Photo by Amirali Beige
O Western Wind when wilt thou blow
Down that the small rain down can rain?
Christ! That my love were in my arms
and I in my bed again.
– Anon. Early 16th century
TIME AND PLACE
1948 (and half a lifetime later). A small Midwestern town (and a little beyond).
CHARACTERS
WRITER, female, 60’s.
MARIANNE, 29, married.
ROBERT, Marianne’s husband, 30’s.
ROBBY, Marianne’s 7-year-old son.
CAROLE, Marianne’s neighbor, 40’s or 50’s.
… in the dialogue indicates a thoughtful break.
SCENE 1 – WEDNESDAY MORNING
Stage right WRITER is seated, comfortably, in dim light, speaking into a recording device. The action takes place center stage and stage left.
WRITER
I think I’ll call it “Rain” for now.
I can always change the name.
But that fits.
And, to start, let’s start it on a clear-morning school day. Okay?
So many mornings back then started for Marianne on school days.
Packing lunches.
One for Rob … Robert … and one for Robby.
Oh! It was 1948, did I say?
Lights come up on MARIANNE, in the kitchen in a robe, making coffee and packing lunches in paper bags.
WRITER
The War’s been over three years,
and people are talking more about Russia than Japan or Germany these days.
The Cold War…. Stalin…. Atomic bombs.
Kids will be hiding under desks at school soon. During air raid drills.
Told exactly what to do if there’s a sudden, giant burst of light.
New words, new fears, and new beginnings.
People back to work fulltime. No more Depression. Economic depression, that is. The past ten years are just a memory … a bitter memory in ways…
She’s thinking about her right now.
MARIANNE
[to herself] It’s so unfair, not getting really to know Robby.
What’s the point having grandkids if you don’t get to know them?
Or what they like for lunch at school?
She’d tell him like it is. Better than I can, that’s for sure….
There, that’s done. Now Robert’s.
MARIANNE finishes packing the lunches and checks the coffee. ROBERT enters, dressed for work, kisses MARIANNE, grabs his lunch, and heads for the door.
ROBERT
Car pool’s here. Got to run.
Dinner’s on me tonight.
Gabriel’s.
Love you.
Bye.
Exits.
MARIANNE
Cafeteria.
Love you, too.
ROBBY runs in, grabs his lunch, and heads for the door.
MARIANNE
Oh no you don’t.
Not even a Hi?
ROBBY
Hi, Mom.
Love you.
Bye.
Exits.
WRITER
Not very sexy.
But that’s how I remember it.
Back then.
Before sexy was hardly a word anyone ever used.
MARIANNE pours a couple of cups of coffee, sets them on the table with a couple of sweet breakfast rolls, and sits.
In a few moments CAROLE knocks, enters, and sits with MARIANNE.
CAROLE
Hi, Neighbor.
What’s the news over here today? Anything?
MARIANNE
[beat] We’re going out to Gabriel’s for dinner tonight.
CAROLE
Wish I were so lucky.
MARIANNE
It’s a cafeteria, for heaven’s sake, Carole.
CAROLE
But it’s out, at least.
MARIANNE
Out…. Yes…. At least….
CAROLE
Did you hear?
The Newsomes are getting a TV?
MARIANNE
We are, too. Next week.
CAROLE
Well, that’s news.
When did Rob tell you?
MARIANNE
It’s from his father.
They’ve had it for a year.
And they’re getting a larger one….
He’s got to put an antenna up, he says.
On our roof.
CAROLE
The more you get, the more you have to do….
But it’s worth it…. People say.
MARIANNE
[beat] And a new dryer.
Our old one broke yesterday afternoon.
CAROLE
Broke?
MARIANNE
Broke loose, I should say.
The wooden two-by-fours it was on rotted, I guess.
It just started walking across the basement on them, like a midget Frankenstein.
Scared Robby to death.
He screamed, and started running up the steps, before it unplugged itself.
CAROLE
Sounds like you need new wood, not a whole new machine, to me.
MARIANNE
Rob says it’s about time.
The old one never did sit all that well.
On the cement down there.
CAROLE
We could use a new Bendix, too.
MARIANNE
If it’s not one thing anymore, it’s another.
You never do get ahead in this world.
CAROLE
No. You never do.
Not if you want to keep up with all the new things to get used to, you don’t.
To make life easier.
MARIANNE
It’s remarkable our mothers ever made it through, like they did.
CAROLE
They had their War.
We had ours.
Click here for complete script.