By Duron
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CHARACTERS:
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Black the Gorilla, age 23.White the Gorilla, Black’s brother, age 19.
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| TIME: |
2:45 in the afternoon on a Thursday the 11th.
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| Place: |
In the middle of the jungle. The air smells crappy and sour. The grass feels like really damp carpet. In the background, you can hear all types of different animals fighting and howling.
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AT RISE:
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BLACK is sitting at the table, nervously eating a couple batches of bananas rapidly, looking at the wide open sky. WHITE walks in on BLACK.
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BLACK
What’s up, lil brah? Look, me and you have to talk.
WHITE
What’s on your mind, Black?
BLACK
Yo, you been showin’ me some real static about me gettin’ married.
WHITE
Yeah, so? Get to the point, man.
BLACK
Look, brah. I would really like to get married, and if I don’t make up my mind by either tonight or tomorrow, the woman of my dreams will just up and leave.
WHITE
So what? That should make you happy. She can leave and you can be around someone who really loves you, Dummy.
BLACK
What makes you think that Angela doesn’t love me?
WHITE (screaming)
Look, I love you! I don’t want you to get married. Is that so hard to understand, huh?
BLACK
Look, Mother Fudge Cake. All that hollerin’ ain’t necessary. Why can’t we just talk it out like family?
(aside, to audience)
This is one tough coconut to crack. This gorilla just don’t understand how much love me and Angela has for each other.
WHITE
Are you ignoring me?
BLACK
No, little brother. I was just praying that you would be happy for me. Ay, White, you know . . .Just the other day, me and you were both thinking about how bad it felt not to have a mate.
WHITE
Yeah. I know brah. But it’s just, I never thought you would be the one who gets a mate first.
BLACK
You know what, White? I have an idea. How about you tell me why you don’t want me to get married?
WHITE
Man, I don’t have to deal with this manure right now. (Pause) If you get married to that worthless piece of jungle trash you call wife material, then me and you as brothers are finished.
BLACK (screaming)
Hold on! You betta calm your nerves. Don’t forget who your big brother is. Don’t make me knock fire from yo fur.
(BLACK walks away from WHITE.)
WHITE (to audience)
Ay, you guys, this monkey ain’t gonna make things easy for me. I think I should say that I am sorry. (to BLACK) Hey! Black, look, brah. I’m sorry for what I said about me and you as brothers were finished. You know I didn’t mean that.
BLACK
I know . . .
WHITE
Look, Black. I’m not depressed cause you’re getting married.
BLACK
Then what’s the problem, then, White? Just tell me what it is.
WHITE
It’s just that when you told me after you get married that you were gone to leave the tribe with your wife, that’s what made me mad.
BLACK
White, why don’t you really tell me what’s on your mind?
WHITE
All right, Black, you wanna know the truth, what’s really on my mind? Okay . . Here it goes. The truth is, I don’t want you to get married because I don’t want you to leave.
BLACK
Well, White, how come you don’t want me to leave?
WHITE
Well, if you would shut up and let me talk, maybe I can tell you. Gosh . . . Anyways, before I was rudely interrupted: I don’t want you to leave because I feel that, if you leave, I will have no one to spend time with. Another reason is, who’s going to look out for me the way you look out for me when you’re gone? That’s all.
BLACK (Laughs)
Is that what you were worried about? Ha! Ha! Ha!
WHITE (Aggressively)
See, I knew I should have never told you, I knew you wouldn’t understand.
BLACK
Calm down. Calm down. Who said I didn’t understand?
WHITE
Then why are you laughing?
BLACK
Because you are too smart to think that way. (Pause) You should know, off top, if don’t nobody got your back, you know I got your back. And what make you think I was just going to leave you out there in the cold by yourself?
WHITE
I dunno.
BLACK
Look, big guy, how about this? After we get married, you come and stay with us for however long you want to.
WHITE
Are you serious? You really mean it? Thanks, big brah. Way way way wait a minute. What about Angela? She won’t be trippin’?
BLACK
Aren’t you lookin’ at the man of this relationship?
WHITE
I don’t know.
BLACK
Look — she won’t be trippin’. We already had this planned out before you tripped out on me.
WHITE
Black, I really am sorry about all the things that I said about Angela, and I’m glad you would let me stay with you and your fiancée.
BLACK
No problem, brah. Besides, you’re family.
WHITE
I’m proud of you for real, man, and I love you, and I’m proud to be your best man. You get some rest. You got a big day tomorrow.
BLACK
Yeah . . . I know. You just make sure you be there bright and early. Good night, brah.
(They hug.)
THE END
