I knew you couldn’t keep that work ethic up.
In serio-comedy scene from the one-act eplay, “Transitions” Orton is fed up with Colby’s poor working habits and ongoing lateness.
ORTON: You’re late.
COLBY: I’m ten minutes late.
ORTON: Every day you’re late.
COLBY: It’s the train, the delays; they’re doing that lousy construction all year.
ORTON: I take the train in also, and there’s nothing but detours and delays. I have to transfer for a bus halfway through and then back on the train the rest of the way. I get here on time because I have a schedule to adhere to.
COLBY: Alright, I’ll stay later. I’ll make up the time.
ORTON: You steal from tomorrow by staying up late.
COLBY: But we’re on pace.
ORTON: Doesn’t matter. You want to stay up late, you want to go to those dumb Brooklyn parties, smoke your weed, come in here smelling like booze, and whatever else you do these days, and you chip away at the following day. We fall behind our deadlines.
COLBY: What is – I’ll make sure I’m early from now on, alright?
ORTON: You’re out, Justine’s in.
COLBY: What?!
ORTON: You heard me.
COLBY: Justine?! Our intern? You’re kidding.
ORTON: No, I’m not.
COLBY: Justine doesn’t know how to cut!
ORTON: Oh no?
Orton gives a chin up to the screen in front of him.
On the screen is a one-minute edited clip from a dramatic scene in a film.
Orton and Colby watch it together.
COLBY: …Justine cut that?
ORTON: Uh-huh.
COLBY: You supervised her on it!
ORTON: Nope, she cut the entire scene.
COLBY: Doesn’t mean she’s up to the task for an entire feature man.
ORTON: She’s been added to the project. You’re replaced!
COLBY: How?!
ORTON: She’s been saving us time on the grunt side. Remember those days? You used to come here and work all day and all night. I’d find you passed out under the desk. Couldn’t get you to leave. You were a machine.
COLBY: I nearly died.
ORTON: I knew you couldn’t keep that work ethic up, but –
COLBY: Dude, I was overworked and underpaid.
ORTON: You’ve fallen behind.
COLBY: Behind what?
ORTON: Where I could be assigning you now, Colby. You could be leading teams.
COLBY: Teams? What f’cking teams? We’re a struggling post-production house! I don’t even get paid on time.
ORTON: You get paid.
COLBY: Because you have to pay me eventually.
ORTON: I pay you ’cause of the work you do, not out of charity.
COLBY: You pay me because I’m renting out a room in your apartment and you need to pay rent! Without paying me, you can’t swim.
ORTON: And without me, you’d end up on the street, so show some appreciation.
COLBY: I’ve been with you since you started this company.
ORTON: That’s true.
COLBY: And you wish to toss me aside on this feature?
ORTON: Justine arrives early and Justine leaves late.
COLBY: Bullsh’t!
ORTON: You’re lazy! You come here for the free donuts and coffee. You hand in thirty seconds of edited footage. You don’t do the work!
COLBY: I’ve earned my pace and workflow. I have the right to eat as many f’cking donuts as I want.
Colby stuffs a donut into his mouth.
ORTON: Look, I don’t care if you choke on a powdered, cream filled donut, as long as you MAKE THE CUT.
COLBY (through a stuffed mouth): I make the cut!
ORTON: You don’t!
- To read the full one-act play, find purchase link below:
In the one-act eplay, “Transitions” Colby gets to work late, which triggers his best friend and boss Orton into a rage causing him to be removed from a major project and possibly fired. 1 Woman, 2 Men. Serio-comedy.
