Scene Six
Glama bus at hotel
Monday morning
Lights come up. We are looking in through the front windshield of the tour bus parked at the hotel. Angel is taking a nap in his driver's seat. Tony, the hotel bellboy, enters.
TONY
Howdy, Angel.
Angel jumps a little as he wakes.
TONY (continues)
Whoa! I'm sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep. It looks like I'm not the first. Jeff asked me to tell you that he'd be a couple of minutes late.
ANGEL
You broke off my siesta to tell me that?
TONY
Hey, I'm just trying to help. Angel, what's the story with Kelli?
ANGEL
She likes to sing, I think.
TONY
No wedding ring. Traveling alone. What's up?
ANGEL
Don't ask me. I'm way too married to think about things like that.
TONY
C’mon, Angel, haven’t you ever given in to temptation?
ANGEL
When you get to be my age, temptation starts avoiding you.
TONY
Well, all right. Are you ready to show your guests the best of our fair city?
ANGEL
Ha! "Our fair city"? At the start of every tour -- at those Saturday receptions -- Jeff hypnotizes them with the fantasy L.A. Just once I’d like to tell them about the real Los Ahn-hell-ous.
Angel steps down out of the bus. He sings to Tony and an imaginary tour group. Music begins for reprise of Welcome to Los Angeles.
ANGEL (continues)
Welcome to LOS ANGHELIS. We love our little hometown to death.
Wonder what that strong smell is? It’s smog. Go on and take a deep breath.
Our freeways are like parking lots
With drivers all tied up in knots.
Their language is graphic. There’s too much traffic.
Watch for pistol shots.
Southern California: forget the hype. It ain’t no great shakes.
Use the sense that born in ya. There’s wildfires, mudslides, and quakes.
They spray graffiti on the grime.
Our neighborhoods are wracked with crime.
There’s gonna be lootings and drive-by shootings.
Have a gay old time.
ANGEL (continues)
We live in a quiet neighborhood. Everyone uses silencers.
ANGEL (continues)
Shopping opportunities: we love to help you part with your cash.
Stores are filled with loony sleaze, where you can spend a ton in a flash.
The hicks stock up on souvenirs
On sale from heartless profiteers.
They load up on knickknacks while we get kickbacks.
Let’s all give three cheers.
Entertainment capital: we go out on celebrity hunts.
Don’t believe that crap at all. I’ve never seen a star even once.
The tourists on the ‘Walk of Fame’
Don’t recognize a single name.
We take all the crackpots to movie backlots.
Don’t believe our claim. It will not be yours, here on GLAMA Tours.
TONY
Don’t let Jeff hear you saying that stuff.
ANGEL
Any job worth doing is worth complaining about. After all, it’s my job to drive the customers away.
TONY
Oh, I forgot. Jeff wanted to know if you fixed the armrest on the seat where Ruth Gold sits. He said she was complaining that there was a crack in the vinyl that kept pinching her arm.
ANGEL
All fixed.
TONY
I'll tell Jeff.
Tony exits. Angel sings to himself as he tries to get comfortable in his seat for another little nap.
ANGEL
"We take all the crackpots to movie back lots. Here on Glama Tours"
Jeff and Ruth enter to board the bus. Angel sits up as people begin boarding. Marcy slips into the scene and points camcorder at Jeff. Lights change to show what she's taping.
RUTH
The pain was in my arm, just shooting up my arm. Is there going to be any crack today?JEFF
JEFF
It's all taken care of, Ruth. You should be feeling fine from now on. Glama Tours never wants you to have a bad trip.
Ruth boards the bus. Jeff stands at the door to greet other passengers. Janet approaches with Sam trailing behind. Jeff reaches into his pocket and removes a baggie of white powder. He surreptitiously shows it to Janet.
JEFF (continues)
I got what you asked for. I can get you some more if you need it.
JANET
Oh, thank you, Jeff. How much do I owe you?
Janet puts the baggie into her purse.
JEFF
It’s all part of the service. What are you reading today, Sam?
Zita enters wearing a colorful beret.
SAM
It’s a book that your friend Sean loaned me: "1001 Amish Zingers and Put-Downs".
Janet and Sam board the bus. Marcy stops taping. Lights change back to normal.
ZITA
That fellow Sean is not like normal people, not like you and me. He marches to the beat of a dead horse.
JEFF
Uh... a horse of a different feather.
ZITA
My sediments exactly.
JEFF
Did you get a good night’s sleep, Zita?
ZITA
Morning certainly came around quickly. That wake-up call really scared the daylights into me. Where are we going today?
JEFF
We're going to see where Los Angeles was born: a little pueblo in Spanish California. And you said you wanted some souvenirs... today is probably your best chance to get some bargains.
ZITA
Wonderful. [to Angel] Now, Angel, you’re going to obey all the traffic laws, aren’t you?
ANGEL
Senorita Zita, in Los Angeles drivers don’t even obey the laws of physics.
JEFF
My motto is: If Angel wants to drive the coach, I won’t stand in his way.
Zita boards the bus. Other tour members board the bus as lights fade out.
Continue to Scene Seven
Copyright © 2003 William Armstrong
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