The Night The Lights Went Out ...

blackout4.jpg (17495 bytes)

SCENE: MAUREEN is behind ROGER, following him into the stairwell at The Towers; it's the night of NICK & MINDY's wedding there, which didn't happen because she left town.

MAUREEN: Roger, what is going on?!!! I've been watching you coming in and out of the party for hours. What would make you crash a Lewis wedding?

ROGER: You know, you are probably the only person in this town who might really understand.

... suddenly, the lights go out all over Springfield !

SCENE I :

MAUREEN [banging on the door]: Somebody!?!?! We're stuck in here!

ROGER: It's no use. The floors above and below are locked.

MAUREEN: Hello? Is anybody out there?

ROGER: They can't get in from there either. It's a magnetic lock. Somebody's misguided idea of a security system.

VANESSA [knocking on the door]: Maureen?

MAUREEN: Yes, yes, Vanessa, what's going on?!

VANESSA: Hi, it's a power blackout. The power is out all over the city.

ROGER: That explains it.

VANESSA: Are you alright?

MAUREEN: Yes, I'm fine. Is Michelle with you?

VANESSA: No. No, I haven't seen her.

MAUREEN: She was running all around the club.

VANESSA: Now wait a minute. Don't panic. I'll find her.

MAUREEN: Come back and let me know if you find her, OK, Vanessa? Vanessa?!?!

ROGER: Michelle's gonna be OK.

MAUREEN: Not if she's in a place like this. She's gotta be scared to death.

ROGER: Well, she's probably making a game out of it.

MAUREEN: I hope so. Oh, this is really bizarre. I mean, what are you doing here, at Mindy's reception?

ROGER: Well, actually, I came here looking for my daughter, and I thought I'd be able to talk to Julie. My son has left town, apparently for good.

MAUREEN: Do you know where he went?

ROGER: Nope. Away from me.

MAUREEN: Was it something you said?

ROGER: Now why do you automatically assume that it was something I said, or did ...?

MAUREEN: Roger, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

ROGER: It's OK. I did a business deal last year, I thought quite a visionary idea. But, it involved land that turned out to belong to Hart and his grandfather. Land he is very attached to. He's at a very sentimental age, where he's just clinging to the past. I've been working so hard to build a future for my family, and he doesn't want any part of it.

MAUREEN: Well, did you think about discussing it with him?

ROGER: Well, I wasn't aware I had a son at the time.

MAUREEN: Oh...

ROGER: Yeah, see, the deal was there, everything was in place, it was simply a matter of seizing the opportunity or losing it. Well, you're in business now, you know how it is.

MAUREEN: Yes...

ROGER: So....?

MAUREEN: You want my opinion?

ROGER: OK.

[From outside the door]

VANESSA: Maureen?!

MAUREEN: Did you find Michelle?

VANESSA: No, I've looked everywhere. She's not in the club.

MAUREEN [panicked]: Then where is she?

SCENE II

ROGER is working on the door lock.

ROGER: So....

MAUREEN: What?

ROGER: How do you like working for the Spauldings?

MAUREEN [distracted]: Uh....I like it. I like it a lot. Vanessa's very fair-minded.

ROGER: Yes, she's got a lot more integrity than most.

MAUREEN: Yes, yeah, I really admire her.

ROGER: And the Spauldings themselves?

MAUREEN: Well, their name is on my paycheck.

ROGER [he laughs]: Yeah, wasn't that long ago it was on mine too.

ROGER [trying to keep her mind off of MICHELLE]: You know, I really cared for Alexandra. We've got a lot more in common than either of us would like to admit. I just didn't much care for being Mr. Spaulding. Finding Hart would've been perfect if it hadn't cost me Mindy. And loving Mindy would've been perfect if I hadn't been married to Alex at the time. [Maureen laughs]. And being married to Alex would've been perfect if I didn't mind being a kept man. Life keeps dangling the carrot and I keep lunging after it and coming up empty ...ah.....hoping for....something.

MAUREEN: I think they call it "the pursuit of happiness".

ROGER: Yeah, trouble is, I keep forfeiting whatever happiness I happen to have in the process.

MAUREEN: I like Hart. I hope he comes back...soon. I know you love him.

ROGER: Thank you.

MAUREEN: And I wanna thank you, for what you're trying to do right now. I wonder if Michelle is with Ed?

ROGER: Hmmm...where is my good buddy Ed right now?

SCENE III

MAUREEN: If Ed is with Holly instead of Michelle, I will kill her!

ROGER [he laughs]: I just love the way the woman always threatens to kill the other woman,
never the man. Not that there is another woman in this case!

MAUREEN: Well, I certainly hope not, for her sake ...

ROGER: It does truly amaze me though. I mean, how Holly can command such undying loyalty in all her exes!

MAUREEN: I'd really rather not discuss this with you Roger, if you don't mind.

ROGER: Of course.

But ROGER can't stop talking about his favorite subject.

ROGER: I just don't understand how Ed and Ross can continue to coddle this woman. I mean, I do it, I assume, out of a sense of guilt, but Lord knows they have nothing to feel guilty about!

MAUREEN: You know what your trouble is Roger? You talk too much!!! [she gets upand pushes him back to the door] You know what you need?

ROGER: No, what?

MAUREEN: A good friend. A male friend. Someone to go fishing with, or, I don't know, do whatever it is you do with your spare time.

[ROGER laughs, and flashes her a wicked smile. When she sees his reaction, MAUREEN laughs too.]

ROGER: You're very refreshing, you know that? You know, when I came back to town, you were
the one person who treated me with an ounce of grace and civility and I will never forget that.

MAUREEN: You're welcome.

ROGER: Ah, okay, come here.

MAUREEN: What?

ROGER: You see this little metal wire just kinda dangling down here? All right, now, this pin right here, if you will just pull it to the left ...

MAUREEN: OK ...

ROGER: ...like that. OK, hold it.

ROGER [opening the door]: Go find your daughter.

MAUREEN: You are a genius! Thank you SO much!

[She hugs him].

MAUREEN: You see, I was right. You're not as bad as everyone says.

ROGER laughs, and goes to the door to watch as she walks away.

Comments on these scenes?
ThorpeRenaldi@michaelzaslow.com