ON OUR WAY TO THE FAIR

By Bill Savage [email protected] © 2015 ON OUR WAY TO THE FAIR Synopsis

ACT I In Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1939, Walter Dudek, a young coal truck driver from the poor immigrant town of South Patch, south of the city, enters a lunchroom to persuade his friend Charlie Kollar to accompany him, his girlfriend, and two of his sisters to the World’s Fair in New York. Later that day, Walter talks to his sister Emma and her alcoholic boyfriend, Harry Konopki. Unbeknownst to Walter, Emma and Harry are not going to the fair; they plan to elope to Niagara Falls to escape the poverty of South Patch. After Walter leaves, Emma tells Harry about the guilt she has felt over the years as a result of a promise she made to her mother, a promise she now has to break to get out. Later, Sophie and Dottie Dudek, Emma’s two sisters, are joined by Emma, who informs Sophie she won’t be going to the fair, and asks Sophie why she seems to want to be the family’s black sheep. Emma tells Dottie about her plans to elope. ACT II At the train station in Scranton, Harry and Emma inform everybody of their plans, and then head for the train to Niagara Falls. On the train to New York, once the dust settles, Dottie and Charlie meet and she tells him about her dreams and her life in South Patch. After an Entr’acte signifying their day at the fair, the group of four (including Walter’s girlfriend, Martha) talk about the fair. The men retreat to the club car to express their fears about the gloomy world situation. Dottie, in a dream sequence, talks with Emma about what the future holds for the family, and how Dottie will fulfill Emma’s promise. ACT III In 1964, a crippled Walter Dudek lives in a VA hospital, having lost his legs on D-Day. Emma, now a widow, visits him and tells him about what drove her to leave in 1939, and about her promise. Later, Dottie visits Sophie, now herself virtually a cripple and living alone in a small South Patch apartment. She finally gets Sophie to disclose the reason why she has been such a nasty woman all her life, and comes to understand that Sophie too was a victim of the previous generation’s actions. After an Entr’acte signifying the 1964 World’s Fair, Emma and Dottie end a day at the fair, where each discloses to the other the secret she knows about the family – Emma’s promise, and Sophie’s revelation to Dottie. They talk about visiting the next World’s Fair in New York 25 years later. An off-screen coda states there never was another fair in New York in the 20th century.

ON OUR WAY TO THE FAIR CHARACTER DESCRIPTION LIST

Walter Dudek male spoken 24/49 lead Charlie Kollar male spoken 23 supporting Emma Dudek female spoken 30/55 lead Dottie Dudek female spoken 21/46 supporting Sophie Dudek female spoken 28/53 lead Harry Konopki male spoken 30 supporting Martha Urbanski female spoken 24 supporting A nurse female spoken 25 supporting A conductor male walk-on 30 supporting ON OUR WAY TO THE FAIR SETTINGS

ACT 1 Scene 1: A lunchroom in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a Wednesday summer morning, 1939. Scene 2: The back porch of the Dudek home in South Patch, a poor town south of Scranton. That afternoon. Scene 3: The same porch. That evening.

ACT II Scene 1: The railroad station in Scranton, that Saturday morning. Scene 2: A passenger car en route to New York, moments later. Scene 3: A passenger car leaving New York, that evening. Scene 4: The club car of the same train. Scene 5: The passenger car.

ACT III Scene 1: A VA Hospital in Scranton, a Wednesday summer morning, 1964. Scene 2: Sophie Dudek's apartment, South Patch, that evening. Scene 3: Outside the 1964 New York World's Fair, that Saturday evening I-1 Page 1

ACT I Scene 1: A lunchroom, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1939. (Lights up, late on a Wednesday morning in the summer of 1939. Charlie Kollar, the counter man, is cleaning up from a previous customer when Walter Dudek, an athletic-looking coal truck driver and a friend of his, enters.) CHARLIE (Looking up) Well, well, if it ain’t my old pal Dudek. Long time no see, there, bud! WALTER (Sitting down at the counter) Aww, c'mon … it ain’t been that long, Charlie! CHARLIE I guess it ain’t … so anyway, what brings you into town, big fella? (They both laugh. Charlie pours him a coffee.) WALTER Aww … ya know. Couple different things. They had me out in the boonies make deliveries there for a while, but now they got me back in the city, so I figured I'd stop by and see my old pal Charlie! CHARLIE Must be nice to get back into town again. WALTER You shred it, wheat! (They both laugh) CHARLIE So how's the family, Walter? WALTER (Waves his hand dismissively) The folks? Aww, they never get outta South Patch. Hell, the old lady barely ever leaves her room. And the old man, well, he’s always gripin’ about something or other … mine owners, unions, all that crap. Can’t blame him, though. I mean, I think if my insides was all busted up like his, I’d be grouchy, too. CHARLIE Yeah, he's one of them fellas that got busted up in the mines, ain’t he? WALTER Yeah, he’s all ruptured and can’t barely walk. Been that way a couple a years now. Went to work one day, got himself hurt and … well, they pulled up with a horse and wagon, dumped him on the porch, and said they needed me to go to the mine the next morning to take his place.

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CHARLIE And that's how you got on the coal truck? WALTER Well, I was in the mines for a while when it turned out one of the fellas I played ball with in South Patch had an uncle who was drivin’ a coal truck at the time, and he heard I wanted to get outta the mines, so he went and told the supervisor he needed a helper. Thank God for that. CHARLIE Yeah, that mine work is rough, ain't it. But anyways, did you come in here to tell me your life story, or are you gonna order something? (Walter fakes taking a swing at him and laughs.) WALTER A real wisenheimer, you are, Kollar … All right, let’s see. How about a grilled cheese … little tomato inside … slip a little bacon in there, too? CHARLIE Okay. WALTER And tell ya what … how about you burn the edges a little? CHARLIE Sure thing, boss. (Charlie turns to yell the order.) Hey Chet, gimme a GC, tomato and bacon, burn the edges! (He turns back toward Walter.) Let’s hope he gets it right. You know Chet, dontcha? WALTER Yeah … I know Chet. CHARLIE Yeah, so you know how Chet is … you gotta tell him things a couple of times before he gets it right! (They both laugh.) CHARLIE So anyway, Walter, what else brings you in? Besides Chet’s cookin’, that is. WALTER Well, ya know what, Charlie, it's funny, 'cause I was meanin' to ask you somethin'. CHARLIE Oh yeah? WALTER Yeah! Ya know, Charlie, I got this gal named Martha –

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CHARLIE (Chuckles and nods) Oh yeah, I know about Martha. WALTER What’s that supposed to mean? CHARLIE Well, jeepers, Walter, everybody who’s been to a dance at the Town Hall has seen Martha. She’s only the best-lookin’ doll for about twenty miles around!

WALTER Well, yeah, she is … and youse all better remember whose gal she is, too! CHARLIE Yeah, I know – WALTER Anyways … Martha, bein' a city girl here, she's … well, she’s a little restless, ya know? She thinks she’s gonna be a big movie star some day and the other day, she pulls out a copy of Life magazine, and she shows me some pictures of that World’s Fair they got goin’ in New York City … you been hearin' about that, Charlie? CHARLIE Well, sure, who ain’t heard about the World’s Fair? WALTER Yeah, well, Martha sure has! And she got it into her head that she wants to go see it. CHARLIE Uh-oh! That’s gonna cost somebody some cabbage! WALTER Yeah, that’s what I thought at first. But it really ain’t that bad, actually. I been able to sock some cabbage away after I hand some of it over to the folks, and I got more than enough to take the train to New York for the fair. CHARLIE That’s cause you ain’t a lunchroom counter man! WALTER Yeah, and I ain’t plannin’ on becomin’ one, either. But gettin’ back to what I was sayin’, Martha has been buggin’ me to go to the World’s Fair for a couple of weeks now. But there’s been kind of a bug in the ointment with that. CHARLIE What’s that? (Charlie puts the sandwich on the counter. Walter looks at it, looks around Charlie toward the back, and doesn’t eat it just yet.)

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WALTER Well, ya gotta understand my point of view here, Charlie. Even though this is gonna cost me some dough, it’s a pretty good deal from my end. I get to go to New York with my gal … and like you said yourself, she’s a real looker. CHARLIE She sure is. WALTER So we’re talkin’, what, ten, twelve hours by ourselves? No folks, no sisters or brothers. During that time, odds would seem pretty could that a fella could get a little lovin’ in there, ya know? (Charlie chuckles and nods.) Of course, just as I’m thinkin’ this, Martha’s old lady comes along and throws cold water on the whole thing! CHARLIE Uh-oh! WALTER Yep … her old lady gets wind of the whole thing, and she decides she don’t want her daughter goin’ to the big city alone with a single man. Which kinda frosts me because I been actin’ like a choir boy around her folks … but anyway, that’s what the old lady says. So I’m thinkin’, “Well, that’s the end of that plan!” (Walter picks up his sandwich, then pauses.) But then, the other day, she comes up to me and … now, you know, she don’t speak English too good, just like your folks or my folks, so it was all in broken English. (He begins to imitate the woman’s Eastern European accent.) But she comes up to me and she says, “Now Walter, wouldn't it be nice if one of your sisters goes along with you and Martha to New York? Just so nothing goes out there, you know?” CHARLIE Well, you do got a lot of sisters, dontcha? WALTER Yeah, but I wasn’t plannin’ on needin’ a chaperone. But anyways, the old lady won’t take no for an answer. Either I get somebody else to go with us, or we don’t go. CHARLIE So which one of your sisters are you takin’? Not the one who was gonna be a nun? WALTER You mean Sophie … well, yeah, she did go in to become a nun, but she quit right off. Now she just argues with everybody all the time. But no, she ain't goin'.

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CHARLIE Ain't you got an older sister, too? WALTER I was getting’ to that … You’re talkin’ about Emma, the oldest … well, the oldest one of our family who survived, anyways. She sorta runs things down there, ya know. And really, she's a great gal. Smart, good-lookin', if she had a chance to get outta there once in a while. CHARLIE Didn't you tell me she had a boyfriend? That – (Charlie puts his hand to his mouth to suggest a drinking motion.) WALTER Yeah, Harry – (Walter makes the same motion.) Anyways, Emma don’t get out much. About all she does is go down to the beer garden once in a while to make sure Harry gets home okay. She comes out to my ballgames once in a while. It’s too bad, ya know? If Emma grew up in … say … New York … or even here … anywhere but in South Patch … I’d betcha she’d be a real successful dame. CHARLIE Yeah, there ain’t much happenin’ down where you live. WALTER There ain't nothin' happenin down there! Except old-timers sittin' around bitchin' about the old country, and fellas like Harry, sittin' in the beer garden four, five hours a night. The funny thing is, I like Harry … at least when he ain’t stinkin’ drunk. And I’d like to see Emma have a good time. So I figured, as long as Martha's old lady wanted somebody to go with us, why not those two? I even said I’d pick up the train fare … if Harry could scrape up enough dough for the rest. CHARLIE So did she take you up on it? WALTER That’s the thing. What do you think she says to me? She says, “Well, Walter, I don’t think I should run off and leave things unattended down here … unless …” CHARLIE Uh-huh – WALTER She says she’ll go if … and only if … I’ll let Dottie come with us. CHARLIE Dottie?

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WALTER Yep. Our youngest sister … well, the youngest one still alive, anyways. We had one more after, but she died young of consumption, you know? So anyways, that left Dottie the youngest. She’s a cute kid … well, hell, she ain't really a kid no more! She just turned twenty-one. Smartest one of the bunch. A real bug’s ear. (Charlie stares at Walter, who has some of the sandwich.) CHARLIE So whatcha getting’ at here, bud? (Walter dabs a napkin at his mouth and takes a sip of coffee.) WALTER Well, let’s do the arithmetic, pal. If I can get Emma to go, then Martha can go. But Emma won’t go unless Dottie goes. CHARLIE Yeah? WALTER Now, Emma don’t want Dottie to feel like a killjoy. So she says, “Don’t you know some fella that can come with us, so’s he can keep her company? I mean, somebody we can keep an eye on, cause we ain’t gonna let nobody try to make a play for Dottie.” CHARLIE (Backs away from the counter) Aw, c’mon Walter! You askin me to take your sister? … Well, she don’t sound too … Now just wait a cotton-pickin’ minute! Who’s gonna pay for all this?

WALTER Take it easy, Charlie! … Sheesh! … First of all, I’ll pay for the train fare ... for everybody. That’s six people! Do you think you can scrape up enough cabbage to pay for maybe two tickets to get into the fair? I heard it’s about a buck to get in. Ain’t you got two bucks to spare for a free trip to New York, and a chance to return a big, big favor somebody did for you a couple of weeks ago? (Charlie shrugs, thinks a moment, then begins to chuckle) CHARLIE I … I suppose! Sheesh! I guess it serves me right for shootin’ craps with them West Side boys … Okay, you got me! WALTER Well, don’t make it sound like you’s goin’ to the chair! All you gotta do is show up Saturday at the train station, talk nice to my little sister, keep your greasy- spoon-cookin’ hands off her, and you get a free trip to New York. And that’ll keep Emma happy, which will just so happen to free me up to sneak off for a few hours with Martha … which is the whole point of this thing to begin with!

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CHARLIE You got it all planned, don'tcha? WALTER You shred it, wheat! This’ll get me in like Flynn with my gal, and, hey, Charlie, just look around you! I mean, yeah, you don't live in South Patch … but this ain't exactly New York City either! And I’m tellin ya, our Dottie, she’s a fun kid. You never know, right? You never know? CHARLIE You’re sure she ain’t the crazy one? WALTER Naw, this one is one smart kid. Sorta the dreamer type, in a way. But remember, she ain’t been out of South Patch in her life. Walkin’ to church, goin’ to see me play ball, that’s been the extent of her travels. That and goin' to the drug store in town … but anyways … she’s gonna look at you, she’s gonna see a fella who’s been to the C.C. Camp in Virginia … She’s gonna think you’re some kinda world traveler! So whatcha say, kid? (Charlie shakes his head and laughs.) CHARLIE Yeah, yeah. So we're doin' this on Saturday, right? WALTER Yep … I’ll get everybody up here somehow from South Patch, and we’ll meet you at the train station at around seven in the morning. You’ll be back home by midnight. And you’ll make … well, you’ll make at least one of us very happy! CHARLIE (Starts to clean up Walter’s dishes) Yeah, well, it’s the least I can do. (Walter gets up to leave. They shake hands. Walter leans over and pinches Charlie’s cheek, then shadow boxes him before heading for the door.) WALTER That's the spirit, buddy boy! You and me, and Dottie and Martha, and Emma and … well, if we can keep Harry sober for a day … we’re on our way, buddy. We’re all on our way … to the World’s Fair! (Exit. Lights out.)

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Scene 2: The back porch of the Dudek home in South Patch, a poor town south of Scranton. That afternoon. (Lights up on the same day, late afternoon. Walter Dudek approaches the back porch of a rundown house in South Patch, a poor, mostly immigrant town. The house is made of wood, but the paint has faded. Chickens can be heard in the background. Walter looks more worn out and dirtier than he was earlier in the day. He sits on the porch and lights a cigarette. His older sister Emma comes out of the house, carrying a broom. She is wearing a faded, but clean, old dress. Her hair is tied back.)

EMMA Hey Walter, welcome home. Looks like you had a long day. Don’t forget to leave me your dirty clothes so’s I can wash `em. WALTER (Doesn’t look at her at first) What’s the hurry? I can wear `em again tomorrow like this. EMMA (Sits down next to him and stares at him) Now, now … it don’t work that way! Just `cause this family ain’t got no money, that don't mean you gotta go to work in dirty clothes, does it? (She pinches Walter on the cheek. He smiles and puts out his cigarette.) WALTER I guess not. Just been a long day, that’s all. Made all my deliveries in town today, plus I went and talked to that doctor about Pa. He said he’s either gotta wear the truss or suffer even worse than he does now. So there ain't much nobody can do about it. EMMA (Smirks and shakes her head) Well, he hates that truss, so I guess we gotta listen to him moanin’ all the time. WALTER (Looks at her and smiles) Yep. Well, at least we'll get one day not havin' to hear it. EMMA Whatcha mean, “We”? You mean you and Martha?

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WALTER Well, yeah, but also you and Harry. EMMA (Stands back up) Now wait a minute … You know what I told you about that! WALTER Yeah, yeah, I know. EMMA So you startin’ to see things my way? (They both sit and look outward for a few seconds.) WALTER Em … It ain't that I didn’t see things your way. I just wasn’t quite sure I wanted to go through with it. But I talked to my friend Charlie in town today, and he said he’ll tag along and keep Dottie company this weekend so’s I don’t have to leave you and Harry behind. EMMA Yeah, I bet that’s what he said! You probably had to do a little arm-twistin’ to get him to go along with it. WALTER Not really. He just didn’t think he could afford it. But I told him I’d pay their train fare, and he was all ears. (Emma paces a little bit.) EMMA Um … this Charlie … What’s he do again? WALTER He works in a lunchroom downtown. He’s not a bad guy, though. Sometimes he gets in with the wrong crowd and – EMMA He calls you to help him out? WALTER Sometimes. (They both laugh) EMMA How old is he anyway? WALTER Charlie? Year or two younger than me, I think. EMMA Ain’t got no girlfriend? (Walter laughs and is mildly embarrassed.)

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WALTER I don’t know … I ain’t never seen him with one. But I don’t follow him around twenty-four hours a day, neither. He didn’t say nothin’ about that when I made this proposition to him today. I mean, if the guy had a steady gal, I don’t think he’d have gone for my deal. I mean, I was pretty clear … I even told him he was gonna keep his greasy hands off my sister. EMMA Greasy? WALTER Yeah, you know, he works at a lunch counter. EMMA Oh … well, it sounds like you laid it on the line for him. I just hope – (Walter gets up and puts his hand on her shoulder.) WALTER Em … trust me, this guy ain’t doin’ nothin’ with Dottie or anybody else except goin’ to New York. EMMA And he ain’t gonna disappear with her somewhere? He ain’t gonna run off and we never see him again? WALTER Now why would he do somethin' like that. He knows better than that. EMMA Well, okay, I guess you know what you’re doin’. WALTER So, we all set then? I mean, is there any doubt now that you’re gonna go? I gotta tell Martha’s old lady you’re gonna be chaperonin’ us. EMMA Well I don’t know about that! WALTER Well, at least I can tell her that you’re gonna go! EMMA Yeah … sure … assumin’ Harry is okay to go … we … we'll be there Saturday morning. WALTER He better be okay to go! Anyways, I ain’t gonna tell Martha’s mother that Harry is comin’. That might not set too well, ya know? I mean, me personally, I ain’t got no problems with Harry when he’s … well, when he’s – EMMA Yeah, Walter, I know … when he’s sober. (Walter looks at her and nods.)

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WALTER It’s just that … ya know … everybody in town – EMMA Yeah, I know. Everybody is aware that Harry’s a drunk. I can’t blame ya, Walter. I wouldn’t say nothin’ to her either. (Walter lights another cigarette. Emma picks her head up and forces a smile. She puts her hand on Walter's.) Listen, I know this is all kinda getting’ to be a bigger deal than you wanted, but trust me, it’s gonna work out. WALTER Yeah, I mean … it’ll be a good time. (Emma smiles at him.) EMMA Sure it will! And I’m really glad you’re gonna take Dottie. I mean, Walter … you can go out and play ball, drive a coal truck, do whatever. But for us girls, there are only two ways outta here. One is to find a man, marry him, and spend the rest of your life makin’ sure your kids don’t end up like most of the people around here. (Walter nods) And the second way … well, it’s what happens to a lot of people around here … including to our baby sister that was born right after Dottie. You get consumption or you take sick some other way, and they send you up to the mountains, and you die. For us girls, it’s one or the other. WALTER Well, there is a third way. You could do what Sophie tried to do.

EMMA Yeah, well, that ain't for everybody, either. And besides … you saw how far that went. (They both giggle. Emma gets up and takes a deep breath, then puts her hands on her hips and stares at Walter.) Them sisters don’t know how lucky they were, though. Imagine bein’ cooped up with her in a convent? It's bad enough bein' cooped up with her here! (They both laugh again.) WALTER Yep, I see your point, Em. I wish it weren't like that, but it is. I guess maybe that’s why I wanted Dottie to go on this trip. I mean, Sophie, she’s a lost cause – EMMA Oh no, Walter, there ain’t no way anybody would wanna go to New York with Sophie!

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WALTER That's for sure. But anyways, Em, here’s the plan. We all gotta get up real early Saturday so we can get to the train depot by about seven. I’m gonna borrow a wagon off one of the fellas at work and drive us there. So you gotta make sure Dottie and you are ready, and that Harry is … well, I'll leave Harry's state up to you. I’ll take care of me and Martha. EMMA I promise Harry’s gonna be there … in fact, he might just surprise you how perky he’s gonna be.

WALTER At that hour in the moring? I’ll believe that when I see it. Now, in the meantime, how you gonna square all this with Ma and Pa … not to mention Sophie? EMMA I ain’t worried about Ma and Pa no more. If Ma ain’t gonna do nothin’ but go to church and then crawl back up to her bedroom, then I ain't gonna get her permission for nothin! And what’s Pa got to say about anythin’ these days, anyways? WALTER Actually, I’ll tell Pa. He ain't gonna care. If it ain't got nothin' to do with the old country or the mines … or that rupture of his … he ain't gonna care. But what about Sophie? EMMA I'll deal with her. Like always. WALTER (Laughs) You can handle it. EMMA Yeah … that’s me. “You can handle it, Emma!”

WALTER I can hear her now! (He imitates Sophie whining) “I ain’t never been to New York!”… “I never get to go anywhere!” (Emma bends over laughing.) EMMA I’m … I’m sorry … but that’s so darned funny! You got her down to a tee, Walter! (They both laugh, then Walter puts his arm around her.) WALTER Em, everything’s gonna be okay. We know how much we appreciate you around here. Don’t know why you do it, but we’re glad you do what you do. And I don’t know what we’d do if you suddenly weren’t here no more.

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EMMA Now that don’t sound much like Sophie, Walter! WALTER Nope, that was all me. And I'd hate to find out what would happen if you – (Walter stops and begins to laugh as he appears to see somebody coming toward them from offstage. Emma turns around and her eyes get big too. In the background, a man is singing in a slurred voice.) HARRY “Ah, sweet miss-tery of life … at last I found thee...” (Walter starts to laugh as Emma shakes her head and sits on the porch.) “Ah, at last I've found the secret of it all!” WALTER Well, if it ain't Nelson Eddy! EMMA Ttust me, it ain't! (Harry Konopki stumbles toward them. He is dressed in work clothes that are rumpled, with the shirttail hanging out. His hair is messed and he obviously has been drinking. He heads toward Walter with his hand extended. His speech is slurred.) HARRY Well, if it ain’t my old pal Dudek … How's it goin’, you big coal cracker, you? WALTER (Reaches out to shake his hand) That’s Mister Dudek to you, Harry. I swear, I never know whether it’s better to run into you on your way to the beer garden or when you’re on your way back! Was you the one buyin’ the drinks today? HARRY (Pretends to rummage through his pockets) Tell the truth, I don't know! But I know somebody was! WALTER Busy down there tonight? HARRY Oh, yeah! Old man Kuharski was givin' me a hard time about … uh … well, he was givin’ me a hard time about somethin’, that's for sure! WALTER Probably your bill. And I bet you didn't say nothin’ back, right?

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HARRY Now Walter, you know me! I got great respect for my elders … especially that old son of a bitch! (Emma is doing a slow burn, but she’s used to this display.) EMMA Watch the language, Harry! (Harry turns and moves toward Emma, who turns away when he tries to hug her.) You stay over there … I ain't walkin’ around the rest of the night smellin’ like I just got outta the brewery! HARRY (To Walter) See how she treats me? WALTER Well, you kinda brought it on yourself. Then again, I’ve seen you worse than this. So anyways, whatcha doin’ over here, Harry? Ain’t you ready to go home and sleep it off yet? HARRY Aww … I ain’t gotta … No, Walter, I came over to see your sister. WALTER Which one? HARRY (Points at Emma) This one here! I ain't comin' around to see that crazy one! EMMA Now wait a minute! You may be drunk, Harry Konopki, but you ain't gonna get away with callin’ one a my sisters crazy! WALTER Yeah, Harry! You gotta be part of the family to do that! And I'm gonna bet you ain't got no diamond ring in your pocket there!

(Harry and Emma both stare at Walter. Harry turns to Emma.) HARRY Well, you know I meant that I came to see you, Sweetie! (Emma waves him off and gets up, standing off to the side with her arms folded. Walter gives Harry a cigarette and lights one for each of them.)

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WALTER Harry, if I didn’t know you better, I’d get mad at you. But I know that tomorrow mornin’, when they line up for work, you’re gonna end up doin’ the work of three other fellas. I don’t know how you do it, but I seen it done enough times to know you do. (Harry smiles. Walter approaches Emma.) Anyways, Em, I guess I better go get changed and get ready to go over to Martha’s for a while. I think everything’s all set for what we were talkin’ about for Saturday. (Walter turns to Harry.) Now you’re gonna be up and at `em and rarin’ to go on Saturday morning, eh, buddy? (Harry seems to get more serious. Emma stares at him.) HARRY Well … yeah … You betcha, big fella. I'll be ready to go on Saturday. Wouldn’t miss it for the world. WALTER Like in the World's Fair? (Harry shrugs as Emma takes a deep breath.) HARRY Uh … yeah … the World's Fair. (For a moment, all three go silent and look at each other.) WALTER And don’t forget Harry, I gotta get you and Emma back here in good shape Saturday night … Can’t be goin’ to Mass all groggy-eyed, ya know? EMMA Yeah Harry, you know … Mass … on Sunday. We gotta make it to mass on Sunday. (Walter looks puzzled, but hugs Emma and shakes Harry's hand, then exits. Harry and Emma sit down on the porch.) HARRY So, Sweetie Pie, I guess you didn't let the cat outta the bag then? EMMA No, I didn't. But … I don’t know, Harry, maybe I should have. HARRY Well, he’ll know soon enough. When we’re on our way to Niagara Falls.

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EMMA I know, but I’m worried about how I’m gonna tell Dottie, never mind Walter. Should I tell her before we go, or after? HARRY I ain't so sure you should risk it, but that's up to you. Were you thinkin’ of tellin’ her tonight? (They both pause and look to the distance. Harry smokes continuously.) EMMA I’m thinkin’ about it. I just feel like I gotta tell somebody! HARRY Maybe. But one thing’s for sure. You … I mean, we … we gotta get outta here now. We hung around here way too long for our own good, Em, and you just can’t keep dealin’ with your Ma and your Pa and that crazy sister of yours. And you just gotta have faith that everybody you’re leavin’ behind can handle things around here, at least until they get married off and get outta here themselves. EMMA I wish it was that easy. (Harry lights a cigarette, his hands shaking.)

HARRY How come it ain’t, then, Em? EMMA Whaddya mean? (Harry, who seems to be sobering up a bit, leans closer to her.) HARRY I mean, why you agonizin’ over it the way you are? You done your share around here … you been doin' the work of two or three gals. (Emma seems worried and Harry takes her hand.) What’s wrong, babe? Is there somethin’ you ain’t told me? We ain’t supposed to have no secrets now, ya know? (Emma looks up at the sky, then back toward the house. She takes a deep breath, and gets up as Harry sits on the porch.) EMMA Harry, have I ever tell you that I wanted to become a teacher? (Harry shrugs as if he can’t remember.) HARRY I think you mentioned it.

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EMMA Well, I did. I wanted to teach poor immigrant kids, kids like me, like my sisters, like Walter. I’ll never forget how I felt when I first started to learn English in school … I was the first one here to learn English, ya know? HARRY Yeah, I guess that was a big deal back then.

EMMA It sure was to me! I couldn’t have been more proud. And that’s what I wanted to do. I never set out to be some kinda housemaid around here, havin’ to yell at Sophie to feed the chickens and all that stuff. I wanted to be a teacher. But then you know what happened. HARRY I do? EMMA The war came. I was still a little girl when my older brother Cyril lied about his age and went off to join the war. HARRY The one who went and worked on an ambulance over there or something? I thought he died of the influenza back in nineteen? EMMA He did, but when he went off to the war the year before that, they made me leave school and stay here. Then when he died of the influenza, I became the oldest around here. I was only eleven or twelve by then. I never wanted to be the oldest, Harry. I just … I just wanted to be … a teacher. HARRY So what else happened when you became the oldest? Are you sayin’ somethin’ happened after that? EMMA Yeah … somethin’ happened. I tried my best to be the big sister around here, but I also still was dreamin' about bein' a teacher. But one day, after Ma had Walter and Dottie, I guess it just kinda became too much for her to handle. So she went upstairs, with all her saints and statues and candles, and spent all but an hour or so every day up there. She still does, in fact. (Emma bows her head briefly, then raises it again.) HARRY I'll tell ya Em, this is a poor town. But everybody always says you folks is the poorest. EMMA Yeah, I know … people used to tell their kids, “If you don't mind, I'm gonna send you off to live with the Dudeks.” Or “Pick up your mess! Who you think you are … one of them Dudeks?”

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(Harry nods. He looks back at the house and starts to shake his head.) EMMA, contd. But anyways, my Ma and Pa, they didn’t do nothin’ no more. I did my best, Harry, but it started to really worry me. I was afraid I was never gonna get to go back to school, back to learn how to be a teacher. … And that’s when it happened. HARRY What happened? (Emma pauses and looks into Harry's eyes. He seems startled at first.) EMMA Harry, before we do what we’re plannin’ to do, I got somethin’ I just gotta get off my mind … HARRY Yeah … sure. EMMA Harry, it’s gonna be 1940 soon. Babies don't die no more like they did in the old days. And people are just different than they was back, say, twenty years ago. HARRY Em … why are you talkin’ about babies? EMMA Aww … it ain’t about babies! It’s about family, you know? People ask me all the time … you know, at church mainly … They say to me, Who’s gonna take care of your Ma and Pa?” They just figure we’re all gonna leave here and leave them to die off alone, I guess. But … well … it ain’t that simple. HARRY Em .. .what in the world are you gettin’ at? EMMA It just ain’t that simple! HARRY What ain’t that simple? EMMA Just up and leavin’ here. HARRY Em … Don’t tell me you’re gettin’ cold feet! EMMA I’m not, but … Harry … just listen!

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(Brief pause. Harry feels as if he's trapped by what she’s getting at. Emma is shaking as she seems to have something to say. She takes a deep breath and starts to say it.) EMMA, contd. Harry … what I’m about to tell ya … I swear, I ain’t told anybody else before. Not my brother or my sisters ...or nobody. But right after my brother Cyril died, like I said, my Ma was just lyin’ around all the time. One day she called me in to her room. Now, you gotta understand, Harry, I never liked to go in ta Ma’s room much. It was a scary place to me … it still is. Religious statues everywhere. Candles burnin’ all the time. All sorts of stuff on the walls from the old country. Dark and cold all the time. (Harry puts his hands to his mouth as he listens.) Anyways … I went up there and as soon as I got in the room, Ma started talkin’. She was talkin' in the old language, but I’m gonna say it in English. I don’t like the old language no more, Harry, and I sure didn’t like it after what Ma said that day. (Emma begins to shake slightly, but she begins talking with an Eastern European accent, imitating and channeling her mother.) EMMA (as Mother) “Now Emma, you know, your Pa and me ain’t going to be able to hang on much longer. And with Cyril gone … well … you’re the oldest now.” (She alternates between her own thoughts and repeating what her mother said.) EMMA The oldest? I wasn't even a teenager yet! EMMA (as Mother) “And because you’re the oldest, I want you to make a promise. A promise! Right here and now!” EMMA A promise? What kinda promise could I make? I was still just a little girl! EMMA (as Mother) “You gotta promise me, in front of the father, the son and the Holy Ghost …” (Emma makes the sign of the cross) … and in front of the blessed mother and all the saints … EMMA Now I really was shaking! The blessed mother and the saints? Why was she bringing them into it? What did they care about some promise she wanted me to make?

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EMMA (as Mother) “… I want you to promise all of us … promise us that as long as any of your brothers or sisters are alive, that you’ll be responsible for them. That whatever happens to them will be because of you. You're the oldest. It's all up to you!” (Emma stops and wipes her eyes. She waits a few seconds and stares at Harry.) EMMA Can you imagine how that made me feel, Harry? How scared I was? How could I make a promise like that? All of our lives? What did that mean? EMMA (as Mother) “Answer me!” EMMA But I couldn’t. So she yelled again. Harry … she yelled so loud that, I swear, I thought the saints in those pictures on her wall was gonna jump out and choke the life outta me if I didn’t say somethin’! Then she yelled at me again, louder than ever: EMMA (as Mother) (Screams) “ANSWER ME!” (She shakes as she remembers it) EMMA When she said it the first time … I wanted to say I couldn’t do it. But when she yelled it again … when she screamed it at me … I just saw all those saints and the Virgin Mary watchin’ me, waitin’ for an answer. Harry, I swear, I saw them watchin’ me … (Harry's eyes open wider as he listens. He stares at Emma constantly.) And at that moment, Harry, I knew that if I tried to say no, that if I said I wanted to be a teacher and get outta South Patch and have my own family … I just knew that somehow I was gonna be … I was gonna be sent straight to some part of hell for girls who don’t keep their Ma’s promises. (She bites her lip as she thinks about it) So I just yelled back, loud as my little lungs could, in the old language:

“YES, YES … I PROMISE!!!” (Emma is shaking. She wipes away a tear, then composes herself. Harry seems shocked.) Once I said that, Ma fell back down on the bed and told me to get out. I guess she figured she got what she wanted. Me? I came out here, and I sat on the porch for a long time … I've hated this porch ever since.

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(She wanders around the stage silently for a moment, and wipes her eyes. Harry gets up and goes toward her, but she stops him.) EMMA, contd. So now, Harry, you want me to go with you Saturday. To go off to Niagara Falls and then come back here, and to say, “Okay, I’m a married woman now. Everybody can just go take care of themselves!” (Harry seems to want to comfort her, but he's back to shaking himself.) HARRY Em, I – (Emma composes herself.) EMMA So that’s what I’m gonna do. I got no choice. But I ain't gonna come back here. We're gonna stay up there … ain't you got family in Buffalo? HARRY Yeah, but – EMMA Let's just stay up there.You can get a job, and we can both … we can both live up there. Harry, I gotta get outta here, and you gotta get outta here, and I know, in my heart, that every damn member of this family has gotta get outta here, away from these chickens and this horrible old house, and away from these people and their old country ways! (Harry just nods and listens.) But I’m scared, Harry! What if I’m doin’ the wrong thing? (Harry gets up and she falls into his arms.) HARRY Well, I don't know about that. I might be a drunk, Emma, and maybe I look and feel a lot older than my years. But you can’t go through the rest of your life bein’ scared of a promise you made to your sick old Ma twenty years ago. I ain’t no bishop or priest or even all that great a Catholic, I suppose, but I got a pretty good idea that all them saints, and especially the Virgin Mary, that they don’t sit up there somewhere and hold the prettiest girl in South Patch to some promises she was forced to make twenty years ago. (He puts his face in his hands and kisses her on the forehead.) Yeah, Em, we can stay up in Buffalo. I got an uncle up there who's always told me he can get me a job. We can stay up there and both get away from all this … all this around here. Like I said, I might be a drunk, but I ain't a crazy one, ya know!

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EMMA (Smiles and pauses) Yeah, Harry, you might be right about that … yep … (pauses) I’m referrin’ to the part about how you just might be a drunk. (They both laugh.) HARRY So enough about the promise you made to your Ma. You got another promise to make in a couple of days. One of them “for better or worse” promises, ya know? EMMA I know … and I will. But do this for me, Harry, won’t ya? Let me just see, before we go, if there’s some way I can do both. I’m gonna get outta here, and stay outta here. But maybe, just maybe, I can sorta … keep that … that other darned promise I made twenty years ago. (Harry seems confused, but he smiles. Then he stumbles a bit, and catches himself on her shoulders.) HARRY As long as you come with me at the end … EMMA I will. (Emma wipes her eyes and they share a brief kiss. Harry lets her go.) And I guess you'll be stoppin’ by here again tomorrow, eh? After you stop by the beer garden, that is … HARRY (Shrugs and nods, then points at her.) You know me pretty well, Miss Dudek. Pretty darned well. And besides … I gotta get a few more free drinks outta old man Kuharski before I leave town!

(Harry touches her cheek, shudders one more time and, finding his bearings, staggers off and exits. Emma wipes her eyes again, stares upward, makes the sign of the cross, and says the opening of the Hail Mary in Latin.) EMMA In nomine Patris, et Filli, et Spiritus Sancti … Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum -- (She puts down her head one more time. Blackout.)

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Scene 3: The Dudeks’ back porch. (Lights up, as Dottie Dudek is sweeping the back porch of the family’s house. She is pretty but wearing a worn dress and her hair is tied back. She is humming the tune to “Begin the Beguine” on and off while she sweeps. A commotion is heard offstage. Dottie stops sweeping and steps away from the door. Sophie Dudek comes out through the door. An older, shrewish, frail-looking woman, dressed even more poorly than Dottie, she yells back into the house as she comes back.) SOPHIE All right, all right! I’m doin’ it! These chickens ain’t gonna starve, ya know! (Dottie smiles as Sophie walks out. Sophie shakes her head as she walks past Dottie.) DOTTIE Sophie, you know that Ma don’t understand you when you yell at her in English! SOPHIE Aw, she understands well enough. Anyways, I don’t suppose you already fed these birds by any chance? DOTTIE No Sophie … I've been too busy sweepin’ SOPHIE Yeah, well, one of these days, it’d be nice to have somebody do it for me. DOTTIE Well sure … who wouldn’t want that? (Dottie goes back to humming. Sophie stops and looks puzzled.) SOPHIE What’s that you’re hummin’? DOTTIE Some song … I heard it playin’ on the radio the other day. A couple of kids down the road were whistlin’ it, too. SOPHIE At the drug store? DOTTIE Well, yeah! Where else would I have heard it? We ain’t got no radio here. SOPHIE Yeah … well … some of us never get to go to the drug store, neither.

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DOTTIE Don’t look at me, Sophie. I ain’t stoppin’ you from goin’ to the drug store. (She goes back to humming the song. Sophie picks up a pail that is near the porch.) SOPHIE The only tune I get to hear comes outta these birds! (Dottie laughs. Sophie faces offstage and starts squawking at the birds.) DOTTIE Aw, Sophie, now don’t you go frightenin’ the hens. You do that and we ain’t gonna have any eggs around here. SOPHIE Personally, I’d rather turn 'em into some meat! DOTTIE Well, maybe if you were nicer to Walter – SOPHIE Yeah, I know … Walter always gets the meat first. DOTTIE Well, maybe you should take it up with Em. SOPHIE Nah … I ain’t takin’ it up with nobody! (Dottie goes back to humming and Sophie throws some feed out of the pail in the direction of the chicken coop. Emma opens the door and peeks outside.) EMMA What’s all the commotion out here now? Ain’t we had enough yellin’ in here? SOPHIE Are they still barkin’ in there? (Emma comes outside and puts her hands on her hips.) EMMA Well, Ma is still yappin’ about you and the chickens. SOPHIE She worries more about the chickens eatin’ than she does about us. (All three laugh.) DOTTIE And what’s Pa doin’?

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EMMA Same as always. He’s sittin’ around, smokin’, complainin’ about the mines. Talkin’ to himself, of course. I guess he must think his friends from the old country are in there with him. DOTTIE Yeah, every time them friends of his from the old country come over, that’s all they do … complain about the mines. And then they start talkin’ about the Russians, or whoever it was who took over their land back in the old country. SOPHIE And then they start singin’ them songs. EMMA You mean the ones about the old country not bein’ lost … whatever the heck that means. SOPHIE Makes my skin crawl! DOTTIE I guess it’s just their way of thinkin’ back to when they was young. SOPHIE Well, if that’s how they feel, they shoulda stayed over there. EMMA Now Sophie … if they’d a done that, you’d be livin’ over there now! SOPHIE Yeah … well maybe things would be better over there! (Dottie and Emma chuckle) EMMA I kinda doubt that, Sophie. As backward as South Patch is, at least we ain’t got soldiers knockin’ on our doors here. SOPHIE Yeah, but none of us got no “new world” to go to from here, do we? EMMA I don’t know about that. SOPHIE Is that a fact? So you think there’s a big, wonderful world out there, eh? Sounds like you’re expectin’ to find somethin’ better! DOTTIE I think we all wanna do that. SOPHIE Yeah, but some of us ain't gonna be so lucky, are we?

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EMMA Well, maybe it ain’t all luck, Sophie. I mean, look at you. You had your chance to get outta here. SOPHIE Yeah … so? DOTTIE And after all, Sophie, you are older than Walter and me. (Emma signals to Dottie to be quiet, turns to Sophie.) EMMA Sophie, I know you ain’t very happy here these days, but it ain’t no use bein’ bitter about it. Let’s face it, you coulda stayed in the convent when you was there. I mean, if it’s so bad here – SOPHIE I didn’t go into the convent because it was so bad here … I went because … EMMA You went because your friend Mary Ann joined up. SOPHIE I went because I felt the calling. EMMA Yeah, that’s what you told Ma, but if you really felt the calling, you wouldn't have come back here after a month. SOPHIE Well … that’s between me and them … and between me and God, too. I didn’t do nothin’ wrong – EMMA From what I heard, you was always arguin’ with everybody, and you kept wantin’ to do things your own way. SOPHIE Now that ain’t true! I went in there and did everything they said to do. EMMA No, that’s what everybody else did. But you spent most of your time bein’ contrary and complainin’, didn’t you? SOPHIE Only when they weren’t treating me right. EMMA But if you go into a convent, ain’t you supposed to do everything they tell you to do? Ain’t that kinda the idea in there? SOPHIE You don’t understand.

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EMMA Maybe not. But look where you are now. Back here with the rest of us. Miserable most of the time. And worst of all, you’re getting’ more and more like Ma every day – SOPHIE Now don’t you say that! EMMA You’re always fightin’ with somebody, ain’t ya? For example, look at how you act around Walter’s girlfriend Martha – SOPHIE You mean that whore? DOTTIE Sophie! EMMA Sophie, you shut your mouth about that. What if Walter heard you talkin’ like that? SOPHIE Well, she don’t like me and I don’t like her. EMMA Yeah, but she don’t like `cause she knows how you talk about her. But it ain’t any of your business what she wears, or if she has on perfume, or if she gets her hair done every week. DOTTIE There’s plenty of women all over the world who do that. SOPHIE Not the way she does! EMMA Oh, she ain’t that bad! She’s just a city girl. She ain’t no different than lots of girls in the city. SOPHIE It sounds like you wanna go join `em. EMMA I didn’t say that. But there is a whole world out there, and it ain’t like Ma and Pa’s world, ya know? And we sure can’t spend the rest of their lives in that world! Ain’t nothin’ wrong with us thinking about our own futures, our own lives outside … outside of this house, outside of this little, backward town. DOTTIE Wow, Em, I ain’t never heard you talk like this before! SOPHIE Me neither. It almost sounds like you’s plannin’ to go somewhere.

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EMMA Well, yeah, Sophie, actually … we are plannin’ to go somewhere. SOPHIE Whatcha mean, “we?” EMMA Me, and Walter … and … (She looks at Dottie.) And Dottie. SOPHIE Now wait a minute! I don’t like the sound of this! I think somebody better tell me what the heck is goin’ on! DOTTIE Yeah, Em, what’s goin’ on? EMMA Well, Dottie, I wasn’t gonna break it to you this way, but since Sophie kinda put me up to it … Walter and me, and Martha and Harry, we was plannin’ on goin’ to New York on Saturday – DOTTIE, SOPHIE New York? EMMA Yeah, New York. To that World’s Fair they got goin’ there. SOPHIE Now wait a minute. Why didn’t nobody ask me about this? EMMA Sophie … it was … it was kinda the way we all wanted it. SOPHIE You mean to tell me – EMMA For starters, you know that you don’t get along with my Harry. SOPHIE Maybe if he was sober once in a while – EMMA Now you mind your business about that! The fact is, you and Harry don’t get along. And then there’s Martha … and don’t you go callin’ her any names, at least until I finish! You know that she don’t care for your bein’ … well … judgin’ her about her wearin’ certain types of clothes and – SOPHIE You mean walkin’ around with her ass stickin’ out!

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DOTTIE Sophie! EMMA Don’t be talkin’ like that no more, Sophie. Whatever me and you and Ma and anybody else thinks of her, she’s Walter’s gal, and it ain’t our place to say anything about her. SOPHIE At least until she gets to hell, I guess. EMMA Well, that ain’t your decision, is it? DOTTIE I ain’t got no problems with Martha … (Sophie glares at Dottie, who shrugs innocently and sweeps some more.) EMMA But let’s face it Sophie, there’s also the fact that you just put everybody in a foul mood every time you go somewhere. I mean, even the church picnic last year. Everybody was havin’ a good time, but then you showed up. And you started findin’ fault with everything. I remember you had that little girl from down the tracks … what’s that girl’s name, Dottie? DOTTIE Josephine – EMMA Yeah, Josephine. You had her cryin’ because you said she was throwin’ herself at some boy. All she did was give him a little hug when he won the ring-tossin’ contest. You said she was actin’ like a hussy. SOPHIE Well I don’t like seein’ gals throw themselves at fellas like that. EMMA She wasn’t throwin’ herself at him … and even if she was, it wasn’t none of your business! You ain’t the girl’s Ma! DOTTIE Josephine was down in the dumps for a long time after that. EMMA So that’s why we decided – SOPHIE You decided? Who decided? EMMA Me and Walter, mainly. We decided you should stay stated here. (Sophie points to Dottie)

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SOPHIE But she gets to go? The baby of the family? DOTTIE Really, Sophie, I didn’t ask – (Emma signals to Dottie to be quiet.) EMMA Dottie is old enough now to see some of the world, Sophie. Me and you never got to see it when we were her age. And I don't wanna see nobody else in this family end up like you. SOPHIE Oh really? And what's that supposed to mean? EMMA Nothing … I shouldn't have – SOPHIE But you did, didn’t ya? So let's hear it. What you mean … “end up like me?” (Emma takes a deep breath, looks upward, then stares at Sophie.) EMMA Sophie, there’s somethin’ I just don’t understand. You didn't always used to be like this. I swear, sometimes, I sit around and try to figure it out. But I can't never come up with nothin’. Sophie, you gotta believe me, it hurts me to see you … you’re the sister who came along right after me … and it hurts me to see you turning yourself into one of those women -- SOPHIE What kind of “women?” EMMA Let me put it to you this way. Do you really … I mean really … do you want to become like … (Emma pauses and thinks for a moment.) You know, my Harry’s mom has a couple of brothers and sisters, and they're all sorta backward, you know? Just like Ma and Pa, I guess. But they have this one sister, I can't recall her name … but she's … she’s the worst of the bunch. Always gettin’ on everybody’s nerves, and buttin’ into everybody else’s business. And Harry and the others, they call her … they call her the “crazy aunt” of the family. SOPHIE So? EMMA Well, Sophie, I can't for the life of me figure out why anybody would wanna be like that! I mean, why would a woman want people to think of her that way? (She pauses and stares directly at Sophie.)

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EMMA, contd. But then I see the way you act around here, and … well, it seems to me like you … maybe I'm wrong, Sophie … but it seems like … it seems like you're on your way to becomin’ the “crazy old aunt” of this family. SOPHIE (Incredulous) What? Crazy old aunt? That's just ridiculous! That’s what you think I wanna be? A crazy old aunt? Of all the nonsense. You got some nerve Emma Dudek! EMMA Sophie, maybe we just don’t understand you no more. But the fact is, what with you always bein' contrary and miserable with all of us all the time … well, what's happenin' this weekend is, with you gettin’ left behind, that’s the kinda thing that’s gonna keep happenin’ to you for the rest of your life. (Sophie bites her lip and seems angry.) SOPHIE So … all of youse … you decided that for me, did you? So it's decided … I get left here with Ma and Pa? EMMA Sophie … I'm sorry. Maybe if I could get inside that head of yours and figure out why you do the things you do. But I just can’t. I can’t figure why a girl like you would want to end up like that. SOPHIE You’re just assumin’ that I wanna end up like that. EMMA By the way you act you do. SOPHIE And that’s my business, ain’t it? I’ll tell you … you … tellin' me I'm becomin' the crazy aunt of this family! Who are you to judge me and what I am or ain't gonna become? EMMA I ain't … I ain't tryin' to judge. More than anything, I’d just like to know why you act the way you do. But then again Sophie, maybe you just don't know the answer yourself. (Emma shrugs. Sophie appears ready to cry, but she is also angry.) SOPHIE Okay, then! Run off to your big World’s Fair, you two! I guess I know for sure where I stand around here. Stuck with Ma and Pa! (She storms back into the house)

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DOTTIE Wow, she’s pretty upset. EMMA Yeah, she is. I don’t necessarily like talkin’ to her like that. But you remember, Dottie, it ain’t us who did this to Sophie. I don’t know who, or what, did it, or if she did it to herself. But God help me, Dottie, if I live to be a hundred, I'll never understand why she became like that! (Emma sighs and Dottie nods.) So anyways, are you really surprised that I said you were going to the World’s Fair with me and Walter? DOTTIE Well, yeah! I never even knew they was havin’ one, not until I heard some people talkin’ about it on the radio the other day – EMMA I keep forgettin’ about you and that radio! We always know where to find you if we need you. At the drug store … your lifeline to the world, ain’t it? Too bad we can’t get you a radio of your own, eh? DOTTIE Aww, I really don’t go down to the drug store that much, Em. It’s just that when I’m there … it just amazes me to hear all about what’s goin’ on in the world! It’s scary, sure. But it’s also amazin’. EMMA I know, and that’s why I wanted you to go to the fair. DOTTIE It does sound exciting. I can’t even imagine what they’re gonna have there. EMMA I even made sure that Walter got a fellow he knows to come along with us and keep you company. DOTTIE A fellow? EMMA Yeah, a fellow! But don’t get nervous. It’s just some fellow he knows from the city. Don’t be scared … ain’t nothin’ gonna happen to you with Walter and me … well, with Walter there, anyways. DOTTIE I guess not. So, how about you, Em? Are you excited? EMMA To get out of here? DOTTIE Well, I meant to see the fair.

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EMMA Uh … I suppose – DOTTIE You don’t seem too excited. You told me not to be nervous, but you seem a little bit nervous yourself. EMMA No, I’m ok … it’s just – (She motions to Dottie to sit on the porch with her. She looks upward, clinches her fists, and then puts her hand on Dottie’s knee.) Dottie, I got a little somethin’ to tell you. And you gotta promise you won’t tell nobody else what I’m about to tell you. Not Walter. And especially not Sophie. DOTTIE Okay. EMMA Well, honey, here’s the thing. You see, I ain’t actually goin’ to the World’s Fair with you all. DOTTIE Huh? EMMA You see, come Saturday, when we all meet up to go to New York, Harry and me, we’re … well, we’re gonna go someplace else. DOTTIE Instead of to the fair? I’m kinda confused, Em. Where else would you wanna go? EMMA Um … actually, we’re gonna get on a different train from youse. One that’s goin’ to Niagara Falls. DOTTIE Niagara Falls? Oh, I heard of that! Ain’t that where people go to – (Dottie leans back in shock, and Emma nods her head.) EMMA Yeah, Dottie. Harry and me … we’re gonna get married up there. DOTTIE Married? You, Em? But why in the world? EMMA I can’t say I expect you to understand, Dottie. I ain’t so sure I understand it myself. But … it’s just somethin’ I’ve thought about, and Harry and me, we’ve talked about it, and … it’s just somethin’ … somethin’ I’ve gotta do. DOTTIE I mean … how come? Because of Sophie?

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EMMA No … not just that. Dottie, I mean, that’s part of it. But I think you probably know that I’ve spent a long time being responsible for all of you here. It’s been tough, what with Ma and Pa gettin’ older and all. You know, most of the time, they act more like little kids than they do like grownups. DOTTIE I guess so. They are kinda helpless in some ways, with Ma not seein’ very well, and neither one speakin’ much English. EMMA Yeah. I mean, we all live on Ma’s blind pension, and whatever money Walter makes. But Walter ain’t gonna be around here forever, and Sophie ain’t had a job in years, since before she went into the convent. And me, I can’t do nothin’ to make money because I’m stuck here all the time. And … I … I just can’t do it anymore, Dottie. Can you understand that? DOTTIE I … I guess so. Kinda, anyways. Actually, I don’t know what I’m thinkin’! I guess we’re all so used to you bein’ here and doin’ so much, that it never occurred to any of us what all that responsibility was doin’ to you. EMMA I know, and Dottie, you gotta believe me, if I could think of any other way – DOTTIE So … does this mean we ain’t gonna see you no more? EMMA Well, I ain’t sure … but for now, the plan is that we’re gonna live up there, at least to start, with some of Harry’s relations in Buffalo. DOTTIE Buffalo? But … but what’s gonna happen here? (She points to the inside.) EMMA Well, I been tryin’ to figure that out, actually. Believe me, Dottie, this ain’t easy for me. You don’t know how hard it is. But the only thing I can think of, is that Sophie’s gonna be the one responsible for Ma and Pa and – DOTTIE Oh no, Em … ain’t no way Sophie can be in charge! (Emma gets up and paces around. Dottie watches her. Emma looks back at the house and then sits back next to Dottie again. She takes her by the hand.) EMMA Dottie … listen to me. I realize that by doin’ this, I’m gonna be doin’ somethin’ I swore I was never gonna do to nobody in this world, and especially not to you.

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But I gotta … I gotta ask you to … I gotta ask you to make me … make me … a promise! DOTTIE A promise? (Dottie is fairly calm, but Emma is shaking.) EMMA Dottie … you need to understand … there are two things I gotta know before I … before I leave. One, I gotta know that you are gonna get away from all this as soon as you can. I know you’re gonna have to live under Sophie’s thumb a little bit, but you … you gotta get outta here as fast as you can, okay? DOTTIE Well, sure, Em … but – EMMA But there’s another thing, and this is the part that’s really hard for me … and I can’t really explain now why that is … but it is. I need you to promise me that even when you do leave, that you somehow make sure you don’t never leave Ma or Pa, or later on, even Sophie, down here alone all the time, by themselves, feelin’ forgotten. DOTTIE Forgotten? Why would I? … EMMA Never mind why … I just … I just gotta know that there ain’t never gonna come a time when there ain’t at least one member of this family who I know will never leave Ma and Pa and Sophie down here alone. Even if none of us are livin’ here no more. Can you promise me that? (Dottie gets up and looks back at Emma, who is still sitting on the porch.) DOTTIE You mean, you want me to promise that I won’t abandon Ma and Pa and … and Sophie? Even if I get married and move away? (Emma nods, seemingly embarrassed to have asked Dottie to make a promise. Dottie smiles.) Em, do you remember what we told Sophie a little while ago? We said she had her chance to get out, and she didn’t do it. And how because of that, she don’t care about nobody else but herself now? EMMA That’s for sure. DOTTIE But the thing is, what if she had stayed in the convent, and what if she was still there now? And then you left, and then Walter left? Do you really think Ma and Pa would just be left here alone? Of course not. Em, I wouldn’t let that happen.

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And I don’t think any of the rest of you would, neither. I mean, even if we all moved away, somebody would still be here, one way or another. You know what I mean? EMMA No. Not really – DOTTIE Look, once she finds out what you and Harry done, Sophie’s gonna make it sound like she got stuck here to take care of Ma and Pa. But she’s only gonna do that to make everybody feel sorry for her. She ain’t really gonna take care of Ma and Pa that much. And I, for one, ain’t gonna let her get away with that. EMMA So what you’re sayin’ is, you plan on leavin’ someday, but you’re still gonna be around to take care of Ma and Pa? DOTTIE What I’m sayin’ is that there’s somethin’ inside every one of us that ties us to this here family. Maybe we was born with it, or maybe somebody put it there. And in Sophie’s case, it got driven outta her somehow. EMMA Yeah, somehow. (Dottie sits back down next to Emma, and puts her hand on hers.) DOTTIE But anyways, there ain’t no way I’m gonna just pull up and let Sophie drive Ma and Pa more crazy than they are now.. She ain’t gettin’ away with that! You wanted me to promise? Sure, I’ll promise. Why wouldn’t I promise? To be honest, I almost look forward to seein’ if I can do it. (Emma seems startled.) EMMA Look forward? … Are you sure? DOTTIE You bet I’m excited … and I ain’t even been to the World’s Fair yet! Imagine how inspired I’m gonna be after that! Why … after I see what’s out there in New York, and what the rest of the world has to offer, you think I’m gonna come back here and let Sophie push me around? (Emma smiles and shakes her head.) So anyway, we got this settled, then, right? You’re gonna go off and get married, and we’re gonna take care of things around here. You go off and do what you gotta do. You took care of us long enough, Mrs. Konopki. We’re gonna take things from here on in. EMMA Oh boy, you’re the first to call me that!

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DOTTIE I guess you’d better get used to it then! (Dottie takes a look at her dress, runs the material between her fingers, and smiles at Emma.) Ok, then, Mrs. Konopki. How’s about you and me go upstairs so’s we can look over your dresses. You need to look sharp for your trip to Niagara Falls. And me, I need to look sharp at the World’s Fair! (They rise, hug, go into the house. Blackout. Curtain.)

END OF ACT I

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ACT II Scene 1: The waiting room of a train station, the day of the trip to the World’s Fair. (Inside the lobby of the train station in Scranton on Saturday morning. Walter and Dottie, and Walter’s girlfriend Martha, are seated on a long bench, waiting for the others to arrive. Walter is wearing a suit with a straw hat. Martha is wearing a dress and has a hat. Dottie is wearing one of Emma’s hand- me-down dresses. Walter keeps looking at his watch, and taps it throughout.)

WALTER Damned dime store watch! (Martha points to the side.) MARTHA There is a clock right over there, you know? We are at a train station! WALTER I know, I know. Darn Woolworth’s watch. It ain’t never worked right! (He looks toward the clock Martha was referring to.) Where the heck are they, anyway? We got a train to catch! MARTHA Are you referring to your pal from town here, or to your sister and her … boyfriend? None of them are here yet. WALTER It would be nice if somebody showed up! DOTTIE Don’t worry, Walter. Emma will be here! WALTER I still ain’t sure why they just didn’t come up on the bus with us (Dottie shrugs and stammers.) DOTTIE I … I ain’t sure, Walter, but Emma, she knows what she’s doin’ (Martha looks to the side and sees somebody approaching.) MARTHA Is this that other fella we’re waiting for? (Walter looks up and chuckles.) WALTER Yeah, it’s him, all right! Now Dottie, you be nice to this fella, okay?

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DOTTIE Sure, as long as I wanna be nice to him! (Charlie stumbles into the station, breathing a bit hard after running. He’s dressed almost identically to Walter.) CHARLIE Oh, thank God I ain’t late! I didn’t think I was gonna make it! WALTER Naw, you got a half hour, yet. But since you live so close, I was figurin’ you’d be here before any of us! CHARLIE Yeah, I know! But I got tied up with a couple of fellas last night and got in a little later than I thought I would. And darn it if I forgot to lay out my suit last night! (Dottie giggles and Martha seems bothered.) WALTER Well, at least you made it! And you look as good as you’re ever gonna look, I guess! (Charlie taps Walter in the arm, and Walter responds by shadow boxing him for a few seconds.) Anyways, I guess I oughta make the introductions now. Charlie Kollar, this here’s my gal, Martha Urbanski. (Martha nods as Charlie bows slightly.) CHARLIE Nice to meet you, Martha! I heard a lot about you – (Walter taps Charlie in the arm.) MARTHA It’s nice to be talked about, I suppose! (Walter signals to Dottie to stand up, which she does.) WALTER And this here, Charlie, this is my little sister … Dottie Dudek. (Charlie’s eyes grow bigger and Dottie smiles at him as they shake hands. Each seems attracted to the other.) CHARLIE It’s … it’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Dudek. DOTTIE Aww … nobody ain’t called me that before! Not even Ma or Pa! (Walter interrupts her.)

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WALTER Umm … never mind that, Dottie. Charlie ain’t that interested in what Ma or Pa say. CHARLIE No, that’s okay. WALTER Well, then, I ain’t interested in it right now. I’m only interested in seein’ one other Dudek … the one who ain’t here yet! (Dottie smiles and sits back down next to Martha. Charlie isn’t sure what to do so he continues standing. Martha begins to put on lipstick, which Dottie watches.) MARTHA Will you stop worrying? They’ll be here! WALTER They got about fifteen more – (Walter stops and stares offstage. There is a brief commotion offstage, and Emma and Harry arrive. Harry is dressed in the same manner as the other two men, and he has a large suitcase with him. Emma is wearing her best white dress. Walter puts his hands on his hips and stares at them.) EMMA Hi everybody … sorry if we’re a little late! (Walter gets between them and the others. He continues the same stance.) WALTER I was gonna ask what the heck was keepin’ you two … but now … now I think I got another question. (Martha and Charlie look at each other and shrug. Dottie puts her hand to her mouth.) EMMA You do, eh? WALTER Yes I do! But I think the answer I’m lookin’ for is gonna have to come from my old pal Konopki here! (Harry stops and puts down the suitcase. He is also breathing hard and seems nervous. He stands directly in front of Walter.) HARRY Hey, there, Walter. So … I … I betcha you got some questions for us.

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(Walter puts his hands down and shrugs slightly.) WALTER Well, you just might say that, buddy boy! (Emma steps in between them.) EMMA I think I oughta explain! WALTER I think somebody oughta explain! EMMA Well, Walter, as you can see, we kinda – WALTER I know what you’s kinda doin’! You kinda look like you’s plannin’ a longer trip than I thought you was, that’s what I think you’s kinda doin’! EMMA It’s just that – WALTER It never dawned on me that youse two were late on account of you were packin’ a suitcase! EMMA Well, as you can see – WALTER Yeah, Em, I can see! I got two eyes! Obviously, somebody here is plannin’ on takin’ a little trip beyond what we was discussin’ … and unless my old pal Konopki here is runnin’ off to join the Foreign Legion or somethin’, I think maybe he ain’t the only one who’s been doin’ the plannin’! EMMA Boy, can’t get nothin’ past you, can we Walter? (There’s a pause, as Walter looks at Harry, then back at Emma. The others just sit and watch.) WALTER So, Harry, assumin’ you got your wits about you … spill it! You must got somethin’ to say! HARRY Look, Walter – (Emma steps in between them.) EMMA It’s okay, Harry. I’ll handle this. Walter, the fact is, me and Harry, we ain’t goin’ to the fair. It’s not that we don’t wanna go. We do … I mean, who wouldn’t? But we … we got somethin’ else we gotta do instead.

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WALTER Whaddya mean, somethin’ else you gotta do? You mean – (Emma raises her hands. The others look startled.) EMMA No, no! It ain’t that! Stop jumpin’ to … jumpin’ to conclusions `til you know the whole story! Okay … maybe I shouldn’t have said we gotta do it! But what I mean is, me and Harry, we been talkin’ about it a lot, and we both just think that if we don’t get outta South Patch right now … well, we’re just afraid we ain’t never gonna do it! WALTER So just to be clear … youse two are runnin’ off to – EMMA Yeah, to get married! (Walter takes a deep breath. He looks back at the others. Charlie and Martha seem stunned. Dottie seems calm. He turns to Emma and Harry.) WALTER Married, huh? Jeepers cats Em! Ain’t you thought about some of the – (He turns to Martha.) WALTER What’s that word? MARTHA You mean, “ramifications?” WALTER Yeah, the ramifications? I mean … I can understand you wantin’ to get away and all, but … what about … for cryin’ out loud, Em, what the Sam Hell is gonna happen back home? EMMA Believe me, I thought about that a lot more than you ever will. I know there’s gonna be a lot of screamin’ and fightin’ and all that … that’s why I just sneaked out this mornin’ before everybody was up. Me and Harry been talkin’ about this a long time. We’ve been makin’ sure it’s the right thing to do. And we think it is, Walter. And as far as Ma and Pa and Sophie and all … . (She looks at Dottie.) I think it’s all gonna be okay back there, Walter. (Dottie gets up and puts her hand on Walter’s arm.) DOTTIE Yeah, Walter, it’ll be okay. Em and Harry, they know what they’s doin’! (Walter looks at her, grimaces, and then turns back to Emma and Harry.)

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WALTER Son of a gun! Don’t this top all? Well darn it, if our little baby sister thinks this is copacetic, then I guess … Son of a gun! (Walter steps away, shakes his head, and starts to chuckle. He approaches Harry and slaps him on the back.) Well, Harry, I gotta say that you’re startin’ to look like a married man already … I mean, I see she’s makin’ you lug that big suitcase with youse two, eh? HARRY I … I guess so … (Walter motions to Emma to hug him, which she does. Then he lets her go.) WALTER So, if youse two ain’t goin’ to the fair, where are you goin’? EMMA We … got tickets up to Niagara Falls. WALTER Niagara Falls! Jeepers Cats, Em! EMMA It seemed like the right place to do it, Walter! (Walter looks at Harry.) WALTER For cryin’ out loud, Konopki, what’d ya do, rob a bank or somethin’? Niagara Falls! HARRY I just … I just took what I had and … listen Walter, it ain’t costin’ that much! And it’s … like Em said … it’s what we gotta do. WALTER And … I mean, do youse two … do you got any real plans, though? I mean, Harry, what about your job? Are youse two gonna come back here at all? HARRY Well, the thing is … I got family in Buffalo, and – WALTER Buffalo! What in blue blazes? Buffalo? EMMA It’ll be a clean break for a while, Walter! Harry’s uncle is gettin’ him a job in a steel mill up there and everything!

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(A train announcement is made.) ANNOUNCEMENT Train 453 en route to Hoboken and all points in between, now boarding on Track B! (Walter turns and looks offstage.) WALTER Damn! That’s us! (He looks back at Emma and Harry.) Buffalo? Job in a steel mill? Damn it, youse two! (He shakes his head.) Well, I guess there ain’t much more any of us can say now, is there? (Charlie and Martha shrug. Dottie nods.) So … when’s your train leavin’? HARRY About an hour. WALTER Well … listen, I … I know I ain’t gonna talk youse two outta this. And do be honest, I ain’t sure I wanna try. (Emma puts her hand on his arm again.) EMMA Listen, I know, Walter. I know. But it’s for the best right now. (Walter stops and thinks, while Dottie, Charlie and Martha rise. Dottie comes forward as Charlie and Martha leave for the train, and Harry backs off. Lights only on Walter, Emma and Dottie.) Walter … Dottie … I swear, I never … You gotta believe me. I wouldn’t be doin’ this if I didn’t know, in my heart, that youse two can take care of everything back there without me. Better, probably. I just know that youse two not only are gonna get outta there as soon as you can, but that you’re also gonna take care of Ma and Pa, and even Sophie … somehow. Walter, you got Martha and, while we don’t always see eye to eye, me and her, she’s your gal and that’s all right with me. (She turns to Dottie.) Honey, we … you know I trust you to do everything that we always talked about, for the family and for yourself … well, Dottie, one of these days, I promise … one of these days, I’m gonna look back and say, “Emma, back then that day when you went off with Harry, and when Dottie went off to the World’s Fair, that might just be the best think the both of youse two ever did!”

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DOTTIE Don’t worry about me, Em. You take care of yourself. I gotta feelin’ you’re right. I gotta feelin’ that the way things are goin’ is the way they was always meant to be. And I want youse two to go up to Niagara Falls without worryin’ about what Ma or Pa or Sophie or anybody else says. And even Walter here, he’s gonna get used to it soon enough, okay? (Emma smiles, and hugs Dottie. Then she turns to Walter, pointing to Dottie.) EMMA You know, Walter, this one here, as long as she’s around somehow, I got a feelin’ you ain’t gonna have to worry about too much! (Walter looks at them both and laughs. He shakes his head.) WALTER Darn you Dudek girls! You’re all plum crazy, I swear! (Walter and Emma hug. Emma departs.) DOTTIE Well, Walter? WALTER Well what, Dottie? DOTTIE Let’s go! We got a train to catch, and we got a gal and a fella waitin’ for us! And we ain’t the ones runnin’ off to Niagara Falls! (Walter laughs.) And one more thing. WALTER What’s that? DOTTIE I sure as heck don’t wanna be late for my first trip to my first World’s Fair! (Walter laughs, and they rush off to catch the train. Lights out.)

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Scene 2: Inside a passenger car en route to New York, moments later. (Lights up on the inside of a passenger car. Dottie, Walter, Charlie, and Martha enter the car and approach their seats on the train. Dottie and Charlie take opposite seats closest to the audience, and Martha takes a seat next to Dottie. Walter stands to make sure everybody is okay.) WALTER Okay then, everybody in their right seats? Well, then, needless to say, things ain’t gone quite the way I expected today … have they? MARTHA (Brushes off the seat and sits down) That’s an understatement for you! WALTER Sure, it was a shock, but what’s done is done, and ain’t nothin’ any of us can do about it now! (Dottie nods. Walter sits down and looks at her.) I’m not sure what’s gonna happen back home after this, kid. But I want you to promise me that you’re still gonna try to have a good time today, okay? DOTTIE Oh, don’t worry about that, Walter, I promise. I’m … I’m okay. Really. WALTER Actually, it’s funny, but you don’t seem all that surprised about all this. DOTTIE Well, you know … me and Emma … we talk. WALTER (Seems surprised) Hmm … So did she say anything to you about all this? DOTTIE You promise you won’t get mad at me? WALTER I promise. DOTTIE Well, the other night, after I found out about that I was goin’ on this trip … and after me and Em had it out with Sophie a little bit, well, Em … she sorta told me that she was thinkin’ about doin’ this. But you gotta believe me Walter, I never thought for sure that they was gonna go through with it! WALTER You didn’t tell nobody else about this, did ya?

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DOTTIE Naw … that’s another promise I made, not to say nothin’. Even to you. And I made darned sure I stayed away from Sophie! WALTER Yeah, and she woulda gotten Ma and Pa all riled up, which would’ve been a mess. I’m pretty sure they don’t know about this yet. DOTTIE I sure didn’t tell `em! WALTER (Lights a cigarette) Yeah, well, I’ll deal with that when we get back. I’ll tell Pa first. He won’t get as hysterical about it as Ma probably will. I think Pa kinda likes Harry, so that’ll help. Harry’s the only other one who can handle that whiskey Pa keeps hidden away … so if I tell Pa first, he can tell Ma, and they can bicker about it between themselves the rest of the day. (He looks at Charlie and Martha) Hey, I’m sorry that youse two got all wrapped up in all this crazy Dudek family drama! CHARLIE Aw, it ain’t none of my business anyways! MARTHA Yeah, and I actually kinda admire what those two are doin’. Kinda romantic, goin’ to Niagara Falls, ain’t it? (She looks at Walter, who shrugs.) Anyways, I can’t really blame your sister for wantin’ to get away … from that beat-up old house or yours, and especially from that crazy old-maid hag sister you got livin’ there … WALTER Now, now … Let’s not talk about her today! MARTHA I know … but I’m sure that was part of Emma’s thinkin’ … Who would wanna be around that fruitcake all the time? I think she could drive anybody to the loony bin. Sure, maybe Emma coulda picked a better fella than that one she ran off with ... what with his drinkin’ and all … WALTER Yeah, but ya know what? I think bein’ married might settle Harry down a bit. He’s a good worker when he’s sober. That’s the ticket … keepin’ him from drinkin’ If Em can do that, even halfway, they should be all right. (He picks his head up and slaps Charlie on the knee.)

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WALTER, contd. Anyways, enough of all that! Emma and Harry are off to Niagara Falls! And I ain’t gonna let any of that ruin our trip to the fair. (He raises his hand as if he has a drink in it.) Here’s to them both! And here’s to us, goin’ to see the New York World’s Fair! MARTHA Finally! WALTER Mind your sass, gal! (They all laugh. A conductor walks by and Walter hands him their tickets. The conductor punches the tickets and moves along. Walter gets up and offers a hand to Martha.) So, lovey dovey, whatcha’ say we go for a little walk back to the club car and leave these two kids to get acquainted? MARTHA (Pointing toward Charlie) You sure about that? This one here looks like he’s trouble! WALTER Naw, he’s gonna mind his manners … Ain’t you Charlie? (Charlie smiles and nods) Dottie, you can tell Walter all about all the exciting things that happen in South Patch. MARTHA That oughta take about two minutes. (They all laugh, and Walter and Martha depart. Charlie and Dottie look slightly uncomfortable, but Dottie is smiling and looking at Charlie, who decides to start a conversation.) CHARLIE Well … I … I ain’t sure what to make of what just happened … I mean, I wasn’t even sure that gal was you and Walter’s sister! First time in my life I ever seen anbody elopin’! DOTTIE Yeah, me neither! But that’s Emma. But like Walter said, there’s gonna be some changes. I guess I’m gonna have to take up some of the things that Emma used to do back home. CHARLIE That don’t sound like a lotta fun. But I don’t know much about your family, actually. Walter, he don’t talk much about it, you know?

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DOTTIE Yeah, I guess not. He probably don’t think about us much when he’s out on the road. CHARLIE Yeah, a lot of guys in town here know Walter. I see him once or twice a week, when he comes into the lunchroom where I work. DOTTIE You must meet lots of people. CHARLIE Yeah, and it’s a funny thing. They like to tell me all about their problems. Sometimes I think they should put a collar on me, so’s I can start hearin’ confessions! (They both laugh, then Dottie puts her hand to her mouth as if she’s had a thought.) DOTTIE Uh, Charlie, now that you mention the lunchroom … if you … if you don’t mind my askin’ … do they have … do they have a radio where you work? CHARLIE A radio? DOTTIE Yeah, you know, where they play music and all that? CHARLIE Well, yeah, I know what a radio is and … sure … yeah, we have one at the lunchroom. But it’s pretty run down. And you can’t hear it too good, what with all the customers yakkin’ away all the time. Why’d you ask? DOTTIE Oh, nothin’ … I was just wonderin’. CHARLIE It ain’t a big deal to me, though. I mean, we got a radio at our house and – DOTTIE You do? You mean … you actually have a radio? In your house? CHARLIE Well, sure. We got a radio. It ain’t much, and it takes a while to warm up and all. Sometimes we gotta shake it a bit. But sure, we got one. Why … ain’t you folks got one? (Dottie seems nervous and struggles to answer.) DOTTIE Well, no. … We ain’t got one at our house – CHARLIE You ain’t got one at all?

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(Dottie seems embarrassed but recovers quickly) DOTTIE Well, no … not just yet. CHARLIE Hmm … that’s surprising. It is nineteen-thirty-nine … I thought everybody -- DOTTIE But I do know about radio, though! CHARLIE You do? DOTTIE Well, I know a little bit, anyways. CHARLIE But if you ain’t got one at your house, then – DOTTIE No, we don’t, but sometimes I get to hear the radio down at Kuchinsky’s. CHARLIE Are they your neighbors or somethin’? DOTTIE No, they own the drug store in town. The only store in town, really. And it’s the only place I can go to where they got a radio. CHARLIE So you go to the drug store to listen to the radio? DOTTIE Well, yeah. I mean … I usually pretend I’m lookin’ around for some aspirin for my Pa, or readin’ the magazines or somethin’ … But mostly I’m just listenin’ to what’s playin’ on the radio. CHARLIE Hmmm … Well, I suppose that’s one way to do it … if you ain’t got one at home, that is. But you probably don’t get to listen much. I mean, the store ain’t open at night, is it? DOTTIE Well, I ain’t supposed to go down there myself at night anyways. But maybe on a Sunday afternoon, or maybe on a Saturday, like today, I can go down there. Sometimes if Walter’s playin’ ball in the park, I can sneak off during the middle of the game and go down to the drug store and listen. CHARLIE But there ain’t much to listen to at that time of the day.

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DOTTIE Yeah, but that don’t matter to me. I don’t care if it’s the news, or some ballgame, or whatever. I just wanna hear what’s happenin’ out there in the world. But mainly, I like to hear the music. CHARLIE You like music, eh? DOTTIE Oh yeah! There was this one day, not too long ago, and they had on this music from … come to think of it, it was comin’ from New York! From some big hotel, as I recall. CHARLIE Yeah, they got big hotels there … at least that’s what I hear. DOTTIE Anyways, this fella, a fella by the name of Miller or somethin’ CHARLIE Glenn Miller? DOTTIE Yeah, I suppose that was him. He was playin’ this song … (Dottie hums a few notes of Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade.”) CHARLIE “Moonlight Serenade.” DOTTIE Huh? CHARLIE That song. It’s called “Moonlight Serenade.” DOTTIE Oh, well, I didn’t know that … I didn’t even know it had a name! I just know I liked it. Funny how I remember that tune, though, ain’t it? (She hums a few more notes.) CHARLIE Well, it is a catchy tune. One of the biggest hits in the country. Easy to dance to, nice and slow ... (He makes a slow-dancing motion with his torso.) But … I mean … ain’t nobody got a jukebox in your town? Don’t they ever have no dances there? DOTTIE Jukebox? Dances? Naw … other than the church basement, we ain’t got no place for that. And besides, my Ma and Pa wouldn’t let me go to no dances.

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(Charlie nods. Dottie smiles and starts to think about the radio again.) DOTTIE, contd. Anyways, Charlie, can I tell you about this one time, with me and the radio …? CHARLIE Sure. DOTTIE One time, on a Sunday night, there was a church picnic goin’ on. Em fixed it so we all could go, but after a while, I didn’t think there was nothin’ much to do there. So … and you gotta promise not to tell Walter about this … but right before seven o’clock, I sneaked off and ran down to Kuchinsky’s. Of course, it wasn’t open, but Mrs. Kuchinsky, she was in workin’ with the cash register or somethin’. She looked up and she saw me peekin’ into the store. She knew that I like listenin’ to the radio, so she came over and opened the door. (She repeats a dialog with the wife of the drug store’s owner.) “Dottie Dudek, what you doin’ out here by yourself this time of night?” “I … I’m sorry Mrs. Kuchinsky, but everybody else is up at the picnic, and I was … well, I just thought I’d come down here and see if …” “You thought you’d come down and see if we was open so’s you could listen to the radio, eh?” “Uh … I … I guess so!” “Well, girl, I’ll tell ya, you got it bad for that radio! But anyways, c’mon in! Mister Kuchinsky’s upstairs, dead to the world! He won’t be up `til around dawn, most likely. You can come on in here and listen with me. Now, are you sure your Ma and Pa won’t mind?” “Aww … no, I’ll go right back up to the picnic in a little bit. I just never … I just never got to hear nothin’ on the radio in the nighttime like this!” “Well, you sure picked a good night for it! Girl, you’re in for a treat!” (Dottie resumes talking to Charlie in her normal voice.) So anyways, she turned on the radio and fiddled with the knobs a bit. She even had to smack it once or twice to get the signal. And the next thing I knew, I heard these three bells … (She mimics the three chimes of NBC and then mimics an announcer sotto voce.) Ding-dong-ding! This is the National Broadcasting Company! (Charlie chuckles and nods. Dottie returns to normal voice)

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DOTTIE, contd. And then … and I’ll never forget this, Charlie, if I live to be a hundred … some other fella came on, and there was music in the background, and he said … (She imitates the announcer Don Wilson.) “This is the Jell-o Program, starring … Jack Benny!” CHARLIE Jack Benny, eh? DOTTIE You know him? CHARLIE Sure do. Everybody knows Jack Benny. I listen to his program every Sunday night. DOTTIE Well, I never heard of him before that night. But Charlie, I swear, I started laughin’ so hard, I thought Mrs. Kuchinsky was gonna have to knock me on the head to get me to stop! I never heard nothin’ so funny! And he had that fella with him, the fella’ who cooks for him – CHARLIE Rochester? The colored fellow? DOTTIE Yeah, Rochester! Nobody told me he was a colored fella … but anyways, ain’t he just the funniest fella? CHARLIE He sure is. DOTTIE Oh God, Charlie. If I could listen to that program every Sunday night … I swear, I don’t think I’d get any chores done all week. I’d be too excited, waitin’ for Sunday night! CHARLIE Well, that’s one of the most famous programs on the radio, Dottie, but they got lots of programs like that … and lots of musical programs, too. Every night, on a couple of different channels! DOTTIE Oh dear … Charlie … it’s probably a good thing I ain’t got my own set. I don’t think I’d ever leave my room if I had my own set in there. (Charlie laughs, looks out the window, and thinks.) CHARLIE You know, these fellas … Glenn Miller, Jack Benny, all of them … you know, they don’t just work on the radio. They travel around a lot, doin’ their shows in all sorts of different towns. In fact, I went to a dance a few weeks ago … I went stag,

II-2 Page 9 mind you … me and my pal Chet … but we went to a dance and they had another band leader, a fella who I think’s even a bigger star than Miller, actually, a clarinet player by the name of Benny Goodman. DOTTIE Really? CHARLIE Yeah, he came to our town hall, which is big enough to have dances … like once a month. And the gals get all dolled up and come to the dances, and the fellas get all spruced up and they ask the gals to dance. Sometimes the gals say yes and sometimes they don’t. Of course, if you bring your own gal to the dance, then that’s the one you stay with. DOTTIE And do you do that? CHARLIE Uh … no … not really. I ain’t had the right gal to take to the dance as of yet. (They both smile, then look down awkwardly. There seems to be an attraction between them.) DOTTIE I … naw, I better not say that! CHARLIE No, go ahead. DOTTIE Well … I’d … I think I’d really love to go to one of them dances. CHARLIE You know, it don’t cost you gals nothing to get in! DOTTIE Is that right? Even I can afford that! (They both nod and smile.) CHARLIE You know, one thing’s for sure, though, Dottie. Maybe I been been to a couple of dances at the town hall, but I sure ain’t been to a World’s Fair before! DOTTIE I know! Ain’t you excited? CHARLIE Well, yeah, sure I am! I mean, when Walter first asked me about it, I wasn’t so sure – DOTTIE Did he tell you I was coming?

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CHARLIE He said he had some sisters who were coming, and that one of them would be with her boyfriend. DOTTIE So you thought he was … what do they call it? You thought he was setting you up with one of the others? (Charlie chuckles) CHARLIE I gotta admit, I was wonderin’ what he had up his sleeve. But how about you? Did you always know you were goin’ to the fair? DOTTIE Oh no, they just told me the other day. And I been on pins and needles ever since. At first, when they told me another fella was comin’, I was a little scared. But I ain’t scared no more, Charlie. Don’t know what it is, but you seem kinda … well, you seem kinda nice, I guess. CHARLIE Thanks … I guess. (They both look out the window briefly and are silent. Charlie smokes nervously.) CHARLIE You know … they have them dances about once a month. DOTTIE Really? CHARLIE And sooner or later, I betcha Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman’s gonna swing through town again. DOTTIE That oughta be somethin’ … There oughta be lots of gals there for fellas like you to dance with. CHARLIE Well, yeah, but it’s always better if you have your own … I mean … you know, if Walter and your Ma and Pa … DOTTIE You mean, you’d wanna take me? CHARLIE I was just thinkin’— DOTTIE Gosh, I ain’t never been asked to a dance before! CHARLIE I don’t wanna cause no trouble, though.

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DOTTIE Oh, it ain’t no trouble, Charlie. After today, I just know I’m gonna be doin’ a lot of things I ain’t never done before. Heck, a week ago, who ever thought I’d be goin’ to the World’s Fair? CHARLIE Me neither! DOTTIE So … yeah, Charlie … I’d love to go to one of them dances with you sometime! Now, if you’d have asked me a week ago, I mighta had some doubts. I might have been too scared to leave South Patch. But with what’s happened around me the last couple of days, and with all the thinkin’ and promisin’ I been doin’ lately … well, heck yeah! It’s gonna be all right. (Charlie smiles and leans back in his seat) CHARLIE Well, all right, then! (They’re both smiling as Walter and Martha return from the club car.) WALTER Well, look at these two smiley faces! Whatcha been doin’, Kollar, impressin’ my sister with your big city ways? DOTTIE Mind what you say there, Walter. You know, Charlie even has his own radio! WALTER He has his? … Oh boy! … I forgot that if there’s one way to get on the good side of this kid, all a fella needs is a radio! (Everybody but Dottie laughs.) So Charlie’s got his own radio, does he? Darn it, Kollar, why ain’t you never told me that before? You mean you ain’t gotta go down to the drug store to listen to it? DOTTIE No … and he gets to hear Jack Benny and all of them every night! WALTER Jack Benny? Hell, even I don’t get to listen to him! (The all laugh and Walter and Martha sit down.) MARTHA Well, all of youse, maybe we’ll get lucky and Jack Benny will be at the World’s Fair. Then you won’t have to wait until tomorrow night to hear his program. (Walter leans back and lights up a cigarette.) WALTER Yeah, well, I wouldn’t hold my breath! And besides, after the kind of day I’ve had, I think I’d rather see Ginger Rogers in the flesh!

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(Martha socks him in the arm.) MARTHA Ginger … Ginger Rogers? Whatcha wanna see her for? For one thing, Mister Dudek, you know you can’t dance! WALTER Yeah, but with her I’dlearn! DOTTIE Hey Walter, speakin’ of dancin’ … (Charlie shakes his head and tries to tell her not to say anything.) CHARLIE Uh … Dottie – (Charlie puts his finger to his mouth to suggest she should be quiet.) DOTTIE What? WALTER Yeah, what? DOTTIE Oh, nothin’, Walter. I just thought you’d like to know … Charlie just said he might be takin’ me to one of them dances in the city someday. WALTER Oh he did, did he? CHARLIE Hey Walter, I – (Dottie leans forward and emphatically looks at Walter.) DOTTIE Yeah, he did! And I said I would like that. WALTER Oh you did, huh? (Walter stares at them both, first looking as if he’s angry, but then he smiles. Then he turns to Martha.) WALTER Sweetie, how’s about you tell me, what did I do to deserve this? All I wanted to do was go to the World’s Fair with my best gal, and get away for one day after drivin’ a coal truck all week. And now look at me! I got one sister ridin’ the rails up to Niagara Falls to get married on the Q-T! I got another one who’s been sittin’ back in South Patch stewin’ the past couple of days because we left her there with the folks. And now I got my baby sister sittin’ here tellin’ me she’s plannin’ on goin’ dancin’ with a short-order cook … and that I better learn to like it!

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(They all laugh.) WALTER, contd. This train better get to New York fast … `cause we gotta get these two to the World’s Fair before they make any more plans! I might be able to explain losin’ one sister on the way there, but I sure as heck ain’t gonna go home and tell Ma and Pa I lost both of `em in one day! (They all laugh some more. Dottie pats Walter on the knee.) DOTTIE No, Walter, you ain’t gotta worry about that! Maybe Emma needed to run away before she went to the fair, but I ain’t missin’ this for the world. You know, I been makin’ lotsa promises to lotsa people over the last coupla days, but right now, I’m makin’ one to myself. For the next coupla hours, I ain’t gonna be Dottie Dudek from South Patch, sneakin’ off to listen to the radio at the drug store and dreamin’ about that big wonderful world out there. I’m gonna go and see it for myself. I gotta feelin’ this is gonna be a great, big, wonderful World’s Fair we’re goin’ to, Walter, and ain’t none of us gonna feel exactly the same once we get back on this train tonight, and for a long time to come! (Walter smiles and shakes his head. The four of them put their hands together in the center space between them.) MARTHA To the World’s Fair, then! ALL FOUR To the World’s Fair! (Lights out.)

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ENTR’ACTE (On a lighted curtain, silhouettes of the Trylon and the Perisphere, the symbols of the 1939 World’s Fair, are seen. The instrumental version of the song “It’s a Big, Wide Wonderful World” plays. There are assorted muffled crowd noises and assorted sounds of hawkers in the background, children laughing, and amusement rides running, suggesting a busy day at the World’s Fair. The curtain then goes dark, except for numerous twinkling lights, symbolizing the lights of the fair at night. A piano plays Villa-Lobos’ “New York Skyline Melody” for about two minutes. Blackout.)

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Scene 3. Passenger car for the return trip from the fair. (Lights up on the inside of another passenger car. There’s a little bit of noise as the two couples get on board. The girls are carrying 1930s style bags that hold souvenirs and gifts they bought or were given at the fair. Dottie’s bag has a small stuffed bear sticking out of it. Walter lets the other three sit down, then takes a seat.) WALTER Okay, now, is everybody on board? Remember, I can’t afford to leave anybody behind! (Martha takes off her shoes and begins rubbing her feet.) MARTHA Boy, a World’s Fair can really tire you out. My feet are killing me! DOTTIE I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for a week! MARTHA Well, you sure saw a lot. What a change of scenery for you, though. From that town you live in to – DOTTIE To the rest of the world! (They all laugh. Charlie leans back in his chair. Walter addresses Dottie.) WALTER Well, don’t get no ideas about hangin’ around any longer. I don’t wanna have to tell Ma and Pa the last time I saw you, you was in Jersey! (The girls laugh.) MARTHA And what do you suppose my pa would say if he found out you left me in Jersey? WALTER He’d probably give me a reward! (Martha slaps Walter on the arm and he laughs.) DOTTIE Hey Walter, if I stayed in Jersey, what do you think Sophie would say? (Walter leans back and laughs.) WALTER Plenty, I’m sure.

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MARTHA (Grimaces) Well, you just tell that crazy old maid to mind her own business! (Walter nudges Martha, as if to scold her. He looks back at Dottie and Charlie.) WALTER So, let’s hear it! How’d you two like the fair? CHARLIE Um … well … I liked that place where they showed what life will be like in thirty years …

WALTER Oh, that General Motors thing? Talkin’ about what cars are gonna be likey in nineteen-sixty? (Turns to Charlie) Whatcha figure a car is gonna cost by then, Charlie? At least a couple a hundred bucks, I’d guess. (Charlie nods and laughs.) MARTHA I thought that time capsule thing was amazing! Just imagine … they ain’t gonna open that for five-thousand years! I kinda wish my name was in there, ya know? Not that I expect anybody’s gonna know who I am five-thousand years years from now! (She reaches into her purse and pulls out some pins.) But I hope you all got lots of souvenir pins, like I did. Here’s my Borden’s pin … (She shows the pin to the others.) Look, it’s Elsie the Cow! (She reaches into her purse for a small button.) And here’s one that says, “I was there. New York World’s Fair.” (Charlie laughs and pulls a little Heinz pickle pin out of his pocket.) CHARLIE Well, I liked the pickle place! (They all laugh. Dottie reaches into her bag and pulls out her own pickle pin.) DOTTIE I got one of them, too! And I ain’t never gonna give this up! (Backstage. A conductor faintly yells “All Aboard!” Charlie reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out another small pin.)

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CHARLIE And I got a little ham! (Dottie reaches into her bag and pulls out the same pin.) DOTTIE Here’s my ham, too! Hey Walter, when was the last time we had this much ham back at the house?

WALTER Never, probably! (Charlie pulls out a small Brownie camera and begins to look at it.) CHARLIE Can’t wait to see how these pictures turn out! (Walter smacks him on the knee.) WALTER Ya know, Kollar, I could wring your neck … Why didn’t you tell me you was gonna bring one of them cameras with you? By the time I found out you was carryin’ a camera around, you two had used up all the film you had in there. Did you ever think me and Martha mighta wanted a picture of ourselves at the World’s Fair? CHARLIE Sorry, Walter, I just forgot. I kinda got carried away takin’ all those pictures of everything. But we got some great shots, if they turn out. A bunch of the different pavilions. That ball and pointy thing … MARTHA The Trylon and Perisphere. CHARLIE Yeah, that. And I got some pictures of them gals doin’ the fancy swimmin’ – MARTHA The Aquacade. CHARLIE Yeah, and the parachute drop, too. Probably a good thing Glenn Miller and Jack Benny never showed up … I’d have run outta film to take pictures of them! DOTTIE Don’t forget, you got pictures of me! WALTER No kiddin’? CHARLIE Yeah, she wouldn’t let me take any pictures after a while unless she was in it.

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DOTTIE I don’t think anybody ever took my picture before.

WALTER Me neither. But that’s okay. I ain’t that photographic –

MARTHA That’s “photogenic!” WALTER Yeah, and I ain’t that, either. But my baby sister sure is. I think she’s gonna look awful pretty in front of that ball and pointy thing. MARTHA The Trylon and Perisphere! WALTER Whatever. DOTTIE I don’t know what I’ll look like, but I can’t wait to see them. Hey Charlie, how does this work, anyways? When we gonna se `em? CHARLIE The pictures? DOTTIE Yeah! When do we get to see `em? CHARLIE Well, when we get back, I gotta take `em over to the photo shop. Walter, you know the one I mean. The one down the street from the lunchroom? WALTER Oh yeah, the Jew’s photo shop. Markowitz or whatever his name is. CHARLIE Yeah, Sam Markowitz. Nice fella, actually. He comes into the lunchroom once in a while. He’s always tellin’ me that if I have any pictures to develop, he’ll do it cheap. WALTER Cheap, eh? He actually said that? “Cheap?” CHARLIE Yeah, really. “Cheap!” Funny thing about that Sammy, though. He don’t eat when he comes in. He usually just comes in for a cup of coffee. He does his eatin’ at Cohen’s, the deli around the corner. I guess he’s Kosher or somethin’. But anyways, he has a pretty good business over there in his shop, from what I hear. All the photographers from the newspaper down the street give him all their business.

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WALTER As long as he don’t give us the business, eh? CHARLIE (Grimaces and shakes his head.) Now that ain’t fair, Walter! Sammy, he’s a good guy. I trust him. If he says cheap, he means cheap! He’ll probably get the pictures back to me in about a week. (They pause, and Martha curls up in her seat.) MARTHA Well, now that that’s been resolved, I’m going to take a nap. WALTER Okay, you do that. Hey Kollar, let’s continue this conversation in the club car, with a little after-the-World’s Fair entertainment. CHARLIE Whatcha mean? (Walter pulls two big cigars out of his pocket.) WALTER As in, a little bit of Havana! CHARLIE Well, all right! Time to go light up, eh big fella? WALTER You shred it, wheat! (They all laugh. Walter and Charlie get up and walk gingerly out of the moving car. Martha falls asleep. Dottie looks out toward the audience. Lights out.)

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Scene 4: The club car (Lights up as Walter and Charlie stumble into the club car and take seats at the first round table they encounter. Walter lights both their cigars.) WALTER (Leans back a bit) Boy, what a day, eh? CHARLIE You betcha. WALTER It ain’t gonna be easy to go back to work Monday after all this. CHARLIE Yeah, nothin’ like havin’ to drag my rear end back into that hot lunchroom. Although I do kinda look forward to goin’ back and tellin’ the boss about the French guy cookin’ goose at the fair! (They both laugh. Walter leans back and takes a long puff on his cigar.) WALTER Yeah, your menu don’t exactly got room for goose! (Charlie nods, but then both men get serious.) Hey … is it just me, or do you got somethin’ on your mind? CHARLIE Well … ya know – WALTER Don’t tell me you’re all shook up about what Dottie said about youse two goin’ to a dance? You ain’t any under obligation to do that. CHARLIE No, I really meant it! WALTER Well, okay then, I suppose it’s jake with me. As long as you got, you know, good intentions?

CHARLIE Sure I do. I guess we gotta make sure we do things like dancin’ while we can … you know, with the way the world is now. (Walter leans forward and puffs some more.) WALTER Yeah, I know. That’s just about all anybody’s talkin’ about at work these days. Nobody’s talkin’ about baseball or the movies or nothin’ … just this one subject.

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CHARLIE What’s goin on over there, right? (They sigh and pause) WALTER Yep. It’s “Europe this,” and “Europe that.” I hear more about Europe when I’m at work then I do when I’m home … and I got two folks who was born there! (They both laugh heartily.) But seriously … what the Sam Hell is wrong with them people over there? CHARLIE It guess they ain’t never gotten over what happened the last time, WALTER Yeah, well, that don’t surprise me. My old man sits around blabberin’ about stuff that happened in the old country even before the last war. And anyways, I … well, my family, anyway … can’t afford for me to get shipped over there just because them Europeans can’t get along. CHARLIE Well, you got one sister taken off your hands today! WALTER Just one? CHARLIE Knock it off! All I did was talk about goin’ dancin’! I’ll tell ya what, though, if you don’t mind me sayin’. She is a real cutie! (Walter stares at Charlie, then laughs and slaps him on the thigh.) WALTER Well, I know my sisters, Charlie, and I know Dottie had a look in her eyes, like nothin’ I ain’t seen before. CHARLIE You really think so? WALTER I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t think so. (Charlie smiles and seems pleased.) Anyways, gettin’ back to our situation here … I don’t follow the news much myself, but I heard a lot about this Hitler fella in Germany. CHARLIE Yeah, there’s Hitler. And there’s a guy in Italy … Mussolini. I hear about it in the lunchroom every day. The fellas from the newspaper across the street, they’re always comin’ in around lunch time, sayin’, “Ya hear what happened in Europe today?”

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WALTER Well, I wouldn’t know Hitler or Mussolini if either one of `em walked in this club car right now. But I do know that I don’t wanna have to go over there to settle whatever their problems are. (Walter gets up and paces, swaying slightly with the train.) CHARLIE Yeah, I know, but the Germans already are takin’ over some countries? They took over Austria and then – WALTER And what about the Slovak place? CHARLIE Czechoslovakia? WALTER Yeah … ain’t that where your folks are from? CHARLIE Yeah, and now they got that, too. I hear about that almost every day at home. (Walter waves his hand off to the distance.) WALTER Aw, so what the hell do you care, though? Your folks ain’t there no more. Do you know a single soul in that place? No, you don’t! And I ain’t never met any of my relations in Europe, neither. I ain’t the least bit interested in it. Don’t wanna ever go there, don’t wanna see it! That’s where my Ma and Pa came from, not me! What do I care if the Germans take a couple of miles worth of chickens and pigs and all the shit they leave behind? Let `em have it all … just so’s they all stay over there … way over there! (Charlie puts his hand to his chin. Walter notices it.) Do you beg to differ or somethin’? CHARLIE No … no! I was just thinkin’ … I know my old man told me that the last time, some guys from our neighborhood went over … and they didn’t come back. WALTER Well, that’s true … I think there was some guys from South Patch that didn’t come back, neither. And ain’t that some kinda deal for ya? With all we been through the last few years. Me and you, we’s the lucky ones … we got jobs! And we wanna keep `em, don’t we? So what happens if a fella goes over there, and when he comes back … still in one piece … there ain’t no more jobs? (Charlie stays quiet. Walter clears his throat.) Or, worse yet, what happens if a fella comes back like my old man? All busted up … all blowed up here, missin’ somethin’ there. And he can’t work no more! (Walter sits back down. They lean back in their chairs. Walter looks out the window, seemingly

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agitated. The train bumps. A conductor comes through and whispers something to Walter. Walter nods and the conductor moves on.) WALTER, contd. Damn, I forgot about the tickets! But, son of a gun, Martha had `em! So I guess we’re ridin’ legal, Charlie! Anyway, let’s change the subject. I don’t wanna think about goin’ over there no more. Them fellas twenty years ago, that was just their tough luck, ya know? So they never came back. We ain’t them. We seen a lot more in twenty-some years than they ever would have anyhow. And we all just been through this depression. And now we might have to go fight a war? No … it just can’t end up like that, Charlie. It just can’t! CHARLIE I don’t know, Walter … I just don’t know. (They both pause and stare in different directions; Walter looks out a window and Charlie straight ahead. Then they seem to recover.) WALTER So let’s get back to the present, then. Thanks for comin’ along today. I know Dottie had a great time. CHARLIE Well, I did too! WALTER I have a feelin’ you might be comin’ down to South Patch a lot more than you did before. CHARLIE Could be … But … that’s only if we all don’t end up over there. WALTER Dammit, Charlie, I said I didn’t wanna talk about that no more! Stop puttin’ a rifle in my hands, will ya? (Walter makes two fists and holds them up.) If I’m gonna fight anybody, it’s gonna be some Irishman who mouths off to me at the wrong time, or some ginzo who owes me money. And I’m gonna use … these! These two weapons, right here! (Walter puts his hands down and grimaces.) I’m gonna drive my truck, I’m gonna play baseball, and I’m gonna think about marryin’ that gal back in the other car back there. But dammit Charlie, we gotta stop thinkin’ about this. Cause I sure as shootin’ ain’t plannin’ on goin’ over to Europe and fightin’ any God-damned Germans! (Charlie smiles and nods. The train bumps and they both lean back, smoking cigars. Lights out.)

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Scene 5. The passenger car. (Darkness except for key light on Dottie. Martha is asleep, but Dottie is awake, looking out the window. She is holding some of the items from the fair. As she talks about gifts for the family, she pulls out small items from the fair for each.) DOTTIE I don’t know how Martha is sleepin’ like that. I know we did a lot of walkin’, but I sure ain’t tired! I don’t think I’m gonna sleep for a week. I’m just too excited! (She reaches into her bag and pulls out a few small souvenirs one by one, smiling as she looks at each, then puts it back in the bag.) I wasn’t sure what to get Emma and Harry. I didn’t know if I was gettin’ a World’s Fair gift or a wedding gift! What do you get for a couple that just ran off and eloped like that? They ain’t gonna have much on their minds `cept for getting’ settled in, wherever that is. I ain’t even sure I’m gonna see them two anytime soon. (Stage left, Emma appears, wearing a bit nicer dress than earlier in the day. Key lights on each as they have a dream sequence conversation.) EMMA Well, don’t be too sure about that, baby sister! DOTTIE Em! What are you doin’ here? Ain’t you off on your honeymoon yet? EMMA Sure I am. We’s all married up now and in Niagara Falls. But I felt like I had to check up on all of youse, ya know? And I’ll tell ya what, Dottie, if I had to miss that World’s Fair, this ain’t a bad second choice. I mean, I ain’t never seen nothin’ like this place. I never thought there was this much water in the world! DOTTIE Well, that’s good, Em. I’m glad you got to see somethin’ special, too. And who knows, Em? Maybe someday you’ll get to see a World’s Fair, too. EMMA Yeah, maybe I will. So anyway, tell me. Did you have fun today? DOTTIE Oh, wow, did I? I can’t even begin to tell you all the things we saw. This fair … you know, it’s all about what life’s gonna be like in the years to come. EMMA Oh yeah? Did they make it sound like it’s all gonna be sugar and spice and everything nice?

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DOTTIE (Laughing) Yeah, they did! I guess they probably overdid it, didn’t they? EMMA Well, what does anybody know, really? I mean, we’re just two dirt-poor gals from South Patch, and even with me leavin’ and all, I guess that’s what we’ll stay, don’tcha think? DOTTIE So you definitely ain’t comin’ back? EMMA No, Dottie, I ain’t comin’ back. Not for now, anyways. DOTTIE Well I’m gonna miss you! But remember, I said I was gonna take care of things back home, and I meant it. But I guess I’m also kinda excited because … well … maybe I shouldn’t say -- EMMA No, go ahead! DOTTIE Well, you know that fella Charlie that came along with us today? EMMA Don’t tell me that you two hit it off? DOTTIE Yeah, I guess we did. We talked about the radio, and music … Em, he’s got a radio in his house! How about that? EMMA Oh wow, you musta fallen hard when you heard that! DOTTIE Well, yeah … but we got a lot in common, too! He even took some pictures of me at the fair! I can’t wait til you see `em! But, it’s more than that, ya know? EMMA Oh yeah … I know what you mean. DOTTIE Like when you first met Harry, I mean. That’s kinda how I feel now. EMMA Boy, oh boy … talk about the world of tomorrow, eh? One Dudek sister runs off and elopes, and the other goes to New York and gets swept off her feet by a fella from downtown. What’s Sophie gonna think about all that? DOTTIE Oh boy, Sophie! What is she gonna think?

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EMMA Does that worry you? DOTTIE A little. EMMA Well, you shouldn’t let it worry you if you’re gonna handle things there. We talked about this the other night, didn’t we? Sophie had her chance to leave and she didn’t. DOTTIE But didn’t I promise? EMMA Well, yeah, you promised. But we all promise, and sometimes, we just can’t keep those promises. Does that make us bad people? I don’t know, Dottie? I been wrestlin’ with that longer than you wanna know. All I know is that like we said the other night, even if I’m in Buffalo, if somethin’ happens with Ma or Pa, I’ll do what I can to help. And if you end up with Charlie … or any fella … and you’re livin’ somewhere else, I know you’ll do the same thing. But neither one of us ain’t gotta spend the rest of our lives tryin’ to live up to somethin’, whether it’s real or whether it’s somethin’ somebody dreamed up, that is gonna turn us into somebody like Sophie, mad at the world, takin’ our frustrations out on everybody else. DOTTIE You really believe all that, Em? (Emma puts her head down, pauses, and lifts it back up.) EMMA I’ve had to make myself believe it, Dottie, at least for the time bein’. I just … I just couldn’t live with myself otherwise. (They both put down their heads briefly. Emma picks hers back up first.) So anyways, honey, I’m glad to hear about you and Charlie. And I’m glad you loved the fair. I’m sure you’ll never forget today, as long as you live. Maybe someday, you can show your kids those pictures and tell them how a scared little girl from South Patch started dreamin’ about tomorrow that day. DOTTIE Okay, Em. And someday, you gotta show me your pictures from Niagara Falls. EMMA There’s only gonna be one. And we had to pay some fella three dollars to them take it! But yeah, I’ll show it to you, Dottie. Someday. DOTTIE Okay, Em. You’re right. I’m scared. But I’m also excited. We’re gonna do it, you and me. We’re gonna make it out and live in that big world of tomorrow, whether it’s good or whether it’s bad.

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EMMA That’s what I wanted to hear. Bye-bye for now, honey, and don’t be afraid to write. DOTTIE Bye, Em. And don’t worry. We’re gonna see each other. Just you wait! (Key light fades off Emma.) Yeah, Em, someday, after Ma and Pa are gone, and we all have kids of our own, you and me can talk about all this. About all these promises we made, and the promises we kept, and even the ones we didn’t keep. But now, I gotta think about somethin’ else. I woke up today, and I was Dottie Dudek, the South Patch girl who never did much or knew much about the world outside that little bitty coal town. But today, well, I just saw New York City and the nineteen thirty-nine World’s Fair. And I met me a fella who, if things work out, might be part of my future, too. (Dottie turns herself to face the audience.) Now, I ain’t too sure what the rest of the world’s gonna do tomorrow. But I know what I’m doin’. I’m gonna be like all those bright lights I just saw in New York City … not a girl from some dark and dreary little town, but a bright light for my family … the one I already got, and the one I’m gonna have someday. And then, who knows, maybe years from now, if they ever have another World’s Fair in New York, I can come back, and look around and say, without thinkin’ twice, “Hey there Dottie, you sure did come an awful long way since you were here back in nineteen thirty-nine!” (Lights off Dottie. Curtain.) END OF ACT II

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ACT III Scene 1: A VA nursing home, a Wednesday afternoon, summer, 1964. (Lights up on the visitor’s lounge in a VA nursing home, summer, 1964. A middle-aged man is sitting in a wheelchair, looking out a window. His legs are gone above the knee. He has a blanket over his lap and is wearing pajamas and a robe. He is Walter Dudek, now in his 50s. He lost both his legs during the invasion of Normandy in 1944. A younger nurse approaches him.) NURSE Hey there, Walter … I have some good news. Your sister's here to see you. I was just talking to her out front. (Walter turns to her, looking surprised.) WALTER Sister? You mean Dottie? NURSE No, it isn’t the one who’s always here. This is another one. (Walter nods) Actually, I don’t recall seeing this particular sister here before. I think she’s your older sister. (Walter turns around the wheelchair, smiling.) WALTER Yeah, well, I got two older sisters. But I got a feeling which one it is. NURSE Yep, and she's got a big bag of goodies and other stuff for you ... (The nurse turns and looks back.) Here she comes now -- (Emma Konopki enters, carrying a large shopping bag. She is in her 50s and is wearing an expensive- looking black dress and what look like fairly expensive black leather shoes. Her hair is done and she’s wearing makeup.) EMMA Well, well ... look who it is! (The nurse brings Walter toward Emma. Walter appears to be in pain, but he smiles when he sees Emma, who puts the bag down and leans down to hug and kiss him.)

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WALTER Hey there, Emma! Gosh, when this gal said my sister was here, I kinda knew she didn’t mean Sophie! EMMA Oh really? (Walter grimaces and shakes his head. The nurse exits.) WALTER First off, she don’t come alone, of course. Somebody woulda had to bring her, most likely Dottie or Charlie. Tell ya the truth, though, I’m not sure I’d have let her in anyway. Last time she was here ... about two years ago ... she did the same thing she’s been doin’ every time she’s come over here since the end of the war. She did nothin' but complain to me about how her legs hurt. (Walter shakes his head and looks down where his legs were.) Amazin’, ain’t it? She comes in here and tells a guy with no legs how her legs hurt. (Emma shrugs. Walter puts his hands on his lap.) EMMA I’m not surprised. (Walter wheels over next to a chair, and he motions for Emma to sit down.) Anyways, I don’t talk to Sophie much these days. I let Dottie deal with it. You know, it’s funny … I hear that when we lost Harry up there in Buffalo, Sophie was down here acting like it was her husband who died. Funny thing is, she and Harry never could stand each other. WALTER That’s for sure. By the way … I’m … I’m sorry I couldn't make it to the funeral, but ... (Emma puts her right index finger to her lips and her left hand on Walter’s hand.) EMMA Now, now, none of that! Nobody expected you to be there. I know you can’t get out much at all, much less to Buffalo. It was still darn cold up there and -- (Emma starts to rub her eyes. Walter tries to comfort her.) WALTER Em, you ain’t gotta talk about that – EMMA No, it’s okay, Walter. I’m … I’m kinda over the worst of it now, you know? And tell the truth, I don’t remember all that much about it. (Emma wipes her eyes.)

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EMMA, contd. You know, it’s funny about Sophie and all. One of the reasons Harry never would consider moving back down here was because he was afraid we were gonna get stuck having Sophie live with us after Ma and Pa died. HARRY Yeah, well, for all his faults, Harry had a lot of common sense most of the time. EMMA Yeah, I know … when he wasn’t drunk. But it was inevitable that he was gonna go and die off on me the way he did. He’d drunk himself into the grave enough for three men by the time he actually got there. WALTER Charlie was here a few weeks ago … and he was tellin’ me how he heard that the kids in your neighborhood used to always find Harry lyin’ drunk by the railroad tracks. (Emma chuckles and shakes her head.) EMMA That was Harry, all right. The story around the neighborhood was that the kids used to say he’d be walking a straight line on his way from the house, and all zig- zagged on the way home. WALTER But I guess at the end, he never even got outta the house, huh? EMMA Yeah, they found him dead at the house one day, when I was off shoppin’. WALTER I heard he fell and broke his neck or somethin’. EMMA Yeah, but really, his liver died long before he did. But anyway, that was Harry. Like we said years ago … “for better or worse.” Right? I can't blame nobody for anything. I knew what Harry was that day we said good-bye to you all and headed up to Niagara Falls to elope. Ma and Pa … they didn’t believe it, did they? Was only when I got pregnant that they realized I was serious. WALTER Well, from what I hear, your kids are all doin’ pretty well. EMMA Yeah, they are. And it’s great to have the grandkids around and all. But I don’t know … sometimes I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t sell the house and move back down here. WALTER What? Why would you do that? EMMA Well, maybe Dottie could use a little help with –

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WALTER With Sophie? Why would you want to put yourself through that now, at this stage in your life? EMMA Well, sometimes I think – WALTER Naww, Em … you don’t owe anybody nothin’! I wouldn’t worry about it. I mean, the best thing all of you did was get outta South Patch, whether you went thirty or three-hundred miles away. And that was all we really wanted to do back in those days. Back before the war, anyway. EMMA Yeah, what, twenty-five years ago? Seems like a million, doesn’t it? I swear, Walter, there are times when I still wonder how many babies Ma really had … counting the ones before us that never survived, you know? (They both shake their heads in silence.) WALTER Yeah, well, that was a backward place and a backward time … with backward people. The men got busted up like Pa did, and the women locked themselves away with their saints and candles. Do you remember Ma’s room, Em? (Emma stares as she recalls the room.) EMMA Yes Walter … yes I do. I never told you this before, but Ma used to take me up there and kind of drill it into me that because I was the oldest girl, I was responsible for everybody else. WALTER Is that what it was? EMMA What do you mean? WALTER I’ve had lots of time to think here, Em, and one of the things that always puzzled me was why you spent all those years looking after everybody, and why you drove yourself so hard that when you had the chance, you left and ran off with Harry and never came back. (He looks at her as she sits back down next to him.) EMMA Well, now you know. I still think about it, too. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t feel some guilt about leaving the way I did. WALTER What did Ma say to you, anyways?

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EMMA Oh, it was back when I was real young. One day, she called me up there and made me promise that I was never gonna stop looking out for everybody. She didn’t do it in a nice way, either. It was … it was really a nightmare. She made me swear in front of all those saints and in front of the Virgin Mary, and – WALTER Oh, God – EMMA Yeah, and even though I promised her I would, I guess it was right then when I knew I had to leave as soon as I got the chance. Of course, I didn’t know anything about eloping or any of that, but … actually, Walter, do you remember that night, a few nights before we eloped, when Harry came over? (Walter nods.) Well, you know, even though Harry and I had talked about eloping for a while, I was still kind of undecided about whether I should run off. But then I told him the story about Ma and the promise that night. It was the first time I ever told it to anybody that way. And that was when I knew I had to leave. But I haven’t ever told that story again, Walter, until now. WALTER Dottie don’t know about it? EMMA No, she doesn’t. I’ve been wondering if I should tell her. WALTER Well that’s up to you. I think it might be only fair … but anyway, enough about all that! So what’s this I hear you’re gonna finally make it to the World’s Fair this time? EMMA Oh yeah! God, Walter, I wish you could go! It’s gonna be great. Me and Dottie and Charlie, all the kids. Everybody except you and – WALTER Yeah, I know … EMMA I mean, I’d give anything for you to go. After what you’ve been through .. (Dottie starts to cry but Walter waves her off.) And I really wouldn’t have stood in the way of Sophie going … even though I know I’d end up miserable because of it in the end. But it wasn’t my say. Dottie’s the one who said, “Absolutely not!” Kind of like we did in thirty-nine. WALTER Well, ya know, Em, nobody ever did nothin’ like that to punish Sophie or nothin’ … She just … she just brought it all on herself.

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EMMA I know … and just like back then, I think she’d just ruin the whole trip for everybody else. WALTER Yeah, and that’s really too bad. (Emma appears to be holding off tears.) What’s wrong, Em? Now don’t tell me you’re cryin’ about Sophie – EMMA Well, Walter, I just … One of the things that I have never been able to understand is why Sophie turned out the way she did. Why would somebody wanna be like she is? WALTER I … I never could figure that either, Em. But I know one thing. If I could walk, I’d drag her down here and have her meet some guys who are a lot worse off than any of us. Or I’d take her down to my pal Chet’s grave. EMMA Yeah, he was Charlie's buddy, wasn’t he? WALTER He was Charlie’s best friend. A real character … you know, he gambled a little. That’s how I met him and Charlie before the war. They liked to shoot craps in those days. Once in a while, if the dice didn’t go their way, and they owed some guy some money they didn’t have … and they never had any … they’d give me a call. I’d go up and put the fear of God in the guy. (He shakes his head and grimaces. He pats his lap, where his legs would have been.) Funny, isn’t it? I was the muscle in those days. Call Dudek if you got some guy you wanna get worked over! And look at me now! Gettin’ wheeled around like some two-bit Franklin Roosevelt! (He trembles but composes himself quickly.) But I guess I’m better off than Chet. He never made it out of Sicily in forty-three. (Emma puts her arm on Walter's shoulder. Walter pulls back, as if he’s being stern with her.) Now, now, none of that! No bein’ sad on my account! Sure, I get depressed, sittin’ in here with all these old fellas … you know, Em, some of these guys go back to the first war, and they got gas in their lungs. You oughta hear them coughin’ and gaspin’ for air at night! But sure, I do think back to when I was a ballplayer, and back to the days before the war … when I was with Martha and all. I think about how different it could’ve been for me, and for everybody. Martha could’ve married me, not that city councilman who ended up going to jail! I could’ve made a lotta money workin’ for her old man. Maybe I could’ve even become manager of one of them ballclubs they have around here.

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(Walter bites his lip, puts his hands where his legs were, then resumes.) WALTER, contd. But it’s like I tell some of these other guys in here … those were just the times we were born into! Nobody gave us a choice in that! So I can’t get married, I can’t have kids. I can’t play ball … I can’t even go to a ballgame anymore. But there’s a bunch of guys here in the same boat. Every now and then, they take us all out for a ride. There’s guys in here who was with Patton … guys who fought at Iwo Jima, or at Okinawa. Then there are guys who got wounded in Korea. And when we meet up with other guys, from other homes, we got lots of stories to share. And they ain’t always about the bad times … you know, the times when we got injured. We talk about the good times, too. We talk about the battles we made it through, the dames we ran across … no, Em. I know this is hard to believe, but really … it ain’t all bad. (Emma sniffles and wipes her eyes. Walter seems content talking.) But as hard as it is to sit here, Em, with my legs gone, my life nothin' close to what I used to dream it would be … the fact is, I always knew that when it really mattered, my family wouldn’t desert me. (Emma puts her finger to Walter’s mouth.) EMMA And we never will. I promise … Even when I wasn’t here, when I was in Buffalo and it seemed like I’d left you all behind back here, I really never … I never deserted any of you, Walter. Not really. You believe me, don’t you, Walter? (Walter nods. Emma stands up and goes toward the window. She looks outside.) You know somethin’, Walter? I ain’t sure which of us will see Ma next … you know, in the next world or whatever … but if it’s me, I can promise you now, that little immigrant woman's gonna get an earful from me. WALTER Did you and Ma talk about anything else before she died? (Emma looks back at him.) EMMA I talked to her on the phone right before, and told her that even though I wasn’t around, that she and Pa were always taken care of right up to the end. And … well, thanks mainly to Dottie, I don’t think Ma oughta have any complaints! (She looks upward briefly and yells toward the ceiling.) You hear that Ma? Some of us … we done … we done the best we could! (Walter nods. Emma rubs her eyes briefly, then smiles.)

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EMMA, contd. Now then, Sergeant Dudek. Let's see what goodies your big sister brought for you today! (She takes the bag to the chair and they start to go through it. Blackout.)

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Scene 2: Two days later, Sophie Dudek’s one-room apartment in South Patch.) (Sophie Dudek, now in her fifties, is seated on a small wooden chair in a one-room apartment, where she now lives alone. She is frail, and wears old, tattered clothes, and has a heavy wooden cane next to her and holds onto it. Her sister Dottie Kollar, now in her forties and much healthier and well- dressed, is standing in the room with her.) DOTTIE Sophie, I’m sorry you’re not feeling well … again … but we’ve been through this a million times. I really don’t have time to argue with you every day like this. SOPHIE I know … nobody has time for me much anymore, do they? DOTTIE That’s not true, and you know it. You know Charlie and me, and even Walter before he got hurt, we’ve spent the last twenty-five years running down there to look after you and Ma and Pa … when they were alive, anyway. You and Ma, before she died, you were at somebody’s house every Sunday, weren’t you? But it just isn’t that easy anymore! Charlie’s got a lot on his mind, what with work and all, and you aren’t the only one with health problems. (Sophie rarely responds directly to anything Dottie says.) SOPHIE Yeah, well, I guess once Ma died, nobody cared what happened to me anymore. DOTTIE Nobody ever said that … except for you. SOPHIE I bet everybody’s glad to see me stuck here in this little hole of an apartment. DOTTIE This little hole? Sophie, I know this place isn’t much, but you’re living better now than you did twenty-five years ago! Back then, you were always complaining about feeding the chickens. And how you had to go outside in the cold to use the outhouse. Now you got running water, and a clean bathroom, and you got gas heat. And I know for a fact that the neighbors bring you food all the time. Heck, I hear they even brought you some fried chicken the other day! SOPHIE Yeah, but you all got nice houses and everything, and look what I got. You ran off and left me down here, and now I hear you’re all gonna run off without me again. You’re all gonna go to New York again, to another World’s Fair … without me. Just like you all did in thirty-nine! (Dottie is surprised that Sophie knows about the plans.)

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DOTTIE Who told you that? You been listening to the neighbors gossiping again? SOPHIE But you ain’t sayin it ain’t true! DOTTIE Well, somebody is just repeating something they shouldn’t have heard, and shouldn’t have told you. But yes, we are going to the World’s Fair this weekend.

SOPHIE Now who exactly is we? DOTTIE A bunch of people from Charlie’s company, me and Charlie and the kids, of course, and … well, lots of people. SOPHIE Ain’t you forgettin’ somebody? (Dottie shakes her head.) DOTTIE Yeah, you’re right, Sophie. Emma is coming too. (Sophie shakes her head and pounds her cane on the floor.) SOPHIE Ain’t that just somethin’? She’s the one who ran off and left all her responsibilities way back when, and now she gets to go to New York whilst I sit here and … DOTTIE Now Sophie, there’s no point in rehashing things that happened twenty-five years ago. Especially now, with Harry gone and Emma … well, I know you think that Emma abandoned us when she ran off and got married. But to tell the truth, Emma didn’t do anything that most people wouldn’t have done in that same situation. SOPHIE Well, be that as it may, she’s the one who actually did it! DOTTIE Yeah, she did it! And yeah, I know, you kept living with Ma and Pa after Walter and I left. But we all did what we had to do. Emma chose to leave. Walter had to go off and fight in the war. I got married. And you … you’ve been acting the way you’ve acted all these years, Sophie, and you’ve turned on almost everybody who really cared about you. But even with all that … the fact is, nobody ever abandoned Ma and Pa … or you! (Sophie keeps shaking her head. Dottie kneels down next to her and tries to put her hand on hers.)

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DOTTIE, contd. Sophie, now that you brought up the last time we went to the World’s Fair, there’s something I always wondered about that. SOPHIE What’s that? DOTTIE Do you remember that night just before we were getting ready to go to the World’s Fair, when you were all upset because you weren’t going? Me and you and Emma were in back of the house, talking … and you were feeding the chickens, as I recall. At some point, while you were complaining about everything, Emma up and asked you point-blank about your life. (Sophie seems jarred by the memory, but doesn’t want to let on.) SOPHIE I … I can’t say I remember that so much. DOTTIE As I recall, Emma asked you about your life. SOPHIE My life? DOTTIE Yeah. I remember she up and asked you why you were always acting the way you did. She wanted to know why you seemed to go out of your way to be mean and nasty to everybody, even to your brother and sisters, even though you knew they still loved you anyways. SOPHIE (Seems startled) Uh … no … can’t say I remember that. But I sure became the black sheep, didn’t I? DOTTIE Well, I know I sure remember it. I remember it as if it happened just last night. Emma said something like, “Sophie, why you always actin’ the way you do? Is it just because you wanna make people feel sorry for you?” SOPHIE I … I can’t say I – DOTTIE Yep, that’s what she said. And then she said something I never heard before. She remembered back to when you were a little girl, and how you were always worried about how everybody else was doing. She made it sound like you were the most caring, loving sister a girl could ever have! But then she said that right after Cyril died, and then especially after you came back from the convent, it all changed. That the only thing you wanted was to get things your own way. And

III-2 Page 4 then she asked you if you really wanted to go through your whole life being known as the crazy sister of the family. Do you remember that, Sophie? (Sophie looks down, sighs, and steels herself.) SOPHIE Crazy sister? Crazy aunt? I … I ain’t sure -- DOTTIE And you never answered her then, did you? SOPHIE I … I suppose not. DOTTIE Well, you know what, Sophie? Here it is, twenty-five years later, and the old house is gone, and there aren’t any chickens around. But I’m asking you again. Why have you been like this all these years? Don’t you know you could’ve had the same lives any of us did? You could have gone out and gotten married. Heck, you could’ve done it the way Emma did it, if that’s what you wanted to do. The rest of us would’ve managed, just like we did anyway. (Sophie taps the cane on the floor.) What was it, Sophie? Was it Cyril? Or was it the convent? Or is there something none of us will ever know about? Whatever it was, Sophie, all I want to know is why? Why would you do this to yourself? We never wanted you to be a black sheep … heck, we never wanted anybody to be a black sheep! All we wanted was for you to be our sister! But ever since Emma asked you about it that night, I’ve been wondering why you either turned yourself into that … or maybe you let yourself be turned into that. And I just can’t help thinking that there has to be something you ain’t told us. Something, Sophie, that might help us understand … to understand why. (Sophie pauses, grabs hold of the cane tightly, almost hurting her hand. She bites her lip and stares hard at Dottie.) SOPHIE You wanna know? I never … I guess I never thought anybody would really wanna know why. DOTTIE No, you’re wrong. We do … well, at least I do! (Sophie pauses, looks up at the sky, makes the sign of the cross, seems to be mumbling a prayer, takes a deep breath, and begins to speak, as if she is finally getting to say something she’d only thought about.) SOPHIE It was … It was Cyril. And it was the convent. And it was Ma and Pa. And it was the other kids in town laughin’ at me because I was a Dudek. And it was –

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(Sophie puts her hand to her mouth and starts shaking and crying.) SOPHIE, contd. And it was lots of things. (Dottie notices how upset she is and puts her hand on her shoulder.) DOTTIE But … even with all that, it’s not that, is it? There’s something else you haven’t told us all these years. (Sophie looks up, still shaking. She sighs.) SOPHIE Why you think that? DOTTIE Because I’ve known you my whole life, and I never heard you talk like this before. (Sophie takes another deep breath and leans back. Dottie kneels on one knee beside her). SOPHIE Well, you know, when Cyril took sick and passed on, that hurt me real bad. He was my protector, you know? DOTTIE That’s what Ma said. SOPHIE And the kids laughin’ at me and all, well, I guess we all went through that. DOTTIE We sure did! All of us … even Walter! SOPHIE And the convent? You know, I … I think I acted the way I did there because … well … Dottie, I swear to you, I I really, really wanted to be there. But all the same, I never felt like I belonged there. DOTTIE Why not? SOPHIE Because I didn’t deserve it. DOTTIE You didn’t deserve it? But – SOPHIE I felt like I was dirty, too dirty to be there.

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DOTTIE Dirty? Why? Because you were from South Patch? SOPHIE No, dirtier than that. (They stare at each other. Sophie looks away in the distance, takes a deep breath, and looks back at Dottie.) Dottie … Did you ever meet our Uncle Barney? (Dottie shakes her head.) DOTTIE Who? SOPHIE Uncle Barney. Our Uncle Barney. To tell the truth, I ain’t sure he was our uncle at all. But whoever he was, Uncle Barney, he used to come over to the house a lot when I just was a little girl. And I remember Ma tellin’ me … “Don’t never go down to the parlor when you see your Uncle Barney in there with your Pa!” And I know for darn sure that Emma never did. You know, Dottie, back in those days, Emma never … and I mean never … disobeyed anything Ma or Pa said. (Dottie nods, Sophie is crying but tries to wipe her tears.) Well, back in those days, I wasn’t necessarily like that … not all the time, anyways. I guess I was curious, most of all. So one day, my curiosity got the best of me, and I kinda sneaked down there. And Uncle Barney, he was sittin’ there all by himself. A fat little man, smelled like he spent most of his time around lard or somethin’ … you know, like it smells in a kitchen when they been fryin’ bacon. Anyways, when he saw me, his eyes kinda lit up … it was sort of in a fiendish way, I guess … and he said, “Well, well, who is this pretty little girl?” (Sophie bows her head and lifts it back up.) Now nobody had ever said that to me before, and … I guess … well, maybe if I’d had been a little older, I’d have known better. But I was only about … I don’t know … I guess I was about ten years old. And what does a little girl like that know? So when Uncle Barney told me to come over and sit on his lap, I … I just did. Well, after a minute or two of me sittin’ there, Uncle Barney started squirmin’ and makin’ all sorts of strange noises. I wanted to crawl off of him, but what did I know? And besides, he had me in kind of a tight hold. Then I … I felt … I felt … something – DOTTIE (Tugging on her arm) Sophie, please! SOPHIE Yeah, I guess there’s no point in going on, is there? Yeah, it’s what you think. You probably know the rest. And after that, whenever Uncle Barney came around, I

III-2 Page 7 was supposed to sneak on down and see him. Of course, I didn’t want to. I couldn’t get his smell outta my brain. I kept wishin’ they’d tell me he wasn’t comin’ over, on account of he was dead! But he kept comin’ around, and after the second or third time of sittin’ on his lap, he began to – DOTTIE Please don’t. SOPHIE No, it’s okay. I want to. Anyways … after a while, he began to put his hands inside me. And he … he did things that made me feel … that made me feel that thing again. (Sophie puts her head down. Dottie is holding her hand hard.) Anyway, after one of these times, I went back upstairs and, like I always did after I saw Uncle Barney, I sat in a corner and I cried. But this time, right after, I heard some yelling downstairs. It was in the old language, of course, and I could tell it was Pa and Uncle Barney. Then I heard something crashing. And I heard Pa screamin’, like he was in pain, and Ma screamin’ at Uncle Barney to get out. Then Ma came and got me and told me never to go near Uncle Barney again. Then she smacked me, right here … (She points to her left cheek.) And she said I was nothin’ but the family’s “dirty girl.” She said Pa had found out what Uncle Barney did, and they had gotten in a fight, and that now Pa was hurt worse than before. She said I shouldn’t have gone down there in the first place. She said I was filthy, and that I was never to go near another man again, ever. She called me a lot of names that day, Dot, names I still can’t bring myself to say, but names that I ended up sayin’ about other women … you know, like that gal Walter had back before the war? (Dottie nods) And … well … I never did go near another man after that. DOTTIE So what did Pa do? SOPHIE Pa was yelling that he was gonna get some men together and go kill Uncle Barney, but of course, he never did. I don’t know what ever happened to Uncle Barney. I guess he’s probably dead now. But after all this happened, and after what Ma said, I knew that the only place I could go would be to the convent. I knew I was never gonna be no good to any man after all that, and that the convent was my only way to get outta there. And I guess I thought maybe I’d feel cleaner, feel forgiven, once I got there. But I just couldn’t get over the feeling that I was that filthy little girl Ma said I was. And I guess I got it set in my head, right then and there, that if that was what everybody wanted me to be, then that’s what I was gonna be. A dirty, good-for-nothin’ girl, the blackest of the black sheep family of South Patch, the Dudeks.

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DOTTIE Sophie, I … SOPHIE So you see, all this, it’s kinda the way it’s supposed to be, isn’t it? I got left behind twenty-five years ago … and it wasn’t because I didn’t get along with Walter’s gal, or because I would have been complainin’ about the trip. No, it was because I was the “dirty girl.” I mean, that’s how it had to be! And then when Emma left, and then you got married and Walter went off to war, I got stuck in South Patch … and it was all because I was the “dirty girl.” I got this arthritis because I’m the “dirty girl.” I’m the “crazy aunt” because I’m the “dirty girl.” And it all fits into place. I became what that Uncle Barney and everybody else made me. The dirty girl. DOTTIE Sophie, I’m so sorry we’ve blamed you all these years. SOPHIE No … you should have blamed me! I’d have blamed me, too! I know I’ve been a nasty, awful, self-centered woman all my life! But don’t you see, there was nothin’ else I could’ve been! That’s what they made me! And I guess I’m too old to be anything else now. (Dottie gets up and paces around. She looks at Sophie, who is bent over in her chair.) DOTTIE Sophie, we want you to come with us to New York this time. (Sophie picks her head up and shakes it.) SOPHIE No you don’t … well, maybe you think you do, now that you heard this, but you don’t. You’re tryin’ to do what you always done, which is pick up whatever pieces me or Ma or Pa … or even Walter … have left of our lives. I know you’re tryin’ to show me that you understand now, that you know why I’ve been like this, and that you’ll all be more patient with me and everything. But you gotta understand … this is how it’s supposed to be! DOTTIE It’s never too late, Sophie. SOPHIE It is for me, Dottie. Yeah, I know, I probably could’ve tried to put all that about Uncle Barney behind me and gone on with my life. But nobody could do that. I sure couldn’t. So I’m just gonna stay put here, and feel all the pain of this arthritis, and the pain of what my life could’ve been, I suppose. That’s all that’s left now. (She looks at Dottie and smiles.) You gonna tell everybody else about this?

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DOTTIE No … not unless you want me to. SOPHIE I’ll let you decide. But at least now you can go now with a clear conscience. And at least you ain’t gotta wonder no more. DOTTIE I think maybe I should at least tell Emma there’s more to your story than she knows. SOPHIE That’s up to you. I don’t care anymore. But I will say, it’s a little better knowin’ there’s at least one other person out there who knows why all this happened. It don’t excuse it, but at least you know why. DOTTIE Sophie, I know what you said about feeling dirty and all, and about all these years of being mean and nasty. But I’ll tell you what. Maybe someday, we’re all gonna figure out that when all was said and done, you were actually the strongest one of us all. SOPHIE Maybe. DOTTIE You sure you don’t want to come with us? SOPHIE Yeah, I’m sure. (She puts her right hand to her heart.) Somewhere in here, maybe, there’s a little part that wants to tell you all to go to New York and have a good time for me. Maybe somewhere in here, there’s still a little bit left of that girl you heard about, the one from before Uncle Barney came around. But I ain’t never been able to find her. DOTTIE Well how about, after we get back from the fair, we all get together, and maybe help you look? (Sophie shrugs, seems in pain, and then nods slowly and sighs. She motions for Dottie to leave. Dottie helps her try to get up and then tries to hug her, but Sophie rejects her hug. Dottie leaves, wiping her eyes, and Sophie collapses back into her chair. Lights out.)

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ENTR’ACTE (A lighted curtain, with the silhouette of the Unisphere, the symbol of the 1964 New York World’s Fair. A minute or two of crowd noises, general piano music, the sounds of children talking, car horns, subway trains, and men hawking souvenirs and cold drinks. After about a minute, the curtain goes dark. Flashes of light simulate the nightly fireworks show at the fair. After about two minutes of that, twinkling lights are seen against a dark curtain, signifying nighttime at the fair.)

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Scene 3: Near the entrance to the New York World’s Fair. A summer evening, 1964. (Lights up on Emma walking toward the image of the Unisphere. She stops and looks back. Offstage, crowd noise, and Dottie's voice rises above it.) DOTTIE (Offstage) You kids go ahead and get on the bus! Your Aunt Em and I are going to stay behind and talk a little while! (Dottie enters and joins Emma.) EMMA They don't want to leave, do they? DOTTIE I swear, it'll be a miracle if we don't end up losing somebody here! EMMA Aw, you'll do a head count before we go and everything will be fine. I'm sure you'll have it all under control. (They both laugh.) EMMA So, Dottie, what did you think of this World’s Fair? Did it bring back any memories of the last time you were here? (Dottie looks wistfully toward the Unisphere.) DOTTIE A little bit, but not as much as I thought it would. I mean, being back here on the same ground and all … it was kind of interesting. And they really have some amazing things to see here. But, when you think about it, it would have been pretty hard to top what happened here twenty-five years ago. EMMA Yeah, I would think so. DOTTIE When I came here back in thirty-nine, I was just a girl. And I had never been anyplace before … except to the church and the drug store! And to come here, to see the “World of Tomorrow,” well, that was quite a shock. And don’t forget, that was also the day I met Charlie! That alone would have made it one of the biggest days in my life. (Dottie giggles and taps Emma on the arm. Dottie reaches into her purse and pulls out a photo from her previous trip to the World’s Fair.) Here I am back then! (Emma takes the photo and looks at it.)

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EMMA Look at that pretty young girl! I used to know her! DOTTIE Yeah, I wonder whatever became of her! (They both laugh. Emma reaches into her purse and pulls out a wallet.) EMMA Here I am the same day. The only picture they took of me and Harry that day. DOTTIE What a beautiful bride! EMMA Yeah, beautiful … and on the run! (They both laugh. Emma holds the two photos side by side.) Twenty-five years. In some ways it seems like a hundred, doesn’t it? But in some ways, it’s like it was last week. Just look at the two of us, then, Dot. We sure managed to get out of South Patch that day, didn’t we? DOTTIE Yep. We sure did. (Each takes her photo, stares at it, and puts it back in her purse.) EMMA I’m sure glad I got to come to this fair. I’d always been a little jealous you know! Of course, now we still go one family member who hasn’t been. DOTTIE You mean Sophie? Well, whatever Sophie has been thinking all these years … I … I just wouldn’t worry about it too much if I were you, Em. (Emma seems startled.) EMMA If you say so. But it’s funny. I talked to her on the phone last night and – DOTTIE And? EMMA Well, she just didn't … she didn't seem like herself. DOTTIE What do you mean?

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EMMA You know, she was complaining and all that, but she didn’t have … she didn’t have that usual … anger, maybe? I don’t know … she seemed sort of … sort of subdued, maybe? DOTTIE Subdued? EMMA Yeah, it was like she was in some kind of melancholy mood or something. Definitely not like her, you know? Not a lot of the “black sheep” stuff she usually throws at me. DOTTIE Yeah, well, Sophie can be complicated.

EMMA Complicated? I never thought of … say, weren't you just over to see her the other day? Did she seem different to you? DOTTIE A little bit. EMMA I mean, for one thing, when I was talking to her, I was waiting to hear a big sob story about how she was being left behind today. But she never mentioned it. DOTTIE Yeah, well, Sophie can surprise you sometimes, Em. (Emma looks puzzled. Dottie tries to change the subject.) Em, I know you don’t regret going off and eloping with Harry back in thirty-nine, but was there ever anything … well, anything you never told anybody about that? EMMA What do you mean? DOTTIE I don’t know, I was just curious. (Emma stares at her, then looks back to the fair and takes a deep breath.) EMMA Well, to tell the truth, Dottie … I was just talking to Walter about this, in fact … the thing that’s always been hanging over my head about that is that … well, when I did that, I … I broke a promise. DOTTIE Promise? What kind of promise? (Emma looks upward for a moment. She takes hold of Dottie’s hands.)

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EMMA Dot, were you ever in Ma's room when you were a little girl? DOTTIE Sure. All the statues and candles burning … what a scary place! (Dottie shivers from the thought.) EMMA Right. Well, one day, right before you were born, Ma made me go up into that room. I was just a little girl myself, but I was looking forward to staying in school and maybe becoming a teacher someday. DOTTIE I never knew you wanted to be a teacher. EMMA Well, I sure did. At least until that day, anyways. That’s when Ma called me up there and made me promise … in front of all those saints and with all those candles burning … she made me promise that I would look after everybody, for the rest of our lives. I know now that she mainly meant Sophie, but she said everybody. And … even though I really didn’t want to, I did promise. I swore that I would. Then I … well, then I ran off and I broke that promise. DOTTIE Oh, Em, don't be silly. Ma said things like that all the time. EMMA No, Dottie, you don't understand. She was screaming at me! She made me swear in front of the Blessed Mother and all – (Dottie lets go and shakes her head.) DOTTIE Well, Em, now just stop it! First off, I don’t think the Blessed Mother holds little girls to promises like that. And anyway, it all worked out! Ma and Pa, we looked after both of them until they passed away. And Sophie, well, we did the best we could with her … the best with what we knew, anyways. (Emma looks puzzled. Dottie takes a deep breath.) DOTTIE But you? How many years did you spend taking care of us all before you left. Nobody from the Virgin Mary on down could have expected more out of you than that! And besides, Ma had no right to make a young girl like you make a promise like that. Didn’t she run away from the old country when she was just a little girl? For all we know, maybe she ran away from some kind of promise, too. No, Em, you didn't do anything wrong. If anything, you stayed around longer than any of us, Ma included, should have expected you to. (Dottie puts her arm around Emma.)

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DOTTIE, contd. And besides, from what I hear, there were a lot worse things than that going on in that house for people to be guilty about! EMMA Huh? (Dottie looks off, then stares at Emma.) DOTTIE Em, do you happen … do you remember a fellow by the name … of Uncle Barney? (Emma pulls away slightly.) EMMA Who told you about him? DOTTIE Do you remember him? (Emma shakes her head and actually begins shaking.) EMMA Yes, I remember him. I … I know he used to come visit with Pa when me and Sophie were both little girls. And I know that Ma told us never to bother Pa and Uncle Barney when they were in the parlor together. Believe me, I didn’t have any intention of bothering them. He was an ugly, fat, greasy-looking fellow … I hated the sight of him. So I used to go upstairs and lock my door and never come out when he was in the house. I didn't know why Ma told us to do that, but I knew that I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. Funny thing is, after one day, I heard he and Pa got in a fight, and I never saw him again … Thank God! DOTTIE Do you know if Sophie hid away from him too? EMMA I … I assume she … Dottie, what are you getting at? You didn’t even know Uncle Barney? Why would you -- DOTTIE Em … do you remember right before we went to the fair in thirty-nine, and me and you and Sophie were out in the back of the house? We were talking, and you asked her why she thought she was the way she was? (Emma thinks and seems to remember.) EMMA Sort of. DOTTIE Well, I think I have a better idea about that now. EMMA You do?

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DOTTIE Yes, Em. Sophie hasn't been mean and nasty to everybody all these years because she was born that way, or because she was jealous of anybody, or because she had to have things her own way. And it wasn't because our older brother died or – EMMA Dottie, what are you getting at? DOTTIE Em … the reason Sophie is the way she is … it's because she was – (Emma realizes what Dottie is implying.) EMMA Oh no! Oh my God! DOTTIE That’s right, Em. She was … well, that Uncle Barney fellow, he … he took advantage of her … in a … in a really bad way. (Emma begins breathing hard and Dottie puts her hands on Emma's shoulders.) And then, to make matters worse, after it happened, I guess Ma sort of put the blame on Sophie … or at least made Sophie feel … well, I guess Ma made Sophie feel dirty … and filthy. EMMA So is that why Sophie wanted to go into the convent? DOTTIE Yes. But when she got there, she felt dirty. She said she didn't feel worthy. And since then … I guess she's spent the rest of her life trying to live up to what Ma told her she was. (Emma still seems shocked.) EMMA How do you know all this?

DOTTIE Sophie told me. EMMA And do you believe her? DOTTIE Yes, Em, I sure do. And that's probably why she seemed so quiet when you talked to her. Because she finally got it out in the open after all these years of keeping it in. EMMA Oh my God, Dot … all these years we thought …

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DOTTIE Yeah, I know. I know what we all thought. But we didn't really know. Just like I never knew about the promise Ma got you to make. EMMA I feel awful now. DOTTIE Well, how do you think I feel? Charlie and me, and now the kids, we’ve been dealing with Sophie like she is for twenty-five years now! And we never realized she was that way for a good reason, that it was some of Ma’s fault, and most of Uncle Barney’s fault, not hers. I just wish I had asked her about this sooner. (They both shake their heads and look to the fair. Dottie turns back toward Emma.) I asked Sophie if she wanted to come with us today. She said no. She said she is what she is … that what she is is what Ma and Uncle Barney and everybody else made her. EMMA Oh my God! DOTTIE Yeah, so when we get back, I was thinking maybe we could both go see her, and, hard as it might be, see if we can't start working on seeing things the way she does. Maybe it’s too late, maybe it’s impossible. But then again, maybe we can start … maybe we can help her try to get back to the way she was before … before all that! EMMA Sure Dot, we can do that. I'd like that. (Dottie turns back toward the Unisphere, then back to Emma.) DOTTIE You know, Em, when I was here twenty-five years ago, I remember thinking how scared I was. I remember having the greatest day of my life here, and I knew I had just met the fellow of my dreams in Charlie. But I also knew I was heading home and that things weren't going to be the same. And they sure haven’t been. I never would have believed you if you told me that our brother Walter, that big, strong baseball player, would end up sitting in a VA hospital with his legs gone. I would have never thought that after running back and forth to South Patch to look after Ma and Pa, and Sophie, for twenty-five years, that I would find out what I found out about Sophie. And I would never have guessed about that promise Ma forced you to make, and how you been carrying around guilt for all these years. EMMA Me either.

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DOTTIE But, you know, Em, I've spent all these years making sure, as best I could, that the Dudek family didn’t fall apart. Ma and Pa went to their graves knowing that the family everybody in South Patch laughed at, that it stuck together as best we could. Even if we were broken up physically, even if we're torn apart emotionally, the fact is, we made it, didn't we? (Emma nods.) I remember when I was a little girl, running off to the drug store and listening to the radio, I used to hear the music, and the comedy shows, and I thought, “What a great big, wonderful world!” But then, with the war, it all went straight to hell for a couple of years. But the world made it back somehow. And you know, the more I think about it, the Dudek family was a lot like that. We’ve been through a lot, but we made it back. (Dottie smiles and puts her hands together. She stares at the lights.) You know, Em, I was thinking, I wonder if they're gonna have another fair here twenty-five years from now? EMMA Huh? DOTTIE Well, I mean, it's been twenty-five years since the last one. Why wouldn't they have one twenty-five years from now? EMMA I … I suppose they could. (Dottie appears wistful.) DOTTIE Well, I think they should! Even if I’m not around to see it. EMMA What do you mean? You'd only be – DOTTIE Never mind the arithmetic, Em! Even if I’m still around, I’d be too old for a third World's Fair twenty-five years from now. But that's okay. Two World's Fairs are enough for one lifetime. I'll just be happy if my kids can come to the next one. Let's talk about that on the bus, okay. Let's get the kids on the bus to make a promise … not the kind of promise Ma forced you to make … but a good promise. Let's get them to promise that if there is a fair here in twenty-five years, that they will come back … and they’ll bring their kids! (Emma laughs.) EMMA Yes, let's do that.

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(Dottie takes Emma's hand and they begin to walk away. Then she stops, and looks back at the Unisphere, rubs her, eyes, and waves.) DOTTIE And so, New York World’s Fair Number Two … on behalf of the Dudeks of South Patch … (They both wave broadly toward the Unisphere.) BOTH See you in twenty-five years! (They lock arms and exit. After they leave, the stage is dark except for the twinkling lights, which slowly dim as, offscreen, a woman’s voice makes an announcement.) WOMAN “The second New York World’s Fair of the twentieth century closed for good in October, 1965. There was no World’s Fair in New York twenty-five years after that, nor was there one again, for the rest of the century.” (Fade to all lights out. Curtain.)

END OF PLAY