Emergence (or The Second Goodbye)

Model by: Tom Burch

A figure in a teal dress regards a formal but colorful living room.

by Dennis Schebetta

ROBYN, 19, enters walking down the steps of the house, a rolling suitcase cascading clumsily behind her. She is anything but graceful as she tries to maneuver with the weight of it.

When she gets the suitcase to the bottom step it topples over and she almost trips over it.

She screams at it then kicks it.

She hobbles to the couch and sits, rubbing at her foot. Her attention focuses on the house around her.

She takes a long, deep breath.

Well.

I guess this is it.

Goodbye.

Mom is going to get impatient

You know how she gets

Trying to beat traffic

But I don’t care

I needed…

I needed this moment just to say…

I know I already said goodbye to you.

When I was 10.

At your funeral.

But now I’m leaving this house

The first house you owned as a U.S. citizen

The house where I was born

The house where you died.

(Beat.)

Papa?

Are you listening?

(Beat.)

You used to call me your butterfly

Tell elaborate bedtime stories about how I could

Transform

Into someone else

To fly away

Like you did from your home.

But this, now, this saying goodbye

To you

Your spirit

in this house

This goodbye seems so…

Permanent.

I guess death is like that.

(A beat. She stands and moves around the space, breathing it in.)

Change is like that, too.

Were you the one who told me

The only constant is change?

Or was that some famous scientist I read?

(Shit.

I hope that’s not on, like, one of my first tests at Stanford.

God, I already feel behind.)

Can I tell you a secret?

Maybe it’s not so secret…

I don’t want to go.

I don’t want to leave this house

I don’t want to get in that car with mom.

I don’t want to be at an airport.

I don’t want to get on that plane.

I don’t want to be the first to go to college.

I don’t want to start a whole new school.

A whole new life.

I don’t want to make friends

Make a career

Make anything

I don’t want to be a butterfly

I want to stay safe in my cocoon

But the problem is…

Mostly

I don’t want to disappoint you.

I know I won’t – you always told me:

“I love you and I’m proud of you.”

And I’d say

I know.

(A beat.)

I wish you were here right now

You’d tell me I worry too much

I overthink things

I need to be present

In the moment

Focus on what matters

Not to take things too seriously

You always had good advice.

(She looks around again as she picks up the suitcase.)

I have so many questions

You’ll say that it’s in the seeking that we find ourselves

Not necessarily the answer we want

But the answer we need

But what I need

Right now

Is for you to wrap your arms around me

And tell me everything will be okay.

But I believe matter is energy

And that energy never really disappears

And I can believe you are here

In the air

Around me.

Is that belief enough?

I don’t know.

I wish you had some words for me right now, Papa.

A whisper of wisdom.

Anything?

(Silence. She listens.

Does the room answer?

She smiles either way.

Takes a deep breath and exhales deeply.)

I know.

Enough.

Off I go to change the world

Let the world change me.

(She exits the door with her suitcase.)

Audio Recording

Robyn: Nkeki Obi-Melekwe

Directed by: Chris Campbell

Sound Designer: Mac Miller

**Dennis Schebetta**

Dennis Schebetta is an actor, director, and writer in film and theater both with credits off-off Broadway and regionally at theatres such as Ensemble Studio Theater, 29th Street Rep, Vital Theater, City Theatre, and 12 Peers Theater. His play *THE ALBATROSS* was the John Gassner New Play Award winner and his play *OBSCURA* won the Charles Getchell Award. His plays *HIPSTERS IN LOVE* and *HALF FULL* were included in the Bricolage Urban Sprawl Anthology of 10 Minute plays and his play *DOG PARK OR SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN MAGNUSON* is published in Ten 10-Minute Plays. The play *BURNING BOTTICELLI* premiered in the 8th Annual New York Fringe Festival and his play *W@STE* was seen at The Road theater in LA . Other developmental works include *SOLDIER SONG*, a movement-based play with original music and *BOOM BOOM (OUT GO THE LIGHTS)*, an adaptation of *Oedipus Rex*. He is Assistant Professor at Skidmore Theater and co-author of Building a Performance: An Actor’s Guide to Rehearsal (with John Basil) published by Rowman & Littlefield. www.dennischebetta.com

**Tom Burch**

Tom Burch is a professional scenic designer for theatre and opera as well as an educator based in Charlotte, NC. His design credits include shows at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, American Repertory Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Berkeley Rep, Arizona Theatre Co, Actors Theatre Louisville and many places in between. His NYC credits include the off-Broadway production of *Mistakes Were Made* at Barrow Street Theatre, and *The Hypocrites' Pirates of Penzance* at NYU/Skirball). He was based in Chicago for several years and is a recipient of 3 After Dark Awards and 5 Jeff Award nominations (1 win) for his design work. He recently returned from Italy where he designed touring operas (*Don Giovanni* and *Il Trionfo dell'Onore*) for La Musica Lirica. Upcoming projects include *A Doll's House Part 2* (Charlotte Conservatory Theatre), *Pinter's Moonlight* (Burning Coal Theatre), and creating a puppet adaptation of *The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari*. He teaches in the Theatre program at UNC Charlotte.

Emergence (or The Second Goodbye)

Audio Recording

Dennis Schebetta

Tom Burch

Plays