Barker - This Is How We Got Here

Also by Keith Barker The Hours That Remain For Aaron, Craig, Daniel, and Carol. Co ntents Production H istory This Is How We Got Here was first produced by Theatre Continuum and New Harlem Productions as part of the SummerWorks Performance Festival at Factory Theatre, Toronto, from August 4 to 14, 2016, with the following cast and creative team: Lucille: Peggy Coffey Paul: James D owning Liset: Deborah Dra keford Jim: Martin Julien Voice-over: Marc Bla nchard Director: E li Ham Set Design: Ryan Howard C lement Artwork and Graphic Design: Travis Murphy Fox Prop: D eb Erb Costume Design: Isidr a Cruz Sound Design and Live Performance: Deann a Choi Lighting Consultant: Wendy Gre enwood He gave one last long look across the sky, across that magnificent silver land where he had learned so much. Im ready, he said at last. And Jonathan Livingstone Seagull rose with the two starbright gulls to disappear into a perfect dar k sky. Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston S eagull Char acters Paul: Craigs father, Lucilles husband, and Jims best f riend. Lucille: Craigs mother, Pauls wife, and Lisets s ister.

Liset: Lucilles sister, Craigs aunt, and Jims wife. Jim: Lisets husband, Craigs uncle, and Pauls best f riend. Please note the character of Craig is revealed in a voice recording at the end of the play. This Is How We Go t Here Scene 1 One-Year Anniv ersary jim walks in dressed up for the cold. He carries a flashlight. paul enters dressed much the same. jim: So? Where should we start? paul: Depends. jim: So? Where should we start? paul: Depends.

Which way did s he go? jim: That way or was it? No. No, she went tha t way. jim starts to walk in the direction he indi cated. paul: Where you going? jim: She went tha t way. paul: Yeah, but the creek runs that way. Which means she probably followed it down past Georges and o ver jim: to Harlands.

Good thi nking. jim starts to walk towards Harl ands. paul: Now where you going? jim: You just said Harl ands. paul: Yeah, but theres nothing past Harlands except the lake. Which means she probably headed north along the hydro lines to Carols Creek. jim: You really think shed go tha t far? paul: Only one way to fin d out.

Both men exit in opposite direc tions. Thi s way. jim immediately adjusts his mistake and follows paul . jim: Right, thi s way. Scene 2 Fox Story Part 1 paul: Once there was a fox who lived in the forest and he had a magical gift for storytelling. Animals would come from all around and from far away just to hear his stories.

And the fox would spend all of his days making up story after story and telling them to anyone who would listen. But one day, as sometimes happens, things changed, and the fox when asked by the badger to tell his own story could not remember it. In fact, he could not remember any of his own stories. It seems he had told so many stories to so many people that he had, in fact, lost his own. This worried the fox. He had never lost his own story before.

It had always been there to tell him which way to go and what to do next. But now it was gone and he felt very alone. Luckily he still had the story of today, and today, like all the days before it, had been good. But today was quickly coming to an end. And if today ended before he could find his story again, what would that mean for tomorrow? With no story there would be no tomorrow. paul is waiting at the door. paul is waiting at the door.

He knocks and waits the appropriate amount of time one does when waiting for someone to answer. Then he starts to leave. liset opens the door. liset: Paul? Is tha t you? paul: Oh hey, Liz, hows it going? liset: Good, an d you? paul: Oh you know, it goes. liset: Yeah. Beat.

Im sorry but we have to make this quick Im in the middle of making d inner. paul: I dont mean to interr upt liset: You didnt. What s up? Beat. paul: Liz, I know things havent been good between us l ately. liset: U h huh. liset: Seriously, thats what youre her e for? paul: Lis ten liset: No, you listen to me. liset: Seriously, thats what youre her e for? paul: Lis ten liset: No, you listen to me.

She made it very clear she doesnt want to se e you. paul: A couple of minutes is all Im askin g for. liset: Im sorry. paul: If she says no Ill go away, I pr omise. liset: She doesnt want to se e you. paul: Just go in there and ask her, wou ld ya? liset: Im not doing that! paul: why not ? Am I that terrible of a person that you wont even let me see my wife on the annive rsary? She holds her g round.

You are unbelievable; you reall y are. paul walks away. liset: wait ... Shes been... struggling. With you two and the divorce its only made things worse.

She spends most of her days outside in the backyard. She doesnt talk; she doesnt want to talk; she barely eats; and I know shes not sleeping. Mostly she wants to be left alone, so thats what I try to do: I try to leave her alone. Some days are better than others. Today is not one of those days. you k now paul: Yeah. Beat. liset: Anyways Ive got to get back inside, dinner is on the stove. paul: Yeah, no, of course. paul: Yeah, no, of course.

Ill get out of you r way. paul goes to leave. liset: Listen... Ill tell her you stopped by. If she wants to see you I will drive her over. Deal? paul: Deal.

Scene 4 Two Weeks Before The Anniv ersary paul and lucille s house. We hear the sound of a pick-up truck pulling up. A truck door opens and closes. After a m oment: jim: (from off) Paul? You home? paul: (from off) In here! After a moment jim enters. He has a slight limp due to a sore back and his hand is bandaged up. paul enters shortly after.

What s up? jim: Not much. Whatcha up to? paul: Working on the well. I keep getting sediment in the water. jim: Oh, thats not good. paul: Yeah well, hopefully I can patch it cause I cant afford to drill a ne w one. jim: So, you gonna offer me a drink or what? paul: Since when do you ask? Help yourself to whatevers in the fridge. jim: So, you gonna offer me a drink or what? paul: Since when do you ask? Help yourself to whatevers in the fridge.

I got juice in there somew heres. jim: Juice? paul: Yeah, juice. jim: What kind of juice? paul: I dont know, does it m atter? jim: Guess not. You got anything else? paul: Like what? jim: Like, I dont know, you got any beer? paul: No, but I got some pop in the fridge downstairs. Give me a sec jim: Nah dont worry abo ut it. paul: Suit yourself... paul: Suit yourself...

So, what brings you over to this side of town? jim: I thought Id return your Shop-Vac t o you. paul: You came all the way over here for that? jim: Yeah well Liz has been nagging me about it for a while now. Hey, you got a light? paul: Yeah, I got some matches, but you cant smoke in the house. jim: Since when? paul: Since Ive been trying to quit. But you can smoke on the porch if you like. jim makes his way towards the door. paul: Whats up? Why are you limping like that? jim: Ah, its my back its killing me. paul: Whats up? Why are you limping like that? jim: Ah, its my back its killing me.

Ive been sleeping on the couch the last few n ights. paul: Oh yeah? jim: Yeah. paul: Whatd y ou do? jim: No thing. paul: No thing? jim: Thats what I said. paul: I know thats what you said, but you must have done some thing. jim: Whats that supposed to mean? paul: Nothing, whats wrong with your hand? jim: Ah, just a dumb thing I did at work...

Hey, I know we havent, you know... seen a lot of each other since the uh paul: Yeah, no, its fine. jim: Ive been super busy at w ork paul: Yeah me too. Here let me grab you those ma tches. jim: Sure ... ... ...

Hey, you get any tags this year? paul: No , you? jim: Yeah, I got a bull. Dale got on e too. paul: Oh yeah? I totally forgot this year. jim: You should put your name in with the police. Theyll call you if someone hits one on the hi ghway. paul: Yeah, I thought about it, but it kind of feels like Im cheating, you know what I mean? jim: Yeah, but a moose is a moose, right? paul: Right. jim: As long as you dont mind spitting out a bit of glass at the dinner table. jim: As long as you dont mind spitting out a bit of glass at the dinner table.