Featured Playwright of December #2
This month there was a tie for Featured Playwright, so I decided to do a two-part post to celebrate both playwrights. This post is about “Coming Home” by John Ladd.
John Ladd is currently living in a small town in upstate New York where he is working on a number of projects. Prior to this, he lived in New York, Ontario, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and Illinois before moving to New York City where he spent a considerable amount of time writing and having his plays produced at Off-Off Broadway- and other NYC- venues. When he is not writing, he farms, part time, with his coonhound buddy, Roma. He has had plays produced at No Frills Theatre Collective, Manhattan Repertory Theatre, and The Short Play Lab as well as ActSense Theatre Company, The Puzzle, and the Bad Theater Festival among others. John Ladd was a Resident Playwright at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, 2013-2018.
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“COMING HOME”
CHARACTERS
(In Order of Appearance)
THE MOTHER
THE FATHER
THE BROTHER
THE SISTER
SETTING
The inside of a living room or parlor. There are two chairs, standing side by side- facing the audience- at center, downstage.
AT RISE
Enter, from stage-right, THE MOTHER and THE FATHER. They are waiting, and, thus, walk- but not pace- the stage, separately.
THE FATHER
Well, they said that they’d be here at three-thirty.
THE MOTHER
What time is it now?
THE FATHER
(checking his watch)
Three twenty-five.
THE MOTHER
All right- they still have five minutes.
(pause)
Why don’t you look out the window and see if they’re here?
THE FATHER
(goes to stage-left so as to look out the window)
Okay, okay-
(slowly)
Susan just pulled up-
(he pauses to watch and then quickly)
and there’s Teddy. He just pulled in behind her- and they’re getting out.
THE MOTHER
Perfect- right on time.
(pause)
I’m going to the kitchen to make sure everything is set for lunch.
[THE MOTHER begins to walk toward stage-right.]
THE FATHER
(walking toward stage-right)
I’ll join you. I don’t want them to think that we have nothing better to do than
stand around and wait for them.
[THE MOTHER and THE FATHER exit at stage-right.
Enter from stage-left, THE BROTHER, who walks slowly to center-stage
while looking around in a nostalgic way. Also,
enter from stage-left,
THE SISTER who walks slowly to center-stage.
She, too, is looking
around nostalgically.]
THE BROTHER
Well, it still looks the same.
THE SISTER
(nodding)
It does, it does- though it does feel a little strange.
THE BROTHER
What- being back here?
THE SISTER
Being back here under these circumstances.
THE BROTHER
(carefully)
Listen, listen- hey, I’m sorry that your marriage broke up.
THE SISTER
(shrugs)
Well, what can you do- at least there weren’t any kids.
THE BROTHER
Yeah, that’s a good thing.
(pause)
Did you see it coming? You know, Ken leaving and all?
THE SISTER
Not anymore than you saw your job leaving for some Third World country.
THE BROTHER
(shaking his head, knowingly)
And, so, here we are- back at home.
THE SISTER
I am- and I’m sure that you are- very grateful that Mom and Dad were gracious
enough to take us back in.
(pause)
I mean, what would we have done-
[Enter from stage-right, THE MOTHER and THE FATHER.
THE FATHER walks toward his daughter and THE MOTHER
walks toward her son.]
THE FATHER
(with open arms so as to embrace)
Susan.
THE MOTHER
(with open arms so as to embrace)
Teddy.
THE BROTHER
Mom.
THE SISTER
Daddy.
THE FATHER
(motioning to the chairs)
Please, sit- both of you.
[THE BROTHER and THE SISTER sit down.
There is now a silence during which we watch a
rapid progression-
in all four actors- from smiles and overt, happy
anticipation to budding-
then building- doubt, aborted attempts to say
something, and an
uneasiness, all of which settles on the equally
obvious realization
that their worlds are seriously amiss.
To the end of the play, both parents walk and
hover around and over
their children. Also, to the end of the play, THE
BROTHER
and THE SISTER regress to more and more
infantile behaviors
and mannerisms.]
THE MOTHER
(shaking her head in disgusted disbelief)
Who would have thought?
THE FATHER
(angrily upset)
This is terrible- the worst. Both of us are totally- totally- disappointed in both of
you.
THE BROTHER
But, Dad-
THE FATHER
(interrupting)
But nothing!
(pause)
Tell me- tell us- both of you- where did you go wrong?
THE MOTHER
Or was it us?
(pause)
Were we too easy on you? Slack? Not demanding enough when you were
growing up? Maybe we were too indulgent- even maybe too understanding?
THE SISTER
It wasn’t anybody- things just happened.
THE FATHER
Oh? Kenny leaving you for another woman just happened?
THE MOTHER
(shaking her head)
You never listened to me- I don’t know what you saw in him.
THE BROTHER
Mom, that’s not fair.
THE FATHER
Not fair? You’re right! It’s not fair! It’s not fair that I paid for you going to
college so that you could get a job that you would- and did- lose!
THE MOTHER
You know- you remember that your father always told you to be a doctor or a
lawyer- but, no, you knew better! See what you get? Look what you did to
yourself!
(to THE SISTER)
And, you, too! I gave you the best years of my life- I sacrificed for you- and what?
Now you’re putting us through this?
THE SISTER
(confused)
But you said-
THE BROTHER
(interrupting)
You said that it would be all right to come home until we can get back on our feet.
THE SISTER
We have nowhere else to go. How can you talk to us like this?
THE MOTHER
(indignant)
Oh! Listen to this!
(pause)
You know what? I don’t deserve this! You ungrateful bitch! You’re not the
same sweet child I remember!
THE FATHER
You asked for this and now you bad-mouth your mother?
THE BROTHER
Do you want us to go?
THE FATHER
Where? Where would you go?
THE MOTHER
Out on the street? Live in your cars? Bounce from friend to friend?
THE FATHER
And while you were doing any of those things, everyone would be watching you!
(pause)
And you know what they would see?
(pause)
They would see you bringing shame on this family!
THE MOTHER
Oh, no- not while I’m still alive!
THE FATHER
No, you’re not going anywhere. You can stay- but there will be rules-
THE MOTHER
(interrupting)
and chores!
(pause)
Things need to be done around here. You know, your father’s not getting any
younger.
THE FATHER
And you’re going to have to do your own wash. You can’t leave it for your
mother to do. It’s too much for her. You can’t become a burden!
[THE BROTHER and THE SISTER are in the
process of
falling off of their chairs and are laying on the
floor in an
increasingly fetal position.]
THE MOTHER
(to THE BROTHER and THE SISTER)
Why are you laying on the floor like that?
(pause, then in a disgusting and loathing tone)
I wish I’d never had kids! Look at the two of you! Is it too much to ask for the
two of you to sit in your chairs like the adults you’re supposed to be?
THE FATHER
All right, already! Get up! Get up and go to your rooms!
[THE BROTHER AND THE SISTER struggle, but
ultimately they
are able to get up and manage- with difficulty- to exit
at stage-right.]
THE MOTHER
(shouting out)
And keep the music down!
THE FATHER
(shouting out)
And, if you know what’s good for you, don’t let me hear any doors slamming!
[THE MOTHER and THE FATHER pause and
listen until
they are sure that THE BROTHER and
THE SISTER
are in their rooms.]
THE MOTHER
They’re pathetic- they’re nothing like us.
THE FATHER
(nodding, knowingly and determinedly)
Not now they’re not, but now that we’ve got them- here under our roof- we’ll
whip them into shape, however long it takes- trust me.
CURTAIN
BLACKOUT
END OF PLAY
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