Proof Scene Lines

Catherine Lines

START OF SCENE

You want some coffee?

C: No, thanks.

It’s no trouble.

Hold on a sec, Katie. I just. I’m leaving soon. I-

You said. I know.

I’d still like you to come to New York.

Yes.  January.

I’d like you to move to New York.

Move? What would I do in New York?

What are you doing here?

I live here.

You could do whatever you want.  You could work, you could go to school.

I don’t know, Claire, this is pretty major.

I realize that.

I know you mean well. I’m just not sure what I want to do. I mean, to be honest, you were right yesterday. I do feel a little confused. I’m tired. It’s been a pretty weird couple of years. I think I’d like to take some time to figure things out.

You could do that in New York.

And I could do it here.

But it would be much easier for me to get you set up in an apartment in New York and-

I don’t need an apartment. I’ll stay in my house.

We’re selling the house.

What?

We- I’m selling it.

WHEN?

I’m hoping to do the paperwork this week.  I know it seems sudden.

No one was here looking at the place.  Who are you selling it to?

The University. They’ve wanted the block for years.

I LIVE HERE.

Honey, now that Dad’s gone, it doesn’t make much sense. It’s in bad shape. It costs a fortune to heat. It’s time to let it go. Mitch agrees, it’s a very smart move. We’re lucky, we have a great offer-

Where am I supposed to live?

Come to New York.

I can’t believe this.

It’ll be so good. You deserve a change. This would be a whole new adventure for you.

Why are you doing this?

I want to help.

By kicking me out of my house?

It was my house too.

You haven’t lived here for years.

I know that.  You were on your own.  I regret that, Katie.

Dont.

I know I let you down. I feel awful about it. Now I’m trying to help.

You want to help now? YOU’RE LATE. Where were you five years ago? You weren’t helping then.

I was working.

I was HERE. I lived with him ALONE.

I was working 14 hour days. I paid every bill here. I paid off the mortgage on this three-bedroom house while I was living in a studio in Brooklyn.

You had your life. You got to finish school.

You could have stayed in school.

How?

I would have done anything- I told you that. I told you a million times to do anything you wanted.

What about dad? Someone had to take care of him.

He was ill. He should have been in full-time professional care situation.

He didn’t belong in the nuthouse.

He might have been better off.

How can you say that? He needed to be here. In his own house, near the University, near his students, near everything that made him happy.

Maybe.  Or maybe some real, professional care would have done him more good than rattling around in a filthy house with YOU looking after him.  (Beat.). I’m sorry, Catherine, it’s not your fault.  It’s my fault for letting you do it.

I was right to keep him here.

No.

He might have been worse in a hospital.

And he MIGHT have been BETTER. Did he ever do any work again?

No.

NO. And you might have been better.

Better than what?

Living here with him didn’t do you any good.  You said that yourself.  You had so much talent…

You think I’m like Dad.

I think you have some of his talent and some of his… tendency toward instability.

Claire, in addition to the “cute apartments” that you’ve “scouted” for me in New York, would you by any chance also have devoted some of your considerable energies toward scouting out another type of-

NO.

-living facility for your bughouse little sister?

NO! Absolutely not. That s not what this is about.

Don’t lie to me, Claire, I’m smarter than you.

The resources… I’ve investigated-

Oh my GOD.

-if you WANTED to, all I’m saying is the doctors in New York and the people are the BEST, and they-

FUCK YOU.

It would be entirely up to you. You wouldn’t live anywhere, you can-

I hate you.

Don’t yell, please, calm down

I HATE YOU.