie moves toward the plates and glasses of
water.
STEPHANIE
Bread and water.
Stephanie reaches down and picks up one of the glasses of
water. She brings it to her nose and takes a wiff.
EMMA
I don’t think it’s drugged.
STEPHANIE
How do you know?
EMMA
It’s tasteless, plus I’ve felt nothing.
STEPHANIE
Maybe it’s having a slow effect.
EMMA
I don’t think so.
Stephanie takes a sip.
STEPHANIE
We are definitely not in Southern
California. This is better than LA tap
water.
Stephanie reaches down and picks up the bread.
STEPHANIE
They don’t even have the decency to toast
it..
Emma walks over to Stephanie. She picks up the glass of
water, and walks back to the mattress.
STEPHANIE
I’m beginning to think this is not real.
Some practical joke being played on us.
You have any friends in Hollywood?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
Maybe you’re in on this.
EMMA
In on what?
STEPHANIE
On the joke. Did Hirsch hire you?
You’re an actress right?
EMMA
No. Believe me, this is no joke.
STEPHANIE
What’s your gig?
EMMA
What’s my what?
STEPHANIE
Your gig. Your business?
EMMA
I don’t have a business.
STEPHANIE
Who pays the bills?
EMMA
My husband.
STEPHANIE
You’re a housewife?
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
What’s your husband do?
EMMA
He’s a diamond broker.
STEPHANIE
A diamond broker. He’s got money?
EMMA
We do OK.
STEPHANIE
So you raise the kids and he brings home
the jewelry.
EMMA
He sells diamonds. He doesn’t bring home
any jewelry.
STEPHANIE
So what’s your end, Emma? What do you
get out of it all?
EMMA
I don’t understand.
STEPHANIE
You stay home on L Street…
EMMA
Avenue L.
STEPHANIE
Whatever. Whatever. You stay home on
Avenue L with two screaming kids and you
have no end, no payoff.
EMMA
My children are not screamers.
STEPHANIE
What’s your split, Emma?
EMMA
My what?
STEPHANIE
Your net? You must be skimming something
off the top. What’s your bottom line?
EMMA
You’re talking about money?
STEPHANIE
I’m talking about you, Emma. Everyone’s
looking for a whack. What’s yours?
EMMA
I don’t think like that. Why are you
saying these things?
STEPHANIE
To see if you’re really who you say you
are.
EMMA
Why wouldn’t I be?
STEPHANIE
Because this could be some huge practical
joke orchestrated by my firm or one of my
clients.
EMMA
It would be a pretty sick joke.
STEPHANIE
Or maybe my old man. You sure you don’t
know my old man?
EMMA
I’m sure I don’t.
STEPHANIE
Jason Black.
EMMA
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE
Come on, Emma. Don’t play dumb. You’ve
heard of Jason Black.
EMMA
He your father?
STEPHANIE
My father and only the largest landlord
in the San Fernando Valley.
EMMA
Why would I know about landlords in some
valley?
STEPHANIE
Not some valley. The San Fernando
Valley. Besides, my old man also
produces virtually every game show on
television.
EMMA
I don’t watch much television.
STEPHANIE
That’s what housewives do, Emma, watch
TV. They plant their kids in front of
the television, put on some stupid kids’
show or videotape and bingo, the kids
become low maintenance. Isn’t that the
idea? Make the kids low maintenance?
You give plants water and they grow. In
Hollywood the kids get drugs. In the
rest of America they get television.
EMMA
I’m sorry to disappoint you, Stephanie,
but I’m a housewife with kids, and we
live in Brooklyn, and we don’t watch much
television.
STEPHANIE
Why, for god’s sake, would a Hollywood
agent and a Brooklyn housewife be
kidnapped and locked up together?
EMMA
My status disappoints you?
STEPHANIE
Don’t take it personally, Emma. But it
doesn’t make any sense.
Stephanie takes a small bite of the bread. Emma walks back
over to the plates and places her empty glass down. She
starts to hum Oif’n Pripitchok.
STEPHANIE (cont’d)
You should eat, Emma.
EMMA
I don’t have an appetite.
STEPHANIE
This is not a time to stand on religious
principle.
EMMA
When is it a time?
STEPHANIE
Is dying better than being kosher?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
Enough of this stuff will kill you. Do
you know how they make white bread? They
take all the grains out. What’s left is
a barely digestible polymer.
EMMA
Why are you eating it then?
STEPHANIE
Why am I eating it, she asks. Because I
love it. Because I’m not in LA. There’s
a seven-grain minimum in Hollywood. I
came up with a great idea for one of my
clients. A restaurant. Seven Grain and
Cocaine.
EMMA
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE
That’s the name. Seven Grain and
Cocaine. Catchy title. Every table
would have mirrored tops. The idiot
thought it was a good idea.
If the jerk actually does it, you’ll come
to the opening, Emma.
EMMA
If he’s serving cocaine, I don’t think I
will come.
STEPHANIE
Oh, Emma, lighten up. He won’t be
serving it. The joint will just be user
friendly, if you know what I mean.
EMMA
I only eat in kosher restaurants.
STEPHANIE
You think this meat locker is kosher?
They probably had pigs hanging on these
hooks dripping pig blood on these floors.
I suggest you drop the Jewish stuff. It
won’t get us out of here.
EMMA
It is not something that can be dropped.
And it is something we have in common.
STEPHANIE
The only thing we have in common is
plumbing. But your pipes are all frozen
over. That’s why you’re right at home in
this refrigerator. A meat locker is no
place for a Hollywood agent. You know,
this is not a bad idea for a restaurant.
The meat locker. Some interesting
lighting on the hooks. Make it a
vegetarian place.
EMMA
It appears you want to change your line
of work.
STEPHANIE
No sweetheart. In Hollywood, the food
biz is a hobby. Schwarznegger, Willis,
Stallone, Depp; They all have to think
they’re entrepreneurs, so they open
restaurants. It’s my job to keep my
clients busy, otherwise they get
depressed sitting by their pools with
nothing to do. And when they have
nothing to do, they change agents. I
keep them busy with new ideas so they can
make money and spend money and so I can
pay my mortgage.
EMMA
It must be pretty exciting to work with
movie stars.
STEPHANIE
(cupping her hands under her
breasts)
Do you see these?
EMMA
Excuse me?
STEPHANIE
Do you know what they are? Do you know
what these are?
EMMA
I think so.
STEPHANIE
They’re real. They are genuine mammary
glands. From the core to the nipple.
Totally real. These babies have never
been morphed.
EMMA
Morphed?
STEPHANIE
Breast morphing, face morphing. Half my
time with clients is spent discussing
silicon tits and collagen lips. The
morph medic is more important than the
drama coach, because when the tits and
lips are right, the gigs happen. And
when the gigs happen, the money comes.
The money goes up the nose which doesn’t
do wonders for the body, so they get
personal trainers, which can’t cover up
the drugs and late nights, so they have
to go back to the morph medic again to
get new tits and lips so they can get new
gigs. And of course after all that, they
insist I get them invitations to all the
Democratic fundraisers. You’re damn
straight Hollywood’s exciting. Lots of
adreneline. But you want to know
something? It’s the adreneline of
children. Hollywood is one big day-care
center. I bet my children are a bigger
pain in the ass than yours.
EMMA
For never having any, you seem to know a
lot about children.
STEPHANIE
My clients are all children. But my
children pay me a ten percent commission
which buys a house in Malibu. I’m
working on a big piece now. The deal is
hot, and if I’m not back by the weekend
it’s going to blow up or turn to ice. Or
worse, someone else will get the whack.
This kidnapping is a damn annoyance.
Plus the food sucks. They obviously want
us alive. We’re ransom. They want
money.
EMMA
No one is wealthy in my family.
STEPHANIE
Your husband is a diamond broker. That
sounds like money to me.
EMMA
Yes, but we are not wealthy. We’re
middle class.
STEPHANIE
Oh, Emma, everyone knows the jewelry
business is a cash business. You and
your husband probably have the money of
an upper-class family, but you don’t show
it. You keep it quiet. Your tax returns
and bank accounts are middle class, but
your mattress is upper class.
EMMA
I purchased my mattress at Bed City.
STEPHANIE
If it’s not money they’re after, what
then?
EMMA
Medical experiments.
STEPHANIE
Oh, please. What do you think this is,
Schindler’s List?
EMMA
Did you have something to do with that
movie?
STEPHANIE
No, unfortunately. Who would have
thought a black and white would have big
numbers. The last black and white with
big numbers was Psycho back in 1960 - the
year I was born. Thirty-three years
until another “b and w” had big numbers.
That’s the power of Spielberg for you.
What are we doing here? We’ve been
kidnapped and we’re talking movies in a
meat locker!
EMMA
Maybe we need something normal to do to
remain sane.
STEPHANIE
It’s political. Our kidnapping is
political.
EMMA
Why do you say that?
STEPHANIE
Hostages. We’re political hostages for
something.
EMMA
You said you were parking your car when
they got you?
STEPHANIE
Yes.
EMMA
Parking your car where?
STEPHANIE
At the health club.
EMMA
Oh.
STEPHANIE
Where were you?
EMMA
At the hospital.
STEPHANIE
You a nurse?
EMMA
No. I was delivering books to patients
at Maimonides Hospital.
STEPHANIE
You do this often?
EMMA
Once a week. It may mean something that
the hospital has a Jewish affiliation.
STEPHANIE
You have a schedule, Emma. Same with me.
I’m at the health club every goddamn day.
They’ve probably been watching us and
discovered our schedules. It’s our
repetitive and predictable schedules. It
has nothing to do with being Jewish.
EMMA
It may still mean something.
STEPHANIE
Look, I never go to synagogue, I don’t
look Jewish, I don’t belong to any Jewish
organizations. They couldn’t know.
EMMA
You don’t look Jewish?
STEPHANIE
Let me tell you something; if Moses had a
wife with a body and a face like this, he
never would have gone up that mountain
looking for answers. This would have
been enough.
EMMA
Only three percent of America is Jewish.
A hundred percent of this room is Jewish.
It’s meaningful.
STEPHANIE
You have a persecution complex, Emma.
For what purpose could anyone in America
have in kidnapping two Jewish girls?
This is not the Middle East.
EMMA
Do people know your father’s Jewish?
STEPHANIE
He doesn’t make a big deal about it. He
gives some money. He’s starting to go
through some private guilt thing, but no
one knows about it.
EMMA
Private guilt thing?
STEPHANIE
Yeah, for ignoring that he’s Jewish. He
moved all the way to LA. You can’t get
further from the holy land than
Hollywood.
EMMA
There’s a Jewish community in Los
Angeles.
STEPHANIE
Don’t I know it. It’s called the
entertainment business. But don’t tell
anyone I said so. You can’t survive in
Hollywood if you’re too Jewish. You can
be openly gay. Everything else is in the
closet. My boss, Harry Hirsch, he’s
Jewish. Do you think he wears a Jewish
star? Nope. Wears a little earring and
a red ribbon. You know why? Survival,
baby. An earring and a red ribbon is
kosher in LA. Makes our pill-popping
clients with their bottles of Evian
comfortable to see Harry Hirsch wearing
an earring and a little red ribbon.
Earrings and red ribbons. The only
mezzuzahs in Hollywood are collecting
dust in studio prop rooms.
EMMA
You have a mezzuzah at home?
STEPHANIE
Emma, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
No one in Hollywood kisses doorposts.
EMMA
You don’t kiss it. You touch it and
bring your fingers to your mouth so the
word of god enters your body.
STEPHANIE
Oooo…God’s word enters your body? I
bet it doesn’t feel as good as amyl
nitrate or a man’s throbbing organ. Face
it, Emma, the word of god can’t compete
with drugs, sex and silicon.
There are two loud knocks at the door.
STEPHANIE
Now what?
EMMA
They want the plates and glasses.
Emma walks over to the plates and places her empty glass of
water next to the other dishes on the floor. Stephanie, in
defiance, immediately bends down and picks up her half-eaten
slice of bread.
STEPHANIE
But I’m not finished. (to Emma) I’m not
finished. (loudly and to the door)
Emma walks quickly back to the bed.
EMMA
Come on Stephanie.
STEPHANIE
No, I’m going to finish this meal, if you
can call it that.
Suddenly the sound of repetitive beeps comes from offstage in
the direction of the door.
STEPHANIE
That’s my beeper. That’s my beeper. (to
the door) Heh, I’m getting paged, do you
hear me.
Stephanie bangs on the door.
STEPHANIE
(to the door)
Heh, asshole, I’m not kidding around. I
want my pager and a telephone, now.
The lights go dark. The door opens. There is a loud scream.
Someone falls. The door slams shut and the lights come back
up. Emma is on the bed and Stephanie is lying on the floor
holding her side. The plates and glasses are gone. Emma
rushes to Stephanie.
EMMA
Are you OK?
STEPHANIE
He hit me. Hard. I’m going to throw up.
Stephanie rises, holding her side. Emma helps her to the
mattress. Stephanie sits down. She lifts her blouse and
examines her bruise.
STEPHANIE
They’re cowards, you know.
EMMA
Why do you say that?
STEPHANIE
Because they turn the lights out.
They’re afraid to show their faces.
(beat) That’s it!
EMMA
What?
STEPHANIE
Think about it. They’re afraid to show
their faces because they plan to release
us. If they didn’t plan to release us,
they wouldn’t care if we saw them.
That’s good news.
EMMA
I’ve been praying for good news.
STEPHANIE
Stop with the praying, Emma. You’re like
a dog begging for a bone. It ain’t
coming from up there. Nothing’s coming
from up there.
EMMA
You believe in god?
STEPHANIE
Emma, please, let’s not have a religious
debate. You have Moses and I have Freud.
End of discussion.
EMMA
Both Jews.
STEPHANIE
Yeah, right. Together they make a real
Jewish all-star team. But neither of
them is here right now. We’re on our
own.
EMMA
We are being tested, Stephanie. I’m
praying that god gives us the wisdom to
do the right thing.
STEPHANIE
What right thing? There is no right and
wrong. There’s only us and them.
EMMA
Something did occur to me.
STEPHANIE
What’s that?
EMMA
My father is a rabbi.
STEPHANIE
This just occurred to you?
EMMA
Maybe it means something. He’s the
President of the Union of Orthodox
Synagogues.
STEPHANIE
What do you think it means?
EMMA
I don’t know. He’s an important man.
People know him.
STEPHANIE
He’s a rabbi, for chrissake. How many
people can know him?
EMMA
He’s very well regarded.
STEPHANIE
Is he rich?
EMMA
Not really.
STEPHANIE
These are kidnappers, Emma. They’re
after something, money or publicity
maybe. You said yourself that Jews are
only three percent of America. That’s
small time. I’m beginning to think this
has to do with the business. Hollywood
is a giant cash register and is the power
center of the greatest publicity machine
in the world. Plus, my old man’s got big
bucks. This is all making sense.
EMMA
How does it make sense?
STEPHANIE
They originally didn’t plan to kidnap two
people. But you didn’t satisfy them, so
they kidnapped me as well.
EMMA
Maybe.
STEPHANIE
There must be more than two of them.
When they kidnapped me, who was guarding
you?
EMMA
I don’t know.
STEPHANIE
This is big, Emma. Several people are in
on this.
EMMA
It can’t be too big.
STEPHANIE
Why not?
EMMA
Because we aren’t that important.
STEPHANIE
Speak for yourself, Emma. I did the
second biggest deal at my firm last year.
Packaged the whole thing. I got the deal
done. Made millions for Hirsch, for my
clients, for the director. I did the
whole thing. It never would’ve happened
if I didn’t move it. I had a big photo
in Premiere magazine.
“Could this be the most powerful female
agent in Hollywood?” Everyone knows I’m a
player. A big player. I bet this
kidnapping has something to do with it.
You were a mistake, Emma. They made a
mistake in kidnapping you. It’s me they
want.
EMMA
The fact that your beeper went off, does
that mean we’re somewhere near Los
Angeles?
STEPHANIE
Nice try, but it’s a satellite pager.
I’m not a bike messenger, Emma.
EMMA
You think they’ll go to your parents for
ransom?
STEPHANIE
Or the agency. God, he really hit me. I
could be bleeding inside. You know, he
picked me up with one hand by my arm, and
slugged me with his other hand. He held
me up for a brief moment and then let me
drop to the floor. Do you have any idea
the strength required for such a thing?
EMMA
Maybe it was two people.
STEPHANIE
No, just one person grabbed me. I could
tell. His hand was so big, that it
wrapped all around my arm.
This is upsetting to Emma.
STEPHANIE
What’s wrong?
EMMA
I don’t know. They were never violent
before. It scares me.
STEPHANIE
Emma, they kidnapped us. That’s violent.
They have revealed nothing new by this
incident.
EMMA
Let me explain the rules. One knock
means you have to sit on the mattress.
Two knocks mean you have to place the
dishes and glasses near the door and then
go sit on the mattress.
STEPHANIE
How do you know what all these knocks
mean?
EMMA
They explained everything in a note.
STEPHANIE
A note! What note?
Emma goes to the bed and pulls out a small piece of paper
from under the pillow.
EMMA
They slipped this under the door.
Emma hands the note to Stephanie.
STEPHANIE
(without looking at the note)
Why didn’t you tell me about this? This
is important. This might be a clue.
Stephanie reads the note.
STEPHANIE
Oh Jesus.
EMMA
What?
STEPHANIE
Three knocks means we’re supposed to get
undressed.
EMMA
I’m afraid to think about it.
STEPHANIE
Emma, what else are you not telling me?
EMMA
Nothing.
STEPHANIE
How could you not tell me this?
EMMA
(upset)
I’m sorry. I looked at it once. I’m
confused, Stephanie.
STEPHANIE
OK. OK. This is important. First of
all it’s handwritten. It’s revealing.
EMMA
Revealing of what?
STEPHANIE
We must keep this. Handwriting can be
analyzed.
EMMA
Maybe they won’t let us keep it. Maybe
they don’t plan to release us.
STEPHANIE
Look at the handwriting. It’s perfectly
neat. Like it was written by a
calligrapher.
EMMA
So?
STEPHANIE
These are educated people. Maybe a bit
too arrogant for their own good, and
arrogance leads to mistakes.
EMMA
I haven’t noticed any mistakes.
STEPHANIE
They’ve made plenty. Giving us this
handwritten note is evidence. Evidence
that can be used against them.
EMMA
Stephanie, I’m not so concerned about
building a case. I just want to get out
of here alive. I want to see my
children.
STEPHANIE
You will, Emma. Now, what about the
getting undressed. What can that mean?
EMMA
Humiliation.
STEPHANIE
Yes. We have to plan for it. If we
plan, we won’t be surprised. It’s the
surprize that makes it humiliating.
EMMA
Stephanie, I hardly think knowledge of
our impending rape will diminish the
humiliation.
STEPHANIE
I don’t think it has anything to do with
rape. It’s something else. These are
well educated, well dressed, well
financed kidnappers, who have gone to
great lengths to bring us here. It would
not be to just rape us.
Stephanie grabs her side in pain. Stephanie then notices
something on her blouse. She picks it up with her forefinger
and thumb. It is very small.
STEPHANIE
Look at this.
Emma gets closer.
EMMA
It’s a hair.
STEPHANIE
But do you see what I see?
EMMA
No.
STEPHANIE
Emma. Look. This is not my hair, and it
certainly is not your hair.
EMMA
What are you getting at?
STEPHANIE
It’s the hair of one of our kidnappers.
When he picked me up and hit me, one of
his hairs must have fallen on my blouse.
EMMA
So, what are you going to do, a forensic
analysis?
STEPHANIE
Emma, you don’t need to know forensics to
see one very important fact here.
EMMA
What’s that?
STEPHANIE
Our kidnappers are black.
Emma looks again at the hair in Stephanie’s fingers.
EMMA
How can you be so sure?
STEPHANIE
You don’t want to draw conclusions about
anything, do you?
EMMA
Even if they are, how does that help us?
STEPHANIE
I don’t think the fact that our
kidnappers are black helps us at all.
EMMA
Maybe they’re not all black. Maybe just
the guy who hit you is black.
STEPHANIE
I don’t think so. It doesn’t ring true.
They’re either all black or all white.
EMMA
And anyway, that hair might be from a
Greek or an Italian. My cousin has hair
like that.
STEPHANIE
Don’t be stupid. You said yourself the
guy was clean. No body odor. Did you
ever meet a Mediterranean man who didn’t
have body odor?
EMMA
I wouldn’t know.
STEPHANIE
This is not a Greek or Italian, believe
me. (beat) Maybe you’re right. Maybe
the fact that we’re Jewish does mean
something.
EMMA
What?
STEPHANIE
Our kidnappers are black, clean and wear
fine clothes.
EMMA
What are you saying?
STEPHANIE
Those black Islamics. The one’s with the
Brooks Brothers suits and red bow ties;
who smile and say they hate Jews.
EMMA
They don’t say they hate Jews.
STEPHANIE
The point is, Emma, maybe I’ve just
figured out this whole gig.
EMMA
I’m not so certain.
There are three loud knocks at the door. There is a long
beat.
EMMA
What do we do?
STEPHANIE
We undress. (beat) Get a hold of
yourself, Emma.
Stephanie starts to undress. She takes her blouse off and
then her pants, revealing on her upper thigh a tatoo of two
fish, the astrological sign of Pisces. Stephanie stops at
her underwear and goes to Emma. She places her arm around
Emma.
STEPHANIE
Come on, Emma.
EMMA
Stop Stephanie.
STEPHANIE
OK.
Emma refuses to undress. Emma remains in the corner.
Stephanie sits on the mattress. Suddenly the lights go dark.
We hear the door open and someone steps in.
There is a flash and a click. Then there is another one.
The door slams shut and the lights come up. Stephanie walks
to the door in her underwear and listens.
STEPHANIE
They took our picture.
EMMA
All they wanted was a photograph.
STEPHANIE
Those assholes took our picture.
EMMA
Yes.
STEPHANIE
They’re toying with us. They’re making
us for fools.
EMMA
Stephanie, get dressed.
STEPHANIE
Why would they want our picture?
EMMA
I don’t know. Stephanie, don’t just
stand there. Get dressed.
Stephanie bangs on the door.
STEPHANIE
(to the door)
You think humiliating us is going to
break us? Forget it, buddy. I’ve played
this game before. I know how it works.
EMMA
Stephanie, calm down. Put your clothes
on.
STEPHANIE
(to the door)
You think I’m intimidated by your goddamn
black face and bow tie. You’re cowards.
You’re afraid to negotiate with two white
women. You Muslims are afraid of women.
You’re afraid of your own women. Why
else would you cover them up.
EMMA
That’s not why they’re covered,
Stephanie.
STEPHANIE
Emma, get off your goddamn soapbox. I
don’t need your spiel. Get it.
Emma walks over to Stephanie with Stephanie’s clothes in
hand.
EMMA
Yes. OK. What’s this? (referring to
Stephanie’