The Apple Family. Richard Nelson
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Uncle Benjamin. I know how much you love your bagel.
BENJAMIN: Do I?
BARBARA: We have bagels in Rhinebeck. We have a whole “bagel shop” on West Market.
(Richard and Jane share a look.)
TIM: I’m sorry I missed the fall foliage. I hear that’s spectacular up here.
BARBARA: It’s very nice.
JANE: Tim and I walked around the village a little. We got here early.
BARBARA: You could have—
JANE: He’d never been to Rhinebeck.
TIM: What a beautiful village . . .
RICHARD: The Beekman Arms—
JANE: We went in. Where should we sit?
BARBARA: Anywhere . . .
(They hesitate.)
RICHARD: Washington, Lafayette stayed there. (To Barbara) Who else?
BARBARA: I don’t know.
JANE: I showed him the sign. You could hardly read it. Don’t they clean it anymore? I’ll bet they cleaned it for Chelsea’s wedding.
RICHARD (To Tim): Did she point out the muskets on the ceiling?
JANE (Before Tim can answer): He loved Stickle’s. They don’t have five-and-dimes like that anymore . . .
RICHARD: Barbara saved an article from the New York Times that called this “The Town That Time Forgot.” (To Barbara) Is it still on your refrigerator?
BARBARA: Probably.
(No one has sat down.)
RICHARD: Maybe I should—Uncle Benjamin—why don’t you sit at the table? That’ll be easier.
(Directing them to seats.)
Jane and—Tim. And I’ll sit . . . Barbara—I don’t want to tell you where to sit in your own house . . .
(Barbara sits.)
And our sister, when she comes . . . (Another chair)
(Then:)
And we are sure she’s not going to be angry that we started without her?
JANE: Do you care?
RICHARD: No.
BARBARA: It was getting cold.
(Short pause.)
(To say something) I didn’t tell you—Mrs. Stickle’s son-in-law—not the one who works in the store, the other one?
JANE: I don’t live here. I’ve never even met Mrs. Stickle.
BARBARA (To Richard): He wrote that vampire book about President Lincoln.
JANE: There’s a vampire book about Lincoln? (Smiles)
RICHARD: I don’t know it.
BARBARA: It’s very—successful.
(They begin to eat.)
RICHARD: Good.
(They eat.)
JANE (To Tim): What does Lincoln have to do with vampires?
TIM: I have no idea.
(They eat.)
BARBARA (To Tim): Mrs. Stickle has been here forever. Longer even than Marian.
RICHARD: You are looking good, Uncle Benjamin. The country air is doing you wonders. (To Barbara) He does look better.
BARBARA: The bean salad is Marian’s.
RICHARD (Standing): Should I pour the wine? Who wants wine and who wants—water? Is that the choice?
BARBARA (Starting to stand up): What else do you want?
JANE: Sit down. Barbara, sit down.
(Various responses: “Wine,” “Water,” etc.)
BARBARA (To Richard): You know Marian worked for Gillibrand—so I wouldn’t . . . She might not find your story funny.
JANE (Eating): What did she do?
BARBARA: I think she made—phone calls? Her first campaign for the House. So—Marian thinks she was there in on the “beginning.”
RICHARD: The “beginning” of what?
(He shrugs.)
They scared everyone else off. Is that what we now call an election?
BARBARA: Marian likes her. So . . . (Looks at her watch) I’m sure Adam’s got Marian doing things. (The explanation) It’s election day.
(They eat. The lights fade.)
Oliver
A short time later, in the same seats, eating.
JANE: We’re just up for this week.
(Then:)
I was going to call . . . And we didn’t have a car. Today we had to borrow a car . . . Anyway, what a treat to be together. And to see you looking so well, Uncle Benjamin.
(They eat.)
BARBARA: How’s Billy? (To Tim) Billy’s her son.
TIM: I know. We’ve met.
JANE: Billy’s at Haverford. He doesn’t know what he wants to do.
BARBARA: Nothing wrong with that. Don’t make him feel bad.
JANE: I’m not doing that.
BARBARA: Don’t push him. I see kids being pushed by their parents all the time.
JANE: I’m not pushing.
BARBARA (With difficulty): And Alfred? Can I ask about him?
JANE (After a look at Richard and then Tim): Why not?
BARBARA: He’s written me twice. And I’ve written him back.
JANE: Then why ask me about him?
BARBARA: Jane, you have nothing to be ashamed of . . .
(Short pause. They eat.)
JANE (To Benjamin, to say something): Tim’s an actor too, Uncle Benjamin.
BARBARA (To Tim): Are you?
BENJAMIN: What play are you in now?
TIM: Nothing right now. I’m doing this workshop. For my friend, Joanne. Working with her students. (To the others) Bard has a beautiful theater.
BARBARA: A very famous architect—
BENJAMIN: What play are you going to be in?
TIM: I don’t know. I do a lot of television. I’m in a—pause.
(He “smiles.”)
BARBARA (To Tim): We have a theater in town.
TIM: I’m not really looking to be in a play.
BARBARA: I wasn’t suggesting—
TIM: I didn’t mean—
JANE (Over): Barbara, Tim isn’t interested in—
BARBARA: I know that. Of course I know. He’s . . .