BELLEVILLE

ZACK: Mmmm. Yes. Very pretty. Not sure the toenail is long for
this world, though.
ABBY: You might have to stay home tomorrow to take care of
me.
ZACK: I might have to.
ABBY: Should we call Brigitte?
ZACK: Right now? No.
ABBY: I thought she might like to hear your voice.
ZACK: You're drunk and you're being silly.
ABBY: She never calls me back when I leave messages.
ZACK: I call you back.
ABBY: Also she doesn't pick up her phone. I think she screens
me. I think she's threatened by American women.
C
ZACK: That's a good theory.

M6 Zack stands
(He exits into the kitchen.) M7
Zack crosses stage left to kitchen
Unit 2: “Knife” M8 Abby turns body to face Zack
Scene Three ABBY: Where are you going?

Unit 1: “Babysitting”
M1 Zack and Abby cross right to couch
The middle of the night. Zack enters with a sleeping Abby slung (She lifts herself on an elbow but gets dizzy and drops back
over his shoulder. He is out of breath. He brings her to the couch down.)
and drops her there. This wakes her up.
Did you think Amina was rude?
M2 Abby sits on couch
ABBY: Where am I? ZACK (Offstage): What?
ZACK: Home, homey. ABBY: Amina! I didn't want to say before because I thought you'd
M3 Zack sits on couch say I was- (Hiccup) paranoid because I was off my drugs.
(She laughs drunkenly.) When we stopped for Advil. She was all weird and cold.
ZACK (Offstage): I didn't notice.

ABBY: Home homey home homey home. ABBY: Maybe in France it's considered (Hiccup) rude to ask for

Did you know that- (The rest of this sentence is muffled Advil. We are strangers in a strange land.
as she has rolled her mouth into a pillow) M4 Zack turns head to face Abby M9 Zack crosses stage right toward couch M10 Zack sits on couch
ZACK (Taking efJ her shoes): Gonna have to repeat that. (Zack reenters with a baguette and a large butcher knife and
M5 Abby turns head to face Zack begins to cut slices of bread.)
ABBY: The word uncanny. It means unhomely. I mean, etymo­
log-ic-ally. Or in German, or something. It's F reud. I'm
dizzy. Is that really the appropriate implement? For that little
ZACK: Your toe is turning some very exciting colors. baguette?
M11 Zack turns to face Abby
ABBY: Pretty ones? ZACK: Everything else is in the sink.

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 AMY HERZOG BELLEVILLE

(Abby sighs.) (She bites and chews obediently.)

M17 Zack stands
ABBY: I'm a terrible housekeeper. ZACK: You want some water?
M12 Zack turns center M13 Zack turns head to face Abby M18 Zack crosses SL to kitchen M19 Abby turns center
(He has cut a hunk of bread and hands it to her. She eats) (She nods. He exits to get it. She picks up the knife and looks
at it with curiosity. He reenters with water.)
You really didn't notice?
M20 Zack crosses SR to couch
ZACK: What? Whatcha <loin' with that?
ABBY: Amina. I wasn't sure because you guys were speaking ABBY: othing.
French but she seemed, like, icy. ZACK: No playing with knives while you're drunk.
ZACK: he wa a little distracted, I guess. Another bite.
ABBY: I'm not that drunk. (Zach takes the knifefrom her and puts it down.)
ZACI<: kay. Unit 4: “Zack Creeps”
ADBY: I'm not. And I'm not gonna puke again, I'm done. Here you go. Just sip this, don't gulp or you'll get sick again.
u 1c: J lope so. ABBY: 'Kay.
ALIOY: Will you check my phone again? C ZACK: I'll be back in a couple minutes.M21 Abby turns head SL to Zack
ZACK: o one's called. ABBY: Where are you going?
AHBY: Will you check? M14 Abby crosses toward bag ZACK: Downstairs, I couldn't get the door closed while I was
Unit 3: “Phone Wars” carrying you.
(He gets her phone out of her bag.) M15 Zack turns toward bag ABBY: I'm sure it's fine.
ZACK: Stay right there. Okay?
ZACK:Nope.
ABBY: Give it to me. M16 Zack turns to Abby (Abby nods.)
ZACK: You're not making any calls right now. C
ABBY: I'm just gonna tell him I'm up. In case he's afraid to call. Promise.
ZACK: I doubt that, it wouldn't be the first time he called in the
M22 Zack crosses SL to front door M23 Abby crosses (sitting) left
middle of the night. (Again. He exits. She waits a few moments. She gets up and
ABBY: Hey, I don't like your tone. limps to her phone. She dials. Zack reenters quietly.)
ZACK: Take one more bite. M24 Zack crosses right to couch
ABBY: He hasn't called in the middle of the night since the year Hey. C
after my mom died and it's not nice to bring that up.
ZACK: I'd like to have you to myself for one night, is that a lot to
M25 Abby turns head to face Zack
(Abby gasps.)
ask? Will you please take one more bite?
What did I say?
(She relents) ABBY: You were spying on me? M26 Zack sits on couch
ZACK: I said no phone calls.
ABBY (Mouth.full): You have me to yourself all the time. ABBY: But I just want my / dad to know-

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 M27 Abby turns
AMY HERZOG BELLEVILLE
M28 Zack turns to face Abby
ZACK: Abby? You're really drunk. You don't make smart deci- French and footsteps racing up the stairs. Before Abby gets
sions when you're drunk. to the bathroom, Zack rushes in, pursued by Alioune in his
ABBY: I don't like it when you talk to me that way. boxers.)
ZACK: Give me the phone.
ABBY: But then I won't hear it if he / calls. ALIOUNE: C'est quoi ce bordel?! Qu'est-ce que tu fais?
ZACK: I'll hear it,and I'll answer it. ZACK: Detends-toi, ecoute-moi, c'etait une meprise!
And I'll get you.
(They see Abby with the bloody knife, wavering. She looks al
(He waits. She gives him the phone.) them. She doubles over and vomits)

You're gonna stay on the couch this time?

(She nods glumly and limps back to the couch He waits

until she is seated. He gives her a warning look and then
exits again. Grumpy, she crosses her arms and sits back. She
puts her feet clumsily up on the ccfjee table, sending a shock
ef pain through her toe. Woozily, she takes her foot in her
hands and examines the toe. It looks bad. It may inspire a
new wave of nausea. She steels herself and goes back to the
toe. Part of the broken nail is hanging [of course we can't
see that] and she decides to tear it eff She grabs hold ef it
and tries, but it's too painful. She gasps or cries out. She takes
a few deep breaths. She remembers the large knife on the
coffee table. She considers, picks it up, and returns to the task.
With a determined but.frightened little yell, she slices cfJ the
nail, and with it, some skin. It bleeds. A lot. She looks at the
bloodied knife with some wonder.)

ABBY: Shit. Shit.

(She tries to stand, woozily falls back on the couch)

Oh,no.

(She manages to stand, still carrying the knife. Her other

hand covers her mouth She limps woozily toward the
bathroom. Offstage in the stairwell, we hear male voices in

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