Airport Sparrows Act 2 scene i

Act 2 scene i
a street

enter SARAH

Sarah- Oh, fuck me, has it really been so long
Since I stepped ‘cross a threshold of mine own?
The date says no, yet seems longer has past
Than any reasonable calendar;
Yet; it is not enough time to forget
Such treasons as brought ruin to my heart

enter MICHAEL

Cannot mind from wretched organ depart?

Michael- Sarah, my love, have been away too long.
Oh how I have missed your passionate song.

Sarah- Christ Michael, get the hell away from me!
Tis done, find another to treat so poorly!

Michael- Poorly my love? I have ever treated you well--
Devoted all that I am unto you
That I might give you all that you deserve.
Poorly? My love pours through every nerve…

Sarah- There is not a drop of love in you, Mike.
You are but a pitiful and lost boy
Who e’er mistakes his penis for his heart.
What stirs beneath the level of your belt
Has nothing to do with love, nor with me:
E’en if I wanted boys, would not choose thee.

Michael- My love, how can you say such unto me?
How can I, you, my deepest passion see?

Sarah- Michael, I cannot say how I loath thee;
There are not enough words to say how foul
Even your voice sounds upon my ear.
You are but a lying and selfish cheat
Whose sweetest words have fermented his brain,
Corrupting what e’er good did once reside.
Should I ne’er hear another word of you
I would consider it a well deserved break.
I’ll no more of your sad drivel take.

Michael- Drivel? My words have only carried love.
Yet... I can see now I deserve better--
That you are unworthy of my passions.
Know it must come as unexpected shock
After so much apparent devotion,
But my heart can take no more of your spite.
We are over Sarah, know not what saw…
Nay: Pine not, beg not, of you I’ve no need.
I’ll find a better woman for my seed.

exit MICHAEL

Sarah- What the fuck? You crazy fucking bastard...
Dare I think; dare I hope that he speaks true
That he has finally abandoned me?
I have not the strength of faith to believe
That the measure of woe does find an end.
Tis done, at least… oh Christ, I hope it is...
Yet it’s a word of hope I’ve heard before,
And I cannot do else than doubt its truth…
Damn it, betrayal would keep me awake
E’en without Michael to my peace forsake…

exit SARAH

Airport Sparrows Act 1 scene viii

Act 1 scene viii 

the Blue Canary

enter MARC and LYNDON 

Marc- So that, my friend, is how began the day

And the night, I fear, can go either way. 

Lyndon- Vindication’s found in her arrival, 

So you’ve nothing to fear if she here shows.

More though, I’m sorry Laura found you so

And brought her long tempered hatred to bear.

She has stewed herself in such bitter bile

That I’m not surprised the silence’s broken:

Least now that vitriol has been spoken. 

Marc- And I know I’m not without guilt in this. 

Was right about my untoward silence

And that I did a grave mis-justice do.

It would not have survived the distance, though:

She always needed so much real contac

That long distance ne'er would have gotten far…

It's hard to comprehend how deep that scar. 

Lyndon- My sister chose her own path Marc, not you. 

Nor are you are without fault, as well have said,

But... in the end, it was her will alone

That carried her so deep into darkness.

But you should not take on more than you earned,

For even I who have not left this place 

Still garner only affection's sorrow;

When I see her, she's just looking for dough. 

Marc- Have we neglected as friend and brother 

That she should fly so into the darkness?

Could we have done more, and not so much less? 

Lyndon- I don’t know Marc: descended so fast; 

By the time I had returned from Dover

She had already paved her road to hell.

Could we have otherwise than what we’ve done?

Perhaps, my friend, but at what cost to us?

Would have been us there, and her in our place

Wondering how we’d found such barren roads.

We cannot alter the past, nor Laura

Unless she chooses to do otherwise.

And for that, she does both of us despise. 

Marc- Tell you this Lyndon, miss the old Laura. 

Missed her from the day we departed here.

She was as much a friend as lover,

And though that part of her died long ago,

I suffer more that the former’s gone too.

Feel more guilty, now, after our interview. 

Lyndon- You’ve other things to worry about here 

Than Laura’s trials and self inflicted woes.

I’d that you’d find some respite in my bar

From the past that returns to assail you.

Beg of you, leave your burdens by the door

And let them, for an hour, trouble you no more.

enter LAURA, drunk/high 

Marc- How can I leave them at the door, my friend

When they so easily find the entrance.

Cannot avoid when makes her own presence. 

Lyndon- Goddamn it Laura; go the fuck away. 

Have you not caused enough trouble today? 

Laura- Fuck you Lyndon, I didn't come for you. 

I’ve unsettled business here with him

And I’d rather you stay out of my way. 

Marc-y, Marc-y, Marc. How are you today? 

Marc- Have you not loosed enough venom my way 

That you should ruin what’s left of my day? 

Laura- One small day does not balance the accounts 

Of a lifetime of shadows and sorrows.

You owe me far more than a single day

And I will claim it as would a pound of flesh

Cleaved a moment before by the butcher.

Know well I hold you destiny’s villain

And your demise I will revel much in. 

Lyndon- Have you not destroyed one life enough, sis, 

That now you must range forward to destroy more?

Get out Laura, you know where lies the door. 

Laura- Seek you now to brave my talons brother, 

To defend this worthless sack before you?

Nay Lyndon, you have not the strength for it

And I’ll not waste time on less than this shit. [points to Marc] 

Lyndon- Don’t make me summon forth the legal hand 

To remove you forth from my holding’s land. 

Laura- Oh, I’ve time enough ere they would arrive: 

Would but the appointment change; not deprive. 

Marc- Cannot believe that the world has changed so, 

That you, who long ago stood united,

Should face each other now as mortal foes!

What good is found that you should wage so strong

‘Gainst those who never sought to do you harm?

This world is harsh, but we’ve moved on, Laura,

And perhaps it is best that you should too.

Run as always said, and find somewhere new. 

Laura- And whither do you think that I should go? 

All that I have ever desired is here;

Has returned, just as the sun’s wide orbit

Kisses again e’en the long barren field;

My love casts again; the fallowed seeds grow.

I could not leave now, nor do I wish too! 

enter SARAH

Through all of this shit, Marc, I still love you. 

Marc- Twas not the sun, it was death’s scythe that dropped, 

But damn it Laura, my love never stopped. 

Sarah- And thus Marc, as do emotion confide, 

I discern in words once spoken, have lied. 

Marc- Fuck! Sarah, pray give me leave to explain! 

exit SARAH 

Fuck you!  Must you ev’ry ‘motion defame? 

exit MARC 

Lyndon- Goddamn it!  Must you destroy all you touch!

Your life, beloved sister, is not Pompeii,

Nor is your love of that mummified form

That others shall look upon and learn from.

You’ve spent so much time playing the victim

That you have blinded yourself to all else.

What happened to the girl I grew up with

Who would leap selflessly into the flames

If she thought she could save another’s life?

What happened to my sister who could walk

Like an angel across the razor’s edge

That is life in this shit hole of a town?

You have always blamed Marc for everything,

But all that he has ever done was love you.

Must know that your life since as been your own:

That you can't blame Marc for your decisions

Just because he was not there to stop you.

You cannot blame Marc for Lucifer’s fall:

This is your life, and you who must stand tall! 

Laura- Long have I laboured to release the chain 

That has bound that demon unto my heart.

Should thank me for saving her from such woe

You think I should wallow over such tripe?

I still love him Lyndon; I want him back

And I refuse to cut him any slack. 

Lyndon- You are a fucking two year old screaming 

Because you are being denied a toy! 

Marc will never fall for your stupid ploy. 

Laura- Fuck you Lyndon, I’ll claim again what’s mine! 

Such is fate; such is my goddamn design! 

exit LAURA 

Lyndon- Goddamn that fucking, most confounded bitch!
Seeking still, what can ne’er again attain,
And more than happy reaping further disgrace...
Fuck you Laura, and fuck this fetid place! 

exit LYNDON

Airport Sparrows Act 1 scene vii

Sorry 'm a little behind schedule.  The last couple of days were rather hectic and I was away from my computer.  Shall we continue?

So here is one of the revised scenes from the reading we all did.  One of the comments I received was that it wasn't completely clear just what Marc's problem with the town, and what the town's problems with itself, were.  I hope this helps, and that you enjoy the changes.  As a bonus treat, posted after this 'final' draft version, I have also posted a the same section (two scenes) of an early draft.  It has much in common with the reading draft, but also sigificant differences.  

Act 1 scene vii 

a street/an airport

enter MARC

Marc- I wish I could tell whether or not mem'ry 

Paints this town in hues of such fell colours, 

Or if the town itself, through corruption, 

Can no longer hide her ample trackmarks. 

I wish I could blaim memory's insult, 

But clearly, things are far worse than I knew, 

And I cannot doubt my brother's own hand 

Has wrought at least half of all the trouble. 

Even the scant recollections of youth; 

Plentiful in mind, and thin on pleasure 

Have been eroded by time's slow passing 

enter LAURA, unseen by MARC 

The tall tales and bold fictions of boyhood

Are now but pale and ghostly overleaves,

Faded transparencies against a screen 

Torn and altered by a far harsher truth...

There's naught left that my memory would know. 

Airport Sparrows Act 1 scene v and scene vi

Scene v is so short, I decided to double it up, so here's scene vi too!

Act 1 scene v 

a hotel room 

lights up.  MARC is in bed.  enter SARAH, dressed in her uniform.  Her entrance wakes him. 

Sarah- I know it’s here somewhere; gimme a break,

I've got no time for this –  Marc, you’re awake. 

Marc- Good morning to you too; what time is it? 

Oh Christ, my head; Jesus, I feel like shit. 

Sarah- Sorry Marc, I didn’t mean to wake you; 

Have you seen my flight pass?  It’s white and blue. 

Marc- [takes pass from around his neck] 

You slipped it around my neck ere boarding.

Did I something rather offensive do

That you’d elope without e’en a “See you?” 

Sarah- Sorry Marc, but I’ve really gotta go. 

Stay if you’d like; check out’s at eleven.

See you around Marc, I’ll give you a call.

exit SARAH 

Marc- Oh, fuck me, it’s far to early for this…

What the hell just happened?  What did I miss? 

[throws himself back on the pillows] 

blackout 

Airport Sparrows Act 1 scene iv

Act 1 scene iv 

the Blue Canary

lights up. JASON and LAURA are doing lines off the bar 

Jason- Jesus Christ woman! where'd you get this shit.

Come on, tell me, You know that I'm no rat.

enter LYNDON

Laura- Never mind about my sources Jason,

Just call me when you want a little fun.

Lyndon- Laura, what the fuck are you doing here? 

You know you're not welcome within my bar. 

Laura- Come off it Lyndon, don’t be such a jerk, 

Can’t a sister come see her brother work? 

Lyndon- No she can't. Not when she still snorting coke.

Jason; this is your only warning, see?

If your gonna do something dumb, least think

And wipe your nose ere you’d serve another drink. 

Jason- Sorry boss, it’ll ne’er happen again. 

Don’t know what I thought, she just came in... 

Lyndon- Go home; don’t argue when I’m forgiving,

But know, if this happens again, you’re through.

exit JASON

So what is it this time Laura, need dough?

You know I will not fund your need for blow.