Clybourne Park Read online

  (Pause.)

  KARL

  So: I contacted the family –

  JIM

  Wait wait wait.

  KARL

  (to RUSS)

  You’re saying Ted never bothered to tell you?

  RUSS

  We, uhh … sort of gave Ted free rein on the –

  JIM

  I don’t think you’re right on this one, Karl.

  KARL

  Oh, but I am. Oh, I’ve spoken with the family.

  RUSS

  Bev?

  JIM

  On the telephone?

  KARL

  Oh, no. As a matter of fact, Betsy and I’ve just come directly from … (beat, for effect) Well, from Hamilton Park.

  BEV

  (to RUSS)

  What is it?

  RUSS

  C’mere a second.

  KARL

  Now, Russ, you know as well as I do that this is a progressive community.

  BEV

  (to RUSS as she joins them)

  What’s he talking about?

  KARL

  If you take the case of Gelman’s grocery: That’s a fine example of how we’ve all embraced a different way of thinking –

  RUSS

  Slow down a second. Bev, get Ted Driscoll on the phone.

  BEV

  What for?

  RUSS

  Karl says. Karl is claiming –

  KARL

  Russ, I have met personally with the family, and –

  BEV

  What family?

  RUSS

  He claims this family. The family to whom Ted sold the house.

  KARL

  It’s a colored family.

  (Pause. JIM shakes his head.)

  JIM

  (to KARL)

  Sorry, don’t we say Negro, now?

  KARL

  (irritated)

  I say Negro – (cont’d.)

  JIM

  (overlapping)

  Well, it’s only common courtesy, and I’m –

  KARL

  (continuous)

  – I say them interchangeably – (cont’d.)

  JIM

  (overlapping)

  – not trying to tell you how to conduct your business.

  KARL

  (continuous)

  – and of course I said Negro to them - No I think we both know what you’re doing.

  JIM

  And furthermore, I don’t think Ted would pull a stunt like that.

  KARL

  Yes. We all admire Ted. But I don’t think any of us would accuse him of putting the community’s interests ahead of his own.

  BEV

  Oh, this is ridiculous.

  KARL

  And I don’t think any of us have forgotten what happened with the family that moved onto Kostner Avenue last year. Now, Kostner Avenue is one thing, but Clybourne Street –

  BEV

  Waitwaitwait. Karl, are you sure?

  KARL

  I was sitting with them not two hours ago.

  BEV

  But isn’t it possible that they’re … I don’t know, Mediterranean, or – ?

  KARL

  Bev, they are one hundred percent. And I don’t know how much time any of you have spent in Hamilton Park, but Betsy was waiting in the car and I can tell you, there are some unsavory characters.

  RUSS

  Karl?

  KARL

  But, in the case of Gelman’s: I think there was some mistrust at first, having been Kopeckne’s Market for such a long time, but in the end of all Murray Gelman found a way to fit in.

  BEV

  And they hired the Wheeler boy.

  JIM

  Is he the one with the - ? (taps his finger against his temple)

  BEV

  He’s the – you know (does the same)

  KARL

  And fitting into a community is really what it all comes down to.

  (A very loud THUMP from upstairs.)

  RUSS

  The heck is going on up there?

  KARL

  Now, some would say change is inevitable. And I can support that, if it’s change for the better. But I’ll tell you what I can’t support, and that’s disregarding the needs of the people who live in a community.

  BEV

  But don’t they have needs, too?

  KARL

  Don’t who?

  BEV

  The family.

  KARL

  Which family?

  BEV

  The ones who -

  KARL

  The. purchasers?

  BEV

  I mean, in, in, in, in principle, don’t we all deserve to – shouldn’t we all have the opportunity to, to, to –

  KARL

  (chuckles with amazement, shakes his head)

  Well, Bev.

  JIM

  In principle, no question.

  KARL

  But you can’t live in a principle, can you? Gotta live in a house.

  BEV

  And so do they.

  KARL

  Not in this house, they don’t.

  JIM

  But here’s the real question:

  KARL

  And what happened to love thy neighbor? If we’re being so principled.

  BEV

  They would become our neighbors.

  KARL

  And what about the neighbors you already have Bev?

  BEV

  I care about them, too!

  KARL

  Well, I’m afraid you can’t have it both ways.

  RUSS

  Okay. Assuming –

  BEV

  Wait. Why not?

  KARL

  Well, do the boundaries of the neighborhood extend indefinitely? Who shall we invite next, the Red Chinese?

  (ALBERT has tentatively come to the bottom of the stairs, jacket off.)

  JIM

  But the key question is this:

  BEV

  No. Why not have it both ways?

  KARL

  Darling, I came to talk to Russ.

  ALBERT

  ‘Scuse me, ma’am?.

  BEV

  Why not, if it would benefit someone?

  JIM

  But would they benefit?

  BEV

  If we could make them our neighbors.

  KARL

  But they won’t be your neighbors, Bev. You’re the ones moving away!

  JIM

  The question is, and it’s one worth asking:

  ALBERT

  Sorry to bother you?

  RUSS

  (taking charge, ignoring ALBERT)

  Okay. (beat) Let’s assume your information is correct.

  (Then suddenly, a large green Army footlocker comes sliding down the stairs with a noisy thumpeta-thumpeta-thumpeta-thump. ALBERT jumps out of the way.)

  ALBERT

  Sorry, sir, my fault! That was me. That was all my doing.

  FRANCINE

  (top of the stairs)

  That was my fault! I’m sorry!

  BEV

  Oh oh oh. What happened? Is everyone all right?

  RUSS

  Aw, for crying out loud! What the heck is the matter with people? Bev, darn it all!

  BEV

  (to RUSS)

  Why are you shouting? Everything’s fine, so – (cont’d.)

  RUSS

  (overlapping)

  Well, what did I tell you? (cont’d.)

  BEV

  (continuous)

  — please don’t do that, they’re just trying to help.

  RUSS

  (continuous)

  I told you I’d do it. You heard me plain as day.

  BETSY

  Eeeen ahhhh hurrrrhhh daaaaaa! (Even I heard that!)

  KARL

  (to RUSS and BEV)

  Little mishap, is it?

  ALBERT

  Little trouble making t
he corner, is all.

  FRANCINE

  (now downstairs)

  I’m sorry. It’s heavy and I lost my gr–

  RUSS

  (to ALBERT)

  Just leave the darn thing where it is.

  BEV

  We can’t leave it there.

  KARL

  May one be of asistance? –

  JIM

  Lend you a hand, if I could, but

  ALBERT

  What should we – ? would you prefer it if I – ?

  RUSS

  (to ALBERT)

  Just, just, just, just leave it.

  BEV

  But it’s blocking the way.

  FRANCINE

  No ma’am, I can step over.

  ALBERT

  It’s all right. I got her.

  (ALBERT helps FRANCINE climb over the box that now blocks the stairs.)

  KARL

  Anyway, let’s not drag this out ad infinitum.

  (RUSS, fed up, rises and exits to the basement, slamming the door behind him.)

  BEV

  Russ, don’t.

  JIM

  (to KARL)

  One second, if I might?

  (to FRANCINE)

  Sorry. Uh, Francine, is it?

  FRANCINE

  Yes sir?

  JIM

  Francine, we’ve just been having a little conversation here, and I was wondering if maybe we could spare us a couple of minutes of your time?

  KARL

  What good does that do? Go next door. Talk to the Olsens. Talk to those who stand to lose.

  JIM

  (ingoring him, to FRANCINE)

  I want to pose a little hypothetical to you. What if we said this: Let’s imagine you and your husband here, let’s say that the two of you had the opportunity to move from your current home into a different neighborhood, and let’s say that neighborhood happened to be this one.

  FRANCINE

  Well, I don’t think that we would, financially –

  JIM

  But for the sake of argument. Say you had the wherewithal. Would this be the sort of neighborhood you’d find an attractive place in which to live?

  (FRANCINE hesitates.)

  BEV

  Oh, this is so sil–

  FRANCINE

  It’s a very nice neighborhood.

  JIM

  (to FRANCINE)

  No, I’m asking, would the two of you – Would your fam– I assume you have children?

  FRANCINE

  Three children.

  JIM

  Oh, super. So, with your children, might this be the sort of place, bearing in mind that they, too, would stand to be affected – ?

  BEV

  This is confusing things! It’s confusing the issue!

  FRANCINE

  (to JIM)

  It’s a very lovely neighborh–

  JIM

  No, be honest. We want you to say.

  BEV

  (to FRANCINE)

  I think what Jim is asking, in his way –

  ALBERT

  He means living next to white folks.

  BEV

  I–I–I–I– well,yes.

  (Pause.)

  FRANCINE

  Well –

  BEV

  Francine and I have, over the years, the two of us have shared so many wonderful –

  (to FRANCINE)

  – Remember that time the squirrel came through the window?

  FRANCINE

  (smiling, indulging BEV)

  Yes, I do.

  BEV

  That was just the silliest - the two of us were just hysterical weren’t we?

  KARL

  (pressing ahead, to FRANCINE)

  Think of it this way.

  BEV

  (to the other)

  We still laugh about that.

  KARL

  I think that you’d agree, I’m assuming, that in the world, there exist certain differences. Agreed?

  FRANCINE

  What sort of differences?

  KARL

  That people live differently.

  FRANCINE

  (unsure)

  …Yes?

  KARL

  From one another.

  FRANCINE

  I agree with that.

  KARL

  Different customs, different … well, different foods, even. And those diff– here’s a funny – my wife Betsy, now, Betsy’s family happens to be Scandinavian, and on holidays they eat a thing known as lutefisk. And this is a dish, which I can tell you … (he chuckles) …is not to my liking at all. It’s … oh my goodness, let’s just say it’s gelatinous.

  BEV

  (indicating for him to stop)

  Karl?

  BETSY

  (to BEV)

  Whaaaaa sehhhhh? (What did he say?)

  BEV

  (over-pronouncing for BETSY)

  Lutefisk.

  BETSY

  Whaaaaaa?

  BEV

  Lutefi—Karl, can you tell her?

  KARL

  (holds up a finger to BETSY)

  In a moment.

  BEV

  (taking up her pad)

  I’ll write it down.

  KARL

  (to FRANCINE)

  So, certain groups, they tend to eat certain things, am I right?

  FRANCINE

  I’ve never had that dish.

  KARL

  But, for example, if Mrs. Stoller here were to send you to shop at Gelman’s. Do you find, when you’re standing in the aisles at Gelman’s, does it generally strike you as the kind of market where you could find the particular foods your family enjoys?

  FRANCINE

  It’s a very nice store.

  JIM

  (interposing)

  What if we were to say this:

  FRANCINE

  Mr. Gelman’s a nice man.

  (BEV hands BETSY the pad of paper.)

  KARL

  But, I mean, your preferred food items, would such things even be available at Gelman’s?

  ALBERT

  Do they carry collards and pig feet?

  (FRANCINE shoots a look at ALBERT.)

  ALBERT

  ‘Cuz I sho couldn’t shop nowhere didn’ sell no pig feet.

  (Pause. All stare at ALBERT.)

  JIM

  Well, I think Albert’s being humorous here, but –

  BETSY

  (having deciphered BEV’s handwriting)

  Ohhhh, loo-feee! (Lutefisk!)