In the Wake

by Lisa Kron

  JUDY: She’s out of her league.

  ELLEN: Judy, she’s doing fine.

  JUDY (Looking at her watch): Didn’t they pick her up from the tutor at 2:30?

  ELLEN: Then they went to the Tenement Museum—

  JUDY: It’s six o’clock.

  ELLEN: Danny got excited. He’s showing her the city. Kayla and Laurie promised they’d get her back in plenty of time. That’s why I sent them.

  JUDY: I don’t know how you live so close to people.

  (Ellen laughs.)

  How do you handle your situation with Amy with them living right on top of you?

  ELLEN (Realizing this): I think . . . I think we’ve developed some sort of unspoken agreement not to talk about it.

  JUDY: They know?

  ELLEN (She would have thought this was obvious): Yeah. Oh yeah, it’s not a sneaking around kind of a thing.

  JUDY: Oh.

  ELLEN: But, we don’t really talk about it. (Realizing this herself as she’s saying it) They can’t make sense of how Danny and I could possibly be working this out between us, so . . . So, yeah, they know but . . . I think they prefer to steer clear of the subject.

  JUDY: Seems like a lot of work.

  ELLEN(Laughs): I suppose. (Thinks for a beat, then) Something happened to me that night I met Amy. Sitting with her—just talking—I could feel myself . . . open. I don’t know how else to describe it—I literally felt something unlock and open. Like a whole part of me I didn’t even know existed—it woke up. And I realized that a part of me had been dead. How could that be, you know? (Thinks for a beat) Because what I have with Danny is more than most people ever dream of. We have . . . daily joy. That’s extraordinary. There is daily happiness in my life with Danny. Who gets that, you know? There’s nobody I love being with more than him.

  JUDY: So . . . what’s your plan?

  ELLEN (Wryly amused): My plan. Hmm. (Thinks for a small beat) I think about choosing . . . and it’s like . . . I could cut off my arm or I could cut off my leg. I don’t have a plan, per se, but . . . I do know that this configuration isn’t sustainable. I can’t be in two places at one time. That’s not okay. But something will change. These relationships are so different. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Something we can’t see yet. Yeah . . .

  (Sound of the group coming in the door.)

  Hey, they’re back!

  JUDY: Oh, thank God.

  LAURIE: Hey! Hello! Where is everybody?!

  KAYLA: Hello! We’re back!

  DANNY: Tessa has conquered New York!

  TESSA (To Kayla, about Laurie): I want her to say it again.

  LAURIE: What, my professional opinion?

  TESSA: Yeah.

  (Laurie makes a dramatic vomiting sound.)

  KAYLA (Laughing): Laurie stop that! Tessa, I apologize for Laurie!

  TESSA: She’s okay.

  DANNY: Uh, Tessa, she is definitely not okay.

  LAURIE: Thank you, Tessa!

  ELLEN (Climbing in through the window): Hey everybody.

  TESSA: Hey.

  ELLEN: How was your afternoon, Tessa?

  TESSA: Pretty fun.

  DANNY: Not according to Laurie.

  ELLEN: Where have you guys been?

  (Laurie pretends to vomit.)

  TESSA (Trying to remember the name): Uh . . .

  KAYLA: We went to Congee Village.

  ELLEN: Congee Village???

  DANNY: Tessa loved it. It’s her new favorite restaurant.

  LAURIE: Did you love it, Tessa?

  TESSA: Not really.

  DANNY: Ah! Like a dagger in my heart!

  LAURIE: Where do you take someone when you’re showing them New York—Empire State Building? (Danny fake falls asleep, snores) Statue of Liberty? (More snoring) Or to eat disgusting porridge at Congee Village?

  DANNY (Popping awake): Congee Village?

  LAURIE: Danny, congee is a viscous, watery rice porridge.

  DANNY: Laurie, millions of Chinese people love congee.

  LAURIE: Yes, Danny, and millions of Americans love Hot Pockets.

  DANNY: Hot Pockets. Mmmmm.

  LAURIE: Tessa, tell Ellen about the Tenement Museum.

  ELLEN: Was it fun?

  TESSA: It was fine.

  LAURIE: Tell her what you said.

  TESSA: About . . . ?

  LAURIE: You said the Tenement Museum reminded you of something.

  TESSA: Oh yeah. This apartment.

  (Kayla, Laurie and Danny laugh.)

  ELLEN: Oh, ha ha ha.

  TESSA: Why is that funny?

  LAURIE: Because Ellen doesn’t want to admit that she lives in a craphouse.

  TESSA: I didn’t mean it like that.

  ELLEN: We know.

  LAURIE: I’m teasing her.

  JUDY (Entering through the window): Hey, Tessa.

  TESSA: Hey, Aunt Judy.

  LAURIE (Prompting her): Hey, Tessa . . . do you want to give . . .

  TESSA: Oh!!

  (She digs through her backpack, pulls out a shopping bag, and hands it to Judy.)

  Here.

  (Judy, takes it. Tessa waits.)

  It’s from the Tenement Museum. It’s a present.

  JUDY: Oh. Thank you.

  TESSA: You’re not going to open it?

  JUDY: Oh, did you want me to open it?

  TESSA: I don’t care.

  (Judy opens it and pulls out a large men’s Tenement Museum T-shirt.)

  JUDY: That’s very nice. Thank you.

  ELLEN: That’s a great shirt.

  JUDY: It is. Thank you, Tessa.

  TESSA (To Kayla and Laurie): I told you she wouldn’t like it.

  JUDY: I like it. Quite a bit.

  KAYLA (To Laurie): Where are we with dinner?

  LAURIE: Ooh, yeah. Tessa? Ready?

  TESSA: Oh. Oh, yeah.

  LAURIE: Have your stuff?

  TESSA (Retrieves her grocery bag): Yep.

  LAURIE: Okay, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Plates. Silverware. Be ready when we get back.

  ELLEN: On it.

  (Laurie and Tessa exit.)

  LAURIE (Offstage): Argh! Look at this crapped-out hall, Tessa. It looks exactly like the Tenement Museum!

  ELLEN (As soon as the door is closed and Tessa is out of range, to Danny): So, how’d it go?

  DANNY: The tutor said Tessa did great.

  JUDY: Oh. Uh-huh?

  ELLEN: What’d he say?

  DANNY: He said he tested her and her basic math skills are for shit, which we knew already. But he said her aptitude is normal and with help he doesn’t see any reason she shouldn’t be at grade level by the end of the year.

  ELLEN: That’s great.

  KAYLA: Isn’t it?

  JUDY: Yeah. That’s good news.

  KAYLA: She’s a great kid, Judy.

  JUDY: Is she?

  KAYLA: Yeah. She’s . . . yeah.

  JUDY: Yeah. She’s . . . she’s a good girl.

  (Beat.)

  I’m gonna go smoke.

  ELLEN: Okay. I’ll come get you when dinner’s here.

  KAYLA: It’s cold out there. Do you want a scarf or something?

  (Judy exits, closing the fire escape window behind her.)

  Wow. She’s a regular Carol Brady.

  ELLEN: Okay . . . But you know Tessa’s much better off with Judy than she was in Corbin.

  KAYLA: I guess.

  ELLEN (Remembering her task): Okay. Okay. What do we need here?

  KAYLA: Oh, right!

  ELLEN: Plates.

  DANNY: Beer?

  (They start to gather the dinner things.)

  KAYLA: Wine? If they were up here instead of in DC, I’d take her to one of the programs at Youth Horizons.

  ELLEN: Speaking of which—we need an update on our favorite anal-retentive boss, aka Tidy McSphincterstein.

  KAYLA: He quit!

  ELLEN: He quit??? When???

  KAYLA: Like, two weeks ago.

  ELL
EN: Tidy McSphincterstein quit two weeks ago and you didn’t tell me.

  KAYLA: You weren’t here.

  ELLEN: Oh, right. Who is going to replace Tidy McSphincterstein?

  KAYLA: His name is Tony McSwiggin!

  ELLEN: That’s what I said.

  KAYLA: They actually want me to become the database manager.

  ELLEN (Scoffing): Oh yeah, I bet they do.

  KAYLA: I’ve been kind of thinking about it.

  ELLEN: Okay . . . Why?

  KAYLA: ’Cause . . . I’m already doing it. Part time. If I took the job I’d get a salary, have health insurance, two weeks paid vacation . . .

  ELLEN: So . . . you’d have a steady paycheck, but . . . I mean, obviously that would be great, but what you need is time to write and freedom to prioritize that.

  KAYLA: Yeah, you’re right. I know, I know. I was just, you know . . . I was just thinking about it.

  ELLEN: No, I know, it’s tempting.

  (Phone rings.)

  Oh, yay, dinner!

  DANNY (Racing for the phone): No! I got it! I got it! Me! No, me! It’s mine. (He picks up) Buongiorno! . . . Excellent! We’ll be right down. (He hangs up) Ready.

  (Kayla moves to leave.)

  ELLEN: Kayla, you sit. We’ll go.

  (Ellen and Danny exit. Much to Kayla’s horror, Judy comes inside and sits. A beat.)

  KAYLA: So . . . It’s nice to see you Judy.

  (No discernable response from Judy.)

  So you’re in DC now.

  JUDY: Yep.

  KAYLA: That’s quite a change. (Beat) How’s your . . . ? I’m sorry, I should know this. What’s your job there?

  JUDY: Consulting work with USAID.

  KAYLA: Oh, oh, right. Right. USAID. Yeah. How is it working there?

  JUDY: Well, I succumbed to a one-year contract even though I dislike DC intensely and shudder at the thought that Colin Powell’s my boss . . .

  KAYLA: Sounds challenging.

  JUDY: Really? Compared to what I’m used to I was thinking of it as kind of a break.

  KAYLA: Yes, that’s what I . . . um . . . meant . . . or . . . uh . . .

  (Laurie, Ellen, Danny and Tessa enter with food.)

  (Flooded with relief) Oh, good! Great! Good! Yum! This all looks so good! (Regarding a platter) Tessa, is this what you made for us?

  TESSA: Yep.

  KAYLA: It looks delicious!

  (All agree. Throughout the serving of the food, the following dialogue should be full and overlapping. Responsive dialogue can be added to create this fullness.)

  DANNY (Taking the platter from Tessa): I’ll take that. Thank you very much, Tessa. What are the rest of you eating?

  LAURIE: Let’s eat it while it’s hot.

  TESSA (To Kayla): Can I sit by you?

  KAYLA: Of course you can!

  DANNY: Beer?

  LAURIE: I’m having wine.

  DANNY: Tessa, you want your Coke?

  TESSA: Yes, thank you.

  LAURIE: Hand me that plate, please, thank you. A little of everything?

  JUDY: Thank you.

  LAURIE: Not a problem. Tessa, do you want any salad?

  TESSA: No. Thank you.

  LAURIE: You don’t want to just try a little.

  TESSA: Maybe a little.

  (Laurie puts some on her plate.)

  That’s enough.

  LAURIE (Laughing): Okay.

  ELLEN: This is a beautiful meal! Thanks, you guys.

  LAURIE: You’re welcome. So this is a dish Tessa invented. And she wanted to make it for us tonight, and she just whipped it up down there like magic.

  TESSA: It seems like it would take a long time but it’s so fast.

  KAYLA: How do you make it.

  TESSA: It’s Poppin’ Fresh biscuits and then you cut a hot dog into pieces—

  LAURIE: We substituted turkey dogs this time.

  TESSA: Yeah, they taste all right.

  LAURIE: Yeah, they’re pretty good.

  TESSA: And then you sprinkle grated cheese on top and that’s it!

  (Though slightly taken aback, everyone “mmm”s supportively.)

  I make this for Aunt Judy like, four times a week.

  (Everyone quickly arranges their face into a positive response.)

  KAYLA: Mmmm. It’s really, really good.

  TESSA (To Laurie, regarding her dish): This is good, too.

  LAURIE: It’s Thai food.

  TESSA: Oh! I like Thai food.

  LAURIE: I love Thai food.

  TESSA: There’s a place right down the block from Aunt Judy’s apartment we order from. I could eat from there every night.

  LAURIE: You really like Thai food.

  TESSA: I do. You can’t get it in Corbin.

  KAYLA: Do you love DC? Have you been to the National Portrait Gallery yet? It’s my favorite.

  TESSA: Uh-uh.

  KAYLA: Ooh, what about the Smithsonian?

  LAURIE: Whatever with the museums! Tessa, are you a Harry Potter fan?

  TESSA: I love Harry Potter!

  LAURIE: Aha! I knew it! Harry Potter rules!

  DANNY: Rules! (Regarding Ellen and Kayla) These two ladies have never read Harry Potter.

  TESSA: You haven’t?

  (They shake their heads.)

  Why not???

  DANNY: Snobs.

  LAURIE: Snooty, stuck-up snobs.

  ELLEN: I tried! I tried! I couldn’t get past the third page!

  TESSA: Why not?

  DANNY: Snooty, snooty, super snobs.

  LAURIE: Could not be more stuck-up, snootier snobs if they tried.

  TESSA (Suddenly scrutinizes Laurie): Who do you look like???

  LAURIE: Me?

  TESSA: All day long I keep thinking you look like somebody. Who is it? (To the others) Doesn’t she look like somebody famous?

  DANNY: Burt Reynolds?

  TESSA: No! (Studies Laurie) Who do you look like? Oh! Oh! I know. I know who it is!

  KAYLA: Who?

  TESSA: It’s that girl from that show. You know, that comedy show that’s on TV. What’s her name . . . ? What’s her name? Oh! Oh! I know. Ellen!

  (Beat.)

  LAURIE (Bemused. Not sure how to respond): Huh.

  (Beat.)

  DANNY: Come to think of it, you do look like Ellen. I don’t know what it is . . .

  LAURIE: Shut up. Shut up.

  TESSA: Aunt Judy, don’t you think she looks like her?

  JUDY: I have no idea who that is.

  TESSA: It’s not a bad thing. I like her.

  LAURIE: Yeah . . . no, we like her, too.

  TESSA: I mean, I don’t like her lifestyle, but . . .

  (Beat.)

  LAURIE: Huh.

  TESSA: What?

  LAURIE: Um . . . nothing . . . it’s just that . . .

  KAYLA: Tessa, uh . . . Laurie and I . . . are a couple.

  TESSA: Oh. (Getting it) Oh.

  LAURIE: We’re married, actually.

  DANNY: Can you believe it?

  TESSA: Y’all are teasing me. (To Judy) Are they teasing me?

  JUDY (At a loss): Well . . . they’re gay.

  TESSA: Oh . . . well, that’s cool.

  KAYLA: We assumed that you . . . we assumed you knew that.

  TESSA: Oh no. I didn’t.

  LAURIE: That’d be a small apartment for two people who aren’t married.

  TESSA: Oh yeah. Yeah. I . . . didn’t think of that. I never met any gay people before.

  JUDY: Come on, there are gay people in Corbin.

  TESSA: Who?

  JUDY (Suddenly on the spot): Well . . . I don’t know, I can’t think of any names, I haven’t lived there in forty years. There are gay people there, Tessa.

  TESSA: Not that I ever met, Aunt Judy.

  KAYLA: You know what, Tessa? There probably are gay people in Corbin but most likely they’re in the closet. Which is a term // that’s used to describe—

  TESSA: I know. I know what it is.

&
nbsp; KAYLA: Yeah. Okay. So . . . Well, particularly in small towns it can be difficult if you—I mean, you probably know much more about this than I do, it can be difficult if you don’t fit in.

  LAURIE: Yeah, you must have felt that way in Corbin.

  TESSA: I’m not gay.

  LAURIE: Oh, no.

  KAYLA: No, no, that’s not what she meant.

  TESSA: I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Can we talk about something else?

  ELLEN (Simple): We’re fine, honey, I think they were saying that because you’re black and Corbin is mostly white, you probably know what it feels like to be different.

  KAYLA: Okay, okay, Ellen.

  ELLEN: It’s okay, Kayla. It’s not a secret.

  TESSA: But . . . I’m mixed.

  ELLEN: I’m sorry, honey, what?

  TESSA: I’m not different. My mother is white. I’m mixed.

  ELLEN: Right, right, right. Yes. That’s true.

  DANNY: Hey, what happened to that drawing // you were going to show me? What’s up with that? You holding out on me?

  KAYLA: Hey, that’s right.

  LAURIE: Oh yeah.

  TESSA: Oh. Oh yeah. My Celtic // knots.

  DANNY: Aye, the knots!

  TESSA: Aunt Judy, where’s my backpack?

  JUDY (Looking around): Oh . . .

  KAYLA: Oh. It’s over there.

  TESSA: Oh, thanks.

  (Tessa retrieves the backpack and fishes out a folder with an elaborate Celtic knot design drawn on the back.)

  DANNY: So this was for what class again?

  TESSA: Creative Arts.

  (She displays her drawing. All “ooh” and “aah” and compliment her.)

  They were hard to learn, but now I can’t stop drawing them.

  ELLEN: Can I see?

  (Tessa hands the folder to Ellen.)

  KAYLA: What other classes are you taking?

  TESSA: Um . . . Latin . . .

  DANNY: Es-yay. Atin-Lay. Oh, you mean beginning Latin. Not the advanced Pig Latin.

  KAYLA: Quiet, you. Okay, Art, Latin, what else?

  ELLEN (Reading the title on the other side of the folder): “Government and Politics.”

  TESSA (With chagrin): Oh yeah.

  ELLEN (Regarding the contents of the folder): Can I look?

  TESSA: Sure.

  KAYLA: You don’t like that class?

  TESSA: No, it’s . . .

  KAYLA: What?

  TESSA: Nothing. (They wait for her to say more) I don’t have the right opinions.

  ELLEN (Apalled): Who says that??

  TESSA (Shrugging): The other kids.