NARRATOR NATHAN: ... So what was Angela actually doing here?
NATHAN: I'm just so confused. You won't let me have the experience I want. But I can't even tell if you're invested in this yourself.
ACTRESS PLAYING ANGELA: I'm invested as I can be but this all sort of absurd right? Swapping out the kids through the window, aging them three years at a time.
NATHAN: It won't work if you don't try. You have to want it to work. Are you mad that I... have been caught up in my work and haven't been prioritizing our family life --
ACTRESS: Nathan! What family life?
NATHAN: -- Because if so, I'm sorry.
ACTRESS: You know we're not your real family, right? This is your work. All of this
NARRATOR NATHAN: I was starting to lose track of what version of myself I was supposed to be in these rehearsals. But I wanted to know what Angela was hoping to get from all of this.
ACTRESS: So, is this silly? or something I should take seriously?
NATHAN: scoffs It's silly and serious. I mean it's complicated. Life can be more than one thing, right? Life's complicated, and.. why are you even here, huh? What's the real reason? Honestly?
ACTRESS: shouting Okay, well, why are you here? Huh? Why are you doing this? For you? Are you really trying to help me? Or am I the silly part that you talk about, huh? Is my life the joke? Do you sit here with your friends at the end of the day laughing at me?
NATHAN: No, you're not the joke. Not at all. No one's the joke. The situations are funny, but interesting too.
ACTRESS: quietly No. Shut up.
NATHAN: Like, the opportunity to raise your kids in -- in a rehearsal
ACTRESS: screaming Just shut up! throws lamp You're a liar. Because if this were real, you would have some sort of emotion instead of standing there like a rock. beat Do you want to feel something? Do you want to feel something real?
NATHAN: shakily Yeah.
ACTRESS: whispers That's sad. You never will. No matter how hard you try, you never will.
NATHAN: Oh... Okay. breaks character maybe we can try just a nicer version of the entire scenario
ACTRESS: breaks character Yeah. Okay. Yeah, we can do that.
NATHAN: That was really good.
ACTRESS: Okay.