Words, Words, Words 
 
___________________ 
 
by 
 
Kiefer Nemeth 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cast of Characters 
 
Leon Evans​: A writer in his early 20s. 
 
Stephanie Miller​: A woman in her early 20s; 
Leon’s girlfriend. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Scene 
 
Leon’s study, where he writes his novels.  
 
Time 
 
The present. 
 Scene 1 
 
SETTING: We are in the study of LEON EVANS 
and STEPHANIE MILLER, a dark and 
mostly empty room, save for one 
large, old desk in the center. On 
it sits both a laptop, closed and 
set aside, and a typewriter, old 
but well-cared for. Also on the 
desk are various papers, sticky 
notes, a pile of folders in one 
corner, and a Christmas themed 
mug. Attached to the front of the 
desk is a poster for a television 
show titled ​The Serious Network​, 
with a picture of a man pointing 
to a globe, subtitled “Global 
warming? But I’m still paying my 
heating bill!” It is a satirical 
variety show. To the right of the 
desk is a wastebin, opaque and 
metal. A light hits the floor 
downstage right, signifying a 
window. The evening is advanced, 
and the apartment is quiet. 
 
AT RISE: LEON sits at his desk, typing 
tentatively on his typewriter. He 
has dark, longish hair held out of 
his face by a clip. His peach 
colored button-up shirt is 
unbuttoned at the top, revealing 
his white undershirt. Wireframe 
glasses sit low on the bridge of 
his nose. After multiple spurts of 
typing, LEON stops and pauses for 
several moments. Then he 
decisively pulls the paper from 
the carriage, folds it carefully 
 in half, then leans over and drops 
it gently into the wastebin. He 
replaces it, begins typing, then 
stops immediately. With a sigh, he 
leans back in his chair. His hands 
slip from the keys and into his 
lap. He takes a beat.  
LEON 
Words... Words. Words, why won’t you work? Isn’t that your 
purpose, what you were created for? You are designed for 
the sole function of semanticity, and yet this-- 
(LEON kicks over the wastebin, 
revealing countless neatly 
folded papers sitting uselessly 
in it.) 
This means nothing. Someone could read any of these and 
have no idea what you’re trying to say. That doesn’t make 
any sense. You have meaning as individual units. I know 
that “shoe” describes the creatively sewn slab of leather 
on my foot, but somehow altogether, it’s lost.  
(LEON, collecting himself, 
realizes he can’t leave the 
papers strewn across the floor. 
He kneels down to pick them all 
up and return the bin to its 
vertical state. He stops to 
unfold a few of the pages as he 
stands.) 
“Of to was hand if loss yes must the sit.” There. Random 
words strung together. No meaning, no coherence. Is this 
what you take me for? Countless attempts and I get nothing 
more than effortless and pointless dribble. Why must you 
insist on putting me through this torment? The information 
in my mind is my own, and yet you withhold it from me. I am 
a prisoner to what you allow me to communicate. I find it 
funny, to be manipulated by that which man created for the 
very intention of finding control. That’s a good question 
though, why we use you so religiously. I mean, in reality 
all you do is call attention to all of the concepts we 
can’t simply point to and grunt. Maybe that’s a bit 
pessimistic. There’s got to be some concrete idea that I 
can get across. That’s all I need to do: make someone, 
anyone understand. I’m sure it would be plenty easy to 
convey that I’m an absolute lunatic. Hell, I’ve surpassed 
speaking to inanimate objects and begun speaking with 
abstract concepts.  
(LEON sits back down at the 
typewriter to take another swing 
at continuing his writing 
endeavor. Shortly after, 
STEPHANIE walks into the room. 
She is in business attire, just 
returned from the attorneys’ 
office. Her long, dirty blonde 
hair, in a ponytail, looks like 
it has been blown by a powerful 
fan and liberally treated with 
hairspray. She only wears 
mascara at this point. If she 
were to wear more makeup, by the 
day’s end, mascara would be all 
that she was left with.) 
 
STEPHANIE 
Hey, Leon. I’m only in to let you know I’m home.  
(STEPHANIE walks to LEON, puts 
her hands on his shoulders, and 
leans over to kiss the top of 
his head.) 
Good to see you’re getting some work done on your novel. 
Anything to share or do you need me out of your hair? 
 
LEON 
Your timing is perfect, actually. I was just making some 
great headway in it.  
 
STEPHANIE 
You were? That’s great, although I have to admit I’m 
surprised, considering the ranting I could hear all the way 
down the hall as I came in. I must say, from what I heard, 
the words sounded like they were flowing pretty well.  
 
 
 
 
LEON 
Believe me, they had other plans. I think they have written 
somewhere on their schedule for the day, “make Leon’s day 
hell.” 
STEPHANIE 
(Making her way to the trash bin 
to read discards.) 
I think you’re being a bit dramatic. 
 
LEON 
I am a writer, after all.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Really, though, you’re writing a novel. This is supposed to 
be making you happy. It is something you’ve chosen to do on 
top of all the work you already do. 
 
lEON 
Yeah, well the “work” I do is standing behind a counter for 
hours on end selling books to strangers. If I didn’t have 
something outside of that, I would go mad. Although I’m not 
certain the preventive care is doing its job.  
 
STEPHANIE 
(The care in STEPHANIE’s eyes is 
obvious, although she remains 
firm and confident in order to 
stabilize LEON.) 
At least you’re working in a bookstore, around something 
you love. Plus you work daily on searching and applying for 
jobs that you actually want to do. Have you heard back from 
any of the newspapers you’ve contacted? With the experience 
you have in journalism, one of them is bound to see some 
value in you.  
 
LEON 
None of them have seemed interested so far. That’s why I’m 
trying to get this novel finished as fast as I can.  
 
STEPHANIE 
“That’s” why? What exactly is “that?” If efficiency is 
really your biggest concern, then you would be using the 
computer sitting right next to you instead of a dusty old 
typewriter. Is there some fantasy going on in your head 
that I’m not on the same page with? 
 
LEON 
(LEON stands finally and makes 
his way to the window to release 
the built up content of his mind 
into the outside air.) 
If I don’t get a real job, then self-publishing is all I 
have going for me. It’s my one grip on the rest of 
humanity, my one opportunity to make a mark. It’s my 
legacy. That’s no fantasy, only fact. I’ve dedicated too 
much life to my goal of becoming an author to make any 
life-changing decisions about my career. We’re not in 
college anymore. 
 
STEPHANIE 
That’s ridiculous. 
 
LEON 
That I can’t make any big economic changes right now? No, I 
thi- 
 
STEPHANIE 
No. Not that. “Becoming an author?” Are you suggesting that 
you are not? You write every single day, excitedly, 
obsessively. Novel aside, at breakfast you chuckle to me 
about posts you make on Goodreads discussing the book you 
just read. When you come home for lunch right as I’m 
leaving to go back to work, you ask me if I read the blog 
post you made reviewing the local theater group. And I tell 
you no, but I’ll read it later. Then I don’t find time 
until right before bed, but I still love it. Some days I 
come home and just dip in to say hello because you’re so 
engrossed in your story. You hide it from me, Leon, but I 
see your smile as you sit there and type. You are an 
author. Don’t give me any bullshit considering otherwise. 
 
LEON 
Having confidence in who I am and claiming that my works 
are legitimate isn’t going to put any money in my pocket. 
It won’t put my name in any stores. The only way I can make 
anything happen is through dedication and putting something 
on the shelves to get my name out there. This novel is the 
only thing holding me back.  
 
STEPHANIE 
This novel is supposed to be part of who you are, what 
drives you forward. You are letting it control you, giving 
it this sort of sentience that allows it to be separate 
from you. This is your creation. Make it for you. 
 
LEON 
This isn’t for me. I am not the audience of this novel. 
 
STEPHANIE 
(Losing her patience.) 
Who is it for then, Leon? Who are you planning on changing 
the life of? 
 
LEON 
What? No. Well-- I mean, me. My life. That isn’t why I’m 
going through all of this, though. 
 
STEPHANIE 
(Firmly.) 
Why are you doing this, Leon? 
 
LEON 
(After a significant beat.) 
Because... Because I want to be understood. 
 
(BLACKOUT) 
 
(END OF SCENE) 
 
 
Scene 2 
 
SETTING: The set remains the same: LEON’s 
study. The room is empty, and the 
air feels heavy. It is the next 
day. After his conversation with 
STEPHANIE, LEON never truly left 
his study. His spirit remained, 
bouncing from wall to wall, 
frantically trying to understand 
its place. A cup of coffee and a 
box of chocolates sit in the 
middle of the desk. A note is 
attached to the top of the 
chocolate box. It is the 
afternoon, around 3 o’clock. The 
sun shines harshly through the 
window. 
 
AT RISE: LEON walks through the door with a 
laptop bag over his shoulder and a 
cup of coffee in hand. He looks 
stressed and tired, but still 
someone calm. He has yet to reach 
a state of hysteria as he may 
soon. He wears a long, olive green 
coat over his bookstore uniform, 
which is just a button up shirt 
 and khaki pants. As he sets down 
his coffee and bag and pulls out 
his chair, he pauses and notices 
the box and coffee on his desk. He 
takes the note from the box and 
reads it aloud. 
 
LEON 
“I bought you these chocolates on my break so you could 
come home to a happy surprise. It is possibly the most 
cliché gift ever, but I thought it was melodramatic enough 
for you, Mr. Artist.”  
(LEON looks visibly offended.) 
Now that’s just rude.  
(He continues reading.) 
“I also got you a cup of coffee because I figured I should 
get you something practical as well. I hope you didn’t 
already buy yourself a cup. If you did, I hope you enjoy 
both. You’re a great writer, I believe in you, all that 
jazz. Love, Steph.” 
(He looks at the cup of coffee 
he brought in, then down at the 
cup already sitting on his desk. 
He shrugs and opens the box to 
pop a chocolate in his mouth. He 
closes his eyes, smiles, and 
breathes deeply, then looks once 
more at STEPHANIE’s note. He 
sits down to enjoy the chocolate 
and read the note again. 
STEPHANIE enters shortly after, 
her hair in a ponytail. She 
wears a blue t-shirt and jeans.) 
 
STEPHANIE 
Hey, you’re home! I see you got my message.  
 
LEON 
It was quite sweet of you, I must say. It’s only just now 
occurred to me that you had to stop at two different shops 
to get these things. You didn’t have to do that for me.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Are you going to get all sentimental on me so early in the 
day? It’s a cheesy box of chocolates. It was supposed to be 
funny, not for you to take so seriously.  
 
LEON 
Long day, I guess. I don’t have much capacity for humor 
right now. That’s not to say your gifts aren’t appreciated. 
Just the opposite; it was a wonder to come home to.  
 
STEPHANIE 
You’re still doing it.  
(STEPHANIE leans over LEON to 
grab a chocolate from the box. 
She notices the two cups of 
coffee.) 
Oh damn, you did already get coffee. Well, more caffeine 
means more productivity, doesn’t it?  
 
LEON 
If that were true, with as much coffee as I drink, I’d be 
as prolific as Picasso. I actually can’t take it, though. I 
need to begin my trip to a potential buyer of my last short 
story shortly. You’re welcome to have it.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Oh, but you just got home. Do you at least have time to sit 
​ I 
down and watch the new episode of ​The Serious Network?
have the rest of the day off, and I thought you could use 
some time to destress. 
 
LEON 
(Pauses significantly. His face 
looks slightly pained, as if 
 trying to make a difficult 
decision.) 
I... That’s not worth my time.  
(LEON does not look at STEPHANIE 
as he grabs his bag and cup of 
coffee before standing up to 
exit.) 
 
STEPHANIE 
That’s fine. Go do what you need to do.  
(STEPHANIE does not want to 
accept what LEON has just said, 
but does not want to create 
conflict. She is visibly 
irritated by his tone.) 
Good luck.  
 
LEON 
(Pauses before exiting through 
the open door.) 
Thanks.  
 
STEPHANIE 
(Waits for LEON to leave.) 
Oh, I wanna hit him. I really do. No... No. He’s just 
trying to do the right thing.  
(STEPHANIE sits down in LEON’s 
chair and sighs. She looks at 
the typewriter on the desk for a 
moment, then over to the 
wastebasket next to the desk. 
She notices that LEON’s 
rejections are still in it. She 
stands, moves over to them, and 
grabs a paper out of the bin. 
She moves to the front of the 
desk and leans against it, 
reciting the page aloud.) 
“Armen pumped his arms furiously as his legs carried him 
briskly through the halls of the high school at which he 
taught. Although it was a Saturday, a teacher’s job is 
never relaxing. At this particular moment in time, it was 
quite the opposite. Armen had never dealt with a student 
with such emotional baggage, and frankly, he was hoping he 
would never have to. Jake wasn’t like other students. The 
determination with which Jake failed his classes baffled 
all educators who he had encountered.  
 
Halfway down the current hallway, Josephine stepped into 
the classroom from her classroom door.  
 
‘Hi Armen,’ she stated calmly. ‘You seem to be in quite a 
hurry.’ 
 
Armen did not want to, but he stopped purely to be polite. 
‘It’s Jake. I have business to attend to. I’m sure you 
understand.’ 
 
Josephine casually scoffed. She appeared to roll her eyes a 
bit, but Armen couldn’t be sure. Her verbal and physical 
rhetoric always masked some level of conspiracy.  
 
‘I am certain that whatever he’s done now is no worse than 
what he’s done in the past,’ she assured. ‘You are simply 
wasting your time. That’s all you ever do. You want to 
protect the unprotected, reach the unreachable. You aren’t 
so powerful, Armen. When will you accept that you just 
can’t’”- 
(STEPHANIE stops reading. The 
page stops there.) 
Oh, Leon. You write yourself into characters in the least 
subtle of ways. You were on such a great track, but you got 
far too grand. It’s not all about saving the world. Just 
Jake is enough.  
 
(BLACKOUT) 
 
 (END OF SCENE) 
 
 
Scene 3 
 
SETTING: 42 minutes have passed since LEON 
left his study. STEPHANIE has 
remained in the room, reading 
LEON’s discarded papers. The cup 
of coffee still sits on the desk, 
and the box of chocolates has been 
pushed aside.  
 
AT RISE: STEPHANIE sits at LEON’s chair, 
reading a piece of paper. She has 
removed the papers from the 
wastebasket and formed a stack on 
the desk. Her eyes are fixated on 
the words, and her expression 
looks both intrigued and 
incredibly concerned. After a few 
moments, LEON walks through the 
door. STEPHANIE is shocked that he 
is home so early. LEON is 
surprised to see STEPHANIE sitting 
in his study. At first, neither 
says anything. Both are still 
rattled from LEON’s passive 
aggressive outburst.  
 
LEON 
You’re reading my discards.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Sorry about that. I wanted to know what you found so wrong 
with them. I didn’t think you would mind too much if I took 
a look.  
 
LEON 
I don’t mind.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Something’s definitely up, though. You weren’t gone for 
very long. What happened? 
 
LEON 
To summarize, they didn’t buy. I wonder why they even took 
the time to call me in for an appointment. They clearly had 
little to no interest in anything I had written. It was 
humiliating. 
STEPHANIE 
That’s too bad. You’ll have more opportunities though. This 
isn’t the end of the world.  
 
LEON 
Right... You’re reading my discards? 
 
STEPHANIE 
Again, yes. I didn’t think you’d have such a problem with 
it.  
 
LEON 
That’s not it. I am just curious as to why you willingly 
spend your time reading them.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Maybe it’s to get an idea of what’s gotten into you. Your 
behavior has gone beyond a point of dramatic and into the 
realm of self-destructive. You’re catastrophizing every 
small problem, ignoring things that will help you, and 
frankly, you’re being an asshole. And that’s the part 
that’s really taking my frustration from caring about you 
to wanting to punch you in the face.  
 
LEON 
I understand why you may be frustrated, but there is no 
ignoring the fact that I have priorities. There are goals 
and actions that I must focus on if I am to succeed in any 
future endeavors. I’m sorry, but if I don’t have time for 
something, I simply don’t have time.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Above all else, your health should be a priority. What’s 
the use in having wealth and fame and success if you’ve 
gone mad and aren’t able to enjoy it?  
 
LEON 
I’m not going mad.  
 
STEPHANIE 
Then listen to me. You need to come down from wherever 
you’ve been for the past few days, or hell, even weeks or 
months. Say what you want about these drafts you threw out, 
but I’ve learned something from reading them. I know 
exactly why you’ve been having trouble with this novel. 
 
LEON 
How can you know something so complex phrased so simply? 
After only reading a few rejects, what end could you have 
possibly come to?  
 
STEPHANIE 
I can see exactly where you break, Leon. These are the 
flaws, all bundled up conveniently in one place. After 
reading only a few rejects, it’s obvious they all have one 
thing in common: where they end. Each one trails off in 
this overwhelming, existentialist ramble that gets too big 
for its own shorts. You need to calm down and level your 
ideas. You’re making writing impossible for yourself. 
 
LEON 
It is easy enough to attribute all of my failure to one 
sole behavior. Writing has more facets than to allow for 
such explicit solutions, though. On top of that, I cannot 
turn my style of writing on a dime and magically become 
better.  
Sure, it’s easy to say that I can just change that and all 
be better, but it’s more complicated than that. I can’t 
just change how I write.  
 
STEPHANIE 
(Cutting LEON off slightly.) 
Will you just shut up and accept that you have a problem so 
that you can fix it? 
 
LEON 
I know I have a problem!  
 
STEPHANIE 
Well I’m telling you what it is so you can sit down and do 
something about it! 
 
LEON 
Then what exactly is the problem? What action do you 
suggest I take in order to reestablish my capabilities as a 
writer? 
 
STEPHANIE 
(STEPHANIE takes a deep breath 
before continuing. Her 
frustration has been building 
through the conversation, but 
she knows that this situation 
must be handled with care.) 
You need to realize you aren’t going to change the world 
with your writing. Even if you do, that’s not what you 
should aim for. I know motivational speakers will tell you 
to shoot for the stars, but sometimes the stars aren’t 
where you’re needed. We need you down here, I need you. 
Your novel only needs to change one person’s life. It’s OK 
if that one person is you. 
 
LEON 
(This comment truly hits LEON. 
It hits him hard. At first he is 
 unable to say anything, and he 
realizes arguing will get him no 
further. He must accept 
STEPHANIE’s statements.) 
Then what do I do? 
 
STEPHANIE 
Be Armen. You’ve been Jake for too long, you need to be 
Armen. I am certain he has the dedication to make a 
difference, and I am certain Jake knows deep down that he 
can change.  
 
LEON 
(LEON stares down at his feet for 
some time, looking deep in 
thought about something.) 
Do you think I was really being Jake? He’s kind of a dick.  
 
STEPHANIE 
(STEPHANIE laughs boisterously.) 
The emphasis was on his stubbornness to change, but I guess 
you share some more traits. 
 
LEON 
Words can hurt, you know. I can tell you, I’m a writer.  
(LEON hesitates a moment.) 
If your offer still stands, I’d love to join you in 
​  
watching ​The Serious Network.
 
(BLACKOUT) 
 
(END OF ACT)