A Far, Far Better World/In the Eye of Heaven: Two Plays

By Harding Lemay

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 29, 2007
• ISBN: 9781465332189

Harding Lemay

HARDING LEMAY was born, the fifth of thirteen children, in Northern New York State. He ran away from home at seventeen to New York City where he has lived ever since. He was a delivery boy and elevator operator before serving in the U. S. Army during World War II, then an actor, librarian and book publishing executive before devoting himself full time to writing. He has written over twelve full length plays and two memoirs, Inside, Looking Out, (Harpers Magazine Press, nominated for the National Book Award) and Eight Years in Another World (Atheneum). He was the headwriter of NBC's daytime serial, Another World, for eight years and has been a scriptwriter and story consultant on other serials, including As the World Turns, The Doctors, Ryan's Hope, The Guiding Light and One Life to Live. In New York City, he has taught literature, drama and serial writing at New York University, Hunter College and the New School for Social Research. Other plays by Harding Lemay: Look at Any Man From a Dark Land Little Birds Fly Return Upriver Death of Eagles The Joslyn Circle The Off Season Escape Route Interior Landscape Scrutiny

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Copyright © 2007 by Harding Lemay.

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Contents

A FAR, FAR BETTER WORLD

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ACT THREE

IN THE EYE OF HEAVEN

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ACT THREE

HARDING LEMAY was born, the fifth of thirteen children, in Northern New York State. He ran away from home at seventeen to New York City where he has lived ever since. He was a delivery boy and elevator operator before serving in the U. S. Army during World War II, then an actor, librarian and book publishing executive before devoting himself full time to writing. He has written over twelve full length plays and two memoirs, Inside, Looking Out, (Harpers Magazine Press, nominated for the National Book Award) and Eight Years in Another World (Atheneum). He was the headwriter of NBC’s daytime serial, Another World, for eight years and has been a scriptwriter and story consultant on other serials, including As the World Turns, The Doctors, Ryan’s Hope, The Guiding Light and One Life to Live. He lives in New York City with his wife, Gloria Gardner, and he has taught literature drama. Literature, and serial writing at New York University, Hunter College and the New School for Social Research.

Other plays by Harding Lemay:

Look at Any Man

From a Dark Land

Little Birds Fly

Return Upriver

Death of Eagles

The Joslyn Circle

The Off Season

Escape Route

Interior Landscape

Scrutiny

A FAR, FAR BETTER WORLD

a play in three acts

Cinema has always depended upon the moment when screen creation and spectator begin to partake of one another.

David Thomson, The New Biographical Dictionary of Film.

A FAR, FAR BETTER WORLD was first performed at the Players, New York City, on July 14, 2003 with the following cast:

directed by Tom Ferriter

CAST OF CHARACTERS

in order of speaking

Karl (68), a small town big shot

Anson (17), a recent high school graduate

Loretta (39), his mother

The Actress (40)

Fred (43), a traveling salesman

Eunice (60), Loretta’s sister

Anson (47), a realtor

Victor (70), his father-in-law

Blanche (63), Victor’s caretaker

Justine (47), Anson’s wife

Bruce (18), their son.

Anson (77), a welfare hotel resident

Vilma (70), his neighbor

Darryl (19), a street hustler

Bruce (48), Anson’s son

Maeve (43), Bruce’s wife

The action of the play takes place over the course of sixty years in northern New York State, Hollywood, California, and New York City.

The first act is set in a shabby two room apartment above an all night diner in a small town in northern New York State that ANSON shares with his mother, LORETTA.

The second act is set in ANSON and JUSTINE’s Park Avenue penthouse apartment in New York City.

The third act is set in ANSON’s room in a welfare hotel in midtown New York City.

The abstract space for the Actress in Act One is part of the patio of her Hollywood home.

ACT ONE

Loretta’s living room

Late June, 1935

The living room is sparsely furnished with cheap, broken down furniture. Upstage are two begrimed windows looking out over a flashing KARL’S DINER sign. The walls are papered with a faded floral pattern with peeling corners. A sagging upholstered arm chair is between the two windows.

Downstage left an entry door leads to stairs to the street. Upstage is a small round kitchen table, covered by oil cloth, with three mismatched chairs around it.

On the upstage left wall are a gas range, ice box, and sink.

Downstage right is a beat up sofa, with faded cushions and bedclothes over it. On center stage left of it is a small coffee table, with six or seven movie magazines on it.

Upstage right a doorway leads to the bathroom and Loretta’s bedroom. Above the door, a wooden wardrobe contains Anson’s few clothes.

As the curtain rises, ANSON, a slight seventeen year old stands on a rickety stepladder cleaning the stage center left window, dressed only in his underpants.

He works intently, balancing a pail of soapy water on the ladder, pausing only to wipe the sweat from his face and hands with a small towel and to peer nearsightedly at the results of his work.

Unheard by him, KARL, a ruddy faced man in his late sixties, enters from outside, wearing a stained, wrinkled summer suit, tie and straw hat. He watches ANSON for a moment, then approaches him noiselessly.

Karl

Gotta use more muscle, kid.

ANSON turns quickly, loses his balance and jumps to the floor, spilling the bucket of soapy water on the floor and splashing KARL’s trouser leg.

Hey, watch it, them’s my best pants.

Anson

Sorry, Karl, you startled me.

Karl

And you’re startlin’ every one outside, up here half naked.

Anson

It’s hot in here.

He mops up the floor with a dirty rag.

Karl

(looking at the rag) Jesus, you cleanin’ the windows with that? No wonder they don’t look no better.

Anson

It was clean when I started.

Karl

(Seating himself on the sofa, he fans his face with his hat as ANSON goes to the sink upstage left. KARL shouts to him) You sure got a lot to learn about cleanin’. Real bum job last night. Don’t look like nobody touched the damn place.

Anson

(returning with a clean cloth and a bucket of water) The vacumm cleaner broke.

Karl

What’d you do to it?

Anson

It just gave up soon as it started.

Karl

Excuses, excuses. Just like your Ma. Spills a cup of coffee and damn if it ain’t the customer’s fault.

Anson

I didn’t say it was anybody’s fault. (climbs back up on the ladder and continues to clean the window)

Karl

Gotta use your noodle in emergencies. Find a broom and a mop pail like folks did before there was vacuum cleaners. Ingenuity, that’s what you gotta have, ingenuity and elbow grease. Ain’t payin’ you to goof off ’cause the goddam vacuum don’t work.

Anson

I’ll clean it up before the show tonight.

Karl

(watches ANSON clean the window for a moment, then leans forward, pointing) Missed a big spot there.

Anson

Where?

Karl

Right in front of you. Can’t you see nothing?

Anson

Broke my glasses this morning.

Karl

Get yourself new ones if you’re gonna keep cleanin’ my movie house.

Anson

Ma hasn’t got the money.

Karl

She would have if she didn’t fritter it all away.

Anson

She doesn’t have all that much to fritter away.

Karl

Shit, she makes a fortune in tips, nickels, dimes, quarters, even half dollars. Plus free eats and mostly free rent. She ain’t doin’ too bad for herself, Hell of a lot better than most folks. (takes out a cigar from his pocket) You gotta save your money. Spend it and it’s gone. Ain’t never comin’ back. At your age, I had enough to buy me a grocery store. First the store, then the bowlin’ alley, then the diner, the movie theatre, the hotel, the shoe factory, all from nickels and dimes I didn’t throw away. Sittin’ on top of the world ’cause I saved every cent I made. Still do. Not like them shiftless brothers of mine on their run down farms. (lights his cigar and leans back, blowing smoke in the air) Dumb as Canucks, up to their asses in cowshit day after day. Well, that’s their problem, not mine. (He looks around) Where’s your mother?

Anson

Down in the diner, last I saw.

Karl

Well, she ain’t there now.

Anson

You sure?

Karl

Sure I’m sure. I know who’s in my goddam diner. Just Kermit peelin’ spuds on the back stoop.

Anson

She said she’d be there till supper time.

Karl

Can’t believe what women tell you. Cheats and liars, everyone of ’em. Off on their own minute you turn your back. Don’t let ’em get their hooks in you, son. Secret of my success, no women in my life and no regrets. Spendin’ your money on whatever tickles their fancy, overpriced furniture, classy clothes, you name it, they want it.

Anson

Ma’s not like that.

Karl

I’m too damn soft on her. One of these days, she’ll go too far and be out of a job.

Anson

You wouldn’t do that!

Karl

Should throw you both out. Rent this place, make money on it. Help folks out, they give you the shaft. And I’m talkin’ about you, too. Candy wrappers and cigarette butts all over the new carpet I got not more than five years ago.

Anson

It won’t happen again, I promise.

Karl

Make sure of it, or no more free passes for you. Got it?

Anson

I got it.

Karl

Can’t figure why you spend so much time at the movies anyway. Ain’t nobody ever made a dime goin’ to movies. Last movie I saw was Wings. Bad enough to last a life time.

Anson

You’re missing a lot.

Karl

Like what?

Anson

Seeing how other people live, how they dress, talk, go about their lives.

Karl

I see plenty goin’ about my own life. And so do you. Forget the movies. Concentrate on where you are and where you’re goin’, before it passes you by and you’re sittin’ outside the poorhouse gummin’ down mush for supper. (He rises) Well, can’t sit here all day listenin’ to you gab. (He starts out)

Anson

(coming down the ladder) Wait a minute, Karl.

Karl

No time to wait.

Anson

The toilet won’t flush any more.

Karl

Just dump a bucket of water in it.

Anson

We been doing that but—and the bathtub faucet leaks.

Karl

Worked fine last time I saw it.

Anson

It just started leaking, honest.

Karl

You’re old enough to fix things like that.

Anson

I tried to.

Karl

Probably made it worse. (He goes into the bathroom)

ANSON puts the mop pail and rag under the sink as LORETTA, a good looking somewhat untidy woman in her late thirties, enters through the front door, carrying groceries and bottles of beer which she puts down on the table. ANSON turns without seeing her and starts to fold up the stepladder.

Loretta

Jesus, you’re too old to be parading around in your BVD’s.

Anson

It’s hot in here, Ma.

Loretta

Go get dressed. I got a visitor coming.

Anson

You already got one.

Loretta

(looking around) Who?

Anson

Karl’s here looking for you.

Loretta

Shit! Where is he?

Anson

Checking out the toilet and the leaky faucet.

Loretta

What’s he want?

Anson

He’s wondering why you weren’t in the diner.

Loretta

Jesus, can’t I have a life of my own?

Anson

Talk to him, not me. (He takes the stepladder into the kitchen area off stage right)