A Scene from Act One
INT. – ICE SKATING RINK – DAY
GATSBY and TOM circle each other with their fists up. Both are wearing ice skates and Velour sweaters. DAISY, who is quite distressed, watches from the blue line. All at once, Gatsby and Tom begin to grapple. Gatsby manages to pull Tom’s sweater up over his head and starts to hammer away at his mid-section.
GATSBY: Do you know who you’re messing with? Do you know who you’re messing with? You’re messing with The Great Gatsby, pal!
DAISY: Stop! I’m begging you: Stop!!
Gatsby is lost in the moment. All he can see…is red! He straightens a woozy Tom up for the coup de grace, a big right hand to the jaw which sends Tom sliding, face-down, into the hockey net. As he crosses the goal line, the goal light lights up.
Before he can celebrate, Gatsby notices Daisy skating towards the penalty box. He hurries to catch her, but all at once he is blindsided by a Zamboni! Daisy sees the impact, which sends Gatsby’s crumpled form crashing into the boards.
DAISY (looking up at the scoreboard): NO! NOOOOO!!!
But it’s too late. Daisy has been driven insane. TWO ORDERLIES skate onto the ice and begin to lead Daisy off towards the locker room.
DAISY: I have always depended upon the kindness of strangers.
The lights fade until only a single spotlight remains, illuminating Gatsby’s prostrate form. The ORCHESTRA plays a funereal dirge until, suddenly, Gatsby’s leg twitches, once – twice. He’s still alive! A solitary piccolo trills in the distance.
TO BE CONTINUED
Dan Hendrickson - Writer 