the cover of a book.

TIME
The present.

AT RISE:

ANGELA, a novice newspaper reporter, is seen entering a small room in the detention center. She carries a digital voice recorder and a notebook. She is wearing dark pants and a button-up white shirt. She looks well-kept. DANICA is seen slouching in her chair on the opposite side of a long table watching ANGELA closely. SHE is wearing a dark green jumpsuit. ANGELA takes her seat, slowly, while smiling at DANICA. A red security buzzer is seen on ANGELA’S side of the table.

ANGELA
Hello. You must be Danica. My name is Angela Rayke. I thank you for taking the time to speak with me today.

(ANGELA reaches out her hand to shake, but only receives a blank stare from DANICA is return. ANGELA quickly draws back her hand and sits down across the table from DANICA. ANGELA begins to set up her recording equipment)

ANGELA
You don’t mind if I record this conversation, do you? Only I will hear it and use it. It’s kind of hard to write everything someone says, you know?

(DANICA continues to stare at ANGELA)

Okay. I’ll take that as a no.

(ANGELA finishes setting up and takes out her notebook)

All right. Let’s get started. Uh…

DANICA
(interrupting) You don’t want to be here, do you.

ANGELA
(taken aback)
What makes you say that?

DANICA
You’re nervous.

ANGELA
I’m always slightly apprehensive before an interview. You never know where the conversation will lead you.

DANICA
And you’re already eyeing the security buzzer.

(ANGELA glances at the red button on the table)

ANGELA
Like I said. You never know where the conversation will go.

(DANICA shifts closer to the table)

How old are you, Danica?

DANICA
How old do you think I am?

ANGELA
I’m not sure. That’s why I asked.

DANICA
Educated guess?

ANGELA
Sixteen? Seventeen?

DANICA (chuckles)
Sure. We’ll go with that.

ANGELA
If that is incorrect, I’d like to know. This is a fact based story.

DANICA
But there is no story yet.

(ANGELA jots down something in her notebook)

DANICA
What kind of story are you looking to write here.

ANGELA
About what young women like you are doing in a place like this. How you got here, how you plan to get out.

DANICA
Who says I want to get out.

ANGELA
That’s the assumption I’m making. If that’s the case, then why do you want to stay?

DANICA
Who says I want to stay.

(ANGELA stares at DANICA)

ANGELA
Then what do you want?

DANICA
How badly do you want this story?

ANGELA
Why are you answering my questions with questions?

DANICA
Have you ever gone on a bender? Have you ever snorted so much coke that you thought your heart was going to burst out of your chest? Have you ever been so shit-faced that you never thought you’d be sober again?

(ANGELA pauses)

ANGELA
Can’t say that I have. I’ve never done drugs before.

DANICA (staring)
Never. How do you expect to get in to the mind of a worthless derelict with no experience of your own? You’re already a lousy reporter.

ANGELA
You see yourself as a worthless derelict?

DANICA
You do. You see what’s in front of you. A girl wearing a jumpsuit in a center. You came here knowing that I had problems. You can’t tell me you thought I was going to be anything more than a hopeless case.

ANGELA
I don’t come to interviews with expectations. THAT makes a bad reporter. (Pause) Why ARE you here, Danica.

DANICA
Because I was sent here by court order.

ANGELA
I assumed as much. But why was there a court order?

DANICA
Guess.

(ANGELA pauses and looks down)

ANGELA
Drug abuse? Alcohol abuse? Being a danger to yourself or others? Aren’t those the main reasons for being sent here?

DANICA
Yes. The obvious answers. What if I told you I wanted to be sent here?

ANGELA
I wouldn’t believe you. No one wants to be here. People don’t normally want to be locked up and forced to live a certain way.

DANICA
Really. This coming from someone who’s employed by a large corporation that produces newspapers in order to inform the masses. You sit in front of your expensive laptop every night, pumping out stories. Alone. In your cubicle or your shabby apartment. You’re as much of a captive as I.

ANGELA
I wasn’t forced by a court to take this job.

DANICA
No. You were forced by your rent, your necessary food consumption and those expensive looking pants you’re wearing. You’re not free, either.

ANGELA (changing the subject)
What kind of drugs were you in to? Were they easy to get your hands on? How much did you spend on your habits?

DANICA
What do you think?

ANGELA (getting flustered)
Perhaps you’re unfamiliar with the process of an interview. You’re supposed to answer the questions I ask you.

DANICA
Well that seems terribly unfair. When do I get to ask you personal questions?

ANGELA
You don’t.

DANICA
Why? Just because you’re on that side of the table with a voice recorder? I’m sure you have plenty of interesting stories about yourself that you’ve never shared.

ANGELA
I’m sure I do. But I’m not here to talk about me. I came to speak with you about your life.

DANICA
Are you married? Divorced? Seeing someone? Sleeping around?

(ANGELA eyes the buzzer again. DANICA notices)

A security guard isn’t going to make the question go away. Just me. Plus I’m not physically threatening you. Just mentally.

(ANGELA pauses)

ANGELA
Tell you what. You want to play quid pro quo? Fine. I do need this story in order to supply that necessary food consumption and nice pants. You answer MY questions first, then I’ll answer yours.

DANICA (smiling coyly)
You got it.

ANGELA
What kind of drugs did you use.

DANICA
Anything I could get my hands on. Coke, heroin, dope. Whatever was available to me that day.

ANGELA
Why?

DANICA
I wanted to shut my brain off. Drugs have a wonderful way of helping with that.

ANGELA
Why did you want your brain to be shut off?

DANICA
Thinking too much is a terrible disorder. Being an introspection junkie is far worse than any problem cocaine can produce.

ANGELA
How do you figure.

DANICA
Are you married?

(Pause)

ANGELA
No. I’m not.

DANICA
Why?

ANGELA
I haven’t found the right person, I guess.

DANICA
Are you a dyke?

ANGELA
No. What was wrong with being introspective? What were you thinking about so intently that caused you to want to stop in such a severe way?

DANICA
There are some things in life that are difficult to think about for more than ten minutes at a time. I’m sure you can relate. I’m sure anyone could.

ANGELA
Not enough to blow lines of coke and end up here. There’s got to be more of a reason then you just wanted to stop thinking.

DANICA
Sure. I wanted to stop feeling also.

ANGELA
Why.

DANICA
Have you ever interviewed yourself?

ANGELA
What do you mean.

DANICA
Have you ever sat in front of the mirror and began to ask yourself insightful, meaningful questions about your life?

ANGELA
Why would I want to do that? I already know what the answers are.

DANICA
Do you really. Or do you just think you do because you’ve never asked yourself those questions out loud?

(Pause)

ANGELA
I guess I’ve never really thought about it.

DANICA
They make us do that here. They sit us in a room and have us write letters to ourselves, asking questions as to why we’re here and how we plan to make ourselves better.

ANGELA
Do you find that helpful?

DANICA
Not in particular. I find myself writing a letter to my life instead of myself. Seeing as though I have no real control over how my life is being led. I figure I should ask the source what the fuck is going on.

ANGELA
You don’t believe you have control over your own life?

DANICA
Does anyone? Can you stop time? Can you make it speed up? Can you truly avoid some of the things that happen to you on a daily basis?

ANGELA
Perhaps not. But you learn how to deal with them. You do control your own actions. Such as drug use.

DANICA
Not when the usage becomes a part of life. Then it’s out of your hands. The same goes for an intense introspection. You can’t shut it off. It’s an addiction. Too bad they don’t have facilities for those who think too much.

ANGELA
How did you end up here?

DANICA
I was caught dealing. They locked me away.

ANGELA
Why were you dealing?

DANICA
Who cares. I was caught.

ANGELA
Was it just for money to support your drug habits?

DANICA
If that’s what you want to believe.

ANGELA
I'll believe whatever is true.

DANICA
What did you really want to do with your life.

ANGELA (frustrated)
Delve into the minds of teenagers and try to figure out what they’re thinking. Am I doing a good job?

DANICA
Ah, you DO have a sense of humor. I didn’t think you were that dead.

ANGELA
I wanted to become a writer. Somehow. And no, this job isn’t exactly what I had in mind. I’d rather write novels.

DANICA
About what?

ANGELA
I’m not sure. True-to-life scenarios. Perhaps publish one of my journals.

DANICA
You think people would be interested in reading about your life? What have you done or thought that no one else has? What makes you unique?

ANGELA
Everyone’s perspective is different. Why not be open to another insight. Were you in school, Danica? Do you have a family?

DANICA
Yes to both. Why didn’t you become a novelist if that was your true calling.

ANGELA
There’s no money in it unless your work is immediately picked up by a publisher.

DANICA
You were rejected, weren’t you.

ANGELA
Countless times. Did you not like school? Did you even go often?

DANICA
I was an A student. On the road to valedictorian.

ANGELA
Then why did you throw it all away?

DANICA
I told you. Thinking gets you no where. And too much thinking gets you no where even faster.

ANGELA
That’s not true. Look where you ended up because you stopped thinking.

DANICA
And look where you ended up for continuing to think. A job you hate. Because you think about your rent and food and pants.

ANGELA
But that’s life.

DANICA
Is it? Or is it just what you think life is supposed to be?

(A long break in the conversation, about fifteen seconds. DANICA is still glaring at ANGELA)

ANGELA
Then what is life. What is it supposed to be. Enlighten me.

DANICA
You’re asking a hopeless junkie what life is? Now you’ve totally lost it. Your story is going no where.

ANGELA
Perhaps so. But I’d still like to know what your take on life is.

DANICA
(Pause) At this point, to me, life is one giant science experiment that no one knows they’re a part of. You either sit and let yourself be dissected by others and the world or you resist and find your own conclusions. You have to see for yourself what the truth is, otherwise you’ll never know. Hearing someone else speak about life doesn’t give you shit. Why do you think no one wants to read your journal? Because it isn’t THEIR experience.

ANGELA
Is that why you started using? Because you wanted to see for yourself what kind of lifestyle these people lead instead of guessing?

DANICA
Bingo.

ANGELA
Hell of a way to gain perspective. Slowly killing yourself, that is.

DANICA
It’s doing wonders for me. (Pause) And my dissertation.

(ANGELA stops dead)

ANGELA
Dissertation?

DANICA
Would you believe me if I told you I was actually a psychology student who’s been posing as a junkie just to get inside the mindset of one?

ANGELA
No. I wouldn’t.

DANICA
Why is that so unbelievable? You’re posing as a journalist to get inside the mind of a junkie. Of course, you’re still going about it all wrong.

(ANGELA stays silent)

Don’t be so shocked. I told you. Everyone is part of an experiment.

(ANGELA gets up from the table)

ANGELA
Okay. I’ve had enough. I don’t believe you or anything you’ve said thus far. I don’t believe that a psychology student would put herself into this kind of place just to have something to write a dissertation on. It doesn’t make any sense.

DANICA
It’s not supposed to make sense to anyone but me. That could be said about your hopes of publishing a journal as well. It makes sense to you, so who cares.

ANGELA
This is truly impossible.

DANICA (smiling)
You ought to stop thinking so hard. It may lead you to a drug habit. I think you have enough for your story, chief. And maybe even the beginning of a novel. I can see it now… “How the Poor Little Druggie Mindfucked a Journalist.” A best seller!

(ANGELA stays silent and gathers her things)

ANGELA
Thank you for your time.

DANICA
Did you learn anything here today? Do you actually have that hot story you’re going to hand in to your editor?

ANGELA
No. I don’t.

DANICA (straight faced)
Then you should be thanking me for things other than my time.

(ANGELA looks at DANICA, and says nothing. SHE glances down at the buzzer, then back up again at DANICA and slams her fist into the buzzer. A loud alarm goes off, and the curtain closes as we see DANICA being seized by security guards while ANGELA makes her exit)

END PLAY