The Sandbox

The set is minimal, and the stage is mostly empty. There is a sandbox in the center of the stage with a child’s bucket and shovel. Downstage right, there are two plain chairs that face the audience. On the left side of the stage, there is a chair with a music stand. The backdrop looks like a bright morning sky. Near the sandbox, the Young Man, who is about 25, does exercises, which he will continue throughout the play. He only exercises his arms, moving them in such a way as to “suggest the beating and fluttering of wings. The Young Man is, after all, the Angel of Death” (35).

Mommy, who is 55 years old, and Daddy, who is 60, enter, and refer to each other only by the names Mommy and Daddy. Mommy announces that they have arrived at the beach and Daddy complains that he is cold. Mommy dismisses him, insisting that it’s perfectly warm and pointing out the Young Man, who seems comfortable in a bathing suit. The Young Man waves and smiles, calling, “Hi!” (35). Mommy decides that the spot they’ve found is ideal and asks Daddy’s opinion, but Daddy expresses indifference, responding, “She’s your mother, not mine” (35).