Bad Needle: A play in three acts (attempt two)



ACT ONE.
POLLY sits at her sewing machine. She is sewing what appears to be a very ugly shower curtain. Suddenly, the machine clicks.

POLLY. Uhoh.

She continues sewing.
The thread snags.

POLLY. Fuck.

She continues sewing.
The thread breaks.

POLLY. Dammit.

She pulls the spool out of the thread, draw a large X on it with a fabric marker, and throws the spool into a tin on the top of a shelf.

POLLY. Bullseye.

She picks up another spool and threads the machine.

ACT TWO.
POLLY sews as before. The machine clicks.

POLLY. Uhoh.

She continues sewing.
The thread snags.

POLLY. Fuck.

She unwinds the bobbin. She rewinds the bobbin. She continues sewing.
The thread breaks.

POLLY. Dammit!

She removes the thread from the machine, draws an X on the spool, and throws it at the tin on the top of the shelf. It misses and falls to the floor.

POLLY. Bullseye.

ACT THREE.
POLLY has disassembled the sewing machine. She quickly and effortlessly reassembles it.
POLLY sews as before. She has made no progress.

The machine clicks.

POLLY. Uhoh.

She continues sewing.
The machine clicks.

POLLY. Uhoh.

She continues sewing.
The machine clicks.

POLLYy. Uhoh.

She continues sewing.

POLLY. Stop that.

She continues sewing. The thread snags.

POLLY. STOP that.

She removes the needle, breaks it with her bare hands. She replaces the needle with a new one.
She resumes sewing.
She sews.
The machine does not click.

POLLY. Good.

She sews.
The machine clicks.

POLLY. Dammit.
She sews over her finger.
She bleeds.
She bleeds on the shower curtain.

POLLY. Bullseye.

The lights go out.

Pause.

POLLY. Bullseye.

END

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