The Difference between Cats and Dogs

"Katrina, on the other hand, is feeling guilty because she had shut her mother out of her life, and just when she needs her the most, she is too sick and is carrying too much baggage to be of any help. She is lost and alone, and unable to move on with her life."

"My character has his own problems. He lost his wife and unborn child in a botched hold-up twelve years ago, and has retreated inside himself and refused to allow anyone to invade his personal space, his personal hell. He helps Katrina's mother from time to time with little jobs, but this is the only contact outside his world. He knows of Katrina before she comes home, her mother has often expressed regret that the two of them have severed contact, so he sort of knows what Katrina is going through. He feels empathy for her, and when he meets her, he is taken by her beauty. His tentative attempts at making contact are rebuffed, and this hurts him deeply."

"From the proceeds of her divorce, Katrina buys a café, and this gives her a series of short-term relationships that have no hope of being extended. In this she finds a kind of comfort. The man has a hobby that provides him with casual relationships with people with similar interests, but these people, because they have other interests, do not lead to anything meaningful. He too is living in a solitary world."

"So, that's the background to this story, which, despite it's heavy subject matter, does have an implied happy ending, the audience will be left wondering at the possibilities that are presented. Will the possibilities be realised, or will they die the death because of our protagonists fear of taking that next important step?"

"Okay, Julie, could you and Adrianna read through your lines. It doesn't matter if you don't nail it at this time, I just want you to get a feel for the characters. As we go through this reading and into rehearsals, I want you to speak in your normal voices. When it comes to the actual performances you will all be miked up, and we'll have a sound engineer manipulating the volume so that those that need to be heard clearly will be, and the extras background noise will, in most cases be kept low with occasional higher levels for effect."

The first reading went better than I had expected. Adrianna was right into her role and at the end of Scene 1, the other cast burst into spontaneous applause. Adrianna smiled at me.

When they reached the part of Scene 1, where I was introduced to Katrina, she looked straight through me as if I didn't exist. She had the look perfected and I could really feel myself the way I felt when this happened in real life.

"You were good, better than good." I told her as we left the theatre after that first reading. This isn't going to drag you down, this reliving the past, is it, because if it is we can call the whole thing off."

"No, its not a problem, although I might burst into tears from time to time. That isn't going to be a problem, with make-up that is, is it?"

"No, although runny mascara might add to the effect. We shall see what we shall see."

As we progressed through rehearsals, the cast got right into the spirit of their part in this. They changed their conversations, keeping them relevant and contemporary. Not having to remember lines kept their conversations fresh, and not stilted as it would if they were forced to follow a script.

It was the night of the dress rehearsal. The theatre was abuzz with activity, the lighting technician was running through the lighting cues, checking the directional spots and floods, raising and lowering the intensity and eliminating shadows. The sound engineer was carrying out adjustments to the personal microphones. In front of house the ushers were showing the invited audience to their seats. The final sound check would take place once the audience was seated.

Backstage make-up was busy, the main characters had been made up and the rest of the cast was going through a production line process, moving from base to shading to completion. Last minute adjustments were being made to costumes.

The production assistant poked her head through the door. "Adrianna, Julie, five minutes."

"Wish me luck." Adrianna said to me.

I smiled at her. "You don't need it, you're ready. But good luck any way." I pecked her on the cheek.

"Okay guys, this is it, you are all ready for this, so go out there and knock 'em dead."

"Two minutes."

Adrianna took a final look at herself in the mirror, kissed Julie on the cheek. "Good luck Mama."

"You too." Julie patted her on the cheek. The two of them had grown close during rehearsals.

Act 1, Scene 1. Curtain opens on a dark set. Light rises as Mama gets out of bed and puts on a robe. She mutters to herself as she shuffles, stooped, to the kitchen. She puts the kettle on and spoons some instant coffee into a cup. While she waits for the kettle to boil she takes a bowl from a cupboard and pours cereal into it, then adds milk. Pouring water into the cup she sits down to breakfast. She takes a spoonful of cereal and puts it into her mouth before pushing the bowl to one side. She drinks half of her coffee, stands up and shuffles back to her bed.

There is a knock on her door (sound off). She gets off the bed and shuffles to stage right.

Mother:"Who is this knocking?"

Katrina:"Mama, it is me, Katrina."

Mother: "Katrina, is it you?"

Katrina:"Yes it's me Mama, let me in."

(Sound of door opening. Katrina enters and places a large suitcase on the floor beside the table.

Mother:"What is this?"

Katrina:"I've come home Mama."

Mother:"Where is your man, is he with you?"

Katrina: "No Mama, I have left him. He is a bad man and I am going to divorce him."

Mother: "This is good, I never liked him."

Katrina:"I know that Mama, I know that now."

Mother:"You listen to me girl. When your father died I shut myself off from the world, I wanted nothing more to do with it. And you see what the result is. I am dying, and I am dying alone, because those people who tried to be a friend to me, I turned my back on. Do not do this or you will be like me."

Katerina: "But Mother you have me."

Mother:"Did I have you when your father died? No. Did I have you when the doctor told me that I was dying? No. You come to me only when my life is over, to help me die. It is too late for your help, if this is all that you have come for, you wasted the trip."

Katerina:But Mama, I have to come, I cannot stay any longer in the same place as my husband, he has hurt me as you said that he would. He is a bad man."

Mother:"What did he do that has hurt you so bad?"

Katerina: "He wants to do things to me that are wrong. I cannot let him fuck me in the arse. I cannot let him tie me up and whip me. I cannot let him pee on me. These are just some of the things that he wants to do to me. Then I find out that he has a girl that lets him do these things. I can no longer even allow him to touch me, so I leave."

Mother:"For this reason it is good that you come to me. Do not turn your back on people because this bad man has hurt you. But it is not a good time for me. I will die soon."

Katrina:"Don't say that Mama, you will not die soon, I am here to help you."

Mother:"You know nothing about me. The Doctor he tells me that I will be gone in three months."

Katrina:"Is this your breakfast? You haven't eaten it, you haven't eaten much at all."

Mother:"I do not feel like eating. I never feel like eating."

Katrina:"But you must eat. I will make you a fresh coffee and you should eat something."

Mother:"Do not fuss, it is too late for fussing, I will eat when I feel like eating and now I do not feel like eating. What are you going to do when I am gone?"

Katrina:"I do not know. I will have money from the divorce, I thought that I might buy a small boutique or something, that way I am not working with the same people every day, and once they walk out the door I will not remember them."

Mother:"Listen to my Katrina, I tell you this, you cannot live without other people in your life, without fiends. You do not have to marry again, but you need a good man to show you that not all men are like the ne that you had to marry."

Katrina:"The last thing that I want in my life is another man. I don't know any good men, and I am not going to go looking for one."

Mother: "There are good men out there, there is one for you, you will just have to learn to recognise a good man when you find one."

Knock on door. Mother goes to answer it and returns with man.

Mother: "Can you fix the sink, the water doesn't run away like it should."

Man:"Sure think, I'll just need to take the things from this cupboard so I can get to the trap underneath. Oh Hi."

He had just noticed Katrina. She does not respond. He says nothing but removes trap from under sink and takes it outside to clean out. He re-installs it.

Man:"There, that should do the trick for the time being, but this will happen again of you keep pouring fat down the drain. 'Bye now."

Man quickly exits stage right.

Mother: "Now Katrina, there is a good man, he does small jobs for me and he won't take money from me. He is friendly, he is kind, and he would be just the right man for you."

Katrina:"I am not ready for a new relationship now or any time soon, so you can stop trying to match me up with this man."

Mother:"You listen to me my girl. If you turn your back on your friends you will find that very soon you have no friends. I turn my back on my friends and now I have none. Do not do the same as me. It can be a lonely life without friends"

Katrina: "What do you know of this man, does he have friends himself? Is he married? Is he in a relationship? What does he do for a living? Tell me, what is it about this man that leads you to think that he is a good man?"

Mother:"What I know is that he is a good man to me, that is all that I need to know. If he is a good man to a dying woman and asks for nothing in return, then he is a better man than the one that you chose."

Katrina:"That doesn't say much, any man is better than that monster. I am not ready to even think about another man because I am afraid that I will make the same mistake all over again. Isn't it time for your medication or something?"

Mother: "So you change the subject. Do not leave it too late or you will end up a lonely old woman like me, and I would not wish that on anybody. My pills are on that shelf there, (points to pill container) bring them to me, and a glass of water."

Act 1, Scene 2: Mother is in bed. Katrina is seated at kitchen table reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.

Mother:"Katrina, come to me."

Katrina:"What is it Mama?"

Mother:"I feel that my time has come. When I pass you are to call my neighbour, he has been told what to do."

Katrina:"What can I do now? What am I going to do after you are gone?"

"Mother: "I have planned for this day, he will see to everything."

Katrina:"But why does he have to be the one to do this?"

Mother: "Because I did not know that you would be here, and someone has to do it. He, I know that I can trust to do this thing."

Katrina: "But mother I am able to do this thing now. I can do this now, tell me where everything is, your doctor, I presume that you have funeral arrangements already made."

Mother:"I do not have time to tell you all of this. Please let me sleep now." (Mother closes eyes)

Katrina sits on the bed, bows her head and sobs quietly into her hands. She stays in this position for a minute or two and turns to her mother.

Katrina:"Mother, can you hear me?"

She gets no response. She places her fingers on her mother's neck feeling for a pulse. There is none. She lays down beside her mother and hugs her, sobbing louder.

Act 2, Scene 3: Shopping Mall. People walking back and forth as individuals and in groups. Katrina enters stage left and walks slowly, deep in thought towards centre stage.

Man enters stage right and walks by her and stops. She has seen him and stops. He half turns as if to say something to her, then turns back. As he turns he is jostled by a person and falls against Katrina and they fall to the ground. He gets to his feet and holds his hand out to help her to her feet. They face each other.

Man:"Are you okay, you're not hurt?"

Katrina:"No, I'm fine thank you. How about you?"

Man:"Never been better actually, I'm glad that we bumped into each other like this, it gives me the perfect excuse to speak to you. Katrina, why do you hate me?"

Katrina:"I don't hate you. If the truth be known I have wanted to speak to you for ages, but was afraid to, afraid of falling in love again. Now I need you to do something for me, will you?"

Man:"Of course, what do you want me to do?

Katrina: "Will you hold me, please?"

Man:"I won't ask what brought this on, but gladly." They embrace.

Adrianna hugged me. We kissed, which wasn't in the script, until now.

"We had better take our bow." I told her, holding her hand. She made no attempt to let go. "We need to talk."

"We do, don't we? I hope that I'm not about to make a fool of myself, but I have come to the realisation that I love you."

"Another bow," I said as the rest of the cast had joined us on stage. "When we get home we can talk, in private."

"Again, I hope that I am not about to make a fool of myself, but I hope that we won't be stopping at words."

My heart skipped a beat or several. My dreams are about to become a reality.

Back stage and all are laughing and chatting as Adrianna and I walked in. There was a queue for the mirrors as make-up was removed. Those waiting sat around sipping on glasses of wine, some were smoking, although this was frowned upon by theatre management, it was overlooked on this occasion.

"I think that went pretty well. Thanks guys, you were all good, but tomorrow night is the biggy, tomorrow we perform in font of the paying public, and the critics, so we'd better be as good, if not better than tonight. Go home and get a good night's sleep and I'll see you here tomorrow at six."

"I hope that you're going to get a good night's sleep, the two of you." John said, looking at Adrianna and me.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Come on mate. All the way through rehearsal there has been a change in attitude between the two of you, you've become more relaxed, not only with us, but with each other, and where in the script does it say that the two of you were supposed to kiss?"

"I guess that I just got a little carried away." I looked at Adrianna and she smiled at me.

"I didn't notice Adrianna struggling to get away from you."

"Adrianna had no intention of getting away from him." Adrianna said. "You are right, we are two individuals that have been dealt a blow that neither of us felt motivated to recover from. That was until we met and Spencer forced me at gunpoint to read this stupid play and to convince me that I should take on the female lead. This was probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, to us, but it took time for me to realise what was happening to me, and allow it to happen. I don't know about Spencer, but I think that we should leave the kiss in, it worked for me."

I pulled into my driveway and stopped my car. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"No, I want you to walk me into your home, and then I want us to relax a little before you take me into your arms and carry me to your bed and show me the difference between sex and making love, and I show you that you are able to love again."

"For someone who has been shit scared to take the necessary steps to overcome the hurt from your husband, you have certainly taken the bull by the horn here. Not that I'm complaining mind you."

We somehow forgot about the relaxation. No sooner than we had closed the door behind us than we made a bee-line for my bed, our bed, and an hour or two of the most sublime lovemaking that I have ever experienced, at least since Jen and I made love. For someone who has suffered in the hands of a sadistic, hedonistic and selfish lover, Adrianna joined in with enthusiasm. Her mother was right, I would be good for her.

We have found each other, and in the process of this play and the theatre group production, we have found many new friends, good friends. Adrianna's boutique's business has picked up due to the friendships that we have made, and her boutique's reputation for quality high-end lingerie. More and more women are exploring the benefits to be gained by being privately sexy for their husbands and partners.

As for me, I have several new projects on the go, including another film script. We are busy with each other, our lives and friends, and life doesn't get much better than that. As for cats and dogs. I have learnt that unconditional love is more than a response to positive stimulants like food and affection, that there are times when you love in the absence of stimulus. Adrianna has learnt that conditional love is a one way street to loneliness, and that shows of affection can generate a very powerful positive response that is worth the little effort involved.