Auditions

Jeffrey

Mid-30's-early 40's. 
Francine's Husband. A doctor

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JEFFREY. I know. God, I know. I had a patient the other day. Young.

Bright. Tons of energy. And he comes in for a routine physical. He's

preparing for some intense "mission" or "cause" or school project

something and he's really really excited about it. Wouldn't stop talking

about, "Getting ready for the battle of my life." "Fulfilling my destiny,”

and how we should all be, um, (Reads of a slip of paper:) "Not allowing

ourselves to become lifeless wedges of brie on the cheeseboard of

the powerful."

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FRANCINE. Freedom from cheese?

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JEFFREY. And I was doctor-listening and then I said, "Wow, I wish

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I had as much excitement about something as you." A joke. And this

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Boy.. grabbed me by the shoulders. Yelled at me Said that I am "exactly what iswrong with Nebraska. If we are not fighting for something, then what are we living for?" And then he half-shouted, half-growled. Like a Scottish warrior. Fist in the air. The nurse came in. It was very intense. He has a website.
 

FRANCINE. Freedom from anecdotes.

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JEFFREY. He also has a lump near his ribs. Like an old lime. I ordered a few tests. And the lump is just the nubbin of a mass like a cauliflower. It's in his bones, blood, everywhere, and it doesn't take a specialist to know that nothing will stop it. Surgery, chemo, radiation, nada. A few months, tops. I have to tell him tomorrow.