You drag everything down to your own mundane existence.

Drama scene from one-act eplay Rupert’s Reverie, wherein a family get together quickly turns disastrous by having one simple conversation.

Featured Scene – Rupert’s Reverie

TABITHA: Alcohol?

MARLA: Liquor, yes, something, anything. Don’t you drink, or are you still a stiff?

TABITHA: No, no, I have, uh, there’s some whiskey I keep in the living room chest for winter.

MARLA: I’ll have some.

Tabitha gets up and brings back whiskey.

Marla takes it and pours the bottle into her coffee mug.

TABITHA: What are you doing?

MARLA: It takes the edge off.

TABITHA (cautiously): Okay, okay.

MARLA: The stress I feel seeing you after nearly a decade since you’ve been gone! Anyone would think my sister died, receiving one holiday card per year for New Year’s, no less. F’ck New Year’s. There’s nothing ever new about it, just a slow, rotten rotation of the same old boring life where nothing changes. What are we ever celebrating? Huh? The slow decline of money, health, and LIFE as we know it.

And you send me postcards from Spain and Egypt— well, what the hell are you doing in Egypt? And wherever else you roam, Hawaii, Australia, and who knows where…nice, very nice.

I’m here left with a torn meniscus while listening to game boy thumb his joystick all day and night! Zero points on the scoreboard for taking care of his mother. That’s for sure! I’ve only given him existence, with no will to live, to live, really live, not simply exist. He gets that from his father, this ‘do nothing much’ attitude toward life. Secretly finding ways to produce selfish pleasure. Ha!

I always wanted to go out into the open air, stretch my lungs and BREATHE!

Rupert…a worse imitation of Edward.

TABITHA: You had a torn meniscus?

Rupert pours whiskey into his coffee mug.

MARLA: None for you!

Rupert ignores Marla and drinks.

TABITHA: Rupert drinks?

Rupert drinks from his mug.

MARLA: Yeah, well –

TABITHA: But he’s too young, isn’t he?

MARLA: Oh Tabby, grow up, he’s a grown ass man.

TABITHA: What happened with Edward?

MARLA: Eddie found some tramp from Queens who’s been getting his rocks off for years and he finally worked up the courage to bounce.

TABITHA: And where did he bounce exactly?

MARLA: What? Eddie always had that roving eye, the pr’ck. I thought he was always too stupid to go beyond that, but I was wrong, because evidently, he was very busy. Rupert told me.

TABITHA: Rupert, you knew?

MARLA: That’s my son you’re talking about. He knew what a sh’t bag his father was, so he tracked him, gathered up all the dirt, and reported back to me. Anyway, that’s the story. How was Egypt?

TABITHA: Egypt was fine.

MARLA: You rode a camel?

TABITHA: I did.

MARLA: What was that like?

TABITHA: Wait. Can we, can we slow things down for a second.

MARLA: How was the desert?

TABITHA: You’re going so fast, there’s a lot for me to process.

MARLA: Not really.

TABITHA: Your husband left you, Rupert isn’t in school, you seem terribly angry, and you’re, well, you don’t seem like yourself, and Rupert is drinking, and this is all so depressing.

MARLA: Well, it’s life as we know it.

TABITHA: I’m worried about you and Rupert.

MARLA: I’m fine. Rupert, you’re fine, right?

Rupert gives thumbs-up.

See? We’re all fine.

Tabitha gets up and takes a bottle of pills out from her cabinet.

TABITHA: It’s just indigestion that I get sometimes.

MARLA: You’ve always had weak nerves, Tabby. What do they have you on now?

Tabitha takes a pill and drinks her coffee.

TABITHA: It calms me down, is all.

Marla inspects the bottle.

MARLA: Holy sh’t! They got you on some strong stuff. (holding it up to Rupert) Look at this, Rupert. Your Auntie is a heroin addict.

Marla bursts out laughing, and Rupert smiles.

My goodness. And I thought I had problems.

TABITHA: It’s nothing serious; it helps with my anxiety.

MARLA: Get off it! Spain, Egypt, Australia–what anxiety could you possibly have?

TABITHA: I have my problems too, Marla. You’ve never cared to look at me like a sister. All you’ve ever done is compare your life to mine, for as long as I can remember. You’re bitter. You’ve always been bitter, even before you had Rupert! Before you met Edward! You look at life as if it’s something bound to fall apart. That’s why I could never stand to be around you. You drag everything down to your own mundane existence, never caring to see what’s outside of your own rotten self! Now you arrive here, and it’s all gone to sh’t! Well what do you expect when you always view the cup as half empty? Huh? You think Edward wanted to be around that constantly? You think Rupert can aspire to be anything when he’s been bolted down by your despair?! I want to tell you I am shocked by it all, but how else could things have turned out for you?

Marla sits, defeated, silent.

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Scene Summary

In the one act eplay Rupert’s Reverie, Tabitha receives a visit from her sister and nephew after years of not seeing one another, only to soon realize that things have significantly changed for the worse.

• Genre: Drama
• Length: ~5-minute scene
• Characters: 2 women, 1 man
• Themes: family, siblings
• Best For: drama scenes for actors

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Scene Source: Rupert’s Reverie

Rupert’s Reverie is a dramatic play by Joseph Arnone, 2025.