Act One
Scene Six
FLORENCE and MOLOKOV leave, and WALTER and FREDDIE are seen arguing.
WALTER
Freddie, I have enough of a headache already.
FREDDIE
Don't think so, Walter. Go back and tell them I won't play until I see twenty thousand dollars a game.
FLORENCE enters. WALTER turns on her.
WALTER
It took you long enough. You can deal with him, he's getting heated. (Leaves.)
FREDDIE
(Calling after WALTER.) Twenty grand, or I don't sign a thing. (Beat.) Why am I doing all the dirty work?
FLORENCE
(Hands him a slip of paper.) We've got a meeting tonight. With Sergievsky and his second.
FREDDIE
We're not going, of course.
FLORENCE
What the hell is wrong with you, Freddie?
FREDDIE
Did they get to you?
FLORENCE
Who?
FREDDIE
The Commies. Are you actually falling for this bull shit?
FLORENCE
I don't want to screw everything up.
FREDDIE
So it doesn't have anything to do with how Sergievsky was looking at you?
FLORENCE
Excuse me?
FREDDIE
He was making eyes at you. Don't pretend you didn't notice.
Florence and the American.
FLORENCE
YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR ONLY FRIEND?
WELL KEEP IT UP, YOU'RE DOING FINE!
WHY THIS HUMILIATION?
WHY TREAT ME LIKE A FOOL?
I'VE TAKEN SHIT FOR SEVEN YEARS AND I WON'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!
FREDDIE
I'M ONLY TEASING SOVIETS
WITH GENTLE BONHOMIE
AND YOU'VE A BETTER REASON TO BE ANTI-THEM THAN ME!
FLORENCE
THERE'S A TIME AND THERE'S A PLACE!
FREDDIE
How about here and now? Are you for me or for them?
FLORENCE
THERE'S A TIME AND THERE'S A PLACE.
FREDDIE
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS RISING
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS FIGHTING
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS FALLING
I'D HAVE THOUGHT YOU'D SUPPORT
ANY ATTACK ON THESE PEOPLE
ON THE PEOPLE WHO RAN
MINDLESSLY OVER YOUR CHILDHOOD
DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU
FOR TWENTY YEARS ON THEY'RE THE SAME
FLORENCE
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS DYING
TRY ANOTHER LINE – THAT'S ALL IN THE PAST NOW
FREDDIE
THEY SEE CHESS AS A WAR
AND I'M QUITE PREPARED TO DO LIKEWISE!
IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME
THEY'VE GOT YOU LIKE THEY GOT YOUR FATHER
WERE HE ALIVE NOW HE'D SURELY BE DYING OF SHAME.
FLORENCE
I LOATHE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY
DESPISE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE – YOU'VE CHANGED!
WHY'D YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME?
(FREDDIE leaves. FLORENCE contemplates alone.)
Nobody's Side.
FLORENCE
WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME
IS BARELY MAKING SENSE
I NEED SOME EXPLANATIONS FAST
I SEE MY PRESENT PARTNER
IN THE IMPERFECT TENSE
AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN LAST
I FEEL I NEED A CHANGE OF CAST
MAYBE I'M ON NOBODY'S SIDE
AND WHEN HE GIVES ME REASONS
TO JUSTIFY EACH MOVE
THEY'RE GETTING HARDER TO BELIEVE
I KNOW THIS CAN'T CONTINUE
I'VE STILL A LOT TO PROVE
THERE MUST BE MORE I COULD ACHIEVE
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE NERVE TO LEAVE
EVERYBODY'S PLAYING THE GAME
BUT NOBODY'S RULES ARE THE SAME
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
BETTER LEARN TO GO IT ALONE
RECOGNIZE YOU'RE OUT ON YOUR OWN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
THE ONE I SHOULD NOT THINK OF
KEEPS ROLLING THROUGH MY MIND
AND I DON'T WANT TO LET THAT GO
NO LOVER'S EVER FAITHFUL
NO CONTRACT'S TRULY SIGNED
THERE'S NOTHING CERTAIN LEFT TO KNOW
AND HOW THE CRACKS BEGIN TO SHOW!
NEVER MAKE A PROMISE OR PLAN
TAKE A LITTLE LOVE WHERE YOU CAN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER STAY TOO LONG IN YOUR BED
NEVER LOSE YOUR HEART, USE YOUR HEAD
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER TAKE A STRANGER'S ADVICE
NEVER LET A FRIEND FOOL YOU TWICE
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER BE THE FIRST TO BELIEVE
NEVER BE THE LAST TO DECEIVE
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER LEAVE A MOMENT TOO SOON
NEVER WASTE A HOT AFTERNOON
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER STAY A MINUTE TOO LONG
DON'T FORGET THE BEST WILL GO WRONG
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
BETTER LEARN TO GO IT ALONE
RECOGNIZE YOU'RE OUT ON YOUR OWN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
Scene Six
FLORENCE and MOLOKOV leave, and WALTER and FREDDIE are seen arguing.
WALTER
Freddie, I have enough of a headache already.
FREDDIE
Don't think so, Walter. Go back and tell them I won't play until I see twenty thousand dollars a game.
FLORENCE enters. WALTER turns on her.
WALTER
It took you long enough. You can deal with him, he's getting heated. (Leaves.)
FREDDIE
(Calling after WALTER.) Twenty grand, or I don't sign a thing. (Beat.) Why am I doing all the dirty work?
FLORENCE
(Hands him a slip of paper.) We've got a meeting tonight. With Sergievsky and his second.
FREDDIE
We're not going, of course.
FLORENCE
What the hell is wrong with you, Freddie?
FREDDIE
Did they get to you?
FLORENCE
Who?
FREDDIE
The Commies. Are you actually falling for this bull shit?
FLORENCE
I don't want to screw everything up.
FREDDIE
So it doesn't have anything to do with how Sergievsky was looking at you?
FLORENCE
Excuse me?
FREDDIE
He was making eyes at you. Don't pretend you didn't notice.
Florence and the American.
FLORENCE
YOU WANT TO LOSE YOUR ONLY FRIEND?
WELL KEEP IT UP, YOU'RE DOING FINE!
WHY THIS HUMILIATION?
WHY TREAT ME LIKE A FOOL?
I'VE TAKEN SHIT FOR SEVEN YEARS AND I WON'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!
FREDDIE
I'M ONLY TEASING SOVIETS
WITH GENTLE BONHOMIE
AND YOU'VE A BETTER REASON TO BE ANTI-THEM THAN ME!
FLORENCE
THERE'S A TIME AND THERE'S A PLACE!
FREDDIE
How about here and now? Are you for me or for them?
FLORENCE
THERE'S A TIME AND THERE'S A PLACE.
FREDDIE
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS RISING
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS FIGHTING
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS FALLING
I'D HAVE THOUGHT YOU'D SUPPORT
ANY ATTACK ON THESE PEOPLE
ON THE PEOPLE WHO RAN
MINDLESSLY OVER YOUR CHILDHOOD
DON'T LET THEM FOOL YOU
FOR TWENTY YEARS ON THEY'RE THE SAME
FLORENCE
NINETEEN FIFTY SIX – BUDAPEST IS DYING
TRY ANOTHER LINE – THAT'S ALL IN THE PAST NOW
FREDDIE
THEY SEE CHESS AS A WAR
AND I'M QUITE PREPARED TO DO LIKEWISE!
IF YOU WALK OUT ON ME
THEY'VE GOT YOU LIKE THEY GOT YOUR FATHER
WERE HE ALIVE NOW HE'D SURELY BE DYING OF SHAME.
FLORENCE
I LOATHE WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY
DESPISE WHAT YOU WANT ME TO BE – YOU'VE CHANGED!
WHY'D YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO ME?
(FREDDIE leaves. FLORENCE contemplates alone.)
Nobody's Side.
FLORENCE
WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND ME
IS BARELY MAKING SENSE
I NEED SOME EXPLANATIONS FAST
I SEE MY PRESENT PARTNER
IN THE IMPERFECT TENSE
AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN LAST
I FEEL I NEED A CHANGE OF CAST
MAYBE I'M ON NOBODY'S SIDE
AND WHEN HE GIVES ME REASONS
TO JUSTIFY EACH MOVE
THEY'RE GETTING HARDER TO BELIEVE
I KNOW THIS CAN'T CONTINUE
I'VE STILL A LOT TO PROVE
THERE MUST BE MORE I COULD ACHIEVE
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE NERVE TO LEAVE
EVERYBODY'S PLAYING THE GAME
BUT NOBODY'S RULES ARE THE SAME
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
BETTER LEARN TO GO IT ALONE
RECOGNIZE YOU'RE OUT ON YOUR OWN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
THE ONE I SHOULD NOT THINK OF
KEEPS ROLLING THROUGH MY MIND
AND I DON'T WANT TO LET THAT GO
NO LOVER'S EVER FAITHFUL
NO CONTRACT'S TRULY SIGNED
THERE'S NOTHING CERTAIN LEFT TO KNOW
AND HOW THE CRACKS BEGIN TO SHOW!
NEVER MAKE A PROMISE OR PLAN
TAKE A LITTLE LOVE WHERE YOU CAN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER STAY TOO LONG IN YOUR BED
NEVER LOSE YOUR HEART, USE YOUR HEAD
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER TAKE A STRANGER'S ADVICE
NEVER LET A FRIEND FOOL YOU TWICE
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER BE THE FIRST TO BELIEVE
NEVER BE THE LAST TO DECEIVE
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER LEAVE A MOMENT TOO SOON
NEVER WASTE A HOT AFTERNOON
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
NEVER STAY A MINUTE TOO LONG
DON'T FORGET THE BEST WILL GO WRONG
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE
BETTER LEARN TO GO IT ALONE
RECOGNIZE YOU'RE OUT ON YOUR OWN
NOBODY'S ON NOBODY'S SIDE