E. J. C. Calvert ejcalvert@gmail.com (314) 306 1335 ST. LOUIS THREW A PARTY AND THE WHOLE WORLD CAME
EXCERPT FROM PART 1: SCENE 1. And to commemorate this occasion: Elsa, go get it. ( scampers offstage) FREDERICK You didn t need to - what is it? You ll see, you ll see. Thank you, darling. Frederick, may I present: ( hands her refreshed drink.) ( returns, carrying a large portrait that is covered by a sheet). (CONT D) (. whips off the sheet, revealing a portrait of Frederick.) Frederick! It s you! FREDERICK Oh, Father, it s wow, I it s too much. And we ll hang it in the office! Right above the desk that will be yours one day. What, so he can watch over himself? Quiet, Charles. Thank you, Father.. FREDERICK (1)
Well? Come on! Where are you going?.. Why wait? We ll hang it now! (They all happily tramp upstairs to the office, laughing and cheering, generally celebrating FREDERICK.) ( finishes her drink.) Should we go back home? Billy, you are home. You know what I mean. You must be tired. I m not. You re calling it off. What? I m not an idiot. Billy, you are. I m not good enough. You re good. Billy, you re good. You mean it? (2)
I am disappointed. Let s go home, I ll make it up to you No, Billy, we re here, we re not running to my apartment - What, you want to stand around here toasting my brother We re not running. I need you to be yourself. What does that mean? You re acting like the baby and I know you re the oldest, I ve seen your birth certificate! What? How can Frederick deserve what s rightfully yours?! I I don t know. Think! He wanted it. You want it. Well, I know That s why I love you. (3)
That s not why, It s part of why. It s part of who you are. No. No. It s okay. What? LILLAN Fred has always been with my father, down in the brewery, ever since he was a kid. No one else ever went down there. It smells terrible, and it s hot and boring. So you re saying your father is right. No. Thank you. Fred s barely an adult. Right. I m the first born. It doesn t matter how much Fred loves the brewery. It s just beer! Everyone loves beer! Everyone buys beer. Everyone buys your father s beer. It doesn t take a great love of brewing underneath that label. Everything is already in place. But Frederick has ideas, he ll probably try to (4)
And fail. Well. I think he maybe deserves to have his try. Why? He s I don t know. He s my brother. Right. Well. He s your brother. Yeah. So. Okay. Congratulations, Frederick. Enjoy everything. You can just have it all. It s not like I m no one. Oh, please I m interested in other things! I thought you were interested in me! I am. Right? Of course. (5)
I know. Okay. You know I love you, Billy. I know what you are. I know who you can be. You just have to live up to it. And you can. Don t doubt yourself. ( nods and kisses her.) (From offstage: shouts! yells! The rest of the family calling to Fred. drops her glass.) (. enters, carrying FREDERICK s body. He puts him on the dining room table. The rest of the family follows them in.) What what ( grabs his arm. WILLIAM SR. is slapping FREDERICK's face.) Pour water on his face! Freddy. Freddy! Edwin, get a doctor. I don t know if I SAID GET A DOCTOR! ( turns to run offstage but stops him) What happened? Freddy was putting up the portrait. Right, and? I don t know. I don t know. He fell back. (6)
I tried to catch him but I couldn t Stop hitting him. Get some water Stop. He s not unconscious. Look at him. Just get He s dead. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! Father. That s not possible. Healthy young boys don t keel over dead. Look at him. ( stops and looks down at FREDERICK. Silence. He fixes FREDERICK s hair.) What now? (Pause. exits. The kids stand around looking at FREDERICK. goes to follow her father offstage.) Where are you going? I m going with Papa. (7)
Not right now. What if he needs me? I think he needs to be alone. What do we what do we Why d he have to put him on the table. That s your worry? There s a dead man lying where I eat. Your brother! (to Billy) Why did you bring her here. We re getting married, for God s sake! And I d accept some congratulations from you people! Congratu Quiet, Elsa. I m going to be part of your family. Billy, take her home. I will not be taken anywhere. I ll get your coat. (8)
Billy, no. What should I do. I want to do something. I should get the doctor, shouldn t I? There s nothing to be done. But I want to help. Then take Elsa up to her room and make sure she goes to bed, okay? I don t wanna go to bed. It s okay, I ll sit with you. But I m not tired. Come on. Thanks, Edwin. ( nods and takes upstairs.) (Silence) (CONT D) Is there something you want? Let s just go, Billy. What are you going to do? I think I ll have another drink. (9)
But you can t just leave him there. I know. I ll figure something out. Call a doctor, just to ask, he ll know what to do now. ( nods.) I m sorry, Charles. I m sorry I m here. I ll get my coat. ( exits) Charles. What happened? He was on the ladder. Holding the portrait up against the wall. Then he was dead standing, portrait hit the floor, he fell backwards, dead in the air, dead on the ground. He just died. But why? Don t be an idiot, Billy. There s no why. And sorry. Bring her by another time. I don t know if she ll want to come. She will. (Silence) Are you sure you don t need any help? It s fine. ( returns, wearing her lavender coat.) (10)
Billy? (to Charles) If you want me to stay Take her home. ( leads offstage.) Goodbye, Charles. ( lifts a hand.) (The door closes. Silence. approaches the body. He finishes his drink. He puts the glass down on the table. He puts his gloves on. He closes FREDERICK s eyes.) Don t look so bad. (11)