Wrong for Each Other

By Norm Foster

Can love survive a separation?

A chance meeting in a restaurant, after four years apart, sends a couple flashing back through the highs and lows of their courtship and marriage. It is an hilarious and often heart-breaking look at the rollercoaster ride of a relationship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2003
• ISBN: 9781770913868

Norm Foster

Norm Foster has been the most produced playwright in Canada every year for the past twenty years. His plays receive an average of one hundred and fifty productions annually. Norm has over sixty plays to his credit, including The Foursome, On a First Name Basis, and Hilda’s Yard. He is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award for his play The Melville Boys and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He lives in Fredericton.

Book preview

Act One, Scene One

The scene opens with NORAH seated at the restaurant table reading a menu. She is dressed in a business suit. RUDY enters. He is wearing slacks, a shirt and tie, and a sports jacket. He sees NORAH. He doesn’t recognize her at first because of the menu in front of her face. He moves to her.

RUDY: Excuse me? Could I borrow this chair? We’re one short at our table.

NORAH: Sure.

RUDY: Thanks.

NORAH: ( recognizing RUDY ) Rudy?

RUDY: ( recognizing NORAH ) Oh, my God.

NORAH: Rudy.

RUDY: Oh, my God, Norah. Hi.

NORAH: Hi.

RUDY: Wow.

NORAH: Yeah, wow.

RUDY: What are you doing here?

NORAH: What am I…it’s a restaurant. I was hungry.

RUDY: Oh, right, of course. So was I. I forgot. Well, come ‘ere.

NORAH stands and they hug very tentatively.

RUDY: Hi.

NORAH: Hi.

RUDY: It’s good to see you.

NORAH: Yeah, you too.

RUDY: Wow. I didn’t recognize you. You had the menu in front of you, and I…

NORAH: I wasn’t even looking, so…

RUDY: And then I…

NORAH: Yeah.

RUDY: Wow. ( beat ) So, how are you?

NORAH: Good, good.

RUDY: Great.

NORAH: And you?

RUDY: Good. Real good.

NORAH: Good.

RUDY: Yeah. Boy.

NORAH: Would you like to sit down?

RUDY: Oh, no, I don’t want to intrude.

NORAH: You wouldn’t be intruding.

RUDY: No, I couldn’t.

NORAH: Are you sure?

RUDY: Yeah. Besides I’m here with a couple of guys on my crew. (RUDY indicates a table in the direction from which he entered.) They’re doing a job near here and I came down to buy them lunch.

NORAH: Oh, well, all right then.

RUDY: Yeah. (beat) Well, maybe for just a minute. I mean, they’d probably rather eat without me anyway. You know, the boss and all.

NORAH: Right.

RUDY: But, just for a minute. You’re sure you don’t mind?

NORAH: No.

RUDY: Good. Good.

They both sit. RUDY removes his coat.

Wow, it’s been what, four years?

NORAH: Three years and nine months, yeah.

RUDY: Three years.

NORAH: And nine months.

RUDY: Well, you look great.

NORAH: Thank you.

RUDY: Just great.

NORAH: You look good too.

RUDY: Thanks. You’re not with anybody, are you?

NORAH: No, no.

RUDY: Because I can leave.

NORAH: No, I’m alone.

RUDY: You’re sure?

NORAH: Rudy, if I was with somebody, don’t you think I’d know?

RUDY: Oh, right.

NORAH: I was just doing some Christmas shopping and decided to take a break.

RUDY: Christmas shopping? It’s November. You used to have that done by Labour Day.

NORAH: No…it wasn’t that early.

RUDY: No? Then how do you explain the back to school supplies under the Christmas tree every year?

NORAH: All right, so I like to do it early, but I’ve been busy planning a trip and this is the first chance I’ve had.

RUDY: A trip? You mean a vacation, or…

NORAH: No, business mainly.

RUDY: Oh. Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy myself.

NORAH: Business is good then?

RUDY: Yeah. Yeah, it’s really worked out well for me.

NORAH: Good. I remember you were worried about going out on your own.

RUDY: Yeah. Yeah. ( awkward pause ) So, are you living in this area?

NORAH: A few blocks from here, yes.

RUDY: Right downtown, huh?

NORAH: Well, it’s convenient. You know, everything is nearby.

RUDY: Yeah. You don’t have to go far to get mugged.

NORAH: Oh, isn’t it terrible?

RUDY: Horrible. I don’t know how anybody can live downtown anymore.

NORAH: And it’s getting worse.

RUDY: It’s appalling. A friend of mine got mugged last month, they took his dentures. Now, why would somebody do that? I mean, what are they gonna do, fence them? Is there a market for stolen teeth out there, I don’t know.

NORAH: It’s awful.

RUDY: It’s crazy. It’s nuts.

NORAH: And how about you? Where are you living?

RUDY: Downtown. I’m on Shore Street.

NORAH: Oh, yeah.

RUDY: But, I’ve just made an offer on a house in the country.

NORAH: Go on.

RUDY: I did.

NORAH: Really?

RUDY: Yeah. It’s about fifteen minutes north of the city.

NORAH: So, you’re finally doing it.

RUDY: I always told you I would.

NORAH: Well, yes, but…

RUDY: But, what?

NORAH: Well

RUDY: You didn’t believe me.

NORAH: Well, Rudy, you said you were going to do a lot of things back then.

RUDY: Well, this one I’m doing. I should hear back from them today.

NORAH: Well, good for you.

RUDY: I mean, it’s not a new house or anything, and it needs some work, but it’s in the country, that’s the main thing.

NORAH: Well, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

RUDY: Thanks. Boy, do you believe this? Running into each other. Who would believe this? I mean, a city this size. What are the chances?

NORAH: It’s unlikely, that’s for sure.

RUDY: Talk about your small world.

NORAH laughs as if at an inside joke.

What?

NORAH: Nothing. ( going to the plants )

RUDY: What? What did I say?

NORAH: Nothing.

NORAH lifts a plant and looks at it.

RUDY: Hi.

NORAH: Hello.

Pause as NORAH looks at the plant.

RUDY: Looking for a plant, huh?

NORAH: Yes.

RUDY: Yeah, I’m looking for one too.

NORAH: Well, you’ve come to the right place.

RUDY: That’s right. Uncanny, isn’t it? The sign outside says plants, you come in, and here they are. ( giving a