Clybourne Park E-Book

Bruce Norris

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

An acerbically brilliant satire that explores the fault line between race and property.  In 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two-bed for a knock-down price, enabling the first black family to move into the neighbourhood and alarming the cosy white urbanites of Clybourne Park, Chicago. In 2009 the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve, a young white couple, whose plan to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response. As the arguments rage and tensions rise, ghosts and racial resentments are once more uncovered... Bruce Norris's play Clybourne Park was first performed at Playwrights Horizons, New York City, in February 2010. The play received its European premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in September 2010, transferring to Wyndham's Theatre in the West End in February 2011. The play received numerous awards, including the London Evening Standard Award for Best Play, the Critics Circle Award for Best New Play, the Olivier Award for Best New Play, the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Leseprobe

Bruce Norris

CLYBOURNE PARK

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Dedication

Characters

Act One

Act Two

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Clybourne Park received its West End premiere at the Wyndham’s Theatre, London, on 8 February 2011 (previews from 28 January), with the following cast:

RUSS/DANStuart McQuarrieBEV/KATHYSophie ThompsonFRANCINE/LENALorna BrownJIM/TOMSam SpruellALBERT/KEVINLucian MsamatiKARL/STEVEStephen Campbell MooreBETSY/LINDSEYSarah GoldbergKENNETHMichael GoldsmithDirectorDominic CookeSet and CostumeRobert Innes HopkinsDesignerLighting DesignerPaule ConstableSound DesignerDavid McSeveney

It was produced by Royal Court Theatre Productions, Sonia Friedman Productions, Old Vic Productions and Eric Abraham.

This production was first performed at the Royal Court, Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, London, on 2 September 2010 (previews from 26 August), with the following cast:

RUSS/DANSteffan RhodriBEV/KATHYSophie ThompsonFRANCINE/LENALorna BrownJIM/TOMSam SpruellALBERT/KEVINLucian MsamatiKARL/STEVEMartin FreemanBETSY/LINDSEYSarah GoldbergKENNETHMichael Goldsmith

Clybourne Park received its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons, New York, on 21 February 2010, with the following cast:

RUSS/DANFrank WoodBEV/KATHYChristina KirkFRANCINE/LENACrystal A. DickinsonJIM/TOM/KENNETHBrendan GriffinALBERT/KEVINDamon GuptonKARL/STEVEJeremy ShamosBETSY/LINDSEYAnnie ParisseDirectorPam MacKinnonSet DesignerDaniel OstlingCostume DesignerIlona SomogyiLighting DesignerAllen Lee HughesSound DesignerJohn GromadaProductionC. A. ClarkStage ManagerArtistic DirectorTim SanfordGeneral ManagerCarol Fishman

For Frances Watson

Characters

ACT ONE (1959)

RUSS, white, late forties

BEV, white, married to Russ, forties

FRANCINE, black, thirties

JIM, white, late twenties

ALBERT, black, married to Francine, thirties

KARL, white, thirties

BETSY, married to Karl, late twenties

ACT TWO (2009)

TOM, played by the actor who plays Jim

LINDSEY, played by the actor who plays Betsy

KATHY, played by the actor who plays Bev

STEVE, married to Lindsey, played by the actor who plays Karl

LENA, played by the actor who plays Francine

KEVIN, married to Lena, played by the actor who plays Albert

DAN, played by the actor who plays Russ

KENNETH

The set is the interior of a modest three-bedroom bungalow, 406 Clybourne Street, in the near north-west of central Chicago. There is a sitting room with front-door access, a fireplace with an oak mantelpiece, and a separate dining area with built-in cupboards. At the rear of the dining area, a swinging door leads to a kitchen. A staircase leads up to a second floor, and beneath it, another door leads down to a basement. There is a hallway and a bathroom door as well.

ACT ONE

September, 1959. Three o’clock, Saturday afternoon. The house is in disarray. Cardboard boxes are stacked in corners. Some furniture has been removed, shelves emptied. Pictures have been removed from the walls, and carpets have been rolled and stood on end. Not far from the fireplace, RUSS sits alone reading a copy of National Geographic. He is dressed in pyjama top and chinos, socks, no shoes. On a table next to him sits a carton of ice cream into which, from time to time, he dips a spoon. Music plays softly on his transistor radio.

After a moment, BEV descends the stairs carrying linens which she will add to a cardboard box. As she does she stops to look at RUSS.

BEV. You’re not going to eat all of that, are you?

He turns down the radio.

RUSS (with his mouth full). Whaddya say?

BEV. What ice cream is that?

RUSS. Um. (Looks at the carton.) Neapolitan.

BEV. Well, don’t feel compelled to eat that.

RUSS (shrugs, barely audible). Going to waste.

He turns the radio back up and BEV crosses to the dining room. FRANCINE enters from the kitchen, wearing a maid’s uniform. RUSS remains in the foreground as we overhear:

FRANCINE (to BEV). So, if it’s all right, I’m just going to put these candlesticks here in the big box with the utensils.

BEV. That is what I would do, yes, but you do mean to wrap them first?

FRANCINE. Oh, yes, ma’am.

BEV. Oh. Now, Francine: I was wondering about this chafing dish, which we have practically never used.

FRANCINE. Yes, ma’am.

BEV. Do you own one of these yourself?

FRANCINE. No, I sure don’t.

BEV. Because I do love to entertain, though for the life of me I can’t remember the last time we did. But still, it does seem a shame to give it away because it’s just such a nice thing, isn’t it?

FRANCINE. Oh, yes it is.

BEV. And it just looks so lonely sitting there in the cupboard so: I was wondering if this might be the sort of thing that would be useful to you?

FRANCINE. Ohhhh, thank you, I couldn’t take that.

BEV (re: chafing dish). See how sad he looks?

FRANCINE. You don’t want to be giving that to me.

BEV. Well, nonetheless, I’m offering.

FRANCINE. No, I don’t think I should.

BEV. Well, you think about it.

FRANCINE. But thank you for offering.

BEV. You think about it and let me know.

FRANCINE. Yes, ma’am.

BEV. And do put some paper around those.

FRANCINE. Yes, ma’am.

FRANCINE goes into the kitchen. BEV continues to pack, passing RUSS.

BEV. That’s a funny word, isn’t it? Neapolitan.

RUSS (turns off radio). Funny what way?

BEV. What do you suppose is the origin of that?

RUSS. Uhhh… Naples, I imagine.

BEV. Naples?

RUSS. City of Naples?

BEV. Noooo.

RUSS. Of or pertaining to.

BEV. That would not be my first guess.

RUSS. Yup.

BEV. I would think it had something to do with neo, as in something new, and then there’s the -politan part which to me would suggest a city, like metropolitan.

RUSS. Could be.

BEV. Meaning new city or something to that effect.

RUSS (shrugs). Told you what I think.

BEV. Because a person from Naples, I mean they wouldn’t be called, well, not Napoleon, obviously. I guess that was already taken! (Laughs, then serious.) On the other hand, you do say Italian. But cities, though, and specifically ones that end in S, because there must be a rule of some sort, don’t you think? Help me think of a city other than Naples that also ends in S?

Pause.

RUSS. Uhhh –

BEV. Oh fiddle. Um.

RUSS. Des Moines.

BEV. Not a silent S.

RUSS. Brussels.

BEV. All right. There you go. And how do we refer to them?

RUSS. Belgians.

BEV. But, the people from the city.

RUSS. Never met anyone from Brussels.

BEV. But there has to be a word.

RUSS. Look it up.

BEV. Where?

RUSS. Dictionary?

BEV. But it’s not going to say this is the capital of Belgium and by the way the people who live there are called –

RUSS. Give Sally a call.

BEV. She won’t know that.

RUSS. She and Ray went to Paris.

BEV. So?

RUSS. Close to Brussels.

BEV. Sally never knows those sort of things.

RUSS. Oh. Oh.

BEV. What?

RUSS. Parisians.

BEV. What about them?

FRANCINE returns with more packing.

RUSS. Paris ends in S.

BEV. But – It’s not Brusselsians.

RUSS. Or Nice.

BEV. I’m serious.

RUSS. Got the S sound.

BEV. But not Nicians. Like Grecians.

RUSS. No, no. Niçoise.

BEV. I know that, but –

RUSS. Know that salad your sister makes?

BEV. But that’s French –

RUSS. It’s a French city.

BEV. I understand, but, I’m saying how would we say, in Eng – ? Well, now I don’t remember the original question.

RUSS. Brussels.

BEV. No no.

RUSS. Des Moines?

BEV. No.

RUSS. Naples.

BEV. Naples. And I don’t think Neapolitan. How would that become Neapolitan?

RUSS. Muscovites.

BEV. What?

RUSS. People from Moscow.

BEV. Well, I give up, because that’s just peculiar.

RUSS (chuckles at the word). Muscovites.

BEV (the same). I wonder if they’re musky.

RUSS (savouring the sound). Musss-covites.

BEV (coming up with one). Cairenes!

RUSS. That is a strange one.

BEV. I’m telling you, that’s what they’re called!

RUSS. I’m not disputing.

BEV. But why Cairenes?

RUSS (shrugs). Dated a girl named Irene.

FRANCINE exits again.

BEV. Or Congolese?

RUSS. That, too, is correct.

BEV. So why don’t we say Tongalese?

RUSS. Or Mongolese.

BEV. No, Mongol-oid.

RUSS. No no, that’s different.

BEV (aghast at her own faux pas). Oh, you’re right.

RUSS. That’s uhhh, you know, that’s –

BEV. No, I know.

RUSS (gestures toward his brain). The thing with the –

BEV. Like the Wheeler boy.

RUSS. Right. The one who –

BEV. Bags the groceries.

RUSS. Right.

Beat, then:

BEV. But that’s nice, isn’t it, in a way? To know we all have our place.

RUSS. There but for the grace of God.

BEV. Exactly.

Pause. RUSS breaks it with:

RUSS (pronouncing grandly, with a sweep of his hand). Ulan Bator!