A Play A Day #366

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Cast:
Coach
Runner

Setting: Starting line


(lights up, Runner, appropriately garbed, prepares for the race - shaking out his arms and legs, bouncing around a bit - Coach at his side)

Coach: Alright, alright, pacing... pacing, don't forget about pacing.

Runner: Pacing.

Coach: You go out too fast in this one, you're done for.

Runner: Done for.

Coach: You go out too slow, you're done for.

Runner: Done for.

Coach: If it's not going too fast, get in that lead pack...

Runner: Lead pack.

Coach: If it is going too slow, don't get in the lead pack...

Runner: Lead pack.

Coach: Of course, there's no way to know if the lead pack is going too fast...

Runner: Too fast.

Coach: Or too slow.

Runner: Too slow.

Coach: So just run your own race.

Runner: My own race.

Coach: Ready?

Runner: Ready.

(Runner steps to the line, gets in position, Coach steps to the side, starter pistol goes off, Runner takes off, up and through the audience, out of the theater, Coach checks stop watch, eventually Runner makes it around the theater or wherever and re-enters running from backstage and crosses the starting line, raising his arms triumphantly and jumping around)

Coach: What are you doing?!

Runner: I did it! I did it, Coach! I won the race! I won!!

Coach: What are you talking about!?

Runner: I won! I ran my own race, Coach, and I crossed the finish line first!

Coach: What finish line? That's the starting line!

Runner: But I thought...

Coach: You thought wrong. Look at my stopwatch.

(Runner looks)

Runner: There aren't any numbers on it, Coach.

Coach: Exactly.

Runner: How do I know how I did?

Coach: You never do, kid. You never really do.

Runner: But, if I finish before the other runners, Coach?

Coach: What other runners?

(Runner looks around)

Runner: Oh.

Coach: Yeah.

(Runner thinks for a while)

Runner: Coach?

Coach: Yeah?

Runner: Why am I running?

Coach: Because you're a runner.

Runner: Yeah, I am.

Coach: And that right there, that's the starting line.

Runner: Yes, it is.

Coach: So...

Runner: So?

Coach: Go!

(Runner takes off again, Coach looks after him with a small smile on his face)

(lights fade out)

(END)




This was. It just was. I had no idea I would ever make it this far. I will be back to writing more in the future, but this project has to end. If I didn't set an end date, I would continue to write forever. I have plenty of weaknesses, but struggling for ideas is not one of them. I want to thank everyone who has taken time to read these plays, especially those of you who commented on them here or in other settings. Watch this space for further developments. For now, I need a little break.

Brendon Etter
Northfield,MN
April 14, 2007