ONE
A living room. One door leading off to the kitchen, one staircase leading up to the second floor. Evening
. DEL is seated on the couch. JOHN
comes downstairs dressed in his pajamas
.
JOHN : I couldn’t find ’em.
DEL : … couldn’t find ’em.
JOHN : No.
DEL : What?
JOHN : Slippers.
DEL : Yes?
JOHN : They’re packed.
DEL : … slippers are packed.
JOHN : Yes.
DEL : Why did you pack them?
JOHN : Take them along.
DEL : How are you going to use your slippers in the woods.
JOHN : To keep my feet warm.
DEL : Mmm.
JOHN : I shouldn’t of packed them?
DEL : Well, put something on your feet.
JOHN : What?
DEL : Socks.
JOHN : Put something on my feet now.
DEL : Yes.
JOHN : “As long as I’m warm.”
DEL : That’s correct.
JOHN : I have ’em. (
Produces socks. Starts putting them on
.)
DEL : That’s good. Think ahead.
JOHN : Why did you say “why did you pack them?”
DEL : I wondered that you’d take them with.
JOHN : Why?
DEL : Out in the Woods?
JOHN : No, but to wear in the Cabin.
DEL : … that’s right.
JOHN : Don’t you think?
DEL : I do.
JOHN : I know I couldn’t wear them in the woods.
DEL : No. No. That’s right. Where were we?
JOHN : Issues of sleep.
DEL : … is …
JOHN : Issues of sleep.
DEL : No. I’m sorry. You were quite correct. To take your slippers. I spoke too quickly.
JOHN : That’s alright.
DEL : Thank you. (
Pause
.) Where were we? Issues of Sleep.
JOHN : And last night either.
DEL : Mm …?
JOHN : … I couldn’t sleep.
DEL : So I’m told. (
Pause
.)
JOHN : Last night, either.
DEL : Fine. What does it mean “I could not sleep”?
JOHN : … what does it mean?
DEL : Yes. It means nothing other than the meaning you choose to assign to it.
JOHN : I don’t get you.
DEL : I’m going to explain myself.
JOHN : Good.
DEL : A “Trip,” for example, you’ve been looking forward to.
JOHN : A trip. Yes. Oh, yes.
DEL : … absolutely right.
JOHN : … that I’m excited.
DEL : … who wouldn’t be?
JOHN :
Anyone
would be.
DEL : That’s right.
JOHN : … to go in the
Woods
…?
DEL : Well. You see? You’ve answered your own question.
JOHN : Yes. That I’m excited.
DEL : I can’t blame you.
JOHN : You can’t.
DEL : No. Do you see?
JOHN : That it’s natural.
DEL : I think it is.
JOHN : Is it?
DEL : I think it absolutely is. To go with your
father
…?
JOHN : Why isn’t he home?
DEL : We don’t know.
JOHN : … because it’s something. To go out there.
DEL : I should say.
JOHN : In the Woods …?
DEL : … I hope to tell you.
JOHN : Well, you
know
it is.
DEL : That I do.
And I will tell you: older people, too. Grown people.
You know what they do?
The night before a trip?
JOHN : What do they do?
DEL : Well, many times
they
cannot sleep.
They
will stay up that night.
JOHN : They will?
DEL : Oh yes.
JOHN : Why?
DEL : They can’t sleep. No. Why?
Because their minds, you see, are full of thoughts.
JOHN : What are their thoughts of?
DEL : Their thoughts are of two things.
JOHN : Yes?
DEL : Of what they’re
leaving
.
JOHN : … yes?
DEL : And what they’re going
toward
. (
Pause
.) Just like you.
JOHN : … of what they’re leaving …
DEL : … mmm … (
Pause
.)
JOHN : How do you know that?
DEL : Well, you know, they say we live and learn.
JOHN : They do?
DEL : That’s what they say. And I’ll tell you
another
thing …
(
A crash is heard offstage
.) (
Pause
.)
DONNY (
offstage
): … I’m alright …
DEL : … what?
DONNY (
offstage
): I’m alright …
DEL : … did …
DONNY (
offstage
): What? Did I what?
DEL : Are you …
DONNY (
offstage
): What? I’ve spilt the tea.
DEL : What?
DONNY (
offstage
): I spilled the tea.
DEL : Do you want help?
DONNY (
offstage
): What?
JOHN : Do you want help he said.
DONNY (
offstage
): No.
DEL : You don’t? (
To
JOHN .)
Go help your mother.
DONNY (
offstage
) (
simultaneous
A living room. One door leading off to the kitchen, one staircase leading up to the second floor. Evening
. DEL is seated on the couch. JOHN
comes downstairs dressed in his pajamas
.
JOHN : I couldn’t find ’em.
DEL : … couldn’t find ’em.
JOHN : No.
DEL : What?
JOHN : Slippers.
DEL : Yes?
JOHN : They’re packed.
DEL : … slippers are packed.
JOHN : Yes.
DEL : Why did you pack them?
JOHN : Take them along.
DEL : How are you going to use your slippers in the woods.
JOHN : To keep my feet warm.
DEL : Mmm.
JOHN : I shouldn’t of packed them?
DEL : Well, put something on your feet.
JOHN : What?
DEL : Socks.
JOHN : Put something on my feet now.
DEL : Yes.
JOHN : “As long as I’m warm.”
DEL : That’s correct.
JOHN : I have ’em. (
Produces socks. Starts putting them on
.)
DEL : That’s good. Think ahead.
JOHN : Why did you say “why did you pack them?”
DEL : I wondered that you’d take them with.
JOHN : Why?
DEL : Out in the Woods?
JOHN : No, but to wear in the Cabin.
DEL : … that’s right.
JOHN : Don’t you think?
DEL : I do.
JOHN : I know I couldn’t wear them in the woods.
DEL : No. No. That’s right. Where were we?
JOHN : Issues of sleep.
DEL : … is …
JOHN : Issues of sleep.
DEL : No. I’m sorry. You were quite correct. To take your slippers. I spoke too quickly.
JOHN : That’s alright.
DEL : Thank you. (
Pause
.) Where were we? Issues of Sleep.
JOHN : And last night either.
DEL : Mm …?
JOHN : … I couldn’t sleep.
DEL : So I’m told. (
Pause
.)
JOHN : Last night, either.
DEL : Fine. What does it mean “I could not sleep”?
JOHN : … what does it mean?
DEL : Yes. It means nothing other than the meaning you choose to assign to it.
JOHN : I don’t get you.
DEL : I’m going to explain myself.
JOHN : Good.
DEL : A “Trip,” for example, you’ve been looking forward to.
JOHN : A trip. Yes. Oh, yes.
DEL : … absolutely right.
JOHN : … that I’m excited.
DEL : … who wouldn’t be?
JOHN :
Anyone
would be.
DEL : That’s right.
JOHN : … to go in the
Woods
…?
DEL : Well. You see? You’ve answered your own question.
JOHN : Yes. That I’m excited.
DEL : I can’t blame you.
JOHN : You can’t.
DEL : No. Do you see?
JOHN : That it’s natural.
DEL : I think it is.
JOHN : Is it?
DEL : I think it absolutely is. To go with your
father
…?
JOHN : Why isn’t he home?
DEL : We don’t know.
JOHN : … because it’s something. To go out there.
DEL : I should say.
JOHN : In the Woods …?
DEL : … I hope to tell you.
JOHN : Well, you
know
it is.
DEL : That I do.
And I will tell you: older people, too. Grown people.
You know what they do?
The night before a trip?
JOHN : What do they do?
DEL : Well, many times
they
cannot sleep.
They
will stay up that night.
JOHN : They will?
DEL : Oh yes.
JOHN : Why?
DEL : They can’t sleep. No. Why?
Because their minds, you see, are full of thoughts.
JOHN : What are their thoughts of?
DEL : Their thoughts are of two things.
JOHN : Yes?
DEL : Of what they’re
leaving
.
JOHN : … yes?
DEL : And what they’re going
toward
. (
Pause
.) Just like you.
JOHN : … of what they’re leaving …
DEL : … mmm … (
Pause
.)
JOHN : How do you know that?
DEL : Well, you know, they say we live and learn.
JOHN : They do?
DEL : That’s what they say. And I’ll tell you
another
thing …
(
A crash is heard offstage
.) (
Pause
.)
DONNY (
offstage
): … I’m alright …
DEL : … what?
DONNY (
offstage
): I’m alright …
DEL : … did …
DONNY (
offstage
): What? Did I what?
DEL : Are you …
DONNY (
offstage
): What? I’ve spilt the tea.
DEL : What?
DONNY (
offstage
): I spilled the tea.
DEL : Do you want help?
DONNY (
offstage
): What?
JOHN : Do you want help he said.
DONNY (
offstage
): No.
DEL : You don’t? (
To
JOHN .)
Go help your mother.
DONNY (
offstage
) (
simultaneous
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