MALE/MALE ACTING SCENES

 

Moonlight

Three time periods - young adolescence, mid-teen and young adult - in the life of black-American Chiron is presented. When a child, Chiron lives with his single, crack addict mother Paula in a crime ridden neighborhood in Miami. Chiron is a shy, withdrawn child largely due to his small size and being neglected by his mother, who is more concerned about getting her fixes and satisfying her carnal needs than taking care of him. Because of these issues, Chiron is bullied, the slurs hurled at him which he doesn't understand beyond knowing that they are meant to be hurtful. Besides his same aged Cuban-American friend Kevin, Chiron is given what little guidance he has in life from a neighborhood drug dealer named Juan, who can see that he is neglected, and Juan's caring girlfriend Teresa, whose home acts as a sanctuary away from the bullies and away from Paula's abuse. With this childhood as a foundation, Chiron may have a predetermined path in life, one that will only be magnified in terms of its problems when he reaches his difficult teen years when peer pressure affects what he and many of his peers do, unless he follows Juan's advice of truly making his own decisions for himself.

Diner Scene

KEVIN : 

Be right with you, boss, just let me get this out the way. Kevin has not noticed him…. here comes Kevin.
How you doin’ tonight, what can I get you?

Kevin flipping through a stained note-pad, hasn’t bothered to look up yet. As he does, his eyes settle on Black’s. Beat. Kevin watching this man. And Black watching back, the two of them silently holding each other’s gaze, pure curiosity. Kevin’s head cocking to the side now:

KEVIN :

Chiron? Damn man why you ain’t say nothin’?!
Kevin pulls him in close and throws his left arm around his back: warm, tight, masculine.

The men part.

KEVIN :

Damn Chiron.

BLACK :

‘Sup, Kev’

KEVIN : 

What the hell you doin’ here, I mean…Aye’ Aye’ you here now, that’s all that matter. Black nods

KEVIN : 

There go that damn noddin’, you ain’t changed a bit, still can’t say more than three words at a time, huh?

BLACK :

Said you was gon’ cook for me, I know how to say that.

KEVIN :

Yeah I did say that didn’t I? You don’t look like yo ass been missing any meals, man. What you want? You can pick from the menu or I can hit you with that chefs special!

BLACK :

Yeah

KEVIN :

Yeah. We here, Chiron.

Kevin goes and prepares some food as Chiron changes the jukebox and Kevin brings over the food.

KEVIN : 

Chef special?

BLACK :

So you Cuban now?

KEVIN :

Only in the kitchen, Papi.
(and) Sit down, nigga. Or you gon’ eat standin’ up?

Black sits down and takes out his grill

KEVIN :

Want a drink?
I don’t drink.

Kevin goes to get a bottle of wine and glasses

KEVIN :

Nigga I ain’t seen you in like a decade, you gon’ drink with me. They cheers and Black downs his drink

KEVIN :

Thought you said you didn’t drink?

BLACK :

Can’t really taste it…that’s why I don’t mess with it. Black drops some food on table and picks it up and eats it

KEVIN :

I saw that

BLACK :

What?

KEVIN :

You don’t want to waste none of it…tastes good It’s good huh?

BLACK :

It’s straight…it’s straight

KEVIN :

Man please…better than chef Boy R-D huh?

BLACK :

Chill out my spagetti O’s go hard.

KEVIN :

So what brings you here, Chiron?
Eat your dinner man.
(rises) Eat your dinner.

Kevin goes to help another customer and returns as Chiron finishes up his food

KEVIN :

You remember Samantha? Fine ass Samantha?

BLACK:

Yeah, I remember her.

KEVIN: 

Yeah…check this out

Kevin reaching into his wallet, takes out a photo

KEVIN: 

Kevin Jr. Me and Samantha. Had him young; too young. When I got locked up, man. It was hard. real hard. Had me in state, not that county shit. That’s when I knew I had to find somethin’. That’s when I started the cookin’ thing, knew I couldn’t go back to the street, not after that.

BLACK:

Yall still down?

KEVIN : 

(beat) Nah. We still cool though, gotta be for Lil’ man, but… nah, not like that.

Beat.

KEVIN:

What about you bruh?

BLACK: 

What about me?

KEVIN :

Nigga tell me somethin’, what you doin’, who you doin’? C’mon nigga, I’m waitin’, done cooked for your ass and everything, shit, these grandma rules you know the deal, you gon’ eat, you gotta speak.

BLACK :

Alright, straight up? I’m trappin’.

KEVIN :

What?

BLACK :

When they sent me up to Atlanta, put me straight into Juvie for beatin’ old boy. Met this cat in there, when I come out, put me on the block. Did good at it. Rose up.

Beat.

BLACK :

It is what it is.

KEVIN :

Bullshit, it ain’t what it is, Chiron, that ain’t you.

BLACK :

Nigga you don’t know me.

KEVIN :

Oh I don’t know you?
Beat.

BLACK :

I’ma get my shit straight.

KEVIN:

And I guess gettin’ your shit straight is drivin’ twelve hours down here for no reason?

Couple gets up and walks out leaving money on the counter for Kevin as he goes to clean up the dishes.

KEVIN :

And why you got them damn fronts?

BLACK :

Why’d you call me?

KEVIN : 

What?

BLACK :

Why did you call me?

KEVIN : 

I told you, this dude came in….

BLACK:

Yeah…yeah…yeah

KEVIN :

He played this song….

Kevin trailing off there, eyes going to the jukebox in the corner and plays Barbara Lewis’ Hello Stranger as it fills the air between the two of them as they watch each other, eyes linked, locked.