Another Ten Minute Play!

THE MALL

by Benjamin Ditmars

CHARACTERS

MITCH BRAYER: Young with surprisingly grey hair.  Shakes and stutters when he talks.

ROSS BOWMAN: An average politician.  Nice suit, tie, perfect face, a master of ambiguity.

SETTING

An abandoned mall.  ROSS BOWMAN sits tied up between a tornado machine and a gumball dispenser.

              [MITCH approaches ROSS]

MITCH

I – I bet you wonder why I brought you hear.

            [ROSS’s mouth is covered so he settles for a puzzling stare]

There is a very good reason.

            [ROSS continues to stare daggers]

You see…

            [MITCH rips the duct tape off ROSS’s mouth]

Now, that’s better.  We can talk more –

ROSS

[Interrupting]

HELP!  I’VE BEEN TAKEN HOSTAGE!  SOMEONE, ANYONE, HELP!

MITCH

They can’t hear you.

ROSS

[Assertively]

And why not?

MITCH

No one has a job in this part of town.  No one lives here.  No one hardly even comes here.

ROSS

Then why I am here?

MITCH

You could say the remoteness, you could say the symbolism.

ROSS

What do you want?  Money?  Some sick type of notoriety?  You’ll get neither!

MITCH

I want answers.  That’s all.

ROSS

Let me go first.  My secretary will mail a letter you can read in prison.

MITCH

I don’t want cookie-cutter talking points!  I want a real conversation.  Right here.

ROSS

I don’t give preferential treatment nor do I negotiate with terrorists.

MITCH

No, no, of course you wouldn’t.  You’ve never given out any kind of treatment your entire career.

ROSS

What’s that supposed to mean?

MITCH

Have you looked at your district?

ROSS

I fly over it all the time.

MITCH

And?

ROSS

I see plenty of factories and farmlands; the fruits of my Washington labor.

MITCH

Did you ever stop to think how many of these factories have closed and moved to Mexico or overseas?

ROSS

Listen here, I do good for this district, this state and this country.  I have met with every single interest group that’s financed my campaign for reelection!

MITCH

And those that haven’t?

ROSS

I’m sure they have other voices that speak on their behalf.

MITCH

That’s the answer I expect but far from what I want.  You’ll be staying here a while yet I feel.

ROSS

How long is a while?

MITCH

How long did it take you to respond to my last letter?

ROSS

It’s not my fault!  I get a lot of mail!

MITCH

And enough money to hire more staff.

ROSS

But that’s my money, you see –

MITCH

And this is your hostage situation.  I hope you enjoy it as much as six-figures.

ROSS

Let me go!

MITCH

A command might get what you want on the Hill but it won’t here Mr. Bowman.

            [HE starts to walk away]

ROSS

Where are you going?  You can’t leave me here!

MITCH

Unlike you I have a real job.

ROSS

But this neighborhood sounds dangerous!  God knows what these hooligans might do to a confined person.

MITCH

And I want you to think real hard about who made it that way.

            [HE exits]

            [Lights fade leaving ROSS BOWMAN alone in the dark]

ROSS

This isn’t right!  Can anyone hear me?  It’s Ross Bowman, your state representative!

            [Lights return]

Who’s there?  Let me go or you’ll be an accomplice to all this!  I promise!

            [A masked man enters with a baseball bat]

Put that bat down!

MASKED MAN

I bet you wonder why the lights are on?

ROSS

It doesn’t matter.  Put the fucking bat down!

MASKED MAN

I’m going to give you a choice.

ROSS

HELP!  PLEASE!  ANYONE!  I’M BEGGING YOU!

            [ROSS rocks his chair trying to break free]

MASKED MAN

No one hears you, and no one hearing you would care.  The sounds of suffering are all too common.  Now… if you don’t calm down there will not be a choice in this at all.

            [ROSS looks at him terrified]

The choice is: answer every question to my satisfaction or get hit with this bat.  Is that clear?

ROSS

[Meekly]

Yes.

MASKED MAN

Good.  First question: why did you first run for congress twenty some odd years ago?

ROSS

I honestly thought I could do good things.

MASKED MAN

And why didn’t you?

ROSS

It’s far more complicated than doing what’s right.

            [MASKED MAN raises bat as if to strike]

I mean – I tried, God, I tried.  I got on committees for development and farms.  But every step I took in the system to forge alliances and get sponsors for bills the more diluted the impact of everything.  I wasn’t jaded but I kept telling myself I could keep the worst away by getting reelected.

MASKED MAN

But you couldn’t, could you?

ROSS

No, I couldn’t.  So I stopped listening and dismissed critics, knowing I was doing the most anyone could in my situation.

MASKED MAN

Is that why you responded so vaguely to all my letters?

ROSS

They were… prewritten by my staff.  I read most letters at one point but peoples’ problems were just too much.  I have no answers for orphans or widows.  Can I really afford to send everyone help that needs it?  They’d laugh me out of congress or I’d go bankrupt trying on my own.

            [PAUSE]

So I focused on national issues hoping they might make some difference.  I thought larger employers might start up back home if I loosened some restrictions.  They just used them to leave faster though.

MASKED MAN

I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Congressman.  You’ve earned more quiet contemplation in the dark.

            [Lights fade]

And don’t try to escape.  You won’t get far.  Not in this town.

            [Muttering to self]

Not in this town.

ROSS

What more do they want from me!?  Get a hold of yourself Ross.  You’re safe for now.

            [Lights return]

Who’s there!?

            [Mitch reenters]

MITCH

I’m back.

ROSS

You were barely at work!

MITCH

Part time is a rare blessing any more.

ROSS

So here’s the bit where you continue blaming all your problems on me?  I’m not responsible for the whole economy!  I’m one congressman from a hick little district!

MITCH

I never wanted to blame you for every problem.  I simply wanted answers.

ROSS

And you have them.  You really don’t think I saw through the whole masked man charade?

MITCH

You can’t prove you did.

ROSS

You’re really banking for an insanity plea, aren’t you?  Regardless, there’s no way you’re getting away with this.

MITCH

Do you even know if I actually live in this town?

ROSS

I know you live close.

MITCH

You don’t know anything.  Not even where you are.

ROSS

You’ll let me go.  I can tell you’re no killer.

MITCH

But maybe the Masked Man is?

            [SILENCE]

Maybe it’s time you meet him again?

            [Lights fade and swiftly return with the MASKED MAN]

MASKED MAN

Did you miss my bat?

ROSS

Not that it matters.  You’re too much of a coward to hit me.

MASKED MAN

Am I?  AM I?

            [HE raises his bat without ROSS flinching]

ROSS

I knew you wouldn’t.  You might as well let me go.

            [The bat drops from MASKED MAN’s hands]

Good, good.  Now untie me.

MASKED MAN

Shut the fuck up!

            [HE punches ROSS]

Now what do I do?

MITCH

You’ve got what you wanted.  Let him go.

MASKED MAN

He knows too much!

MITCH

He knows nothing!

MASKED MAN

Beat him bloody with the bat and send a message!

MITCH

No!  That wouldn’t solve anything!  We’re in enough trouble as it is!

MASKED MAN

I SAID HIT HIM WITH THE BAT!

MITCH

AND I SAID NO!

            [HE falls to the floor fighting with himself]

           

            [ROSS is untying his ropes in the distraction]

MASKED MAN

I always win!  You refused to kidnap Bowman, and look, here he is!

ROSS

[Freed]

Stop it both of you – or one of you – whichever!

MASKED MAN

Shut up!

MITCH

You don’t own us!

            [ROSS sees the bat and goes for it]

            [HE hits MITCH/MASKED MAN over the head]

ROSS

I do now.

            [HE proceeds to tie up MITCH/MASKED MAN]

Time for you to answer my questions.

MITCH

[Dazed]

What do you want to know?

ROSS

Where am I?

MITCH

The old mall in Laudenville, off Route 16.

ROSS

Good.  Do you own a car?

MITCH

No, I walk.

ROSS

A phone!?

MITCH

Sorry.

ROSS

I’ll tell you what I’m going to do.

MITCH

What?

ROSS

I’m going to get out of here… as far away as possible.  But I’m not turning you in.

MITCH

Why?

ROSS

You’re turning yourself in.

MITCH

I am?

ROSS

Yes.  But not to the police.

MITCH

Where do you want me to go?

ROSS

You’re getting real help.

MITCH

I can’t afford it.

ROSS

This… is my treat.  I’m going to do more for this town and district starting now. 

            [PAUSE]

For the longest time I’d forgotten what public service really meant.  You showed me here tonight.  People need more than talking points and lip service solutions.  Now I’ve got to get working… so tell me, which way is out?

MITCH

I’ll show you.

ROSS

You already have.

            [LIGHTS FADE]

END OF PLAY