Rent: The Complete Book and Lyrics of the Broadway Musical (7 page)

ROGER

MARK

(to audience)

The phone rings.

ROGER

Yesss!

MARK

(to audience)

We screen.

ROGER and MARK'S ANSWERING MACHINE

(Lights fade up on THE STREET, the front-door area of the boys building. A battered public phone is nearby. TOM COLLINS stands at the phone.)

COLLINS

ROGER and MARK

(as MARK picks up the phone)

COLLINS

MARK

COLLINS

MARK

COLLINS

(MARK pulls out a small leather pouch and drops it off the apron downstage center as if out a window, just as a weighted leather pouch plops down from "upstairs." COLLINS catches it.)

MARK

(Two THUGS appear from above with clubs. They are obviously close to attacking COLLINS, who says back into the phone ...)

COLLINS

(THUGS mime beating and kicking COLLINS, who falls to the ground as lights on him fade.)

MARK

(Phone rings again)