Set in a restaurant in Sand Springs, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa, and on Keystone Lake. Twin brothers Lannie and Calhoun Buckmaster stop for a late night bite at The Shipyard, a diner offering Indonesian cuisine smack dab in the middle of Oklahoma. Lannie is at once taken with Molly O'Hara, the restaurant owner, and decides all too soon that he's going to get serious. Molly resists, and resists some more, but eventually finds herself falling for him. Still, she doesn't like cowboys, and she doesn't like the idea of being in love, especially after the last time it happened when she lived in Nova Scotia. And she's too devoted to her restaurant to let a man get in the way.
Calhoun doesn't mind a man in his way - he's gay. Him and Lannie are pretty close, except for the fact that now Lannie's jealous of Calhoun for finding a new love. First off, Haney McBride is 19 years old to Calhoun's 31, and second off, he's having trouble with Calhoun's happiness when he isn't having much luck with Molly. Calhoun says he deserves love, after all, the last time he took up with a man, the guy's parents drove him off at gunpoint and beat the tar out of their own kid.
Molly, while in one breath says there's no hope for her and Lannie, in another breath consents to make love with him, confusing him even more. Meanwhile Calhoun strikes up an innocent friendship with Jeff Hunter, the husband of Shipyard waitress Alice Hunter, a very friendly woman who divulges way to much of everyone's personal business. This is a big deal for a loner like Calhoun, but annoying as heck to his brother, who sees this group of people as leaving him behind. When Lannie accuses Calhoun of trying bed Jeff at the expense of the Hunter's marriage, both Molly and Calhoun see that Lannie's innocence and affability isn't quite as engaging it looks.
Questions of forgiveness and loyalty arise - and those who forget the power of both risk winding up alone.
Cowboy Logic has roles for four men and two women
Dialogue Sample:
Act 1
Scene 1
The Shipyard, a restaurant near Sand Springs, Oklahoma, in a more or less rural area on outskirts of Tulsa. MOLLY, recently from Halifax, is the proprietor, along with her father, whom we won’t ever see. She’s somewhere from late 20s to mid 30s, more concerned with the success of her business than anything else. ALICE is a waitress, she has two young children, she’s more easy going than MOLLY.
The restaurant itself is a small mid-priced affair with attractive nautical deco. We should see the entryway, a couple tables, and maybe a counter for MOLLY to do some bookwork. If possible there should be a window for them to look out as well. As the play begins, the restaurant is just about ready to open for lunch, so ALICE and MOLLY are fixing things up before customers arrive.
ALICE
What do you think I should do about him?
MOLLY
I say if he wants to spend all weekend refinishing furniture, let him at it. It gives you time to do what you want.
ALICE
I want to spend time with my husband.
MOLLY
Just be glad you got one, Alice. And a good one too. If he wants to spend a few hours locked up with a chest of drawers every now and then, I say more power to him. At least he isn’t locked up with some bimbo and her chest of drawers.
ALICE
I don’t like him using all that smelly chemical stuff out in the garage. It’s bad for his lungs.
MOLLY
You don’t care two cents about his lungs. You’re afraid you’ve lost your man to the wood shop. Jeff loves you. He’s got some looks to him and he doesn’t beat you. He just acts like a man, and you have to let him. If you don’t like the way men act, (points to herself) you stay single. I don’t have time for that sort of trouble, with this place to run.
ALICE
Well, I guess you’re right. Jeff’s a fine husband, most of the time. And a fine father too.
MOLLY
There is nothing worse than having a man wrap himself around your little finger 24 hours a day with no life of his own. You might as well put a plastic bag over your head and smother yourself quicker.
ALICE
Jeff’s no plastic bag, Molly. I just don’t like him being a sieve– (she peers out the window) Hey, here come a couple new ones.
MOLLY
(looks out as well, not overjoyed) Cowboys.
ALICE
It’s Oklahoma, you got to expect that sort of thing.
MOLLY
They told me to expect toads here too, and I don’t like them, either.
ALICE
Well, why you set up an Indonesian style restaurant in the middle of cowboy country always has been beyond my poor sense of justice.
MOLLY
It’s what my father learned to cook. He didn’t spend all those years overseas in the navy to come back and open a sports bar.
(LANNIE and CALHOUN enter, they’re fraternal twins, early to mid thirties – we’ll call them thirty one, but for casting reasons they can probably go up to 35 or 36 – dressed like cowboys, but not too fancy; jeans, work shirts, boots, and hats should about do it. They don’t need the hats in every scene. LANNIE should appear the more affable of the two, CALHOUN isn’t quite as trusting at first.)
ALICE
Mornin’, guys. Welcome to The Shipyard.
LANNIE
Howdy there.
CALHOUN
Howdy.
MOLLY
Have a seat anywhere fellas, we’re just opening up. Alice will be right with you. (she goes to the counter to take care of some business, leaving ALICE to wait on them.)
LANNIE
(He’s obviously quite attracted to MOLLY, and not as diplomatic about it as he should be.) I’ll take the seat that offers the best view of you.
MOLLY
Then you’d best take that one that looks out the window.
ALICE
She don’t know how do deal with a compliment, fellas. Never has.
LANNIE
Really? I can’t imagine a minute goes by she don’t get one. Mocks Brothers told us to come up here. Said you had some good chow.
ALICE
They did? That’s mighty nice of them.
MOLLY
Who’re they?
ALICE
Molly, you’ve passed it a thousand times!
LANNIE
It’s a cowboy store down the way in Sand Springs. It’s a real cowboy store, not just for guys who wanna look the part. There was some good lookin’ guy with a big black hat and a twirley ’stache – told us all about the place. You remember him, don’t ya, Calhoun?
CALHOUN
I wasn’t paying attention.
LANNIE
I can’t believe you didn’t see him. Looked like your type.
CALHOUN
(louder than it should be) I didn’t. I was lookin at a saddle. (to ALICE) I just lost a horse and saddle in a barn fire. Big equine tragedy up yonder way there. I’d just rather get the saddle first – it’s cheaper. Anyways, I didn’t buy nothin’ so it didn’t matter.
LANNIE
Well that Mocks guy said you make some sorta Indonesian cookin’ here or something. Said we oughta give the place a try.
ALICE
Yep. It’s different here all right. Molly’s dad learned it in the navy. He did some service over in that part of the world.
CALHOUN
(deadpan delivery; his humor is often in the sarcastic lack of inflection than in overstating his case) Yep. Love that Indonesian cookin’. If there’s one thing we need out here in Oklahoma, it’s some good Indonesian cookin’.
LANNIE
He’s just playin with ya. You won’t know when he’s bein’ funny or not, unless he decides to crack a smile. You just gotta get to know him.
CALHOUN
She would, if you’d shut up and let me talk.
LANNIE
This here’s my brother, Calhoun Buckmaster. And I’m Lannie. We’re twins, but we don’t look much like it.
CALHOUN
Lucky for me.
ALICE
Well, I’m Alice, and that over there, that’s Molly O’Hara. She owns this place, her and her father.
LANNIE
(tips his hat) Pleased to meet ya, Molly!
MOLLY
Alice, are you going to get them menus?
CALHOUN
Ya better, Alice. I’m pretty damned ignorant when it comes to Indonesian cookin’. (she hands them a couple menus, they look it over for a bit)
LANNIE
(to MOLLY) You own this place, then do ya?
MOLLY
Me and my dad, yep.
LANNIE
What you doin’ way out here in the middle of Oklahoma?
MOLLY
(not really caring, but just rambling on) I’m what we call a furlough baby. My dad had some shore leave in Halifax, met my mom at some downtown pub, and nine months later me and my twin sister came up in his wake. No one bothered telling him, either. Not for years.
LANNIE
So you’re a twin, too?
MOLLY
Identical. Dad didn’t have any family here to speak of, so he was glad I got in touch with him. I came to visit, and decided to stay on to help out here. Rina didn’t come along. She didn’t want to meet him. She said she couldn’t forgive him for what he did to our mother; I don’t think he’s done anything to her, and we can’t seem to get past the difference. They’re all mad at me for moving here. And that’s enough of my personal business to a total stranger.
LANNIE
Maybe you don’t see me as a total stranger.
MOLLY
You’re a valued customer, and don’t try to be any more than that.
LANNIE
Well, we’ll see what’s on the dessert tray.
CALHOUN
Lannie, give it a rest. There’s some women in Tulsa that just don’t flip out every time some man comes to her door in a cowboy hat.
LANNIE
Right, if they’re Oral Roberts devotees and 82 years old.
CALHOUN
Lannie, will you just look at the menu, ’cause I’m not gonna give you a Berlitz course in Indonesian cookin’. Damn, there’s some pretty complicated stuff on here. You sure he knows what he’s doin’?
ALICE
People keep comin’ back. But I know what you mean. I like to keep it real simple at home. My husband Jeff, he’s got a real simple everyday sort of appetite. So I joined this recipe club called Easy Everyday Cookin’. Every month they send you a pack of recipes, and it’s just the stuff he likes. I get sick t’death of food after workin’ here all day long.
CALHOUN
Well ma’am you’re quite the advertisement, ain’t ya?
ALICE
Jeff eats it. That’s good enough for me.
MOLLY
Alice, will you mind taking their orders and not divulging every last detail of your personal life to these men?
ALICE
Sure, after you told up everything you got goin’ on.
MOLLY
Our customers do not want to hear about you and your Easy Everyday Cooking.
CALHOUN
(to MOLLY) Well ma’am, you know, there are some times when a cowboy like me just doesn’t want to come up here for some Indonesian quee-zeen. Sometimes for me it’s Frosted Flakes three times a day. I’m a busy guy. When I ain’t riding the range and untying women from railroad tracks and payin’ their rent, I’m building stuff. I built every danged piece of furniture in my house. I don’t have a lot of time left to eat. So maybe some Easy Everyday Cookin’s just what I need.
ALICE
You build furniture? Jeff would like you. He’s got a cob up his wazoo to spend all his time playing in his workshop.
CALHOUN
Well, maybe you oughta bring him by sometime. I bet I could show him a thing or two.
LANNIE
I bet you’d like to.
CALHOUN
Lannie you got a mouth bigger than a 13 gallon trash can. Will ya shut up?
ALICE
I can’t believe a man like you couldn’t find some woman to cook him up a hot meal every now and then.
LANNIE
Oh, he ain’t looking for that sorta thing.
ALICE
Oh, the love ’em and leave ’em type.
LANNIE
He’s gay.
