Cast of Characters

Matt Spencer, a 25 year old man burdened by the aftermath of his father's life - he was even named after him. Wants to die before being diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Isaac, looks to be about the same age as Matt. Wants to convince Matt to live because he will die if Matt dies. Same person with Matt's father who coerces him into going on a murderous rampage.

Matt's father, a 25 year old man diagnosed with schizophrenia. He slowly goes insane and shows evidence of being a psychopath. (Character name is also Matt so the script names are the same and he and Matt are played by the same actor).

Ellie Spencer, 22 later 47, Matt's mother burdened by the actions of her husband. Hates her son.

Police Officers, never seen only heard at the end while arresting Matt.

Setting

The play takes place in a rich suburb of Chicago. Set in recent times. Matt's birthday is September 9, 1989 and the play takes place 25 years later in 2014 and switches from those two years.

At Rise: Darkness is lifted to reveal a medium sized guy's bedroom. The only thing unusual about it is that it is very clean and orderly, almost unnaturally so. Matt, 25, stands on his bed alone. A single spotlight shines on him and the noose hanging in front of him from the rafters.

ELLIE

(Walks in and stares at him for a few seconds with a look of hate).

Good riddance.

(Walks out).

MATT

Today is September 9, 2014, a day that will forever be remembered as the day I, Matthew Spencer will die. Who am I kidding? Nobody will remember me. Who am I anyways? I don't even know the answer to that. I don't want to find out. My father answered that question and--well, that's going to have nothing to do with me anymore so I'm not going to go into it. I am my own person. When I look into the mirror I see my own face. Doing this will free me. Mom, I know you regret the day I was born. Those unspeakable acts from so many years ago led to my existence. But should you hate me? That answer is yes because I hate me too. I hate the person "dear old dad" forced me to become. I lied when I said my face is the only face I see in the mirror--I see his face too. This terrifies me and so this is the only way out.

(Matt places his head into the noose and gets ready to step down. Enter ISAAC)

ISAAC

Happy Birthd---What are you doing? Stop it! Get down from there!

(Isaac rushes to take the noose off of Matt).

MATT

Ending this. I have no other choice.

ISAAC

Of course you do.

MATT

No this is the only way.

ISAAC

No it's not. What are you afraid of?

MATT

To be a burden.

ISAAC

We've been through this before. She loves you.

MATT

Ha. She still can't look at me without flinching.

ISAAC

I have never seen her act like that.

MATT

You've never met her. What do you know?

ISAAC

I know that little bitc-I mean all mother's love their children.

MATT

I'm not her child. I never have been.

ISAAC

You're being an idiot. Whose child are you then?

MATT

His.

ISAAC

You're his child too. You can't keep running away from him.

MATT

He's a killer.

ISAAC

He's your father.

MATT

And he's dead! Do you know why? The voices drove him crazy. He killed people. And you're telling me to accept our "relationship." No way!

ISAAC

Your father gave up everything for you.

MATT

Stop it! You talk as if you were there. You weren't. Stop talking about things you have no clue about.

ISAAC

Hey. I'm just trying to say that there are two sides to every story.

MATT

(Smiles a bit)

Where'd you hear that? The back of a cereal box?

ISAAC

No.

MATT

Oh.

ISAAC

It was a Hallmark card.

(The two look at each other and laugh)

MATT

Isaac?

ISAAC

Yeah?

MATT

Thank you.

ISAAC

No problem Matt.

MATT

But you know I still have to do this.

ISAAC

(Gets really angry)

No you don't! We just talked about this! Stop with your talk of suicide it makes me sick!

MATT

If I stay I will become my father.

ISAAC

If you kill yourself you will become your father.

MATT

Hell. I look like him. Share his name. I might as well die on the same day too. But I refuse to die after becoming a murderer.

ISAAC

You'll become one the moment you stop breathing.

MATT

Killing myself doesn't make me a murderer.

ISAAC

Not just you. You'll be killing someone else too.

MATT

Who?

ISAAC

Me.

(Hands MATT a journal)

Read this. It was your father's. It will explain everything.

MATT

(opens the journal and begins to read)

September 9, 1989. Ellie has been sneaking around these last few weeks. I was thinking it had to do with the baby and Isaac said it had something to do with me and I was pissed she wasn't telling me--so I listened in on a phone call. She was talking to a doctor! He told her I--

(stage fades to black and MATT - the father - walks into the room. ISAAC follows).

ISAAC

What did they say? I was right, wasn't I?

MATT

Schizophrenia! Can you believe it! They think I hear things, that you're not real. I'm not imagining you, I'm not! Ugh! They can't even be bothered to tell me my own "diagnosis." I found this letter hidden underneath my wife's things. And it was even addressed to her!

ISAAC

You are definitely right. What she did and what those doctors did is completely unforgivable. Do I look imagined to you?

MATT

I can't believe that woman had the nerve to hide this from me! She owes me everything. She was even talking to shrinks! I know that you're real.

ISAAC

I warned you that they would say this about me. I told you that they wouldn't understand our special relationship.

MATT

Now is not time to say I told you so GOD DAMMIT! Those doctors got everybody to turn on me. They'll send me away. I'm not crazy, I'm not!

ISAAC

I know you're not and you know you're not so what's the problem?

MATT

I just can't trust anyone anymore.

ISAAC

Trust in me and everything will be back to the way it's supposed to be. Soon I'll fix everything.

MATT

Really?

ISAAC

(Grins sinisterly)

I think first we should fix this problem you have with that lovely little wife of yours. Take this.

(Hands MATT a steak knife that he grabbed from behind him seemingly from nowhere. MATT

turns the blade around in his hands and stares at it with fascination).

MATT

(Grabs a pillow and stabs the knife clean through it laughing).

You're first bitch!

(The stage fades to black again as MATT's psychotic laughter fades. The scene opens again.

MATT's father comes into the room again wiping off the knife. ISAAC follows).

MATT

Well we did it.

ISAAC

What are you talking about? You think we're finished?

MATT

Yeah. I got rid of all those doctors just like you told me to do.

ISAAC

Nope you forgot somebody.

MATT

Who?

ISAAC

The little bitch.

MATT

You mean my wife?

ISAAC

Obviously. The person who started this entire thing.

MATT

I don't know what came over me before. Ellie's pregnant. I can't hurt her.

ISAAC

You will. You have to. She'll separate us.

MATT

She'll understand once she hears about those doctors. She won't.

ISAAC

She will. I guarantee it. Have I been wrong before?

MATT

No but-

ISAAC

Exactly my point. Now let's take that knife and--

MATT

No! No matter how we feel about my wife my son won't be harmed.

ISAAC

How do you know it's a boy?

MATT

I just do.

ISAAC

Well then I'll tell you this. If you don't go right now and kill her then I promise you that I will make sure your son is miserable for the rest of his life. You don't want that to happen do you?

MATT

But what's the point in that. My son will either end up dead right now or suicidal by the time he's my age. I can't let you do this to me. Please I'll do anything else. Don't make me kill my son.

ISAAC

I saved you. You do what I say!

MATT

No! I can't.

ISAAC

Do you really want to try me right now. The cops are coming here as we speak. I can make it easy or hard on you. You choose.

MATT

But it's your fault!

ISAAC

I don't exist. You do.

MATT

Yes you do! You're right there!

ISAAC

Am I?

(Police sirens sound and MATT lunges and stabs ISAAC with the knife. The knife goes into

MATT instead and he falls down dead. ISAAC laughs and walks offstage. A very pregnant

ELLIE walks in the room and screams and collapses herself going into labor. Scene fades then

opens back to modern day).

MATT

(finishing reading)

"Matt's son was born today too. He clearly couldn't finish writing his account of his life so I decided to do it for him. When baby Matt is older maybe I will give this to him. Actually I will give this to him because what better way to hurt him than to show him how his father killed people. He'll be miserable!"

(closes journal)

You wrote this?

ISAAC

Yes. Now do you see why I can't let you die?

MATT

No...I don't.

ISAAC

Stupid boy. I have to keep my promise Matt.

MATT

Promise. To make me miserable the rest of my life.

ISAAC

Ah see. Now he gets it.

MATT

B-b-but...

ISAAC

Don't stutter Matt, it's an unattractive trait to have. Your father stuttered when he was nervous. Surprisingly he didn't stutter at all before he died or should I say stabbed himself. I guess he was certain that it had to end that way. Now speak up Matt. Tell me clearly what you were trying to say.

MATT

You're real. I'm not imagining you.

ISAAC

Haha why don't you try stabbing me and find out. Oh wait. Your father already tried that.

MATT

It's too early. I haven't been--

ISAAC

Haven't been what Matt? Diagnosed? You honestly think that I'm just some sort of disease?

MATT

Well-

ISAAC

Actually don't answer that. You're probably too stupid to figure it out anyways. I am you. I know your greatest fears and the all revolve around your father. I've seen inside your head. We're even on a first name basis!

MATT

You're wrong. I don't want this! You're just something that will go away with pills.

ISAAC

Just like your father. Instead of facing me you'd rather hide away inside yourself until the "evil" goes away. Life doesn't work like that. I am you and you are me.

MATT

No! Stop! You're just a parasite!

ISAAC

Ha! You think I'm the parasite! Who's stealing from who here. If anybody's the parasite it's you. Hiding from your own self is what's killing you not me.

MATT

(Police sirens sound right outside his house).

What is that?

ISAAC

Revenge.

MATT

Huh?

ISAAC

This was supposed to be your father's fate but he escaped. Now it's your turn to feel what it's like to be locked up. This wasn't even my doing if you are thinking of blaming me. This was all your mother's doing. Maybe she does hate you. You are your father after all.

(ISAAC begins to walk off stage).

Oh and Matt? Happy birthday.

MATT

Isaac! Issac! Come back! I didn't do anything! It was my father! No! It was you! You can't arrest me for murders I didn't commit. Get back here! Isaac!

(Harding knocks sound from the door).

POLICE

Matthew Spencer come out here with your hands up. You're under arrest for the 1989 murders of...

(MATT falls to his knees. As the police knock a spotlight falls on the noose that had be hanging

there during the present scenes. MATT looks at the noose and freezes. The stage falls black for

the last time).