PROACTIVE REACTION __________________ by Craig Abernethy Cast of Characters Guard:       A man wearing a prison guard’s          uniform. Warden:      A middle-aged woman wearing a          business suit. Prisoner:    A man wearing a poorly fitting          jump suit. SETTING:     A prisoner’s cell and adjacent hallway at Peebles          State Penitentiary, Peebles, Texas.          At Right the cell (created by “bars” of light          and/or separated from the hall by metal bars,          wires, etc). Ideally the cell is more of a cage          with bars overhead. An intercom is seen on a          hallway wall. AT RISE:     The Prisoner stands at the On Stage end of his          bed. A rope braided of torn bed sheets is          tied to the Off Stage end of the bed and is          looped overhead ending in a hangman’s noose          hanging near where the Prisoner stands.          The Guard is at Left.     GUARD (In a tight spot and into the intercom) Warden?     WARDEN (Voice over intercom) Yes?     GUARD We have… a “situation.”     WARDEN “Condition?”     GUARD Ma’am…?     WARDEN Color, man, color!     GUARD It has elements of, uh…     WARDEN “Yellow,” “orange?” “Red?”     GUARD I’d have to say probably orange, or better.     WARDEN (Spot light on intercom and alarm sounds) Attention all stations: “General alert with emphasis on mobility inhibiting protocols!” I repeat: “General alert with…” (Sirens and various alarms drown out the Warden and flashing red and orange lights are seen until Lights Up on the Warden and Guard at Left and the Prisoner Right and regarding the noose)     WARDEN Bill(?),… just what exactly do you have in mind, here?     PRISONER (After a moment) I don’t want to talk about it.     WARDEN (Confides in Guard) A classical masculine depression symptom covering response.     GUARD Repressing unresolved issues?     WARDEN I’d have to say.     GUARD Poor guy.     WARDEN Amen.     GUARD Should I take him out?     WARDEN Shhh! (To Prisoner) Bill? Can we talk? Please?     PRISONER (Angrily) Why!? What good’s it…?     WARDEN Please. I care… I want to help.     GUARD She cares.     WARDEN I do.  PRISONER (Takes a breath) I’m tired of the waiting. We all know…     WARDEN I can get that; the “waiting.”     GUARD And the “knowing.”     PRISONER Not so much the “knowing.”     WARDEN More the “waiting?”     PRISONER What’s the point?     WARDEN Well…     GUARD He’s got a point.     WARDEN (To Guard) Please? (To Prisoner) Bill? Why? Why now?     PRISONER I don’t know… Well… I got to thinking… “why wait?” When I heard what that other fella…     WARDEN I knew it! I knew it would get out! TV? Radio?     GUARD “The Weekly Shopper.”     WARDEN (Rants) “The media!” I mean forgive me, but I just think what happens on death row should stay on death row, but, no…     GUARD (Meekly) Warden?     WARDEN No! We gotta tell everybody everything because the “public” has a “right” and blah, blah,…     PRISONER I could’ve got the idea on my own.     WARDEN But you didn’t, did you? No! You got it from the “Weekly Shopper!” (End of sample) Complete scripts can  be obtained by e-mailing Craig here