BECKY SHAW ' by Gina Gionfriddo. a | BECKY SHAW nengntiinmcnane anteacute proms {AMM ay GINA GIONFRIDDO challenged bes frend, meee husband’ sexy and ‘When an evening calculated w bring happiness takes a dak i funny play chat asks what we owe the people we: straigers who land on our doorstep. ‘f “The characters in Gionfiiddo’s blind-date-gone-bad black cor she sonal The ao “tn iyo pl en “ sathing, laconic omedy BECKY SHAW ers « poi pl, des in ro the wity dialogue and srieationt: large pa wonderflly witty dialogue and complex chante Oe ak “Blithely cynical and devas itty obseruations on Pa ee et ee sa Confiads kane lie “The, purishmen theatergaers starved dramatic or ww | i a ay cae oe * DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE INC.ESTABLISHED BY MEMBERS OF THE DRAMATISTS GUILD (OF THE AUTHORS LEAGUE OF AMERICA firth HANDLING OF THE ACTING RIGHTS OF MEMBERS PLAYS a "THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE AMERICAN THEATRE BECKY SHAW sy GINA GIONFRIDDO * DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC.BECKY SHAW Copyright © 2010, Gins Gionfriddo All Righes Reserved CAUTION: Professionals and amaters ae hereby watned thot pexormance of BECKY SHAW subject to payment of «royal. fly prostwd under the copyright we of the United States of Amen, and of sl countries covered bythe International Copyighe Union (lang the Dowinion of Canaca and the ret the Briish Commenweats), and of ll counseies covered by the Pam-Areresy Copyright Convention, the Unieral Copysighe. Convention, the Berne ‘Gohvendon, and ofall counties with whic the United Sates has teiprocl copying lag what tag peal Stage rights maton picture rection, luring pai ean, radio boadesting ‘eon, video r found econing. al ober ots of mechanical, devon and figs! reproduction, tasmision and dacibusion, such ts CD, DVD, the Inere: pate ao le aharing eos, norman org Ad rea systems, Phowocopyiag and the igh of canslaion soto foreign angwmges ae sea re rea cmphate ples up he mater ‘trsading ers ‘ston for which mus be secured rom the Authors agen in wing "The Englch language stock and amateur stage performance right inthe United Ste, is territories; posestions and Canada for BECKY SHAW are conualied ‘eaclsiely by DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC, 440 Pask Avenue Sour, New York, RY 10016. No professions! or nonprofestional performance of the Play may be given without obtaining in advance the velten_ permission of DRAMATISTS PLAY SERVICE, INC. and paying the requsice fe, Inquires concerning all other cights should be addvesied co Creative Arcs Agency, 162 Filth Atenuc, 6th Floor New York, NY 10010, Aten: Olivier Sali, SPECIAL NOTE, sion co produce BECKY SHAW i cquited ro give cede tothe Ar acl ant exausve Authora he lay on hei page oF all programs red onscin wih perimancsofthe Ply ad nll gan ‘nkich the cle ofthe Pay appess for purposes of adrerasing, publicizing or ‘there explo the Pay alos a production thecal. The nate ofthe Autor tout spent on separate line, im which no other name =pposs, immedcly rea le ania yp gua 8 fhe io the bg mont ‘inne leer waed for the tle of the ly. No pert, Bren oe sty me {Ecivecolit lnger or more promitent than th acted the Aur The Bl tng acknowledgment most sppexe on the ie page al programs ditibted in ‘hneation wih performancer of the Pay Anyone acing pt ‘World premiere in che 2008 Humana Festival of New American Plays tt Actors Thereof Louisville [New Yok premiere produced in 2009 by Second Stage These, New York, Pee Broke Rothinan, Anise Diet For Adrien-Alice HanselAUTHOR'S NOTE wane co share a few beliefS about chs play chat | hope will function as permissions rather than prescriptions. | dont chink any character in this play is bad oF wrong ot crazy ot worthless or unlovable. 1 don't think any of chem are damaged beyond repair. 1 don’t think any one character is more ro blame than the others for che emotional wreckage that piles up in the second act. wish Fingers didn't have to be poinced. but — trust me —~ hey will be. Inthe audience talkbacks I have taken part in afer produc sions of Becky Shaw, the one constant I have seen is the zeal to ascribe blame. The good news is chat the audiences invariably fail to reach consensus a8 to which characte is most deserving of theit ‘contempt. These characters seem to function as sereens onto which audience members projecc old wounds and fierce convictions about how people otight to behave. ‘The best comment I ever got in one of these talkbacks was from 2 woman who shook her head wistfully at the people arguing around her and opined that the characters were all “just doing the best they can.” ‘And | agece, There isnt any character in this play 1 wouldnt fic up with one of my friends. With some caveats, of course. I might say, “1 have this great person in mind, buc here’ a thing or wo you should know ...” But | would say this about any of my actual real Friends in my acteal rel life. Like Suzanna says, “Firse date, everyone’s nervous ... We all have our thing.” I'm noc convinced these characters have significandy more things than your average Janes and Joes. For whatever reason, I have seen Becky and Andrew take some of the harder beatings in these discussions, so I want co speak specifically to them. In imagining Becky, think of che fallen stars you've known, the people who came out of high schoo) xoted most likely to succeed and... didnt. At seventeen, Becky had looks, brains, charm, and a full scholarship to an Ivy League school, Now she is, as Max rightly points out, “a thirty-five-year-old office temp” with a barren personal life. How did that happen? I think it 4 happened for the ceasons Becky gives in the play, and for a few others she doesnt ive. Leave the specifics of Becky’s slide t0 the acttess who plays her. The point { wish to drive home is that Becky is not a psycho loser but rather a winner who skidded off course and, through accumulated disappointments and failures, lost her moorings. Thave respect for Becky, and Ihave hope. She has an iron will not to accept het fate — her thin paycheck and monotonous typing pool poverty I believe chat the woman Max describes at che end of the eafé scene — bitter, desperate, snetcenary — is someone Becky truly does noc want to be. It's fine to feel Fruscrated by Becky, oppressed by her, angry with her. Just keep in mind that she feels these same things about herself. Do I think Max and Becky have a furace together? I don't know. But I dont think it's out of the question, If Becky were to work very hard and redlaim that old, good self she alludes wo in the café ... Who knows? Some words on Andrew. The potential pitfall in playing chis characteris to play the purity and cruch of his goodness, Tm noe sure I believe anyone is totally good and true, and I certainly done believe Andrew is. Ifhe seems more straightforward rhan the other characcers, it may be because he's operating under the most self- delusion. He's a setal rescuer who derives self-esteem and maybe even sexual arousal from assuming the savior role in women’s lives Hes got 2 bit of 2 broken bied fetish. Is this a terrible, wicked thing? I dont think iis. Suzanna isn't wrong to credit Andrew with “healing her.” I chink every character in his play manipulates ather peopl co get their own needs met, and Andzew is no exception. He will come to understand chis about himself in the course of the play, and it’s an uncomfortable cruth to face. { chink the play works best when the actor playing Andrew mines the darker impulses in this very nice guy's character. ‘A couple more things that may help Tee heard from some of the artises who've worked on che play that they enjoyed knowing what I was chewing on when | sat down 10 write Becky Shaw. [was reading Thackeray's novel Vanity Fair afer being intrigued by comments the film disector, Mira Nair, made 5regarding the perils of adapting the book for film in 1994. Also, I was puzzling over the many novels | read in college named after female characters that are (a) destcoyers, (b) victims of destruction, or (6) both, Most often, they ate both; their cecrible reversals ‘wrought by sexual indiscretions and artempcs to climb into a higher class, Tim thinking of novels from che 18th, 19¢h, and early 20ch centuties, mostly — books by Richardson, Flaubert, ‘Tolstoy, Hardy, and Dreiser, co name a few On the dramatic front, I'd throw in Hedda Gabler and Miss Jule. { ied to change the name of this play ar one poine and my director, Perer DuBois, urged me not to do it. He said chat the ticle Becky Shaw fele ominous and per- ious for reasons he could not name. He led me to understand that we have a great literary tradition of ruinous and ruined eponymous women that we've internalized without analyzing Lastly, I know I have misquoced Nightmare on Elm Stree 3: Dream Warriors. Over their yeats of friendship, Max and Suzanna have risremembered the quoration and — I think — slightly improved upon the original text IFt trips you up, you can change Max line co “Bitch, where's the fucking bourbon?” Buc dont change Suzanna. J want to thank a few people nor crediced elsewhere who were in the development trenches with me and helped me find the play I wanted to write: Acija Bareikis, Patch Darragh, Dashiell Eaves, Morgan Hallett, Chasles Haugland, Jesse Hooker, and Zan Sawyer-Daily ‘Thanks for hearing me our. Have fan Gina Gionfriddo Febeuary 2010 BECKY SHAW was commissioned by Actors Theatre of Louisville (Mate Masterson, Artistic Director) and had its world premiere at the Humana Festival of New Amevican Plays in February 2008. Ir was directed by Pecer DuBois the set design was by Paul Owen; the lighting design was by Brian J. Lilienthal; the sound design was by Benjamin Marcum; the costume design was by Jessica Ford; the dramacurg was Adrien-Alice Hansel; and the stage manager was Michael D, Domue. The cast was as follows: MAX GARRETT David Wilson Barnes SUZANNA SLATER von mninnesnnnnnrnnne: Mia Barton SUSAN SLATER won ‘Janis Dardaris BECKY SHAW Annie Parisse ANDREW PORTER .ysonnmnnninsnaninnnnnnn Davis Duffield BECKY SHAW premiered OfF Broadway at Second Stage Theatse (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director), opening January 8, 2009. Ir was directed by Pecer DuBois: the set design was by Devele McLane; the costume design was by Jeff Mahshie: the lighting design was by David Weiner: the sound design was by Walter Tratbach; and the production stage manager was Lori Aun Zepp. ‘The cast was as follows: MAX GARRETT sve David Wilson Barnes SUZANNA SLATER --- Emily Berg! SUSAN SLATER sr wo» Kelly Bishop BECKY SHAW ccs Annie Patisse ANDREW PORTER Thomas SadoskiCHARACTERS, MAX GARRETT SUZANNA SLATER, SUSAN SLATER BECKY SHAW ANDREW PORTER PLACE AND TIME ‘The United States (New York City, Providence, and Boston), 2009, BECKY SHAW ACT ONE Scene 1 A room at a mid-range hatel in New York Cirg Suzanna, thirty-four, sits on the (made) bed, watching a Forensic Files-like tre evime program on TV. Shes wearing a black dress (plain and casucl: nothing sec, formal, or funereal) She's coxied-up and mesmerized ... iootbed by # story off female disaster worse than her own. The narrator reports 07 a dead woman in an eerie monotone. Something like: “The young mother had been strangled ... anid stabbed thirty-seven times,” Mas, thirty-five, lets himself into the room — a mant (om a mission, energized. Hie watches.enough of the TV show to realize what it is, then uses the remote to surn it off. SUZANNA. Hey! I'm watching that MAX. He strangled her. She's net coming home, SUZANNA. Tum ic back on. MAX. No. i cut you off, remember? You're not allowed to watch that scuff SUZANNA. It soothes mz and I need it. Don’ judge me. MAX. T'm not judging you. T'm disciplining you, SUZANNA. 1 did nothing wrong! My mother is the one who showed up — MAX. Scop! I just spent forry minutes calming your mother down, and she will be here soon. You need to be a big gel ard face your big git! problems. (Indicating TV.) No more dead prostitutes en the autopsy channel until you do thatSUZANNA. Why do you have a key to my room? MAX. Because I paid for it SUZANNA. Did you pay for my mom's room, 100? MAX. Yes SUZANNA. Because we're poor now? MAX. That's. what we'e all gonna talk about ar dinnes: Your mother'l be here soon, SUZANNA. I've decided I won't see her. MAX. Excuse me — what? SUZANNA. Lam grieving my facher’s death. My mother brought a... aman with her. To 2 mecting about the estace. That is 50 insulting to my Father. MAX. Your father’s dead. His feelings don't matter. SUZANNA. Max! MAX. Suzanna, you made a big scene in the lobby. You made your poine. SUZANNA. | won't see her MAX. So ... how's this gonna work? I go ro dinner with your mother and her manftiend ... You stay here and cry while she cakes all the money? SUZANNA. You would never let that happen. MAX. You know, I might. I don't like this weepy-weepy wah-wah thing youve doing. I dont respect it. SUZANNA. Max, I'm grieving MAX. Negotiations are all aboue who has the biggest dick in the room ... Be sad, grieve. But do ic with a big dick. SUZANNA. Grieve with a big dick? That’ nor possible MAX. Uhhh ... Charles Bronson in Death Wal? Rambo? Mas Voorhees in Friday the 13h? SUZANNA. None of those people 2e real, Max! MAX. Suzanna, you gotta pull ic rogether. Clock strikes midnight, yyou can regress. Light your vanilla candle and write in your dream journal. Until then, you'e 2 soldier. Fix yourself up. SUZANNA. (As she tries...) In one of my textbooks, I read about these families... Craziest thing, Mex. When someone in the family isin pain, the other family mernbers do this thing called nurture, You ever heard of thar? MAX. No. (There a knock on the door. Max springs 0 answer it) No ctying. Big dick. (Max answers the door and escorts Susan Slater, sixty into the room. She has MS and may use a cane. She's attractive, 10 bus shere’ a heaviness to her: the fatique of endles fatigue. Her mind 4s sharp and shes cultivated a forceful manner to compensate for her physical disability, OK. So. Clean slate, Last few hours never hap- pened. Id like 1 welcome my two favorice ladies to New York Cy. We're all so glad vere here because we love each other so much, exc, etc, Now. I'm gonna suggest that we stick co the original plan. SUSAN. I never suggested otherwise. SUZANNA. You brought Lestet! The plan did not include Lester! SUSAN. Suzanna, ! am disabled. [ can’t travel alone. SUZANNA. | offered to drive to Richmond and pick you up — SUSAN. I dont feel safe in a car wich you. Vim sorry if chat hurts your feelings, bur — MAX. Ic hurts my feelings, Susan. I taughe her to drive, SUSAN. I'm not blaming you, Suzanna has assumed 2 somber atticude since her father died. SUZANNA. So 1 can't drive? SUSAN. Youle sluggish. if a drunk driver is careening into my path, I dont wane my life in your hands, Tin sorry. MAX. Suzanna’ attitude is not the point. Lester is not the point. SUZANNA. Lester is the point! I am not going to discuss my fathers estate with your ... whatever he is to you in addition co being your house painter SUSAN. He's my lover. SUZANNA. Oh, my God. How could you? SUSAN. (Anger spites,) Listen 10 me. Your father died six months, ago SUZANNA. It was three months! MAX. Four. It was four months: you're both li SUSAN, You didn lose a child or even a breast. Youe father died of nacural causes after a life welblived. Thar’s not loss, it’s transition, SUZANNA. How can you... Its a huge loss. SUSAN. Icsan old man dying peacefull. f’s noc tragic — SUZANNA. He was my dad. SUSAN. And you're an adule. This ... This isa costume. SUZANNA. What — my clothes? SUSAN, ‘The black dress. You'te infatuated with your grief You think you've finally found something chat will distinguish you. MAX. OK, that’s enough. SUSAN, Ie not a distinction, Suzanna, A pavencs death ... Ie is the most common of milestones — uMAX. My proposal is thac we keep to the plan, We go to dinners, we calk facts and figures. Lester can join us for dessert. SUSAN. No. I won't leave him sitting in the room while we have our nice dinner, MAX. See ... Thisis the point. 15 not going to be a nice dinner, Susan. We're here to talk abour your finances — SUSAN, 1 don'e discuss money ac the dinner table. You grew up in my household; you know that. MAX. Oh, no. No. You agreed to this! SUSAN. [agreed to hear your opinions — MAX. They're not opinions. SUSAN. I'm perfectly willing to have a conversation about the estate, bu not over dinner. (To Suzanna.) Some women — Marilyn Montoe, Princess Diana — are sensual in grief. You are not SUZANNA. Max! MAX. Susan, please — SUSAN. Do you disagree? Look at her. MAX. Let me tell you something, Suzanna can be fixed. Y'n not worried about Suzanna. Your financial health, on the other hand — SUSAN. Lester and I will meet you downstairs. Weill share 2 eal and some good wine. Well talk business in the morning. MAX. No! I don't have time in the morning, Susan! And you can't afford good wine. SUSAN. (Affer a beat.) Are you enjoying this drama youve created? MAX. Your husband created it. | am just che messenger. SUSAN. This is terribly exhilarating for you. I can see it SUZANNA. Mom. MAX. How can you ... You and Richard raised me, Susan. For all practical purposes, you'te my parents. SUSAN. And chac only makes it crueler. MAX. You think I take pleasure in this? I would be a monster — SUSAN. Not a monster, 2 powermonger. I know that look. MAX. What look? This lool? SUSAN. Thats the look you gecwhen my family’s stupidity offers you a foothold to gain power. MAX. Anytime I'can clean up afier your family’s stupidity, ™m happy to do it. SUZANNA. Stop it. What is this "your family.” “my family.” We're This is our family. (A difficult silence hat Suzanna rushes to fill...) How broke are we? MAX. I think we should drink some alcohol. SUSAN. Lester is hungry. Whatever you want to say, you may say ‘now or in the morning, MAX. [have 2 full day tomorrow — SUSAN. ‘Then say ic now. Cogenty, please. Do not savor. MAX. (Affer a beat.) The business hasn't cured a profit in neadly a decade. Richard burned chrough a lor of your savings patching, holes, keeping it afloat, I chink it was largely .. sersimencal. Ir’ an ‘old family business, he hoped the tide would turn .. SUZANNA. Are we broke? MAX. No, But your savings are ... thin. Ihave a plan I would like to propose — SUSAN. have a very hard time believing this, Max. Yoshi would certainly have cold me if — MAX, Yoshi lost his objectivity, He'll be che first to admit that SUSAN. Nonsense. He's a Japanese businessman. His objectivity isall he has. SUZANNA. Mom, thar’ racis. SUSAN. Send me the figures, I will show them to my financial advisor MAX. Your financial advisor is Yoshi SUSAN. Correct. MAX. Yoshi no longer wishes to be involved SUSAN. Because you bullied him in your 2eal co seize power. Vl bring him back. MAX. ‘There's no power to seize, Susan! (Pase.) Look, Yoshi asked ime .... There was a loss of objectivity SUSAN. In your opinion MAX. In ceality on planet Earth. Your husband was stupid about his money and his Bnancial advisor was ... There was 2 romantic situation and fm sorry. SUSAN. (Afier @ beat.) Oh, you ate devious. SUZANNA. Romantic? SUSAN. He means homosexual. MAX. I don't think we need to get into labels. SUZANNA. Gay? MAX, Bi. Ler's say your father was bi. SUZANNA. You don't believe in bisexuality SUSAN. Tm very upset with you, Max MAX, Me’ 13