TAXI, or, THE WAY YOU ARE

TAXI or THE WAY YOU ARE is an impatient comedy that explores in a seemingly light-hearted way how much prejudice is hidden in our laughter, in our everyday frivolous exchange of words, how much-hidden hatred there is in us, and where it all comes from. Taxi driver Roman is dissatisfied with his life, which has led him to a dead end. When his existence is threatened due to the financial crisis, suppressed frustrations begin to rise. Frustrations are drawn to the surface by the very difference of his random companions. A conceptual artist, an insurgent chef, a transvestite, an unemployed punk with a tie, a priest without practice, and a demented professor of Marxism and other passengers in Roman's taxi elicit impatience from him, but also all the anger, sadness, resentment, and despair that hide behind this impatience. The city has risen to its feet, there are protesters in the streets, and Roman is aimlessly circling, not having the strength to join them. As if he had already given up the thought of a better life. But then one of his companions confides in him that he knows his big secret, and Roman wakes up.

Author: Goran Vojnović

Genre: Comedy

Duration: 90 minutes

Male Cast: 2 / 10 characters

Excerpt from the text:

Brane changes stations on the radio. He goes from a news station to a pop music station to a classical music station and then back to the news program.

ROMAN: You’re changing stations.

BRANE: I’m changing fares. The news station is the regular fare. The pop station is the nighttime rate. The classical station is Sundays and holidays.

ROMAN: You’re shittin’ me!

BRANE: Roman, imagine, in the middle of the night, taking some drunk, spoiled kid home to daddy’s tycoon villa, all the way out in Pirniče[1], and you tune in some modern Slovenian classical music. You ever listen to the classical station at night? I’m telling you, it’s a blast to pull that on those brats. The meter spins like crazy, with music fit to rip your nerves. It’s no gag. It’s a life lesson.  

ROMAN: Some folks don’t hurt for money, that’s for sure.   

BRANE: I’m telling you. Most of my riders don’t care for all that heavy stuff on the news channel. The pop station’s got some really good tunes. The classical station is more for special occasions. There ain’t enough money for me to listen to that every day.

ROMAN: You’re nuts.

BRANE: It’s just a necessary reform of the taxi system. I could install this for you tomorrow. 

ROMAN: No way.  

BRANE: You said yourself what gas prices are like. And an honest guy can’t even afford a burek. (he offers him some burek again) Want some? Socialism is over. If you don’t take care of yourself, no one else will. Everybody’s on their own now.

ROMAN: I really don’t know. 

BRANE:  No argument. It’s a deal. I install it tomorrow. So, tell me, how’s it going with Irena? Is she talking to you yet?    

ROMAN: Not yet.  

BRANE:  Not yet? I still can’t get over you tried to teach your kid to drive. 

[1] Pirniče is a small town north of Ljubljana with wealthy inhabitants. [PEER-nee-cheh]