WAITING FOR THE TRAIN: A ONE-ACT PLAY Cast of Characters
Scene
Time
BOB About the Author Susan Courtney is a playwright (Dramatists Guild), short story writer, theater professor (Westchester Community College), theater director & professional actor (Equity/SAG-AFTRA). Having always loved theater, Susan studied Acting in college and went on to get an MA in Theatre from NYU. While teaching Acting for years to college students, senior citizens, and children; Susan was inspired to write her own plays. Weekly writing labs with Artistic New Directions in Manhattan enabled her to cast her plays with actors and develop her plays for production. Recent Play Productions include: WAITING FOR THE TRAIN, Actors Theater Playhouse, West Chesterfield, N.H. (June 2025) WHERE NO WOMAN HAS GONE BEFORE, Illusion/Confusion Play Festival, ATA, NYC (June 2025) & The Secret Theater, Semi-finalist, Act One: One Act Play Festival, N.Y. (July 2024) GIRL IN BLUE ARMCHAIR, Rye Brook Community Center, N.Y. (May 2025) GALWAY CITY VISITOR, Salmagundi Art Club, N.Y., N.Y. (2024)
VERONICA: A desperate middle-aged woman who is contemplating a harsh decision.
Sees the glass as half-empty…actually empty!
BOB: An easy-going, genial, middle-aged man who is looking forward to a night on the
town with some old buddies. Sees the glass as half-full and more is coming!
A train station in Westchester, New York
Nightime.
The present
Veronica, a middle-aged woman, dressed casually in relaxed pants and top, is pacing
back and forth on the platform of an empty train station in the suburbs. She keeps looking to see if the train is coming. Bob, a middle-aged man, dressed in jeans and a nice
sports shirt, sits on a bench scrolling through his phone. Veronica walks to the end of
the platform, closest to where the train comes, and leans forward to look again.
Hey, be careful!
VERONICA
What?
BOB
Be careful, you might fall in!
VERONICA
(Under her breath) Yeah.
(BOB goes back to his phone.)
VERONICA
(Urgently) How fast is this train?
BOB
How fast? I mean… it’s a train! Ha ha. (He sees she’s not laughing.) Oh, uh, do you
mean like is it an express? I think it is but…
VERONICA
How fast is it?
BOB
I don’t know. 70 mph? 300 mph? I’m not great in Math.
VERONICA
(Glances quickly at her watch) Where is it?
BOB
It’s late. Should’ve been here by now.
VERONICA
I know! I don’t get it.
BOB
It’ll be here soon.
(BOB goes back to phone. Starts to laugh a little, then louder!)
VERONICA.
What’s so funny?
BOB
Oh, uh, ha ha, it’s this TikTok! Crazy stuff. This cat jumps on the back of a dog and the
dog walks around with him on it. Its so crazy! Ha ha!
(VERONICA looks at him, shakes her head, and walks toward the train tracks again and
looks for train.)
BOB
Usually, they make an announcement if it’s late. Maybe they don’t at night. I don’t know.
VERONICA
Yeah.
(Bob goes back to phone. Starts laughing again.)
BOB
You gotta see this. This guy is taping himself trying to propose to this girl on a mountain
top and slips while proposing. What a jerk!
VERONICA
At least he did it.
BOB
He almost died doing it!
VERONICA
At least he decided to do something and not be a coward.
BOB
Oh, uh, yeah…, I guess, but like, dude, stick to level places, you know!
VERONICA
Yeah. Whatever.
(He looks at her for a moment, then back to his phone. He smiles at phone while watching more TikTok. She looks again for train.)
VERONICA
(Suddenly) WHERE THE HELL IS THE TRAIN?
BOB
(Shocked) Uh, well, any minute now I guess. Big date?
VERONICA
What?
BOB
I mean, got something special going on?
VERONICA
No.
BOB
My friend’s playing at a bar in the city. Old friend from college. Haven’t seen him in
twenty years! Since my divorce. A bunch of us are getting together. Should be fun!
VERONICA
Uh huh.
(VERONICA goes to edge of platform again. She stoops down, on her knees, to survey
the tracks)
BOB
Hey, what are you doin? You gotta be careful! Don’t want to be like that guy proposing!
VERONICA
Doesn’t matter.
BOB
What?
VERONICA
I said it doesn’t matter!
BOB
Why? What do you mean?
VERONICA
Forget it. (She stays kneeling at edge.)
BOB
Please step back!
VERONICA
(Annoyed) It doesn’t concern you, ok?
BOB
Well. Just stop doing that. Ok? (Waits) OK? What are you doing?
VERONICA
(Matter-of-factly) Just…figuring out how to get down there.
BOB
Why would you want to do that?
VERONICA
It would be fast. You said it was an express!
BOB
(Alarmed) I did say that, yes, but to go on it not under it-for God’s sake! What’s wrong
with you?
VERONICA
Everything.
BOB
Oh come on. It can’t be that bad. What is it?
VERONICA
Forget it.
BOB
No, really, what is it?
VERONICA
Can’t tell you.
BOB
Yes, you can. Tell me. What?
VERONICA
I uh…
BOB
What? Just say it.
VERONICA
I can’t.
BOB
Why not?
VERONICA
It’s…bad.
BOB
You can tell me.
VERONICA
Why?
BOB
It’s…It’s a human need. To tell someone. Tell me, please!
VERONICA
I don’t know.
BOB
Trust me.
VERONICA
I don’t know you.
BOB
I know me and you can trust me. My mother said I was very trustworthy.
VERONICA
She did?
BOB
Yes. I don’t lie. I try to be a straight shooter. You know what I mean?
VERONICA
Maybe.
BOB
So, come on, what’s happening?
VERONICA
Well… my…uh, my fiancé bailed on me.
BOB
What? I can’t imagine letting someone like you go. This guy sounds like an idiot!
VERONICA
I’m not Jewish.
BOB
What?
VERONICA
He said he can’t marry me ‘cause I’m not Jewish. His mother…
BOB
That’s so stupid.
VERONICA
I thought about converting…I really did…but I just couldn’t do it…I still have my prayer
book from first holy communion.
BOB
My mother was Catholic and my father was Jewish and they were very happy.
VERONICA
Well, it doesn’t matter now.
BOB
Is that it?
VERONICA
No, there’s more.
BOB
Tell me.
VERONICA
I…I’m sick. Just got the lab results.
BOB
What’s wrong?
VERONICA
Cancer.
BOB
Oh, I’m so sorry. So that’s what this is really about. There are cures for cancer, you
know.
VERONICA
Not all of them. My sister died of cancer and I’m not going to suffer like that. I’ve seen it
and I’m not doing it.
BOB
I’m so sorry. But I don’t think you should do anything drastic.
VERONICA
It can be over quick rather than a long drawn out kind of hell.
BOB
Does anyone know about this?
VERONICA
No.
BOB
Look, please, don’t do anything rash. You can get help.
VERONICA.
Don’t think so.
BOB.
I don’t want you to do it.
VERONICA
You don’t know me.
BOB
I’m a fellow human being! I don’t want to see a horror show and this would really be a
horror show!
VERONICA
Put it on TikTok.
BOB
That’s not funny! Not funny at all.
VERONICA
I don’t know what TikTok is anyway.
BOB
It’s just a silly ….it doesn’t matter. Look, you are better than this! You understand that?
YOU ARE BETTER THAN THIS!
(She breathes and looks at him. She starts to cry.)
BOB
Oh my God. Just breathe, just breathe.
(She cries and then tries to takes deep breaths. They sit there. He gives her his handkerchief).
VERONICA.
Thank you.
BOB
My mother always made me carry one.
VERONICA
She was a good mother.
BOB
She was…what about your mother?
VERONICA
She’s gone.
BOB
Sorry. Mine too.
VERONICA
She gave me this. (Shows medal around her neck) St. Theresa. It was good luck for a
swimming test.
BOB
Did you pass?
VERONICA
I did.
BOB
You see, it worked. She wouldn’t want you to do this. (Veronica looks at him and gives
weak smile.) She loved you.
(They sit silently. He puts some music on his phone. “Nothing Compares To You” Sinead
O’Connor)
VERONICA
(Smiling) I always liked that song.
BOB
Me too.
(They sit listening to the music and and looking out at the tracks. He looks at her and
again looks out. She looks at him and looks out. They both look at each other.)
(Shutting off the music) I hope the train doesn’t come at all.
VERONICA
Why?
BOB
Then you won’t be tempted. We can just sit here. All night. Look at the stars.
VERONICA
Ha ha. You’re funny.
BOB
Well, not always, I mean try to be, occasionally. Not always successful but…
VERONICA
No, no, you are. Nice quality. My dad was funny. Always said I worried too much.
BOB
He knew you.
VERONICA
Yeah.
BOB
(Pause) I had cancer.
VERONICA
You did?
BOB
A while ago. My stomach.
VERONICA
What did you do?
BOB
Had surgery. Then changed everything- quit smoking, stopped eating steak and bacon,
ate broccoli instead. I always hated broccoli- now I love it.
VERONICA
You were lucky.
BOB
I was. I knew a guy who had it that wasn’t so lucky. None of us knows what’s in the
cards for us but we have to try. At least try! You know what I mean?
VERONICA
My sister tried. It didn’t work. It killed her.
BOB
(Looks at her sad face) You must have loved her very much.
VERONICA
I did.
BOB
How long ago?
VERONICA
Five years.
BOB
There’ve been a lot of advances since then. New medicines, trials, therapies…
VERONICA
I know, I know, but……I’m…I’m afraid.
BOB
We’re all afraid! My God, we’re all frightened to death of dying. That sounds funny but…
I mean we have to live while we can. You’re not dead yet. You’re alive! You can still do
things. Isn’t there something you always wanted to do but haven’t done yet? Something
you’d hate to leave this world without doing?
VERONICA
I’m not sure.
BOB
I made a list. Go to Paris. Ride a gondola in Venice. Hike the Himalayas…
VERONICA
(Laughs) The Himalayas? Did you do that?
BOB
No, not yet. I might have to reconsider that one a bit, ha ha,
VERONICA
I never went anywhere ’cause of my job. No paid vacations.
BOB
What do you do?
VERONICA
I’m a freelance writer. Just quit. Couldn’t stand writing for that shlock magazine anymore. They wouldn’t listen to me.
BOB
Your talents were wasted on them. You can’t wrestle with a pig, you know? You both get
dirty and the pig likes it. Or something like that.
VERONICA
Ha ha. Yeah. That’s about it.
BOB
Where would you go if you could go anywhere?
VERONICA
(Looks at him and sees he means it) What’s the point? That’s just dreaming. Things
don’t work out for me, ok? I’m tired of trying. So damn tired.
BOB
So was I- believe me. I got scared too. Thought this could be the end. But I didn’t want it
to be the end, you know? I took things for granted. Like when my landlady left a box of
doughnuts outside my door when I was sick. That was so nice. I never even thought
about her as a real person. I was grateful to her-for caring. Then I was grateful that the
sun shone, that my dog loved me, that my legs moved. You know? Little things.
VERONICA
Little things…
BOB
Wouldn’t you miss it here? There has to be something you’d miss.
VERONICA
(Thinks) I’d miss swimming. I used to want to be a Weekee Watchee mermaid. Remember them?
BOB
Oh yeah, they used to perform underwater and breathe out of those long tubes.
VERONICA
Yeah, that was the the only drawback. (Pause) I just want to be a fish and live in the water forever.
BOB
Ha ha. Yeah. Free floating with no worries. Except when those darn big barracudas
come along.
VERONICA
What? I thought you were helping me feel better!
BOB
No pirouette without peril!
VERONICA
Ha ha. You’re too much! You should be the writer! Really.
BOB
You think?
VERONICA
I do. You’re truthful. I admire that… So, that’s it, isn’t it? That’s life- the good with the
bad. And now I got the bad.
BOB
(Looks at her) It’s what you do with it that counts. You can do anything! You know?
Anything! …You can write about this!
She feels a sudden, strange sense of hope arise in her. A new sense of being. She
breathes deeply. She looks at him and laughs at the absurdity of it all. She reaches her
hand out and touches his.
Thank you! (Smiles) Thank you.
BOB
This is great! I’m so happy!
Sound of train coming.
Oh the train’s here! Finally! (Looks at her) What are you, I mean, are you….getting on
or…?
VERONICA
Um, well, I..I don’t know. I mean, I don’t where I’d go or…
BOB
Come with me! Hear my friend play. Have a drink. Why not?
VERONICA
I don’t know, you don’t have to…
BOB
No, I want to, I want you to come with me. Please!
VERONICA
Really? Are you sure?
BOB
Yes, come on. It’s a new beginning.
VERONICA
I kinda feel like it is.
BOB
Yes, come on! (He puts his hand out to her)
VERONICA.
Well…Oh, ok…ok. I will! If you’re sure…
BOB
I’ve never been more sure. You’ll see. Things will be different for you. I just feel it.
(He takes her by the hand and they get on the train as Phil Collins, “Something In The
Air Tonight” blares on!)
THE END
