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| 3-09 TOUGH LOVE Written by: Maggie Friedman Directed by: Jim Kramer A) Dressing room, Night 1 - Mr. Dimitri compliments everyone on their performance but Grace. B) Manning Manor Kitchen, Night 1 � Grace is asked what Mr. Dimitri thought of her performance. Grace replies �Mr. Dimitri isn�t God.� C) Dressing room, Night 2 � Grace tells Mr. Dimitri that the school newspaper gave EVERYONE good reviews, fishing for a compliment from him. He says he doesn�t pay attention to reviews and leaves. She throws the newspaper in the trash. D) Stage, Night 2 � After the play Grace confronts Mr. Dimitri about his lack of praise for her. He tells her he doesn�t believe one word she says on stage. E) Grace�s bedroom � Lily compliments Grace on her good review in the school newspaper. Grace says she doesn�t pay attention to reviews. Lily tells her she�s a really interesting person. F) Eli�s room � Grace tells Eli that she can�t get someone�s comment out of her head. She asks if they can get high together. They do. Eli promises Grace he will come to her final performance the next night. G) Play, Night 3 � Eli is a no-show. Grace finds out that he had a girl in his room and lied about it. Grace gives a breakthrough performance, crying real tears. Dimitri watches and smiles. H) Cast party at Manning Manor, Night 3 - Wine scene in Grace�s kitchen H. WINE SCENE August stands in front of an open fridge, pouring wine into a plastic cup. Grace opens the door from the foyer to the kitchen and startled, says �Hi.� August gasps �Hi!� Grace pulls off her wet jacket and explains �I.got.caught in the rain. I was just�walking.� August smiles and giddily asks her �Can you keep a secret?� Grace wipes rain off her face and answers �Yeah. Well, depends.� August tells her �I�ve, uh, helped myself to some of your parents� wine.� His head tilts into a wide grin. Grace shyly laughs, �Oh.� �Don�t tell anyone, � August smiles conspiratorially. Grace responds, �I don�t think they actually mind.� August steps close to Grace, creating a shadow on his face. �You know, you�(he pauses,) you�re INCREDIBLE. You are an incredibly talented person.� Grace whispers, �I am?� August: �I myself am a fraud. But you.are.not. You�re the real deal. And maybe I�ve been harsh on you but that�s only because the world is harsh, Grace, and I want you�to be ready for it.� Grace answers, �What do you mean? You�re not a fraud.� A look crosses August�s face. He continues, �Tonight you let everything inside you actually show. Which I believe is the only thing in the world worth doing.� He moves away to sit on a kitchen stool. �Although I�ve never been willing to do it�myself. So how did you do it? Do you know? I mean, what made tonight so different?� Grace glances at the sink for a moment and makes a decision. She looks at August, �You. You made it different. What you said.� August lights up. Grace, emboldened, says �It doesn�t have to be a secret.� August looks up. �I mean, I don�t think they�d mind. About the wine.� August says, �Maybe not.� Grace slides in front of August sitting on the stool. She asks, �Can I taste it?� August slowly stands while Grace looks up at him, giving a warm, innocent smile. He gazes at Grace intimately. The atmosphere becomes electric. Grace reaches for his cup. Her middle finger rests on August�s hand. Grace looks at him. He looks at their hands. Lily interrupts, heading toward the fridge. �Oh great! You�re still here.� Grace spins away in a circle, frustrated. August answers �Oh yes, I�ve helped myself to some of your wine.� Lily doesn�t seem to hear and walks to August. �I didn�t get to tell you what a wonderful, wonderful job you did!� �Oh, it was my pleasure�, August says. Lily turns toward Grace. �Where were you sweetie? Everybody was looking for you.� She puts her hand on Grace�s forehead. �You look flushed. Hmm.� Grace looks quickly at August. Lily walks to the fridge to take out a cake. �Wasn�t Grace just, just so real tonight?� August gushes to Grace, �Incredibly real.� Grace looks down. Lily carries the cake to the table. �I got so caught up I didn�t even remember it was you.� Embarrassed, Grace says, �Me too� as Eli enters through the kitchen door. Lily asks Eli �Hey, where were you? We saved you a seat.� Eli puts his arm around Grace�s shoulder. �I�m sorry.� Lily shows the cake to Mr. Dimitri, then carries it to the living room. Grace shrugs off Eli�s arm and walks to the table to pick up the forks Lily had forgotten. Eli apologetically asks her, �Do you need any help?� Grace turns around and with a slight reserve answers, �No, I�ve got it.� She walks away to the living room. August�s eyes follow her. He takes another sip of his wine. Eli tries to make conversation with Mr. Dimitri. �Sorry I missed the play. I heard it was good.� Dimitri blinks, inhales briefly with sudden understanding, then his body deflates. Eli looks over. �So you�re Mr. Dimitri, right?� �Mmm, hmm.� An unhappy laugh follows. Eli introduces himself. �I�m her step-brother.� Dimitri looks up. �Oh yes,� he slurs, �she�s mentioned YOU.� He takes another sip. Eli says, �She�s mentioned you too.� Dimitri asks Eli, �You�re a musician, aren�t you?� Eli looks down. He starts, �No, not really. I, uh�� while Dimitri smiles slightly and walks away, leaving Eli�s sentence half-finished. Eli watches Mr. Dimitri head toward the living room. He finishes his sentence. �I�m not really anything.� Dimitri skips down a few steps to where Lily is cutting the cake among the cast. Grace looks to the side to see if it�s him. August asks, �Is this cake for us?�, and he and Grace share a quick glance. Grace says, �Yes.� August smiles and walks away. Grace continues passing out napkins. Home |
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