End of Act 1: Intrascene D [4th of July morning. Front of curtain. Virginia and Irving stroll onto apron. Irving is trying to hail a taxi but to no avail.] IRVING: Taxi. Taxi. VIRGINIA [fanning self]: It’s too hot to be jumping around like that Irving. Let’s just take the subway. IRVING: No. I want a taxi. Why do we keep going to these damfool parties? It’s 4th of July. People should be at the beach and not in some high falutin’ apartment. VIRGINIA: We go because we are family and because Jesse invites us. IRVING: I just feel so out of place with their crowd. City people talking about city stuff. Why did we ever leave the country? VIRGINIA: We left because you retired and we wanted in our final years to be close to our kids. Did you want to stay back there with your sister Ruth? You know that if you move back the house comes with Ruth. IRVING: Maybe we could get Ruth to move up here and then we could go back to our house. My daddy built that house. Why should Ruth get to live there? VIRGINIA: I miss home sometimes, too. The smell of jasmine, magnolias, pine trees, the rain upon the dry ground. Sitting on the porch waving at the neighbors as they drive by. Somedays, I would give anything just to hear somebody say “y’all.” [sighs deeply] But the city has its equal attractions. IRVING: Yes, I know. [In a voice mimicking Virginia’s romantic tone.]The smell of urine, rotting garbage, exhaust fumes. Sitting at the window watching the neighbors rob and kill each other. Just hearing people say, “Hey, buddy, are you looking at me?” VIRGINIA [laughs]: But we do get to see the children and Emma. If we were at home, we would only see them once or twice a year. We loved that house, that land, those neighbors . . . but we love our children more. The only reason to move is to be near that which you love the most. IRVING: But one day we will have to leave them permanently. Honey, I love my kids but I don’t want to die in the city. [They look at each other intently until Virginia breaks the gaze.] VIRGINIA: Enough talk about leaving and dying. We have a party to get to. Let’s find that subway. [She starts to exit.] IRVING: Ginny. VIRGINIA: What? IRVING: It’s not the house and the land that I think about when I think about home. It’s that young girl who sat on the porch swing with me. It’s the young bride that I carried over the threshold. It’s the wife waiting patiently by the window to catch the first glimpse of her husband returning from Vietnam. It’s the young mother bringing her babies back from the hospital. It’s the mature woman throwing a retirement party for her husband of forty-five years. To me that is what I think of when I think of home. So sweet Ginny, wherever you are, that is where I will call home. [They stare at one another briefly. She puts her arm in his, and they walk off as the lights go to black.] Act I - Scene 5– 4th of July [The furniture has been moved against the walls, and a large picnic blanket takes up center stage. Children are playing and eating on the blanket while partiers stand around the sides The apartment is decked out in red, white, and blue. Group singing as Neil dressed as Uncle Sam holds a small flag.] PARTIERS: [singing end of National Anthem] . . . The land of the free and the home of the brave. [Everyone applauds.] LAVONIA: Play ball and point me to the beer. [She exits upstage left.] Young boy [JOHNNY]: We were at the water park last week. I did a dive off the bouncy board. My tummy hit the water, and it really hurt. But mom said she was proud of me for being so brave. Young girl [LEAH]: Wow. Ive never been able to jump off the boards. Theyre too high for me. JOHNNY: Well maybe ask your mom if you can go with us sometime. I could jump off with you so you wouldnt be scared. LEAH: Would you hold my hand so I wouldnt be scared? JOHNNY: Nah. Holding hands is for old people who are in love. LEAH: Well, maybe you dont have to be old to be in love. JOHNNY: Sure you do. Thats part of getting old. I dont want to get old. I want to stay young forever. LEAH: It might not be so bad if you could feel young even when you do get old. You could find someone fun to be in love with. And you could feel just the same way we do right now. JOHNNY: That sounds neat. [music starts] Then I could feel young forever! [sings “You Make Me Feel So Young”] JOHNNY: You make me feel so young You make me feel like spring has sprung And every time I see you grin Im such a happy individual LEAH: The moment that you speak I wanna go play hide-and-seek I wanna go and bounce the moon Just like a toy balloon VIRGINIA and IRVING: You and I, are just like a couple of tots Running across a meadow Picking up lots of forget-me-nots You make me feel so young You make me feel there are songs to be sung Bells to be rung, and a wonderful fling to be flung JOHNNY and LEAH: And even when Im old and gray Im gonna feel the way I do today Cause you make me feel so young JOHNNY and LEAH: The moment that you speak I wanna go and play hide-and-seek I wanna go and bounce the moon Just like a toy balloon VIRGINIA and IRVING: You and I, are just like a couple of tots Running across a meadow Picking up lots of forget-me-nots VIRGINIA, IRVING, and KIDS: You make me feel so young You make me feel there are songs to be sung Bells to be rung, wonderful fling to be flung And even when Im old and gray Im gonna feel the way I do today Cause you, you make me feel so young ...You make me feel so young ...You make me feel so young ...Ohh you make me feel so young IRVING: Well, if that didnt take 30 years off me! VIRGINIA: It may have taken years off you, but Im feeling all mine. Lets go sit down. [As Virginia and Irving sit down, Emma and Bryan enter through the front door.] EMMA: Hey, Uncle Jesse! Sorry were late. JESSE: Neil! Emma and Bryan are here! Come say hi! NEIL: Hey, you two! [He hugs Emma and Bryan] JESSE: Oh, do the thing for them! NEIL: I... I already did it. JESSE: But they werent here. NEIL: [sighs then points at Emma and Bryan] I want you... to have a good party! [he slumps and sighs again. Emma and Bryan chuckle politely] JESSE: Oh, Emma! Alan is here. Hes back for the weekend from Ohio! EMMA: I havent seen him since he went off to school! [to Bryan] Ill be right back! [she crosses to Alan and begins to hug and laugh with him] [Bryan is left standing alone. PCB crosses to him and hands him a drink.] PCB: Well, dont they seem cozy. [Emma laughs and touches Alans arm] BRYAN: I think they were friends before he went to college. PCB: How good of friends, I wonder. BRYAN: I doubt its anything to worry about. [uncertainly] Right? [Another attractive young man crosses to Emma. She squeals with delight. He playfully dips her back and kisses her. She doesnt resist and laughs when he lets her up.] BRYAN: Now whos this guy?! PCB: Must be someone special. Did you see that kiss? [Bryan doesnt answer, but fumes] Ill say this. If I had a handsome guy like you in my life, I surely wouldnt be kissing on other guys. [Bryan has finally had enough. He crosses to Emma, grabs her arm and pulls her to center stage.] EMMA: [shocked] Bryan! Let go! Whats wrong with you? BRYAN: Whats wrong with me?! I wasnt the one who left her boyfriend alone so she could go kiss on other guys! EMMA: What?! You mean Michael? He was in choir with me in high school. He was like my brother. BRYAN: Well, that kiss didnt look brotherly to me! I just cant believe youd do this to me. EMMA: I had no idea you could be so jealous! BRYAN: Jealous? [music starts] You bet I am! [sings song about jealousy] [Song ends. Everyone at the party is staring at Bryan and Emma.] BRYAN: Im not sure I want to be with a girl who would play with my heart like that. [He walks to the door] EMMA: [calling after him] Bryan! Wait! [Bryan slams the door as he leaves. Emma pauses and then runs offstage in tears. Neil follows her. Jesse stands stunned for a moment.] JESSE: [solemnly] I think were done for now, everyone. [Curtain. Intermission.]
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 15:12:53 +0000
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