Working Title: White Gardenias

AN ORIGINAL PLAY BY ANNA SCHULIGER

THIRD DRAFT.
Description of Set: The set is very simple. There is a table
located downstage right with a chair behind that table and there
is a small bed centerstage left. There is also a coat rack
upstage center containing all the costume pieces for each
character and all the props they need. Also, theres a small
trash bin upstage left. Downstage at the edge of the stage, there
is a trough-like dish full of soil.
Virginia Ginny Holbrook (26 years old):
(Ginny is sitting at her small kitchen table looking down into a
latte in a personal mug. Her stare is blank and shes as still as
can be. Her hair is down and its clear that she doesnt care
about her appearance at all in this moment. There are a couple
of red, generic closed and out of business signs on the table
in front of her accompanied by a large black sharpie. Finally,
she takes a sip on the latte shes been staring at. It tastes
goodshes pleased with her work and she looks up and scoffs
quietly at the audience. After a deep sigh, she begins to speak.
Her speech is tired and has a careless/surrendered feel to it as
if to communicate, well, what else could go wrong? However, as
Ginny continues through her monologue, it is clear that
something has upset her more than she lets on in the beginning.)
Well. Huh. That didnt work. Yknow at first, I thought that
nothing could go wrong. Supply and demand were probably the two
most important words I learned in business school. First a
demand, then your supply, finally your success Prof. Ryans used
to repeat that to us until was seared into our brains. You have
to SEE THE DEMAND hed always say (laughs). Well, I thought that
I had seen one, but apparently not. I guess, Prof. Ryans should
find another motto to jam into freshmans brains because its just
not that simple. (Takes another sip). And I make a damn good cup
of coffee! (beat) Yeah, Im angry. Goddammit! (hits table with
her fist) Angry is easier than sadness so for now all I have
energy for is angry. My first instinct was to fight for my
(references the signs on the table in front of her) Hole-in-the-

Wall Haven but when I couldnt pay the lease for the space on
main street, the fighting was useless (moment of realization)
Wheres the loyalty? Leaving my sweet coffee shop for anothers
who offers a cheaper deal. This is war, thats what it is!
(realization that shes taken it a bit too far) Well, okay maybe
not, but I certainly do hate capitalism. I just dont know what
to do. Ever since I was a sophomore in college, running a coffee
shop was the plan! I was supposed to grow old and wise doing
this!(beat). The worst was watching the customers slowly abandon
ship. I think thats what broke my heart. It wasnt a clean break
it was more like a crack was made every time I didnt see a
customer come in, knowing they were over at Bens Barnhouse
Coffee Co. getting their cheaper, crappy, coffee down the street.
(swirls latte) Or actually, you know the worst part wasnt seeing
all the customers slowly fade away, it was the day when I
realized that there was no way for Hole-in-the-Wall Haven to
stay open. (Beat. Fighting back tears) My employees though you
know, that broke my heart most, telling them. I didnt have many
employees, so we all became a sort of coffee-shop family. I will
never forget their faces when I told them they were out of a job
and Hole-in-the-wall Haven was to be no more. (beat. sits back
down at desk and takes a sign with one hand while picking up a
sharpie in another, begins writing on the sign, takes another sip
of coffee and begins speaking again still filling in information
on the signs) I just ran into Emily Fischer on her way out of
Barnhouse Bens. It was awkward... She looked at me and said, Im
Sorry, Ginny. I amits just cheaper Why dont people understand
its more complicated than just being a dollar cheaper. Dont they
get how important this shop is to me? (just thinking back to both
the reality that her coffee shop is gone and also her interaction
with Emily, Ginnys face becomes hot and she is struggling to
keep a straight facetears seem inevitable)...was to me. (beat.)
Did they forget the laughter and late nights?! THEY JUST DONT
GET IT. (At this moment, the beginning of Spiegel im Spiegel
plays under a video of the planting of a seed appears above
Ginny. She pauses and all focus is to the video though its clear
that Ginny is also experiencing the video/audio. After the video
ends, Ginny blinks back into her scene looking thoughtful though
slightly confused. Lights go down.)
Emily Em Fischer (30 years old)

(Em has just walked through the front door of her home. She is
wearing an old coat over a sweatshirt with a hat and scarf still
on. She is clearly upset and at first doesnt really know what to
do. At lights up, she is standing right inside the doorway of
her house, with a look of concern mixed with bits of shock.
Emily walks over to the table in a messy and destructive sort of
way. She kicks off her shoes, throws her jacket over the chair,
pulls off her scarf and is clearly very frustrated. She
collapses into the chair. Its clear shes been recently very
anxious and has been running on low amounts of sleep. She
carries in her hand a disposable cup of coffee with Barnhouse
Bens printed on it. She takes the last sip of coffee and then
crumples it and tries to chuck it in the trash can across the
room. She misses. After shes seated, she lets out an exasperated
exhalation of breath and then pulls opens up the laptop in front
of her, types on the keyboard for a few beats. Stops, looks at
the screen intentlysearching for some good news. After a beat,
she looks out to the audience and begins to speak as she shuts
her computer screen.)
(Commenting on what she had just seen on the computer screen as
if processing the information) Nothing. Absolutely nothing! (to
audience) Finding a new job is turning out to be a lot harder
than I thought it would be. Turns out, Monster.com is not a
magical job-genie. Its been three weeks since Sylvania let me
go. Three. Weeks. I cant live much longer on my savings alone
hell, what savings?! (beat) Nobodys hiring right nownot in
nowhere-land Pennsylvania at least. And I cant just up and move
to California or something thats just not a luxury I can
afford. And moving back in with my parents? Yeah no way in hell
is that not gonna happen. Huhhhhh, goddammit. (roughly runs
fingers through her loosely, not-very-well-maintained hair and
then looks up, then looks at the crumpled coffee cup which seems
to remind her of something and she begins to speak in order to
address this thought in greater detail) I ran into Ginny today.
She was so angry when she saw me. I guess it was because I was
coming out of Bens but she has to understand that money is
tight! I mean, her coffee is not cheapit may be better, but
still... And I get her side too, I bet its disappointing to lose
something like that, but she can open others! And maybe Washville
just wasnt her town. I will miss the feel of that place, though.
It was peaceful with this kind of energetic buzz all the time
(has difficulty explaining it exactly after struggling to find

words with hand gestures failing, she gives up) I dont know it
was just really cool. And Ginny was really cool. (beat) But why
did she have to be so rude to me like that? It caught me off
guard, to be honest with you. Why cant she just get over it, I
mean, at least she has a college degree she could get a job
anywhere! And at least she doesnt have to pay for a freaking
fender-bender. (beat.) You know, I blame Ginny. (beat) Plus, the
woman in the car in front of me acted like I wrecked her car!
Jesus, she was crazy mad. What the hell is wrong with people
today? (at this moment, the beginning of Spiegel im Spiegel
plays under the video of the planting of a seed appears above
Emilys head. It is clear Emily is watching this in tandem with
the audience though she is completely still. When the video ends,
she blinks three times and reenters the scene now more
reflective) I guess with the closing of Hole-in-the-Wall Haven,
Ginny is out of a job too. God knows I know what hell it is to be
in that position. I should go visit her and make sure shes
alright. (sigh) Yeah, Ill do that. (lights fade to black.)
END OF PREVIEW.