In the comedy scene from play act, “Raison d’etre”, Marlo talks to Sharon about how he believes he has the unluckiest life to ever exist.

MARLO: I am the unluckiest twig in the history of the world.

SHARON: You can’t prove that.

MARLO: It’s true. (Beat.) The other day I took a walk through the park. It was a breezy night and after being trapped in my apartment all week, it was time to feel some fresh air on my skin. I walked through the woods, as far as the water fountain, when I heard somethin’ rustling in the leaves nearby. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I figured it was some squirrel looking for a nut…but, I heard what sounded like breathing..it was a low, baritone breath. Caused the hair on my neck to rise. So, I looked into the woods and observed this jacked-up, angry ass dog, had no collar, no owner, growling, madly, as it began to move out from the shadows. That’s when I thought I was dreamin’ or I should say nightmarin’; its head, was a head the size of a monster truck with a dead squirrel in its jaws. I was hoping it didn’t see me, but when it dropped the squirrel, I quickly realized I was a goner. The beast zeroed in on me and BOOM, launched in full-bodied warrior charge! SO, I dove head first into the water fountain. Didn’t even blink. It was the only move I had. When the animal reached the perimeter of the fountain it went nuts, barkin’, growlin’, foaming. I ain’t ever saw such out of control savagery. The only saving grace I had, was that it wouldn’t dare enter the water. This went on for an hour, until finally it went back to its squirrel and returned to the woods.

SHARON: Did that really happen?

MARLO: What? Why would I make it up?

SHARON: You like to exaggerate and dramatize.

MARLO: (Stating.) Verbatim!

SHARON: You’re a survivor.

MARLO: Maybe that’s my raison d’etre.

SHARON: Your what?

MARLO: Reason for being.

SHARON: You survived and that’s positive.

MARLO: Cursed.

SHARON: No, I don’t believe you are cursed. I think you’re just overthinking, you’re attracting all the wrong kinda energy. Break the spell.

MARLO: (Thinking pause.) A spell must have been put on me.

SHARON: (Laughing.)

MARLO: Don’t laugh, I’m serious. Makes complete sense.

SHARON: Who would want to put a spell on you, Marlo?

MARLO: Myself.

SHARON: Huh?

MARLO: I know why…I was five years old…I fell down a flight of stairs, hence the scar on my head and it was then that I realized how unlucky I was and it was then that I accepted my fate of being unfortunate.

SHARON: That’s not a spell.

MARLO: But it is! In that moment I rearranged my brain circuitry to think ‘Unlucky’ and here I am before you.

SHARON: Well, dial it back.

MARLO: We’re talking years of getting kicked and shunned by all walks of life. Impossible.

SHARON: I once read that we have the ability to change our neurology, like, the way our brains are wired and stuff, we could tweak the connections for new connections and re-purpose our brain. So, whatever it was that you did when you were five years old, it can be altered.

MARLO: It’s not like I can go back in time, Sharon.

SHARON: Mentally, you can.

MARLO: I can’t go back to being five and change my life.

SHARON: Circuitry. We can change your circuitry by rewiring your brain.

MARLO: Are you nuts?

SHARON: RE-IMAGINE. Go back into your mind and re-imagine that what happened to you was simply an accident. It wasn’t the beginning of a long string of unlucky hits along your life’s journey. It was one incident, a stupid accident and that was all.

MARLO: But what about all the other sh’t that transpired after that day? I can’t go back and re-imagine everything.

SHARON: You don’t need to. It was the impetus.

MARLO: The who?

SHARON: That one accident that set you off on the wrong path. If you re-calibrate that, you might start living your life without thinking you’re the unluckiest guy in the world.

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In the one act comedy eplay Raison d’etre, while talking to his best friend Sharon, Marlo makes a major realization about himself and how he chooses to live out the rest of his life.  1 Woman, 1 Man.  Comedy.

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