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THE PROM DRESS
Christine Gregg: Coming home from the Foreign Service
for her 25th high-school reunion. (The reunion year is flexible;
depending on casting, it could be 20th or 30th.) TIME
SCENES FEATURED IN EXCERPT: |
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SETTING: The modest home of MARY GREGG. There is a sofa, a coffee table, an end table, etc. We see the front window and the front door. A partial view of the bedroom can also be seen. AT RISE: It is late afternoon on a Saturday in early summer. MARY GREGG stands at the front living room window looking out. She is nervous and agitated. Sitting on the sofa is EDITH LITTLETON, MARY’s SISTER. Both women are in their sixties. Draped across EDITH’s lap and taking up half the sofa is a frothy evening gown. EDITH is mending the hem of the dress with needle and thread.
MARY: Edith, how can you just sit there so calmly? |
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SETTING: The same; that evening. AT RISE: MARY and EDITH are in the bedroom. EDITH is fluffing out the skirt of the evening gown. MARY is at the dresser sorting through a jewelry box. A pair of high-heel pumps, with tissue in the toes, is on the floor next to the bed. MARY: Didn’t she wear my garnet necklace to the prom? EDITH: No, the pearls. MARY: Are you sure? EDITH: Absolutely. MARY: You’re right. EDITH: Of course. (MARY searches and comes up with the pearl necklace) MARY: Here it is. EDITH: The earrings, too. (MARY looks in another compartment of the jewelry box and finds the earrings) MARY: Right again. EDITH: I can remember what she wore to every single dance. MARY: I can remember her date for every single dance. EDITH: Always sizing them up. And none of them ever measured up. MARY: The one I wanted her to go out with - EDITH: Don’t push it, Mary. That would just put her off. MARY: Oh, I know. EDITH: She has to discover for herself. MARY: But - EDITH : Don’t even think about it. Just think about getting her ready. MARY: What about my velvet stole? EDITH: It’s so warm. I really don’t think she needs a wrap. MARY: But the weatherman was saying that a cool front is coming in later. EDITH: I think she’ll be warm enough. (CHRISTINE enters wearing a bathrobe) CHRISTINE: I don’t know why we’re going to so much trouble for the paper boy. MARY: If I recall, you read the paper every day. CHRISTINE: I used the telephone every day, too, but I don’t feel obligated to go out with the telephone installer. MARY: Can’t you be a little considerate? CHRISTINE: I don’t want to be a laughing stock. MARY: Nobody’s going to laugh at you. CHRISTINE: They’ll think I’m desperate. MARY: I expect you to be polite to him, young lady. EDITH: Just pretend that he’s the Minister of State of Argentina. CHRISTINE: Sure. (CHRISTINE slips out of her robe; she is wearing a camisole and petticoat underneath. EDITH and MARY put the dress over her head) MARY: Where do you get the idea that you’re so superior? CHRISTINE: I don’t think I’m superior. MARY: Yes, you do, you snob. CHRISTINE: Oh, Mother - MARY: Don’t 'Oh, Mother' me in that tone of voice. CHRISTINE: What a minute. Something’s caught on my hair. EDITH : Just a second. Whoops, it’s the zipper pull. Hold still. MARY: Be careful. (EDITH disentangles CHRISTINE’s hair) EDITH: Okay, now. Here we go. (EDITH AND MARY get the dress properly arranged) MARY: (zipping up the dress) Be still, please. CHRISTINE: And the fairy godmother turns Cinderella into a princess. MARY: See it fits perfectly. EDITH: How do you stay so slender? CHRISTINE: Trying to keep up with my mother. MARY: Don’t be a smarty pants, Miss Chris. EDITH: And here are the glass slippers. (EDITH picks up the shoes and hands them to CHRISTINE) CHRISTINE: Are these the same shoes, too? MARY: I kept them wrapped up with tissue stuffed inside. (CHRISTINE carefully removes the tissue and puts on the shoes) CHRISTINE: I’m still waiting for my Prince Charming. MARY: Do you think you’re going to find him in Timbuktu? EDITH: (fluffing out CHRISTINE’s hair) I can hardly believe it’s been twenty-five years. CHRISTINE: I know, it seems like just yesterday that I had this dress on. EDITH: So much has happened. You’ve had such an exciting life, Christine. So many different overseas posts. MARY: Oh, so exciting, wondering every day if some new fanatical group is going to blow up the embassy or kidnap everybody. CHRISTINE: Daddy would be proud of me. MARY: Oh, sweetie, of course I’m proud of you. CHRISTINE: He always encouraged me. MARY: Since your daddy died I’ve been proud enough of you for both of us. You have had a wonderful career. But he’s not here now to hold my hand when we read about the uprisings and bombings and everything. CHRISTINE: You’re right, Mother. MARY: What? What did you say? Did I actually hear you say, 'You’re right, Mother'? EDITH: Do you want to get a tape recorder and have her repeat it? CHRISTINE: What I mean is, it isn’t as romantic and fabulous as it used to be, with all the senseless terrorism these days. MARY: Dare I hope that maybe you’ve had enough? CHRISTINE: What would I do if I left the Foreign Service? MARY: For heaven’s sake, Christine, there are any number of things you could do. CHRISTINE: Like what? MARY: You could teach at a university, for example. CHRISTINE: How dull. MARY: But not life-threatening. CHRISTINE: I could die of boredom. MARY: I have an even better idea. Why don’t you get mar - CHRISTINE: No, don’t say it! Please don’t say the M word again. MARY: Why? Is it now considered obscene? CHRISTINE: It’s your fault. MARY: What’s my fault? My fault that you won’t marry and settle down? CHRISTINE: Yes. MARY: How did it get to be my fault? What did I do wrong? CHRISTINE: You didn’t do anything wrong. You raised me to be independent. EDITH: And you succeeded beyond your wildest dreams. MARY: Good Lord, can’t you be independent and married, too? CHRISTINE: No. MARY: I thought men liked independent women these days. CHRISTINE: They only say that, to make you think they’re sensitive. MARY: There are some men who - CHRISTINE: Name one. MARY: You wouldn’t be interested. EDITH: You are beautiful, Christine, dear. Even more beautiful now than the evening of your prom. CHRISTINE: Oh, Aunt Edith. How can I ever thank you enough for all the lovely dresses! I always had the prettiest dress at every dance. I was the envy of all the girls. EDITH: It is your mother you must thank. She paid for them. MARY: With the sweat of my brow. CHRISTINE: What do you mean? EDITH: You see, I hated to iron. So your mother would come over and do my ironing while I sewed. CHRISTINE: I never knew that. EDITH: I loved sewing for you, honey. I never had girls to make pretty dresses for - only boys. MARY: And she had them change their clothes five times a day, so I would have plenty to do. EDITH: That’s not true. MARY: I even had to iron her sheets. EDITH: Don’t exaggerate. MARY: But it was worth it. CHRISTINE: You know, you two should have opened a designer boutique. MARY: Then you wouldn’t have been able to afford the dresses. CHRISTINE: Wouldn’t you have given me a discount or anything? MARY: If we gave all our customers special treatment, we wouldn’t make any money. EDITH: Don’t be silly. MARY: We would go through Bloomingdale’s designer shop and get ideas. And then we would gloat when we made something ten times prettier for a tenth of the price. EDITH : Your mother would plow through the fabric shops to find nice material on sale. (CHRISTINE turns around in front of the mirror) CHRISTINE: Am I ready? MARY: Don’t forget the pearls. (MARY fastens the necklace around CHRISTINE’s neck) CHRISTINE: You are so sweet to let me wear your jewelry. MARY: And here are the earrings. (MARY hands the earrings to CHRISTINE, who puts them on) CHRISTINE: I’ll take good care of them, as always. MARY: These pearls are yours now, Christine. CHRISTINE: Oh, Mother! You know I have coveted these pearls forever. MARY: Your daddy gave these to me as an engagement present. CHRISTINE: But how can you bear to part with them? MARY: I want you to have them now. CHRISTINE: Oh, thank you, Mother, thank you, thank you. I will treasure them so much. MARY: I have cast a spell on them so that they will bring you a husband. CHRISTINE: Oh. EDITH: So you see, there’s no escape from her clutches. (THE DOORBELL RINGS) MARY: (heading for the living room) I’ll get it. EDITH: (following MARY out of the bedroom into the living room) It’s probably the paper boy coming to collect. CHRISTINE: (running after EDITH) Aunt Edie, if you say one word - EDITH: Me? CHRISTINE: Yes, you. EDITH: How could you think such a thing of me? CHRISTINE: I know you. (MARY goes to the front door and opens it. Standing at the threshold is JAMES CHAPMAN. He is in his early forties. HE is a tall, handsome Marine colonel in full dress uniform with a chest full of ribbons and medals. He is carrying a florist’s box tied with a bow. CHRISTINE’s mouth falls open) JAMES: Hi, Mary. Your Marine is home from the wars. MARY: (throwing herself into JAMES’ arms and receiving a bear hug) It’s been two years! You’re almost as bad as Christine. JAMES: Well, you know how it is. From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli. (Over MARY’s shoulder, JAMES throws a dazzling smile at CHRISTINE. SHE is dumfounded) EDITH: My turn! My turn! (EDITH gets a hug, too) JAMES: How are you doing, Edith? EDITH: We’ve missed you so much. JAMES: I missed you, too. EDITH: It looks like you got a promotion, too. MARY: Of course. I knew he would. EDITH: She no doubt had a word with the Commandant. JAMES: And for my favorite ladies, a little something from the exotic bazaar in Cairo. (JAMES reaches into his pocket and brings out two small ivory carvings [or some other trinkets], and presents one each to MARY and EDITH) MARY: aren’t you just the sweetest thing. EDITH: You darling boy. JAMES: These magical ivory carvings will bring you good luck and grant you three wishes. MARY: Only three? EDITH: Don’t be greedy, Mary. MARY: Well, maybe three wishes will cover it. CHRISTINE: Excuse me, but would someone introduce me to this tall, handsome stranger? MARY: No. You don’t deserve him. CHRISTINE: Mother. MARY: Edith and I have decided to keep him for ourselves. CHRISTINE: Mother! MARY: (putting her hands on her hips and vamping at JAMES) How would you like to have not one, but two beautiful women on your arm this evening? (MARY AND EDITH each take one of JAMES’ arms and act like they are going to take HIM out the door) JAMES: I’m at your disposal, ladies. CHRISTINE: MOTHER!!! MARY: Well, all right, but only if you promise to be nice to him. CHRISTINE: Who do you always insist on embarrassing me? MARY: It’s the only time I have any fun. (MARY and EDITH move aside, and CHRISTINE and JAMES stand facing one another. He takes off his cap) JAMES: Will you be my date for the dance, Christine? CHRISTINE: That has already been decided. JAMES: Your mother is very persuasive. CHRISTINE: I’d love to be your date. (JAMES holds up the florist’s box and hands it to CHRISTINE) JAMES: And a little something. CHRISTINE takes the box, opens it, and takes out a corsage) CHRISTINE: Orchids! JAMES: I hope it goes with your dress. CHRISTINE: It’s beautiful. JAMES: Shall I pin it on? CHRISTINE: Yes, please. MARY: Wait a minute. Let me get a picture. EDITH: Yes, by all means. We have to save this for the album. MARY: And if I don’t get my three wishes, I’ll at least have something to look at. (MARY opens a drawer in the end table and takes out a camera. She snaps a picture as JAMES pins the corsage on the dress) JAMES: How about right here? CHRISTINE: Yes, that’s fine. JAMES: The color seems to be right. CHRISTINE: It’s perfect. It’s as if you knew I would be wearing this very dress. JAMES: I had a vision. MARY: (indicating the window) Another one over there. JAMES: Sure. EDITH : (drawing the draperies to make a backdrop) Here, in front of the curtain of the Opera House in Buenos Aires. MARY: No, No, it’s the Kennedy Center in Washington. EDITH: Wherever. (JAMES and CHRISTINE pose as instructed. MARY tries to take a picture, but the shutter doesn’t work) MARY: What’s wrong here? JAMES: Did you advance the film? MARY: Ooops! EDITH: High tech stumps her. MARY: Just a second. CHRISTINE: I hope we make it to the dance before it’s over. EDITH: We don’t very often get to take pictures of you, honey, so forgive us if we go overboard. (MARY advanced the film, tries again, and gets the picture) MARY: Got it. CHRISTINE: May we go now? MARY: Now sit on the sofa. CHRISTINE: How original. (CHRISTINE and JAMES sit on the sofa. MARY focuses the camera and takes a picture) MARY: That’s really nice. Let me get another one here. CRISTINE: Are you going to use up a whole roll of film? MARY: Don’t worry about it. I have plenty more. CHRISTINE: Good grief. (MARY takes another picture) MARY: Oh, dear, I think I cut off your heads. Let me do one more. EDITH: Closer. CHRISTINE: Aunt Edie. JAMES: (moving closer to CHRISTINE) If you say so. MARY: One more for good measure. EDITH: Closer. JAMES: You bet. CHRISTINE: Aunt Edie! MARY: (moving around to get a better angle) Let me get a better angle here. EDITH: Put your arm around her. (JAMES puts his arm around CHRISTINE) CHRISTINE: AUNT EDIE!!! EDITH: He doesn’t mind. JAMES: Not a bit. I’ve been waiting for this chance for twenty-five years. (BLACKOUT) |
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