CHARACTERS
Jazz Suzino – female college student – edgy, artistic
Chase Quinn – male college student – angry wrestler
Koo Loflin – female college student – petite cheerleader
Soliz D’Accosta – female college student – chip on her shoulder- ethnic – smart transfer student
Grady “G-Rad” Borden –male, black “in the closet” college student
Zane Pettigrew – male college student – jock biz major
Dr. Richard Corso – “Lord of Perceptual Studies” – charismatic older man with plummy, stagey voice
Zoya Farrell – older female – tiny, hopeful but easily discouraged – Chase’s mom
Cutter Farrell – older male – Chase’s mean, scary cold-eyed dad
Bex – male youth – Jazz’s scary biker ex
SCENE I – WAITING ROOM (i.e. circle of chairs) outside DREAM RESEARCH LAB. Visible DOOR to one side. Students – edgy, impressionable JAZZ , angry suspicious, punked out wrestler CHASE, King-of-the-World jock business major ZANE, RAD (Black, light-sprung guy with ornate dreads and gay overtones) SOLIZ (pretty, smoky, hot, ethnic, resentful) KOO (tiny blond cheerleader, very anxious alternately sprawl and rock on uncomfortable “waiting room” chairs)
JAZZ
(Fanning)
God, it’s hot in here. I’m melting.
CHASE
(Offering a hand)
And I’m Chase.
JAZZ
(Blushing – takes his hand)
I mean, I’m Jazz. Hi.
SOLIZ
(A tad hostile)
Who’s named Jazz?
JAZZ
(shrugs)
Short for Jasmyn. Mothers – Disney – what can you do?
RAD
You got that right. My parents call me Grady. Grady Borden! Get a brother killed on the street. I go by Rad. Or G-Rad.
(He and Zane trade complicated fist bumps & bicep grabs)
SOLIZ
Shouldn’t it be “Raid”?
CHASE
Let people have the nickname they want. And you are?
SOLIZ
Soliz. I should be a third year but I transferred so I’m only a sophomore. That’s all the credits they would give me – and I graduated junior college.
RAD
Hey, I’m a transfer too! They turned me down straight outta high school. I mean, is this place a snob factory or what?
CHASE
I just assumed we’d all be psych majors but I don’t recognize anyone.
(Points)
ZANE
Zane. Business major.
(He waves)
KOO
I’m Koo. Like koo–kool. I was a communications major but they gave me such a bad internship I really couldn’t hack it. Now I’m uncommitted. I don’t know what to do. Everything available you hear bad things about.
RAD
(Points to KOO)
I know I’ve seen you. Top of the pyramid, right?
KOO
(Shrugs – happy at the perks of fame)
I’m the flier. My feet never touch ground.
RAD
You’re the one goes with that quarterback? Am I correct?
KOO
Bo Boyd. Yes.
RAD
Woo-hoo! Humptious!
(Fanning)
Hells YES it’s hot in here!
(Takes off his bomber jacket stunned by KOO’s hotness)
CHASE
It would be just like Dr. Corso turning up the heat to make us squirm.
(Waves up at presumably unseen camera)
Hi, doc!
ZANE
That’s a sprinkler, dog.
CHASE
You better believe there’s a camera in here someplace. He needs to collect his little trophies. Bargaining chips. His little icons.
RAD
So he turns up the heat till we boil? Like frogs in the experiment?
KOO
What frogs?
RAD
The frogs that were too stupid to get out of the hot water. ‘Cause it happened so slowly.
SOLIZ
Those frogs were in search of a paycheck.
ZANE
They never boiled any frogs! That’s for sure an urban legend!
CHASE
Listen to the marketing major! Always first with the non-facts.
ZANE
Well at least we know we’re not going to get boiled.
CHASE
Did you read what you signed? He can do any goddam thing he wants to us.
KOO
Well he can boil me if he pays me. You should see my VISA bill.
RAD
(Sycophantically trying – and failing – to be ZANE’s best buddy)
Like there’s a difference between psychology and marketing. Am I right? Everyone’s trying to sell you something.
JAZZ
Am I the only freshman?
CHASE
You’re a freshman?
JAZZ
I’m an old freshman. Took me awhile to get here.
KOO
If you’re a freshman you must live in Hadleigh!
JAZZ
Is that bad?
KOO
It’s pathetic is what it is! Hadleigh has sick building syndrome. And the girls are at the top where the bad air collects and it’s like the worst.
CHASE
All the poor little freshmen jumping out their windows!
JAZZ
Those windows don’t even open!
ZANE
They don’t open now because of all the suicides.
KOO
Because of the sick building syndrome!
(BEX – big, mean, long haired, motorcycle jacket & boots, appears on the opposite side of the door and starts hammering)
BEX
Jazz! Jazz! Jazz!
(Embarrassed JAZZ slides out the door and closes it carefully after her. BEX grabs her immediately)
JAZZ
Omigod, Bex, what are you doing here? You have to go!
BEX
Don’t answer my texts, don’t answer my emails – You’re forcing me to stalk you. Your choice, babe. MY LIFE.
(JAZZ tries to detach)
JAZZ
You’ve GOT a life. You need to get back to it. We broke up, remember?
BEX
So that’s it? Kicking me to the curb?
JAZZ
You knew I wanted to go to college. I was lucky to get this scholarship.
BEX
So now you’re too good for me, is that it? Now you’re hanging out with that old guy who looks like your granddad!
JAZZ
(Pushing him away)
He’s my advisor. So stop with the paparazzi scheme, Bex, stop spying on me and posting the pictures. Scram. Go home.
(Manages to get behind the door – slams it in his face – barricades it shut. BEX marches offstage with a look of determination – like – he’s not quitting)
RAD
(Clueless)
Thought you were making a break for it.
CHASE
Need help with that?
JAZZ
Nah. No.
(She sits down but nervous glance at door)
RAD
It’s crunch time, am I right? Better get out now! More for us!
ZANE
Did you hear we all have alternates?
RAD
No. No way!
ZANE
Way. These are juicy gigs. Paid research jobs – I mean, it never happens.
CHASE
Makes you wonder what he’s up to.
ZANE
Just making sure we show, is all.
CHASE
And here we are. Why did you show up?
(points at JAZZ)
JAZZ
I’m sort of hoping it’s true. The soulmate thing.
RAD
The wha-?
JAZZ
Skydancers. Dakinis, they call them. Dreampower.
KOO
Didn’t you read the book? You were supposed to read the book. Soulmates can soultravel. Like, everywhere.
RAD
There’s an urban legend right there for sure.
ZANE
It’s the remote viewing thing that I want. Weapon of the future. Business of a lifetime. Defense contractors throw mad money at that stuff.
RAD
Mad money!
(High fives with ZANE.)
SOLIZ
Astral projection? Out of body experiences? Impossible. I hope it doesn’t work because I need the sleep. I’ve got like, two other jobs.
ZANE
Sleep’s a luxury. Too luxurious for us bottom feeders – this is hustle time.
KOO
Think everyone’s got a soulmate? Each one of us? Out there somewhere?
RAD
What’s Bo Boyd say to THAT?
KOO
Maybe it’s him.
(Not like she believes it)
CHASE
What is the likelihood we’ll find soulmates AMONG EACH OTHER? Six strangers? Seriously!
JAZZ
Maybe soulmates create each other.
CHASE
This here is exactly why Dr. Corso chose non-psych majors! Soulmates! Out-of-body experiences! It’s the old razzle-dazzle! Cover story. Dr. Corso’s the king of bullshit. That’s not what he’s interested in at all! They never tell you what they’re really testing.
RAD
Well, then, what do you think he’s testing?
CHASE
Beats me. But I sure would love to know.
JAZZ
He’s testing our dreams. I never dreamed before I came here. And ever since I moved in I’ve been having these fantastic dreams.
KOO
It’s that sick building. I’m telling you.
ZANE
It’s the drug the nurse gave us. You know, at the Health Center? The tolerance test? Whatever that stuff was. My dreams were crazy, too!
RAD
Who can forget Tolerance Test with Nurse Humptious! God knows what she did to me while I was out of it. Probably me-tooed this poor homeboy.
ZANE
Yeah, she got you in trouble and now she’ll have to marry you.
CHASE
Whatever it is…Corso knows.
Alysse Aallyn 