A one­act play about letting go
Cast of Characters:
KAREN: Karen is a 35 year old businesswoman. She’s uptight around her husband, but seems
to have time for everyone else, whether colleagues or friends besides her husband. She works
incessantly, even when she’s on vacation. Karen is having multiple affairs that she believes her
husband is in the dark about.
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Karen’s husband is 42. He’s unemployed. He knows about Karen’s
affairs.
THERAPIST
Scene
The couple lives in a beach town when Karen is off work.
Time
Present
ACT 1
SCENE 1
AT RISE: KAREN’S HUSBAND lies on the couch of THERAPIST’S office. The stage is lit, and
there is a lamp and a desk across from the couch KAREN’S HUSBAND lies on. THERAPIST is
taking notes.
KAREN’S HUSBAND: I don’t know.. I’m sorry I’ve been rambling for so long. It’s just, I don’t
know whether she knows I know and doesn’t care, or if she doesn’t know I know and just thinks
of me as a big fool. Who wouldn’t have known?... You know?
THERAPIST only looks up for a moment, nods, then returns to his notepad.
KAREN’S HUSBAND: But then again, I’m just so.. Trapped! You know? I’ve only ever really
been with Karen. She’s... she was so good to me. It’s not like I could ever be with anyone else.
Plus Karen kind of runs the show with the bills, you know! .........Ha! The Bills...... get it?
(KAREN’S HUSBAND laughs at himself for a moment, then quiets down. He opens his mouth to
speak again when a small timer dings. )
THERAPIST: That’s our time.
(KAREN’S HUSBAND sighs and heaves himself up off the couch. He grabs his coat and heads
for the door.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: See you next week, right?
(THERAPIST sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose, irritatedly.)
THERAPIST: I suggest perhaps finding a hobby between now and our next visit.
(KAREN’S HUSBAND exits and the lights dim to black.)
SCENE 2:
AT RISE: KAREN’S HUSBAND paces along the beach at night. A blue­hued spotlight simulates
the moon and illuminates the stage. Wave noises are played off screen, but the rest of the
“ocean” is simulated. A round rock about the size of a book lays SR. The rock is a prop for a
turtle and is seen as a turtle.
(KAREN’S HUSBAND paces along the beach, hands in his pockets, mumbling under his breath.
He kicks at the sand aimlessly and continues walking until his toe makes contact with the rock.
KAREN’S HUSBAND yelps and grabs his foot, hopping around on one leg.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: YEEOWWW!!! Jesussss!!! With all of this and I go and stub my toe on
some dumb old rock. THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME!
(KAREN’S HUSBAND bends down and rubs his foot. He looks closer at the rock and squints.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Say... You’re not a rock. You’re a turtle? (he pauses and looks up.) Or is
it tortoises around here? Turtles? Tortoise? Anyway. You’re no rock!
(KAREN’S HUSBAND smiles and reaches out, stroking the back of the rock.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: You’re pretty cool... Isn’t it dangerous out here for a little dude like you?
(KAREN’S HUSBAND pauses and looks up.) Dude? Dudette? Or would it be Miss Dude? (he
beams and looks back down at the turtle.) How would you like to come be my hobby until I see
the therapist again? You would? Wonderful!
(KAREN’S HUSBAND picks up the rock and carries it, begins walking off stage, and then turns
around. He walks back over to where he picked up the turtle, and bends down by a pile of
marbles.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Woah. Those are your eggs, aren’t they? (looks at the bottom of the rock)
So you are a dudette. I guess we should probably take these with us, shouldn’t we?
(He pulls a handkerchief and carefully scoops up the marbles. He exits SR holding the
handkerchief and turtle.)
SCENE 3
AT RISE: KAREN and KAREN’S HUSBAND are in a beach cabana style bedroom. KAREN’S
HUSBAND stands over a terrarium that contains the rock and the marbles, looking down at
them. KAREN lays on the bed, reading a magazine. She has sunglasses on even though they
are inside.
KAREN’S HUSBAND: ....so anyway, then after I was done yelling over my stubbed toe, I looked
down, and I was all, “you’re not a rock! You’re a turtle!” and I didn’t know if she was­ it’s a girl,
Karen­ and I didn’t know if she was a turtle or a tortoise but I did some research while she was
asleep and she’s a sea turtle, Karen! Did you know they could be up to 150 years old?
(KAREN is silent and turns a page in the magazine.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: D­did you know that, Karen?
KAREN: (doesn’t avert her gaze from the magazine) Know what?
KAREN’S HUSBAND: That.... nevermind.
(he sighs, pauses for a minute, and scoops up one of the marbles. He walks over to KAREN
and sits on the edge of the bed)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Take a look at this. Can you believe there’s a real, live, baby turtle in
here?
(KAREN lifts her sunglasses up on her forehead and looks down at the marble. Her eyes widen
and she screams, jumping back up off the bed.)
KAREN: You brought that into the house?!
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Well, yeah. I couldn’t just leave them all there!
KAREN: Them all? THERE’S MORE OF THEM?
KAREN’S HUSBAND: ..Yes, they’re over there. I got a terrarium for them. They’ll be okay,
Karen. I got a book about them, and food, and water. They’re no trouble.
KAREN: NO TROUBLE TO KEEP REPTILES? Not in my house! That is absolutely VILE! You
need to take them away from here.
KAREN’S HUSBAND: ....Dr. Kepplar told me I needed a hobby, and I thought I could maybe
take care of them. They’re no trouble, really.
(he pauses.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Don’t you want me to be happy?
(KAREN gets up and huffs over to the door of the room.)
KAREN: I don’t care. You need to let them go.
(She exits and slams the door.)
(KAREN’S HUSBAND lays down on the bed. He holds the marble tight to his chest and begins
to cry. He weeps for a few moments, then wipes his face with his sleeve. He gets up and returns
the marble to the terrarium, then lays back down on the bed. He picks up the phone next to the
bed, punches in numbers, and puts it up to his ear.)
KAREN’S HUSBAND: Dad?... Yeah, it’s me. I think I’m gonna go through with the divorce....
Yeah, I know... I know.... I’ll figure it out. I just can’t stay like this anymore. I gotta... I gotta let go.
(fade to black.)
SCENE 4
AT RISE: BILL walks onto the stage. We hear the same “ocean sounds” and blue light for
moonlight when he first found the turtles. He sighs heavily and looks down into the shoebox he
holds. He kneels down, looks up, then back down. He sets the shoebox down and turns it on its
side, spilling all of the marbles (baby turtles) cascading down the stage along with the mother
turtle.
Fade to black
Curtain drops