Drama · 4 min
The After-Party.
After a glittering company event, a husband and wife strip the smiles off and confront the humiliation running underneath their marriage.
The roles
OWEN BECK
Late 30s. Came from nothing, married into a corporate dynasty, works for the family company. Has spent seven years swallowing humiliation and calling it gratitude. Tonight something cracked.
MARGOT PIERCE
Late 30s. Born into the dynasty. Treats power like weather — it's just there. Weaponizes politeness. Genuinely does not understand why Owen is upset because she has never had to.
The After-Party · Drama side · memorlined.app
(A bedroom in a large apartment. City skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. MARGOT PIERCE sits at a vanity, taking off earrings. OWEN BECK stands near the door in a suit, tie loosened. They've just come from a company event.)
OWEN BECK
That was fun.
MARGOT PIERCE
It was fine.
OWEN BECK
Your brother called me the wrong name again.
MARGOT PIERCE
He's bad with names.
OWEN BECK
He's known me for seven years.
MARGOT PIERCE
He's bad with names at events. It's not personal.
OWEN BECK
He called me Oliver.
MARGOT PIERCE
So?
OWEN BECK
My name is Owen.
MARGOT PIERCE
I know your name.
(She takes off the second earring. Sets them in a dish. OWEN pulls off his tie.)
OWEN BECK
And the thing with your father.
MARGOT PIERCE
What thing?
OWEN BECK
The thing where he introduced me to the board as "Margot's plus-one."
MARGOT PIERCE
That's a joke. He does that.
OWEN BECK
He introduced Marcus as "Head of International." He introduced Claire as "our new General Counsel." He introduced me as your plus-one.
MARGOT PIERCE
You're reading into it.
OWEN BECK
I've been at the company for five years.
MARGOT PIERCE
In a different division.
OWEN BECK
What does that mean?
MARGOT PIERCE
It means Dad doesn't think about your division. It's not—
OWEN BECK
Not what? Not important?
MARGOT PIERCE
That's not what I said.
OWEN BECK
You just said he doesn't think about it.
MARGOT PIERCE
Owen. It was a party. Can we not do this tonight?
(She stands. Goes to the closet. Steps out of her shoes.)
OWEN BECK
Did you know about the investigation?
(MARGOT stops.)
MARGOT PIERCE
What?
OWEN BECK
The federal thing. The compliance review. Marcus mentioned it at the bar. Casually. Like I should already know.
MARGOT PIERCE
I don't know what you're—
OWEN BECK
He said "when the DOJ thing wraps up." Like it was common knowledge. Is it common knowledge?
MARGOT PIERCE
I don't discuss legal matters at—
OWEN BECK
At what? At parties? Because Marcus does.
(Beat.)
MARGOT PIERCE
It's being handled.
OWEN BECK
By who?
MARGOT PIERCE
By the people who handle things.
OWEN BECK
And I'm not one of those people.
MARGOT PIERCE
It's not your area.
OWEN BECK
If there's a federal investigation and my name is on company documents—
MARGOT PIERCE
Your name isn't on anything important.
(Silence.)
OWEN BECK
Wow.
MARGOT PIERCE
That came out wrong.
OWEN BECK
Did it?
MARGOT PIERCE
I meant the documents related to the review aren't connected to your division—
OWEN BECK
My unimportant division.
MARGOT PIERCE
Stop turning everything into evidence that nobody takes you seriously.
OWEN BECK
Because nobody does.
MARGOT PIERCE
That's not true.
OWEN BECK
Your father calls me plus-one. Your brother calls me Oliver. Your mother asked me last Christmas if I'd ever thought about going back to teaching.
MARGOT PIERCE
She was making conversation.
OWEN BECK
She was telling me I don't belong here.
MARGOT PIERCE
You're being paranoid.
OWEN BECK
I'm being accurate.
(She goes to the bathroom. Comes back with a cotton pad. Starts removing makeup.)
MARGOT PIERCE
Is this what tonight is going to be?
OWEN BECK
This is what tonight is.
MARGOT PIERCE
Fine. Say what you need to say.
OWEN BECK
I might go to prison for your family.
(She stops.)
MARGOT PIERCE
Don't be dramatic.
OWEN BECK
I signed those filings. In 2022. I signed them because your father asked me to.
MARGOT PIERCE
You signed them because it was your job.
OWEN BECK
A job your father gave me.
MARGOT PIERCE
A job you wanted.
OWEN BECK
A job that came with conditions nobody explained.
MARGOT PIERCE
Nobody forced you to sign anything.
OWEN BECK
No. They just made it clear what happens to people in this family who don't go along.
MARGOT PIERCE
You're not in this family.
(The room goes still.)
OWEN BECK
What?
MARGOT PIERCE
I didn't—
OWEN BECK
You just said I'm not in this family.
MARGOT PIERCE
I meant legally. For purposes of the—
OWEN BECK
We're married. That's what married means.
MARGOT PIERCE
Owen—
OWEN BECK
Unless it means something different here. Unless married means—
(He stops. Sits on the edge of the bed.)
MARGOT PIERCE
I misspoke.
OWEN BECK
You didn't.
(Pause. She puts down the cotton pad.)
MARGOT PIERCE
I'm going to take a shower.
OWEN BECK
Fine.
MARGOT PIERCE
We can talk in the morning.
OWEN BECK
We won't.
MARGOT PIERCE
Then we won't.
(She goes to the bathroom. The door closes. OWEN sits on the bed. Starts undoing his cufflinks. Gets the right one. The left one's stuck. He gives up.)
Print it for class, or open it in the app: every role in this side is playable, and the other side of the scene gets a reader. Cast a voice against your part in the Audition Room, then run it until the lines are yours.
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