Page 264 - Sweet Embraceable You: Coffee-House Stories

252 Jack Fritscher

MEDIUM ANNA, WILSON, AND TEUFEL

Teufel: The Resurrection of the Duchess. That is your angle,
Wilson. A Princess who would not die.
Anna: An angle on a lie. I am an expert on lies.
Wilson: I’m an expert on deceitful women.
Anna: Men never believe women anyway.
Wilson: Not since Eve taught Adam better. Nice try, Teufel. Find
yourself a new Cinderella. (To ANNA) You’re a pretty girl...
Anna: ...for me “pretty” is nothing.

CLOSE TEUFEL

Teufel: Anna lies. Of course, she lies. She lies about lies. WIL-
SON!

TIGHT TWO-SHOT ANNA AND WILSON

Wilson: Then I’ll ask her once and for all. Are you Anastasia?
Anna: (By rote) I am Anna Eisenstein. My father’s name was
Josef Chernov. He starved to death in 1917. I married Alex
Eisenstein at Sverdlosk. I have no family.

MEDIUM ANNA, WILSON, FEATURING TEUFEL
Teufel: Lies! Liar! Lies!

TEUFEL strikes ANNA with a finger slap.

Wilson: Hold it!
Anna: (Crying) I am Anna Eisenstein.
Wilson: Maybe, sweetheart. It makes no difference who you are.
Maybe the better story is about Anna Eisenstein.
Teufel: You make a fool of me.
Anna: You were a fool long before I was born.

ANNA exits.

MEDIUM TWO-SHOT WILSON AND TEUFEL

Wilson: Sorry, Old Girl. I think the bottom just fell out of the

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