Party

by Mary Alice Mark

copyright © Mary Alice Mark

DEE: CHARLOTTE’s best friend. DEE has AIDS.

CHARLOTTE: The hostess, dressed as a detective.

ADAM: CHARLOTTE's boyfriend, dressed as a detective.

VAL: Dressed as a clarinet.

BRANT: Dressed as a clown.

KATHY: Wearing an ugly mask.

DEE: Modern dress.

SAM: Modern dress.

WALLY: Dressed as a clown.

EVA: Dressed as a burglar.

MARIA: Dressed as a flapper.

TED: Wearing an ugly mask.

GUS: Dressed as a burglar.

RICK: Dressed as a boxer.

SETTING: DEE's home. The entrance area. One exit leads to the patio where the party is going on. The other exit leads to the front door of the house. SOUND:: MUSIC..

AT RISE:: CHARLOTTE paces in the entrance area, alone. ADAM enters from the party.

ADAM: What are you doing in here?

ADAM: Flop?

CHARLOTTE: Flop. Adam, there are only five people in there.

ADAM: Well, they're having a good time, and the others will be along soon.

ADAM: Were? Where is she?

CHARLOTTE: Oh, she isn't going to come.

ADAM: Why not?

CHARLOTTE: She- -can't.

ADAM: Why not?

CHARLOTTE: You know! . . . She's got-!

CHARLOTTE: -something else to do tonight-.

ADAM: -Oh-.

CHARLOTTE: (Muttering, ADAM doesn't hear.) -and besides, I didn't have a chance to ask her

(CHARLOTTE exits to answer the door.)

VAL: Is there another bathroom? Do you know?

ADAM: Is someone using, I mean, there's one just the other side of the patio?

VAL: Yeah, I know-.

VAL: -but-.

ADAM: Dee's used them all!

VAL: Oh. Well-.

TED: Where is, Dee?

VAL: I guess I should just go home.

CHARLOTTE: She hasn't used the one in my parent's room.

ADAM: She's not here.

CHARLOTTE: Show her where it is, Adam.

ADAM: Sure. This way.

TED: You can't get AIDS like that.

CHARLOTTE: I don't care to discuss it.

TED: No, really, there are only a few ways you can get it-.

CHARLOTTE: -I don't care to discuss it.

TED: Okay. Where's Dee?

CHARLOTTE: I don't know. I guess she had something else to do.

TED: Oh. That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing her-.

CHARLOTTE: Well, she lives right across the street.

TED: Oh, really?

CHARLOTTE: Don't you remember? That odd kind-of-a pumpkin-colored house.

TED: No? Right across the street?

CHARLOTTE: Yeah. You can see it from here.

TED: You're right, it certainly is an odd-kind-of color. . . . Too bad she's not coming.

(SOUND: A knock at the door.)

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, yeah.

TED: Well, should I go back?

CHARLOTTE: Yeah, yeah.

(SOUND: A knock at the door.)

TED: Out on the patio?

CHARLOTTE: Yeah sure.

(TED moves toward the party, CHARLOTTE toward the door.

CHARLOTTE: You were really looking forward to seeing her.

TED: (Adjusting his mask, mimics CHARLOTTE.) She lives right across the street . Go ahead,

Charlotte, try to pull my mask off! Kid yourself. Believe I can't see right through yours!

Ha! You don't know what Dee's doing tonight. She's not here, because you didn't invite

her. You didn't invite her, because you don't want to be around her. And you’re blaming

me, and I guess all of the other guests, because your best friend isn't at your party. Go ahead, Charlotte. Try to pull my mask off. You're safe. I don't want to see what's

under yours. I happen to know, "Best Friend," you haven't walked across that street

either.

(TED exits to the party. CHARLOTTE and EVA enter from

the door.)

EVA: So, she said it would be all right, as long as I didn't eat anything-

CHARLOTTE: -Your Mother said this!?

EVA: No, my aunt, Jane, she knows all about this stuff. So, I had to promise I wouldn't eat

before they would let me come and that's why I'm so late.

CHARLOTTE: Oh, well, I'm glad you're here.

EVA: Me too, Is Chris here, yet? (Eva exits to party.)

CHARLOTTE: Yeah.

enter from the door.)

WALLY: Hope you don't mind us letting ourselves in?

CHARLOTTE: No. Not at all.

BRANT: We could hear the music out there.

CHARLOTTE: Oh?

WALLY: Not quite loud enough.

BRANT: We aren't together.

CHARLOTTE: No?

WALLY: We aren't dating, or anything.

CHARLOTTE: No?

BRANT: We just got here at the same time.

CHARLOTTE: Oh.

WALLY: Say, Dee isn't going to be here, is she?

CHARLOTTE: No. She isn't.

BRANT: That's good.

WALLY: It gives me the creeps, you know.

CHARLOTTE: I know.

BRANT: Yeah, like, I don't know what to say to her.

CHARLOTTE: I know.

BRANT: It makes me uncomfortable.

CHARLOTTE: I know.

WALLY: I don't like being around that kind of people.

CHARLOTTE: What kind is that?

WALLY: Uh- -the kind that makes me uncomfortable.

CHARLOTTE: Oh.

BRANT: How'd she get it, anyway.

CHARLOTTE: I don't know.

WALLY: But, you're her best friend!

CHARLOTTE: Yeah.

BRANT: Yeah, if we can't get a few facts from you-

CHARLOTTE: -I don't know the facts.

BRANT: Well, somehow I can't imagine Dee injecting-

CHARLOTTE: -Anything! Ever!

WALLY: No, She's not the type.

CHARLOTTE: What type is that?

WALLY: The type that makes me uncomfortable.

BRANT: Hey! didn't we come here to party!?

WALLY: Yeah.

CHARLOTTE: Okay, then, lets.

BRANT: After you.

VAL: I couldn't do it. I could no more use that room than an ice cold out house. I stood there

staring at the plumbing. I could see millions and billions of germs, bacteria, organisms,

The walls, the sink, even the bathtub seemed to be moving under a layer of sub-

microscopic-infective agents. What is, or are, AIDS, anyway . . ? What could I do? I

rushed back through the parent's bedroom and out into the hall. And there was Mr.

Morgan. "Val," he said to me, "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

since Charlotte's very best friend was diagnosed as having AIDS. I didn't offer him my

hand. Even with the glove, it just seemed so-. . . . - I have to pee so bad I could burst,

and there I am exchanging banalities with a fartly fifty-year-old who doesn't know that

his best move is out of this house forever, for his family's sake.

away. I wonder what he thinks I meant by that?

MARIA: Are you going to help me get this ice, or not?

MARIA: What the-!? (MARIA crosses to check the door, comes back laughing. Calls off.)

Kathy!

ADAM: What is it? What's all the noise? What's wrong?

MARIA: You're not Kathy.

ADAM: That's true.

MARIA: Val just slammed the door on her thumb rest.

ADAM: Thumb rest?

MARIA: What a party. I shouldn't laugh, really, but it's so silly.

ADAM: What's a thumb rest?

MARIA: That little part of the clarinet which rests upon the player's thumb.

ADAM: You mean that shoe horn she had sewn to her rear end? You're right, we shouldn't

laugh.

KATHY: (Entering, from the party.) Where's the ice?

ADAM: Well, since your helper has arrived and I am a devout feminist, Ladies, bring on the ice.

(Exit ADAM, to the party .)

KATHY: Hurmph!

MARIA: So, you were saying, Sam must have it too?

KATHY: Well, yeah.

GUS: Of course.

MARIA: What makes you think so?

KATHY: Well, so far, everyone who has tested positive for AIDS has also tested positive for-

-(KATHY mumbles.) -And everyone knows how you get that.

MARIA: Oh. I see.

GUS: Uh-?

KATHY: Yeah. And it can be cured with this one natural kind of penicillin, like they still use in

Europe.

MARIA: They!? What are you talking about? Where do you get this stuff?

KATHY: It's a tertiary- -(KATHY mumbles.)- -infection. That's not hard to believe, is it?

MARIA: No, but it's not true either.

GUS: Uh-?

KATHY: Here they use some synthetic junk that's more expensive and less effective than natural

penicillin.

MARIA: "They!" Right, now I've heard everything. I'm going to get the ice. What will "they"

do while I'm gone?

KATHY: You think I'm lying to you?

MARIA: No. "They" are.

KATHY: The kitchen is this way.

MARIA: Really, where do you get your information?

GUS: Um-?

KATHY: My cousin's friends told me. They're studying lots of stuff-.

MARIA and KATHY: -They know!

MARIA: Some of what you say sounds possible, and what's truly frightening, that almost sells

your entire story. Have you sent it to the Inquirer? Or did you put this together at the

grocery store from articles in competing journals?

KATHY: Maria, come on, I'm not like that!

MARIA: (As she exits.) Extra! Extra! Unborn, unconcieved child, gives birth to eighty

elephants! Read all about it!

KATHY: Some party.

GUS: Yeah.

KATHY: If we leave, she'll be upset.

GUS: Maria?

KATHY: No, Charlotte. She's been working since spring break so she could throw this party.

Then this. All that food.

GUS: No one will eat.

KATHY: That beautiful pool.

GUS: No one will swim.

KATHY: She must have a million "c" "ds."

GUS: Nobody feels like dancing.

KATHY: All because her best friend had to go and get AIDS.

MARIA: How unspeakably rude. (MARIA hands the ice buckets to Kathy.) I'll get more.

KATHY: What are you so angry about?

MARIA: Everything.

KATHY: So, where might we lowlings acquire superior information such as you evidently

possess?

MARIA: Oh, for crying out loud, call the AIDS Crises Service- -(Insert local number.)- -Or, for

information in Spanish- (Insert local number, in Spanish.)

KATHY: And where did you come up with those numbers?

MARIA: I looked them up in the phone book.

GUS: But, you could talk to your doctor.

MARIA: Or, ask questions at a public health center. Anything is better than this walking

ignorance.

KATHY: Why do you want to know all this stuff? It's a disgusting, frightening, terrible disease!

When you called that number, didn't they think-? - Maria! You don't have it, do you?

MARIA: No. But I live in a world where other people do.

GUS: I know I'm not the smartest guy in the world, but are some things ya' just gotta' know, ya'

know?

MARIA: Amazing, isn't it!

SAM: Is Charlotte here?

GUS: Of course, this is her house.

SAM: May I see her?

GUS: Sure. . . . Oh, she's out on the patio somewhere.

SAM: I need to see her alo- -out here.

GUS: Oh.

SAM: Could you find her for me?

GUS: Oh. Sure.

MARIA: Hello, Sam.

SAM: Hi.

GUS: (Entering.) Sorry, Sam, I can't find her.

MARIA: Charlotte? I'll find her. (Exit MARIA, to party.)

GUS: So, what's new?

SAM: Not much.

GUS: Nice party. Where's your- -um- -are you-?I'll go help Maria!

SAM: Good idea.

CHARLOTTE: (Entering.) Hi, Sam, good of you to come. We're all out-

SAM: -Charlotte!

CHARLOTTE: -Why aren't you wearing your costume?

(Enter RICK.)

SAM: (Letting his costume fall.) This?

CHARLOTTE: It's nice. Colorful! What is it?

SAM: Raggedy Andy.

CHARLOTTE: How creative.

SAM: Yeah. It took me two months to convince her that we could still see each other, and then

two weeks to talk her into coming to this party. We made these costumes by hand. Side-

by-side, sitting under that enormous grape arbor in her backyard. But, as it turns out,

Raggedy Ann wasn't even invited.

CHARLOTTE: Uh, well-

SAM: -You haven't seen her since she's been home.

CHARLOTTE: Sam, I've been-

SAM: -So busy working on your party, you can't even talk when she calls!

CHARLOTTE: Well, but-

SAM: -Why, Charlotte!?

RICK: Sam, my friend! There's something I have to tell you!

SAM: Well? Here I am.

RICK: So I see, and it's good that we're alone-

CHARLOTTE: -I beg your pardon!

RICK: You see, Sam, women can't get AIDS.

CHARLOTTE: What do you mean?

SAM: Are you saying Dee made this up?

RICK: Obviously.

CHARLOTTE: Why?

SAM: For what reason?

RICK: I don't know! Maybe she doesn't want to date you any more.

CHARLOTTE: Oh! Go on!! Get out! Get away from me!

RICK: Sure, okay. I just thought you should know.

CHARLOTTE: Sam!

ADAM: (Softly, as he enters from the party.) Charlotte. (ADAM follows CHARLOTTE, off.)

CHARLOTTE: Sam!

CHARLOTTE: (Shouting, off.) Sam! . Oh to hell with you! You never mattered to me anyway!

ADAM: Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE: (To herself, as she enters.) Raggedy Ann was never invited.

ADAM: Okay, you didn't invite her, now what?

CHARLOTTE: Oh, Adam! She's my very best friend! We did pre-crawling, crawling, mud cakes

and tadpoles together. We taught each other to walk and talk, and to read, really.

have to stay here-. -Without her.

ADAM: So, you're angry.

CHARLOTTE: I'm very angry.

ADAM: At, Dee?

CHARLOTTE: Yes.

ADAM: And everyone else?

CHARLOTTE: I worked so hard for this party.

ADAM: Uh huh.

CHARLOTTE: These people went to the mass-produced mask department at the five-and-ten.

ADAM: The clarinet was good.

CHARLOTTE: Oh, that was, Val. She just waned to cover her whole body so she wouldn't have

to touch anything. Dee's been here you know.

ADAM: -were not really invited to your party.

CHARLOTTE: Right.

ADAM: But, why, Charlotte?

CHARLOTTE: If I invited Dee, nobody else would have come.

ADAM: So?

CHARLOTTE: So, my house is full of people discussing my best friend's incurable illness as

though it were a bad movie on television.

ADAM: We've certainly heard all of the popular rumors.

CHARLOTTE: And, Adam, I don't even like them!

ADAM: The rumors?

CHARLOTTE: The people!

ADAM: Charlotte, these are our friends.

CHARLOTTE: They're supposed to be Dee's friends too, but nobody wanted her here-

ADAM: -Did you?

CHARLOTTE: And nobody's gone across the street to see her!

ADAM: Have you?

CHARLOTTE: No.

ADAM: Because you're angry?

(SOUND: Knock at the door.)

CHARLOTTE: And I feel so guilty-.

(DEE enters, carrying her costume on a hanger.)

CHARLOTTE: Oh, my God!

DEE: No, no, it's just me.

ADAM: Dee, it's good to see you! How are you feeling?

DEE: Fine. Depressed. Abandoned. Okay. Thank you.

CHARLOTTE: Hi.

DEE: Hi.

CHARLOTTE: Mad at me?

DEE: Yeah. You?

ADAM: Well, that's my cue. Look, if I don't get to talk to you, can I stop by your place, maybe,

like, tomorrow?

DEE: Sure.

(ADAM goes off to the party.)

DEE: Will you come with him?

CHARLOTTE: Well, um-

DEE: -Or, are you too busy?

CHARLOTTE: Dee!

DEE: Charlotte! We've always done things together!

CHARLOTTE: (Under.) Why are you doing this to me?

BRANT: (Voice off.) Hostess! Where's the hostess?

CHARLOTTE: You're so much a part of my life! But, you're leaving!

DEE: Charlotte, I'm not leaving, I'm dying.

WALLY: (Over DEE's "dying.") Where's, Charlotte?

CHARLOTTE: (Under.) No, you're not. You can't be.

KATHY: (Voice off.) Charlotte, come on!

CHARLOTTE: Sorry, they're so noisy. I-uh-asked a few people over.

DEE: Yeah. I know.

CHARLOTTE: I guess I better-

DEE: -Any good costumes?

CHARLOTTE: Val came as a clarinet.

DEE: How original!

GUS: (Voice off.) Is Charlotte going to bring more soft drinks?

DEE: Well- -oh, I brought this back!

(DEE hands CHARLOTTE the hanger.)

DEE: Remember, you lent it to me for that last dance, last spring.

CHARLOTTE: Oh.

DEE: It seems so long ago.

CHARLOTTE: You looked so beautiful. I've got the photos.

DEE: Well-. (DEE tries to hand CHARLOTTE the dress.)

CHARLOTTE: -Uh- -well, gee- -Why don't you keep it?

WALLY: (Entering.) Charlotte, we ran out of- -Dee! Is that you?

DEE: Hi, Wally, what's up?

WALLY: Oh, gee, I, uh-

CHARLOTTE: -I'd best get back to the party.

(KATHY enters.)

DEE: Yeah, the party.

KATHY: They're throwing ice cream in there- -Oh! Dee's here!

DEE: Why are you doing this to me?

BRANT: (Voice off.) Hostess! Where's the hostess?

WALLY: Charlotte, are you coming?

CHARLOTTE: You're so much a part of my life, but you're leaving.

DEE: Charlotte, I'm not leaving, I'm dying.

KATHY: (Voice over, DEE's, "dying.") She's out here, with Dee.

CHARLOTTE: (Under.) No you're not. I won't let you.

DEE: Do you think, if you ignore me it'll go away, Charlotte?

WALLY: We're out of soft drinks.

CHARLOTTE: I'll be with you in a minute. I can't talk about this now.

DEE: Okay. When then?

GUS: (Entering.) Charlotte, Rick wants to dance with- -Oh!

CHARLOTTE: Dee, we're trying to have a party here.

GUS: (To DEE.) You don't look bad.

DEE: Are you coming over with Adam tomorrow?

WALLY: Charlotte, everybody's waiting for you.

CHARLOTTE: Yes.

KATHY: How did you get it anyway?

CHARLOTTE: No!

GUS: How did you get it?

WALLY: Charlotte-

CHARLOTTE: I don't know.

BRANT: How does it feel?

WALLY: Charlotte, come on!

KATHY: AIDS.

CHARLOTTE: Kathy!

BRANT: Does it hurt?

GUS: Can your family get it from you?

BRANT: Can we get it from you?

DEE: Well-

WALLY: -It's disgusting! Shut up about it!

DEE: Sure, Wally, since you can't cure it, ignore it!

CHARLOTTE: Dee!

DEE: Charlotte, answer your friends.

CHARLOTTE: I don't know anything about it.

KATHY: Dee, can we get it from you?

DEE: They want to know.

WALLY: Charlotte!

GUS: Come on, Dee, tell us, can we get it-?

DEE: -Not from anything I would do with-

CHARLOTTE: -Dee, come on, you know what this means to me!

DEE: So much, that you couldn't invite me. This party? To ignorance!

KATHY: What!?

WALLY: What are you talking about?

CHARLOTTE: Dee, I've been working on this for months-

DEE: Enjoy your party, Charlotte. Am I stopping you? You worked on this for months, great!

I worked for weeks on my costume. Of course you haven't seen it. It matches Sam's.

He's so cute. . ! We worked together. Making those tiny baby stitches, you know, the

ones your Grandma taught us, oh, a lifetime ago.

We sat under the grape arbor. And sometimes we could hear my parents. They're

in mourning, you know. Sometimes, they mourn my virginity. Sometimes, my complete

moral collapse. If I weren't a whore, or a drug addict, this wouldn't be happening. Or,

maybe it's something awful they think they did. Other times, the worst times, they're mourning their little girl. She sees through

my eyes and dresses in my clothes and laughs with my timbre. But, of course, she's

dying. She feels with my hands and breathes through my nose and when they see me

they think of her! They think I'm her.   I am her.

It's so inappropriate. It seems so rude to see their grieving. Round and round, round and

round. Denial. Anger. Guilt. You understand that, don't you, Charlotte. You say I'm leaving like I'm going to

tour the Orient and you can't quite hear me correct you.

Damn it, Charlotte, I'm dying! With or without your knowledge and consent.

I feel as much disbelief, as much anger and as much guilt as you. I am sorry it's so

awfully inconvenient! But! Maybe, I can help you. Maybe I can help you mourn me. I know I need you

to help you, Charlotte, to help me mourn myself.  I'm very tired. I'm going home now. 

Enjoy your party, Charlotte. But, tomorrow, or the next day, or some other time soon, find out about AIDS.

And, when you're sure, come visit me. I live in that odd sort-of-a pumpkin-colored

house, just there, across the street.

END OF PLAY