Say ‘Yes’
Mid-slides, Midjourney
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. I promise this is not autobiographical :)
A modern office.
Sam is standing behind a standing desk, reviewing something on a large, curved computer monitor. She's in her mid-40's, fit, wearing jeans, fancy sneakers, and a navy blue blazer. Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She wears glasses with clear frames. Her eyes are light brown.
Trevor enters. He's in his mid-30's. He's wearing chinos, a tucked in button down shirt, and those half-casual half-dress shoes. He's skinny and has short brown hair, showing early signs of thinning. He starts talking before he's fully in the door / on stage. His air is “jaunty.”
Trevor: "Hey, Sam. How's it going? Long-time no see."
Sam: "Trevor, hey, one second."
Sam finishes typing something and hits the return key with finality.
Sam: "Sorry, Trevor, let me just..."
Trevor: "No worries!"
Sam pushes a button to lower her desk. Both stand still without speaking as the mechanized desk descends to "sitting" height; both are smiling curtly at one another. Once the desk is lowered, both sit, Sam in a chair behind the desk, Trevor in a chair in front of it.
Sam: "Trevor, thanks for sending over these slides."
Trevor: "Oh yeah, of course. Did you have any questions about them?"
Sam: "Only one, Trevor. Do they represent your best work?"
Trevor: "Uh… how do you mean?"
Sam: "Let me rephrase. How would you self-evaluate this work?"
Trevor: "Got it. Yeah, I think the slides are pretty good... Is it the best thing I've ever done in my life? Probably not, but I think they work."
Sam: "I see. You know me, Trevor, you know I try to be as transparent as possible."
Trevor: "Of course, and I appreciate that."
Sam: "These slides are fucking bullshit, Trevor."
Trevor: "....."
Sam: "And the thing is, I know you know it."
Trevor: "I'm not sure I know —"
Sam: "Trevor, you're clever, that's clear to everyone who works with you. Clever Trevor. And in the 2 minutes you were late to this meeting, I was trying to put myself in your shoes. I thought, 'Maybe he believes he can just skate by and half-ass his work because he thinks he's so smart. Maybe he thinks he can do that indefinitely."
Trevor: (nervously laughing) "Look, I —"
Sam: "And you're partially right: you are smart. Which is why you're expensive, and why these are unacceptable. If I wanted slides like these, I promise I can get them for much cheaper."
(pause)
"Do them again. Can you turn them around by tonight?"
Trevor (less jaunty now): "I can have them back to you by tonight, yes."
Sam: "I’ll look forward to reviewing them. Thanks for swinging by."
Trevor turns to leave. Sam pushes a button on her desk and it begins moving to 'standing' height. She stands.
Sam: "Oh and Trevor, the next time someone asks you whether something you've done is your best work, say 'Yes.'"
This piece was written for an assignment for a writing course. The assignment is below.
Write a scene in dramatic form—that is, in the form of a play You are allowed the following tools:
Dialogue
Example:
Jones: Where did I leave my gloves?
Cranston: I don't know where your stupid gloves are. I hate gloves.
Setting, which must be conveyed exclusively through visual or auditory clues. You can't say "It's 1932," since that would not be apparent to an audience watching a play. But you can convey your setting by describing the clothes, furniture, and so on.
Example: A bedroom with blue curtains and curling wallpaper.
Physical description of the characters.
Example: Cranston is wearing blue jeans held up with red suspenders. He has a drooping mustache.