It's a love story: A struggle between two romantically and sexually challenged New Yorkers' who desperately search for love with help from their dysfunctional therapists.

The play takes a comdic look at the American obession with analysis. I believe the message of the play is that our imperfections are part of being human and that therapy won't make us perfect.

In other words, we need to accept our imperefections, and those of other people.  

Act 1: Scene 1

Character/Scene Analysis

Bruce:

Who: Male, bisexual, emotionally unstable: cries over trivial things, early 30's, native to Upper West Manhatten, financially well-off.

What: Searching for love by blind dating through personal ads.

When: Present, evening.

Where: West Manhatten, NY, Squire Restraunt.

Why: He want's to find true love, but doesn't know whether in a woman or a man.  

Prudence:

Who: Female, just turned 30, writes for People Magazine, native to Upper West Manhatten, financially well-off.

What: Searching for love by blind dating, but fears commitment.

When: Present, evening.

Where: West Manhatten, NY, Squire Restraunt.

Why: She has had several failed relationships, she just turned 30, which is a wake-up call. She wants to be married and have children.

I like the idea of Prudence wearing a red dress with multi-colored nailpolish for this scene and sandles. The sandles and multi-color nailpolish would accent her child like personality. 

Posible Master Gesture: Rose 

Prudence:

Her noticing of flaws in other people is part of her problem. She uses other people's flaws as an excuse to end the relationships. So she is a cautious person as her name indicates. I believe that despite the

flaws she sees in Bruce on their first date, she stays as longs as she does, becuase she doesn't want to run back to Stewart just yet. In my mind, sometime before this scene, Prudence was with Stewart in

a therapy session and it was one of the times that she slept with him. Prudence wants to be married and have a family, but she fears commitment so she finds flaws in the men she dates and uses them as an excuse

to end the relationship when it starts to get serious. In other words, when the man brings up the subject of marriage or children she freaks out and runs. I believe this stems for coming from a broken home where her parents

divorced when she was a child.

Prudence answer's Bruce's personal ad, but their first meeting goes awry. Bruce cries over trivial things. Prudence feels that strong men shouldn't cry and she doesn't like homosexuals.

She sees his bisexuality as a weakness and a sign that he has comittment problems. They end up throwing water on each other at the end. Afterwards, they both go back to their therapists',

where they get needed encouragement and ego boosting. So, by going on this blind date both Bruce and Prudence enter the dating ring and get knocked around. As a result, they end up

back in their corners, where their therapists prepare them for the next match.

LETTER TO BRUCE

Hello Bruce,

I have to admit, I was relieved that it was your ad that I answered again. When I first saw you at the restaurant I wanted to immediately

come up to you, but I kept changing my mind. My being cautious like this is why I have so much bad luck in the dating ring. I tend to look

for flaws in other people as an excuse not to stay with them. I mean, I want to be in a good relationship with someone, but I keep running

back to therapy. I've just hit 30 and it's the start of a new year and I am still single. To be honest, I answered an ad in the first place as

a matter of desperation. After all, I don't have much time to lose. I guess writing about so many people's relationships, especially the 

one's that are in trouble, ads to my caution.    

The fact that you’re bisexual and you cry a lot does still bother me. However, you don’t seem to be bothered by my imperfections.

You understand me in ways that most men don’t. I am tired of running away at every sign of trouble and I am tired of using my therapist

as a safety net. So, I would like to see you again soon. Give a me a call.

Sincerely,

Prudence

ACT 1: SCENE 1

A restaurant. Bruce is seated, looking at his watch. He is thirty to thirty-four, fairly pleasant-looking, probably wearing a blazer with an open shirt.

Enter Prudence, twenty-nine to thirty-two, attractive, semi-dressed up in a dress or nice skirt and blouse. After hesitating a moment, she crosses to Bruce.

Eposition

Unit 1 

Prudence enters, see's that she is the first to arrive, goes into the bathroom to compose herself, comes out, see's that her date has arrived, hesitates, composes herself, and then walks over.

Unit 2

Prudence: Hello

Bruce: Hello

Prudence: (referring to a newspaper in her hand- Daily News Miner): Are you the white male, thirty to thirty-five, 6’1”, blue eyes, who’s into rock music, movies, jogging, and quiet evenings at home?

Bruce: Yes, I am.

Prudence: Hi, I’m Prudence. (Observes that he is attractive)

Bruce: I’m Bruce.

Prudence: Nice to meet you.

Bruce: Won’t you sit down?

Prudence: Thank you. (Sits.) As I said in my letter, I’ve never answered one of these ads before.

Bruce: Me neither. I mean, I haven’t put one in before.  

Prudence: But this time I figured, why not?

Bruce: Right. Me too. (Pause) I hope I’m not too macho for you.

Prudence: No. So far you seem wonderful. (Sincere; she finds him attractive)

Bruce: You have lovely breast. That’s the first thing I notice in a woman.

Prudence: Thank you. (Uneasy)

Bruce: You have beautiful contact lenses.

Prudence: Thank you. I like the timbre of your voice. Soft but firm. (Talking about his crotch; leans in; observes it)

Bruce: Thanks. I like your voice.

Prudence: Thank you. I love the smell of Brut you’re wearing. (Leans in further; takes a drink of water) 

Bruce: Thank you. My male lover Bob gave it to me.

Unit 3

Prudence: What? (Chokes on water; thinks maybe it was a joke)

Bruce: You remind me of him in a certain light.

Prudence: What? (Realizes he was being serious)

Bruce: I swing both ways actually. Do you?

Prudence: I don’t know. I always insist on the lights being out. (Upset; Pause)

Bruce: I’m afraid I’ve upset you now.

Prudence: No, it’s nothing really. It’s just that I hate gay people.

Bruce: I’m not gay. I’m bisexual. There’s a difference.

Prudence: I don’t really know any bisexuals. (Asking him to further inform her)

Bruce: Children are all innately bisexual, you know. If you took a child to Plato’s Retreat, he’d be attracted to both sexes.

Prudence: I should imagine he’d be terrified. (Surprised)

Bruce: Well, he might be, of course. I’ve never taken a child to Plato’s Retreat.

Prudence: I don’t think they let you. (Relieved)

Bruce: I don’t really know any children. (Pause.) You have wonderful eyes. They’re so deep.

Unit 4

Prudence: Thank you. (Likes this compliment, interested again)

Bruce: I feel like I want to take care of you.

Prudence:  I would like that. My favorite song is “Someone to Watch over Me.” (Leans toward him)

Bruce: (sings softly) “There’s a somebody I’m longing duh duh…”

Prudence:  Yes. Thank you. (Stand to make him sit back down)

Bruce: In some ways you’re like a little girl. And in some ways you’re like a woman.

Prudence: How am I like a woman? (Intrigued that he understands this about her; Leans in)

Bruce: You…dress like a woman. You wear eye shadow like a woman.

Prudence:  You’re like a man. You’re tall, you have to shave. I feel you could protect me. (Scoots closer to him)

Bruce: I’m deeply emotional, I like to cry.

Unit 5

Prudence: Oh I wouldn’t like that. (Leans away; turned off by this)

Bruce: But I like to cry.

Prudence: I don’t think men should cry unless something falls on them.

Bruce: That’s a kind of sexism. Men have been programmed not to show feeling.

Prudence: Don’t talk to me about sexism. You’re the one who talked about my breasts the minute I sat down.

Bruce: I feel like I’m going to cry now.

Prudence: Why do you want to cry?

Bruce: I feel you don’t like me enough. I think you’re making eyes at the waiter. 

Climax 

Prudence: I haven’t even seen the waiter. (Bruce Cries) Please, don’t cry. I don’t know where to look. Please. (Uncomfortable, looks at exit, approaches him - feels bad that she made him cry)

Resolution

Bruce: (stops crying after a bit) I feel better after that. You have a lovely mouth.

Unit 6

Prudence:  Thank you. (Likes the compliment; interested again)

Bruce: I can tell you’re very sensitive. I want you to have my children.

Prudence:  Thank you.

Bruce: Do you feel ready to make a commitment?

Prudence:  I feel I need to get to know you better.

Bruce: I feel we agree on all the issues. I feel that you like rock music, movies, jogging, and quiet evenings at home. I think you hate shallowness. I bet you never read People magazine

Prudence:  I do read it. I write for it. (Defensive)

Bruce: I write for it too. Free-lance actually. I send in letters. They printed one of them.

Prudence:  Oh, what was it about? (Not believing him)

Bruce: I wanted to see Gary Gilmore executed on television.

Prudence: Oh yes, I remember that one. (Recalls; her and her fellow writers talked about this submission for days)

Bruce: Did you identify with Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Women?

Prudence:  Uh, yes, I did. (Lying; takes a drink of water)

Bruce: Me too. We agree on everything. I want to cry again.

Unit 7

Prudence:  I don’t like men to cry. I want them to be strong.

Bruce: You’d quite like Bob then.

Prudence: Who?

Bruce: You know.

Prudence: Oh. (Remembers, tosses flower back on table)

Bruce: I feel I’m irritating you.

Prudence: No. It’s just that it’s hard to get to know someone. And the waiter never comes, and I’d like to order. (Trying to get the waiters attention)

Unit 8

Bruce: Let’s start all over again. Hello. My name is Bruce.

Prudence: Hello. (Looks at the flower; stands and greets him)

Bruce: Prudence. That’s a lovely name.

Prudence: Thank you.

Bruce: That’s a lovely dress.

Prudence: Thank you. I like your necklace. It goes nicely with your chest hair.

Bruce: Thank you. I like your nail polish.

Prudence:  I have it on my toes too.

Bruce: Let me see. (She sits; She takes shoe off, puts foot on the table) I think it’s wonderful you feel free enough with me to put your feet on the table.

Prudence: I didn’t put my feet on the table. I put one foot. I was hoping it might get the waiter’s attention. (Trying to get the waiters attention)

Bruce: We agree on everything. It’s amazing. I’m going to cry again. (Weeps)

Unit 9

Prudence: Please, you’re annoying me. (He continues to cry) What is the matter?

Bruce: I feel you’re too dependent. I feel you want me to put up the storm windows. I feel you should do that.

Prudence: I didn’t say anything about storm windows.

Bruce: You’re right. I’m wrong. We agree.

Prudence:  What kind of childhood did you have?

Bruce: Nuns. I was taught by nuns. They really ruined me. I don’t believe in God anymore. I believe in bran cereal. It helps prevent rectal cancer. (Feels sorry for him)

Prudence: Yes, I like bran cereal.

Bruce: I want to marry you. I feel ready in my life to make a long-term commitment. We’ll live in Connecticut. We’ll have two cars. Bob will live over the garage. Everything will be wonderful. (She starts to panic; fears commitment) 

Prudence: I don’t feel ready to make a long-term commitment to you. I think you’re insane. I’m going to go now. (Stands to leave) 

Bruce: Please don’t go.

Prudence: I don’t think I should stay.

Bruce: Don’t go. They have a salad bar here.

Prudence: Well, maybe for a little longer. (Takes flower from him; sits back down)

Unit 10

Bruce: You’re afraid of life, aren’t you?

Prudence: Well…

Bruce: Your instinct is to run away. You’re afraid of feeling, of emotion. That’s wrong, Prudence, because then you have no passion. Did you see Equus? That doctor felt it was better to blind eight horses in a stable with a metal spike than to have no passion. (Holds his fork) In my life I’m not going to be afraid to blind the horses, Prudence. (Prudence leans closer)

Prudence: You ought to become a veterinarian. (Joking)

Bruce: (very offended) You’ve missed the metaphor.

Prudence: I haven’t missed the metaphor. I made a joke.

Bruce: You just totally missed the metaphor. I could never love someone who missed the metaphor.

Unit 11

Prudence: Someone should have you committed.

Bruce: I’m not the one afraid of commitment. You are.

Prudence: Oh, dry up. (Thows flower at him; stands and picks up her purse)

Bruce: I was going to give you a fine dinner and then take you to see The Tree of Wooden Clogs and then home to my place for sexual intercourse, but now I think you should leave.

Prudence:  You’re not rejecting me, buddy. I’m rejecting you. You’re a real first-class idiot. (Leans over table)

Bruce: And you’re a castrating, frigid bitch!

(She throws a glass of water in his face; he throws water back in her face. They stand there for a moment, spent of anger, wet.)

Prudence: Absolutely nothing seems to get that waiter’s attention does it? (The both look back, then at each other)

(Bruce shakes his heard “no”.)

Prudence storms out

End Scene

Floor Plan