Gary Sullivan
“B”

Act I

They are driving aimlessly. America.

LEONARD: Barking Spiders, Bearded Clams, Banana Hammocks, Beer Club for Men,
Ball Movements … What’s the difference between a blonde and a bowling ball?

BARBARA: You don’t eat your bowling ball.

DUTCH: Mmmm … creamy … thick … I get the munchies bowling and dancing to live
sauce …

BARBARA: Blondes are virtually in the dark without fluorescent bowling balls.

DUTCH: Between the dark and the thyme soufflé ... mmmm …

LEONARD: B.O. Express, Belch’n Buzzards, Belly Poppin’ Fat Boys, Ben Dover All
Stars, Bitter Midgets …

BARBARA [Yawns]: Breathable air is totally overrated. Salmon the size of bowling
balls …

DUTCH [Picking up on her reverie]: Lobster fingerling potato salad meticulously
arranged, gypsy-style, with gulf shrimp or scallions …

BARBARA [in a state of REM]: New Maximum Capacity Beancurd stuffed with shrimp
paste in soya sauce ...

LEONARD: Boob Watchers, Breckenridge Barking Snow Spiders, Budweiser State
University, Bumping Monkeys --

BARBARA [Arms flailing]: Barbara’s Bowling Luncheon Cake!

LEONARD: -- Brew City Pop Tops, Big Dog Gotta Eat, Boy Chunders, Bums with Nice
Luggage … What’s the difference between a blonde and a bowling ball wearing
pantyhose? [He turns on the radio, channel surfs.]

BARBARA [Waking, sleepily]: … something about the “balance hole”?

RADIO: The tape, which was discovered about 10 days ago in an abandoned apartment
in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, was described to reporters by the --

LEONARD [Snapping the radio off]: You know, I can’t imagine somebody like bin
Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah, or the joy of Christmas, celebrating peace and
hope. This man wants to destroy any semblance of civilization for his own power and his
own good. [As he burps]: After some beer, the blonde has to press the tilde (~) to pee ...

BARBARA: Fact!

DUTCH: I don’t get it.

Curtain.


Act II

Fast food drive-thru.

RITA [From speaker]: I am Living Water, a submissive woman. Order on-line ... release
your pain … I am the message that Christ’s come again.

LEONARD [Loudly, leaning out car window, into intercom mic]: Uhhh, can I get two
double-decker supremes, a chicken chalupa-wrap, a, uh nacho cheeseburger, uh, the uh,
and, uh - what do you guys want to drink?

RITA [Speaker noise]: I am the water that quenches your thirst, I am the last, I was the
first. I am one with what the tree vole drinks.

BABARA [Yelling over LEONARD’s shoulder]: Hey, why does Jesus never say, “I am
the water of life”?

DUTCH: That’s a very good question.

RITA [More speaker noise]: I am the elf in the trees. I am the mermaid of your peach. I
am the water’s wash of flame’s desire. See my quest in the words you hear, in the songs
of the no-wind-in-there.

LEONARD [Snorts]: ... I am Big Water, Big Water is me!

RITA [Encouraged]: I am the ocean, the lake, the river, pond and creek. I am the
mountains, the valleys, the desert and the trees. I am Earth ...

DUTCH: ... Ich bin der Dreck unter deinen Walzen, Ich bin dein geheimer Schmutz Und
verlorenes Metallgeld, Ich bin deine Ritze, Ich bin ...

BARBARA: God, I feel like I’m drinking water ...

RITA: Air I am. Fire I am. Water, earth and Spirit I am. Breeze I am. Sun I am. Brook,
Mountain and Goddess ...

CHORUS OF AUTOMOBILES: Honk! Honk! HONK!

BARBARA: I’m wearing: Hot Pink & Black Zebra Striped Skirt, Black Lace Trimmed
Shirt. Soon I will have vegetarian un-chicken nuggets with everything that lives in water.
Until then, I’m gnawing on water --

LEONARD [Forcefully, into intercom mic]: You are my licorice. I am your dandelion;
you are my first wish. I am your water wings; you are my deep. I am your open arms; you
are my running leap.

BARBARA and DUTCH: I am the house that protects you I am the car that takes you
places I am the water that you drink I am the food that you eat I am the pencil that you
write --

RITA [Speaker noise]: My name is Orianna. I am a rainbow goddess. I am water, gas and
sunshine. I live in the clouds. I make rainbows. I feel happy because I’m making other
kids … oh, wait, no [Sudden shame.] … pride … ohhh … pride … my … scalp … begins
to tighten. Have mercy! Lord, I am afraid! Water, I thirst, I thirst!

LEONARD [Shouting into intercom mic]: I am like water, whose surface you have
disturbed! You see your reflection in me - distorted!

RITA [Sudden strength]: I AM THE THUNDERBOLT AMONG WEAPONS, AND I
AM THE WATER GOD AND THE NAMES. I AM THE CONTROLLER OF DEATH.

Curtain.


Act III

A mountain overpass.

LEONARD: So he was arabic looking and my mother said something like “Oh my god.
Look out he is arabic.” and I almost jumped out of the car.

DUTCH [Shivers]: Things scare me.

BARBARA: OH MY GOD! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU! Haha. Made you look. Oh.
You didn’t look?

LEONARD: I can’t! My bangs are choking me!!

DUTCH: Oh my God, look out! There’s a lizard or something in the middle of the street!

LEONARD [Flips on the radio in his panic]: I can’t see!!!

RADIO: OH MY GOD!! LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!!!

Curtain.


Act IV

Night. They huddle in the car parked on the side of the road.

BARBARA: Crickets and grasshoppers ...

DUTCH: ... the sounds of crickets courting ... a rice weevil larva eating inside a wheat
kernel ...

LEONARD: Birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals ...

DUTCH: ... waves at the beach, with katydids and crickets chirping, waterfalls, fountains,
waves, crickets, and katydids ...

BARBARA: Shhhh ... birds, mammals, frogs ... oh! Big cat growl!

DUTCH: Birds ... chicken? Crickets, crow, cow-moo ...

LEONARD: Ah! Ah! Listen! Tinkling ground crickets prefer oak-leaf litter for their
sweet, ringing sounds ...

BARBARA: Crickets, crickets: “Cript closed crowd at hockey” --

DUTCH [Yawns]: Creaks and groans -- ghostly sounds ...

LEONARD: The shrill call of a big, green cicada ...

BARBARA: Ghost crabs, scale worms, what sounds like large springs boinging ...

DUTCH: Big black furry space ...

LEONARD [Drifting off]: Killer wasps vacating their purchase as bigfoot approaches ...

DUTCH: Sounds like a completely ghost-inhabited castle ...

LEONARD: Steady beat of some grease ants ... the antennae of white-winged ghost
moths receiving sound ...

BARBARA [Curled up, sighs]: ... husk of a cicada’s chirp stone silent seed pods split a
crackle of ... moonrise sounds ... I hear a dark river fill a curved path ...

LEONARD [Nearly asleep]: Shhh, listen: Bird nests, cicada shells, honey combs, pine
cones ...

DUTCH: Little scissors?

LEONARD [Yawns]: Bug legs. Berry peckers ... like, “dug-g-dug-g” ...

BARBARA [Drifting off]: A transparent sound, ghost-like, hanging in the air ... between
oaks and willows ...

Curtain.


Act V

Morning. On the road again.

DUTCH: Ahhhhh, the smell of sun-drenched morning coffee!

BARBARA: But with this diuretic, you feel it: The price.

LEONARD: Fluid coffee causes much excitement in the brain ... like a shot of the
RISING SUN. Sayyyy, anyone care to infuse a little sexuality into the --

STATE TROOPER: Beee-ooop!

[They pull over.]

LEONARD: Boy -- well, color me happy, Officer -- am I glad to see you! Listen: I need
your stories and input. All cops have stories. I’m looking for stories about your first
pursuit. [Rummages around.] Complimentary morning coffee? Newspaper?

STATE TROOPER: Bah! I’m sick of people who “do the police” in different voices.
[Slaps LEONARD.] Here’s what I want you to do. Just get on up and dance. Wave your
hands from side to side. Just get on up out your seat and move ...

BARBARA: Wow! What’s your phone number?

STATE TROOPER [Pulls LEONARD from the car.] Now I feel lots better! IT’S
FRIIIDAAAAY!! Aww yeah, baby! Life is good: people are crazy! [Repeatedly slaps
LEONARD.]

LEONARD: Ow! Ow! Imagining what is suppose to be a really cool place ... “generous
bedrooms, deep tubs with separate shower cubicles ...”

BARBARA [Getting out of car to flirt]: BTW, my actual name is: “wouldn’t U like 2
know” ... *wink wink*

LEONARD: ... Bed, Bath & Beyond ... Sam’s Club ...

STATE TROOPER: What are you going to do about it! I’m peein’ on ya and you’re just
sitting there and takin’ it! You wanna know why? Because I --

LEONARD: Jumpin’ Bean ... Bazaar del Mundo ... Bird N’ Berry Creations ... Boutiqueri
...

DUTCH [Suddenly aware of the commotion]: O clement, o loving, o sweet Virgin Mary,
pray for us, O holy Mother of God!

BARBARA [Disturbed now]: Brrrr. I want to go. The light is bright, yellow and round.
The highway is filling up. Is this is my final destination? I thought it was Newark.

DUTCH [Weeping]: I just want to find the right therapist.

STATE TROOPER [Turns to DUTCH and BARBARA]: BY THE WAY, I’VE BEEN
ON TESTOSTERONE FOR THREE YEARS, LIVING MY LIFE LEGALLY, THANK
YOU. Before that I was at the nadir, I was like the railway passed through a crumbling
archway here, and filling the valley ahead, my final destination.

LEONARD: ... Barnes & Noble ... Burger King ... Borders ... Big Boy ...

STATE TROOPER: DON’T BLAME ME.

DUTCH: But, no, uh [coughs] ...

BARBARA: ... beyond blame.

DUTCH: Blame it on Nader.

BARBARA: I blame Internet chat rooms.

LEONARD: ... obnoxious music in the background …

BARBARA: Blame Clinton.

DUTCH: Blame Bush.

BARBARA: Romeo and Juliet -- who was to blame?

LEONARD: ... Bally Gaming ...

STATE TROOPER: Blame history

DUTCH: Belly-dancing

BARBARA: Israel apportions blame Palestinian demonstrators in the thick of battle

LEONARD: ... Banana Republic ...

DUTCH: Whoa-oah Black Betty, blam-a-lam

LEONARD: ... Blockbuster ... B. Dalton ...

STATE TROOPER: Blame bohemianism

LEONARD ... Baskin Robbins ...

BARBARA: Das Ballycotton Ballyhoo Ballyhoo Ballyhoo Bask Bask bassART Bates ...

DUTCH: Bomb Circle Bomb Circle Bond, Tony feat ... Sabine Brüder, Die Bug Burger

LEONARD: Bombo ... Burger Chase, Burger Time Burger ...

BARBARA: ... Balloon Raid, bamboo, bananas ... bogart ... bomb threat

STATE TROOPER: Bomb Squad, the Ballistix Balloon Raid Ballyhoo Ballz Banana
Drama Bandana

DUTCH: Balls of Steel. Bureaucracy Time ...

LEONARD: Bolt, bomb, bonk, boot, bop, bounce, bout, box

BARBARA: Brew, broil, bug, burn, bust, butt

STATE TROOPER: Bad, bah, bam, bang, bash, blah

DUTCH: BAD MOON RISING BAD SEED BADESALZ BAEZ ... BANG BANG
MACHINE BANG BANG MACHINE BANKS, BE BOP DELUXE, BURN BURN
BURN

LEONARD: Bad old days; Bad to me; Badge; Bahama; Blue jean bop; Blue magic; Blue
Boom bang a bang; Boom boom; Boom ...

BARBARA: BOOTYLICIOUS!

STATE TROOPER: Be-Bop-a-Lu-La!

DUTCH: Bang-a Boomerang bang-a boomerang!

LEONARD: B-b-bu biddle baddle ...

BARBARA: blllhhhuhhh ... bllllhuuhhhh ...

DUTCH: Buh ... uhhhhh ... buh.

LEONARD: Buh!

STATE TROOPER: Buh.

DUTCH and BARBARA: Buh!

STATE TROOPER, BARBARA and LEONARD: Buh!

DUTCH: Buh!

LEONARD: Buh!

BARBARA and LEONARD: Buh!

ALL: Buh!

DUTCH: Buh!

ALL: Buh! Buh!

Curtain. Fin.

return to SHAMPOO 10