Time: The
present. Mid-evening.
Setting: A
child’s room, empty except for a bed on which lies a doll (both should be
oversized to make the actress appear smaller). The frame of a window may be
included to one side, or it may be indicated by pantomime. Any other furniture
is optional.
A BABY is crying from offstage. That’s all we hear for a
moment or two, until a man shouts.
FATHER: (Offstage) Can’t you shut that kid up?
MOTHER: (Offstage) That’s right! Take it out on a baby!
FATHER: And you, young lady, you get to your room and get ready for bed! No arguments, Brittany Ann! Just march!
After a moment,
The BABY stops crying while
MOTHER: (Offstage) Well, is the big bad ogre satisfied now? Is it quiet enough for him?
FATHER: (Offstage) If you’d shut up, maybe it would be!
During the remainder of this scene, FATHER and MOTHER
continue fighting offstage while
|
MOTHER: So, you’re getting bolder now! You can dominate children and babies, so you think you can dominate me, too. Well, mister, I’ve had just about enough of your macho me-me-me attitude! FATHER: Thanks. Thanks a lot. I go out and work all day and put up with all sorts of garbage while you lounge around – MOTHER: Lounge around?! FATHER: Lounge around! Look at this dump! Just what have you done all day? MOTHER: I don’t believe it! Britanny’s off from school, I’ve got a nine-month-old to take care of, and you want to know what I do? While you sit at your desk and flirt with the secretaries and swap dirty jokes with “the boys” – FATHER: You know I don’t do any of that! MOTHER: Why? Because of your “Christian witness”? Hah! Some Christian witness you’ve got, coming home today half drunk from your office party! What’s happened to you? You never used to be like that! FATHER: What do you know about the pressure I’ve got to face at work? Anyway, your witness isn’t much better, with all the garbage you watch on cable! MOTHER: I don’t see you turning off the T and A movies! FATHER: At least I wait ‘til MOTHER: Have you heard yourself in the car lately?
Or when you ball game isn’t going your way? I bet you can’t guess what FATHER: Okay, you’ve made your point. Can we just drop it? MOTHER: What, when I’m right, we should just drop it? And when you’re right you get to rub it in? (Pause) Where are you going? FATHER: I just want to get out for a while. MOTHER: Where? It’s Christmas Eve, there’s nothing open! FATHER: An open field at twenty below is better than this screaming at each other. Look, I don’t like fighting like this, but right now I just need a little time to calm down, okay? (Pause) What’s this? MOTHER: That’s one of FATHER: Jeez, another one of those stupid dolls? MOTHER: Keep your voice down, she’ll hear you! You know how much she loves her Melissa Jane! FATHER: So are we gonna get sued again this year because you trampled some old lady just to get this thing? MOTHER: That’s not fair! You know I didn’t trample anyone – someone else cracked her ribs, but she turned on me! FATHER: So you said. But these days you could make Attila the Hun look shy! MOTHER: What’s with you? Why are you doing this? (Starts to cry) You never talked to me like this when we were first married! FATHER: Yeah, well things change. You were never a shrew when we were first married, either. (Pause) Look, I’m sorry. But I’ve got to get out of here for a while. We’ll talk when I get back. MOTHER: (Crying) Talk? Like you’re talking now? How do I even know you’re going to be sober enough to talk? FATHER: Look, just forget it! God, why do I even try? The door
slams. |
She starts taking clothing out for the doll, then begins brushing its hair. We have to look ‘specially pretty tomorrow, ‘Lissa Jane, ‘cause it’s Christmas. We’re gonna go to church and then come home and open presents. And if you’re real good, you’ll get a little brother just like mine. She continues to primp her doll, then
begins to dress it, murmuring encouragements such as “put your arm through
here” and “that’s a good girl, then.” When she’s done, she sets the doll to one side, but continues
to speak to it. Now you keep that dress nice, young lady, or I’ll have to spank you. She sits next to the doll and takes out a book. After looking at it for a moment, she sets it aside. ‘Lissa Jane, d’you want a brother? I like David, ‘cept he’s only a baby, ‘n’ I can’t play with him much. I don’t think Daddy likes David a lot. He was awful mad when Mommy told him she was gonna have another baby. But I like him. She picks up her book again, glances at it, and sets it aside again. I know, ‘Lissa Jane! Let’s sing! We learned Christmas songs in Sunday school. Let’s see. “Away in a manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus lays down his sweet head. Hmmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm-mmm, the little Lord Jesus is sleeping on hay”. (Claps her hands) Oh, that was very pretty, ‘Lissa Jane! She hums
some more. You know, I wish you could come to Sunday school with me, ‘Lissa Jane. Miss Evans is so nice, and she teaches us lots about Jesus. Tomorrow is his birthday, you know. I got lots of presents on my birthday. I wonder if Jesus ever had a birthday party? She gets up and wanders around, playing half-heartedly with other toys. Miss Evans says that Joseph wasn’t Jesus’s real father. He just ‘dopted Him, like I ‘dopted you, ‘Lissa Jane. God was Jesus’s real father. Miss Evans says we call God “Father” ‘cause He’s like a Daddy to us. Do you think so, ‘Lissa Jane? (Pauses) I hope not. I don’t want God to be mean. She comes back and sits by her doll, looking glum. I wonder if God ever yelled at Jesus? She sits and listens, biting on her lower lip and hugging her doll. (Softly) I wish they’d stop. I don’t like it when they yell. She gets up and begins to leave the room, then hesitates. We can’t go out there, ‘Lissa Jane, or they’ll be mad at us, too. (Listens, then says, softly:) Don’t cry, Mommy! She puts her hands over her ears and wanders to the window. Look, ‘Lissa Jane! It snowed! Now Santa will have lots of snow for his sleigh! (Pause) Look up there, ‘Lissa Jane. See that big, bright star? I wonder if that was baby Jesus’s star? |
We hear MOTHER’s sobs as
The lights fade, leaving only the sound of MOTHER weeping in the dark. The sounds gradually take on a mechanical quality, sounding as though they were coming over a speaker. This carries us into the next scene.