Original subtitles

Cecil, my sheep!

My lady!

Have you lost your sheep?

Sir Jack, you've come at the right time. I've lost my sheep, Cecil. Well, that's

my job. I find the sheep to bring back to the people.

Tea, my lady.

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Lord, oh, pray.

Pardon me? Pardon me for my bluebees. Oh, no, my bluebee was just... In

the 20s, they were like... paint their knees. What? Yeah.

Like, face paint their knees. Because they're, like, so perfectly... Yeah, of

course.

Thank you.

This is my favorite.

Really? Yeah, I like a watermelon. Really? Yeah.

I release everything that is no longer serving you into the universal love.

Mm -hmm.

Oh no, God is on my head.

I'm sorry.

I'll do the same for me. I'm sorry.

I did not do this.

Oh, my God. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

So I gesture back.

Yes. Gesture back to the people. I'm talking to every individual person. Yes.

love that. I'm just like, hello.

Hello, Miss Banks.

Yes. I love that. I love that.

And then when you fall, you're going to do like a big, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Oh, no.

So I'm like, oh, plateau.

Yes, I did. Yeah, that's my vision. You nailed it.

Do prayers at dinner?

No.

Pictures of Jesus around the house?

No, no, nothing like that.

But we did go to church every Sunday.

Yeah. We'd sit in Sunday school and sing songs about how we're all loved and how

not to be afraid.

You know, that kind of hokey stuff.

So you didn't go to church? No.

What?

That's wild.

Well, when I turned 13, I already didn't feel all that comfortable in church.

And that year I ended up giving a blowjob to this guy from Hamilton.

I know.

At the time I was really excited, but... I don't know.

When we got home and... I just felt so gross.

Like I felt dirty.

I kept trying to wash my hands because I felt like I did something really wrong.

I just... Couldn't go back to church after that.

Like, I didn't belong there anymore.

I mean, Jesus loved whores. Fuck you.

Okay, so I stopped going to church, and then I stopped caring about it. Like, I

don't give a fuck about church. I'm not religious. I don't believe in any of

that stuff.

But I miss that feeling of warmth, you know?

Like it was a real comfort being there as a kid.

I'm scared all the time as an adult.

I'm scared and nothing can calm me down.

Like I'll be going to bed whimpering because I'm so scared.

It's really hard.

But then Kevin came along.

And when he crawled into bed next to me and wraps his arms around me.

presses against me when he's all hard.

Gosh, it's like that same feeling again.

The feeling of being safe.

Of being loved.

It's comfort.

The comfort of a man.

I don't know what's going on over there.

I keep on going back and forth about the set.

I mean, we don't have a huge budget, but I don't know. Part of me wants to build

something really exciting, you know? Go all out.

On the other hand, maybe simpler is better.

Let your performances carry the story.

I don't know. What do you think?

I don't know. I'm happy with anything.

I want it to look nice.

Professional.

Noah's coming up to take pictures. Noah.

Yeah. He's bringing the wig. Yeah, he's bringing the wig. He's not even charging

anything to take photos.

What? He's such a good guy.

That's okay? Mm -hmm. Okay. Thanks.

You're talking like horror movie scared or real life scared?

Anything.

I guess I'm afraid of...

Not having enough money to pay rent.

Like, rent is due, but I just don't have enough money. And then the landlord

kicks me out and I have nowhere to go.

You.

I'm scared of the security guards at the hospital.

One time when I was really sick, I was running around and tried to leave.

I wanted to go home.

And one of the security guards just body checked me against the wall.

It was really painful and scary.

I have come with the water to boil.

How are you?

Hey, you.

Hey, you.

You're here.

I'm here. I can't believe you're here.

Good to see you again, baby.

Gabby. Hey.

So nice to meet you in the flesh. Nice to meet you, too.

Yeah. Excited? Yeah.

Thought all those lines learned?

Only if you do. Oh.

This is a nice place, Leah.

How long have your parents been on this lake for?

Oh, they bought in 87, I think, or 88, I can't remember.

So nice.

The air is so fresh.

Yeah, it sure beats my basement apartment.

Yeah, Leah says you're out there in the west end near Kipling.

It's a bit further west than that.

Oh, like Mississauga?

All the way out there.

You like your place?

Yeah, it's okay. It's just a bit small.

Here, you can grab one of those. No, no, it's all right. I got it.

Did you bring it?

Did bring what?

Of course it brought it.

Want to unpack everything before I show you? Yes, come on. All right.

If there's one thing uniting Canada's crop of emerging theatre makers, it

be a common interest in distancing themselves as far as possible from the

classical canon.

But not every theatre artist is approaching their storytelling in this

For Leah Houston's new take on Rapunzel, which opens next month in the

Distillery District, the audience will be met with a very traditional take on

the old grim fairy tale.

Her story is set during a massive plague that has taken over a small town.

A bipolar woman who is stuck in her third floor apartment has been growing

her hair.

Her ability to survive depends upon a kindly knee surgeon, Dr. Ezra Elliott,

has been dropping off supplies at the bottom of her staircase every week.

When Rapunzel finally agrees to let Dr.

Elliot up to her apartment, Houston treats this scene with a kind of magic

romance that is hard to spot in a world full of jaded millennial productions.

Houston stands her ground as one of our country's promising voices.

Oh my God.

One of our country's promising voices.

Yeah, wow.

Thank you so much for picking that up. To celebrate. No way, you are too cute.

Thank you.

Wow, sorry, I'm going to need a second.

God, I'm so excited.

I should have bought ten copies.

Really, baby, and I'm so excited for the show.

You're going to do so great.

You both are.

But how many people did you invite? Just a few, right?

Oh, no, she invited the whole lake.

The whole lake?

Hey, wait.

Do you see that cottage over there?

Just down the tree?

Yeah.

That's Holly Banks' cottage.

She's the artistic director of Stratford Festival.

Yeah. I'm trying to see if she wants to come to the show.

You sneaky devil.

You don't care about the other cottagers. You just want the rich,

Hey, hey, hey. There's nothing wrong with being a little strategic.

She's very well connected, loaded, and...

She likes to invest in up -and -coming talent, so I'm hoping she'll see it and

just be, like, wildly impressed, and I don't know.

Oh, she'll love it.

We'll make her love it.

Yeah. And what about you, Gabby?

Ready to go a little... Daiko!

Okay, sorry, I'll get... Flute?

Yeah, on it.

Let's celebrate.

Yeah.

Okay, no more, no more, no more.

Stop!

Hey!

Stop it!

Hey!

No, don't!

Stop!

Stop it!

Hey, stop it! Bring it on, bring it on.

Hey,

why isn't she coming in? Because she doesn't like swimming.

I hope she doesn't feel left out. Oh, no, she did.

Couldn't leave her out.

Gabby.

Gabby.

Watch out, Gabby.

No, no, Gabby. I got you, Gabby.

No, no, Gabby. I got you, Gabby. I got you.

I got you.

She doesn't like swimming.

Who doesn't like swimming?

Someone tried to drown her. It was really serious. They had to give her

mouth. It really fucked her up.

I think she's okay now, but yeah, clearly she doesn't like swimming.

Oh, fuck.

I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't know.

It's okay. I should have told you.

It's fine.

Hey. Hey.

I'm okay.

He didn't know.

I should have told him.

It's okay. He's just trying to have fun.

You okay, though?

Yeah, I'm okay.

I'm gonna get you.

Hi, hi, hi.

Will you be my friend?

Goodbye.

Yes, I'm alone again.

Oh, babe, the neighbors have the sweetest dog. Oh, I have to tell you,

sweet. Oh.

Yeah. I love him, though.

What's his name? Lily.

That's a good name.

Right? That's a good name.

Oh, I always wanted a dog. I was never allowed one growing up. There it is. I

know, babe.

You told me this before. Oh, have I? Yes.

Oh, wait, have you? Like, do you want a dog?

Ever? Maybe?

Babe, I want to travel.

I want to be able to, you know, leave at the drop of a hat.

That's fair, that's fair.

You can't do that with a dog. Yeah, but dogs are so cute.

I got you to cuddle me.

That's fair, that's fair.

So, I'd say she was maybe 70, maybe 65, but she's one of these older ladies who

still insists on wearing all the thick makeup, you know.

The blue eye shadow, the blush, the lipstick.

So she's renovating her bathroom, but she keeps on getting into all these

with the contractor because he's smoking weed on his lunch break.

So they're not talking that much.

One day, the contractor leaves for the evening, and she goes into the bathroom.

In the middle of the night, she told me she was sleepwalking, and she just falls

through the floor, lands in the kitchen, Broke a bunch of bones.

So who's fault was it?

Well, in the end, she got a bit of money, but it all boils down to these

details, like the contractor just didn't warn her properly.

But you made all these comments.

Oh, and that is just their problem.

They're dumb, and they do dumb shit, and then they want money for all the dumb

shit that they do, and honestly, it got pretty disheartening to see just how

many dumb...

greedy people there are in the world.

Oh, which is why you left.

Yeah.

One day I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought it would be an absolute

shame to let this handsome and chiseled face go to waste.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don't belong in the courtroom performing in front of judges.

I belong in the theater performing in front of audiences.

Well, it's lucky that Leah found you then.

Where'd you find this one, Lee?

On the internet.

Yeah, and I landed the fucking jackpot.

So, uh... So, Gabby...

I can't say I really know very much about you.

You're an actor. I get that.

And a painter.

I mean, I'm not... You're a painter.

Say it. You're a painter. You paint things.

I'm a barista, and I make coffee. You're an actor and a painter and do barista

stuff on the side.

A painter, eh?

Mind out as a curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Really? Yeah.

Can't say I know too much about art, but I like to look at images.

Notice there's quite a few books kicking around here.

Yeah, this is a nice little collection.

You like Degas?

Um, it's a bit of a cliche to like Degas.

How can you call him a cliche? He's a genius.

Just look at his paintings of the young ballerinas.

Here, wait a sec.

The ballet class.

The ballerinas.

The green dancer.

Dancers in blue.

These depictions of innocence.

Of young women on the cusp of adulthood.

I mean, that's what I'm seeing.

They haven't yet been disappointed by life.

Their lives unburdened by unfortunate complications.

Truly. Pure.

Virtuous.

Untouched.

He's got to be one of my favorites.

You know, they were all young prostitutes, right?

Were they?

Yeah. The back rooms of the Paris Opera House were kind of built to be like

gentlemen's clubs.

Well, I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that.

You want to be able to look at an image like this and believe in the fantasy.

Well, that's kind of a fucked up way of looking at all this. These young girls

were exploited.

Okay.

Way to take our book.

You like Monet?

Again, a bit of a cliche, but he's all right, I guess.

It's ridiculous to not have running water, though.

I'm going to take some vacations.

I can just have a look at that pump tomorrow.

She's got some tools kicking around, maybe a screwdriver that I will be able

manage.

Leah?

Screwdriver?

Toolbox? I've got it. We'll figure it out tomorrow.

Yeah, sounds good.

Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours.

Let me know if you want me to do anything else. You know, I could chop

wood. I could clean out the eaves troughs. Anything you need.

Yeah, whatever you want.

It's so nice to be up here.

And it's going to be a beautiful trail, baby.

And Gabby, what an interesting person.

You know, she told me she wrote a whole paper on Frida Kahlo.

Yeah.

Bit of a cliché in the canon, but you can tell she's very passionate.

Gabby's interesting.

Yeah.

And you're going to do such a good job, Dr. Elliot.

That's a beautiful script, babe. You're a beautiful script.

I'm not a bad doctor.

I'm ready for my physical.

Are you?

As it happens, you are my favorite patient.

My favorite.

Most.

Tinnish patient!

Sorry. Sorry. Just a bit rough.

Oh.

I'm sorry. It's okay. It's okay. I'm sorry.

No, it's okay. We can keep going.

Are you sure? Yeah. Yeah, of course. Yeah.

Just gentle.

Gentle. Gentle.

Hello. Is this Leah Houston's cottage?

Yes, I'm Leah Houston.

I heard about the show coming up, and I'd love to attend, but I'm heading into

the city later tonight.

But I'm coming back tomorrow afternoon.

You know what? We're actually pushing the show to tomorrow night.

Oh, well, then I'd love to come.

Okay, amazing.

I will reserve a seat for you, and I'll see you tomorrow.

Okay, I'll see you then. Great. Bye.

Bye.

Sorry, Gabby, it's the Robertson one.

Any of the Robertson screwdrivers? The one with the little... No. All right.

It's the... Let me have a good one.

Um, we're postponing the show. What? What?

Holly Banks is coming. Oh, my God!

She just came by her canoe and said she wants to come to the show.

Isn't she? I know!

But she can't come tonight. She can only come tomorrow, so we have to push the

whole production.

Can you both stay an extra night?

It's not a problem for me.

But do we need to let the other cottagers know? Yeah, we'll figure it

figure it out. Yeah, cool.

I figured out what's wrong with the pump, by the way. Oh. I think it's got

a piece of loose tubing out there in the lake. So we're going to have some

running water for dishes tonight. This is amazing.

Yeah. Oh, my God.

Oh,

God, this is amazing. This is huge.

Okay, if she sees it and she likes it, then... Okay, shit, maybe we need to

focus a bit more on the Mise en Se. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Candles, what do you think? Should we have some candles? Yeah. Okay, great.

Oh, wow. This is so exciting. This is wild.

I'm actually shaking.

When does Noah get here?

Later, like three -ish. Okay, is he allergic to anything?

Try the water.

What? Try the water.

Oh, okay.

Go,

go, go, go, go, go. Okay.

And I will get some fabric.

It's really nice.

I'm finished.

Very, very nice.

I fucked up the lettering.

Rapunzel. Shut up.

Oh, I'm sorry, baby.

Beautiful. Thanks.

Yeah, well done.

Gabby.

Wow, this is actually really good.

Thanks.

Yeah, it's amazing.

She must paint a lot, eh?

Uh, yeah, what do you mean?

Gabby paints a lot. You should see your studio.

You've got your own studio.

It's a living room, not a studio.

But you must show your stuff around town.

No, it's not really my... Gabby has big philosophies about making art.

Okay, you do.

Big philosophies?

No, I just don't think that making art should be about being flashy or loud.

Painting is actually about being...

quiet and very small, looking around the world and observing it.

You don't need to share your art publicly to be a successful artist.

All you really need is to be honest and expressive.

Yeah.

But you don't need flashy shows and flashy galleries to be valid.

That's a really beautiful attitude.

So are you going to paint a whole bunch of bees?

No, no, we're just going to photocopy them in town.

Right. Of course, you'd be here all night painting posters for the lake.

And we've got drinking to do.

Anybody want one?

I'd share a beer with you.

Sure. Sweet!

Noah is bringing the wig, which would be crazy when we've got some candles.

Some candles in the closet, yes.

I've got the string lights from outside that I can put inside. That would look

so freaking good. Oh, red fabric. Can I talk to you for a sec? Oh, yeah, sorry.

I'm just trying to figure this out.

You okay?

No, yeah, I'm good, sir. I'm just so excited. God, it's just big time, you

Don't want to fuck it up. Have you eaten anything? Yes, I'm good. I'm good,

Kathy. Are you sure? Yes, I'm just freaking pumped.

Oh, God. Hey.

Oh, Kathy.

Hi. Did you get the, yeah, photocopies? Got them there, yeah. Do you want me to

do the rounds, just dropping them off? Oh, that would be amazing. Thank you.

Okay.

Yeah. Hey.

Hey.

Sorry, I just need a sweet break. Thank you.

Have you seen the red fabric? You know, the, like, big one?

Actually, I think I know.

Sorry, could you just go look for it?

No, I actually know I know where it is. Okay, I can go for it with string like

the candles some dried flowers

Hi. Hi.

What are you reading?

A book.

Yeah, I can see that.

Is this your cottage?

Yeah, um, it's... Well, it's my stepdad's cottage, but he's, like,

mom, so I guess... I guess... I don't know.

Well, uh, we're putting on a play.

Down at our cottage, number 27, it's Rapunzel. Do you, uh...

You like Rapunzel?

Are you in the show?

Yeah, I'm the lead, actually.

It'd be good to see you there.

It's so nice to have you here. So nice to be here.

How are you? Do you have the wig?

I've got it right here.

Hi. Hey, Gabby. How are you?

It's so nice to see you again. It's so good to see you. It's been way too long.

Way too long.

Noah.

Good to meet you, man.

Wow, you're colorful.

Nice to meet you.

This one will stop talking about you. All right. Need a hand with your stuff?

Yes, please. There you go.

No problem.

Hey, I read your review in the Herald.

Are you excited?

Yeah. I'm pumped. Yeah.

I've not been sleeping very well. I'm just like this vibrating ball of

excitement.

Oh, I haven't even told you.

Holly Banks is coming.

You're fucking kidding me. Yeah. Are you serious?

Yes. Oh, my God. I'm kind of nervous.

Oh, you're good. You're fine. Okay. Before we get started, can I just like

change up a little bit? Oh, my God. Of course. Yes. Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Here. What?

It's for you.

It's a rock.

Yeah, I know. It's a rock for you.

Thank you.

Do you want to come here for a second?

Oh, no, I'm good. I'm just going to read.

Okay. Thank you.

Yeah,

perfect.

Can you just bend a little closer together?

Yeah. Good.

Yeah, that's perfect.

Beautiful.

Yeah.

Can we get a few where Gabi's sitting down? Yes, love that.

Right? Yeah.

Okay.

Cute.

Yeah, just like that.

Okay.

Yeah, go ahead.

Perfect.

Kevin, can you just put your arm around her shoulder?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I like that.

Perfect.

Kevin, can you just tilt your head a little bit to the left?

Thanks.

Beautiful, Gabby. Yeah, right here.

Awesome.

Hey. Hey. Do you need any help? Sure.

So, how is Leah been doing recently?

You mean?

You know, with, um, their stuff.

With her mood. Oh, she's good.

Like she hasn't really been... Um...

Honestly, we haven't spent this much time together in a really long time, so

don't really, um... I don't really know what it looks like when she... Goes

crazy?

I really don't like that word.

I love her.

I really do care a lot about her.

But there's just no other word to describe it.

So you've never seen it?

No.

Well, I'm glad that she's feeling stable.

16 people. Yeah.

And only one kitchen. They only did their fucking dishes.

It was so gross.

It was fun. Yeah, it was. The parties were so good.

Yeah, they were all right.

They were all right. Dude, it was a huge -ass house, like I mentioned.

The backyard was probably...

Three times the size of the normal time.

So we would throw the hugest party, probably like 200 people.

And your brother would DJ the set. And in the summer, we would invite a bunch

indie bands and have like an arts installation playing in the backyard

was all happening at the same time. Sounds amazing.

No, there's just so much alcohol poisoning.

Oh my God, and that sorority girl who threw that beer bottle through the front

window, do you remember?

Oh, fuck, the homeless guy who broke in through the back door and watched it.

What was her name? What was her name? Cherry!

Just watched Cherry sleep. Oh, my God, could you imagine? Could you imagine

waking up and there's just this homeless guy staring at you?

It was fun.

After Cherry.

Well, you had fun.

I guess.

Yeah, I mean, you were a little bit of a hope back then.

A bit of a hoe?

Yeah, what?

I mean, it's true.

You know, every night a different man climbing up the fire escape.

A long string of gentleman callers.

No, fuck off, Noah.

What?

It's true. No, sorry, you got it all wrong.

We just drank tea and read poetry.

No, we didn't.

You're gross.

They were disgusting.

They all smelled like herbal cigarettes and didn't trim their dirty fucking

toenails. God.

At the end of the day, they only cared about their own satisfaction, if you

what I mean.

But all you did was read poetry.

Yes.

What? Yes.

We read the big poets and... Gabby, where were you when all of this was

happening? Oh, I couldn't afford to live at student house. Sorry.

Sorry, yes, sorry.

I couldn't afford to live at student housing, so I lived at home.

Sorry.

There you go.

Gabby lived in a nunnery.

She couldn't be up past 9 p .m. Oh, God, Gabby, you missed out on so much. On so

much living.

Do you remember Cherry used to have really loud sex in the shower? I just

you would have been there, Gabby. God, I wish you would have been there. We were

just so dumb and impulsive and alive.

God!

Yeah, Gabby really lived the life of a nun in her early 20s.

It sucks.

I'm not feeling very well, so I'm just going to go outside for a bit.

Gabby.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Sorry.

What were we talking about?

I'm all over this.

Well, I'm all over the place.

You know, those other guys weren't my favorite.

You know, you're my favorite. You're my favorite baby.

You're my favorite baby, too.

Yeah.

It was just a wild time.

It was just a wild, wild time.

Yeah, why'd you leave?

Oh.

Why did I leave?

That's a good question.

You got sick.

Sick? Like the flu?

No, um, sorry, uh, no, I, I got sick and, and I, and,

and sick and fat and I just couldn't live there anymore, but I don't, sorry,

don't want to talk about this.

I'm a little embarrassed.

There's nothing embarrassing about manic depression, Leah.

Manic depression?

Are you... Bipolar?

Uh, yeah,

yeah, that, yep, yep, yep, that's me.

Um, ah, fuck, uh, just kidding, sorry, can you not tell, can you not tell

anybody, especially, um, especially Holly Banks, I just, uh, I'm just a

I'm just a little embarrassed to be sick like this. There's nothing embarrassing

about it.

More people have it than you think.

Um,

hmm.

Kevin,

hello. Do you know what bipolar is?

Like the character in your play.

Yes.

So, yes.

Sometimes I get really, really sad.

And sometimes I get really, really excited. And then sometimes

I don't know why I'm really sick. It's just insane.

Oh, fuck. Why are we talking about this? Why are we talking about this?

We'll talk about it tomorrow.

Yeah, that's what we'll do. We'll talk about it tomorrow.

And I'm going to kiss you tomorrow. And why don't I make

brunch for everybody in the morning?

Yeah, that's what I'm going to do.

Okay. Okay, babe.

I'm going to bring you over to the couch, okay? Okay. All right, then. Lift

up. There we go. All right.

That's it.

Okay.

I ran out of medication.

There you go. There you go.

What'd you say? I ran.

I ran.

Yes. I'd love to go to Iran.

There you go.

That was a lot.

She shouldn't be drinking.

Have you seen her like this before?

I'd like to be alone, please.

I had to live at home because I couldn't afford student housing, but, um...

Also because I was...

I was taking care of my dad.

He was sick.

My mom worked night shifts, so... I had to stay at home and take care of him.

So I couldn't live in student housing.

I feel like she doesn't get it.

Like...

It feels like she forgets that other people exist, that other people have

problems and feelings.

I'm really happy that her art is taking off her writing, but I don't know.

It feels like she doesn't put any effort into my art.

And, like, I've had little successes, too.

Because just because they're not being written about in a national newspaper

doesn't mean that they're insignificant.

She comes from a lot of privilege.

You know that, right?

That's the problem with rich kids making art.

They think that all of their success comes from their talent and not from

parents' money and their fancy fucking degrees.

All their connections.

Not everybody has that.

I'm gonna have to move back.

I can't keep up with her in Toronto.

I'm not making enough money.

I'm gonna have to move back home.

Life is shitty and unfair.

Not yours.

Look at your family.

Your dad.

My dad's a dick.

He didn't treat my mom all that well when we were growing up.

He didn't treat me all that well either.

Sorry.

Sorry I didn't know that.

That was stupid.

That was a stupid thing to say.

Tomorrow's gonna be great.

It's gonna be great.

Like, it's a big deal for Leah, but it's also a big deal for both of us.

I don't know.

Maybe... Maybe we'll get noticed.

Something great will happen.

Who knows?

Hey.

Hi.

How's the boat coming?

It's good.

Cool.

You look so pretty in your bikini.

Thanks.

Yeah.

I'm going to keep rowing, but I'll see you tonight.

Yeah, yeah, I'm excited.

My mom and my stepdad are also excited too.

Cool. I'll catch you later.

Morning. How you feeling?

I need to take a shower.

You should eat something. Can I make you some eggs or something?

Cereal's good.

Fuck. No more drinking.

Morning. Morning.

Morning. Can I make you some eggs or something?

No, I'm good with cereal. Thank you.

You excited to rehearse?

Yeah, looking forward to it.

Do you need any help setting up, Leah?

Like, what's that?

Leah?

No, no, I'm good.

I can do it myself.

I think I'm gonna get going.

What?

You're not... You're not staying for the show?

Fuck!

Fuck!

Fuck, fuck, Noah!

Leah, are you okay?

I'm fine. See you later, friendo.

All right.

Stay well.

Noah. Noah!

Noah, wait!

Noah! Calm down. I can't be with her when she's like this.

Do you think that she's... Yes, she's on her way to. Just look, wait and see.

It's all escalating.

I do love her.

But I just don't have the bandwidth to support her this time.

It's going to be okay because we're all here together, so... You know what? I

also fucking hate her art.

No offense, but she makes really bad art. She's completely obsessed with her

pain and struggles. She's completely ignoring the real difficulties that

people have.

And you know that.

I'm sorry.

I know you're excited for the show tonight, and I do hope it goes well, but

just can't be here to watch.

Just take care of her, okay?

Yeah.

Yeah, I'm all right.

You sure?

Mm -hmm.

Last night was pretty crazy.

Can't really remember what... You know we're sharing some memories from

undergrad. Right.

Sounds like you had some fun.

I got into a lot of trouble.

Yeah, I heard all about the fire escape.

Shit.

Did I... So, like, how many are we talking?

I really don't want to talk about this. Five?

Ten? It was so long ago. They were all just friends.

Twenty?

We just drank tea.

I'm sure you did a little bit more than just drink tea, babe.

Why do you care?

No, it's just... Are you easy?

Fuck off, Kevin. Seriously, I don't need this cross -examination. It kind of

turns me on a little bit.

But I just want to know... How many men?

Hey, hey, baby, I still love you and everything.

Even if you're a bit of a whore.

Fuck off, Kevin.

Hey. Hey, I just wanted to apologize for storming off last night.

Sometimes I get emotional thinking about that time.

You know?

Taking care of my dad.

And I know sometimes when I just think about everything, I just get so sad.

You want to talk about privilege?

What? You think I'm just some overprivileged asshole whose entire

borne out of the wealth of my family.

Is that right?

Yeah. Why don't we talk about the privilege of having a healthy body?

You want to talk about that kind of privilege?

Like, how would you like it if I came up to you and said the only reason you've

had success as an actor, all the lead roles you've played over the years,

Wife of Windsor, The Crucible, Fiddler on the Roof.

The only reason you were cast in those roles is because of the way you look.

the fact that you have a healthy body.

Things that you can't control.

How does that make you feel?

Do you feel it reduces you?

You know, like it completely ignores the possibility that you may actually have

something special going on? Yeah, I... How many hours have you spent in the

emergency room, restrained in a gurney, forced to stare up at a white light?

How many thousands of dollars have you spent on prescription medication?

How many hours have you wasted in bed because you just couldn't function?

Leah. Leah, I'm sorry.

I didn't... You can have all the money in the world, but without your health,

you have nothing.

So next time you feel like chewing me out because my dad was a fucking

just remember I had to give up acting because of my fucked up brain chemistry,

and you're about to perform in front of Holly Banks.

Look at the quality of your life, Leah.

Look at everything you've written.

You still lead an incredibly rich life.

You know, so many people wish so badly they could do what you do.

We're going to put all this behind us because there's too much at stake right

now.

Get ready, we're rehearsing in ten.

So, Gabby, remember that Rapunzel is lonely and sick, right? And she's been

trapped in this attic. Like, she's trapped and she's going crazy. Like,

crazy, right? And the first time that she sees Dr. Elliot, it's like seeing

himself.

He is the perfect man.

He's kind and gentle and handsome and makes you laugh.

And he's been leaving supplies at the foot of your house. So with all of that

mind, if we can just take it from where we left off, the bed is going to be

here. You're going to stand just a little bit forward right here. Just

start, Gabby, I wanted to make sure that we're still on the same page. I know

that we already talked about this, but I just want to make sure you're going to

be okay if I touch your hair.

around it's growing so long.

Yeah, that's totally fine. Okay, and also that I touch her hand a little bit

just like this when I'm down next to the bed. Can we get going?

Please?

Great.

From you know where and whenever you're ready.

So here she is, trapped in her tower, growing her hair long, just waiting for

him, the perfect man, the only person capable of saving her from her broken

body. Okay, stop, stop.

You seem angry.

Rapunzel's not angry.

She's lonely and sick, not angry, so if we can just do it again, she's a bit

more graceful. I need to go.

What? Yeah, I need to go. I need to leave for a bit.

We're in the middle of rehearsal, Gabby. Yeah, I just... I can't be here right

now, so I'm gonna go and we can rehearse later in the afternoon. You're about to

perform in front of Miss Banks. This is a pivotal moment of all of our careers.

I'll be back.

The show's at seven if you're late. You're fucking with all of us, Gabby!

Have it real about you.

Hi. Hi. Just right through here.

Hi. Thanks for coming.

Thank you. Just through the curtain.

Thank you.

The Beijing crew. Go.

Hello. Hi.

Miss Banks.

Hi. Holly is fine. Holly. Right.

Great. I'm so glad you could come.

There's a seat for you right through there.

Oh, thank you, Leah.

I'm excited for the show. You're amazing.

Where can I find your bathroom? Oh, bathroom, yes.

Second door on your right, just down there. Thank you. I'll see you soon. See

you soon.

Okay. Rocky Day.

I've been a bit hungover and emotional.

And we didn't get as much rehearsal as I would have liked. But I believe we're

going to be okay. Yeah? This is a big moment for all of us.

And I just... I'm just going to ask you to take a risk tonight.

Okay? Do something different. I want the audience to leave shocked and in awe.

Of course.

Great.

Lose the crown, Gabby. Sorry. Yeah, I don't want it.

Just, yeah, it's going to get ruined.

Yeah, that's better. That's better.

Okay.

All right, I'm going to make a short announcement before the show. I'll hit

lights and you'll know when to start.

Yeah, sorry for interrupting.

I don't think your taps are working.

Sorry? The water from the taps, it's not working.

Thanks for letting me know.

Hello all.

Thank you so much for coming. It means a lot.

My name is Leah Houston and I am just thrilled to share this little piece with

you tonight.

So it's actually a small excerpt from a full play that will be done at the

Distillery Theatre in Toronto next month.

Just to give you some greater context of the piece, it is a

story about a great plague that has wiped out thousands of people in

town. And Rapunzel is stuck in her attic and is suffering from bipolar disorder.

And there's a kind doctor in town, Dr.

Elliot, who has been leaving supplies at the foot of her bed, house, sorry, and

has been longing to come climb up the stairs. And just now in the scene,

actually, sorry, why am I giving it away, right? So without further ado,

Rapunzel.

We don't like stories about sick women.

We don't like looking at sick women. They are pitiful things full of

problems.

When she was just a girl, we promised her motherhood.

We promised her dinner parties and form -fitting dresses and daughters to call

her own.

We promised her afternoons of... berry picking and homemade jam projects

and morning aerobics classes.

But instead, she grew up to be a sick woman, weak in the joints

and sometimes unable to fill her own prescriptions.

We promised her health and happiness, but instead it is 3 a .m. in the morning

and she is very...

Very alone.

Trapped in her tower.

Growing her hair long.

Waiting for him.

The perfect man.

The only person.

Capable of saving her from her broken body.

But oh, is that him?

Maybe I don't want him to come.

No.

I am sick.

I am too sick.

You won't want me if he sees me like this. No one will want me.

I am not fit for anything.

Not fit for love, not fit for marriage, not fit for courtship.

No, I don't want him to come.

He will only see what a colossal disappointment I am as a human being.

It's better for me to be alone.

Do you hear that?

You may be handsome and kind, but it is better for me to

be alone.

Don't be silly, Rapunzel.

It's no fun to be alone.

It's bad for your health.

I have no health.

Exactly. So why don't you let me come up?

Dr. Elliot, I have the virus.

I don't care if you have the virus. I'm sick of throwing rocks at your window.

I've come to this forest every night this week, and I will not let you refuse

company once more.

Do you hate me that much? I don't hate you at all.

Then why don't you let me come up?

It's complicated.

You are a silly woman, Rapunzel. It's true that some people don't understand,

but... You can't paint us all with the same brush.

There are people out there who will love you, despite all those complications.

No one will love me.

And besides, anyone who... Rapunzel!

Rapunzel!

Anyone who comes near risks death.

Now you're just being self -pitying.

Please let me up, Rapunzel.

I brought a bouquet of daisies.

And a poem written by my late father.

My mother, she loved Daisy.

Please let me help.

What was that old song she was singing?

Throw me the key!

Will you bring up the Daisy?

Of course.

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer to

I...

Over the love of you.

It won't be a fancy marriage.

I can't afford a carriage.

But you'd look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built

for two.

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer due.

I'm happy.

No,

Dr. Elliot, I have the virus.

I don't care if you have the virus. You shouldn't be alone.

I am sick.

Sicken the joints, sicken the head, and soon sicken the lungs.

Sick people see beauty in the world that goes ignored by healthier populations.

Daisy, in a poem from your father?

Let me not to the marriage of true minds that make impediments.

Love is not love which alters when it alterations find or bends with the

to remove.

Oh, no.

It is an ever -fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.

It is the star to every wandering bark whose worth's unknown although his

be taken.

Your father didn't write that. You tricked me.

And I would trick you again if it meant I could climb these stairs and run my

fingers through your hair.

It's growing so long.

I've been growing insane.

That's just a story you're telling yourself.

You're good. You're better than good.

No, I am dying, Dr. Elliot.

And soon you'll be dying too.

So long as blood runs through this tired frame.

So long as Leonardo paints his faces.

Claude paints his lily pads.

And so long as rain clouds create rain storms and poets create poetry, and so

long as the florist at the corner sells cheap daisies for penniless lovers, that

I am here for you.

I don't care that you're sick, and I will sit here all night long if I need

I will hold your hand, and I will scare away all the hub.

All the hobgoblins that keep you up at night.

And if you die, if you're sick with the plague, then I will die with you.

You are safe with me by your side.

If every person in danger had a man like you by their side, all the

world's suffering would quickly turn into something more gentle.

They'd all start whistling in their bed.

No.

No no no no no no Rapunzel Rapunzel no my love you can't

I'm following

you just moments behind You are gone

and I will go with you I am your person your only person

And the darkness

I will not change any of that.

It's really great that you were able to make it.

I appreciate that so much. Did you have a bigger part?

It was a great time. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you. Thank you for

coming. Thank you so much.

Cool.

Yeah, I'm sure you'll be great at it someday.

Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. No problem.

See ya.

So?

Fuck.

What the fuck was that?

I thought that went well. What's that fucking sex scene at the end there?

We didn't rehearse any of that. Fuck.

Were you involved in this new blocking, Gabby? No, I had no idea. He just...

Yeah, I'm sure you had nothing to do with it. Yeah. He just fucking sprung

on me. Okay.

It worked well.

Did you see Miss Banks?

She just left. She didn't say goodbye. She didn't say anything. She just

out. She fucking made it.

It's a failure.

It's a huge failure.

It's autobiography, right, Leah?

Like when that string of gentleman callers came up to your apartment on the

third floor?

They didn't just sit around and read poetry, babe.

Okay, there was a little more action than that, I'm sure of it.

It's better to portray the truth than some fanciful fiction.

I'm going to bed.

Slow it to campus before you leave.

Leah!

Leah! Hey!

Hey! That went well.

Didn't you hear the applause?

You fucked it up, Gabby.

Rapunzel's supposed to be virginal, okay?

She's supposed to be cheating. This is supposed to be a really fucking innocent

little scene there. I'm sorry, Kevin.

Yeah, just don't act like you didn't like it.

I've seen the way you've been looking at him.

At Kevin?

No.

Are you okay? You just seem a little off. I'm fine. I'm just exhausted.

It's been an exhausting day full of a lot of bullshit.

Is it because of what I said about the privilege?

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to upset you.

It hurts to be diminished like that.

I just need to go to bed.

I just need to go to fucking bed.

Hey. Hey.

What's happening?

I'm building a little manger.

What? I'm building a little manger. So I need a lot of soft materials like soft

towels.

Can you go and get me some towels, please?

Hey, what's happening?

What is all this stuff?

What are you doing?

Leah.

Oh, no.

My name isn't Leah.

My name is Mary.

The Virgin Mary.

Are you okay?

Yeah, this is what Kevin wants.

He wants an untouched woman. So here I am.

The mother of all. Hey, you know what?

You're not all right now and you're not thinking right. You're not thinking

right.

I'm the virgin fucking Mary.

The most perfect woman that ever was.

What's going on?

You're here.

You're here, you're here, you're here. Okay, sit down.

What are you doing?

And gentlemen, for one night only here at Fortescue Lake,

welcome to the show.

Kevin, can you call an ambulance?

It'll take an hour to get out here.

Throw away your phones, please, please. Pete, just sit, sit, sit, sit.

I will do whatever you want me to do, okay?

Okay, just after the show, just indulge me for one quick moment, and then I'm in

your hands, okay?

Okay? Okay?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

All little girls learn about how to be women.

From the stories we hear as children. We hear about princesses. And we hear

about witches.

But the most important person I ever heard about was the Virgin Mary.

That's me.

Leah, this is... Shh!

The audience doesn't talk during the presentation, Kevin!

Mary was perfect.

She was perfect. She was perfect.

Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect. And all the

women wanted to be like her. And you know what else?

Actually, this is where we do have some audience participation, so you'll love

this bit, Kevin.

Okay, I'm going to say, you know what else? And you're going to say, what,

Ready?

And you know what else?

Yeah. No, sorry.

You're not, you're not doing it right.

I'm going to say, you know what else? You say, well, I'm doing it.

You know what else?

What, Mary?

All the women in those stories who fucked around.

Really, really, really, really, really, really, really bad. Like, so bad.

Like, all the men could fuck around as much as they wanted, but the women, they

were whores.

The worst kind of person to be.

Okay, that's it.

Leah, you're sick right now, okay? Show's over.

Wrap it up. That's why I went all the way back in time, Kevin.

I went all the way back in time.

I'm the Virgin Mary.

I'm touched.

Just like you prefer.

You're crazy, Leah.

You're going crazy. That is not helpful right now. I'm giving myself to you,

Kevin. I'm the Virgin Mary.

Leah, I can't. Could you just fucking chill, please?

Oh, come. Yeah, no, come. Like little ballerinas, Kevin.

Tell me, how young do you think those ballerinas were?

And did you got paintings now?

How young do you think they were? You're crazy, Leah. You're a crazy fucking

bitch. Oh, am I? But, like, tell me, Kevin, how young do you think those

were? Just on the brink of adulthood?

Fuck off.

You're a fucking asshole, Kevin. Get the fuck off me.

That's just a painting.

Kevin, get off me.

Get off, Kevin.

Kevin, get off. She hit me. Kevin, get off.

She attacked me, Gabby.

She's crazy. Why don't you grab the knife? Kevin, get the fuck off of her.

your shit packed and get the fuck out of here. I'm going to call the cops.

She's not going to do anything.

No, I'm not going to hurt you. Just get off of me.

You guys are fucked up.

Fucked up women.

Leah.

No.

You just stay with me forever?

Until I die.

No one's ever gonna love me properly, G.

What is it?

You okay?

Do you need anything?

No.

Yeah.

I'm heading into town to pick up your lithium.

I'll be back soon.

The kindly badger thrust them down on a settle to toast themselves at

the fire and bade them remove their wet coats and boots in the embracing light

and warm and dry at last, with weary legs propped up in front of them. But

they actually saw at last the supper that was spread for them, really it

only a question of what they should attack first, where all was so

It's beautiful.

How you doing?

Good.

Thank you.

Thank you.

She broke up with him and the skate park shut down.

Removed any trace of uneven ground.

Saw her in bed with the boy that he knew.

Guilt so at large that dogs bark at you.

So she sat on her thigh and plaited her legs.

Ask some high source if she was okay.

Starts mining for laughs, cause the mind can't sustain.

Being plugged in to everyone's pain.

And I'm glamorous, I'll drink until I stink.

Burn out my friends, they worry about me.

And I'm hoarding till my heart is a funny old thing.

Cards facing the arcane of dread.

Teased with the want and worn with...

Thank you.

shame.

about me.