The Necklace   by 林攸慈 Yu Ci Lin

Characters:

Mr. Dunn—A man who works in a machine factory as a machine plotter. About thirty

years old, and he is quiet tall, about 178 cm.  

Mrs. Dunn—She works at home as a translator. As a short and plump woman, her

appearance is not surpassing. She is about twenty-eight years old.

Nick—A 19-year-old young man who has just released from the jail. He used to be a

thief.

On the stage, there is a woman who wears a skirt with straight-line and black shirt, looks very worried. She is in her bedroom. There is one double bed, one dressing table, and a closet. She walks back and forth, murmurs and immerses in the mood of desperation.

Mrs. Dunn: What can I do? (Walks back and forth, seems desperate.) I lost my necklace! My good necklace! My husband gave it to me! (Crying and yelling) I’ve found everywhere but found nothing!   

(Suddenly, someone knocks on the bedroom door.)

Mrs. Dunn: Oh, Christ! Oh, no! Oh, Mama! It must be my husband! If he knows I lost the necklace, he must blame on me, hate me, and kick me out of this house! I can’t let him know anything about this!

(Mr. Dunn yells outside the door.)

Mr. Dunn: Dear! Are you OK? Why do you lock the bedroom door? You’ve been in there for two hours!

Mrs. Dunn: Everything is just fine. (She goes to the door, and opens it.)

Mr. Dunn: What were you doing here?

Mrs. Dunn: Uh…nothing…but sleeping…yeah…sleeping!

Mr. Dunn: Sleeping? But we were talking with Henry’s tutor, Mr. Robinson about Henry’s lessons two hours ago. You just excused yourself and then ran upstairs to sleep? Why didn’t you tell me you were tired? I could discuss with Mr. Robinson by myself. 

Mrs. Dunn: Uh…first…I was going upstairs to find some…important letters that Nancy sent me last week…and then…I started to read them…and I just didn’t remember when I fell asleep. Sorry, dear.

Mr. Dunn: It’s OK, dear. But next time, remember to let me know first. Otherwise, I will worry about you. (Mr. Dunn comes along with Mrs. Dunn. They hug each other.)

Mrs. Dunn: It is so nice of you, sweetheart. (Looks anxious and guilty)

Mr. Dunn: It’s time for bed. Dear, are you still sleepy after taking a nap for two hours?

Mrs. Dunn: Uh…well…I suppose…not. Well! I suddenly remember TBS has a program for the best ten films of Steven Chou tonight! I would like to watch that program!

Mr. Dunn: OK, then. But don’t be too late. I have a meeting tomorrow morning.   Goodnight, sweetheart. 

Mrs. Dunn: Goodnight! Have a nice dream!

(Mrs. Dunn stands right in front of the stage and the background light is off.)

(Spotlight on Mrs. Dunn’s face.)

Mrs. Dunn: I’d better find the necklace before my husband wakes up next morning. (Then, she walks to the bedroom door on tiptoe.)

(Light on the stage is off. A young man appears on the left side of the stage with spotlight on him. He climbs through the Dunn’s window.)

Thief: (Whispers.) I wish they are all deeply asleep.

(Then, he opens the flashlight and ready for his “job.”)

Thief: Oh! Damn! There must have been other pros here! It’s really a mess here! (He checks the room with his flashlight. All the drawers have been pulled out; the doors of cupboard are opened; magazines and newspapers under the coffee table have been messed up. The whole living room is just like a battle field.)

(He gets close to the sofa; it is a mess on the sofa, too.)

(Suddenly, a figure sits-up on the kitchen floor.)

Thief: What is that? (Talks to himself, whispers.)

(He tiptoes and gets close to the kitchen.)

Mrs. Dunn: (Crying on the floor.) I can never find it! I’m on my last pins!

Thief: Hey! What’s going on?

(Light in)

(Mrs. Dunn looks up with tears all over her face.)

Mrs. Dunn: I cannot find the necklace! I’ve been trying to find it for three hours!

Thief: Wow! You spend that much time on searching that necklace! It must be a very rare one, isn’t it?

Mrs. Dunn: (Sobbing.) Yes…yes…it is truly a very rare necklace…I’m afraid that it is the one and only in the world.

Thief: Wow! (The young man’s eyes spark.) Maybe I can help you to find it!

Mrs. Dunn: Really? Oh! Excuse me! I forgot to ask your name, and what are you doing here? Let me introduce myself first, I’m Molly.

Thief (Surprised.) Molly? I’ve heard your name before! To people like me, you are truly a legend! I can’t believe I meet you face to face! I’m Nick! You can call me “Deft Hand Nicky” or “Flying Squirrel Nicky.” Both are fine. (He smiles and shakes hands with Molly, Mrs. Dunn.)

Mrs. Dunn: Oh…I never know that I am…that famous. Maybe we can talk about this later, but first we need to find the necklace. And we need to be quite; otherwise we will wake him up.

Nick: Yes! Boss! (Loudly.)

Mrs. Dunn: Shhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nick: (With both hands covering his mouth.) Sorry.

(They start searching around the house. They can hear Mr. Dunn driving his pigs to the market upstairs.)

Nick: You are truly a genius, Molly.

Mrs. Dunn: Why do you say that? (She is trying to look under the sofa.)

Nick: You just disguise yourself as a housewife perfectly. No one will doubt for that, even I think you are truly a housewife at first. (He lights up a cigarette.)

Mrs. Dunn: Oh! Don’t smoke here! It smells bad!

Nick: (He extinguishes the cigarette.) I thought you like it, too.

(After searching for another two hours, they both sit on the sofa and rest.)

Nick: Maybe the necklace is not here, we may go upstairs and take a look.

Mrs. Dunn: No! I’ve searched upstairs for two hours this evening. It can’t be upstairs. And we may wake him up! You don’t understand how horrible it is if you awake him in the middle of the night. He will turn into a terrible monster!

Nick: (Looks scared.) Alright…then…what are we going to do?

Mrs. Dunn: I don’t know either. (Sighs)

(Mrs. Dunn walks toward the kitchen, and drinks a glass of water.)

(Nick is sitting on the sofa, humming a song which is popular these days.)

Mrs. Dunn: (to herself.) Who is this young man indeed? I was so anxious to find the necklace that I didn’t think too much. Am I dreaming or something? Or is he really a thief who climbs through my beautiful window?

(Mrs. Dunn trembles with fear so that she almost drops the glass.)

Nick: What happened?

Mrs. Dunn: Oh…nothing! (She tries to respond in a gay tone.)

Mrs. Dunn: Do you want something to eat? I found that they got plenty of food in the refrigerator.

Nick: Don’t you think we should take other things? Just leave that stupid necklace behind.

Mrs. Dunn: (Angrily.) That’s not a stupid necklace! It’s a really good one!

Nick: (Nervously.) Alright, alright! Take it easy! I ain’t saying the necklace is stupid! I was only suggesting that we can take something else…

(Mrs. Dunn stands under the stairs; she looks up and then looks at the thief for several times. She knits her brows.)

Mrs. Dunn: Of course we will take something else. In fact, we are not only to find the necklace out but to ransack them.

(She goes to the kitchen and comes out with one dish of pasta.)

Mrs. Dunn: But we need to eat something before working!

Nick: (With his eyes sparking.) Wow! How come there is only one dish? Aren’t you going to eat some?

Mrs. Dunn: No, no, no…I’ve eaten before you came. Quickly! Otherwise the owner will discover us!

(Nick eats the pasta. Five minutes later, he feels sleepy.)

Nick: M…Molly? How come I feel so sleepy?

Mrs. Dunn: It’s bedtime, kid. Have a nice dream…

(Nick falls asleep deeply.)

(Lights off)

(When the light is on, on the stage, Nick is bound on the chair.)

Nick: Hey! What the hell…

(Two police officers and Mr. and Mrs. Dunn walk into the living room.)

Police A: You are arrested, Mr. Welch. (Then, the two officers take him away.)

(There are only Mr. and Mrs. Dunn there.)

Mr. Dunn: Honey, you are so brave to catch that thief!

Mrs. Dunn: Well…it’s just a piece of cake for me…

Mr. Dunn: But…may I ask you…how was the Steven Chou movie?

Mrs. Dunn: (Nervously.) What Steven Chou?

Mr. Dunn: I think…you were looking for this… (He shows the necklace to her.)

Mrs. Dunn: Oh! My goodness! My Christ! Where do you find it? (Happily)

Mr. Dunn: I found it on your pullover. You left it when you took the pullover off. (Smiling)

(Mrs. Dunn looks embarrassed.)

Mr. Dunn: Next time, ask me first, OK? Or I will worry about you.

Mrs. Dunn: It’s so kind of you, sweetheart. (They hug and kiss each other.)

Curtain