Schimmelpfennig Roland - Push Up

Roland Schimmelpfennig PUSH UP NICK HERN BOOKS
London
www.nickhernbooks.co.uk ContentsPush Up was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, on 8 February 2002. The cast was as follows:

HEINRICH	Peter Sproule
ANGELIKA	Sian Thomas
SABINE	Lucy Whybrow
ROBERT	David Tennant
PATRIZIA	Jaqueline Defferary
HANS	Robin Soans
FRANK	Nigel Lindsay
MARIA	Flaminia Cinque
Director	Ramin Gray
Designer / Lighting Designer	Rodney Grant
Sound Designer	Ian Dickinson

Characters
HEINRICH
ANGELIKA
SABINE
ROBERT
PATRIZIA
HANS
FRANK
MARIA
A. HEINRICH. I work for a pretty big corporation. I sit on the ground floor, behind the glass pane in the lobby. Everyone that works in the building walks past me.

The building is big, really big, sixteen floors, and next to me there are monitors transmitting pictures from the security cameras. In the control room we work shifts, usually in twos. On the night shift we also do the round through the building. On the night round we check every room, we unlock and lock every single room. That takes time. The building is extensive, there is everything you would imagine: the executive floor, the meeting rooms that still smell of cigarettes at night, the sectors of the different departments and sub-departments, the administration offices, development, the creative rooms, the labs and the huge computer control room in the basement.

Thats where they save data from all over the world: data from the branches in the US, South Africa, India. Next to the monitors for the security cameras is my own little TV. Its not really allowed but no one says anything. Not even Kramer, who lives with the woman who more or less owns the corporation. Kramer basically runs this place. Im not really sure what she does.

But when she walks past, I always turn it off. Sometimes they even show our companys ad in our ad a man in a park carries a woman over a huge puddle. Then theres a slogan and our logo. Pause . Its strange. Its like its nicked from somewhere.

In any case the ads been on for over a year and its time for a new ad: maybe something completely different something that has more to do with me or with our products. I mean I dont get the connection. We usually work shifts in twos. Im often on duty with Maria. Maria sees the ad very differently. She likes the ad.

But Id like something with more action. I like action films. Or thrillers. Maria and I talk a lot about the things we watch on TV while were doing our shift. About the couples in the films for example. I mean: in real life its just different.

People dont just get together. Its rare that two people meet and then bang, they fall in love. It hardly ever happens. Or that a man in a park carries a woman over a huge puddle like in our ad. When does that happen? Right? Right? I say and turn to Maria.I mean just look at you and me. I dont carry you across any puddles either.

And then she laughs. 1.1. A top executives office. ANGELIKA and SABINE are sitting facing each other. ANGELIKA. Im glad youre here.

Short pause . Im pleased. I was very curious how you Im sorry you had to wait those ten minutes. Im really very pleased. SABINE. You dont have to reassure me.

Im not nervous. ANGELIKA. Theres no reason to be nervous. SABINE. Yes, there is. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

No? I am, a little. SABINE. You? ANGELIKA. Yes, certainly. Pause . Spare me. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

What? SABINE. These pleasantries. We dont need to make small talk here. ANGELIKA. Is that what Im doing? SABINE. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

Maybe we assess the situation differently. SABINE. You say youre pleased Im here. ANGELIKA. Yes SABINE. You say youre sorry I had to wait outside in the corridor with your secretary.

But none of thats true. Youre not sorry. To make someone wait for more than five minutes is a subliminal act of aggression. You know that very well. Pause . Ok. Ok.

I hope my secretary explained why you had to wait. I still had to SABINE. Youre trying to establish a certain climate of conversation here. Youre trying to establish an atmosphere of friendliness, helpfulness and warmth which is completely inappropriate. You say youre nervous although thats probably not true. Youre only doing that to relax the situation.

But the situation cant be relaxed. No matter how you assess the situation. There are obviously two different interests at stake here, and they dont meet. ANGELIKA. Just a moment. SABINE. SABINE.

No ANGELIKA. Yes SABINE. Its completely ANGELIKA. Stop. SABINE. Stop. Stop.

SABINE stands up if she was sitting. No ANGELIKA. Sabine! Short pause . Can we begin to talk now? Short pause . SABINE. Go on. 1.2. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

To throw the coffee in her face was a gaffe. A lapse in control. But she didnt deserve any better. That piece of shit didnt deserve any better. She sat there and tried to make a statement by being impertinent. Tried to pretend.

Wanted to show strength. Self-confidence. Fake, but it wasnt bad. In her stupid blue suit. She probably has four just like it hanging in her wardrobe. Tasteless but pretentious.

And successful. She sat there and didnt touch the coffee. Upset because she had to wait outside for ten minutes. Actually I knew when she walked in through the door. I just wanted to see her one last time. She was sitting facing me and I was surprised by her cheek.

The unbelievable cheek to even ask for this appointment. How does she do it? How did she manage to seduce him looking like that? With that pitiful air of expert knowledge and ambition. 1.3. ANGELIKA. Youre twenty-eight. SABINE. I know. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

I trust you completely. Even though youve only worked here for one and a half years. Without supervision. SABINE. Thats not true. ANGELIKA.

No? SABINE. No. Kramer regularly co-ordinates the department work output with the demands, expectations and needs of the board. That means theres constant quality control. ANGELIKA. Correct. Correct.

The demands and needs of the board. How could I forget? He does that. Kramer. Are you happy with this procedure? Doesnt sound like it. SABINE. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

Are you happy with Kramer? SABINE. Yes. I ANGELIKA. You can be completely honest. The fact that I live with Kramer shouldnt stop you in any way. SABINE.

Theres no friction between Kramer and me. ANGELIKA. No friction. Good. SABINE. Id like to talk about you turning me down for ANGELIKA.

Just a sec, just a sec. I just want us both to be up to speed. So there are no misunderstandings. After all we dont know each other. SABINE. All right. ANGELIKA. ANGELIKA.

You did a degree in America and then worked for two companies that sent you to Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Today you have your own team of twenty people in-house, some of whom are twice your age, and you get the best results. Correct me if Im wrong. SABINE. No, no. ANGELIKA.

Youre a highly qualified woman. Kramer says youre efficient, reliable and innovative. Very impressive. Very. SABINE. Yes.

And thats why I dont understand why you ANGELIKA. Yes, yes. SABINE. What? ANGELIKA. Yes I know of course. Lets take it slowly.

Coffee? SABINE. No thanks. ANGELIKA. You dont drink coffee? SABINE. No thanks ANGELIKA. No thanks. No thanks.

Nonetheless, ANGELIKA pours two cups. SABINE doesnt touch hers. Please Pause . ANGELIKA. You think I just sit here and do what I feel like. SABINE.