This is a scene I have mulled over several times, trying to get it to work. I haven't really made any revisions to it, but I think there's something in it somewhere.
(As a point of clarification, when people are looking out the window it is the image from the painting that they see. As isf they are the ones looking into the window.)
Here is the image:
NIGHT WINDOWS
(A run down room in a transient hotel. There is a single bed, rumpled having been slept in, SL. Next to it is a small nights stand and table lamp. Immediately up stage is a door. Across the room is a doorway leading to a bathroom. Upstage are two large picture windows, out of which another building is visible. It is very near and it’s windows gape open. All lights in these outside rooms are dark, however there is a dim glow just below the sight line and some shadowy movement, indicating that there may be some life in a room below.
There is also some light coming from just above, out of another window.
Underneath the window, on the floor, there is an ashtray, overflowing with dead cigarettes and some candy wrappers.
The hotel room is dark - the shapes of the furniture in the room are outlined by the dim glow of the city lights outside.
Outside the door there is the sound of a distant elevator “ding” as it reached the floor. Instantly following it are footsteps marching down the hall. They stop in front of the door. A key in the lock, the door opens.
Standing in silhouette is GWEN. She is breathing heavily as she stares into the room. She reaches for the light switch. As she does this, a door slams down the hallway followed by heavy footsteps running towards her. It is MARTIN. He stops, out of breath, behind her. GWEN turns on the lights. She is dressed as if for a party)
GWEN
Is this it?
MARTIN (Still breathing heavily)
Gwen, please…
GWEN
This is it? (Calling out) Chuck?
(Pause. No Answer.)
MARTIN
Don’t go in there, Gwen, please don’t…
GWEN
Whaddaya mean, “don’t go in”?
(GWEN takes a dramatic step into the room. She continues, looking around, leaving MARTIN by the door.)
GWEN
Huh. Doesn’t look like much.
MARTIN
It isn’t. It isn’t much at all. In fact, it’s not anything.
(GWEN laughs for a second and then cups her hand over her mouth, crying. She turns and rushes into the bathroom slamming the door.)
MARTIN
Oh, god, Gwen please don’t cry…
GWEN
Will you stop saying my name please?
MARTIN
Gw-
(GWEN opens the bathroom door)
GWEN
You shut up! Shut. Up. Stop saying my name- you’ve said it at least, what, eighteen times in the last fifteen minutes and that average has got to end here, do you understand me? Just cut it out!
MARTIN
Fine…yes.
(GWEN goes back into the bathroom. MARTIN stands for a moment and then looks heads up to the window. He peers out, lingering for a moment at the glow below. The bathroom door opens and he snaps out of it. GWEN re-appears, her eyes are read and puffy.)
GWEN
I’m going to wait for him. You should leave, probably, or something.
MARTIN
I think I should stay. I could-
GWEN
How long have you known about this place?
MARTIN
Gwe-
GWEN
I swear to god, Martin, if you say my name one more time…(A beat) Answer my question.
MARTIN
What difference could that possibly- it can make no possible difference, Gwen, how long I’ve known.
GWEN
That’s not an answer, Martin. Martin, Martin, Martin. See? I’m catching up.
(MARTIN tries to laugh, but no dice.)
GWEN
What time’s Chuck going to be here?
(MARTIN gives a reflexive look at his watch. He stares at it for a long moment.)
GWEN
Will he be alone?
(MARTIN drops his hand and looks around the room)
MARTIN
Martin?
(Holds his hand up to shush her)
MARTIN
I don’t know the answer to either of those questions. It really isn’t…it’s really not what you think it is.
GWEN
Yes…You said that. I think you should leave, Martin.
MARTIN
I think I should stay…Gwen.
(A long moment. She sits on the edge of the bed. After, what seems like an eternity:)
GWEN
Katy Dennis is a gorilla.
MARTIN
Now, she didn’t know….
GWEN
You know she did, You KNOW she did. She’s an absolute ape, that woman - always doing that (makes half a nasty face) thing with her mouth. Who invited her?
MARTIN
It wasn’t my party-
GWEN
Jeanette Larrabee, that’s who. I’d bet money.
MARTIN
You like Katy Dennis.
GWEN
I’ve always had my suspicions about her…I never said anything, but I’ve always had that sinking feeling. You know, any time I ignore that feeling, I get into trouble.
MARTIN
Feeling?
GWEN
That she's lying in wait. Did you hear her? (Imitating the unseen Katy) “Dar-ling, Andrew said he saw Chuck on 54th buying cigarettes. What do you mean that’s impossible? It’s not impossible at all. Andrew! Come here darling, tell Gwen how you saw Chuck…she simply won’t believe me.”
MARTIN
Mm-hm.
GWEN
You heard her! And at the top of her lungs, too. Gorilla.
(A beat)
GWEN
Why?
MARTIN
What’s that?
GWEN
Why on Earth do you want to stick around? Seriously, Martin, to see the bloodshed?
MARTIN
Gwen…right now, I’m not feeling too keen on explaining myself to you.
(Another beat. GWEN starts giggling, a sort of desperate giggle.)
MARTIN
What’s so funny?
GWEN
You should have sent he look on that guy’s face.
MARTIN
Yeah, well I was too busy trying to park the-what guy?
GWEN
The night manager-or whatever he is- downstairs. I said, “I’ll have the key to Chuck Kildaire’s room please.” And he said, “Well, then, Missy” -He called me “missy”, can you believe it? “Well, then missy, just who in heck are you?”
MARTIN
What’d you say?
GWEN
“His goddamn wife, that’s who.” I thought his head was going to pop.
(She laughs and then her face saddens again. A beat, she notices all the cigarettes and candy wrappers on the floor next to the window. She gets up and walks to the window. MARTIN stiffens. She stares at the mess.)
GWEN
You know it is near impossible for him to keep anything clean-(In an instant, she notices the activity in the room across the alley below. She looks at all the trash and then back out the window, putting it together) Who’s that?
MARTIN (Completely unconvincing)
Who?
(She glares at him)
GWEN
You know very well “Who.”
MARTIN
Gwen, we should be getting back. I told, Abbie I would giver her a ride home and now it’s-(He looks at his watch) well, the party’s probably over by now and what’s she gonna do?
GWEN
No one forced you to give me a ride here.
MARTIN
No one should drive your…state of mind.
GWEN
A-DOR-able. Who. Is. That? (She points out the window on “that”.)
MARTIN
I don’t know.
GWEN
Is it her?
MARTIN
No.
GWEN
Well, then WHO IS IT?
MARTIN
I told you, Gwen, I don’t know.
GWEN
What’s going on here? I deserve some answers. I find out, most unceremoniously, from Katy Dennis, of all people that perhaps I may not always know what my husband is up to. And While I thank you, truly, from the bottom of my fragile heart, for owning up about this place, beyond that you have been a complete and utter BUST in the information department.
(She looks out the window.)
GWEN
So. Does she always lounge around like that? In some skimpy pink nightgown?
(Pause. MARTIN is at a loss as GWEN stares down into the unseen room. MARTIN approaches her from behind and tentatively puts his hands on her shoulders. GWEN raises her head and turns around to look at him. A beat. She touches his cheek but almost instantly thinking better of it, retracts her hand.)
GWEN (Stepping back and away from him)
I’m starving. I didn’t get a chance to eat a thing before the, uh, explosion.
(Pause.)
MARTIN
There was a little diner around the corner…I’ll see if I can’t get something. A sandwich?
(GWEN nods and MARTIN makes his way out. The door closes and his footsteps plod down the hall. A door opens and closes in the distance and he is gone.
GWEN looks around the room, walking aimlessly. She brushes off the bed and sits in the downstage edge, bouncing a little. She looks back over at the window, confusion across her face.
After a few beats, the elevator bell rings down the hall, and footsteps march down the hall.
In a panic, GWEN lunges over to the light switch above the bed and turns it off as quietly as she can. She edges over to the head of it and sits…keeping still.
There is the sound of a key in the lock. The door swings open and light fills the room, although GWEN is still disguised in shadow. CHUCK’s silhouette stands in the doorway.)
CHUCK
Gwen?
(GWEN does not answer, but tries to pull herself up tighter. CHUCK enters and slams the door. He does not turn on the light.
CHUCK’s breathes heavily for a moment, and heads for the window. He mumbles for a beat, leaning on the sill. Pause. In one quick motion, CHUCK pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and matches. He lights one, the flame illuminating his face for a second. He shakes it out and stands, staring down though the window to the apartment below. He sighs, placing the cigarettes on the sill.
GWEN leans forward. Both of their outlines are visible, GWEN watching CHUCK, CHUCK watching the woman below. A long silence.)
CHUCK
I don’t even know her.
(GWEN knows he’s talking to her)
CHUCK
This place isn’t what you think it is. Sometimes I just have to…be away.
(GWEN does not answer. CHUCK finishes his cigarette, holds for a beat, and stamps it out. He walks to the door and opens it, light flooding the room once again. His shadow remains in the door for a beat, and then he shuts the door. His footsteps walk away from the room, down the hall. The elevator bell rings and the doors close. He is gone.
GWEN lets out a long loud breath. Gets up and moves towards the window. She picks up the cigarettes and takes one out. Lighting it. She chuckles, enjoying the moment.)
GWEN
You think you’re the only one?
(GWEN looks out the window.)
END
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