SUDDEN EXPOSURE

Two act musical. Complete libretto. Romantic Comedy.
(c) 1996 Karen Mitura
All Rights Reserved

Actress Julia Dore risks her marriage of twenty years when she falls obsessively in love with her director, Michael. Discovering he was unaware of her, she confides in her husband, Will. Will copes by concluding Michael must be gay and finds himself unexpectedly aroused by the possibilities.

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Sample

ACT I: Scene 1

SETTING: MUSIC. Lights reveal JULIA and WILL's bedroom on an elevated platform.

AT RISE: JULIA dresses for the theatre. We see her through an empty frame indicating a mirror. SHE does her hair several times, pausing in self-deprecation as it is in outlandish flips, swirls, or curls.

JULIA

Forget it. I'm past the stage of a bad hair day. Face it. I've reached the bad hair stage of life.

(SHE brushes out her hair furiously and pulls it into an elegant upsweep. She places the brush on the vanity.)

JULIA

Why do they call these "vanities"? "Inadequacies" would be more realistic.

(WILL ENTERS in an undershirt and gym shorts.)

JULIA

I wish you'd come with me.

WILL

I'd feel better staying with -

JULIA

"The children?" They'll have a fit if they hear you call them that. They're right too.

It'd be more fun with you. And I could use your support.

WILL

Julia, you still want to play Juliet.

Sometimes you quite forget,

YOU AREN'T SIXTEEN ANYMORE.

JULIA
You make it sound like I should say an act of contrition. 
JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO AUDITION.
I KNOW I WON'T BE THE INGENUE.
THIS ISN'T JUST FOOLISHNESS,
I HAVE NOT COME UNGLUED.

WILL
OH, PLEASE NOT AGAIN, NOT VAN GOGH.
YOU HAVE TOLD ME BEFORE...
YES, I KNOW.

GAUGUIN HAD TURNED FORTY IT SEEMS, 
WHEN HE RAN OFF TO FOLLOW HIS DREAM.
HIS STOCKBROKING DAYS WERE UNDONE,
WHEN HE DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE SUN.
HE LEFT THE POOR WOMAN HE'D WED,
DESERTED HIS CHILDREN AND FLED,
TO TAHITI, 
(HE does a hula step.)
Papeette.

JULIA
IF TRYING NEW THINGS WERE A CRIME,
(SHE touches him suggestively.)
BY NOW WE'D BOTH HAVE SERVED TIME.

BESIDES I HAVE ACTED BEFORE,
THOUGH IT'S BEEN YEARS 
SINCE I TROD ON THE BOARD,
I was really quite good.

WILL
DON'T BE A FOOL.
THAT WAS ONLY IN SCHOOL.

JULIA
BACK THEN YOU UNDERSTOOD.
THAT I NEEDED SOMETHING MORE.
I WON'T SETTLE FOR SECOND RATE.
Never mind. I'm already late.

(SHE rushes OFF.

BLACKOUT.

Spotlights pick up three faces DS.)

MICHAEL
Desire.

ASHLEY
Desire.

EVAN
Desire.

MICHAEL
Dust.

ASHLEY
Dust.

EVAN
Dust. 

MICHAEL, EVAN, AND ASHLEY
Desire.

ASHLEY
When you move in me
I am the earth
opening for you to root yourself deep
in my life giving soil.

MICHAEL AND EVAN
When I move on you 
I am the sky, riding warm breezes
sweeping down on the sweet
grasses of your twisted meadows.

MICHAEL, ASHLEY, AND EVAN
When we move against each other
We are the flint and steel of the hearth fire
Striking the gift stolen from the gods.
We move as one.

(BLACKOUT. JULIA ENTERS. MICHAEL gathers up his belongings as 
if about to leave the theatre.)

JULIA
Excuse me. I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the performance.

MICHAEL
Thank you. 

JULIA
I, uh, um - I missed the last auditions. I was wondering, if I. I mean, 
I saw you still didn't have a second woman.

MICHAEL
Hard to miss. That last piece sounded strangely like a menage a trois.
 Here. Read this.

(HE flips through his case and hands her a page.)

JULIA
What? Now? 

MICHAEL
Take a second to look it over. But I want you to do it cold.

(JULIA scans the page. Then recites instantly from memory. 
SHE addresses it passionately directly to him.)

JULIA
I want to hold you 
in the palm of my hand
and raise you to my lips
cupped like water to my mouth.
I want to feel you
flutter against me
the quivering of your flesh
beating like the wild wings
of a bird set free on the wind
soaring, singing, 
throbbing against the sunlit sky.
I want you to be mine,
your own freest self.

(HE's shaken. SHE hands the paper back to him.)

JULIA
I'm a quick study.

MICHAEL
Rehearsals are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Seven to Nine. 
Miss two without advance arrangements and you're out.

JULIA
I'll be there.
ACT I: Scene 2
SETTING: The stage of a theatre.

AT RISE: Music.

JULIA pages through a script, mouthing words and subtly gesturing. 
SHE is slightly turned away from MICHAEL, who is working out gestures, 
unaware HE is in immediate danger of being transformed into a hungry 
armchair. As his unintentionally funny series of gesticulations 
progresses, SHE turns to him and away again several times, never quite 
looking up to catch him in the act. 

SHE turns as though having made a decision and discovers him in an 
outrageous pose. JULIA laughs.

JULIA
I'm sorry.

(SHE breaks up.)

JULIA
No. I mean it. I'm sorry. I probably looked just as ...

MICHAEL
I was just loosening up. I'll pull it in later.

JULIA
Look, I'm having trouble here myself. Scene seven.

MICHAEL
Let's run it.

(We don't hear them as they rehearse, but their intimacy makes it 
expected when their silent exchange culminates in a kiss.)

MICHAEL
This will be our moment to remember.

(JULIA collapses in laughter. MICHAEL's taken aback.)

JULIA
No. No. It's not you. It's just so ... It's so, "We'll always have Paris." 

MICHAEL
A cliche? 

JULIA
Love's never trite. But words - Sometimes ...

(They stand talking, without us hearing. SHE looks at her watch several 
times. MICHAEL steps away and turns to go. 

Deciding in an instant, HE moves to her and hugs her, with both of his 
arms over hers.

They hold each other a moment longer than a social hug. HE kisses her, 
then steps way.)

MICHAEL
Goodnight. You'll be fine. It's a good scene.

JULIA
You too. Goodnight.

(MICHAEL EXITS. JULIA sings.) 

JULIA
YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO STAY AND TALK FOR HOURS,
HIDING ALL THE WORDS WITH REAL POWER.
FINDING MORE AND MORE TO SAY,
SO WE WOULDN'T WALK AWAY,
SPEAKING IN THE SPACES IN BETWEEN.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A DREAM.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE WITH ME,
DIDN'T NEED TO FIND THE TIME TO SHARE.
CAN IT BE? IT MUST BE, YOU CARE.

AND WHEN MY CHEEK BRUSHED AGAINST YOUR FACE, 
IT WAS MORE THAN SOCIAL GRACE.
WE WERE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE,
MOVING ON TO SOMETHING MORE, 
MUCH MORE - MORE THAN WE'D BARGAINED FOR.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE WITH ME,
DIDN'T NEED TO FIND THE TIME TO SHARE.
CAN IT BE? IT MUST BE, YOU CARE.

AND THOUGH WE COULD NOT SPEAK,
YOUR FACE AGAINST MY CHEEK,
GAVE ME WHAT I DARED NOT SEEK,
A HINT THE BAREST CLUE,
SOMETHING MORE MUST BE INSIDE OF YOU.

YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO BE HERE WITH ME,
DIDN'T NEED TO FIND THE TIME TO SHARE.
CAN IT BE? IT MUST BE, YOU CARE.

YOU TOUCHED ME AND I KNEW, 
YOU COULD HAVE WALKED AWAY.
WE SAID GOODNIGHT, BUT THEN, 
YOU TURNED TO LOOK AGAIN. 

YOU KNEW AND EMBRACED, 
THE LONGING THAT I'D KEPT IN PLACE.
WE LEFT WITH JUST A TRACE, 
OF WHERE IT'S LEADING TO. 
SOMETHING MORE MUST BE INSIDE OF YOU.

WE DIDN'T JUST TOUCH AND GO,
YOU MUST HAVE WANTED ME TO KNOW,
WHAT I'D TRIED SO NOT TO SHOW,
STILL HAD REACHED YOU THROUGH.

WE WERE JUST A SHADE DEEPER THAN FRIENDS.
JUST A SHADE DEEPER, AND THEN ...

(JULIA EXITS.)
ACT II: Scene 6
SETTING: In bed. A dream.

AT RISE: WILL and JULIA are posed in a stylized, passionate embrace.

MICHAEL appears.

WILL guides JULIA to her feet. 

HE leads her to MICHAEL. 

WILL sensuously and explicitly offers her to MICHAEL.

MICHAEL receives her. 

WILL leaves them.

MICHAEL and JULIA make love.

JULIA lies in bed.

MICHAEL vanishes.

WILL appears beside her.

JULIA
I don't believe this.
How could you say -
What you said!
How could you offer me to him?
Even in fantasy?

WILL
Feeling your reaction
Just to hearing his name
Created its own attraction.

(JULIA protests.)

WILL
It's far too late for your retraction.
This was not some minor infraction.
It was just a fantasy.
A harmless fantasy.

JULIA
I was expecting an ultimatum.

WILL
Julia, I told you, you want to be Juliet.
An ultimatum would only encourage you to play Capulet.
I'll share you if I must,
You haven't betrayed my trust,
If I give you to him.
It isn't infidelity.
If I give you to him.

JULIA
But you can't give me to him.
He doesn't want me.
You can't give me to him,
So please don't taunt me.
Will, he haunts me.
Not that I don't deserve,
Any torture you'd care to devise.
But Will, it really isn't wise,
to toy with these feelings.
You're playing with fire.

WILL
You're just not a liar.
You can't hide it,
When your passion's aroused,
I'm the one who receives it.
Who'd ever have believed it.

(HE kisses her. And whispers...)

WILL
Michael. 

(JULIA writhes in his arms.)

WILL
I'll share you if I must.
You haven't betrayed my trust,
If I give you to him,
It isn't infidelity.
If I give you to him.

JULIA
But you can't give me to him.
He doesn't want me.
You can't give me to him,
So please don't taunt me.

WILL
I don't believe this.
You told him how you feel,
And he just turned away. 
It wasn't an illusion -
There's only one possible conclusion -
He's gay!

JULIA
No way!

WILL
He's gay.
The first time I talked to him
I thought raise the lavender flag.
This guy's def'nitely a - gay.

JULIA
He isn't.

WILL
Why? How do you know?

JULIA
Because he told me so.
He said, "That's not my cup of tea.
It's okay. But it's not for me."

WILL
Well, there you see.
You have it.
That's it. Right there.
You have it.
Men don't deny they're gay,
Unless they really are that way.

JULIA
Oh, please!
Let's be fair.

WILL
Don't you see? 
That's why he doesn't care.

JULIA
It could explain things.
It would make them make sense.
But he's been with women before.
He mentioned someone.

WILL
It could just be pretense.

JULIA
He mentioned someone.
Why would he lie?

WILL
Maybe he's really bi.
But I'll say it once again,
His preference def'nitely's for men.
How else could he resist you?
After he had kissed you.

JULIA
Well, it does help out my ego.
Ergo, it could be true.
No. It's a fiasco.
Why you might as well 
Say that I'm Sappho.
That's a laugh. Oh!
Could it be true? 
Would he prefer you?

WE WERE JUST A SHADE DEEPER THAN FRIENDS.
JUST A SHADE DEEPER AND THEN...

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