Potholes in the road.

Today ends with me hitting 23 pages. That's in four days. I would have been happy with 12, was shooting for 20, so that's all good. But it's not all good.
As I am writing, trying to keep to the outline as logically as I can, I see that the story has gotten along pretty far and there's only a couple more scenes and the act is over. But the first act should be closer to 50 pages. For this play it might be better at 60 because of the overlapping dialogue.
While this might be a good time to panic, throw in the towel and become a beet farmer, I'm aware of something else. There are potholes in the story. There are things missing that I know I want to add and that will effect the story and the number of pages. I also know that when I read through it I'll see things that I didn't do or should have done.
So despite the fact I feel like I'm falling short of the goal, I am aware that on a second go-around things will change for the better.
I mean, Sterk Mens' romantic interest in Tina Tittle hasn't been mentioned one bit, and barely have I touched on his own issue. Feur's supposed to get his sense of taste back, Barba hasn't shown her lust for food (and Feur) in this first draft
Things will get rearranged and altered/fixed. About the third pass, if I'm not getting the page numbers, well then I'll buy my Burpee Beet seeds.
And this is something else to be careful of: I can't just put stuff in to fluff up the page count. This isn't chicken breast that you can fill with water to get more per pound. The dialogue has to be relevant, it has to move the play along and be interesting. "Interesting," always my greatest fear; the lack of it.
Something from today:

-----

 JAMES

This might explain why she was crying earlier. I can't believe it, though. A foreclosure?

AMEERAH

Not a 'foreclosure,' but a notice that the house loan is on track unless she can make up the arrearages. That being all the payments and interest that Tina is behind on.

BARBA

But how? I mean, how did this happen?

FEUR

By not making her payments most likely. Can I have more of the jam, please?

BARBA

Get it yourself. Why didn't she make the payments?

JAMES

I'm just confused as to why she didn't say anything.

MAYBELLE

I just got here.

HOWARD

(More to Maybelle than anyone.)

I'm sure that things will work out.

AMEERAH

They will. I'm going to save the house. For all of use.

FEUR

Oh, for Barnum's sake –

BARBA

Be nice. You seem to be enjoying the jam, so pay attention to it.

(Tina enters. Everyone stops talking and doing things to stare at her.)

TINA

I heard a lot of …. noise?

(Pause.)
Okay.... what's going on?

(Pause.)

Someone start talking.

(Howard slowly holds up the letter. Tina slowly walks over and accepts the letter.)

TINA

Oh, no.

(Looking around, focuses on Ameerah.)

You told them! You promised you wouldn't.

FEUR

Whoa, wait! You know she knew?

TINA

She overheard a phone call she shouldn't have. Shame on you Ameerah, you promised.

FEUR

So much for the sight.

JAMES

Ameerah didn't actually tell us, Howard got the letter from a lawyer.

HOWARD

At the door. But I didn't open it. You can see the envelope is still sealed.

MAYBELLE

I just got here.

TINA

I know, dear. I'm sorry. I couldn't say no, not to your family. And, truth be told, they are paying your salary for the first six months.

BARBA

How did this happen, Tina?

TINA

The money, of course. I've been running out of it for a while now.

AMEERAH

I'm going to save us all.

FEUR

Hush up!

BARBA

Feur!

JAMES

Tina, we didn't have any clue.

TINA

No one did.

JAMES

Why didn't you say something? Ask us to pay more in rent.

TINA

I didn't want you all to leave.

BARBA

What would make you think we'd leave?

TINA

Tammy did.

(Pause.)

I didn't want to be alone again. That's why I bought this big house I couldn't afford in the first place. I wanted people to come and live here so I was always around someone. Obviously I'll never be as close to anyone as I was to Tammy. But hearing other voices, knowing that I only had to walk into another room and there'd be someone. Someone glad to see me.

(Pause.)

Now you're not glad to see me.

BARBA

No, Tina, no.

JAMES

You've been so generous all this time, we'd never desert you.

TINA

I wasn't sure. I guess I should have been, but I wasn't. And I was afraid that if I asked you to pay more, you'd leave. I couldn't bear the idea.

FEUR

We may not have any choice now.

AMEERAH

I told you –

FEUR

Yeah, yeah. The adults are having a conversation here.

BARBA

Feur! Please don't. Not now.

FEUR

Sorry, dear.

JAMES

Well you can raise our rents now, Tina. I don't think anyone here will resent that.

TINA

That's –

HOWARD

And I don't need the money, Ms Tittle. Happy to work for room and board.

TINA

It's –

MAYBELLE

My family's paying my wages but I'd be okay with room and board, so long as I can stay.

TINA

As long as we have the house you all have a place to stay –

AMEERAH

(Brandishing a scrap of paper from her notebook.)

Howard, get your coat. I have my numbers ready.

HOWARD

Yes, ma'am.

FEUR

That foolishness again. Every time you say “I vill vin the lottery” and you don't. Pulling six numbers out of the air isn't going to make this better.

TINA

Feur's right.

FEUR

Thank you.

BARBA

You're just mean about it.

-----

I hope that it's interesting. Fingers crossed.