Setting

Living room

Cast

Angel Hertslet – Erica, free-spirited, care-free, empathic

Emily Stapleton- Avery, totally not having it, more practical

ERICA

Peaceful revery, ohming loudly in lotus or similar position.

 

Avery storms in after second ohm.

AVERY

This is insane, Erica. You can’t do this!

ERICA

Avery. I’m grateful for your expressions of truth. You’re in a safe space.

AVERY

Erica, please don’t do this. I need to talk to you.

ERICA

I’m channeling anger from you. Be your anger. Honor your human neurosis.

AVERY

Neurosis? I’m not the crazy one here. This is wrong, Erica, and you know it!

Avery stomps off stage angrily.

ERICA

Peaceful revery, deep breaths, ohming loudly, stand into tall stretch reaching arms upward.

 

Avery storms back in after 2nd ohm.

 

AVERY

Erica, you can’t go through with this! You and your drum circle sun rise free-

ERICA

Moon rise-

AVERY

Excuse me?

ERICA

I’m a moon rise spirit.

AVERY

You and your philoso-hippie ideas. The moon doesn’t even rise, Erica!

ERICA

My philoso-hippie friend, Copernicus, would be offended by your moonrise misunderstandings-

AVERY

(simultaneous) Fine! The moonrises but it doesn’t make you a-

ERICA

(simultaneous) and I forgive you because I am a moonrise spirit-

AVERY

Look, I don’t care what kind of spirit you are. You are not the kind of spirit that’s moving in with my ex boyfriend!

 

ERICA

Yes, Avery. Own your intentions. You are safe in the universe! The universe is your home! And my home! And Brian’s in-law unit will be my home.

AVERY

Oh really? Is Brian’s in-law unit the only option in the entire Bay Area?

ERICA

I’m calling on you, Avery, sister to sister, to honor the oppressive spirit of Bay Area housing prices.

AVERY

Did you even try to find a place? Or did the oppressive spirit just tell you to go live with Brian?

Avery storms out

 

ERICA

Erica ohms peacefully.

After second ohm Avery marches back in.

AVERY

Erica, I know I can’t expect you to understand real emotions in that haze of halo moonrise blah blah blah, but we were together for 7 years. We were a family!

ERICA

We were a family. And just because I can honor my inner goddess through difficult emotions does not mean that I don’t experience the full spectrum of emotions.

AVERY

Does your spectrum of emotions make space for other people’s emotions? Like, I don’t know, maybe it’s not okay to live with your sister’s ex-boyfriend?

beat

ERICA

(with increasing emotion) I am honoring your emotions, but you can’t tell me how to feel. Beat You’re the one who left Brian and now I’m supposed to pretend that he’s not like a big brother? After 7 years? Brian is a big brother to me and you can’t just take him away!

beat

AVERY

Erica, I didn’t…

Erica interrupts with loud, drawn out ohm. Avery begins to walk out as Erica’s ohm gets shaky, emotional. Erica pauses before stage exit and turns back.

 

Erica, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to take him away.

ERICA

But you are. You brought him into our family and now you just get to remove him because you’re not happy anymore? 7 years is a long time you know. I was 18.

AVERY

I didn’t really think of that. There’s been a lot to think about. Beat Erica, I didn’t leave because I wasn’t happy anymore. It’s not that simple. Brian…

 

beat

ERICA

Brian what?

AVERY

We were a family but...beat… Brian doesn’t want to build a family. No marriage. No kids. At least not with me.

beat

ERICA

Oh…I…I didn’t realize. Beat Why didn’t you tell me?

AVERY

It’s hard to talk about. And I guess I didn’t expect you to understand with all your “life is just a bowl full of cherries,” woo-woo spirit ideas.

ERICA

It’s not woo woo. It’s what helps me embrace that we each have our paths, and needs, and now I understand that beat..I need to honor your needs, and let go and continue on my path. I know exactly what to do now.

AVERY

Erica, I don’t know what to say. You don’t know how much this means to me.

ERICA

You can say that your grateful for my empathy.

AVERY

Yes, I’m grateful for your empathy.

ERICA

Avery, I know what to do now. I heard my moonrise salutation calling me to live with my spirit brother, but now I understand. You want a family, and you don’t have that right now, but we are a family. And the universe is telling us to live together, and be there for each other during this transition. I’ll move in with you. The two of us! Sisters, living together.

AVERY

Wait…what? Erica, we need to talk about this that’s…that’s not what I meant.

ERICA

Begins loud ohm

AVERY

Erica, you can’t just…

Text message sound effect

Erica pulls out her cell phone and gasps.

 

AVERY

What is it?

ERICA

The universe has acknowledged my goddess essence and answered my call. I’ve been invited to live in Unicorn House!

AVERY

Unicorn House? That…weird hippie compound you’ve been hanging out at on weekends?

ERICA

Yes! I applied to live with them. Avery, Unicorn House is my new home! Join me in my gratitude poses!

AVERY

Wait a minute. You…you had a unicorn house up your sleeve all this time and you didn’t even tell me!

ERICA

Ohms very loudly

AVERY

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Avery storms out after second ohm.

 

Lights out on Erica ohming in a new pose.

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