 Coni Ciongoli-Koepfinger..notes..page1
COFFEEHOUSE MAGIK
©1996 by Coni Ciongoli-Koepfinger Now, she's a mental gem. Isn't she? Would she be considered a precious metal indiginous to these geographical parts? Would that be comparable to the average brilliance, eh? (LAUGHS) Perhaps you can help me... I'm new in town. I'm a gold digger... I collect raw material, in a sense. Pardon me? ( EXTENDS HIS HAND) Howard T. Hought. (THEY SHAKE HANDS) I am Derrick WYMAN. A pleasure to meet you, my friend. I've heard about your work at NYU. Fascinating stuff. Finally someone brave enough to bring it altogether. (SITS) May I sit down? Of course I may. (LAUGHS) Oh, HOWIE, don't be so uncomfortable. So, you feel as though we've met... But you can't quite place it. And, yes... How did I know your name? I can't tell you how... You know how. You are the how. (VERY UNNERVED) Oh, uh, sure. I mean, I'm not sure I know ... I mean, I was about to; er, I should be going. (LOOKS AT HIS WATCH) Oh, the time! I have got to teach in the morning, excuse me, Mr.Wy..., oh, uh, I'm sorry I've forgotten your name... (STARTS TO RISE) I really must go... We've got mid-terms coming up and I am not prepared for.... (SHOUTS) No! No. You are not prepared.(SMILES) Well, not yet.(KNOCKS ON THE TABLE, NOW USING A STERN VOICE) Please! (SOFTLY) Please, WYMAN. Just call me WYMAN! (SARDONIC LAUGHTER) Don't worry about time, Howard. I've got all the time in the world. And right now, so do you. Besides, you won't have to worry about midterms. (LAUGHS AGAIN) The university will not be holding any classes for a while. (WHIPS OUT A PAGE OF NEWSPAPER) As of next week... after the disaster... (LAUGHS AGAIN) Well, not until the remodeling is finished in the physics department. Disaster! Remodeling? What? Where? (PAUSE, EXAMINES THE PAPER) Mr. WYMAN, I'm sorry. I don't mean to be abrupt but... Exactly who are you and how on earth do you have the newpaper headlines for something that didn't happen yet? (INTERRUPTING) Uh, uh, uh! First of all, Howard, let's get things straight right from the beginning... Never ask me how. You are the how. I am the why. Moreover, we are not merely on earth ! That is the most preposterous conclusion, word illusion, metaphor known to mankind! Bah! "On earth!" If I had a pet peeve, not saying I do, but if I did... That would be it! Keeps the thinking so linear, "down to earth", so "gravitational" and as we both know as higher level thinkers... That line of thought plummets only in one direction... straight down. Why are you shaking your head, HOWIE! Too heavy for you? (NOW TOYING WITH HIM, TAKES HIS SILVER PEN AND RUNS IT ALONG HOWIE'S HAIRLINE) Tell me ole chap, is it not so? Say, say, say... You have a most lovely pair of twinklers there, Howard. Quite deep. They connect directly from your soul to mine. Wouldn't you say so? (ENCHANTING HIM) Can't imagine why you're not attached to anyone. Yes, you really are quite charming. (ENTRANCED) Have we met before? Yes. When? Oh, not so long ago. Where? Right here. No, no, no. (LAUGHS) I mean, it seems like we've... Nevermind. You have a funny way about you. Your voice. The way you respond to the language. (SMILES) I like it. (SIPS HIS COFFEE) You're refreshing. (LAUGHS) I'm refreshing? Yes. The way I repond to the language? Yes. You like it? Yes. (TOUCHES WYMAN'S HAND) Very much so. (SHOUTS) Mollifier! (STANDS) I'm leaving! It's hopeless! (STANDS) No! I'm sorry. Truly? Please. Let me buy you some coffee. You intrigue me, sir. Really, there aren't many of us higher level thinkers... even in New York City. (SITS) Please. I'm sorry. Please. (SITS) Do you recall the deli on the corner of Market Street? The black shiny booths in the back? It was spring of 1987, you were considering monastic life then... Yes. Your brother's boy just attempted suicide for the third time and you were quite discouraged with the law profession. I used to see you in there every Thursday, soup of the day, split pea. Always a pumpernickel bagel with cream cheese, a cup of soup and coffee, black. (LAUGHS) Yes. I recall it perfectly. Good. But you? Were you a waiter there? How do you fit in? Fit in? Yes. (STARTING TO RAISE HIS VOICE) Did you say fit in? Yes. Now, please. Don't shout again. It's embarrassing. VAL RETURNS WITH THE COFFEEPOT Oh, HOWIE. I sees ya made a new friend. (TO WYMAN) Corfy, honey? Anything t'eat? (TURNS HIS CUP UP) Thank you. Please. Thank you coffee will be quite sufficient. Nice voice. Are y' an actor? Y'sounds like an actor or a politician or something. Nice voice honey. My name's VAL". Call me anytime. I'll be here as soon as I can. (REFILLS HOWIE'S CUP, WHISPERS) Hey, is he married? Cute and gotta great voice. Betcha he do great at phone sex. Umm-ummm. (EXITS) As I said before, raw material? And I mean, RAW! So, about the deli on Market Street... There is no deli on Market. No? No. Then where did I have the bagel and pea soup? You didn't. I didn't? No. You hate pea soup and you've never tried a bagel. Your teeth are extremely sensitive. You're right. As usual. AN EXTENDED PAUSE My brother's boy? You don't have a brother. Right again. Of course. But the monastary? Truth. I thought that had to be true. The process of fabrication must start with a least one strand of truth. Everything else was a lie? Please, sir! Lies are assembled with negative energy, and are usually destructive. Stories are creative. I am a fabricator! A weaver! A craftsman! We prefer the term, "story". But I could really remember, the whole scene, I pictured the whole scene. I'm a master craftsman. But how? Uh, uh, uh! Not how... I am the why; you are the how. Only ask me why? Okay, then. Why? Just breaking ground. Testing the soil. I'm confused. Just getting ready to plant. Plant? Plant what? Seeds of truth. Seeds of truth? Where are you planning to plant those "seeds of truth"? In your mind. In my mind! Yes. No one can plant anything in my mind! I have a very strong mind and no one has ever been able to put thoughts in this head unless... Unless... I just did. I know.(STANDS) I need to leave now. Do you recall wandering off the path in Central Park West last month? (PAUSE) Well HOWIE, do you? Yes. (SITS) Vaguely. You were taking a stroll before the free concert. It's starting to come back to me. It was warm. I was sitting near the big silver fountain, playing my flute. ViVALdi's Four Seasons... I think it was Spring. I'm beginning to... Yes, yes, I can see it... Your music seemed to stir something in me. I got quite excited and I... Uh, oh my! You stood up on the fountain wall and pulled your pants down in front of me then... No! Please, stop. I know exactly what I did. (LAUGHS) You are such a naughty boy, Howard. Tsk! Tsk! Naughty boy! Think perhaps I should spank you... (CRACKS UP) Again. (LAUGHING) That was you! Gawd! I can't believe that I'd run into you again. With all of the millions of people in this city. My one moment of decadence and here I find you hanging out at the coffeehouse where I... Correction. I found you. Yes. Yes. The park story? PAUSE Yes? Was that another plant? Somewhat. I never dropped my trousers like that, did I? No. It seemed that I could recall something... I mean, I could actually see... (PAUSE) Of course. Threads of truth. So my decadence is still only a dream. Yes. (SMILES) You are a higher level thinker, Howord. I must admit that I am proud to be your dreamweaver. -[CONI'S NOTES PAGE2]- 
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