YCTIWY - Rheba lines & blocking (adapted)

BLOCKING - PENNY. After all mother, you’ve been writing plays for eight years. We started about the same time didn’t we?

Enter SL with tray, 8 napkins. Cross to table, Essie bump into me, set napkins and grab table cloth. Start setting table through lines.

Penny. Yes but you shouldn’t count my first two years because I was learning to type.

Rheba. I think the candy’s hardening up now Ms. Essie.

Essie. Oh thanks Rheba. I’ll bring some in, Mother, I want you to try it.

Rheba. Finish the second act, Mrs. Sycamore?

Penny. Uh? What?

Rheba. I said, did you finish the second act?

Penny. No Rheba, I’ve just got Cynthia entering the monastery.

Rheba. She was at the Kit Kat, wasn’t she?

Penny. Well she gets tired of the Kit Kay Club, and there’s this monastery, so she goes there.

Rheba. Do they let her in?

Penny. Yes, I made it Visitor’s Day, so of course anybody can come.

Rheba. Oh.

Penny. So she arrives on Visitors’ Day, and just stays

Rheba. You mean she stays all night?

Penny. Oh yes. She stays six years

Rheba. Six years? May I bet she busts that monastery wide open. (Cont setting table)

(BLOCKING) Paul. About a week. You know, we’re going to need a larger booth this year— got a lot of stuff made up. Come on, we’re not through yet.

Exit SL to Kitchen

(BLOCKING) De Pinna: Oh I don’t know, Mrs. Sycamore, it’s been so long

ENT from SL with 8 plates on tray

De Pinna: Oh I don’t know, Mrs. Sycamore, it’s been so long

Rheba. Ms. Alice going to be home for dinner tonight, Mrs. Sycamore?

Penny. What? I don’t know, Rheba. Maybe.

Rheba. Well, I’ll set a place for her, but she’s only been home one night this week.

Penny. Yes, I know.

Rheba. Miss Essie’s been making some mighty good candy today. She’s doing something new with the coconuts.

Penny. Uh-huh, that’s nice.

Rheba. Let’s see… six, and Mr. De Pinna, and if Mister Kolrnkhov comes that makes eight, don’t it? (Fireworks sounds) Yes, I’d better set for eight.

Penny. Rheba, I think I’ll put this play away for a while and go back to the war play.

Rheba. Oh, I always liked that one—the war play. Boom, boom! (Exit SL kitchen)

(BLOCKING) Essie. The snakes look hungry. Did Rheba feed them?

Enter from SL kitchen with silverware

Penny. I don’t know. Rheba, did you feed the snakes yet?

Rheba. No, Donald’s coming and he always brings flies with him.

Penny. Well, try to feed them before grandpa gets home. You know how fussy he is about them

Rheba. Yes ma’am (Start to leave)

(BLOCKING) Penny. And here, take Groucho and Harpo into the kitchen with you

Turn back around, grab box of kitties, and then exit SL kitchen

(BLOCKING) Ed. Well, call on somebody will you?

Enter SL, cross to table, get annoyed by the mess and start to clean.

Ed. What have we got for dinner Rheba? I’m ready to print the menu.

Rheba. Let’s see, cornflakes, watermelon, some of these candies miss Essie made.. and some kind of meat— I forget.

(Blocking) Penny. …Oh here’s the war play. Poison Gas. …

Chirp up smiling, one final check of table, smiling and scurry to front door, peek out side window excitedly, open door, EXT. SR

Donald: Hello, Rheba.

Rheba. Donald!

(Blocking) Donald. Evening, everybody!

Enter from SR with Donald, cross to table excitedly, cross to snakes.

Donald. Here’s the flies, Rheba. Caught a big mess of them today

Rheba. (Taking Jar) You sure did. (Feed snakes)

(Blocking) Ed. M—E—A—T…

Exit SL to kitchen

(Blocking) Alice. Oh dear… I’m sorry I came down as fast as I could.

ENT. From SL kitchen.

Tony. I didn’t mind in the least

Rheba. Damn those flies in the kitchen… oh Miss Alice you look beautiful. Where you going? (Peek around Alice)

Alice. I’m going out, Rheba.

Rheba. Stepping, huh?

(Blocking)

Rheba. Stepping, huh?

(Door bell ring)

Scurry to SR door excitedly

(Blocking) Grandpa. Half and half Donald.

Open door, Gesture to room welcoming Kolenkhov in.

Kolenkhov. Ah, my little Rebishka!

Grandpa. Yes, that’s Kolenkhov alright.

Rheba. Yessir, Mr. Kolenkhov!!

Kolenkhov. Good evening, everybody!

All. Good evening.

(Blocking) Kolenkhov. My little Alice!

Exit SL to kitchen

(Blocking) Grandpa. Not if the snakes don’t

Enter from SL kitchen, offering to serve food

(Blocking) Grandpa. Quiet Everybody! Quiet!

Stand off to side, bow head for prayer

(BLOCKING) Gay. All my life. I’ve played everything. Ever see Peg O My Heart?

ENT Sl kitchen, X to Table, L of Paul, clean table

(Blocking) Gay. No, the Hell with the weather . . . Say, he’s cute

Offended gasp, storm off SL to kitchen

Donald. Rheba, Ms. Wellington just passed out!

(Offstage) Rheba. GOOD.

(Blocking) Penny. Now, where did I put my palette and brushes?

ENT from SL kitchen, cross to front door with haste

Kol. Rhebishka! My little Rebishka!

Rheba. Yessir Mr Kolenkhov!

Kol. …Tell me, Grandpa—what should I do about Rebishka! I keep telling her she would make a great toe dancer— but she laughs only!

Rheba. No, sir! I couldn’t get up on my toes Mr. Kolenkhov! I’ve got corns! (crumble on self through laughter, EXT SL)

Kol. A little freer. A little freer with the hands. The whole body must work. Ed, help us with the music.

(Ent SL, X CS, shock jaw dropped) Rheba. (whisper) Mrs. Sycamore… Mrs. Sycamore..? (Chaos, X to end table, grab mail and hide under table, fix chairs, smile with hands folded)

(Blocking) Grandpa. No, no. Come right in. It’s perfectly alright we’re glad to see you.

Polite nod, leave SL scurrying

Essie. But these are nothing, Mr. Kirby. Just coconut, marshmallow and fudge.

Alice. Don’t, Essie.

Essie. Well——

Rheba. (Whisper) Ms. Alice! Ms. Alice!

Alice. Excuse me. What is it, Rheba?

Rheba. The eggs fell down the sink..

Alice. Make some more! Quick!

Rheba. I don’t have any..

Alice. Send Donald out for some!

Rheba. Alright..

Jim. Keep still, you! Stop that stop it!

Grandpa. That is my mother!

Kol. The fireworks! The fireworks!

Rheba. Donald! Donald!

Donald. … for the appearance in the Weat Side Court this morning. After spending the night in jail, the defendants, thirteen in all, were brought before Judge Callahan and given suspended sentences for manufacturing fireworks without a permit.

Rheba. Yeah. Kept me in the same cell with a strip teaser from a burlesque show.

Donald. I was in the cell with Mr. Kirby. My, he was mad!

Rheba. Mrs. Kirby and the strip teaser— they were fighting all night.

Donald. Whole lot about Mr. Kirby here. “Anthony W. Kirby head of Kirby & Co, 62 Wall Street, who was among those apprehended, declared he was in no way interested in the manufacture of fireworks, but refused to state why he was on the premises at the time of the raid. Mr. Kirby is a member of the Union Club, the Racquet Club, the Harvard Club, and the National Geographic Society. My he certainly is a joiner!

Rheba. All those rich men are Elks or something.

Donald. Mr. Tony ain’t ever going to marry Ms. Alice huh?

Rheba. No sir, and it’s too bad too.. Ms Alice sure loves that boy. . . . I don’t know what I’m going to do with all that food out in the kitchen. There’s not gonna be no party tonight, that’s sure.

Donald. Ain’t we going to eat it anyhow?

Rheba. Well, I’m cooking n it but k don’t think anybody’s going to have an appetite

Donald. I’m hungry

Rheba. Well they’re not. They’re all so broke up about Ms. Alice

Donald. What’s she want to go away for? Where’s she going?

Rheba. I don’t know— mountains some place. And she’s going, alright no matter what they say. I know Ms. Alice when she gets that look in her eye

Donald. Too bad, ain’t it?

Rheba. Sure is.

De Pinna. Not even a ballon left. Look.

Rheba. How’s your hand, Mr. DePinna. Better?

De Pinna. Yes it’s better. Is there more olive oil out there?

Rheba. It’s in the salad bowl.

Penny. Well she’s going. Nothing anybody said could change her.

Rheba. She’s not going to stay away long is she, Mrs. Sycamore?

Penny. I don’t know, Rheba, she won’t say.

Rheba. My, going to be lonesome around here without her.