Prisoners of Hope (20pg sample) 2:17

PRISONERS OF HOPE

A full-length play By J. Allen Fitz-Gerald

“I am a prisoner of hope.”

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland, about avoiding environmental catastrophe.

Contact:

John Allen Fitz-Gerald60 Howard Heights LaneJay, NY 12941, USA

[email protected] (cell)

copyright February, 2017

prisoners of hope/fitzgerald 1

PRISONERS OF HOPE

UNIT SET: A veranda that overlooks the ocean, out front. It is attached to a house, off right, on a private estate. Upstage, a door from the veranda to the rose garden. Onstage, all-weather furniture: a table with two chairs that face the ocean, not each other; Roger’s chair is left of table, wife Nan’s is on the right, closest to the house. The decor includes an anchor, framed photos of sailboats on the back wall, and a potted plant. Downstage, the edge of the veranda, one step down for an exit off left to the beach.

TIME and PLACE: Late spring/early summer. The present. On the New England coast. The play may be performed with an intermission after Scene Four, or without a break.

Scene One

ROGER is in his chair, slowly shaking his head. His dark suit and tie suggest mourning. TODD enters from the house, upstage right; he too is dressed in mourning.

TODDLunch is ready.... Mom said to tell you “Luncheon is now being served.”

ROGERI’m not hungry.

TODDPop, the whole family is waiting. They’ll be upset if you don’t join us.... Well then, we are going to eat your lunch. As it were. Ha-ha-haaaa.... Sorry, just trying to cheer you up.

ROGER still doesn’t react. TODD shrugs, returns inside. At the SOUND of a seagull, ROGER looks out at the ocean. NELSON “flies” in from the house, also wearing black.

NELSONGrandpa, time to eat. Nana told me to tweet you, live. So: Tweet, tweet!

ROGERI’m not eating today.

NELSONI should tell her you’re fasting?

ROGERWhatever. Say there, congratulations on how you look today. Smashing. Black on black!


NELSON“Nana’s little black bird.” So, you’re on a hunger strike. Is that what fathers do? If one of their kids dies? Would Uncle Phil want you to do that?

ROGERNot that you should call it a strike, Nelson. Don’t tell her that.

NELSONGot it. I’ll tell her you need to commune with his spirit. To speed him on his way, to whatever. (goes back inside)

ROGER nods. AURIE soon enters from inside, looks at Roger and hesitates before speaking.

AURIEPop, can I bring you some lunch out here?

ROGERNo. But maybe you can tell me why your brother killed himself. I mean, in your view, was it because of the cancer, or his bankruptcy?

AURIEThe cancer.

ROGERWhat makes you so sure?

AURIEDo you really want to talk about this?.... Remember, his genetic test did show that he had a predisposition for cancer. Phillip did not want a slow, painful death.

ROGERSo you, you must have that same gene, you and Todd both.

AURIENot necessarily. We’d have to get tested too.

ROGERSo do it. And if you do have that evil gene, can’t they cut it out? Gene splicing!

AURIEThe science isn’t quite there yet.


ROGERSo maybe I should start a foundation to speed it up. Cut out your cancer before you get it!

AURIEWouldn’t that be great.

ROGERAurie, I don’t want it to sneak up and grab you, too.

AURIEGuess what: neither do I. But if gene therapy ever gets that advanced, it’s way off in the future. A future that may never exist for us.

ROGERFor you and Todd?

AURIEFor our species. All of us! At the current rate, we’ll go extinct before we get rid of cancer, completely. Can’t get rid of it if we don’t get rid of its number one cause. ROGERWhich is? Oh, pollution. You and your environmental stuff. Seriously, I’m keen to start a foundation that will work for— well, for prevention, via genetics!

AURIEYou’d be wasting your money. Same as you did by investing in Phil’s coal business. I’m sorry, but there is only one way to prevent cancer.

ROGERWhich is?

AURIEYou have to understand: Phillip’s predisposition for it might never have been triggered, except for environmental factors. Don’t shrug your shoulders. It’s true!

ROGERAurie, I know how angry you are about getting asthma from our modern air, but—

AURIEI’m talking about all of it! Our toxic air, water, and food!

ROGERRighto. All we have to do is stop breathing. And eating. Hello!


AURIEIf you want to prevent cancer, get them to stop poisoning us! In what we eat, drink, and breathe! Start a foundation to work on that. In Phil’s memory.

ROGER (standing up)Maybe I will. Yes, I’ll think about it. Give me some of your literature. But no politics! That’s just—just more pollution, of the airwaves. Another kind of air pollution, isn’t it.

NAN (entering from the house)What is going on out here? The caterer is ready to quit. Come inside, now!

AURIE salutes.

ROGERYes, the boss has spoken. Actually, the dictator. Trump’s influence.

NANI thought we agreed: No Trump talk out here.

ROGERRighto. Well, you go on, kiddo. I need to spend more time with my thoughts.

NANWe can think about Phillip for the rest of our lives. Right now, it’s time to eat.

ROGER (going to the edge of the veranda)No, I’m going down to the beach. If that last storm didn’t wash it all away. (steps off and exits down left)

NANThis is your fault, him talking like that. Because of you with your Chicken Little negativity. Watch out, Roger! The sky is falling! NAN huffs and returns inside. AURIE shrugs and follows her.

Blackout


Scene Two Several weeks later. A sign now hangs on the veranda wall: “This is a Trump-free Zone.” Loosening his tie, ROGER enters from the house. NAN follows with two glasses of iced tea. ROGER stops when he hears a rumble of thunder.

ROGERGo away!

NANWhat!?

ROGERNot you. Another storm brewing. Don’t you turn into another goddamn hurricane!

NANIt can’t. You told it to go away. With your voice of God. (gives him his tea and sits in her chair, right side of table) ROGERMy insurance company is the one that plays God. Won’t pay for our beach house getting washed out to sea, but then they double my premium, and blame it all on “acts of God”!

NANAy yi-yi. Is this what you dragged me out here for? To listen to another rant?

ROGERNo, this time it’s about action. Before our house gets washed out to sea, too.

NANIn a thousand years. (sips her tea)

ROGERAmericans have such short memories. Have you forgotten “the storm of the century”? Which now comes just about every year.

NANYou’re getting to be as bad as Aurie, ever since the funeral. Why do you let her get to you with that alarmist nonsense.

ROGERBecause the sea level is rising. That’s why we have to talk, now, about a new foundation.


NANDon’t be silly. They’d have to jack up the entire house.

ROGERNot that kind of foundation. This is about a foundation for.... philanthropy.

NANOh. Oh? And what would your foundation do?

ROGEROur foundation, M’dear. I’m keen to name it for both of us.

NANDon’t include me. If this is something Aurie put you up to.

ROGERShe says we’re in a total global crisis.

NANShe doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

ROGERThat’s what your president said about the generals in the Pentagon. When they said there’s no bigger threat to national security than climate change.

NANYou are forgetting, our sign there: No Trump-talk. Now, back to Aurie.—

ROGERWho does know what she’s talking about. From having worked at Friends of the Earth!

NANWhich turned her into an extremist! Eating dried prunes, and..... and adopting black kids!

ROGERWill you please stop. Nelson is not “black kids.” He’s just one black kid, our grandson.

NANWho caused her divorce. Poor Walter could never relate to that little black bird as his son. And Aurie had to rub it in, naming him Nelson, the reincarnation of Nelson Mandela.

ROGERWhich reminds me: Our foundation will be a memorial for Phillip.


NANThat is a non sequitur.

ROGERNo, M’dear, it’s an inducement, to get you on board.

NANA memorial. What would I have to do?

ROGER First, help me get Aurie on board too. Then, charities give money away. You’re good at that. Spending my money is what you do best, so now you can do it for a worthy cause.

NANSnowbird Haven isn’t a—? Roger! I bought you our getaway so you won’t have a stroke, from all your stress on Wall Street. Isn’t that a worthy cause? And don’t our vacations at Snowbird Haven beat that dreary place of yours? in dreary old England.

ROGERMy castle is suddenly dreary?

NANIn your dreary winters, yes! And you have to admit, Snowbird Haven was a steal.

ROGERAt nine million dollars!?

NANThey were asking ten! Until I suggested you offer cash. So I saved you a million dollars.

ROGERLet’s not go over this again. But I must say, some days down in your sunny Florida are even colder than up here. Now that the weather swings from one extreme to another.

NANAy yi-yi. He says let’s not talk about it, then he talks about it.

ROGERI am trying to tell you about the foundation!

NANWhy didn’t you say so?


ROGERI did. And I said you need to help me get Aurie on board as its director.

NANYou dreamed it. (sips her tea)

ROGERIf so, I’d have dreamt up a nice glass of bourbon too. Instead of your bloody iced tea.

NANBlame your doctor, not me. But do sit down, if you can stop harping on the weather.

ROGERIt’s not just me. The Paris Agreement got every country in the world harping. Along with the pope! If I’m harping, so is the pope, in his famous Encyclical on climate.

NANYou should tell him: A lot of our politicians say he should mind his own business. Not that he cares what Americans think, I suppose.

ROGERYour government stands alone against the world, all because of.... (looks at the Trump sign, finally sips his tea and grimaces)How can you drink this stuff. So American. NANI’m American. Let me introduce myself: I am your American wife, who got you your American green card. Without which, you would still be back in your dreary English castle with your dreary English tea, calling it “jolly good.”

ROGERI never say “jolly good.”

NANNot any more. Not since I said if you didn’t stop, I’d tear up your green card.

ROGERBack to the foundation. It’s Phillip’s memorial, but I’m naming it for us: The Roger and Nan Harrison Charitable Trust. Yes. Its mission is to change the course of history.

NANCould you be.... a tad more specific?


ROGERBy keeping the climate from changing so fast that we may soon be history, all of us. If these storms get so bad they blast us all to hell.

NANYou mean, out to sea. (sips her tea)

ROGERWhich you can help prevent. If we act now, as Aurora says we must.

NANAnd what would Phillip say? That you both talk like fools.

ROGERNo, he would volunteer to be the foundation’s director.

NANHe would not. After the failure of that horrid business you got him into, he learned his lesson. The hard way.

ROGERWhat lesson?

NANAbout not believing you, you and Aurie, with her “expert” ideas.

ROGERClean coal was not just her idea. Back then, a lot of people thought we could sequester carbon dioxide out of coal. Nobody knew that would prove to be too expensive.

NANThen why didn’t all those company owners go bankrupt? And all kill themselves.

ROGERThey didn’t all have cancer.

NANWhich wouldn’t have struck Phillip, if you hadn’t set him up with that coal company.

ROGERDid I tell him not to wear his face mask? Was it my fault that he—? Anyway, the foundation is now his memorial. With Aurie as its director, hopefully.


NANA mere consultant, who is only qualified to play Chicken Little.

ROGER A chick with an MBA! From Harvard! And experience with several companies!

NANBut what about Todd. Are you going to back his campaign for Congress or not? He has to know! You promised to think about it.

ROGERWell, I stopped thinking.

NANI can vouch for that.

ROGERSince he started spouting those fact-free talking points. Just like “the Donald.”

NANWhat is happening to our Trump-free zone?!

ROGERTodd’s campaign, that’s what. He launched it without reading any of Aurie’s material, which would help him run a truthful campaign. Truth matters.

NANTalk about spouting.

ROGERNo, Aurie says we need action. A crusade, to save the children. To save their future. That’s why I launched my new investment fund, for folks who want to divest.

NANDivest or invest? I still don’t see how your clients can make money by getting rid of it.

ROGERDon’t be obtuse. M’dear. But we’re not here to talk about that. Yesterday, when I called Aurie about starting a foundation, she kept asking me what you think.

NANAnd you said what? That you can’t even sit down and tell me if she wants that job?


ROGERBut I said I would. So! (finally sits in his chair, left of table, and puts down his glass)She wants to know if both of us are “all in.”

NAN“All in”?

ROGER“Like, totally.” Her exact words. Funny how they talk. I said all of me is, totally.

NANBut that could leave us....totally.... totaled. A total disaster, believe me.

ROGERNow you did it. That is a pure, unadulterated Trumpism! (points at the sign)But I forgive you, if you will help me convince Aurie to be our director. Will you do that?

NANNo.

NAN sips her tea. ROGER stands back up.

ROGERIt’s the iced tea, the lemon, that’s what’s making you so.... sour. Really, why do Americans like to ruin perfectly good English tea.

NANBeen here for over forty years and he still hasn’t heard of the Boston Tea Party. Maybe it’s time for another American Revolution.

ROGERI— I can’t do this without Aurie, so you have to help me convince her. M’dear.

NANWas there something ambiguous about the way I said no?

ROGERYou’re going over to the dark side.

NANI’m doing what?!


SOUND of a coastal bell buoy. ROGER goes to the edge of the veranda, looks out at the ocean.

ROGERYou hear that?

NANNo.

ROGERThe buoy! It’s warning us. And look at those huge waves. Old Neptune, bobbing his big ugly head up and down, getting ready to attack us again.

NANAnd there you go again, expecting the worst. Aurie has turned you into a fatalist.

ROGERNo, I’m still an optimist, but an enlightened one now. Thanks to The Gaia Hypothesis.

NANWhat’s that?

ROGERAsk Aurie, when she comes up. I called both kids to be here tomorrow.

NANWhat, to gang up on me? You’re not going into the city? You got Todd to take the day off, too?

ROGERSaid I have some big announcements. But it has to be here, in person. So, tell the cook there will be four of us for lunch. No, tell her to take the day off. I’ll do my barbecue.

NANTell her yourself. I have to go make a couple of phone calls of my own. (goes inside with her tea)

ROGERAnd I have to go have a Boston tea party. (pours his tea into the potted plant and raises the empty glass as a toast to victory)

Blackout


Scene Three

The next day, late morning. Deep in thought, ROGER enters, again in his business suit. He goes to the edge of the veranda and looks out at the ocean.

ROGERNeptune, old boy. Up to your old tricks. Sneaking back out to sea last night, your famous calm before the storm, isn’t it.... Mighty Neptune! Are you there?!

NAN (off)No-o-o! (enters up center from the rose garden with a rose and scissors, wearing a garden apron)

Have you lost your mind?! Yelling at the ocean. Or does that mean you’re just having a midlife crisis. No, you’re too old for that. Now, before the kids get here, don’t you want to go and change? Into something less formal.... You’re not listening.

ROGERThey’re still saying this hurricane may hit the coast. Making landfall at high tide again. If that happens, the full moon will make it worse. Why don’t the authorities do something?! Before the whole ocean ends up right here, right on my doorstep.

NANLook on the bright side, Mr. Optimist. Easier to go for a swim. No need to go down to the beach, if the beach comes up to you.... Sorry, just trying to cheer you up. Don’t want to be grumpy for the kids. Really, you should go change into something other than your suit.... Oh! What did the doctor say? About your liver.... Aren’t you going to tell me?

DOORBELL rings off right. ROGER starts off left as NAN grabs a remote opener from the table and point-clicks it off right.

They’re here, and you are still wearing your—Roger! Where are you going?

ROGERDown to the beach. To give some more thought to my announcements.

NANWhat should I tell the kids?


ROGERWhatever you like. That I took a great notion, to go jump in the ocean. (rushes off, left)

NANIn your business suit?!

AURIE, TODD and NELSON enter right: Aurie and Todd in suits, Nelson in a T-shirt and music earcords dangling from his neck.

AURIELook who’s just home from graduation! Your grandson is now a free bird.

NELSONYour “little black bird,” Nana. Migrating back here to my summer feeding ground.

NANNelson, if I told you once, I told you a thousand times: “Na-na” is for old ladies.

AURIEMo-ther, he just likes to get your goat.

NANWell, Mr. Smartypants, my goat says: Ba-a-a-a-a!

NELSON attaches his earbuds, listens to music and checks his cell phone. TODD kisses Nan on the cheek. SHE gives him her rose.

I’m so glad you could tear yourself away. Now, be sure to insist on an answer from Pop, about supporting your campaign. This is not a Todd-free zone. Don’t let him cut you off. (snaps her scissors)

TODDOuch. Where is he? Oh, out in your rose garden. Firing up the grill! I was telling Nelson, that’s what alpha males do. They summon their tribe for the kill, and “fire up the grill.”

NAN But right now, he’s just firing up his big announcement. Practicing on the seagulls.

TODDHope it won’t make us squawk like them. Ha-ha. Quick, Mom, what is this all about?


NANI told you on the phone, it has to be about us nipping this fantasy of his in the bud. (again snaps the scissors, then puts them in her apron pocket)

AURIEIs it also about his liver? You mentioned a new doctor’s appointment.

NANHe just got back. He wouldn’t talk about it, but I’m sure he’s still in the same gray area. Your father has become more secretive than a CIA agent.

NELSONNot with me. At Uncle Phil’s funeral, Grandpa said it’s no secret, this place will be all gone by the time I have grandkids. Entirely under water by then. (reacts to a text message) Wow, look at this! NAN tries to look, but NELSON hides it.

It’s from my girlfriend, Nana.

NANNan! Ba-a-a-a-a. Can’t you put away your toys?.... Did you have a nice drive up here?

NELSONNot so much. They got into a fight about the weather. Whether we can weather it.

TODDSeriously, Mom, give us a heads-up on all of Pop’s news. Is it generally good, or bad?

NANYes....

AURIETranslation: It’s good and bad. Like Mother on the phone, mixing chit-chat and threats.

NANThat was no threat, it was a promise. And here’s what else you should know, all of you, even if the kid isn’t listening. Once Todd secures the nomination, we need to keep a united front, or else Todd will not get Pop’s help.

AURIEI bet that’s why he told Todd to leave his family home today.


TODDWhat is that supposed to mean?

AURIESo the united front can’t gang up on him, like when you all pushed him into letting you use his yacht. And then sailed it onto the rocks.

NELSONSailed The American Dream onto the rocks. Symbolism not intended. But Uncle Todd said Gramps left his family home to keep the spotlight on himself. If I can say that.

TODDNo, you can’t.

NELSONYou did. See, Nan? I do listen. Wow, the kid can walk and chew gum at the same time.

NAN huffs. AURIE whispers to NELSON, who sheds his earbuds and pockets his cell phone.

TODDWhat I actually said was: Alpha males always have to be the center of attention.

NELSONIs that why Mom said he’s a phallocrat?

NANA what?!

AURIEI said that’s how he used to be. But he has changed. (uncomfortable, she ambles slowly back to Nan)Don’t you agree, Mother?

NAN Nelson means plutocrat, not a—that other word. Aurie, why are you walking like that?

AURIELike what?

NANA duck. You never walked like a duck.


NELSONSo, Grandpa is a plutocratic phallocrat. No, “used to be.” Oh, Nan, you’ll appreciate this: What was Beethoven’s favorite fruit?.... Give up? Ba-NA-NA-NA-na-a-a. (sung to the tune of the opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony)

AURIENelson, why don’t you go find Grandpa. Now. Before Nan nips you in the bud.

NELSON restores his earbuds, trots off left.

TODD (shaking his head as he goes inside, up right)Phallocrat. God, do I need a drink.

AURIEMother, good news: I got Nelson an internship, at Friends of the Earth. They may even let him make a documentary! Thanks to his college minor in film.

NANThat’s nice, Dear. Now: Quack, quack? I want to know why you’re waddling. AURIEI’m not.

NANWell, you were, just now.

AURIEStop trying to make me feel bad.

NANI’m not. I just thought you might be pregnant, with a child of your own, instead of a— But how’s it going with your new “item” there? Now that Nelson is back home, do he and Patrick get along? Being almost the same age, that could affect your relationship.

AURIEWith Patrick? No, Mother. Patrick is a joy. Though he can be a bit much at times.

NANOh? Does that mean you’re sorry you divorced good old Walter? Do you miss Walter?

AURIEOnly when I’m too— I don’t know, tired.


NANAnd just want to sleep? While Patrick wants to— Ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.

AURIEMother, please.

NANSo serious. Like on the phone, when I criticized your father’s ridiculous idea of pouring money into a do-good foundation, and you said I’m an idiot for calling it that.

AURIEI did not say you’re an idiot. Just ignorant.

NANYou need to understand: Pop has become a total fatalist. Even though he says he’s a— Oh, what is this Gaia Hypothesis? Never mind, here they come. Now remember what I told you. I meant every word, so don’t you encourage him. Or else!

NELSON returns down left with ROGER.

NELSONFound him, walking sideways, like a sand crab. Checking out the latest erosion.

AURIEHi, Pop. Bet you’re glad that storm last week wasn’t another superstorm. ROGERBut it reminded me of your beach house being washed away. I wonder where it ended up. If it’s still intact, is another little girl now playing with your one-eyed Winnie-the-Pooh?

AURIEAnd Tinkerbell, with her magic wand. Which made all the stars come out at night.

ROGERAbracadabra! Bring back the magic wand. To help us defeat the bad guys.

AURIE (glancing at her mother)If only everyone could still believe. TODD (returning with a glass of bourbon and the rose in his lapel) Believe in what? Hi there, Popper.


ROGERBelieve that my little bit o’ heaven won’t end up under water. Believe that our so-called leaders will ever do the right things. I’m telling you, Son: Someone has to light a fire under those greedy beggars.

NELSONOr a bomb. Mom says that’s what it’s going to take.

ROGERAnd boy, are we working on it. Wait, did I say boy? to a young man who just graduated! Which might explain why Todd is partying, with my Jack Daniels. No boudt adout it.

TODDWhat? I.... didn’t think you’d mind, since the doctor made you unfriend your old friend Jack. Ha-ha-ha..... Sorry, not funny. So, is Aurie teaching you how to make green bombs?

ROGERYes she is, but we call them solar panels.

AURIEAnd windmills. Renewable energy, Todd.

ROGERIt’s not too late for you to get with it, Boyo. To redeem your brother’s false hope for coal.

NANYes, Todd and I had a good talk about what he can do, if he gets to Washington. If! Not that we want him to become another extremist, tilting at windmills.

ROGERBut he better support building some. Wind farms, like that one I’m buying in England.

NANTodd will sponsor a bill for you to, to— to make the climate get better.

ROGERAs if it just caught a sudden cold.

NELSONYo, its temperature has gone up.

AURIEEnough to melt tons of ice. Gigatons.


ROGERAnd raise sea levels. Right, M’dear? When your mom first saw your photos of South Florida, with fish swimming in the streets at high tide, she said they must be—

NANPhoto-shopped. But I do believe that Todd will win his election, if he has enough money.

ROGERAnd his first bill in Congress would say what?

TODDErosion is now against the law. Ha-ha-ha.... Seriously, I’ll call for building more jetties, like your breakwater out there.

ROGERI told you, storms now rage over those boulders, even up and over my sea wall. Gobbling chunks of lawn like that Pacman of yours when you were a kid.

TODDBut I could lead the fight for bigger sea walls, along the whole coast. That’s where most of us live, right? On all three coasts. Sea walls: now those are walls we really need.

NANAnd it’ll create jobs, don’t forget jobs. That is always popular.

TODDI’ll get support from both sides of the aisle. Not to mention in Trump-free zones.

NANSee, Roge? Todd does have ideas of his own.

ROGERBut who told him about that one? Aurie.

AURIEI even showed him an article about dikes and levees, but he wouldn’t read it.

TODDBecause that’s a done deal, right? At least around Lower Manhattan, for Wall Street.

NELSONWalls for Wall Street!.... What? So it won’t be under water. Like when it got flooded by that hurricane, with the fourteen-foot waves. Can’t let Grandpa drown in his office.


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Prisoners of Hope (20pg sample) 2:17

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