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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
2K views53 pagesEffect of Gamma Rays Script
Uploaded by
Jennifer Hemme [Green Valley HS]Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
/ 53
the pain and loneliness and disability.of kids who.do?
‘And from where do survivors ‘of such homes conjure
the magic to insist. that, despive everything, their
‘dreams will stay-alive?
Taine longeraporized wor!Sin-which thestange
Zindel eso lived, F glimpsed a valor and pluck chat
are often now part and parcel of young people. Most
teenagers today don't allow.chemselves.to be. pro-
faned in silence. They refuse.to allow anyone.t0 pull
down. the shades and make them hide. They often
shout with a starding honesty that signals that the
fumanness of all of us has crept boldly. forward. 1
cheered recently when a kid Ime told me matter-of-
actly in front of his class:
“Three of my parents are media specialists?”
pled,
1
Tue EFFECT
or GRIMMA RAYS on
MAN MO0N
MARIGOLDS
!
rrr er TEI The Girk
BEATRICE:
The Mocber
The Other
Daughter
‘NANNY
JANICE
‘VICKERY
Characters
“In font of my eyes, one part of
the world was becoming another.
Atoms exploding . . . atom after
atom breaking down into some-
thing new . .. It would go on for
millions of years ...”
“This long street, with all the
doors of the houses shut and
everything crowded next to each
other .. . And then I start getting
afraid that the vegetables are
going to spoil... and that
nobody’s going to buy anything...”
“Well, chey say I came out of my
room .... and I started down the
suai, step by step... and I heard
the choking and banging on the
bed...”
Severe THE SETTING
A room of wood which was once a végerable store—
and a point of debarkation for a horse-drawn wagon
to bring its wares to a small town.
But the store is gone, and a widow of confusion
has placed her touch on everything. A door to
‘NANNY’S room leads off from this main room, and in
front of the door bang faded curtains which allow
ventilation in the summer. There is a hallway and 2
telephone. A heavy wood staircase leads to a anding
with a balustrade, two doors, and 2 shore hall
BEATRICE sleeps in one room; THLE and RUTH
share the other.
‘Objects which respectable people usually hide in
closets are scattered about the main room: newspa-
‘pers, magazines, dishes, empty bottles; clothes; suit-
‘eases; last week's sheets. Such carelesmness is the type
which is so perfected it must have evolved from
hereditary processes; but in all fuimess to the occu-
pants, it can be pointed out that after twilight, when
shadows and weak bulbs work their magic, the room
becomes interesting. On a table near the frone'left of the room is a
stnall wire cage designed to hold-a rabbit. Near this
are several school books, notebook papers, and other
‘weapons of high school children. A ki:chen area,
i boasting a hot plate, has been carved near the botom
of the staircase, and the window, which was formerly
the front of the vegetable store, is now mosty.cov-
ered with old newspapers 50. that passersby cannot
seein. A bit of the clear glass remains at the top—but
drab lifeless drapes line the sides of the vindow. | AGT |
i 7 : & ae ‘The lights go down slrly as rnesic creeps in—
«a theme for lst children, the new snishegotten.
‘Prom the blackness TOLIE'S VOICE speaks against
the mesic.
‘TILLIE’S VOICE:
‘Hee told me to look at my hand, for a part of it
‘came from a star that exploded too long ago to
imagine. This part of me was formed from a
tongue of fire thatscreatned through the heav-
‘ens until there was-our:sun. And this part of
me—this tiny part of me—was on the sun
when it itself exploded and whirled in a great
storm until the planets came to be.
Lights sarin.
‘And this small part of me was then a whisper
(of the earth. When there was fe, perhaps this
‘pare of me gor lost in a fern that was crashed
and covered until it was coal. And then it was
1 diamond millions of years Iater—it must
hhave been a diamond as beautifal as the star
from which it had first come.
“TILLIE: Taking over from reconded voice.
(Or perhaps this part of me became lost in a
terrible beast, or became part of a huge bird 4
that flew above the primeval swamps.
‘And he said this thing was so small—this part
of me was so small it couldn't be seen—but it
‘was there from the beginning of the world,
‘And he called this bit of me an atom. And
when he wrote the word, I fell in love with it.
‘Atom.
Atm.
‘What a beautiful word.
‘The phone rings:
BEATRICE: Off stage:
‘Will you ger that please?
‘The phone rings again before BEATRICE appears in
ber bathrobe from the kitchen. :
No help! Never any help!
Ske answers she phone.
Hello? Yes itis. Who is this? . . .Thope there hasn't been any trouble at schoo! ... Oh, she’s
always been like that. She hardly says a word
around here, either. [always say some people
‘were born to speak and others boon to listen.
You know Pve been meaning «0 call you to
thank you for that lovely rabbit you gave
‘Matilda, She and I just adore itand irs gowen
sobig..-
‘Well, ic certainly was. thoughtful. Mr.
‘Goodman, I don’t mean to change the subject
buraren’t you that delightfol young man Tillie
said hello to a couple of montas back at the
A&P? Youiwere by the lobster tank and Iwas
near the frozen foods? That delightful and
handsome young man? ... Why, I would very
much indeed use the expression handsome. Yes,
and... :
Well, Ieencourage her at every opportunity at
home: Did she say I didn't? Both my daughters
have their own desks and I put 75-watr bulbs
right near them. . Yes.’ Yes.. -. 1 think
those tests are very much overrated, anyway,
‘Mr. Goodman ... Wel, believeme she’ noth-
{ng like that around this house ..
Now I don't want you to think I don't appreci-
ate what you're tying to do, Mc. Goodman,
bat Pim afraid its simply useless. P've tried just
everything, but she isn'ta pretty girl—I mean,
let be frank about it—she's going to have her
problems. Are you married, Mr. Goodman?
Oh, that’s too bad. I don’t know what's the
‘matter with women today levting a handsome
young man like you get away ...
‘Well, some days she just doeso't feel like going
tw school. You just said how bright she is, and
Tm really afraid to puttoo much ofa strain on
her. after what happened wo her’ sister. You
know, too much strain isthe worst thing in this
modem world, Mr. Goodman, and 1 can’t
afford to have another convulsive on my.
hands, now can: But don't you worry about
Matilda. There will be some place for her in
this world. And, like I said, some were born to
speak and others just to listen... and do all
again, Mr. Goodman. Its been a true pleasure
speaking with you. Goodbye.
BEATRICE bangs up the phone and advances into
the main room The lights come up. “Matilda, that wasn't very nice of you to tell
them I was forcibly detaining you from school.
Why, the way that Mr. Goodman spoke, he
‘must think F'm running a edncentration camp.
Doyou have any ides how embarrassing itis to
be accused of running a concenttion camp
for your own children?
‘Well, it isn’t embarrassing at.all.
‘That school of yours is forty years behind the
times anyway, and believe me you lea more
around here than that ugly Mr. Goodman can
teach you! > cess or
You know, I realy. feel sorry for him. T never
saw a man with a more effeminat: face in my
life. When sawiyou talking to him by the lob-
ster tank-I said to myself, “Good Lord, for a
science teacher my poor girl has got herself a
‘Hebrew. hermaphrodite.” Of course, he's not
a6 bad a5 Miss Hanley. The idea of lering her
reach igitl's gym is staggering.
‘And you have to place me in the embarrassing
position of giving them 4 reason to call me at
eight-thiny in the moming, no less.
‘TILLIE:
I didn’t say anything.
BEATRICE:
‘What do you tell them when they want to
know why you stay home once in a while?
TILLE:
Tell chem Fim sick.
BEATRICE:
‘Oh, you're sick all right, the exact nature of
the illness not fully realized, but you're sick all
right, Any daughter that would torn her
‘mother in as the administrator of a concentra-
tion camp has got to be sufering from some-
thing very peculiar.
TILLE:
Can I go in today, Mother?
BEATRICE:
‘You'll goin, all right
TILL:
‘Mr. Goodman said he was going to do an
experiment— BEATRICE: ;
‘Why, be looks like the kind that would do his
experimenting after sundown,
TILLE:
(On radioactivity—
BEATRICE:
On radioactivity? That’ all that high school
needs! i
TILUE:
He's going to bringin the cloud chamber—
BEATRICE:
‘Why, what an outstanding event. If you had
warned me yesterday I would've gotten all
dressed to kill and gone with you today. Llove
seeing clond chambers heing branght in
TLE.
‘You can actually see—
BEATRICE:
‘You're giving me a headache.
TILLE:
Please?
BEATRICE:
No, my-deas, the fortress of knowledge is not
going to be blessed with your presence today.
Thave a good number of exciting duties for
you to take care of, not the least of which is
rabbit droppings.
TTILUE:
‘Oh, Mother, please... P'l do it after school.
BEATRICE:
Tfwe wait a minute longer this house is going
to fernient. I found-rabbit droppings in my
bedroom even.
‘TILLIE:
Jeould do it after Mr. Goodman's class Tl say
Pimill and ask for a sick pass.
BEATRICE:
Do you want me to chloroform that thing
Tight this minuce?
Cr COLIC renin
\paenecnmis [ROTH comes tothe top of the stars. She is dressed
for scbooh, and though her dotbes are simple she
_gives che inapresion of being slighay strange. Her
biazir isn't quite combed, ber sweater doesn't quite
is te.
RUTH:
Do you have Devil's Kiss down there?
BEATRICE:
eb in the bathroom cabinet
RUTH comes dwostairs and, goes 2 the bathroom
door, located under the stairs. She flings it open and
renmages in the cabinet.
RUTH: et
‘There's $0.1much junk in here its driving me
omy,
‘Maybe its in my purse... Jf you don't hurry
‘up you'll be late for school,
RUTH:
‘Well, I couldn't very well go in without Devil’:
Kiss, now could .
BEATRICE:
‘Doesn't anyone go to school these days with-
‘out thatall over their lips?
RUTH: Finding the lipstick.
Nobody I know, except Til, that is. And ifshe
hhad a lictle lipstick on Tl ber they wouldn't
have laughed at her so much yesterday. -
BEATRICE:
‘Why were they laughing?
RUTH:
‘The assembly. Didn't she tell you about the
assembly?
BEATRICE:
Ruth, you didn’t tell me'she was in am assembly.
RUTH: :
‘Well, I jast thought of it right now. How could
Tell you anything until I think of it—did you
‘ever stop to consider that? Some crummy sei-
cence assembly.
BEATRICE: 7 Tau.
‘What is she talking about?
eee eee ee RUTH:
T thought she'd mill che whole world, Imagine,
right in front of the assembly, wich everybody
loughing at her.
BEATRICE:
Will you be quiet, Ruth? Why vere shey laugh-
sng at youd
TILLE:
don't now.
RUTH:
‘You don't now? My-heavens, she was a sight.
She-had that old jumper on—the faded one
‘with. the low. colla—and a rggy slip that
showed all over and her hair looked like she
‘was struck by lightning.
BEATRICE.
You're exaggerating...
RUTH
‘She was cranking this model of something —
TILE:
The atom.
6
RUTH:
‘This model of the atom « .. you know, it had
‘this crank and'a long tower so that when you
tured it these litle colored balls went spi
ning around like crazy. And there was Till
cranking away, looking weird as a coor ..
that old jumper with the raggy slip and the
lightning hair . . . cranking away while some
boy with glasses was reading this seapid
speech . .. and everybody burst into laughter
until the teachers yelled at'them. And all day
long, the kids kept coming up to me saying,
“Is that really your sister? How ean you bear
iv” And you know, Chris Burns says to me—
“She looks like the one that went to the looney
doctors.” I could have kissed him there and
then.
BEATRICE: Taking 2 heckserascber.
Matilda, if you can't get yourself dressed prop-
rly before going to school you're never going
to go again. I don't like the idea of everybody
laughing at you, because. when they laugh at
you they're langhing at me. And I don’t wint
you cranking any more atoms.
RUTH: Pasting the lipstick back in BEATRICE’ bag.
‘You're almost out of Devil’ Kiss. BEATRICE:
‘Ifyou didn’t put so much on it would las longer.
RUTH:
‘Who was that calling?
BEATRICE:
‘Matilda turned me in to the Gestapo.
RUTH:
‘Can Team a cigarette this morning?
‘Why not
BEATRICE offs ber the backsoratcer along with a
cigarette.
RUTH:
_ Was it Mr. Goodman?
BEATRICE:
Who?
RUTH: Lighting the cigarene.
‘The call this morning. Was ic Mz. Goodman?
BEATRICE: .,
‘Yes.
RUTH: Using the backseratcher on BEATRICE, who
Sgnirms with ecstasy.
T figured it would be.
BEATRICE:
Allie higher, please.
RUTH:
‘There?
BEATRICE:
‘Yes, here... Why did you figure it would be
‘Mr. Goodman?
RUTH:
‘Well, he called me out of sewing class yester-
day—I remember because my blouse wasn’ all
buttoned—and he wanted to know why Tillie’
‘out of school so much,
BEATRICE:
Lower. little lower ... And what did you tell
him:
RUTH:
I wish you'd go back to Kool. I liked Kooks
better. TILLEE: Gravely concerned.
‘What did you tll him?
RUTH:
Trold him you were ill, and he wanted to know
‘what kind, so I told him you had leprosy.
TILLE:
‘You didn't!
RUTH:
‘You should have seen his face. He was so cute.
‘And told him you had.ringworm and gan-
gene.
BEATRICE:
‘What did he say?
RUTH:
And I told him you had wha: Mother's last
patient had... . whatchamacalli?
TILLIE:
‘Tell me you didn’t, Ruch!
RUTH:
OK Ididn't ... Bur I really did,
BEATRICE:
He knew you were joking.
RUTH:
And thea I told him to go look up the biory
and then he'd find out. Whenever they go look
up the history then they don’t bother me any-
‘more "cause they think I'm crazy.
BEATRICE:
Ruth—
RUTH:
And T told him the'disease you had was fatal
and that there wasn't much hope for you.
BEATRICE:
What kind of distor isin? -
RUTH:
Just a itele folder with the story of our lives in
i, that’s all.
encase mC
oe BEATRICE:
‘How did you ever see it?
RUTH:
Tread the whole thing last term when Miss
Hanley dragged me into the record room
because I didn’t want to climb che ropes in
‘gym and I told her my slull was growing.
BEATRICE:
little lower, please.
RUTH: »
Lower!. Higher! Iwish you'd make up your
sind. Ifyou'd switch back to Kools it mighe be
worth it but ugh! these are awful. You know, I
zeally did think my skull was growing. Either
that or a tumor. So she dragged me out of gym
lees, and ahe thought I coulda’ read. upside
down while she was sitting opposite me with
she history. Bue I could:
BEATRICE:
‘What does it say?
RUTH:
‘Oh, it says, you're. divoreed and that I went
erazy . .. and my father took a heart atack at
Star Lake... and now you're a widow—
BEATRICE: Referring tothe backscratching.
‘That's ict Hold ic righe there! Aaah!
RUTH:
‘And it says that I exaggerate and cell stories
and that P'm afraid-of death-and-have night
mares «and all chat stuf
BEATRICE:
‘And what else does it say?
RUTH:
1 can't. remember everything you. know.
Remember this, remember that. remember
this, chat...
Go t0 dark. Masicin.
TILLIE’S VOICE:
‘Today I saw it Behind the glass a white cloud
began to form. He placed a small piece of metal
in the center of the chamber and we waited
‘unl [saw the first one—a trace of smoke that
came from nowhere and then. disappeared.
‘And then another. .. and another, until I knew
it'was coming from the metal. ‘They looked
like water-sprays froma. park fountain, and
‘they went on and on for as long as T watched.
amano ‘And he told me the fountain of smoke would
‘come forth for a long time, and if1 had wanted
16, I could have stayed there all my life and it
‘would never have ended—that fountain, so close
ould have touched it In front of my eyes, one
part of the world was becoming another. Atoms
‘exploding; flinging off tiny bullets that caused
the fountain, atom after atom breaking down
into something new. And no one could stop
the fountain. It would-go on for‘millions of
yyears—on and on, this fountain irom eternity.
‘By she end of this speech, the lights are on 10 shows
“TLE preparing buses of drt in witht plot eds
The rabies in the cage near ber, and BEATRICE i
reading a newspaper on the other side of the room.
‘She is sipping coffee from a bagecafee cup.
BEATRICE:
I thought we had everything, bur leave it to
‘you to think ofthe one thing we're missing ..
Se reds fromthe newspaper
‘Twenty-two acres in Prince's Bay. Small pond.
+ $6,000 ... That’s cheap. Td take a look at it if
Thad any-money ...
‘Whar kind of seeds are they?
TLLE:
“Marigolds. They've been exposed to cobalt-60.
BEATRICE:
If there’s one thing I've always wanted, its
been a living room planted with marigolds that
have been exposed to cobalt-60. While you're
acit, why don’tyou throw in 2 tomato patch in
the bathroom?
TILUE:
Just let me keep them here-for'a week or so
until they get started and then Till transplant
them to the backyard,
BEATRICE: Reading again.
Four-family house. Six and a half and six and
half over five and five. Eight garages. Tcould
really'do something with tha A nursing
home...
Donte think Pm nor kicking myself chat T
didn't finish that real estate course. I should
have finished beauty school, t00 -.
“God, what I could do with eight garages... There i a sound from beyond tbe curtsined
dar vay. BEATRICE gestersin thet direction.
‘You know, V'm thinking of getting rid of thar
and making this place into something.
TLE:
‘Yes.
BEATRICE:
Tve been thinking about 2 tea shop.
ave you noticed there aren't many of them
‘around anymore?
‘TILE:
Yes.
BEATRICE:
And this-is just the type of neighborhood
where a good tea shop could mike a go of it.
‘We'd have a good cheesecake. You've got 10
have a good cheesecake ...
She caleulates.
Eight times ten—well, eight times cight,
ifthey’re falling _down—that’s sixty-four
dollars-a month from the garages alone . ..
swear money makes money.
There isa rustling at the curtains. Too thin and
‘wrinkled bands push the curtains apart sleily and
then the ancient fe of NANNY appears. She nego-
ates ber way through the curtains. She is usterly
‘wrinkled and dried, perbaps a century old. Tame
‘as lef ber wich a whisper of a smile—a eile from
4 soul balf-dcparted. If one looked closely, great
‘cataracts could be seen on each eye, and its certain
that all that can pierce ber soimndlest prison are
smere shadtos from the ouside world. She pervades
the room: with: age.
NANNY sports Berself by 2 four-legged tubular
frame which sbe pustes along in front of ber witb
1 shufling motion that reminds one of a vicking
clock. Inch by inch she advances into the rooms.
‘TILUE and BEATRICE continue speaking, knowing
bat i willbe minutes before she is cose enough to
oo they are there
‘BEATRICE:
‘Whar is cobalt-60?
TILLIE:
Tes something that causes... changes in seeds.
eens eneiseasmne Ob, Mother—he set the cloud chamber up just
for me and he told me about radisactivity and
half-life and he got the seeds for me,
BEATRICE: Her attention still onthe newspaper.
‘What does half-life mean? .
NANNY i well into the room as THLE replis,
TILLIE: Rectng rom memeny.
‘The half-life of Poloniam-210 is one hundred
i and forty days.
i ‘The half-life of Radium-226 is one thousand
five hundred and ninexy years.
‘The half-life of Uranium-238 is four and one-
half billion years,
BEATRICE: Putting sxoay Ler newspaper.
Do you know you're giving me a headache?
‘Then, im a Joud, sacchariz t she
pact OY mas mi te
NANNY CAME ALL ‘THE “WAY OUT
‘HERE BY HERSELF! = $ >
Tm going to need a-cigarette for this.
NANNY! YOU.COME SIT. DOWN AND
WE'LL BE RIGHT WITH HER!
You know; sometimes I've gor to: laugh. I've
got this on niy’bands and all'You're worried
about is planting marigolds). 7
IVE GOT HOTSY. WATER FOR YOU,
NANNY. WOULD YOU LIKE SOME
HOTSY WATER AND HONEY?
NANNY has seated herself at « table; sailing but
oblivious to Ber environment.
Tve never seenit to ful. Every time I decide to
have acup of coffee I see that face at the cur-
tains. [wonder what she'd do. :
She bolds pot of boiling mater.
«if just poured this sight over her head. Til
bet she wouldn't even notice it. NANNY’S GOING TO GET JUST WHAT
SHE NEEDS!
‘Ste fils acer er and places a bone jar near ber
‘You know if someone told me when T was
young that-I'd end’ up feeding honey to a
zombie, Pd tell them they were crazy.
SOMETHING WRONG, NANNY? OH,
DID I FORGET. NANNY’S SPOON?
‘MERCY! MERCY! I FORGOT NANNY'S
SPOON!
‘She gets spoon and stands bebind NANNY.
Tl give you a spoon, Nanny, I'l give you a
spoon.
Se mates a mation bebind. NANNY’S back as if
she} giing to smack ber onthe bead sh the spoon.
‘Matilda! Watch me give Nanny her spoon.
ASPOON FOR NANNY!
Te manages tobe slightly fry and TILE jields 9
1 Lough, along with ber mother.
Fifty dollars a week. Fifty dollars. Lookat you,
‘Nanay, and I wonder ifits worhit Eebink Td
be better off driving a exb. if
“TAKE HONEY, NANNY. HONEY WITH
HOTSY WATER! 20560."
You should have'séen’her daughter: bring her
hore last week . .. I could have used you thar
day . .. She came in pretending she. was Miss
‘Career Woman of the Year. She said she was in
real estate and such a busy litle woman; such 2
busy litde woman-—she just couldn't give all
the love and eare and affection’ ber: linde
The i rc sb peg ie
+ Nanny’ quite a lide cis 1-bear; now aren't
‘you; Nanny ‘dear? But-you're alitlé beter
‘than. Mr. Mayo: was—iwith the tamof-on his
brain—or Miss Marion Minto with her-cancer,
or Mr. Brougham . . . what was his first name?
TLLE:
‘Alexander BEATRICE:
‘Mr. Alexander Brougham with the worms in
his legs.
WHY, NANNY’S QUITE SOME LITTLE,
GIRL, AREN'T YOU, NANNY? A GIRL.
DRINKING HER HOTSY AND HONEY!
= - - Cobale-60..Ha! You take me for a fool,
don’t you?
TILE:
No, Mother.
BEATRICE:
Science, science, science! Don’t they teach our
misfits anything anymore? Anything decent
and meaningful and sensitive? Do you know
‘what Pd be now if it wasnt for this mud pool I
got sucked into? Pd probably be a dancer. Miss
Beny Frank, The Best Dancer of the Class of
19... something: One minute I'm the best
dancer in school—smare as a whip—the head
‘of the whole crowd! And the next minute...
One mistake. That's how it starts. Marry the
‘wrong man and before you know it he’s got
you tied down with two stones around your
neck for the rest of your life.
‘When Iwas in that lousy high school Iwas one
‘of the most respected’ kids you ever saw.
T used to wonder why: people’ always suid,
“Why jus yetcrday ... why, just yesterday...
why, just yesterday...”
Before I new what happened I lost my danc-
ing legs and got varicose legs--Beautifal vari-
cose legs. Do you know, everything I ever
thought I'd be has exploded!
NANNY, YOU HURRY UP WITH THAT
HONEY! fe
Exploded! You know, I almost’ forgot aboot
everything I was supposed to be...
NANNY’S ALMOST FINISHED.“ISNT
‘THAT WONDERFUL?
‘She's almost finished, all right.
NANNY’S DAUGHTER IS COMING TO
SEE YOU SOON. WILL THAT*MAKE
NANNY HAPPY?
‘The day Miss Career Woman of the Year
cep se Sooner: tec Comes to visit again T think IU drop dead.
Nobody’ t60 busy for any-hing they want to
do, don’t you tell me. Whatkind of an idiot do.
people take me for?
She bolds up a small bore.
‘Here itis. Here's a new word for you.
NANNY, ‘YOURE’ SPILLING YOUR oe
CRRIST!
HOTSY: JESUS Trichloro . . . methane. Do you know what
that is, Matilda? Well, its chloroform!
You Imow; I ought to kiek you right out and ee
‘open that tea shop tomorrow. ‘She pus the bottle aay.
Ob, ib. coming. I can feel it. And the frst
i Pm saving it for that Ang i
; thiig PU do is get rid of thatrabbit. ef ee ge eof a pert
4 ‘TILLIE: Hard inning NAINNY READY TO GO MAKE DUT?
Y Yes Modes She scares belping wanniv’ out of the chair and
i BEATRICE: props ber up with the tabular frame.”
i Yow think dings NANNY IS ALWAYS READY FOR DUTY,
ifi TILE: AREN'T YOUNANNY? BECAUSE NANNY'S
No, Idon'. A GOODY-GOODY'GIRL AND GOODY.
ie GOODY GIRLS ALWAYS GET GOODY.
i BEATRICE: ‘GOODY THINGS. GOD LOOKS OUT
me You berP'm not! FOR GOODY-GOODY-GIRES AND-GIVES
THEM HOTSY AND HONEY-RIGHT,
i ‘She runemaages through some drecer in. chest ee
BEATRICE sits down inthe ‘ball “and “watches
Twas going to do this 2 month ago. NANNY snake ber way toward the bathroom. There 4 a pause asthe woman's shuffling continues,
The lights go lw om THLLIE, NANNY Beamer a sil-
oucee, and tke lighe remains on BEATRICE. She
Storst9 read he paper agin, ba che sbuling ges
on ber nerves and she lings the paper deon,
Halflife! Ifyou want ro know what a half-life
is Just ask me. You're looking at the original
half-life!
4 got suck with one daughter with halfa mind,
another one who's half a test tube; half a hus-
band—s house half fall of rabbit crap—and
half a corpse!
‘Thats what I call a halflife, Matilda! Me and
cobal-60! Two of the biggest half-iee you
The set goes to dark.
After fo secnds the sound of encom daking a
Phone co be beard. As tbe spot comes up on be, De
‘ee HEATRICE holding ake phone and raging to
ta cigorene.
BEATRICE: On she phone.
Hello—Mz. Goodman, please ... How would
J
Limow if he’ got.a class? . . . Hello, Mr
Goodman? Are you MrGoodman?.... Oh, I
beg your pardon; Miss Torgersen «. . Yes, Pll
wait
‘She lights ber cigarette.
Couldn't you find ‘ini, Miss Torgersen? .. .
Oh! Excuse” me, Mr. Goodman. How’ are
you? . ... ll bet you'll never. guess who this
ists Mrs. Hunsdorfer—remember the
frozen foods? =
Ske laughs.
‘You know, Ruth told me she’s your new secre-
tary and I certainly think that’ a delight. You
‘were paying so mnch arention to Matilda dit
Til bet Ruth just got jealous. She does things
like that, you know. I hope she works hard for
you, although I can't imagine what-kind of
work Ruth could be doing in that great big sci-
‘ence office. She's 2 terrible snoop :
Ste taker a puff =
Your attendance? lo’ that charming. And the
cuz cards! Imagine. You trust her with why,
Tdidn'tknow she could type at al... imagine. Well .-.PU:..,Of course, toe much work isn't
‘good for anyone, either. No worider she’ fil-
ing everything-I mean, I never knew a girl
who filed everything regardless of what they
were suffering: from: I suppose I should say
recsvering fom...
‘Wall, itsabout the seeds you gave Matilda ...
Well, she’ had them in the house for a.week
now and they're starting to grow. Now, she
sold me they had been subjected to radioactv-
ity, and I hear such terrible things: about
radioactivity that I automatically associate
radioactivity with sterling, and it positively
Jhormfies me to'have those seeds right here in
ry living room. Couldn’s she just grow plain
Another big pa forming raskrowm ad.
Te does sound like an interesting project, but...
The bigger puff yet.
|
‘No, T muse admit that at this very moment I
don't know whata mutation'is ...
‘She laughs amcanfortaby.
‘Mr. Goodman... Mr. Goodman! I don't want
you to think I'm not interested, but please
spare me definitions over the phone. 'l go to
the library nent week and pick me our some
liele book on science and then I'll know ali
about mutations .. . No, you didn’ insult me,
bur I jst want you to know that I'm not
1 just thought prevention was better than a
‘tragedy, Mr. Goodman. I mean, Matilda has
enough problems: to worry ‘about without
‘Wall, I was just concerned, but you've put my
Poor mother’s heart at ease:You low, really,
‘our schools need more exciting young men
‘ike you, I really mean that. Really. Oh I do.
Goodbye, Mr. Goodman.
‘By the end of her talk on the phone, her fac is left
in 0 spotlight, and then the stage goes black. The
muse theme comes in, in a minor key, softly at Prt tnt accosted ly inreasngy loud ser
‘which eransme inte thunder rashes.
There iw seam: bear frome upeeirs and we see
the set in night shades.
“TILLIE sears. open ber bedroom dor and rushes into
BRATRIGE’s roo. ROTEL screams again.
‘Mother! She's going to have one!
RUTH appears on the landing and releaes anotber
scream which breaks of into gasps. She seats dezon
‘he sears and cops balficay to seream again, There
is another tremendous thunder crash as UEXTRICE
comes ot. of ber recs, pats the ball lighs, and
‘ates the hysterical girl on the stairs.
BEALRICE: Shouaing.
‘Stop it.Stop.it,
TILLIE: 4 he tp ofthe stairs.
She’ going!
‘Ruth! Stop ie
RIEL:
2 "She’s going to go!
‘BEATRICE: Yelling ce TUE.
Shut up and get back in your zoom!
RUTH sereams,
You're not going to Jet yourself go, do you
hear me, Ruth? You're not going to go!
RUTH:
‘He's after me!
‘She screams, ligrening and thunder crasb follow.
BEATRICE:
‘You were drearsing, do you hear me?
‘Nobody's after you! Nobuily!
TILLE:
1 saw-her eyes start to go back—
BEATRICE: 7 Tue.
(Get baclein your room!
‘She belps ROTH dozen the rest of the stairs BEATRICE:..
RUTH:
‘Whar candles?
There; now, nobody’ after you. Nice and easy.
Breathe deeply... . Did the big bad man come
after my litle girl?
ee
‘She sts RUTH down and then puts both bands up
0 ber own face and pulls her feceares nea a consic |
mask. RUTH begins to laugh at ber.
That big bad bogey. man?
They bob laughs bearzly
‘Now that wasn't so bad, was i?
RUTH. 2
‘Hewat the dream, with Mr. Mayo again.
‘Ob. Well, we'll just get you a.lirte. hot mille
f
and— f
A wremendos. thunder erash throes, the set into
shaders:
Why, the elecuicity’s gone!.off.-Do you
remember what happened to those candies?
BEATRICE:
‘The little white ones from my birthday cake
Jase year.
RUTH:
Tillie melted them down for school 2 long
time ago.
BEATRICE: Searching through drawers.
She had no right doing thar.
RUTH:
She asked you. She used them ro arch a paper
straw to a milk bore with a balloon over it,
and it was supposed to tell if i
rain
BEATRICE: Finding a flaslighe.
‘There! Ie works. I don't want her wasting any-
thing of mine unless she’s positive I won't need
it. You always nieed candies.
She seers RUTH twcard the couch az lighening
flashes,
‘Wir, Rath—your skin just earned ice cold!
‘She riumages through one ofthe bases and grabs
a blacker. ‘This will warm you up... Whars-the matvet?
RUTH:
‘The flshlight—
BEATRICE:
‘What’ wrong with i?
RUTH:
‘es the sime one Tused to check on Mr: Mayo
with.
BEATRICE:
‘ So itis. We don't need it. 3
RUTH: £
‘No, let me keep it £
Scarting a laugh.
Do you want to know how they have it in the
history?
BEATRICE:
No, I don't,
RUTH:
‘Well, they say Teamie out of my room...
“
‘She flashes ve light on Ber row.
|. And I started down-the stairs, step by
deep... dnd Theard the choking and banging
‘on the bed, and -.-
BEATRICE: -
Tm going back to bed.
RUTH:
Not
BEATRICE:
“Well, ali about something nice, then.
RUTH:
‘Oh, Mama, tell me-about the wagon.
BEATRICE:
‘You change so fast I can't keep up-with you.
RUTH:
"Mama, please... the story about the wagon.
BEATRICE:
T don't know anything about telling stories.
(Get those great big smarc-teachets of yours t0
do that sort of seul.
6 RUTH:
Tall me about the horses again, and how you
stole the wagon.
BEATRICE:
Don't get me started on that.
RUTH:
‘Mama, please...
BEATRICE: Taking out a pack of cigeretes.
Do you want a cigarette?
RUTEE Taking one,
Leave out the part where they shoot the
horses, though.
They both highs np.
BEATRICE:
Honey, you know the whole story—
RUTH:
“Apples! Pears! Cu... cumbers!”
BEATRICE: q
NozIts “Apples! Pears! Guetmn.. bers!”
They say it getter
“Apples! Pears! Cucum ... bers!”
And they laugh.
RUTH:
How did you get the wagon out without him
seeing you?
BEATRICE:
‘That was easy. Every time he gothome for the
day he'd make us boch some sandwiches—my
mama had been dead for years—and he'd tile
nap on the old sofa that used to be... there!
‘She points tow corner of the rooms.
And while he was sleeping I got-the horses
hitched up and went riding around the block
waving to everyone. = ==
‘RUTH: aS
+S Ohy Mama, you dida't! I
BEATRICE:
Of course I did. Thad more nerve thai a'bear when Iwas a kid. Letme tell you it takes nerve
to sit up on that wagon every day yelling
“Apples!
Both togerber.
“Pears! Cucum ... bers!”
Toy laugh again.
RUTH:
‘Did he find out you took the wagon?
BEATRICE:
Did he find out? He came running down the
street after me and started spanking me right
fon top of the wagon—not haxd—but it was $0
embarrassing—and I had one of those penny
marshmallow ships in the back pocket of my
coveralls and it govall squished. And you beteer
believe I never did it again...
‘You would have loved him, Ruth, and gonéout
swith bim on the wagon... . allover. Stapleton
‘yelling as lond as you wanted.
RUTH:
“Apples! Pears! Ca... . cumbers!”
BEATRICE:
‘My father made-up forall the other men in this
‘ybole world, Ruth. only:you two could bave
net. He'd only be about seventy now, do you
realize that? And Pll’bet be'd:stil be selling
les around town. All that fon-—and then
Yidon'tchinkcI ever knew what seally hie me
RUTH:
Don’t cell about—
BEATRICE:
‘Don'tsworry-about the horses:
RUTH: " <
‘What hit you? 3
|
|
|
BEATRIGE: 5»
‘Well ix was just-me‘and:Papa-+ and your
father hanging around. And then Papa got
sick.”. -and drove with him up to.the sana
torium. And then I came home and there ‘were the horses—
RUTH:
Mother!
BEATRICE:
‘And I had the horses . . . taken care of: And
‘then Papa got terribly sick and he begged me to
marry so that he'd be sure Pd-be taken care of,
She langts.
fhe knew how I was-taken care of he'd turn
cover in his grave. -
‘And nightmares! Do: you want to know the
nightmare I used to have?
T never had nightmares over the fights wich
your father, or the divorce, or his thrombo-
sische deserved it—I never-had nightmares
over any of that.
[Let me tell you about my nightmare that used
to come back and back
Well; Pm on Papa's wagon, but its mewer and
arene
shinier, fd ics being pulled by beautiful white
horses, not dirty: workhorses—these are like
‘izeus horses with long manes and tinsel—and
the wagon is blne;.shiny blues-And it full—
filled with yellow apples and grapes and green
‘Wou'se going:to laugh when you hear this, Pm
“wearing 2 lovely gown with-jexils all over it,
‘saud.aiy nis is piled ap ontop of my head with
‘along feather in it, andthe bells ae ringing.
‘Hauge: bells swinging: on a gold. braid: strung
‘across the back of the wagon, and they're going
DONG, DONG . ... DONG, DONG. And
‘Ym yelling “APPLES! PEARS! CUCUM . . .
BERS!"
RUTH:
‘That doesn’t sound like a nightmare to me.
BEATRICE:
‘And then I turn down our street and all the
noise stops. This long street, with all the doors
of the houses shut and everything crowded
next to each other, and there not.a soul
around. And then I start getting afraid that the
s vegetables are-going to spoil... and that
nobody's going to buy anything, and I feel as
though T shouldn't be on the wagon, and I
keep trying to call out,
Bur there isn't a sound. Nor a single:sound,
‘Then I tam my head and look at the house
‘across the strect. I see an upstairs window, and
a pair of hands pull the curtains slowly apare. I
see'the face-of my father and my heart stands-
Ruth... take the light out of my eyes:
Allng pause.
RUTH:
Is Nanny going to die here?
BEATRICE:
No.
RUTH: :
‘How can you be sure?
BEATRICE:
Tean tell.
RUTH:
“Are you crying?
BEATRICE:
‘What’ left for: me; Ruth?
RUTH:
Whar, Mama?
BEATRICE:
‘What's left forme?
The stage goct sol. dare asthe drizaling rain
Becomes louder and then disappears.
When tbe lights come up again NANNY is seated at
‘the kitchen table with a bottle of beer anda glass in
fron. of bet ILL comes. the front doar witb a
boxof large marigald plants and sets them dran
‘wbere theyl be inconspicuous. She gets the rabbit
exe of ts cage sis don near NANNY and gives ber
«a lrlezmave, BEATRICE Suddenly appears at the xp
of the sees and drops a-rack of newspapers with @
dead thd. She! goes back into ber ream and les ly
another armaf of fink. TILE:
‘What are you doing?
BEATRICE:
A lide housecleaning, and you're going to
help. You can start by getting rid ofthat rabbit
or Pll suffocate the bastard
She takes 0 drink from a glass of whiskey.
‘You don’t think I will, do you? You wait and
see. Where's Ruth? She’ probably. running
‘around the school-yard in her brassiere.
She conies downstairs.
TILLE:
‘Mother, they want me to do something at
school.
BEATRICE:
NANNY! DID-YOU HEAR THAT? THEY
WANT HER.TO.DO SOMETHING aT
SCHOOL! ISN'T -THAT MOMENTOUS,
NANNY? 7
‘Well I want you to do something around here.
Like get rd of that bunny. I'm being generous!
Pilletyou give ic away. Far away. Give ieto Mr.
Py
+ thatwibraves.
Goodman. T'd chloroform the thing myself,
but that crazy sister of yours would throw con-
vulsions for fify years. .. and T hate a house
‘And get tid of those soerle. marigolds. They
seink!
HI, NANNY—HOW ARE YOU, HONEY?
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO ON A
LONG TRIE?
‘You see, everybody, I spent today taking ‘stock
of my life and I've come up with zero! I added
vp all the separate: departments and the total
reads 2er0 .
‘Zero Zero. zZer0 zer0-zerO zero zero zerO zero
‘zero-zerozer0
zero zero zero
zero 2870
00. :
«+--And do you know how you pronounce that,
‘with all your grammatical schoolin’-and
foolin’? You: pronounce it 0, 0; 0;°0, 0,0, O,
0,0, Of 0, 0, 0; 0, O, O, 0,0; 0, O, 0, OF Right, Nanny? RIGHT, NANNY?
So, by the end of the week, you get rid of that
cottontail compost heap and we'll get you ajob
down at the five-and-ten-cent store. And if
you dor’t do so well with the public, we'll fix
you up with some kind of machine. Wouldn’t
that be nice?
RUTH cnsers ata gallop, throwing ber books dawn
‘and babbling « mile a mire.
RUTH: Enthusiastcaly.
Can you believe it? I didn’t, until Chris Burns
came up and told ime about itin- Geography,
and then Mr. Goodman to'd me. himself
during the eighth period in the office when I
‘was eavesdropping. Aren't you so happy you
could bust? Tillie? P'm so proud I can’t believe
it, Mama. Everybody was talking abourit and
nobody . . . well, ie was the frst. time they all
‘came up screaming about her and I suid, “Yes,
she’s my sister!” [said it, “Shes my sister! My
sister! My sister” Give me a cigarette.
BEATRICE:
Get your hands off my personal property.
RUTH:
Tl scratch your back later.
BEATRICE:
1 don't want you to touch me!
RUTH:
‘Did -he call yee? My God, T can’t believe it, I
juse can’t
BEATRICE:
Did who‘call yet?
RUTH:
Ym not supposed to tell you, as Mr.
Goodman's private secretary, but you're going
tw get call from school.
BEATRICE: 7% TRUE.
‘What is she talking about?
TILUE:
Iwas in the Science Fair at school.
RUTH: Ee
Didn't she tell you yer? Oh, Tillie, how could
you? She’ fantastic, Mama! She's a finalise in
the Sciencé Fair. There were only five of them,
‘out of hundreds.and hundreds. She won with all those’ plants over there. They're: freaks!
Isn't that a scream? Dr. Berg picked her him-
self The principal! And Theard Mr. Goodeian
say she. was going tw be another Madam
Pasteur and-he never saw a girl do anything
like that before and .. . so I told everybody,
“Yes, she's my. sister!” Tillie, “You're: my
sister!” I said. And Mr. Goodman called the
Advance and they're coming to take your pie-
‘ture, Ob, Mama, isn’t it crazy? And nobody
laughed at her, Mama. She beat out practically
everybody and nobody. laughed, at her. “She’s
sy sister,” I said. “She's my sister!”
The telephone rings.
‘That oust be him! Mama, answerit—Pm aftaid.
Ring,
Answer it before he hangs up!
Ring.
‘Mama! He's gonna hang up!
Aside 19 BEATRICE.
Is him! .. Juse a minute; please
RUTH: 5
Told him you were here! Manna!
BEATRICE gets np and sft sli) t9 the phone.
BEATRICE: Finally, into the phone.
Yeo? . -, Thnow who you are, Dr Berg... :
sees. Coulda'tyou get someone else?There’s |
an awfal lot of work that has to be done
around here, because she’ novas'carefal with
her home duties'as shé i with man-in-the-
moon marigolds... Pause, then sreareing
SAID TD THINK ABOUT IT!
‘She bangs up the phone, marns ker face lly 2
RUTH, then to TILLIE, who bas ber face bidden i=
shanae in the rabbit's fir
RUTH:
‘What did he say?
BEATRICE: Flinging ber glass om the floor.
How could you do this vo me? HOW
COULD YOU LET THAT MAN.CALL
OUR HOME!
Thave no clothes, do you hear me? Pd look jast
Tike you up on the stage, ugly lcd you!
DO YOU WANT THEM TO LAUGH AT
‘Us? LAUGH AT THE TWO OF US?
“TILLIE: Through ears.
Bur... nobody laughed at me-
pearnice’s face begins 10 soften as she glimpses
cphat she’s done to TLE.
BEATRIC:
‘Ob, my God.
patna starts ward er. BEATRICE opens ber ars
to receive ber as music stars in and lights fade. A
ord of finality pnceuates the end of Act I. About too weeks later.
The room looks somewhat cheery and where is
excitement nthe air [es early eening and prepa-
rations are being made for THLE. to take ber pro~
jece to the final judging of the Scimce Fair
‘TLLEE bas been dresed by ber mother in clothes
‘which are clean but to girlish fr ber awkward
ness. Her bair bat been curled, cbe sports large
bow, and ber Gres is. surcbed fain
RUTH bas dresed herself up as well She bas ps on
too much makeup, end ber ‘ipsick bas been
extended beyond the navural line of ber lips. Sbe
almost appears tobe sinister
A large three-panel sere stands on one of the
tables, THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS
ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS is
printed ia larg lester rcmning caress the tap ofthe
three panels. Below this om eaci panel there is @
subiopic: THE PAST, THE PRESENT; THE FUTURE.
“Adiicional chores and data appesr below the titles.
RUTH:
‘The only competition you have to worry about
is Janice Vickery. They say she caught it near
“
Princess Bay Boulevard and-it was still alive
‘when she took the skin off it.
“TELLIE: Taking some plants from RUTH.
Let me do that, please, Ruth.
RUTH:
Ym somy I touched them, realy.
‘TILLIE:
“Why don’t you feed Petes?
RUTH: i
1 don't feel like feeding him .. . Now
feel like feeding him.
‘Sbe gets some ltzuce from s bag
‘heard that screamed for three minutes after
she put it in‘becanse the water: wasn't boiling
yet How much tslent-does it-take to boil the
skin off cat and then stick the bones together
again? ‘Thar’s what I-want to know. Ugh. Thad
1 dream about that, too. I figure she did it in
Jess than a day and'she ends up as one of the
top five winners . . . and-you spend months
‘growing atomic flowers. TILL:
Don't you think you should. fnish--getting
ready?
RUTH:
Finish? This is itt
‘TILLIE:
“Are you going to wear that sweater?
RUTH:
‘Look, don't worry about me. I'm nor getting
‘p-on any stage, and if I did T woulda’ be
‘caught dead with horeble bow like that.
‘TILLIE:
‘Mosher putit—
Mama: Ob, let ne take that bow off
Feball sight. :
RUTH:
Took, jase sit sil. T- donte want everybody
making fon of you
“What made-you say-that about Mama?
yonerday. Mr. Goodman and Miss Hanley.
Shek gening $12:63 to-chaperon the thing
‘tonight
TILL:
‘What were they saying?
tbennuse abe sounded: crazy-over:the phone.
‘And Miss Hanley- aid she-was crazy and she
“ways has been crazy and she can't wat 10 S06 what she looks like afterall tiese years,
‘Miss Hanley said her nicknams used ro be
Betty the Laan,
TILLIE: As RUTH consis ber Bair,
Ruth, you're hurting me.
RUTH:
She was just like you and everybody. thoughe
she was a big weirdo. There! You look mnch
Deter!
‘She goes back tothe rabbis.
Peter, if anybody stuck you in a rot of boiling
water Pd lil them, do you now tha...
Then to TLL.
Whar do they call boiling the skin off cat? I
call it murder, that’s what I call it They say it
‘was hi.by a car and Janice just scooped it up
and before you could -say bingo it was scream-
ing in a pot of boiling water ..
Do you know what they're all waiting to see?
‘Mama's feathers! That's. what Miss “Hanley
said. She'said:Mama blabs as though'she was
the Queen of England and justasproperas can
bbe, and that her idea of gerting diessed up is to
put on all the feathers in the-world‘and-go as a
bird. Always ying to get somewhere, like a
great big bird.
THLE:
Don't tell Mama, please. It doesn't matter
-RUTH:
I was up’ there watching her getting dsessed
and sure enough, she’s got the feathers out.
‘TILLE:
‘You didn't tell her what Miss Hanley said?
RUTH: eh pitay
Are you kidding? Tjust told her I-dida’t like the
feathers and I didn’t think-shé should wear
any. But Pl bet she doesn’t listen to-me.
TILLE:
‘Ir doesn’t matter.
RUTH: :
Ir doesn’t matter? Do you think I-want to be
laughed tight out of the school tonight, with (Chris Burns there, and all? Laughed right out
of the school, with your electric hair and her
feathers on that sage, and Miss Hanley split-
RUTH:
For the, All for me. What do you care? Hic
doesn't niean anything to you anymers, nov
ting her sides? that you've got all those crazy plants.
TILLE: “TILLIE: «
‘Promise me you won't say ‘Will you'stop?
RUTH: RUTH:
‘On one condition. Tt you don’ yivechim 10 me‘T'm going 10
: ‘Mama that everybody’ waiting to laugh 2t he
‘TILLE:
‘What? TILUE:
“Where are those typewritten cards?
et RUTH:
keel Give Peter to me. Do RUTE:
x ‘MEAN IT! Give him to met
“TILLIE: Ignoring ber. : og
: “The toni wil behere any minute and Iwon't -£ THLLIES = 7
Bes have: all. this scuff ready. Did you see my 1 ‘Does he mean that much to you?
: speech? 2
= RUTH:
RUTH: Yes!
Tmean i. Give Peter tome
‘ TILL
‘TILLE: ‘All right
‘He belongs to all of us. RUTH: After a burst of private laughter.
Betty the Loon .
She leughs again.
That’ what they wed to call her, you know.
Betty the Loon!
TULLE:
I don't think thats very nice.
RUTH:
First they had Beay the Loon, and now
they've got Tillie the Loon...
Tarabbie
You don't have to worry about me turning:
in for any old plants... ames
How much docs taxi cost from here to the
school?
TILLE:
Not much.
EERO eee
eR RE ia et
RUTH: “
I wish she'd give me the-money it costs for 2
‘uxi-—and for all that cardboard and paint and
flowerpots and staff. The only time she ever
smade’a fass:over:me'was when she drove me
nats.
TILLIE:
“Tall her to hurry please.
RUTH:
By the way, I went over to see Janice Vickery’s
pot: thar shé-aid you lniow what in, and I
started telling her and her mother about the
worms in Mr. Alexander Brougham’s legs, and
“I got thrown out because it was too near
dinner time. ‘That Mis. Vickery hills me. She
can’t stand worms in somebody else's legs but
she lets her daughtér cook a cat.
“TILLIB: Calling upstairs.
‘Mother! The taxi will be here any minute
BEATRICE comes to the 1p of the stair. Her cos-
ume is sorange, but not that strange, by amy
ameans. She is ven a liste atractve tonight, and
eg bet wordy se i greatly anneyed with Levins t ttond be righ fen, der tone and
rection. i Prowd.,
hole damn ching, 'm not making any speech
shew she is oery, Tan hold my own anywhere, but I hace thar
whea Iwent there and Ehate it now .
BEATRICE: and the only thing T'd have to say is, what
{evr lucky Pm coming, without ales rsh ack of stupid teachers and vicious children
ing me. they have, Imagine someone tearing the skin
offa cat,
TILL: Bag
‘Mama, you look beautiful RUTH:
e didn’t tear it. She boiled ic off
BEATRICE: —
Pont pot it on too thick I sid Pd go and T ‘BEATRICE: +
gies therel.no way co get our of it Do ‘You justtoldime upstairs that giel tore the skin
Zhind willing me how I'm supposed vo get up of with an orange Inife and... do you know,
Sh fie 8288? Do they call my mame or sha sometimes you exasperate me?
And wi FE You going to be? Ifyou ack me
they should've scarall the parents» wine” Brau,
Srephed sheet of inseructions. If ehis sup
fosed to be such.a great event, why dea they
do fe vighe?
HE you've got all the plants in this box, I can
manage the folding thing. Do you know I've
Bot avheadache from doing those titles? And
you probably don’t even like them,
TILLE:
‘Tike them very much.
BEATRICE:
Look; if you don't want me to go tonight, I
‘thing. going: to, last? And
‘Teare even if you do win the
* don't have to. You're about as enthusiastic as a
‘dummy about this whole thing.
TLL:
Tm sony.
BEATRICE:
‘And I refuse wo let you get nervous. Put that
bow back im your kin
RUTH:
Ttook ir out.
BEATRICE:
‘What did you do thar for?
RUTH: Taking the rabbit in Ber arms,
‘Because it made her look erazy.
BEATRICE; : as
How would you know whats, crazy or not? If
‘that sweater of yours was any, tighter i?d cut
off the circulation in your chest.
Fussing over LLIB.
‘The bow looks very nice in your hair. There's
nothing wrong with looking propes, Matilda,
and if you don’t have enough money to look
expensive and perfect, people like you for
ying to look nice. You know, one day maybe
you will be preety. You'll have some nice fea
‘cures, when that hair revives and you do some
tricks wich makeup. I hope you didn’t crowd
the plants too close together. Did you find
‘your speech?
Yes, Mother.
BEATRICE:
You. now; Matilda; I was wondering about
something. Do you think you're really going
to win? Y mean, not that you won't be the best,
bbut there’s.so smuch politics in school. Don't
Jaugh, bucif chere’ anyone who's an expert on
that; i's me;and someday I'm going to write a
‘book and blast that school to pieces: If you're
jusca litde bit different in this world, they ty
tokill you off.. =
RUTH: Piting'on beroat.
‘Tillie gave Peter tome.
BEATRICE:
‘Oh2:Then you inherited the rabbit droppings
7 T found upstairs. What are you doing with
your coat on?
RUTH:
Pim going out to wait for the mai.
BEATRICE:
Ob, no you're not You starrright in on the
rabbit droppings. Or you won't get another
‘igaretce even if you seratch my back with an
orange knife.
RUTH:
‘Tm going down to the school with you.
BEATRICE:
‘Oh, no you're not! You're going to keep com-
‘pany with chat corpse in there. Ifshe wakes up
and.stars. gagging’ just slip. her a shot of
whiskey.
The vai born blows outside.
Quick! Grab the plants, Matilda ger the
big thing.
RUTH:
‘Twant to go! promised ChrisBums I'd meet
him.
BEATRICE:
Can't you understand English?
RUTH:
Tye gotto go!
BEATRICE:
Shue up!
RUTH: Alnast berserk
don't care. YM GOING ANYWAY!
BEATRICE: Shooing RUTH bard.
WHAT DID You say?
TLUE:
Mother!
After a pause, the born blows again,
BEATRICE:
‘Hurry up with that box, Matilda, and tell him
to stop blowing the hom. HURRY UP!
SELL relectontly ex wit the be of plane.
2 Ldon'tnow where youeyer got the ides you
were going tonight. Did you think nobody was
going to hold down the fort... Now you lmow how I fel all shosé-years you
and everybody else was ranning:ou-whenever
they felt like je—because there was always me -
comatch over the fifty-dollar-a-week cots. TF
there’ one thing I demand ie respect T don't
ask for anything from you bur respect. --"”
juse a litle. proud!. Jesus Christ! And’ you
begoudge me even that, you liale bastard.
Harty up. They’re waiting for you... They're
RUTH: Pesbetically. awaiting foryou.
‘Why are you ashamed of me
BEATRICE: : 2
Eve been seen‘ with-2 lot worse than-you. T
don’t even know. why I'm going tonighs, do
you know that2Do. you think -E:give” one
‘goddam about the whole thing...
‘She scares fold the large threepnel seen with
‘the tides: THE PAST, THE PRESENT, and THE
FUTURE. ‘
Bes : You're: such. a little lia, Ruth,-do. you know
Do you want to know why Tm goitig® De you ‘that? When you can‘thave what you want, you
really wanetd know why: this once. :
else has to stickwith that dried prune-for, afew.
minutes? Because-this-is thesfire time: in, my.
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