An Account

Last Updated on Monday, 25 July 2011 10:09 Saturday, 25 July 2009 09:55

Written by Shanna Sorrentino

One Act Play

Cast: 

Mr. Jon Simms (man in his fifties)
Lou Smith (young man)
Voice from light
Luxuria
Gula
Avaritia
Acedias
Ira
Invidia
Superbia

Scene: Mr. Jon Simms is standing in darkness. He is surrounded by stone walls. He has blood on his head. Only a small amount light can be seen. It comes from the other side of the stage. Simms is disoriented and not sure where he is. Lou is with him. Simms is standing and Lou is sitting on the floor with his back against a wall.

Mr. Simms: (Disoriented.) Where am I?
Lou: Don’t worry. I am here with you.
Mr. Simms: Where is here?
Lou: Do you need to sit? I can get you a chair. You seem disoriented.
Mr. Simms: Yes please. I feel so strange. I think I had a blow to my head. My head hurts. (He touches his head and notices blood on his fingers)
Lou: (Stands and walks over to darker part of stage. He comes back with chair.) Here. Sit down.
Mr. Simms: (Sits in chair and loosens his tie, looking relieved.) I don’t know what happened. The last thing I remember, I was sitting in the back seat of my car. My driver was taking me to my office. I was on the phone with my lawyer. Then everything went black. (He pauses.) Can you tell me where I am?
Lou: (Sits back down on the floor.) It looks like a room. Don’t you see the walls?
Mr. Simms: Yes, now that you mention it, I do see walls. But the light in this room is so dim. I can barely see my hand in front of my face. (He lifts his hand to his face and studies it.) I feel much better now. Thanks for the chair.
Lou: No problem. It was the only thing I could find in here.
Mr. Simms: How long have you been here?
Lou: I can’t really say, but I know it’s been a long time.
Mr. Simms: (Feeling his wrist.) Damn; they must have taken my watch. (Stands and starts feeling the walls.) There must be a door here some place.
Lou: I tried that before. You won’t find one.
Mr. Simms: How strange – a room with no doors. We must have gotten in here somehow. (He sits back on chair and sighs.) I really never thought it would happen. I mean, my friends tell stories about it happening but I just never believed it would. It’s always a story about a friend of a friend type thing.
Lou: What are you saying? What do you think has happened?
Mr. Simms: I have obviously been kidnapped. You must have been kidnapped too.
Lou: Why do you think we have been kidnapped?
Mr. Simms: Well, we’re in a dark room. There doesn’t seem to be a way out. Whoever put us here doesn’t want us to get out. I just don’t believe it’s happened.
Lou: Why would someone kidnap us?
Mr. Simms: Well, I don’t know why they would kidnap you but I am Jon Simms. All they would have to do is contact my lawyers and they would get a handsome ransom. I even hired a bodyguard just for this reason. I never really thought it was necessary but my lawyer suggested it. He said that I might have a few enemies. I guess he was right.
Lou: Well, it appears that your bodyguard is not very good at his job.
Mr. Simms: I was just thinking the same thing. What a waste of money. He even came highly recommended. An ex-navy seal. You know the type. When I get home I am firing him.
Lou: Was he with you?
Mr. Simms: Yes, I remember that he was sitting in the front seat of the car.
Lou: Did you say you are Jon Simms? I think I‘ve heard of you. Are you the publishing tycoon? You own the New York Times, don’t you?
Mr. Simms: (Leans back proudly into the chair.) The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune and most of the country’s major papers. (Pauses and leans over his knees.) Say, who are you?
Lou: My name is Lou Smith.
Mr. Simms: I have never heard of you. Are you an important man?
Lou: I am just a student.
Mr. Simms: (Shocked.) A student! Do you know why you would be here?
Lou: No, not really.