| SECRETARY: |
Mr. Johnson is outside. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Well, let's get Mr. Johnson inside, okay? |
| SECRETARY: |
He's ... not exactly what I expected. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
He's still an applicant for this job, isn't he? |
| SECRETARY: |
I suppose so. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Well, then he's exactly what I expected ... I've got to get somebody behind that empty desk and soon! |
| SECRETARY: |
It's just that...he didn't tell us everything. That's all I meant. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
He doesn't have to tell us "everything," Louise. When I hired you, did I ask you what perfume you wore? |
| SECRETARY: |
(smiles) I remember you said you liked it. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Hell, it's the only reason I hired you. |
| SECETARY: |
(laughs) All right I'll show Mr. Johnson in. Maybe you'll like his after-shave lotion. |
| (She EXITS and returns a moment later with Johnson, the APPLICANT. He is a young black man, holding himself together tightly.) |
| SECRETARY: |
This is Matthew Johnson, Mr. Warner. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Come in, come in, Matthew. Have a seat! |
| (The Applicant sits) |
| SECRETARY: |
Can I get you some coffee? |
| APPLICANT: |
No, thanks. I had two cups in the waiting room. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Sorry to keep you hanging. Had one of those long distance calls, and I mean long! My Los Angeles office manager. These guys out there forget we're three hours more tired than they are ... |
| SECRETARY: |
Anything else, Mr. Warner? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Nope. |
| (She EXITS. The Interviewer leans back) |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Well...I understand you went to Tufts! |
| APPLICANT: |
That's right. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
My kid brother went to Tufts! Did you like it? |
| APPLICANT: |
I liked it fine. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
How long were you there? |
| APPLICANT: |
Five years. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
You must have liked it! |
| APPLICANT: |
I double majored. Engineering, Economics. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
My brother was liberal arts ... C average. How'd you do? |
| APPLICANT: |
(beat) Magna cum laude. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
In which? |
| APPLICANT: |
Both of them. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Wow... Hey, you know that wouldn't hurt around here. I mean even the engineering part. A lot of our clients are into high-tech, at least you could talk the same language. |
| APPLICANT: |
It's been a couple of years. The language changes pretty fast. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
You're telling me! I go to some client party, they might as well be talking Zulu. But I bet you'll get along fine. |
| APPLICANT: |
(stiffly) My family comes from Albany. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
(laughs) Albany...right. Not too many Zulus up there, too damned cold. Anyway, it never hurts to show these guys that we know something about their business, that we're not just money managers. |
| APPLICANT: |
Is that part of the job? Socializing with the clients? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
"Networking." That's what they call it these days. Or maybe they've got some new word for it. Like you said—the language changes ... Well! What do you want to know about us? |
| APPLICANT: |
About you? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
We're not a big company, you know. Some people call us a financial "boutique." I don't mind what they call us, as long as they call us. You agree with that? |
| APPLICANT: |
I guess size doesn't matter. |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Right. It's not the size, it's the ferocity! Who said that, anyway? Never mind. The only thing I really want to know is—when can you start? |
| APPLICANT: |
(surprised) Start? You mean like in "start work?" |
| INTERVIEWER: |
You said you were free, didn't you? |
| APPLICANT: |
It sounded better than "unemployed." |
| INTERVIEWER: |
You know what the salary is, we gave all the numbers to the employment agency. They told you about the signup bonus, I guess? Ten thousand up front, and your salary increases by the same amount after a year. If you can stand us that long. (grins)
We work our people pretty hard. |
| APPLICANT: |
You mean—that's it? I'm hired? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
What's the matter, didn't I ask enough questions? |
| APPLICANT: |
Oh, I've had short interviews before. Real short. But they didn't end like this. Usually, they say, gee, Mr. Johnson, you're qualified and all that, but we just had some unexpected cutbacks recently, you know, downsizing and so forth ... |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Well, that's not the story here. We need people, and you're the kind of people we need. |
| APPLICANT: |
What kind of "people" exactly? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Why—smart people. Educated. Well-spoken. What did you think I meant? |
| APPLICANT: |
You left out a word, didn't you? The "T" word? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
What? |
| (The Applicant rises and moves away, becoming agitated) |
| APPLICANT: |
Don't tell me it's this simple! I've been on interviews before, ten interviews in the last two months! Nice guys, nice smiles, real cool. Got their neat little report from the employment agency on their desk, saying what it has to say, not saying what it's not allowed to say! I know about those reports, all right! |
| INTERVIEWER: |
(a bit bewildered) It's Mr. Davis who reads the reports, he's the personnel manager. But I like to do the actual hiring myself. |
| APPLICANT: |
And you want to hire me? Just like that? Why? What's the catch? |
| INTERVIEWER: |
Catch? Why should there be a catch? You're everything we need around here. You've got the brains—the education! You said you were willing to work hard, that you really wanted this job! And listen—I own this company, Mr. Johnson, and it's not just what some agency tells me about people, it's what I feel about them when they come into this office. So if you want this job—it's yours! |
(He sticks out his hand, towards the empty chair. The Applicant stares at this unexpected sight. Then he takes a step nearer and waves his hand briefly in front of the Interviewer's blind eyes.)
CURTAIN |
