Daisy by Sean Devine

Author:Sean Devine
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781772014136
Publisher: Talonbooks
Published: 2021-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

ACT I | SCENE 11

The work room at Doyle Dane Bernbach. Late in the evening.

SID is dressed casually and drinking beer from a six-pack. AARON has a little black book, and is making calls.

Written on a chalkboard:

“Goldwater Spots: i) Social Security, ii) Eastern Seaboard, iii) Merely Another Weapon Rockefeller Spots: i) Mr. Establishment, ii) Silver Spoon, iii) Divorce”

SID

So, I’m over at the library. I’m on the steps eating a hot dog. It’s gorgeous out. There’s two girls sitting nearby. Secretaries. They’re having a smoke. A black girl and a white girl.

AARON

(on the phone) Yeah, hi, I’d like to leave a message for Drummond Drury. Tell him it’s Aaron Ehrlich. Tell him to give me a call first thing Monday. Or Sunday, if possible. Or tonight, if he can.

He hangs up.

SID

So get this. Each girl, at the same time, butts out her cigarette on the steps.

AARON

Drummond’s still with the Unger Agency, right?

SID

He’s a cameraman. How should I know? (continuing story) So this police officer walks by. He barks, and I mean barks at the black girl. “What do you think you’re doing, desecrating public property?” Over a cigarette. But both girls did it.

AARON

(flipping through his book) Who else should I call?

SID

It’s nine o’clock Saturday night. Have a beer!

AARON

How can you be so cavalier? It’s not like Mr. Bernbach to call us in like this. Something’s up.

SID

Yeah, your blood pressure.

AARON

He sounded upset on the phone. I want to be prepared.

SID

Now, the cop, he’s laying into the black girl. He starts writing a ticket. So I step in.

AARON

You stepped in?

SID

“Officer,” I say, “I can’t help but notice you singled out only one of these two women, when it appears they each committed the same infraction.”

AARON You didn’t.

SID

Like I was Atticus Finch!

LOUISE enters, dressed for a night out. She has a newspaper.

SID

Look at this! Mr. Bernbach interrupted date night, huh, kiddo? Tough break. (continuing story) So the cop comes up to me. “And who the hell are you?” “I’m Sid Myers. I’m the guy who’s going to help elect the president who just signed the Civil Rights Act.”

LOUISE

We’re having beers, are we?

SID

It’s Saturday night. Who’s the lucky fellow?

LOUISE

Not that it’s any of your business, but I was out with a girlfriend.

SID

No wonder you’re single. (continuing story) So now there’s a crowd. The girls are smiling. The cop puffs out his chest. “Well, I didn’t vote for Johnson.” So I say, “Nobody did, but they sure as hell will in November.”

LOUISE

Where’s Mr. Bernbach?

AARON

On his way down. Whatever this is about, this time I know it’s not good.

LOUISE

Not so soon, my bespectacled friend. I think everything’s about to line up exactly the way it should.

SID

What do you mean?

LOUISE plops down the newspaper and grabs a beer.

LOUISE

Check today’s poll. Three days before the California primary, Rockefeller’s up fifteen points. Goldwater’s finished.

As SID and AARON look at the newspaper, LOUISE goes to the chalkboard. She chalks out a circle around the section on Rockefeller.

LOUISE

Bernbach’s coming to tell us the good news. It’s Johnson versus Rockefeller. Policy against policy. This is what elections are about.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.