Clybourne Park Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  CHARACTERS

  Act I

  Act II

  TIME AND PLACE

  CLYBOURNE PARK

  CLYBOURNE PARK

  Copyright Page

  For Frances Watson

  CHARACTERS

  ACT I (1959)

  RUSS white, late 40’s

  BEV married to RUSS white, 40’s

  FRANCINE black, 30’s

  JIM white, late 20’s

  ALBERT married to FRANCINE black, 30’s

  KARL white, 30’s

  BETSY married to KARL late 20’s

  ACT II (2009)

  TOM (PLAYED BY THE ACTOR WHO PLAYED) JIM

  LINDSEY BETSY

  KATHY BEV

  STEVE married to LINDSEY KARL

  LENA FRANCINE

  KEVIN married to LENA ALBERT

  DAN RUSS

  KENNETH JIM

  Note: In the original production, the actor playing Jim and Tom also played the role of Kenneth. In some subsequent productions a separate actor was hired to play the role of Kenneth alone.

  Act I

  (September 1959. Three o’clock, Saturday afternoon. The house is in disarray. Cardboard boxes are stacked in corners. Some furniture has been removed, shelves emptied Pictures have been removed from the walls and carpets have been rolled and stood on end. Not far from the fireplace, RUSS sits alone reading a copy of National Geographic. He is dressed in pajama top and chinos, socks, no shoes. On a table next to him sits a carton of ice cream into which, from time to time, he dips a spoon. Music plays softly on a radio next to him.)

  (After some time, BEV descends the stairs carrying linens to place in a cardboard box. As she packs, she stops to look at RUSS.)

  BEV

  You’re not going to eat all of that, are you?

  (He turns down the radio.)

  RUSS

  (with his mouth full)

  Whaddya say?

  BEV

  What ice cream is that?

  RUSS

  Um. (Looks at the carton.) Neapolitan.

  BEV

  Well, don’t feel compelled to eat that.

  RUSS

  (shrugs, barely audible)

  Going to waste.

  (He turns the radio back up and FRANCINE enters from the kitchen, wearing a maid’s uniform. RUSS remains in the foreground as BEV joins her.)

  FRANCINE

  (to BEV)

  So, if it’s all right I’m just going to put these candlesticks here in the big box with the utensils.

  BEV

  That is what I would do, yes, but you do mean to wrap them first?

  FRANCINE

  Oh, Yes ma’am.

  BEV

  Oh. Now: Francine: I was wondering about this chafing dish, which we have practically never used.

  FRANCINE

  Yes ma’am.

  BEV

  Do you own one of these yourself?

  FRANCINE

  No, I sure don’t.

  BEV

  Because I do love to entertain though for the life of me I can’t remember the last time we did. But still, it does seem a shame to give it away because it’s just such a nice thing, isn’t it?

  FRANCINE

  Oh, yes it is.

  BEV

  And it’s just looks so lonely sitting there in the cupboard so: I was wondering if this might be the sort of thing that would be useful to you?

  FRANCINE

  Ohhhh, thank you, I couldn’t take that.

  BEV

  (re: chafing dish)

  See how sad he looks?

  FRANCINE

  You don’t want to be giving that to me.

  BEV

  Well, nonetheless I’m offering.

  FRANCINE

  No, I don’t think I should.

  BEV

  Well, you think about it.

  FRANCINE

  But thank you for offering.

  BEV

  You think about it and let me know.

  FRANCINE

  Yes ma’am.

  BE/

  And do put some paper around those.

  FRANCINE

  Yes ma’am.

  (FRANCINE goes into kitchen. BEV continues packing, passing RUSS as she crosses.)

  BEV

  That’s a funny word, isn’t it? Neapolitan.

  RUSS

  (turns off radio)

  Funny what way?

  BEV

  What do you suppose is the origin of that?

  RUSS

  Uhhh … Naples, I imagine.

  BEV

  Naples?

  RUSS

  City of Naples?

  BEV

  Noooo.

  RUSS

  Of or pertaining to.

  BEV

  That would not be my first guess.

  RUSS

  Yup.

  BEV

  I would think it had something to do with neo, as in something new, and then there’s the – politan part which to me would suggest a city, like metropolitan.

  RUSS

  Could be.

  BEY

  Meaning new city or something to that effect.

  RUSS

  (shrugs)

  Told you what I think.

  BEV

  Because a person from Naples, I mean they wouldn’t be called, well, not Napoleon, obviously. I guess that was already taken! (laughs, then serous) On the other hand, you do say Italian. But cities, though, and specifically ones that end in S, because there must be a rule of some sort, don’t you think? Help me think of a city other than Naples that also ends in S?

  (Pause.)

  RUSS

  Uhhh –

  BEV

  Oh fiddle. Um.

  RUSS

  Des Moines.

  BEV

  Not a silent S.

  RUSS

  Brussels.

  BEV

  All right. There you go. And how do we refer to them?

  RUSS

  Belgians.

  BEV

  But, the people from the city.

  RUSS

  Never met anyone from Brussels.

  BEV

  But there has to be a word.

  RUSS

  Look it up.

  BEV

  Where?

  RUSS

  Dictionary?

  BEV

  But it’s not going to say this is the capital of Belgium and by the way the people who live there are called –

  RUSS

  Give Sally a call.

  BEV

  She won’t know that.

  RUSS

  She and Ray went to Paris.

  BEV

  So?

  RUSS

  Close to Brussels.

  BEV

  Sally never knows those sort of things.

  RUSS

  Oh. Oh.

  BEV

  What?

  RUSS

  Parisians.

  BEV

  What about them?

  (FRANCINE returns with more packing.)

  RUSS

  Paris ends in S.

  BEV

  But - It’s not Brusselsians.

  RUSS

  Or Nice.

  BEV

  I’m serious.

  RUSS

  Got the “S” sound.

  BEV

  But not Nicians. Like Grecians.

  RUSS

  No, no. Niçoise.

  BEV

  I know that, but –

  RUSS

  Know that salad your sister makes?

  BEV

  But that’s French.

  RUSS

  It
’s a French city.

  BEV

  I understand, but, I’m saying how would we say, in Eng– ? Well, now I don’t remember the original question.

  RUSS

  Brussels.

  BEV

  No no.

  RUSS

  Des Moines?

  BEV

  No.

  RUSS

  Naples.

  BEV

  Naples. And I don’t think Neopolitan. How would that become Neopolitan?

  RUSS

  Muscovites.

  BEV

  What?

  RUSS

  People from Moscow

  BEV

  Well, I give up, because that’s just peculiar.

  RUSS

  (chuckles at the word)

  Muscovites

  BEV

  (the same)

  I wonder if they’re musky.

  RUSS

  (savoring the sound)

  Musss-covites.

  BEV

  (coming up with one)

  Cairenes!

  RUSS

  That is a strange one.

  BEV

  I’m telling you, that’s what they’re called!

  RUSS

  I’m not disputing.

  BEV

  But why cairenes?

  RUSS

  (shrugs)

  Dated a girl named Irene.

  (FRANCINE exits again.)

  BEV

  Or Congolese?

  RUSS

  That, too, is correct.

  BEV

  So why don’t we say Tongalese?

  RUSS

  Or Mongolese.

  BEV

  No, Mongol-oid.

  RUSS

  No no, that’s different.

  BEV

  (embarrassed)

  Oh, you’re right.

  RUSS

  That’s uhhh, you know, that’s –

  BEV

  No, I know

  RUSS

  (tapping his finger on his temple)

  The thing with the –

  BEV

  (doing the same)

  Like the Wheeler boy.

  RUSS

  Right. The one who –

  BEV

  Bags the groceries.

  RUSS

  Right.

  BEV

  (beat, then:)

  But that’s nice, isn’t it, in a way? To know we all have our place.

  RUSS

  There but for the grace of God.

  BEV

  Exactly.

  (Pause. RUSS breaks it with:)

  RUSS

  (pronouncing grandly, with a sweep of his hand)

  Ulan Bator!

  BEV

  What?

  RUSS

  (an exact repeat)

  Ulan Bator!

  BEV

  What are you doing?

  RUSS

  (once again)

  Ulan – !

  BEV

  Stop it. Tell me what you’re doing.

  RUSS

  Capital of Mongolia.

  BEV

  Well, why would I know that?

  RUSS

  (shrugs)

  National Geographic.

  BEV

  Oh, oh … Did you change the address like I asked you?

  RUSS

  What do you mean?

  BEV

  For the National Geographic.

  RUSS

  The address?

  BEV

  Oh, Russ!

  RUSS

  Me?

  BEV

  I asked you.

  RUSS

  You did?

  BEV

  I asked you fifteen times.

  RUSS

  When?

  BEV

  I said don’t forget the change of address for the magazine and you promised me that you would, you promised me specifically — (cont’d)

  RUSS

  (overlapping)

  I did it last week.

  BEV

  (contiguous)

  – that you would see to it so I– Oh.

  RUSS

  Pulling your leg.

  BEV

  I see.

  RUSS

  (a gentle imitation)

  Oh Russ!!

  BEV

  Maybe people don’t like having their leg pulled.

  RUSS

  I was just – I was – Okay.

  (Pause.)

  BEV

  And are you going to bring that trunk down from upstairs?

  RUSS

  Yup.

  BEV

  Thought you said after lunch.

  RUSS

  Sort a two-person job.

  BEV

  And you really want to wear those clothes all day?

  RUSS

  Hadn’t really thought about it.

  (A silence passes between them. RUSS scratches his elbow.)

  BEV

  But you know, you are a funny person. I was telling Francine – I ran into Barbara Buckley at Lewis and Coker’s and Barbara said that Newland told her a funny joke that you told at Rotary last year.

  RUSS

  That I told?

  BEV

  About a man with a talking dog?

  RUSS

  (shakes his head)

  Thinking of Don Lassiter.

  BEV

  No, It was you.

  RUSS

  Don’s the one with the jokes.

  BEV

  You know jokes. You tell jokes.

  RUSS

  A talking dog?

  BEV

  And Barbara said does Russ not go to Rotary anymore? Apparently they all keep saying where’s Russ? (a beat, then) Not that I care one way or the other but it does seem that you used to enjoy going and I don’t see why that, of all things, should have to change – (cont’d)

  (RUSS shifts in his chair.)

  BEV

  (continuous, quickly)

  – and please don’t say what’s the point, Russ. I hate it when you say that. Because for that matter – (cont’d)

  RUSS

  (overlapping)

  I wasn’t going to say –

  BEV

  (continuous)

  – what’s the point of anything enjoyable, really? – (cont’d)