ACT ONE
At Rise:
Margot stands in the spotlight.
MARGOT
It is written that God put Abraham to a test. He told him to
take his beloved son, Isaac, to the land of Moriah to be
offered as a sacrifice. On the third day of their journey,
they left the other young men behind, and Abraham took his
son ahead to the place where they would make the sacrifice.
There Isaac found the wood and made the fire and then looked
up at his father, whom he loved and whom he trusted and
asked, "But where is the lamb, father?" Abraham looked at the
boy whose eyes still burned with his youth and answered "God
will provide a lamb my son, God will provide."
(There is a clap of thunder. Frank Woodson sits
at the kitchen table drinking coffee and
staring at the TV which may glow or show
footage. Catherine takes his plate.)
CATHERINE
Didn't you like the eggs.
FRANK
What?
(Catherine turning down the sound)
CATHERINE
You hardly touched your eggs, Frank, was there something
wrong with them.
FRANK
They were fine.
CATHERINE
You hardly touched them.
FRANK
I'm waiting for the news.
CATHERINE:
They said there were over 1,000 National Guard on that truck
strike but they're sending them back home now.
FRANK
To school, Caty, up to that campus. Not home.
CATHERINE
They said they might be leaving today. That it's probably
over.
FRANK
As long as they're on that campus it's not over.
CATHERINE
Patty Miller's son, Larry, is in the guard.
FRANK
And that's supposed to make me feel better?
CATHERINE
He said those teamsters had guns out on the turnpike.
FRANK
They let that kid guard the turnpike?
CATHERINE
That kid is twenty-one.
FRANK
I got socks older than that kid.
(Catherine lets out a small laugh)
I heard that on TV.
CATHERINE
It's funny.
(Frank momentarily embraces her)
FRANK
You're the only person in the world who thinks I'm funny.
(Frank pulls away and pours coffee)
So what did Larry say was happening out there all week while
he was guarding our precious turnpike.
CATHERINE
You didn't eat the toast either.
FRANK
Third shift makes me tired, not hungry,
CATHERINE
I imagine those boys are tired too. And scared.
FRANK
They better be.
CATHERINE
Patty said they were shooting right off the bridge overpass
down at each other.
FRANK
When people have guns and they're pissed off - they shoot.
Those truckers were real pissed off.
(Frank mimics shooting)
Pop... pop... pop.
CATHERINE
That isn't funny.
FRANK
Even truckers got their rules, Caty.
CATHERINE
Patty was very upset. The boy went in the Guard to keep away
from Vietnam. And now all this.
FRANK
First mistake.
CATHERINE
Nobody wants their son to go there, Frank.
FRANK
Pay or play.
CATHERINE
You just have to watch the TV to see how bad it is. To see
how scared they are. What they look like when they come home.
FRANK
Nothing should have scared Larry after that father.
CATHERINE
Patty's my oldest friend.
FRANK
She still married a jerk with an arsenal.
CATHERINE
She divorced that jerk - I mean Jack - and the arsenal.
FRANK
And he was also very ugly.
CATHERINE
- and you should not speak ill of the dead.
FRANK
Jesus, I forgot the son-of-a-bitch died.
CATHERINE
Lung cancer.
(Frank pulls out a pack of cigarettes and then
puts them back in his shirt)
FRANK
He was still a very ugly man.
CATHERINE
You didn't even eat your home fries. Frank, you have to eat.
FRANK
Coffee's fine.
CATHERINE
You know what the doctor said about your ulcer.
FRANK
I didn't have the cigarette, Cate, and I can't drink beer.
CATHERINE
You have to work third shift again tonight?
FRANK
Unless old Jack left me a million bucks.
CATHERINE
He didn't leave Patty or Larry a dime. Gambled it all away.
FRANK
Like I said - he was always a jerk.
(FRANK paces)
Mike here?
CATHERINE
(warmly) It's cold in bed when you work nights.
FRANK
It's May, Caty, a very warm May and you're trying to change
the subject on me. Where did Mike go?
CATHERINE
I was thinking that now that Annie's in high school I could
start thinking about full-time work.
FRANK
(abruptly) He didn't go up there, did he?
CATHERINE
He left before I was up.
FRANK
He told me he didn't have classes today.
CATHERINE
Now you're changing the subject.
FRANK
The bills are paid, aren't they?
CATHERINE
Why don't you want to talk about me working?
FRANK
You know how I feel about it Caty. Making minimum wage you
might as well stay home. That's all I have to say.
CATHERINE
Annie's going to be thinking about college soon and Mike's
going to be graduating next year -
FRANK
Now, I hope to hell that's a fact.
CATHERINE
I need to do something Frank. I need to get out.
FRANK
Just a minute now, the news is coming on.
(Frank turns the set up)
ANNOUNCER
"In international news, Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin
assailed President Nixon this morning for sending troops into
Cambodia."
(Catherine goes turns the TV down)
FRANK
Leave it a minute, Caty I want to hear this.
ANNOUNCER
"Kosygin warned that the action might lead to a further
complication in the international scene and a worsening of
Soviet American relations."
(Catherine goes to turn the TV off)
FRANK
What're you doing?
CATHERINE
It scares me.
FRANK
It's just a game.
CATHERINE
Like that Cuban missile thing, I guess that was just a little
joke too because if it was supposed to scare me it worked.
FRANK
It was supposed to scare you and me and them and it did work.
CATHERINE
Too well. I still get nightmares.
FRANK
Kennedy should have sent those god damn teamsters to the Bay
of Pigs and finished it off right the first time.
CATHERINE
That's not funny.
FRANK
That wasn't a joke.
CATHERINE
And that's why you are NOT the President.
FRANK
I could do it. Just let me at it. Send in the Teamsters -
Mafia - hell throw in the whole fucking Ku Klux Klan and
watch those guys run. What are you looking like that for?
CATHERINE
Like what?
FRANK
Like a deer caught in the headlights. Come here.
CATHERINE
I'm fine.
FRANK
You're not fine.
CATHERINE
I told you - sometimes I get scared. Today, I'm scared.
FRANK
Come here. Tell me what's making you so scared.
CATHERINE
Promise you won't laugh?
FRANK
Cross my heart.
CATHERINE
I think it could be the end of the world. And don't even
think of smiling.
FRANK
The real end of the world? Like in the Bible?
CATHERINE
I don't know if it's just like they say, but I do think
someday someone could get so mad they could just go in to one
of those little rooms and push that button or use that phone
or whatever it is that blows up everything... and it'll be
all over.
FRANK
Just like that? We'll all die?
CATHERINE
Yes. It could happen.
FRANK
We're all dead.
CATHERINE
You promised not to laugh.
FRANK
Look at my face. Very serious.
CATHERINE
But not scared.
FRANK
Scared but sure we're going to win this race and sure no
one's ever going to push that button.
CATHERINE
How can you be so sure?
FRANK
Because we're right and they're wrong. That makes me sure.
CATHERINE
Just like that?
FRANK
It is just a test, honey, a test to keep us on our toes. Like
that little Ruskie banging his shoe on the table? Just to
scare us. But in the end we will win.
CATHERINE
Why?
FRANK
Cause the shoe's made here.
(Caty stares silently)
Evolution. It's 1970 not 1963 and we're a whole lot smarter.
Evolution. I believe in it and you should too.
CATHERINE
I'm still scared, Frank. But I'm not helpless.
FRANK
I said I didn't have anything more to say about that.
CATHERINE
I'm not helpless. I can work. I can do something.
FRANK
We'll talk about it later.
CATHERINE
I have two good arms and two good legs. I have a brain. I'm
going crazy with all the things happening everyday and I need
to do something.
FRANK
We'll talk about it later. I promise, but right now I got to
hear this news.
(Frank turns the set back on)
ANNOUNCER
"And now in local news. President Nixon's announcement has
prompted demonstrations throughout the country including many
of our own local college campuses"...
FRANK
Now that scares me.
(Frank shuts the TV off.)
CATHERINE
I'm sure he didn't go up to the campus.
FRANK
What makes you so sure?
CATHERINE
He doesn't have any classes.
FRANK
He didn't have the last time they were up there screaming and
waving but that didn't stop him from getting arrested.
CATHERINE
I'm sure he's not there.
FRANK
Then where the hell is he? Getting a haircut!
CATHERINE
He's twenty years old.
FRANK
I pay his bills. I put food on his table! I'm still his
father.
CATHERINE
It's just hair.
FRANK
No, it isn't just his hair and he should have to tell me
where he's going if it might get him killed.
CATHERINE
Don't talk that way, please. Don't make jokes.
FRANK
It's not a joke... believe me, this is not a joke.
(Richard walks up to an imaginary door, and
knocks as Margot runs up behind him.)
MARGOT
I'm sorry I'm late.
RICHARD
It said noon in the paper.
MARGOT
I guess you're the first one here.
RICHARD
It said noon.
MARGOT
In the next century parking and traffic will run the campus.
In the 90's they still just make life hell.
RICHARD
I can come back.
MARGOT
Then you'll never get a space.
(Margot unpacks her tape recorder as Richard
paces nervously)
I'm actually better at this than it looks. I even worked in
public television for a while - Channel 45, you might
remember me, I was the one that was always asking for money.
(Margot stops a moment and poses with her
microphone and starts her routine)
"We know that many of you out there have been watching
Masterpiece Theatre for a lot of years before contributing...
and we're just here to make you feel guilty as hell!"
RICHARD
You had different glasses.
MARGOT
They called me the "Goddess of Guilt."
RICHARD
And your hair was shorter.
MARGOT
I did that interview program no one watched.
RICHARD
You were good. I remember now. You were great. I watched.
MARGOT
I asked for money which made me feel guilty. I'm lousy with
guilt or money.
RICHARD
Don't apologize. You got me to call.
MARGOT
My fifteen minutes of fame.
RICHARD
You look.
MARGOT
Older?
RICHARD
No... well, maybe a little.
MARGOT
I'm turning fifty next month and I should be looking older.
That's one of the reasons I left television. They're more
interested in what you look like than what you say. I would
be out and someone would always stop me and say "Aren't you
Margot Bloom from Channel 45"- and just when I was about to
get in to a deep discussion about my last interview they'd
throw in -"Boy you're a lot shorter than you look on TV!"
RICHARD
I thought you were taller myself.
MARGOT
See what I mean.
RICHARD
I just watch McNeil/Lehrer now. I hate the local news.
Script created with Final Draft
© 1998 Halem Studios
Last updated September 1998
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