Phrases
"Wonder if it was some kind of ring-toss ceremony."
"You know, we're just monkeys with clothes."
"That's a lot of cardboard."
"Like making a mix tape for a bunch of strangers."
"Why would I buy chicken from a snake? Did they think about that?"
Script
Two people sit
on a weathered old sofa in front of a coffee table. One is bent over a laptop
and a stack of papers, while the other is leaning back casually against the
sofa, remote control in hand as the television flickers between channels.
TV person: -Beat-Why
is this chicken being sold by a talking snake? Why would I buy chicken from a
snake? Did they think about that?
Laptop
person: Well, snakes are carnivores
right? I thought they ate mice though. Do they eat chicken?
TV person:
-Shrugs while continuing to flip through television channels- I dunno. Why
don’t you look it up?
Laptop person:
-Typing- Hmm, looks like they don’t eat chicken, or at least not crunchy
fast-food joint chicken. Darn, now I want chicken.
TV person: Me
too. -Beat- -Gets up and goes into the kitchen- We don’t have any. You want some
cereal?
Laptop person:
What kind?
TV person: We
have Fruit Hoops, Cocoa Stones, or Marshmallow Mateys.
Laptop person:
Ooh, toss me the Marshmallow Mateys. I finished off the cereal pieces yesterday
so the box is all marshmallows now.
TV person:-Beat- -Throws a cereal box-
Laptop person: -Beat- -Catches the box, begins to eat large handfuls of dried marshmallows from it.
Several marshmallows fall to the side and land on the laptop and sofa.-
TV person: -Beat- -Sits
back down and continues flipping through
television channels- Woah, check that out! That’s a lot of cardboard!
Laptop person:
What is that, some hoarding show?
TV person: Nah,
it’s one of those “Renovate your house on a budget” shows.
Laptop person:
Oh neat. You know, we have a lot of old cardboard boxes, we should try that.
TV person: Oh
yeah, we totally should! -Checking the clock- I have to head to work though,
you want to start when I get back?
Laptop person:
Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be back from class by then too. See you later.
TV person: Yeah,
see you then! -Beat- -Gets up and heads out-
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The beats in this script would be defined primarily by movement, especially the movement of one person getting up or sitting back down. The movement of the cereal box being thrown and caught also defines a beat. The only beat defined by something other than movement is the one defined by the opening dialogue.