SYBIL

Characters

BENJAMIN: a middle-aged man.

SYBIL: a young girl, Ben’s best friend.

SHARON: another young girl, Sybil’s age.

NARRATOR: an older man.

(BENJAMIN is wearing a blue boxer swimsuit, the GIRL is wearing a yellow two-

piece swimsuit, SHARON is wearing a pink, one-piece swimsuit, and the NARRATOR

is dressed in black.)

Setting

BENJAMIN and SYBIL are sitting on a blanket at the beach.

Referencing J.D. Salinger short story, A Perfect Day for Bananafish.

Scene 1

(As the lights come up, BEN and SYBIL are sitting on a blanket. The NARRATOR addresses the audience.)

NARRATOR

Despite their age difference, Ben and Sybil were good friends. They often spent days at the beach together.

(NARRATOR turns towards BEN and SYBIL.)

BEN

Sybil. Are you ready to go into the water?

SYBIL

Not today, Ben.

BEN

Why not? It’s a perfect day.

SYBIL

I know. I just don’t feel like it.

BEN

Come on, Sybil. Summer goes too fast and we don’t get many days like this.

SYBIL

You go. I’m fine here.

BEN

It’s not the same without you. I never have as much fun. Is something wrong?

SYBIL

Sharon.

BEN

Sharon?

You let Sharon sit on the piano bench with you.

BEN

I couldn’t help that. I was simply sitting at the piano to play, and Sharon came up to the bench and sat down.

SYBIL

You could have pushed her off.

BEN

I wouldn’t do that. That would be unkind.

SYBIL

If you cared about me, you would have done that.

BEN

She was enjoying the music. That’s all.

SYBIL

You should have pushed her off. You could have told her only I get to sit there with you.

BEN

I’ll tell you what I did do. I imagined that she was you.

(Lights fade out and back in.)

Scene 2

(NARRATOR to the audience.)

NARATOR

Well, as you can see, this particular day wasn’t off to a good start. Ben had to do something.

BEN

Do you know what my favorite thing in the world to do is?

SYBIL

What?

BEN

Going into the water on this raft with you.

SYBIL

Really?

BEN

When I am out in the water with you, the whole world disappears. And, it’s only you and me.

SYBIL

Truly?

BEN

Absolutely!

(NARRATOR to the audience.)

NARATOR

In an ideal world, it would have ended there. But of course, it didn’t.

(Lights fade out and back in.)

Scene 3

SHARON

Hi Ben! I didn’t know you were coming to the beach?

BEN

Hi Sharon. I didn’t know that you were either. You remember Sybil?

SHARON

Yah. Hi Sybil. I thought you left for the summer?

SYBIL

No. I’m still here.

BEN

Sharon. We were just going out into the water. Do you want to join us?

SYBIL

Ben!

BEN

Sybil. It’s a big ocean. We can all fit.

SYBIL

You’ve got to be kidding?

(NARRATOR to the audience.)

NARATOR

Without a word, Sybil grabs her towel and heads towards the hotel.

BEN

I should probably see if she is O.K.

SHARON

She’ll be fine. Maybe it was the sun. I’ll go out in the water with you, Ben.

BEN

Sharon. We should talk. Sybil was upset that you sat down at the piano bench with me.

SHARON

It’s a free country. And, she wasn’t there. You snooze, you lose.

BEN

That’s not very kind, Sharon. Besides, Sibyl is my girl friend.

SHARON

Really?

BEN

Yes. I mean I think so. She probably is.

SHARON

That doesn’t sound very convincing?

BEN

Look. Sybil didn’t think you should have been sitting on the piano bench with me.

SHARON

And you?

BEN

Well, I don’t know. I don’t like hurting her feelings.

SHARON

She’s a big girl. I think that you need to decide.

(NARRATOR to the audience.)

NARATOR

Of course, that was Ben’s problem. Sybil was his best friend forever. Now, with the possibility of Sharon, he was confused.

Ben and Sharon grab the raft and head towards the water.

(Lights fade out and back in.)

Scene 4

(NARRATOR to the audience.)

NARATOR

Later that afternoon, Sybil comes back to the beach.

SYBIL

Hi Ben.

BEN

Sybil. I’m glad that you came back. I missed you. I never have as much fun when you’re not here.

SYBIL

I’m sorry. I know that I over-reacted about Sharon.

BEN

That’s O.K. Sharon can be pretty irritating.

SYBIL

I guess that I just wanted you to myself and not share you with her.

BEN

Well, you don’t have to share me any longer. She left.

SYBIL

I might have had something to do with that.

BEN

What?

SYBIL

It might have been something I said to my mother. And then, she said it to Sharon’s mother.

BEN

What did you say?

SYBIL

I’d rather not say, but she won’t be coming back to the beach.

BEN

Sybil? Were you unkind?

(SYBIL smiles.)

SYBIL

Do you want to go into the water?

BEN

Sure.

NARATOR

Ben and Sybil grab the air mattress and run to the water.

(Lights fade out.)

BLACKOUT