Understory 2023

Anger by JAMISON SCHROYER

(At rise, Sasha, an art therapist,
sits beside Luke, a teenage boy,
at a pottery wheel. They are in
Sasha’s home studio/office
surrounded by pottery equipment.
Luke is attempting to center a
ball of clay on the wheel while
being frustrated at his mom for
sending him to therapy.)

(Luke struggles to center his ball of
clay on the wheel)

LUKE
(Frustratedly)
Damn! You made this look too easy

SASHA
It takes time but you’ll get it eventually.

LUKE
I don’t get why my mom thinks that messing around with mud will magically fix all our problems

SASHA
Could you tell me about the problems you two have?

LUKE
Aw no! She can send me to therapy but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna let you pick me apart and shrink me down

SASHA
(Shifting her focus to what’s happening on the wheel)
Here, move your hands a second

(Sasha places her hands on the clay and Luke moves his out of the way)

SASHA
Push with your palm like this-

(Sasha pushes hard into the clay and it centers)

SASHA
Directly towards the center of the wheel. See how it isn’t wobbling anymore?

LUKE
(Minorly Frustrated)
Yeah, okay I get it

SASHA
Okay, remember what to do next? It’s time to open, but be gentle and don’t lose control of the clay

(Luke pushes his fingers into the center of the clay and then pulls out, widening it)

SASHA

Great! You did perfect!

LUKE
(Sarcastically)
Yeah, great. I’m really feeling healed

SASHA
Healing comes when you are ready for it to come. Right now, I just want to teach you how to make a bowl on a pottery wheel

LUKE
(Rolling his eyes)
Yeah, whatever

SASHA
Okay, now we need to start bringing up those walls to make it taller, just like I showed you. This part is tricky

(Like tries to bring up the walls of the clay. His fingers create large dents)

LUKE
Damn!

SASHA
That’s okay. Many mistakes are easy to fix. Watch what I do.

(Sasha takes a sponge and flattens the lumps back down)

SASHA
By the way, you are doing a lot better than most of my first-time students

LUKE
Students? I thought I was your patient

SASHA
Well, I’m teaching you something, aren’t I?

LUKE
Oh, well yeah. But isn’t this therapy? 

SASHA
I can tell you’re only interested in the art part of art therapy. That’s okay with me, I love teaching

LUKE
(Annoyedly)
Pff. That woman is seriously wasting her money

SASHA
(Ignoring Luke’s attitude)
Let’s take another crack at bringing up the walls, okay? Try and hold your hands like this

(Sasha makes a fist with her right hand and places the thumb of her left hand on her wrist. The tip of her left pointer and middle fingers touch the flat part of her right pointer finger. Luke copies Sasha and tries to bring the walls up again. He is successful this time.)

SASHA
Perfect! You’re a quick learner

LUKE
(Trying to hold back a smile)
Well, it’s reaaally not that hard

SASHA
It’s time to make the shape of the bowl. Are you ready? 

LUKE
I guess so

(Luke starts to widen the walls of the clay to make it look like a bowl. He pauses and looks at Sasha.)

SASHA
You’re doing well. Go ahead and keep going

(Luke pulls the walls wider and then pauses again)

SASHA
I think this looks good. What do you think?

LUKE
I think it’s ugly

SASHA
If you want, we can keep working on this one. We also have plenty of time to start another one

(Luke frowns and begins to widen the walls even more.  He stretches it too far and the whole structure collapses)

LUKE
(Very mad)
Goddamn it!

SASHA
(Sounding gentle)
It’s okay Luke, we can-

LUKE
I don’t get it! I don’t get how embarrassing myself here is supposed to help me! 

(Luke picks up the clay bowl and throws it across the room)

LUKE
She doesn’t get it. She doesn’t get what I deal with at school, or with her! Now I’m here, failing at even more. I bet she’d love to see this

(Luke stands up from the wheel and walks a few paces away)

LUKE
I’m not stupid. I get good grades. So, what if I do little things wrong? Doesn’t mean I’m a fucking idiot!

(Luke is breathing hard, and then turns to look at Sasha. Sasha sits in place with one leg crossed over the other. Her expression is neutral)

LUKE
Why aren’t you doing anything? Can’t you see I’m breaking all your shit?!

(Sasha uncrosses her legs and rests her arms on her knees. She leans towards Luke intently, her face remaining neutral)

LUKE
(Breathing heavily. His voice getting tired)

I just… I don’t get why you aren’t doing anything. Why aren’t you mad? 

(Luke’s anger turns into tears and collapses onto the ground. Sasha walks over to him. She places her hand on his back as he sobs)

SASHA
I’m not mad at you.

LUKE
(While sniffling through tears)
My mom would be pissed. She’d be screaming her head off… she even threw a book at me once. 

SASHA
Anger is a powerful emotion. It can be very destructive when it’s used to communicate. 

LUKE
I want the yelling to stop. I do. But I can’t control it when we both know it’s gonna end up there anyway

SASHA
Change doesn’t have to come from your mother, Luke. Maybe it’s up to you to be the responsible one.

(Sasha stands and extends a hand to Luke. Luke rubs the tears from his eyes, takes her hand, and stands up. He looks around at the mess he made)

LUKE
I… I’m sorry about your studio

SASHA
That’s okay. Do you feel ready to sit back down?

LUKE
(flustered at the question)
What?

(Sasha guides Luke back to the wheel and hands him a new ball of clay. Luke sits and takes the clay)

SASHA
Don’t worry. Pottery is frustrating at first, but it gets easier the more you practice it

(Luke stares at Sasha in complete shock)

SASHA
Much like a lot of what we have to deal with in life-
(Luke shifts his attention and throws the ball of clay onto the wheel. He starts trying to center again)

SASHA
The more we work on it, the better we will become

Close

                                                                  
JAMISON SCHROYER is a senior pursuing a degree in Ceramics with a minor in Psychology. Jamison expresses her creativity through pottery, her fantasy through writing, and her reverie through watercolor.

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