After the Thin Man
Characters in the Play
A
B
SCENE: A and B are seated at a couch. The TV is on and A is flipping channels. The play opens with them in mid conversation.
A: Ian McKellan isn't that funny either.
B: He's entertaining. You would invite him to a dinner party.
A: Yeah, but he might bring one of his “friends” with him. [A attempts to do air quotes, but this is difficult since one hand is already engaged in flipping channels.] It's hard to do air quotes with just one free hand.
B [ignoring A's homophobia, which probably masks a wide array of neuroses]: So use both hands then.
A: After the Thin Man is on. [He settles on this channel and sets down the remote.]
B: You'll do air quotes with both hands after The Thin Man is over?
A: What?
B: You said you'd do air quotes after The Thin Man is on.
A: After the Thin Man, the sequel.
B: They're playing the sequel to The Thin Man after they play The Thin Man? Like a double feature? What's the sequel called?
A: After the Thin Man IS the sequel.
B: You just said that. But what's the sequel called?
A: The sequel to After the Thin Man is Another Thin Man.
B: I know it's another Thin Man movie, but what's it called?
A: What?
B: So you'll do air quotes after the sequel to The Thin Man is on...?
[Beat.]
A: What?
CURTAIN
