There Ain't No Greys

a play


Name of actors
* Michelle Knights
*Anthony James
*Michael Blackman
*Julianna Bridgewater
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Act 1. Scene 1

A dancer moves across the stage on point, looking like a leaf falling from a tree to the ground. Spinning, spinning, dying, dying.
A male dancer swiftly runs from one end of the stage to another, moving part of her costume swiftly as he runs.
She falls for a moment onto the stage, then recovers.
Moving, she stands at the end of the stage now.
Nearest the exit, hands in repose, as two male dancers jette across the stage in jeans and tee-shirts. She follows with a grande jette. Scissors crossing, crossing, but is banned in mid-flight by the first male dancer to cross the stage previously.
They stop, hold hands and leave the stage together. The stage darkens for two or three seconds and then we see a spotlight, with the male dancer running to the other end of the stage.
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Enter Anthony and Michelle under the spotlight. They have just ended a kiss and are departing from each other.
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Michelle: " I really had a nice time Tony. Thank you.
Anthony kisses her again and holds her hand tenderly.
Anthony:"I'll see you soon, and we can do it again."
Michelle laughs and nods.
Michelle:"Ok."
Anthony: "I'll ring you, ok Miche?
Anthony kisses her lightly on the mouth, then, letting her hands go, says...
Anthony: "Bye!"
Michelle waves as he leaves.
Michelle:"Bye."

Exit Anthony and Michelle

You hear a door close and a car drive away and the lights move from a spotlight to a dim light. Michael is lying in bed with his feet up, reading a magazine with no particular care. There is a clock on the wall, and a chair near the bed with male clothing thrown carelessly there.

Anthony walks in.

Michael does not turn around but speaks.

Michael: "So, you finally reach home eh!"
Anthony does not respond, but drops his keys on the floor (or table) and starts undressing. Michael turns and looks at Anthony undress with his head leaning on his hands.
Michael: "You still seeing that bitch Michelle?"
Anthony answers tiredly and with some exasperation.
Anthony: "She is not a bitch!"
Michael: "Tell me that you are not seeing her and then she isn't a bitch."
Anthony looks at Michael, waiting for him to say something and Anthony takes his time.
Anthony: "I love to get you jealous. it is so easy!"
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Michael turnes in the unmade bed, Anthony is sound asleep. He looks down at his lover for a moment, enjoying the look of him, he is just about to touch his lips lightly, when Anthony reaches up and playfully bites his finger. Michael pulls away.
"You see, dat is why it cyah work out. You too insatiable."
Anthony pulls all of the blankets off of him and leans away.
"You doh know what yuh want!"
Anthony tries to appease him with a touch.
"You are so emotional."
Anthony turns, sits up and glares at him.
"I am emotional because I love you, and I am allowing you to do what you do, but I doh know how long I can take it."
Michael gets off the bed and starts getting dressed. He does this with no particular care. They have had this argument many times, and he too is over it.
He is finally fully dressed and turns back to Anthony.
"You knew I was bi, Bi! What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to just love me!"
Michael laughs softly and approaches the door. he opens it and looks back.
"Yeh, and we should get married too."
The door closes lightly behind him.
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Michelle is waiting at her school for Michael. Anthony sees her and decides finally to confront her. They do not know each other.

"Hey, Michele."
"Do I know you?"
"No, but we have a mutual interest."
"We do?" Michele looks a bit uneasy. Michael's tone is changing as he speaks.
She senses something and says, " Can you be quick please, I am waiting for someone."
"Yuh man, Tony, you know he does swing both ways right!" He gives her a knowing look. She starts to speak, but he goes on.
"He cyah get enough ah me, but I suppose he does settle for you when he feel like it." He then steupses and walks away, in an effeminate way.
Michele watches him go.
As she turns, she sees Anthony running up to greet her.
He sees her face and instantly knows that she has been upset.
"What happen? Somebody upset you?"
Tears are involuntarily coming down her cheeks and she furiously wipes them away, trying to compose herself.
"Tony, you love me right?"
"Of course! What is it?"
"Dat, dutty man from yuh past just walk up to me an' tell me dat you only usin' me and dat you love him Tony!" She says this in gasping whispers, as Tony moves around her, trying to hear everything she says.
"What! He just walked up to you!"
"Yes Tony! And he didn't care who heard either!"
"I guh kill him!" He hugs her close to him. "You believe him or me?"
"I...I doh know, I never....what should i believe Tony?"
"Look at me, look at me...I am here with you right now. Don't you believe me?"
'Why did he have to come up to me like dat? What does he want Tony?"
"He just jealous and spiteful! Ah go deal wit he! Come on, leh we go."
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Michael and Anthony are in a grappling, frenzied embrace. Anthony comes away, after choking Michael, in the middle of their sexual play. It is a rough play that they both enjoy, but Anthony uses it as a bullying tactic.

'Wha' was dat?" Michael rubs his neck and reaches for Anthony, who pulls away. Anthony is holding up his finger, jesturing to Michael.
"If you go talkin' to Michele again, we done!"
"Wha?" Michael is still trying to catch his breath."Wha?"
"We done! I swear, we done if ...!"
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spotlight fades to black
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Michele is talking to a friend in her room. She is crying, on her bed, amidst her school books.
"I doh know what to do? He say, he love me, an' when he wit me, it so good!"
"I know, I know?"
"Right?"
"I try."
"I did, I spoke to him. He say is not true."
"exactly, once yuh have some kinda past, it does come back an bite yuh."
"Ah doh know."
"Ah doh know?"
"He say he love me."
"I love him too."
"I know."
"He wouldn't do dat to me."
"Yes....I trus' him wit everyting else."
"He supports me wit school and ting, remember. He real kind to meh family and dey like him too."
"One mistake in he pas''
"I know."
"I know."
"No,"
"I doh know him at all."
"I couldn't. It wouldn't be right."
"No."
"We jus' have to believe de bes'"
"Ok."
"Tanks"
"Bye."
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Michele and Anthony meet. He is a bit frustrated with her and is standing as she sits at the table at the place they are eating at.
"How I will convince you again? How?"
She looks imploringly at him.
"I believe you, but I have so many questions? Come on, doh be like dat?"
He sits down with a huff. Looking away from her, her hand at his wrist as she tries to coax him.
"Talk wit meh nuh, we together for a reason Tony."
He looks at her then and touches her hand, covering it, and getting intimate.
" I regret it. I really do. He did like meh, an' I didn' know anyting 'bout anyting.
I was jus' he fren. He get meh to come by, we lime, we go out sometimes. Dey wasn't anyting."
Michele is listening and giving him time to talk.
"den one day, I was badin' by he, an' as ah come out de showah, he tell me he want to tell me dat he eh no macomeah man or nuttin', but dat he fine meh body real sound nah."
She smiles and listens.
"So, dat firs' time, he jus complement meh nuh, and little by little, he complementin' meh, and he encouragin' meh wid weh basketball. An meh school work an ting. An ah glad to go by he, because meh fadda, he dey, but he eh day, yuh know nah."
She stays silent and he goes further.
"He did kiss meh, on meh birday, on de cheek, an it make meh feel real funny. Funny in meh stomach. But he did give meh sometin ah did like, so ah forget about how ah did feel." He looks away as he continues to speak about the events of his past.
"Ah cyah say what draw meh nah. It confusin'. "
She steps too him and kneels down, looking at him and patting his knee.
" Yuh doh have to tell me all at once."
"No, is ok.....he remains silent for a few more seconds...he was so nice to meh. He really was like meh uncle or a bigger brother, yuh know. When he touch meh on meh shoulder when I was studyin, and den kiss meh forehead, ah nearly bawl out. Ah tell he, I eh no mackomeah man, no way! He say, eh,eh, he not doin' no mackomeah ting, he jus' love me like ah son. small, small, it start for me. Small, small."
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fade to black
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Anthony speaks in his room alone.

How yuh does know? How? I like them both. He, I like everyting male about him. Ah like everything in how he looks.
Den, Ah like her.
I like how curvy and girly she is.
Why do I have to choose?
Who say I have to decide?
When we together, I doh tink bout anyone else but she!
When I wit he, I doh tink bout anyting but he.
Why I have to choose?
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