WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT?

Characters

Dr. Issac Wiliams 45-50

Cooper 21

Both characters are male identifying. Actors of all racial and ethnic identities are to be
considered when casting these roles.

Setting

A psychologist’s office.

A lawyer’s office.

Time

An afternoon in the middle of Cooper’s college break.

An afternoon in the middle of Cooper’s work week.

 ACT 1
Scene 1

(A psychologists office. A well decorated room - welcoming, but not warm.

Curated. Carefully selected paintings and framed degrees fill the walls.

There is something about the office that makes it a Queer space. Perhaps a
specific painting or a book on the shelf -- whatever this element is, it is
subtle. A particularly sensitive eye might notice, otherwise it would likely
go overlooked.

A doctor’s chair and a patient’s couch. The couch is annoyingly

comfortable, the type that lulls you into complacency when all you want is
to have your guard up. A coffee table with neatly organized bowls of
individually wrapped candy.

DR. ISSAC WILLIAMS sits behind his desk, quietly reviewing papers as
he prepares for his next appointment - a new patient. He seems eager, or
anxious? It’s hard to tell. He prepares for several moments. He engages in
some of his personal rituals: checking his appearance, reading the space,
etc.

He checks the time, opens the door to the office and steps outside to greet
his patient. The action begins just offstage.)

ISSAC
Cooper? Hi. Nice to meet you. Right this way.
(COOPER enters the office with ISSAC in tow.)
Have a seat.
(ISSAC takes a moment to grab his things from his desk - a file, a legal
pad, a pen. COOPER walks around the office stopping at the coffee table.)

COOPER
Big candy guy, huh?

ISSAC
What?
(ISSAC turns around from his desk.)

1
 COOPER
(Running his hand through the candy) Do you buy this stuff in bulk?

ISSAC
Oh. Yes, actually. Funny enough, I do. Right after Halloween.

COOPER
Frugal.

ISSAC
Usually lasts me most of the year.

COOPER
Doesn’t it get stale?

ISSAC
Probably, but I figure by then it’s almost Halloween again.

COOPER
Feels like more of a pediatrician’s thing, doesn’t it?

ISSAC
Would you like to sit?
(COOPER sits. ISSAC continues.)
I will confess to having a bit of a sweet tooth. Here, have one if you like.
(He grabs one of the bowls and offers COOPER a piece. When he
declines, ISSAC unwraps a piece and pops it in his mouth as is to prove
its effectiveness.)
I’ve found that little things, like sucking candy, help my patients to feel more comfortable.
(COOPER watches for a moment as ISSAC enjoys his candy.)

COOPER
I guess it must have something to do with the innate comfort we feel as infants sucking on our
mother’s breast.

ISSAC
Excuse me?

COOPER
Freaud. Isn’t that, like, your guys whole thing?

2
 ISSAC
(Fumbling over the candy in his mouth) No. Well, yes. But, no--

COOPER
I was joking mostly.
(ISSAC acknowledges the joke with a polite smile. Beat. A loud crunch
and an unpleasant swallowing of the candy. ISSAC pulls himself together
and continues.)
ISSAC
Do you often make jokes when you’re feeling uncomfortable?

COOPER
What?

ISSAC
When you’re in a new situation or perhaps a position where you might feel uncomfortable, do
you find yourself turning to humor?

COOPER
Umm, no? I don’t know. I was just making a joke. Probably wasn’t that funny, but yeah, that was
it.

ISSAC
I understand. (Beat.) I’m afraid we’ve gotten off on the wrong foot. Let’s start over, ok? Start
from the beginning. How about that?

COOPER
Sure.

ISSAC
It’s nice to meet you Cooper, I’m Dr. Williams, but please, call me Issac. I’m very much looking
forward to working with you today.

COOPER
Ok. (Beat.) I’m Cooper. (Beat.) Thanks for having me?

ISSAC
Is this your first time seeing a psychologist?

COOPER

3
Yes.
ISSAC
I thought so. How about I give you a little bit of background on how today’s session will work?

COOPER
Ok.

ISSAC
Great. We’ll meet for about 45 minutes and during this time we can talk about anything. I’ll ask a
few questions and point out things I find interesting. Everything we discuss here is confidential.
The only instance in which I would be legally obligated to break confidentiality is if I believe
you to be in danger of harming yourself or others. At its core, this is a tool to be used however it
is most helpful for you. That’s it. I’m just here to help. Does that make sense?

COOPER
Yes.

ISSAC
Good, I’m glad.

COOPER
Good.

ISSAC
So, how do you want to spend our time today?

COOPER
Oh, uhh--

ISSAC
What would you like to talk about?

COOPER
I don’t know.

ISSAC
What’s on your mind?
(Beat. No response.)
There’s no right answers, this time is yours to spend however you’d like.

4
 COOPER
Yeah, I got that. Listen, I don’t wanna be an asshole, but isn’t this part your job? You’re in charge
here. Shouldn’t you be asking me about my family or, like, checking if I have a history of mental
illness or something?

ISSAC
Would you like to talk about your family?

COOPER
Not particularly.

ISSAC
Ok, well, do you have a history of mental illness?

COOPER
No. (Beat.) Well, when I was younger, my parents had me tested for ADHD. But it was at that
time when ADHD was, like, trendy. Half the kids in my fourth grade class were on Ritalin.
Anyway, I didn’t have it, the doctor told me I was normal. Not normal, obviously you can have
ADHD and still be normal, just-- No. No history of mental illness.

ISSAC
(Smiling) Noted.

COOPER
Are you writing that down?

ISSAC
Does it bother you that I am taking notes? I don’t have to, I usually just jot a few things down
to--

COOPER
No. It's fine. (Beat.) It’s just, the ADHD thing isn’t a real concern. You don’t have to make a note
of it. You can, of course, if you--
(ISSAC turns his notepad around for COOPER to see.)

ISSAC
I wrote “good sense of humor” and “no ADHD.”

COOPER

5
Oh. Ok. (Beat.) What’s all that stuff in the margins?

ISSAC
I admit, I do have a tendency to doodle. I think it wants to be a cube, but I can never quite get it
to actually look 3D. Honestly, I was always pretty shit with Geometry.
(Laughter. Beat. COOPER soffens a bit. ISSAC takes the opening, he
continues.)
So, how’s school, Cooper?

COOPER
What do you mean?

ISSAC
I mean, um, how are things going at school?

COOPER
Good.

ISSAC
What’s good about it?

COOPER
I don’t know. It’s college.

ISSAC
Ok. How about you tell me one thing you’ve been particularly enjoying?

COOPER
Would you like me to make a list?

ISSAC
(A little too sharp) If that makes it easier for you, then sure. (Beat. Polite.) What are you
studying?

COOPER
I’m a philosophy major

ISSAC
Oh interesting, what made you choose philosophy?

6
 COOPER
(Matter of fact) I think a lot.

ISSAC
What do you think about?

COOPER
What are we doing here?

ISSAC
(Laughing) Well that is very existential of you.

COOPER
No. What are we doing here?

ISSAC
I’m sorry, I don’t understand.

COOPER
What are you getting at?

ISSAC
I don’t follow.

COOPER
What are you doing to me?

ISSAC
I’m not doing anything, I’m--

COOPER
I can feel you digging around for something.

ISSAC
(Forced) I’m trying to get to know you.

COOPER
(Flippant) Oh god.

ISSAC

7
Am I doing something that is making you uncomfortable?

COOPER
I don’t know, I just don’t like doing this.

ISSAC
Doing what?

COOPER
Talking to you.

ISSAC
Well, I mean, what did you think was going to happen today? (Making a bad joke.) Did you think
we’d just sit and look at eachother?

COOPER
I didn’t think it would be like this.

ISSAC
Like what? (Beat.) You’re uncomfortable. Tell me about this sensation you’re experiencing, what
does it feel like?

COOPER
I don’t know, ok! You’re just-- I don’t know.
(Beat.)

ISSAC
I’m sorry if I’m causing any frustration. (Beat. He regains his footing.) I’m doing my job the best
I can.
(Beat. He continues.)
Do you have a group of friends at school?

COOPER
Yes.

ISSAC
Do you feel close to them?

COOPER

8
Sure. I mean, they’re my friends.

ISSAC
How did you all meet?

COOPER
At school.

ISSAC
I know, I meant-- (Beat. Regrouping.) Do you have a partner?

COOPER
What?

ISSAC
A partner, a significant other? (Beat.) Are you in a romantic relationship?

COOPER
(Flippant) No. Are you?

ISSAC
(Taken aback) Umm, I’m-- It’s not really appropriate for me to discuss something like that with
you.

COOPER
Ok.
(Beat.)

ISSAC
How does me asking you that question make you feel?

COOPER
Which question?

ISSAC
The one I just asked you.

COOPER

9
(Smart Ass) How does you asking me, “how does me asking you that question make you feel?”
make me feel?

ISSAC
Oh, come on, Cooper!

COOPER
What? You’re asking me a bunch of random questions, I’m not sure if I feel much of anything
about any given one!

ISSAC
Ok. (Beat. Not quite sure where to go next.) Well, how have you been feeling, Cooper? Overall.

COOPER
Good.

ISSAC
Is that true?

COOPER
It’s not not true.

ISSAC
Then why did you say “good?”

COOPER
It’s what people say.

ISSAC
Yes, but, in here, I don’t need the pleasantries. In fact, they are actually counterproductive. This
isn’t two people passing each other on the street--

COOPER
Obviously not, I know it’s different. I--

ISSAC
Good. So, I am actually asking. How have you been feeling?
(Beat.)

10
 COOPER
(Matter of fact) Lugubrious.

ISSAC
Wow.

COOPER
I know. Good thing I’m here, right?

ISSAC
That is quite a way to feel. Have you ever felt lugubrious before.
(Beat.)

COOPER
In elementary school. One year we had this school-wide assembly about Global Warming: what
it was, how we could help stop it. That sort of thing. Our teachers tried to lighten the mood with
some of that “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!” bullshit, but I didn’t buy it. I could tell right away that
the whole thing was really bad news.

So, while I was watching TV after school that day, I came up with this great plan. I would trade
places with the cartoons. I thought if I could live inside the TV, life would be so simple. I could
just live the same day over and over again I wouldn’t have to worry about things I have no
control over, like, Polar Bears eating their cubs to stay alive or my parents trading in the minivan
with the DVD players for a fucking Prius.

But, then I realized that I was being silly, that it was, of course, impossible. And then I got sad.
Because I was stuck here. And I couldn’t even leave the water running while I was brushing my
teeth! (Beat.) I guess that’s when my childhood ended. I felt lugubrious then.

ISSAC
That is… an abrupt end to a childhood.

COOPER
Well, I still recycle, so I guess it was worth it.
(Beat. ISSAC doesn’t quite know what to make of COOPER. He takes him
in for a moment and then decides to move on.)

ISSAC
You’re home on break then, yes?

11
 COOPER
Yes.

ISSAC
Is it nice to be home?

COOPER
I don’t mind.

ISSAC
Are you able to relax, decompress from the semester?

COOPER
Yes.

ISSAC
Any friends from high school home? Do you get to catch up with them at all?

COOPER
We don’t really see each other that much.

ISSAC
Oh, really? Why’s that?

COOPER
We’ve just kind of grown apart, not too much in common anymore.

ISSAC
You don’t seem very upset by that.

COOPER
I’m not. Most people I know are in a similar situation with their high school friends. It just sort
of happens with time I think.

ISSAC
I think that’s fair to say.
(Beat. He decides to move the conversation along.)
Listen, usually I would ask what you’re interested in talking about, but since it’s our first session,
why don’t you just tell me what brings you here?

12
 COOPER
What brings me here?

ISSAC
Yes.

COOPER
Well, my Mom made the appointment.

ISSAC
Yes, I spoke with her on the phone.

COOPER
Nice lady.

ISSAC
Very much so. She cares about you a lot.

COOPER
That’s good.

ISSAC
She expressed some concerns--

COOPER
Yeah, they’re worried about me. My parents.

ISSAC
It seemed that way. Would you be able to tell me a little bit about that? About why you’re here?

COOPER
I don’t know if that would be super helpful.

ISSAC
Why is that?

COOPER
I don’t know. Does it even matter? Isn’t this “my time?”

13
 ISSAC
What would be helpful to talk about?

COOPER
You tell me, you’re the expert.
(ISSAC remains impressively calm, this annoys COOPER.)

ISSAC
I’ve already told you where I think we should start. There is no need to be confrontational, I just
want to make the--

COOPER
Look, I just don’t feel like fucking talking anymore, ok? Can you try to understand that?

ISSAC
I--

COOPER
I can’t stand the sound of me explaining myself. The way my jaw moves, the way the words feel
in my mouth. I hate it.
(ISSAC is affected by this.)

ISSAC
(Softly, Genuine) Why do you hate it?
(Beat. No response.)
Which words make you feel that way?
(Beat. No response.)
I understand this can be uncomfortable, painful even. I'm afraid though, if we don’t start
somewhere we’re not going to get very far.

COOPER
Okay, well then maybe we just won’t get very far.
(Beat. The two men take each other in for a moment. ISSAC isn’t satisfied.
ISSAC decides to push. )

ISSAC
When your Mom called me she mentioned that you had been experiencing panic attacks. In her
opinion, you are having an “identity crisis.” She says you have been irritable, aggressive and

14
despondent. She feels badly for you but does not know how to help. Apparently this all started
when you first came home on break a few weeks ago? There was some sort of incident--

COOPER
She called me despondent?
ISSAC
Do you disagree with her assessment?

COOPER
It’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?

ISSAC
Right now, the only information I have is what your mother told me over the phone.

COOPER
I don’t even think she knows what the word despondent means.

ISSAC
No, no, you’re missing the point.

COOPER
You should have asked her to use it in a sentence. “Despondent? Oh yes, as in: my son is
despondent.”

ISSAC
If her version doesn’t match your experience, then tell me! All I care about is being able to
understand this from your perspective.

COOPER
No. Stop. You’re not going to trick me into whatever it is you’re trying to accomplish.

ISSAC
There’s no trick here, Cooper. I’m doing my job. There has to be some level of trust between the
two of us if you want to make any progress.
(Beat. COOPER does not respond. ISSAC doubles down.)
There was some sort of incident at dinner with your family. You were found in severe emotional
distress. Your mother was unclear what happened to cause--

COOPER

15
What happened was I told my family I’m gay! And now I’m being accused of having an identity
crisis.
(Beat.)

ISSAC
(Treading lightly) It doesn’t seem to me like that is the full story.
COOPER
What does it seem like to you?

ISSAC
An oversimplification of an event you really don’t want to talk about.
(Beat. COOPER falls silent.)
You need to start by telling me what happened at dinner.

COOPER
I came out to my family.

ISSAC
Were you planning on sharing this with them at dinner?

COOPER
No.

ISSAC
So this was the first time you told anyone about your sexuality?

COOPER
Oh, you’re so goddamn clinical! You make it sound like I have a disease. “Excuse me sir, we are
going to have to do a biopsy of the sexuality on your right forearm--

ISSAC
Is that how you feel about your sexuality? Does it feel like a disease?

COOPER
Stop that. I hate that. Don’t twist my words around!

ISSAC
Is there another word you would prefer for me to use?

COOPER

16
I was just, I don’t know, making a joke. Not everything is--

ISSAC
Part of what I do is reflect back to you things--

COOPER
Dinner with my family was the first time I told anyone, yes.

ISSAC
And how did it feel to tell them?

COOPER
(Biting) Great. It felt so great and went so well--

ISSAC
(Gentle) Cooper.

COOPER
(Softly) Bad. It felt really bad.

ISSAC
It’s brave to come out.

COOPER
Whatever. (Beat.) It’s not like I even wanted to, anyway. To tell them. To tell anyone.

ISSAC
Why is that?
(COOPER offers an “I don’t know” gesture.)
Coming out is hard, even for people who desperately want to. So, I’m wondering how a person
who didn’t want to tell anyone suddenly told his whole family?

COOPER
Because of what they were talking about.

ISSAC
What happened at dinner?
(Beat. COOPER is cornered. He begins begrudgingly.)

17
 COOPER
The first night my sister and I get home from school on break, we always all go out to eat
together as a family. We go to the same restaurant and order pretty much the same thing every
time. It’s important to my parents that we do stuff like that now that we’re both out of the house.
It’s nice.

Sara and I play this game where we try to see who can get our parents stuck on a topic the
fastest. It helps us avoid being forced to share literally every detail of what’s going on at school. I
usually pry for town gossip. It's easy and it always works and it pisses Sara off when I win.

So, like clockwork, we start talking about one of our family friends -- The Wrights.
(He impersonates his Mom.)
“Oh you’ll never believe what’s going on with Tom and Elaine!”

My mom went to college with Elaine. She and Tom have kids around the same age as us. We
kinda grew up together. Apparently, Tom, age 53, just came out as gay and now everything is a
mess. They’re getting a divorse, selling the house -- their whole life is turned upside town.

We talk about him at dinner for forever. We are just talking and talking in circles about how
actions have consequences, how a father is responsible for his children, how important it is to
really know the person you marry. The same shit over and over again -- as if he’s been cheating
on Elaine with the babysitter or something!

The whole time, I just keep thinking about this man. Married for 20-something years and just,
fucking, lying. Lying all the time. Everyday. To himself and to everyone. Who could live that
life?

And that’s when I realize, I’m going to have to tell everyone what I am. And I’m pissed! Because
I don’t want to! I mean, why should I even have to? (Beat.) My chest is burning and my ears are
fucking ringing. The thought of it, all of it--
(A sudden shift. He continues frantically)
I just can’t figure it out, you know? I mean, what is he? Is Tom, like, brave for finally telling
someone, for taking control of his fucking existence after all these years. Or is he a coward for
being selfish, for destroying his family, for never loving his wife, for, for--! What is he? What is
he!
(A long beat.)

ISSAC
Could he be both?
(Beat.)

18
 COOPER
I don’t know.
(Beat.)
I leave the restaurant. I’m in the parking lot, just clinging onto one of our car tiers, trying to
make the world stop spinning.

My dad comes after me. What’s going on, Coop? What’s going on? He peels me off the tier and
picks me up. I’m gay.

There is a bit of asphalt stuck to my cheek. He brushes it off and grabs my face. He’s holding all
of me in the heart of his palm. His eyes are-- He tells me he loves me. He drives us home.

ISSAC
I-- Wow...

COOPER
(Angry, Embarrassed) Well that’s really fucking helpful.

ISSAC
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean--

COOPER
If you’re not going to even--

ISSAC
I’m sorry--

COOPER
Then I don’t think I can do this!

ISSAC
(The most forceful he’s been so far) Cooper!
(COOPER falls silent.)
I apologize. Ok? Let’s regroup.
(Beat. COOPER nods in agreement)
Was there any further discussion after that evening?
(Beat. COOPER decides to continue)

COOPER

19
We had a “family talk” the next morning.

ISSAC
What did you talk about?

COOPER
I didn’t say anything. It was just an hour of, “Did you really think this was such a surprise to
us?” and “We’re ready for you and the life you want to live!”

ISSAC
And how did that make you feel?

COOPER
Pissed off.

ISSAC
Really?

COOPER
Who would want someone to have to be “ready for you?” Like it’s this whole big thing. Like
suddenly I’m a different person.

ISSAC
Ok.

COOPER
“Oh, we’ve always known.” “There were some signs.” How is that a helpful thing to say?

ISSAC
It sounds like they were trying to relate to you or normalize--

COOPER
It makes me feel like there was a big secret I wasn’t in on. Clearly I’m the one struggling. If they
knew, then they should've told me they knew and this whole thing could’ve been avoided.

ISSAC
If your family told you they suspected you were gay, would that have made you feel better?

20
 COOPER
What? I don’t know, but--

ISSAC
I will say, it sounds like they had a pretty positive reaction considering.

COOPER
Considering what?

ISSAC
Considering the overwhelmingly negative reaction many others get. Some young people can’t
come out because it’s not safe for them to do so.

COOPER
Yeah, but I’m different from them.

ISSAC
I would say so. You’re parents want to support you--

COOPER
No. I’m different.

ISSAC
What do you mean?

COOPER
They want to be gay.

ISSAC
You don’t?

COOPER
No.

ISSAC
Explain that to me.

COOPER
I’m not gay because I want to be, I’m gay because I have to be.

21
 ISSAC
I think most people in the LGBTQ community would agree with you that sexuality is not a
choice, it’s something inherent about a person.

COOPER
Sure.
ISSAC
Clearly we’re not on the same page. Help me understand.

COOPER
I don’t want to be gay. I want a regular life. I want a wife, a child. I think I’d be good at it. I want
normal, easy.

ISSAC
It’s not as cut and dry as that. You can have a family as a gay man, Cooper.

COOPER
I don’t want to fight for the right to do it, I just want to do it. I want all these things with every
bit of me. (Making a bad joke.) Honestly, if you could just prescribe a pill to make me straight
that would probably solve a lot of my problems.

ISSAC
There is a history of Conversion Therapy that was forced on many queer people. I don’t think
you understand the gravity of--

COOPER
Obviously I don’t want that. I’m just-- If I could be anything else, I would be. But I can’t.

ISSAC
Do you really mean that?

COOPER
It’s how I feel.

ISSAC
I’m sorry.
(Beat. Both men are silent. ISSAC continues.)
Can you tell me how you discovered that you were gay?

22
 COOPER
What?

ISSAC
I have couples come in here on the verge of divorse just because one person refuses to do the
dishes. People rarely do things they don’t want to do. And it sounds like this is something you
really don’t want, so, how do you know?
COOPER
(Uncomfortable) Come on. What do you want me to say here?

ISSAC
I don’t want you to say anything. I have no expectations of you.
(Beat. COOPER thinks for a moment)

COOPER
Instagram told me.

ISSAC
What?

COOPER
Instagram knew I was gay before I did.

ISSAC
(Laughing) Ok, I lied. I was expecting just about anything but that. Go on, explain.

COOPER
You know how all the online ads are tailored to you based on what you like and watch and the
pages you visit?

ISSAC
Sure.

COOPER
Well, I was scrolling through Instagram and an ad came up for Trojans. The condoms. It was this
video of two guys in bed and they were saying stuff like, “Ultra ribbed for HIS pleasure” and
“Don’t leave the back door unprotected!” It wasn't subtle. It hit me over the head. I realized I was
probably, most likely, definitely gay.

ISSAC

23
So...a condom ad?

COOPER
The algorithms for these sites are incredibly sophisticated. They have all this behavioral data. So,
I mean, if something as powerful as that crunched the numbers on me and the result was Gay
Comdom Ad then it’s only logical.
(Beat.)
ISSAC
I don’t buy it.

COOPER
I know you’re not a digital native, but the way these--

ISSAC
No. I call bullshit.

COOPER
Excuse me?

ISSAC
I don’t think that’s how you found out.

COOPER
I’m not lying to you.

ISSAC
Oh, I believe it happened. I just don’t believe that’s the moment you knew.

COOPER
Why don’t you believe me?

ISSAC
You’re clearly feeling something and you’re not allowing yourself to share it.

COOPER
Don’t try to prove how observant you are.

ISSAC

24
Come on, Cooper! You told me a cute story, but that’s all it was. I believe it happened. I’m sure it
had an effect on you. But you didn’t share anything.

COOPER
Ok, um, I don’t need to sit here and have you selectively listen to me. You can’t just pick and
choose the parts you like. I’ve gotta go.

ISSAC
If you want to leave, you can.

COOPER
Alright
(He gets up and goes toward the door.)

ISSAC
Has anyone ever told you that you’re shifty?

COOPER
Shifty?

ISSAC
Yes, you’re shifty. It’s what you’ve done for most of the session so far. Shifted the attention away
from yourself. Distilled complex feelings into oversimplified versions. Used your humor to
assign blame. All so you don’t have to tell me about yourself.

COOPER
I--

ISSAC
I don’t know anything about you!

COOPER
We just met. How would you?

ISSAC
(Referring to his notes) You said it yourself. “I always get my parents stuck on a topic so I don’t
have to tell them what’s going on at school.”

COOPER

25
Ok, that’s different. Don’t throw it back in my face.

ISSAC
Cooper, we’ve been talking for quite a bit now and I still don’t even know the basics.

COOPER
That’s not fair--

ISSAC
It’s true, you’ve told me a ton. Look I’ve got three pages full of funny, quirky stories. But it was
all in an effort to tell me nothing. The only thing I really know about you is that you’re gay and
you don’t want to be?

It’s hard, so I understand if you want to go. Really, it’s alright. But, I do want to help you.

You don’t have to tell me when you knew. But, if you stay, you must tell me something, anything
about yourself.
(Beat. The two men are silent. COOPER decides what he wants. This
decision takes as long as he needs until he is compelled to stay. He begins
to speak.)

COOPER
My favorite color is orange.

ISSAC
Ok.

COOPER
Burnt orange, like in late fall.

ISSAC
That’s a nice color.

COOPER
I DJ a show with my friend on the radio station at school. We only play cliche 90s throwbacks. It
sucks but it's kinda fun.

ISSAC
90’s throwbacks are not throwbacks to me.

26
 (Gentle laughter. Beat. COOPER begins suddenly, he’s not really looking
at ISSAC.)

COOPER
They gave each of us a reusable aluminum water bottle on the first day of Sophomore year. The
idea was to cut down on plastic from the vending machines, but this was before things were
“BPA-free” so anything you put in water bottles tasted vaguely metallic. Even the whipped
cream flavored vodka Cam had siphoned from the private reserve in the back of his Mom’s
closet.

The two of us passed around the bottle all night. It was my first time really drinking and Cam
was determined to be my sherpa. It was so like him to want to play that role. His dumb, goofy
grin egging us on from the other side of basement. We’ve gotta finish it, we can’t go to bed until
we finish it!

I remember staring down into the water bottle trying to figure out if the alcohol was, in fact,
eroding it from the inside out. I don’t remember who touched who first, but -- um --

We woke up the next morning and didn't say much to each other. Fuck I’m hungover. See you at
school tomorrow. That sorta thing. I got in my car and drove home. That’s how it went.

That’s how it was, actually, for most of high school. We’d just find one another -- in the same
bed at sleepovers, at the end of parties, after prom when our dates went home. It was never
discussed, it just kind of happened.

I guess we were scared, but honestly I think no one wanted to be the person who gave it a name,
who said they enjoyed it, who asked if anyone felt the same. The silence between us was--

It’s terrifying to like something so much, so quickly.

The silence let me feel detached, like it wasn't actually happening. And it allowed me to not have
to give it up. To keep these moments safe, for myself: fear, bliss, fear, bliss.

Shitty flavored vodka, metallic on the roof of my mouth, stained shag carpeting. That’s how it
was. That’s how I know.

ISSAC
Wow, I, I don’t know what to say.

COOPER

27
Great.

ISSAC
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I, I want to --

COOPER
Oh wow I really did break you, huh?

ISSAC
No, no, not at all. Thank you for--
COOPER
I poured water all over the harddrive, didn’t I?

ISSAC
That’s not fair, I’m processing. I’m trying to just... process, ok?

COOPER
What kind of therapist are you?

ISSAC
This relationship that you had during high school--

COOPER
This was not a relationship.

ISSAC
Ok, these intimate experiences--

COOPER
We weren’t dating each other, you understand? I didn’t have a fucking boyfriend, we didn’t wear
matching tuxes to prom, we didn’t light a candle and lose our virginity to each other under a full
moon. We had drunk sex every once in a while-- if you could even call it that.

ISSAC
I know, I know, I--

COOPER
I don’t think you do know. I lost a friend. We barely spoke to each other. Do you have any idea
what that type of silence can do to a person?

28
 ISSAC
Trust me, I know.

COOPER
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?

ISSAC
You’re in tremendous pain. I can see it, it's all over your face. It’s in the way you walk and sit
and breathe.

COOPER
(Desperate) Then help me!

ISSAC
I think you have to begin to recognize that there is more than one way to be a queer person.

COOPER
I don’t want to do this anymore.

ISSAC
It’s just, you’ve said so many times that this is who you are. You’ve said you can’t be anything
else.

COOPER
But it’s not just about me. It’s about other people.

ISSAC
Like who?

COOPER
Like my Dad. He deserves a son he can watch the game with and drink a beer with. He’s given
me everything and I can’t even give him that.

ISSAC
You can drink beer and be gay, Cooper!

COOPER
I know that, I just mean--

ISSAC

29
You can watch the game and throw the ball around, and--

COOPER
I get it, okay--

ISSAC
And, paint your nails and wear a dress and it would have absolutely no implication other than a
choice in--

COOPER
I said I understand!

ISSAC
(Deeply Frustrated) No you don’t! Listen to yourself, you’re not making sense, you’re-- You’re
tangled up, Cooper.

COOPER
(Biting) Stop talking to me like I don’t know myself.

ISSAC
You have to try and forgive yourself for some of this. It’s not your fault you feel like this. We
still live in a world where straight is the norm. But it’s getting easier and easier.
(Beat. ISSAC decides to reach out.)
Listen, when I came out being gay was still very taboo.
(Something is wrong with COOPER.)

COOPER
What?

ISSAC
It was a different time, things were bad, really bad, but now-- Cooper, what’s going on?

COOPER
You’re--?

ISSAC
Is something wrong?

COOPER

30
Jesus Christ.
(COOPER falls silent and begins to pace around the room.)

ISSAC
Talk to me. What’s happening here?

COOPER
Why didn’t you tell me?

ISSAC
I’m confused.

COOPER
Answer my question.

ISSAC
Well, this session is about you.

COOPER
Yeah?

ISSAC
And I didn’t exactly think I was hiding anything.

COOPER
Bullshit.

ISSAC
Cooper!

COOPER
What? You can call bullshit, but I can’t?

ISSAC
That’s not--

COOPER
Why the hell didn’t you tell me?

31
 ISSAC
I know this is your first time seeing someone, but psychologists rarely share aspects of their
personal lives with patients to allow for--

COOPER
You lied to me.

ISSAC
I understand you might feel that way, but--

COOPER
You’re shifty, Cooper. This isn’t two people meeting on the street, Cooper. You need to share if
you want to make progress, Cooper!

ISSAC
Not explicitly telling you isn’t the same as lying.

COOPER
You’ve had plenty of opportunities to tell me, but you didn’t, intentionally.

ISSAC
Honestly, Cooper, what was I supposed to say? Hi, I’m Dr. Williams. Nice to meet you, I’m your
gay therapist?

COOPER
You asked me to trust you and I did.

ISSAC
I promise you, it’s just best practice. I need to maintain a level of distance so I can do my job
effectively. What happens in these sessions has nothing to do with me.

COOPER
It’s got everything to do with you! You don’t wanna help me. You’re just using me-- I am not
your pet project, ok?

ISSAC
I do want to help you. You’re here because people who care about you thought that I could.

COOPER

32
Send a fag to see a fag, clever.
(Beat. COOPER has just crossed a line.)

ISSAC
(Measured) I am going to have to ask you to leave.

COOPER
Really? Come on!

ISSAC
Cooper, you need to leave.

COOPER
What? I say a bad word and that’s it? We’re done?

ISSAC
I have really tried to understand you, but I can’t sit here and continue to listen to your privileged
perspective if you’re going to talk to me like this.

COOPER
My privileged perspective? What’s that supposed to mean?

ISSAC
Exactly what it sounds like.

COOPER
You’re the one who forced me to share my whole fucking life story! If you didn’t wanna hear it
then why--
(ISSAC snaps.)

ISSAC
Oh my god! You are infuriating! How many times do I have to tell you? I’m a goddamn
therapist, this is my job!

I can’t believe I was excited to meet you. Did you know I was actually nervous for our session
today? I was nervous because I thought I had a real chance with you, a real chance to-- I don’t
know, to help you, I guess!

33
I told my husband about you, last night. I told him about how your mom called me. How she
cried on the phone. I told him, I actually said this-- I can’t go back and help my younger self, but
maybe this is the next best thing.

We talked about you. At our dinner table. Me and the man I’m married to. (Beat) I can’t fucking
beleive myself.

COOPER
I remind you of--?

ISSAC
Yes! I struggled, of course I did! But I fought it. There wasn’t any time to wallow in it. I allowed
myself to believe that just because the world I was living in hated me didn’t mean I had to.

And then I joined the bigger fight, for you. I watched a generation give up everything so kids like
you would have moms who call a shrink when their kids come out, rather than kick them out of
the house. I allowed myself to dream for what all this would look like when it was your turn.
And you have been such a disappointment.
(Beat. Silence.)

COOPER
I don’t think it’s fair for you to put that on me.

ISSAC
Is that so?

COOPER
Maybe it is privileged to say, but how is the next generation supposed to actually live if they are
made to feel indebted to the one before?

ISSAC
There’s a difference between debt and respect.

COOPER
I do respect you! But all I have to work with is what is happening right now, in my lifetime.

ISSAC
You are living in a world we gave you. A better world. If I was growing up now, I-- All you have
to do is take it and run! I can’t understand why you won’t do that.

34
 COOPER
Just because it’s better, doesn’t mean it’s perfect!

ISSAC
How old are you?

COOPER
You have my file, you know how old I am.

ISSAC
How old are you?

COOPER
21

ISSAC.
21. I came out to my parents when I was 17. I apologized to my father. I begged him to let me
stay in our home. I told him I was sorry, that I didn’t mean it. Nothing. So I left. I found people
like me.

When I was 23, I was diagnosed with HIV. I felt like my whole world was crashing down around
me. Like my parents were right, like this was the punishment I deserved. I was lucky though. I
was diagnosed at the end of the crisis. I could afford the medication. I’ve been living as positive
ever since.

I went back to school. I fell in love. I fell in love with a man I never thought I’d be able to marry,
let alone have a family with. I fell in love with him all the same.

When I finished my degree, I wanted to work in early ed as a school counselor. I applied to

school districts all over the country, I was overqualified. I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t
getting hired after my interviews. But then I realized, no one wants a gay man talking to little
boys about their feelings.

So, I adjusted my dream. Which doesn’t really make it a dream anymore. I worked odd jobs,
eventually joined a practice. Now here I am with you. I feel for you, I really do. But understand
me when I say that I can’t listen to you talk this way anymore. You’re hurting me.

COOPER

35
I don’t know what to say.

ISSAC
Cooper, what is it that you want?

COOPER
I don’t know.

ISSAC
Yes you do.

COOPER
(Tired) I want to feel some peace.

ISSAC
This is what I’m saying! You owe it to yourself. Yes, mourn the life you have been taught to
want, but then start fucking living. You can have it, just like that! A life, a beautiful queer life.
There is a whole world waiting for you on the other side of this if you can just--

COOPER
I know. Intellectually, I know you’re right, but--

ISSAC
It’s not about right or wrong, it’s about you and--

COOPER
But what I actually feel is fucking wrong! I feel like this part of me, is-- I feel trapped in it.

I know I’m wrong. Why do I feel this way? I want it to stop, I want to flip a switch and stop
myself from feeling this way but I have no agency over my fucking existence! I have no control!
I have no control. I have--
(COOPER begins to unravel. He is overwhelmed, breathless and
disoriented. ISSAC tries to help him.)

ISSAC
Cooper, Cooper! Are you ok? Sit down.
(ISSAC corrales COOPER and gets him to sit on the couch. ISSAC
kneels in front of him.)
It’s going to be ok. Try and control your breathing. Good, good. Relax--

36
 (COOPER regulates his breathing. He calms down slightly. When he
realizes what has happened he gets embarrassed and reacts suddenly.)

COOPER
Don’t fucking touch me!
(COOPER recoils away from ISSAC. ISSAC takes COOPER’s head in
his hands in an effort to calm and stabilize.)

ISSAC
Look at me. All you have is agency. You have complete control over your life. You can choose. I
promise--
(COOPER kisses ISSAC.

It is sudden. It is a surprise for both men. It is, momentarily, reciprocated.

It is not a romantic kiss.

Perhaps, long after the events of this day, COOPER will recognize this as
a moment in which he forced himself to make a choice, any choice. A
moment when he reached out in need, in fear, in hope. A moment when he
proved himself capable of the type of love he desires.

However, it is definitively inappropriate. ISSAC jerks back and retreats to

the opposite end of the room. Beat. Silence. No one is in charge.)

COOPER
Oh my god. Oh my god! I’m sorry!
(COOPER begins to spiral again)

ISSAC
I--

COOPER
I can’t believe I just did that. I, I--

ISSAC
(Forcefully) Cooper! Stop.
(Silence as ISSAC decides, for the two of them, what to do next)
I am going to have to end our session. I will send along a list of referrals. It is important to me
that you make an appointment with one of the other doctors on that list.

37
 COOPER
Issac. I’m so sorry.

ISSAC
It was unfair of me to put you in this situation. It was too personal for me, I knew it, I just
thought I could-- I’m sorry.

COOPER
Please stop being nice to me. I’ve treated you horribly. You have a life, you have a husband--
God, I’m so fucked up.
(Beat.)

ISSAC
I have found that many things in life are broken, but few are beyond repair. So fix them.

COOPER
I don’t even know where to start.

ISSAC
Promise me you’ll make an appointment with someone else?
(COOPER nods and walks toward the door.)

COOPER
Hardly seems worth it. All the work it’s going to take. All this just for the chance of being in
love.

ISSAC
Our love. It’s the best thing there is.
(COOPER exits.

ISSAC allows himself to feel the weight of what has just happened. It
resembles COOPER’s unraveling and lasts for several moments.
Eventually, after calming himself down. He goes to his desk and pulls out
his cell phone. He makes a call and waits for the other line to pick up.)

ISSAC
Daniel?

Hi, Hi Honey.

Yeah, I’m still at work, I’m at my desk.

38
Yeah, yeah everything’s ok.

(Struggling) Yeah, I’m done for the day. I’m gonna head home soon.

That’d be great.

Mmm-hmm. I love that place.

That’s perfect. I’ll meet you there. Thank you, Daniel.

Yes, I promise, I’m ok.

Stop it, yes, I’m fine to drive.

I just--

I needed to hear your voice.

I love you too. So much.

Ok, see you soon.

Bye.
(ISSAC hangs up the phone. The office is a mess. He throws a few things
in his bag. He exits quickly, not enough time to think. He turns the lights
off on his way out.

Beat. Silence. The office is cast in after hours lighting. A moment or two.

BLACK OUT.)

END OF ACT I

39
 ACT II
Scene 1

(10 years after the end of Act I.

LIGHTS UP on COOPER and ISSAC. This is their first time seeing each
other since the end of Act I.

COOPER’s office, a law firm. Late afternoon.

A well decorated room - chic, excessively modern. The type of room you
have to learn to feel comfortable in. A room that requires you to pretend
like you belong there.

As much as possible, COOPER’s office should be made of the same set

pieces that created ISSAC’s office in Act I. The layout, however, is
inverted. For example, if ISSAC’s desk was on SL, COOPER’s is on SR.
Props and set dressings help to differentiate one office from another. The
architecture might look familiar, but the feeling of the room is markedly
different.

COOPER looks different than when we last saw him -- smart suit, well
groomed, expensive shoes. He has grown up.

For the most part, ISSAC looks the same. He wears a sweater and jeans.
A man at the age when his wardrobe has become stagnant. He does not
belong in this space. He sits on the couch nursing a glass of fruit-infused
water that an assistant likely offered him.

A challengingly long silence. More anticipatory than awkward. Neither

man knows how to begin. Out of the silence, ISSAC speaks.)

ISSAC
Would you like to see some pictures?

COOPER
What?
(ISSAC pulls out his wallet.)

ISSAC

40
Some pictures?
COOPER
Oh.

ISSAC
I know it’s terribly old-fashioned of me, but I still carry a few around in my wallet.

COOPER
Yes. Of course, I would.

ISSAC
Ok.
(ISSAC opens his wallet.)
Let’s see here.
(He begins to empty its contents as he fishes for the pictures. He makes a
small mess of old credit cards, receipts, perhaps even a stale mint.)
Here we are.
(He flicks through the pictures until he finds what he’s looking for.)
This. This is Daniel and our son Charlie at his college graduation.
(He hands COOPER the photograph. COOPER remains at a distance as
he examines it.)

COOPER
Very nice.

ISSAC
And this is the three of us on that same day. Look, you can tell Dan and I have been crying. We
embarrass him so much.

COOPER
A parent’s only real job.

ISSAC
And this is Charlie on the day we adopted him.

COOPER
Oh wow. Adoption?

ISSAC

41
Yes. We met him at this little foster home upstate. He was so young. We knew right away he was
ours.
COOPER
That’s lovely.
(He hands the photos back to ISSAC. There’s something uneasy about this
action, ISSAC recognizes it.)

ISSAC
That’s enough for now, I think. (Beat.) Thank you for indulging a sentimental old man. Well,
older man. I refuse to be considered old just yet.
(ISSAC laughs. COOPER offers a polite smile. Beat. Silence.

COOPER is not finding ISSAC quite as disarming as ISSAC had hoped.)

COOPER
You know, I’m realizing I don’t actually know that much about you, Issac.

It’s funny. Usually an intern hands me a file with a list of everything I need to know about a
person before I take a meeting. That’s a dangerous thing to get used to.

ISSAC
Convenient. I would imagine.

COOPER
Yes, well. (Beat.) Are you still at the practice?

ISSAC
I am. We’re getting ready to sell it in a few years. Some younger doctors have joined on, we’re
slowly transitioning clients over.

COOPER
You own it?

ISSAC
Daniel and I own it together.

COOPER
Your husband?

42
 ISSAC
Yes. The two of us bought it years ago from this older woman who had a few clients in the area.
She was a bit odd. We were never quite sure that she made a very good shrink, which is probably
why we got such a good price for it.

COOPER
Have you enjoyed owning a business together?

ISSAC
Very much so, we both worked in large practices at the beginning of our careers. It was always a
dream we shared of going out on our own, running it the way we wanted. Honestly, I never really
thought it would happen, but those things have a way of working themselves out.

COOPER
How do you feel about letting it go?

ISSAC
It’s time. It’s become too big for us to manage. The office space alone is a beast to keep up.
We’re looking forward to slowing down. Though, I will miss being with clients every day.
Daniel not so much, he’s ready to be done. He’s been practicing a lot longer than I have. But,
I’ve made him promise me not to rush the sale.

COOPER
Sounds like you two are really good together.

ISSAC
Marriage is hard work, but it’s proved to be work worth doing.

COOPER
You’ve been together a long time?

ISSAC
We celebrated 10 year of marriage, and 30 years together, a few years back. We’re somewhere
just before 35 at this point. Neither of us likes keeping track anymore, it makes us feel old.

Which makes that the second time I’ve mentioned feeling old today. Which makes me a bit more
vain than I’d like to admit.
(Both men laugh.)

43
 COOPER
It’s nice to hear about a relationship like yours.

ISSAC
A relationship like mine?

COOPER
You know what I mean.

ISSAC
Yes, I do.

COOPER
Will you tell me about your son? Charlie?

ISSAC
Charlie, yes. He’s a good kid. I know I’m biased and it’s obnoxious to say, but he’s really,
really...good. And I’m proud of that.

He’s been out of college for a few years now and is working at this, um, start-up. I honestly
couldn’t tell you what he actually does. All that tech stuff is so far over my head. He’s got a
girlfriend, who we love and who loves Daniel and I no matter how embarrassed it makes Charlie.

I came to be a parent later than most, but I’ve loved it. It’s everything they say -- hard and all
consuming -- but I’ve loved it.
(COOPER doesn’t say anything, he smiles.)

And you?

COOPER
And me?

ISSAC
Are you--? It seems like you’ve made quite a life for yourself. All this.
(Beat.)

COOPER
Yes. All this. (Beat. He gestures to his surroundings) All this corporate feng shui bullshit!

44
 ISSAC
(Laughing) It’s quite the aesthetic.

COOPER
It’s quite a life.

ISSAC
What you’ve built for yourself is something to be proud of.

COOPER
Thank you.
(Beat.)

ISSAC
Are you with anyone?

COOPER
I’m married. Henry. He was my first boyfriend after college. We met on an app. And no matter
how much I’ve tried not to be, I’m still very embarrassed about how we met. Which makes me
more vain than I’d like to admit.

He’s not. He thinks it’s modern and kind of funny. He can do that, chalk things up to what they
actually are. It’s one of the things I really love about him. Our first date was at this shitty little
bar. He ordered us really good beer, I liked that.

We dated for four years, then we moved in together and got married at his parents place on the
shore the next summer.

ISSAC
Sounds like love at first sight.

COOPER
Something like that.

ISSAC
Must be nice. A connection like that really propels a relationship forward.

COOPER

45
The connection was instant. But we’ve had to learn to become partners, especially in the past few
years with the kids.
ISSAC
Kids?

COOPER
Sammi. She’s four. And Liam is just over a year.

ISSAC
Oh, wow.

COOPER
They are adorable kids.

ISSAC
(Smiling) I’m sure.

COOPER
I mean, they better be. The surrogate cost a fortune. Could you imagine? After all that, they turn
out to be ugly babies!

ISSAC
Imagine that.

COOPER
I’m kidding, obviously.

ISSAC
I understand.

COOPER
When they were first born, Henry felt like we lost something that we had when we weren’t
parents. But I’ve always felt sort of guilty for the beginning of our relationship, so I’m happy to
be in a new phase.

ISSAC
Why guilty?

COOPER

46
I clung to him in the beginning. I liked him so much, so quickly. He was the first chance I had at
the type of relationship I always wanted. So when it started to work out, I sort of grabbed on for
dear life. Sometimes I feel like I never even gave him the chance to duck and run.
ISSAC
It sounds to me like things worked out for you. Like you got what you wanted, you found the
right person. But, maybe you don’t think you deserve it?

Often it’s easier to make ourselves believe that the other shoe is about to drop rather than accept
that good things can actually happen to us.

COOPER
(Flippant) God, is it exhausting to be a therapist? To be like this all the time?

ISSAC
Well, I am selling my practice.

COOPER
I don’t blame you.
(Beat. ISSAC offers something up.)

ISSAC
The hardest part is that I have never been able to figure out why we’re all programmed to run
from our emotions. I mean, I get it, they can be painful, overwhelming. But to contort ourselves,
to push them away, to run? It’s a mess. I don’t think I’ll ever know why we’re made that way.
(Beat. Silence. )

COOPER
I’m not quite sure what we’re talking about anymore.

ISSAC
Me neither.

COOPER
Funny how that happens.

ISSAC
I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Rambling nearly-retired therapist.

COOPER
Is there something you’d like to ask me?

47
 ISSAC
No, I’m sorry. I was just being--
COOPER
Listen. I’m not trying to be rude, but why are you here today, Issac?

ISSAC
Oh, I--

COOPER
Because I’m more than happy to keep chatting about our families and catch up and all that--

ISSAC
Yes, it’s been really nice to hear about what you’ve been up to--

COOPER
But, I’ve had a lot of people come out of the woodwork since the story broke. A lot of old
classmates and friends of friends and former colleagues.

ISSAC
Oh, yes, I’m sure, people can be--

COOPER
You are familiar with what’s happened, yes?

ISSAC
Yes.

COOPER
Right, so--

ISSAC
But that’s not why I’m here.

COOPER
We had one session together and that was years ago.

ISSAC
I understand how my actions could be misconstrued.

48
 COOPER
I’m not trying to misconstrue, I’d just like to know.

ISSAC
I just sent you an email, you offered for me to meet you here.

COOPER
That’s not really the point, is it?

ISSAC
I want you to know, I have no intention of trying to exploit what has happened to you.

COOPER
I wouldn’t let you.

ISSAC
I understand.

COOPER
So, forgive me, but I’ve learned to ask: why did you want to come here today?
(Beat.)

ISSAC
Honestly, I read the article and watched a few clips online. Before I knew it I was searching your
name and had found your email. By the time I realized what I was doing, I had already pressed
send. I just felt...compelled to reach out to you.

COOPER
I was surprised to get your message.

ISSAC
I was surprised you responded.

COOPER
My secretary manages my appointments, so when I forwarded her our thread she put you on my
calendar. And here we are, a 30 minute meeting, just like that.

ISSAC
Efficient.

49
 COOPER
Things have a tendency to run on autopilot around here.

ISSAC
I understand if you’d like me to leave. I don’t want this to be uncomfortable--
(A long beat. COOPER continues.)

COOPER
Was the trip in ok? Sometimes the car service can be fussy.

ISSAC
It was great. I was more than happy to take the train in, but the car was nice. Very nice.

COOPER
I’m glad. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?

ISSAC
There’s a bakery a few blocks away that Daniel really likes. I’ll probably go and pick up a few
things before I head home.

COOPER
Christine’s?

ISSAC
Yes actually.

COOPER
I’m there all the time. They make these peanut butter cookies that we get for the kids. We’re
trying this gluten free, dairy free thing. It’s a fucking disaster. I have literally no idea why we’re
doing it.

ISSAC
Now that’s something I just don’t get.

COOPER
There’s nothing to get. I’m convinced these diet trends are completely arbitrary.

ISSAC
I completely agree.

50
 COOPER
Glutens out, dairy’s out -- who the fuck knows why, but there’s no way my kids touching any of
it!
(Both men laugh.)

ISSAC
Now I’m so glad that didn’t start when I was young. If I was your age now, I would’ve been
obligated to try it. When you’re older you get to be set in your ways.

COOPER
I’m jealous of you.

ISSAC
I wouldn’t go that far.

COOPER
Can I get you a drink?

ISSAC
That’d be great.
(COOPER goes to make drinks.)

COOPER
I’m about to be promoted to partner.

ISSAC
Wow. That’s wonderful.
(COOPER hands him a drink.)

COOPER
Cheers.

ISSAC
Yes, cheers.

COOPER
It’ll be a lot more money. Security, stability for us. We’ll be pretty much set. Private school,
retirement, maybe a second home, all that stuff.

ISSAC

51
It’s amazing how life becomes so much less singular in focus. It’s challenging to be expected to
plan so far ahead, not only for yourself, but for the people you care about--

COOPER
I mean, I’m getting a promotion, it’s not like I’m taking an extra shift scrubbing the floors.
ISSAC
You’re right. Congratulations. It sounds like it’s a big step forward.
COOPER
Thank you.
(Beat. Silence. Uncertainty.)

ISSAC
Cooper, I, I don’t want to overstep, but I do want to, to express how sorry I am for what has
happened.

COOPER
Ok.

ISSAC
I want to tell you how brave I think it is that you told your story.

COOPER
Mhmm, thank you.

ISSAC
What you’ve done. It is making a huge impact. Raising awareness so this never has to happen
again.
(Beat. COOPER doesn’t say anything.)
I can only imagine how challenging of a time this must have been, this must be for you.

COOPER
“I can only imagine.”

ISSAC
That is to say that I don’t know, but can only try to-- I don’t want to say the wrong thing.

COOPER
Well, I don’t think there is a right thing to say, is there? So, pressure’s off!

ISSAC

52
I guess there’s not.

COOPER
(Flippant) I mean, I wish there was! There really should be a Hallmark card, or a #MeToo pinata.
You know, I should really write that down. Could make a fortune--
ISSAC
Cooper, you don’t have to--

COOPER
I know. I know.
(Beat. He continues.)
You know, Erica and I started here together? She’s one of my closest friends at the firm.

Cinthia was my intern a few years back. I couldn’t wait to bring her on full time.

Jayne works in PR and has been here longer than any of us. Real old school marketing type. You
know what I’m talking about? Such a fucking riot.

It sounds so silly, but when they asked me out I was honestly just so excited to be grabbing lunch
with all of them. Jayne suggested Ramen at this total dive that no one at the office would be
caught dead at. They said they wanted to talk to me about something. It had been on my calendar
for weeks, I was so looking forward to it.

They each shared their story. These women. Mothers and wives and-- I mean, I-- I do, I love
them.

They said-- They were so gentle with me. They said that they saw the way he treated me, the
way he was possessive over me, the way he was physical with me in meetings every so often.
They asked me and I told them.

I told them about when I was an intern. And new to the city, new to all of this. How I knew I
probably shouldn’t, but I let him anyway. How it felt nice to get attention, I guess. From a man
like him.

I honestly didn’t even know. I assumed that because I accepted it, because I let it happen that it
was--. I didn’t, um--

They told me that he was a bad person. They told me that I shouldn’t have been treated like that.
They told me that I could stop it from happening to others.
And then they asked me to join them.

53
 (A sudden shift. He continues, painfully analytical.)
They were right to, of course. It makes a stronger case. To have a man come forward. It’s unique.
Not just the same old corporate scandal we’ve seen. A bunch of women accusing a powerful
man. I don’t mean it like that. It’s just--

ISSAC
It’s alright.

COOPER
I agreed. The story hit hard. The firm acted fast.

They fired him, he was suspended by the BAR, HR started a private investigation and I, the only
man who came forward, was offered a promotion to partner to fill the vacant seat.

ISSAC
Wow. You hear stuff like that, but you never imagine--

COOPER
Exactly.
(Beat.)
Henry wants me to take it. He says I deserve it, that the timing is their problem. I mean, my
family deserves the money, the comfort after all this. He’s been so supportive, but I can tell it's
wearing him down. He didn’t know he was marrying a victim.

It just doesn’t feel right. The three of them are working to gather enough cases to pursue a class
action and what am I doing? Grabbing drinks with a therapist I saw when I was a kid!

ISSAC
What happened here is not your fault.

COOPER
The worst part is that this whole thing has somehow invalidated or, or corrupted my capacity to
make decisions. To trust myself.

I mean, if this has happened to me, how can I continue to be a husband, a father? How can I--?

ISSAC
Hear me, Cooper. This is not your fault.

54
 COOPER
I mean, clearly I have benefited from my actions. I was fast tracked. Even though it was so many
years ago, even though it didn’t happen for that long, I can’t help but think this has played a big
part in my success.

ISSAC
Listen, this fallout you’re experiencing. This is the consequence of someone else’s actions. It is
not fair. But you’re not alone in it. You have people who care about you. You--

COOPER
When I got your email, I realized that you’re the only person who knows who I was.
(Beat. Uncertainty.)

ISSAC
What do you mean?

COOPER
My parents, my friends-- no one really knows who I was back then.

ISSAC
Ok.

COOPER
And, I find myself thinking of that time in my life a lot recently.

ISSAC
What time?

COOPER
I don’t know. I guess, just, when I was a kid. When I came to see you.

ISSAC
Oh.

COOPER
I was so young. There was so much turmoil for me then. I felt so-- I don’t know, at war with
everything.

ISSAC

55
Yes.

COOPER
It’s like now, but different.

ISSAC
I see.

COOPER
Do you?

ISSAC
I think so?

COOPER
It’s like I, I need help. From him.

ISSAC
From who?

COOPER
From who I was.

ISSAC
Oh.

COOPER
I’m not making much sense, am I?

ISSAC
Yes you--

COOPER
Do you remember the thing that happened between us?

ISSAC
I--

COOPER

56
Was that this also? (Beat. The air is heavy.) Did I--? Did you--?

ISSAC
Oh, I--

COOPER
I’m not saying that it was. I’m just--

ISSAC
It’s ok, I--

COOPER
I honestly just don’t know anymore. I need your help. Everything I’ve found a place for has been
jumbled around.
(A long silence.)

ISSAC
Do you feel that, that it was?

COOPER
I was the one who--

ISSAC
It doesn’t matter, Cooper. However you feel about what happened is what’s true.

COOPER
I knew if I brought you here you would say something like that.

ISSAC
It is important to me that you decide how you feel about what happened between us. I don’t want
to say anything to convince you one way or another.

COOPER
I wish someone would just tell me what is and what isn’t.

ISSAC
I have to be honest, I’ve never been in this type of situation. I’m not sure what is best for me to--
Maybe I should leave.
(He starts to gather his things.)

57
 COOPER
(Softly) Please don’t.

ISSAC
You have my information. You can get in touch with me whenever--
COOPER
(Desperate) Stop! When I kissed you, I proved to myself that--, that I--

ISSAC
(Struggling) When I think about our session, I replay it in my mind and go over every detail to
make sure I didn’t do anything that would provoke you.

If I have hurt you in any way. If I made things challenging for you. Please know that I am so
sorry.

COOPER
Don’t say that.

ISSAC
I’m sorry, Cooper.

COOPER
(The most definite he’s been) Stop apologizing. That is not what I need from you.

When I met you I was so angry and so alone. I am just trying to figure out how I fixed myself
back then.
(Beat. Clarity.

He understands his realization as a feeling, as an emotion but can’t put

words to it.

A long silence.)

ISSAC
What has happened to you, the way that man treated you. This is not what you deserve.
(Another long silence.)

COOPER
Could I show you something?

58
 ISSAC
Oh. Sure, yes.
(COOPER goes to his desk and pulls out an ornate photo album.)

COOPER
I got this when Sammi was born.
(He sits beside ISSAC and gently hands him the photo album.)

ISSAC
Wow. This is beautiful.

COOPER
I’ve been filling it with pictures for years. I imagine myself giving it to her one day.

ISSAC
She’s got a very thoughtful dad.

COOPER
Here.
(COOPER hands ISSAC a picture.)

ISSAC
And who’s this guy?

COOPER
This is Liam, on the day we brought him home from the hospital.

ISSAC
Oh gosh, he’s precious.

COOPER
My sister bought him this outfit. She takes aunt-ing very seriously.

ISSAC
As well she should.
(COOPER hands ISSAC another picture.)

COOPER
This is Ava and my Mom. I know they’re not related, but I always think they look so much alike.

59
 ISSAC
Isn’t it wonderful how that happens?

COOPER
And this is Henry and I on our wedding day.

ISSAC
He’s handsome.

COOPER
He is, isn’t he?

ISSAC
You both look so happy.

COOPER
And this is the first apartment we lived in together.
(COOPER places the picture on the table. There is now a small pile of
pictures fanned out across the table. ISSAC picks it up to look.)

And this...
(COOPER places another photo on the table.)

And this...
(COOPER places another photo on the table.)

And-- .

BLACK OUT.

END OF PLAY.

60