Santa Fe: A Meeting

Lights come up on a dusty bar in the Southwest. Two men sit side by side, nursing drinks (a Tom Collins and an anonymous shot of brown liquor).

Guy From Newsies — Is…is this what you expected?
Guy From Rent — I don’t know.

(takes sip)

Guy From Rent — I’m starting to think that maybe Santa Fe was more of a metaphor than a place.
Guy From Newsies — What’s a “metaphor”?
Guy From Rent — It’s…what did you think about, when you thought about Santa Fe? Had you researched business opportunities, or brunch places that take reservations?
Guy From Newsies — Literally, none of the things you have said so far make any sense to me. It’s like when you first sat down, and you said you were “allergic to peanuts.”

(they each take another sip)

Guy From Newsies — I wanted space, not air. I wanted to be free like the wind.
Guy From Rent — Those are metaphors.
Guy From Newsies — Huh. Why did you come?
Guy From Rent — I wanted to open a restaurant.
Guy From Newsies — Is that a metaphor, too?
Guy From Rent — Yeah, mostly. I’ve watched enough Top Chef to know that, by now.
Guy From Newsies — Is Top Chef a metaphor?

(Guy From Rent pauses, thinks)

Guy From Rent — Yes.

(they finish their drinks in silence, stage fades to black)