Postponing the Heat Death of the Universe

Hours ago, Nick lost a scholarship contest. Now he's lying motionless in a dark room and when Jackie, the winner of the contest, arrives to give him her condolences, she finds his behavior just a bit bizarre. She asks him what he's doing and his response, "postponing entropy," only leads to her next question—"What's entropy?" "Every time you expend energy, you increase entropy...confusion, disorder. When you move, you use up energy...everything will stop, and be dark and cold. They call this the heat death of the universe. By not expending any more energy than is necessary, I am granting everything a few extra moments of existence." As the discussion goes on, Nick desperately tries to convince Jackie that his immobility has nothing to do with losing the scholarship. Jackie, of course, insists that it does, and in the course of her struggle to get him to move, the two exchange views on stereotypes and softball, ambitions and disappointments, physics and friendship. With periodic interruptions from Stacy, the girl upstairs, the conversation goes on until Jackie gets her way and Nick is left to reflect... "I did not win the scholarship. I lost the scholarship. I had a chance to talk with the girl who did win. Her name is Jackie. She is a person of much warmth." So, too, is this charming and witty play which proves to be a most rewarding event for both cast and audience.