Play: Zadie’s Shoes || Playwright: Adam Pettle
Shoot: Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue || Models: Seth Galina, Donovan King
ELI: You don’t know how to confess and it’s not because you’re Jewish… it’s because you’re still hiding.
BENJAMIN: I’m trying.
ELI: Try harder.
BENJAMIN: I can’t.
ELI: Why?
BENJAMIN: I’m scared. (Beat.) I’m so fucking scared.
ELI: Of what?
BENJAMIN: Of everything?
ELI: No, of what?
BENJAMIN: I don’t know.
ELI: Stop hiding.
BENJAMIN: I couldn’t… She gave me the chance and I couldn’t… I couldn’t watch her hate me. I can’t have anyone hate me.
ELI: Why?
BENJAMIN: I need them to like me… to love me. I love her… I love her so much and this… it… I would be such a good boyfriend if I didn’t… and…
ELI: What?
BENJAMIN: I did everything so she wouldn’t see it because if she saw it she would leave and I’d be…
ELI: Say it!
BENJAMIN: It’ll take over… it’ll… and then no one will see how wonderful I am anymore. How much I can love. They’ll just see it. I’ll become it… and I’ll be ugly. I’ll be so fucking ugly… so dead and ugly and… alone. I’m alone. How could I…? How can I… How can I get better?
Zadie’s Shoes was first produced by Factory Theatre in Toronto in January 2001.
