Autobahn by Neil LaBute is a short-play cycle in which all seven stories take place within the confines of the

front seat. Each of these vignettes explores the ethos of perception an relationship!fro" a "ake-out session gone awry to a ki napping thinly isguise as a roa trip# fro" a reconnaissance "ission involving the rescue of a Ninten o $% to a aughter&s long ri e ho"e after her release fro" rehab. Cast: 5 F, 5 M
(Note: Two female actors and two male actors will be cast in a non-speaking role in addition to a speaking role.)

Female Monologue ' This young 20-something woman has ust been released from rehab! and not for the first time. "he is talking to her mother! who has been silent while dri#ing them home. (it&s all the sa"e# you know) *ow it looks out there# along the highway. +t is. ,hat&s funny. + "ean# not funny-ha-ha but the other kin of funny. -hat woul you call that) .unny-strange# + guess. /r o . .unnyo . +t&s 0ust( + "ean# + i n&t expect that. ,hat stuff woul see" so( fa"iliar. +t is funny. ,o me# at least. ($eat.) 1o( how&s 2a ) 3oo # probably. +&ll bet he&s goo . 2a is always goo . +&" surprise he i n&t co"e# that he left all this up to you. ,hat&s kin of unlike hi". 4nusual# anyway. ,hat he& o that. /h# wait( he&s out of town# isn&t he) 2i n&t you say so"ething about that on the phone# can&t re"e"ber now. + think you i . 1ai he woul n&t be able to "ake it!not that he calle "e# tol "e hi"self# that woul be very# you know# un- a -like of hi"# but!+ guess + o recall that now. *e&s not ho"e. -here& he go again( 5ilwaukee) +s this a 5ilwaukee week) 6eah# guess it "ust be. *uh. + 0ust on&t get that# not at all( why he insists on riving hi"self up every other weeken # going up there to see 3ran "a an 3ran pa. ,hey on&t care if he oes# on&t even really want hi" to# + can tell# ti"es +&ve been up there with hi". ,hey sit there# on that floral couch of theirs# an 0ust stare at you. ,hrough you# really# that woul actually be a "ore accurate escription of it. ,he" staring through you. 5aybe it&s her cataracts or whatever# or that bloo -thinning "e icine he&s on# but it&s like you&re there# they can sense so"eone&s in the roo"# but they can&t co"pletely "ake the" out. + "ean# specifically. ($eat.) /r( they&re 0ust not very nice people. ,hat coul be it# too. ,hey coul 0ust be crabby# ol # "ean people who on&t give a shit about anybo y# an 0ust because they look frail an cute an all that stuff oesn&t "ean a thing. Because we age# right# we get ol er an all that# but it oesn&t change who we are. 2oes it) No way. +t oesn&t... Male Monologue This man ust had a loud fight with his wife in public! during which he called her a #ery bad word. Now they are sitting in their parked car! with her in the dri#er%s seat! not making any indication that she%s about to start the car. + know what you&re thinking. 1eriously# + o. +t&s so obvious. 6ou&re being co"pletely obvious about it an +&" not saying that&s ba !or wrong or whatever!+&" 0ust calling you on it. 1aying# *ey# + know what you&re up to. + "ean# + totally get it# this attitu e thing that you&re han ing "e# an +&" trying to tell you that it&s not gonna work. 4h-uh. Not at all. (They sit in silence for a moment.) Look# + know what + i was shitty!sorry about that# +&ll try an watch the language here because + reali7e that it bothers you# starte this whole business# really!but + o# though. 4n erstan # + "ean. 5aybe not us# or what it "eans to be part of a "ature relationship or whatnot# but +&" aware of "y general shortco"ings. 5y capacity for assholeishness. 6eah# yeah# + know that&s not necessarily a wor # but it conveys a bit of what +&" trying to get across here. 1o"e sense of this thing&s "agnitu e for "e. + think what we&ve got# this bon # or!call it what you want!it&s pretty aweso"e. An + "ean like how they use to use that wor # too# back in the ancient ays when they were trying to calculate the oceans or the heavens# that sort of eal. Not like ki s out there to ay# when every fudge sundae they eat own at the 2airy 8ueen is aweso"e. ,eenagers&ve ruine that wor # "ostly# but it&s still what + think of when consi ering us. -e are aweso"e. An that&s not bullshit !or bull-whatever# + on&t know what the nonswearing version of that woul be. Bullcrap# + guess. ,hat&s the only other one you ever hear# but it&s pretty la"e as an alternative# + think. + "ean# you know# when you really dwell on it. Not that crap coul n&t have so"e power# like# the sa"e power as shit oes# if back in the ol en ti"es they& &ve 0ust switche 9e" aroun # gave crap a little "ore respect or however that works. But they i n&t. No. /ne is co"pletely strong an aweso"e!sorry# a"n# + i n&t "ean to use aweso"e again so soon# because + on&t want it to take away fro" "y feelings for us. An sorry about the a"n# too# no call for that.