WRITTEN
BY
Roger Newcomb
STARRING
(in order of appearance)
Anne Sayre as Barbara Whitman
Kale Browne as Frank Morgan
Wendy Hammer as Miranda Phillips
Nick Sullivan as Paul Ramos
Erika Crocco
as Caroline Hart
Stephen Seidel as Dante Ramos
Na’Vell
Lee as Damien Givens
FRANK
has just been brought out to the visitation room and is shocked to see BARBARA
there.
BARBARA
Hello
Frank. Long time no see.
FRANK
Barbara. I can’t believe you finally showed your
face. And what a day you picked to do
it. I was up for parole today, but the
bastards denied me once again.
BARBARA
That’s
too bad.
FRANK
It’s
funny, a friend of yours paid me a visit recently,
Benny something.
BARBARA
I
heard about that. Frank, Benny opened
the letter you wrote to me telling me you were in here. I only found out about it yesterday. I had no idea where you were.
FRANK
I
had a feeling that guy was no good. Better
late than never I guess. I know how
caught up you always are in your own life.
BARBARA
Frank,
I’m sure you’ve built up some resentment because I didn’t show up to visit you,
but I didn’t know. And now that I do,
I’m here.
FRANK
Then
obviously you want something. So why
don’t we get cut to the case and you tell me what is it?
BARBARA
I
wanted to see how you’re doing. Isn’t
that enough? Brian and Arden are living
in
FRANK
Yeah,
I bet.
BARBARA
Frank,
you left a huge void in their lives when you left. In some ways, they’ve never recovered.
FRANK
I
had to go, Barbara. It was best for
everyone. And I couldn’t stay with that
wife of mine one second longer.
BARBARA
Now that I can understand, but what about your kids? How could you leave them like that?
FRANK
I
had no choice. I had obligations
elsewhere.
BARBARA
What
does that mean?
FRANK
Look,
I’m in no mood to rehash all this now, but let’s just leave it at I had something
going on with a woman I thought I was going to marry someday, who I knocked up,
and it was best for everyone if we had a clean break.
BARBARA
You
had another kid?
FRANK
Can
we just drop it, Barbara? I told you my
parole was denied today. They told me
someone showed up and submitted a letter to the parole board about how I was a
bad seed and wasn’t ready to be released.
BARBARA
That’s
awful. Who would do something like that?
FRANK
I
have no idea. You’re the only person
that’s been here today. Wait a minute
(realizing it might be Barbara), no, it couldn’t be.
BARBARA
(starting to get defensive)
Whatever
you’re thinking, Frank, you’re wrong.
FRANK
It
was you, wasn’t it? You wrote that
letter and helped make their decision to keep me locked up very easy. Why would you do that?
BARBARA
Frank,
I would never do such a thing, really.
FRANK
Oh,
you did it, Barbara. I can tell you’re
lying by the look in your eyes. I was
the one person you could never lie to.
My only question is, why? Why would
you do this to me?
BARBARA
Frank,
it was for the best, okay?
FRANK
For the best? Let me guess, you’re in
some kind of hot water, and having me free and clear would only make it
worse? You sacrificed your brother to
save your own neck?
BARBARA
It
wasn’t like that, Frank.
FRANK
Oh,
the hell it wasn’t. But let me tell you
something, Barbara. Someday I am gonna get
out of this hell hole, and when I do, I’m coming straight after you. And trust me, there’s going to be hell to
pay.
PAUL
is sitting in the study when MIRANDA brings him a glass of tea.
MIRANDA
Here’s
your tea, Paul.
PAUL
Thanks,
Miranda.
MIRANDA
Will
Ms. Whitman be home tonight? I noticed
she wasn’t here for dinner earlier.
PAUL
She’s
out doing some last minute and top secret wedding arrangements.
MIRANDA
Oh,
I see. It’s hard to believe you’ll be
getting married again after all these years.
PAUL
Yes,
there were times I doubted it would ever happen, but it just feels right with
Barbara. When you find that someone
special, things seems to all fall into place.
Do you know what I mean?
MIRANDA
Oh,
I don’t think I’ll ever get married again.
Elijah’s father was my one and only chance.
PAUL
Come
now, Miranda. You are a young woman with
a lot to offer. Any man would be lucky
to have you.
MIRANDA
Do
you really think so, Paul?
PAUL
Of
course I do. You’re funny and
sharp. I bet if you put yourself out
there, you could have your pick of men.
MIRANDA
I
don’t know about that. (beat) There is one man that I’ve had my eye on for a long
time, but I’m not sure what would happen if he ever found out my true feelings.
PAUL
Tell
him, Miranda. What do you have to lose?
MIRANDA
Okay…
Caroline
walks in.
CAROLINE
Good
evening, Paul.
PAUL
Caroline! Who let you in?
CAROLINE
Dante
was on his way out when I came in. I
want to talk to you about Ian Levin.
PAUL
Oh,
you mean the young man you’ve been spewing lies to about me?
CAROLINE
Paul,
he’s a confused kid who wants to know about his father.
PAUL
And
how is that any concern of yours, or mine for that matter?
CAROLINE
You
are Dan’s step-brother, and I am Dan’s friend.
If Julia were alive…
PAUL
Just
hold it right there, Caroline. As much
as I would love to go another twelve rounds with you about Julia and Dan and
everything else you’re always going on about, I’m just days away from my
wedding to Barbara, and I refuse to listen to any of this tonight. Miranda, will you show Caroline out?
MIRANDA
Gladly.
DANTE
has just arrived to see DAMIEN.
DANTE
You
did what?!
DAMIEN
I
got back together with Felicia.
DANTE
Damien,
are you nuts? That woman is not only all
wrong for you, she’s a little bit off her rocker if
you ask me.
DAMIEN
Look,
Dante, I don’t tell you who you can and can’t see, so I expect the same
courtesy from you.
DANTE
Oh
yeah? I seem to recall you telling me
how wrong just about every girl I dated was for me, until
DAMIEN
And
I was right.
DANTE
And
I’m right about Felicia. I know you have
this thing about older women, but come on.
And you know that she hates me, don’t you?
DAMIEN
She
doesn’t hate you. It takes her a while
to warm up to people.
DANTE
I
can’t believe this, Damien. You’ve gone
from Felicia, to some mystery woman you wouldn’t even talk about, back to
Felicia again. Are you ever going to
tell me who it was you were seeing all those months?
DAMIEN
It’s
not important. All you need to know is that
I have my reasons for being with Felicia right now, and as my best friend,
you’re going to have to accept it.