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PLAYS
Not Here Yet
A Play in One Act by William Fowkes
Some feedback on Not Here Yet:
“…an interesting premise, well-executed…”
- Pittsburgh New Works Festival, Pittsburgh
Description: A woman seeks her place in the world at the entrance to a subway station in midtown Manhattan.
Charcters:
Eleanor: A woman of indeterminate age dressed casually but stylishly. Well-educated and articulate, but a bit uncomfortable in her own skin.
Charlene: A woman of indeterminate age dressed casually but in a more downscale fashion than Eleanor. Scrappy and full of personality. A survivor.
Richard: A man of indeterminate age wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase. Superior attitude and bearing. A busy man.
Setting: The entrance to a subway station in midtown Manhattan.
The Time: One summer afternoon
Synopsis
Eleanor, a well-dressed woman, stands outside the entrance to a subway station in midtown Manhattan advising people about the state of the trains down below. “Not here yet,” she bellows, reassuring people that there’s no need to rush down the stairs—or “It’s coming! Pick up the pace!” After a while, a crumpled woman named Charlene arrives and begins to do the same thing, though a bit more dramatically. They argue over who has the right to this spot. Charlene derides Eleanor’s poor performance and meager earnings—a mere $3.00 in her cup after several hours. She gives Eleanor some pointers, but finally decides to let her keep the spot and moves on to another station. Eleanor resumes her work, advising people about the state of the trains down below—and providing some observations about the goodness of people—until Richard enters and asks her what she’s doing. Why isn’t she back at their apartment on Park Avenue preparing dinner? They argue about the state of their marriage. Eleanor provides ample evidence that she’s not needed at home or anywhere else in their world. Richard is forced to confess some ugly things until he tells her he loves her, kisses her goodbye, and asks if he’ll see her tonight. He leaves after she says she doesn’t know. Once he leaves, she reflects for a moment before resuming her work.
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