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The document is a script set in a bedroom in Providence, Rhode Island, on Valentine's Day in 1984, featuring a tense conversation between two siblings, Bobbie and Carol, about their father's deteriorating health. Carol is urging Bobbie to confront the reality of their father's condition and to support their mother, while Bobbie is in denial and dismissive of the situation. The dialogue reveals deep familial issues, emotional struggles, and contrasting perspectives on responsibility and care.
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Save northofprovidence (1) For Later BOBBIE — age 26
CAROL — age 28
PLACE and TIME
providence, Rhode Island. Valentine's Day. 1984, Morning:
SETTING
Sseatl bedroom with two single beds. A cafe tthe betes
Smal Mattered wth coffer cups newapapers Ay
Guido? Dia eat No, diju. I had a corfee cabinet an a wicked
good grinda. (A beat, She loks ai Bobbie) You hungry? (Bobbie
doesn't respond.) I'm starving. (She sits on bed and is looking
through her fockabock) I got raisins. satless nuis and sunflower
20
. tits that stuck out like canons, uh ..
seeds and oh ... a Tiger's Milk candy bar. I don’t suppose you
would want a... (He looks at her.) No, I guess not. Are you
bung?
ROBBIE. (Sofl.) Yeah
CAROL. Anything out in the kitchen I can get for you? (He
ceaiches her frat dow pocketbook then looks back up ai her)
BOBBIE. What?
CAROL. (Rising) Anything out in the kitchen to eat?
BOBBIE. Probly something. Why don’t you go look. (Bobbie
ives a slight mad of his head. Carol exits. Bobbie immediately picks
up her pockeibook and takes out ilfild. He removes the cash and
sinfs it into is pocket. Upon putting back biijld, he finds gem. Fe
Toaks tothe dresser and quickly puts gun in his suitcoat pocket. Passe
Carol reenter)
CAROL. (Sandwich om plate) Need 1 tell you what baloney is
made of?
BOBBIE. (Takes plaie) Baloncy is baloney.
CAROL. (She sits aerss from him.) Tony went to see Dad the
cther night. He said Dad told him that if he found out Tony
voted for Reagan, he'd haunt him forever. (Pause. Corl is eat
ing raisins) You exer see that giel .. uh .- the one who. had
she worked at Bess
Eaton doughnuts.
BOBBIF. Eating.) Cheryl
CAROL. Who?
BOBBIE. Cheryl. (He puts down sandaich and looks around for
lenge butt in eshirey)
CAROL, You smoke too much.
BOBBIE. Takes a man to face cancer. (Lights up.)
CAROL. That's sick. (4 face) Chery, right. You brought her
{0 Karen's wedding.
BOBBIE. Ann's wedding.
CAROL. Who was that you brought to Karen's wedding?
BOBBIE. I didn’t go to Karen's wedding.
CAROL. You were too at Karen's wedding.
BOBBIE. Nope.
CAROL. It was my wedding you didn’t come to.
BOBBIE. Where was Karen's wedding?
21 CAROL. I couldn't believe you didn’t come to my wedding.
was pissed.
BOBBIE, (Puts shoes on.) Where was Karen's wedding?
CAROL. You went to all the other weddings but not to mine.
BOBBIE. I didn’t go to Jean's first wedding.
CAROL, Nobody did.
BOBBIE, I went to Karen's wedding?
CAROL. You were with some other fat girl, I can't remem-
bber who but she was a blimpola, I remember tha.
BOBBIE. Marsha?
CAROL. Fatter.
BOBBIE. Where was Karen's wedding?
CAROL. Harp and Shamrock.
BOBBIE. That the one when Uncle Ritchie was doin the strip
tease an his false teeth fell outta his mouth?
CAROL. That was Kathy's wedding.
BOBBIE. At the Harp and Shamrock?
CAROL. Brunswick. (A beat) I was hurt you didn't come to
mine. My only brother an you couldn't drag ya lazy ass to
Seekonk.
BOBBIE. (Putting sweaier on) 1 was doin somethin. 1 forget
CAROL. We were close Bobbie, me an you. Was always Carol
and Bobbie. Like Donny and Marie cept we can't sing.
BOBBIE. Donna Cotter.
CAROL. What?
BOBBIE. Donna Gotter is the one I brought to ..
CAROL. Right, right, She had the legs that looked like they
were upside down.
BOBBIE. (Combing hair, pulting om more after shave) AIL you
sistas married wops an I never said nothin about it.
CAROL. (On her cum ivain of thought) We sort of. ub drifted
apart .. it was right alter the
BOBBIE. (Cutting her of) Stopl Don't even talk about itt
CAROL. It's all right now. 1 can taik about it.
BOBBIE. I don't want you to!
CAROL. Too bad what you want!
BOBBIE. 1 don’¢ want to hear it!
CAROL. It was strange ... well not too strange ... (Bobbie is
2
eroousy going though ashtray again) T thought it was weird that
fifa you were he tal the whisk ne an han tb
ten to uh .» the details
BORBIE. Do you have to bring this shit up? Huh? Do you
ralkin about itis what made it all better! It
became thin an went away. It was back in another life!
BOBBIE. Let's drop the subject.
CAROL. Did you think I was dirt cause I was raped? Is that
i2 Or — or maybe it wouldn't have happened if you had come
bby that night like we had planned? Everytime I babysat at
Shirley's, you always came over an we watched TV cause she
hhad that huge color set, remember? (Bobbie is pacing nervously)
When I was on the stand .. I used to look at you an — an
«= you know .. like . ‘e'mon, Bobbie .. help me through this,
please. Smile to me .." anything to — to get me by talkin,
about how .. he — he bit me all over an...
BOBBIE. Oh for chrissakes!
CAROL. (Centinuing.) But you gave me nothing! You sat next
to Dad, an you looked away every time .. every time! I mean
= why did you even bother coming? (A beat) 1 was at that
Butler Hospital for a whole year an you never wrote or visited
an — an when I came back home .. you was @ punk. A nickel
and dime hoodlum! Tough guy! Didn't give a shit about any-
thing or anybody an ... [don't know . you just kinda fell in
With Dad. You earae together at the same time an hung out
an did nothing! (A deat) [lost my brother and my virginity at
the same fucken time!
BOBBIE. (Cuts her off, grabs his coat and starts to leave) I'm
sgetin outta here!
CAROL. (Standing in front of him.) WHERE ARK YOU
GOING
BOBBIE. GET OUTTA MY WAY! (Carol shoves him and
idly picks up her pockebook. She reaches inside for her car hays)
CAROL. Tl go with you, (She stops. Looks inside pocketbook then
te Bobbie) You took
BOBBIE. It's mine. (ife holds the gun ups)
CAROL. You went through my pockethook!?
B CAROL. (Locking in bilfold) You stole some money ... 1
‘can't fucken believe this. YOU STOLE MONEY OUTTA
MY BILLFOLD! THEN YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE
CAUSE YOU HAD SOME MONEY! (She spils at him. Then
sutngs her pocketbook ol him; smashing his tody. He mows wp to his
‘bed and huddles im the corner covering himself. She removes his dirty
books from under the mattress and throws them ab him.) YOU NO
GOOD SON OF A BITCHIN BASTARD! YOU MAKE ME
SICK! SICK! (AU the magazines and newspapers are hurled at hin.
‘She empties the ashtrays and the boxes of cereat all over him.) OUR.
FUGKEN FATHER IS DYIN AND YOU'RE HERE... JERKIN
‘OFF AN — AN STEALING MONEY FROM ME AN (She is
Pounding on his back. He is not fighting her off) YOU .. CAN'T
DO ... THIS! YOU NO GOOD PRICK! I CAME HERE TO
TRY... AND SAVE YOUR SCUMBAG LIFE! 1 WAS HERE
TO HELP YOU! (She sto. Tears in her es. Breathing heavi.
‘She gets off the ted and sits on opposite bed. Bobbie is coured wih
sgerbage) “Go ahead Carol. if anybody can get him here, you
can. Hell listen to you" (A Wat) “Oh ... we're 30 afraid he's
gonna kill himself.” (Pause. Carol rv.) You're already gone
jack. You make the world stink up real bad an I'l tell you.
it makes me seared. Scared for my kids. (Pause) Last night Dad
told me to watch out for the “ten percenters.” Ninety per cent
of all people was good but be careful of the “ten pereenters.”
(Pause: She is cleansng her face with a Kleenex. Wiping her ojes and
nose.)
BOBBIE. (Very softly amidst the garbage all around him.)
Carol
GAROL. (She turns to him.) What? You want the gun? Where
is i (Looking around) I'l get the fucken thing for yal (Finds
i. Places it net to his face.) Go ahead. (She stops.) Cept you been
walkin dead man for twee years. A ghost .. (She furns and
(proceds tothe door.)
BOBBIE. Carol, 1. 1 ... I was on my way to Shirley's that
night .. Twas there im the front of the house .. (Carel stops)
Te was just gettin dark an I was walkin up the walk to the
By
hhouse an I heard this noise in the bushes an I. I saw this
uy there. He was bendin down an lookin in the window an
"an he came up to me pretty fast an told me he was
Shirley's brother an she wanted him to fx the window there
‘an 1 knew he wasn’t from the neighborhood but I didn't think
anythin about it. I mean .. he was white an scuff an he did
have tools with him. He asked me what I was doin there an T
told him about you .. an how I was just comin over to watch
television an he took twenty bucks outta his pocket an gave it
to me an asked if I would go down to Eddy Street to this
hardware store to pick up some nails an I told him Eddy
Street was pretty far an I'd have to take a bus an stuff an he
v= he said if did him the favor that could keep the change
which would be about seventeen bucks an... man ... | mean
seventeen bucks just for jumpin on a bus .. 20 I. whem f
went to open the door to tell you, he stopped me an told me
that he . he already told you aboat it an ...an that he was
waitin for me to come ana. (He is beginning 10 oy softy.) 1
remember runnin up Grace Street to Washington Park to get
the bus an feelin so happy bout this money an thinkin I'd get
tus a pizza at the Grecks to surprise you with an .. an like for
a minute when I was on the bus... I remember thinkin about
what he said to me like he asked me what I was doin there
‘an... an then later he told me that he had talked with you
fan was waitin for me, (Pouse) But I. T just forgot about it. 1
hhad this money... Pause) When I got back .. Uhad the pizza
an the nails an I opened the door... ! opened the door an
it was real dark ... just heard the big clock there .. ticking. 1
turned on 4 light .. that Panther light in the living room ~.
an 1... (Sobbing) saw your blouse .. ripped up an your shorts
an —an your bra... 1 got afraid (Caro! backs up to the bed
and just falls om it, siting wp. ier hands covering her face) Your
» Taw your legs sticking out from the kitchen .. you were
$0 sill an... your legs had marks an... 1 thought you was
dead. 1 was so scared .. I backed out ... still had the pizza in
‘my hand an just backed out the door an ran through Morans
yard over to Richard Street .. { couldn't stop my .. my head
2s poundin an I dumped the pizza an nails down the sewer TI pulled the firealarm ... 1 don't know why but I did
an did it on every street. (Pause) An I went down to the bay
an listened to the sirens .. they were everywhere... (Cart looks
Beli) When I got ome an sw he cop cars an TT went
an saw the cops had Dad pinned to the floor cause
he he wanted to go out an Kill the guy that did Jean
told me what .. what happened an that you .. wasn't dead an
TM never forget the look .. the Jook Dad had on his face
fan the way Ma was shaking... Nobody .. nobody was the same
(Pauze) When they caoght the guy an brought hiro
T went 10 a I went cause I was afraid he .. the
guy ~ that fucka .. I thought he'd tell about me or somethin
“but he never even got up to say anythin ... an the way those
lawyers yelled at you an... (Pouse.) Dad told me so many
times .. so many times in the last few years bout the whole
thing an .. how it was his fault cause he covldn'c keep a steady
Job an if he had alotta money .. it wouldn't have happened
an .. if he had alot of money he coulda got a good lawyer.
(Pause) U'm s0 sony .. Carol ». Vim s0 sorry .« I couldn't do
nothin right after it .. I just, T dunno ... T drank my brains
1.» anythin. (© stop thai feelin T had in my head. (Carl rises
and Stands of Bis bad, her face we with tear but im coral She holds
out her hand.)
CAROL. (Sil) Bobbie
BOBBIE, ‘So many nights T had to listen t0
about it. about his Miss America an...
CAROL. “Look at me
BOBBIE. (Looking to Carol) 1 lled him L ruined yout
CAROL. No! STOP!
BOBBIE, I'm just shit ..
CAROL. (Lielding Bobbie) No. No you're not. (Carol and Bob
Fie are together. She begins stroking his head. Bobbie hugs her. They
Dold onta each other, tightly, leving’s.)
BOBBIE. Ym sorry I
CAROL. (Sef) Shhh... Good for you. Good for you, (Lights
fase)
to Dad talkia
END OF PLAY
26
PROPERTY LIST
Gigarette, lit (Bobbie)
Red Sox poster '®
Beer clock
‘A small caliber handgun
‘A dozen empty beer cans
‘A table radio
‘A baloney sandwich on a plate (Carol)
Pocketbook (Cara!)
"of raising, nuts, sunflower seeds, Tiger's Mill
candy bar (Carol)
Gar keys
Money (for wallet)
‘After shave lotion (Old Spice), brush, comb
Newspapers
Girly magazines ;
Empty pack of cigarettes, cookies, cereal
‘Ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts
Coffee mug and glasses
a7
