Andy Bloxham Photography

A DEAD MAN'S STORY

Written by Andy Bloxham

Louisiana Tech University
Psychology 418
October, 2002

Depression is a terrible thing. Its cloud hangs over many each day. Some fight it out to see a brighter day. Others are left to siphon through the fog. And a small percentage can not bear with it, so they act out in desperation.

John Smith could not cope with life. Two days ago, he took a gun and cured his disease. The body laid in his home for one day, until yesterday, when a neighbor stopped by to visit him. A memorial service will take place two days from now.

During the course of his life, John Smith touched more people than he would ever realize. He was a kind, courteous man whom many respected. The news of his death brought many to tears. For others, today is when they finally receive the news.

FADE IN

Stacey walks across the stage and sits down to read a book.

[Character pause]

NARRATOR
Meet Stacey, an acquaintance of John's.

Stacey continues to read her book. Across the stage, Kim walks up and sees Stacey.

KIM
Stacey!

[Character pause]

NARRATOR
Meet Kim, a friend to both Stacey and John.

KIM
Have you heard the news?

STACEY
No, what happened?

Stacey stands up from her seat.

KIM
You might want to sit back down.

STACEY
Is it something bad? Kim, what happened?

KIM
John Smith... killed himself two days ago.

STACEY
Oh my God. That's terrible! Two days ago and I just now found out?

KIM
Yeah, no one knew at first. I just found out, too.

STACEY
How is his family doing?

KIM
Don't know. Memorial service is in two days. It'll have to be a closed casket, too, since he shot himself.

STACEY
I can't believe this. I just saw him last week. He seemed OK. Maybe a little down, but overall OK.

KIM
Yeah, I know. I don't know why he did it. No one knows.

In walks Walter O'Conner, holding a cigar.

WALTER O'CONNER
Ah yes, excuse me for interrupting...

[Character pause]

NARRATOR
Meet Walter O'Conner, representative of the psychoanalytic theory of depression.

STACEY
Who are you?

KIM
Where did you come from?

WALTER O'CONNER
Oh, do please pardon my interruption. I just happened to be walking by and overheard your conversation. You see, I am a psychologist. My primary background is in the world of psychoanalysis, led by the great Sigmund Freud. You've heard of him, yes I'm sure. But my motives for speaking to you right now are purely to answer a question that I heard you say.

KIM
What question would that be?

WALTER O'CONNER
Quite simply, my good dame, "Why did he do it?"

KIM
Yeah, that's what we can't understand.

STACEY
I'm still just in shock about the news.

WALTER O'CONNER
Oh, that will pass in time. I take it that this is your first suicide encounter. Well get ready for plenty more. Some you might assume ahead of time and some you might not. It all goes back to the oral stage, really.

KIM
The what stage?

WALTER O'CONNER
The oral stage.

STACEY
Oral?

WALTER O'CONNOR
Yes! The first of the psychosexual stages. After that you have the anal stage, then phallic, then a latency period, then the genital stage. But the problem with your friend stemmed from the oral stage of development.

STACEY
Oral?

WALTER O'CONNER
Yes!

KIM
Sex?

WALTER O'CONNER
No! Look, I am not a pervert. This is a system devised by Sigmund Freud, and he... was... a genius!

KIM
So what does this have to do with John?

WALTER O'CONNER
Precisely what I am getting at! During his oral stage of life, he obviously had needs that were insufficiently or over-sufficiently gratified. This caused him to become dependant on what gave this particular thing to him. So therefore, his self-esteem had to be maintained by the giver. Once that person quit supplying him, it sent him into depression, which, I would say, pretty much brings us up to date.

KIM
So you're saying that the reason John killed himself is due to someone not always giving him something he needed?

WALTER O'CONNER
More or less, yes. He became fixated on that stage of his development and formed unhealthy dependencies on someone to maintain his own self-esteem.

KIM
You know, that does make sense. I can almost see how it could have happened.

WALTER O'CONNER
Rejoice, another has seen the light!

In walks Mary Suzanna, holding a folder of papers.

MARY SUZANNA
OK, um, hold your thoughts right there.

[Character pause]

NARRATOR
Meet Mary Suzanna, representative of the cognitive theory of depression.

MARY SUZANNA
You, always babbling your perverted stuff.

WALTER O'CONNER
Bullocks, it's not...

MARY SUZANNA
OK, whatever. OK?

KIM
And who are you?

MARY SUZANNA
I'm Mary Suzanna. I lean towards the cognitive theory in psychology, OK? Well, now, um, I seem to have found O'Conner telling you about his theory. So, I decided it was best to tell you something that makes a little more sense than potty training and the rooting reflex, OK?

KIM
About what?

MARY SUZANNA
Well, about why your friend committed suicide, OK?

KIM
OK.

MARY SUZANNA
There are two approaches used in the cognitive theory. The first is something devised by a great man known as Aaron Beck. Um, he said the depressed's thinking is based towards negative interpretations, OK? These people acquire a negative schema through an unrelenting succession of tragedies. The negative schematic is fueled by cognitive biases, thus leading the person from being a pessimistic to a poor, depressed soul. Um, so, it's a little more than just being greedy.

WALTER O'CONNER
Is not!

MARY SUZANNA
Um, is, OK?

KIM
What's the other approach?

WALTER O'CONNER
Nothing, really, just more...

MARY SUZANNA
Actually, it is something. It's the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. A person feels unable to act and to control their own life. This is acquired through unpleasant experiences, which, um, the person failed to control.

WALTER O'CONNER
Bloody shite! It's clear that the chap was stuck in the oral stage. That unpleasant thing you speak of is their missing dependency, which only supports my theory!

MARY SUZANNA
No, you're wrong, OK? Why glory be, do you even realize that Freud based his studies off of himself? The cognitive theories have valid research to back up everything that is said.

Mary Suzanna holds up the folder, which is actually the research of cognitive studies.

KIM
This cognitive theory does make a lot of sense. It almost seems like it might apply to John. Yeah, I think it does, or did, or...

STACEY
Kim, actually...

B. Randall busts into the conversation, cutting Stacey off and starting in with his own theory.

B. RANDALL
Well now!

He slaps his hands together upon his arrival. [Character pause]

NARRATOR
Meet B. Randall, representative of the interpersonal theory of depression.

B. RANDALL
Why the gloomy faces, everyone?

B. Randall turns to Mary Suzanna.

B. RANDALL
That frown on your face, lose it!

B. Randall turns to Walter O'Conner.

B. RANDALL
That stain on your shirt, wash it!

B. Randall then turns to Stacey and Kim.

B. RANDALL
Now ladies, I had to listen to these two drab offerings from these two so-called "psychologists." And I must say, neither one has a clue about what really takes place in depression.

KIM
Who are you, another psychologist?

B. RANDALL
You got it! I'm B. Randall, here to give you the interpersonal theory of depression. I don't need some sexual based theory or some two-part theory full of big words. It's as simple as this: if someone's social support is reduced, then it may lessen an individual's ability to handle negative life events. This makes them vulnerable to depression.

MARY SUZANNA
No, when a person failed to control their life is when...

B. RANDALL
Oh, did I say that I was finished? It's the catch-22 of it all. The person behaves negatively because they're depressed, and the people they interact with respond negatively due to the negative tone the speaker used. They can't get away from it.

WALTER O'CONNER
Oh, no, they can with the suppression of...

B. RANDALL
Something else by Freud, I fear?

WALTER O'CONNER
B. Randall, be quiet! All of you underestimate and scoff at the greatness of Freud, but he's the one who's right about this. Psychoanalytical psychology will live on!

Mary Suzanna holds up her folder again.

MARY SUZANNA
No! The cognitive theory has the most research behind it to validate its statements. It is the true information that people should go to when questioning depression.

B. RANDALL
Yeah, but when they're ready for the answer and not some snowjobbing story, they'll come to the interpersonal side of things for the easy to digest, and most honest and direct answer.

KIM
It was easy to understand, and I think it might have made the most sense in relation to John.

Walter O'Conner points to B. Randall.

WALTER O'CONNER
Don't let him fool you!

Mary Suzanna points to Walter O'Conner.

MARY SUZANNA
Don't let him brainwash you!

B. Randall points to both Walter O'Conner and Mary Suzanna.

B. RANDALL
Don't let both of them kill each other!

WALTER O'CONNER AND MARY SUZANNA
Shut up!

Stacey walks into the middle of the argument and turns to Kim.

STACEY
Don't allow any of these people let you forget of what happened.

B. RANDALL
And what would that be?

STACEY
One of our friends is dead. He was depressed and committed suicide.

WALTER O'CONNER
Which is why we stand here to tell you of why he did it.

STACEY
No you're not. You three are debating amongst yourself about someone who is just a random statistic to you. But to Kim and I, he was our friend. And there isn't one psychological theory out there that can bring him back now. He's gone, no matter what formula any of you come up with. None of them matter now to him.

KIM
You're right! I was so caught up in asking the why and how, that I didn't stop to consider the simple fact that it just is. John's... dead.

Walter O'Conner looks down at his watch.

WALTER O'CONNER
Oh my, look at the time. Tea was served 5 minutes ago.

Walter O'Conner begins to walk off the stage.

MARY SUZANNA
OK, yeah, well um, it's been nice. Sorry to hear about your friend. I must be off as well.

Mary Suzanna begins to walk off the stage, following O'Conner.

B. Randall steps up to Kim and Stacey. He extends a card to them.

B. RANDALL
Look, I'm really sorry about your friend. If either of you ever need any future help, here's my card. I don't mind helping, no matter what it might be. My number's down at the bottom, in case you...

KIM
The nerve! Get lost!

B. RANDALL
Well, no harm in trying.

He looks off to Walter O'Conner and Mary Suzanna.

B. RANDALL
Hey guys, wait up.

He catches up to them, with the low rumblings of their what-seems-be-frequent "argument" carrying on as they exit the stage.

Kim and Stacey just nod to each other in a respectable acknowledgement of John Smith.

FADE OUT