Cast of Characters

JEN: Woman in her 30s-40s

NATALIE: Woman in her 30s-40s

TARA: Woman in her 30s-40s.

 

SETTING: Suburban U.S. backyard, late June 2020, shown by socially-distanced patio furniture. On the table, there’s an open bottle of wine and a copy of Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens.

 

AT RISE: Lights up to reveal JEN, NATALIE, and TARA sitting in patio chairs.  Purses and face masks are near each chair. Each woman has a glass of wine in her hand.

 

JEN: Thanks for coming over, you guys!

NATALIE: Thank you for hosting! At least this way we can still have book club.

TARA: I have to say, I miss restaurants. I love your yard, Jen, it’s beautiful, but I do miss restaurants.

JEN: Me too. I miss the desserts.

NATALIE: I miss the wine flights.

TARA: I miss the flirty waiters.

(The women are silent for a beat.)

TARA: Maybe next month we could meet at a restaurant again? I mean, they’re open now, so… 

NATALIE: I don’t know. I don’t think I’m ready to eat at a restaurant yet.

JEN: We’ll have to see…

TARA: Oh, OK. Whatever makes you comfortable.

NATALIE: Is this all of us?

JEN: Yeah, I forgot to tell you… Nicole’s in quarantine. Poor thing, Carlos was exposed at work so the whole family can’t go anywhere for two weeks…I think they’re on like day five right now, no symptoms so far, so that’s good.

NATALIE: Poor Nicole!

TARA: That’s awful, having to quarantine when you feel fine…

JEN: And Michelle is visiting her family in Florida.

NATALIE: Florida? Yikes, I hope she’s careful.

TARA: Why should she be careful?

NATALIE: I mean, Covid cases are surging there. I kind of can’t believe she’d go.

TARA: Oh…I understand, though. Seeing family is important. I really think, the more I hear about Covid, the more it really seems just like a bad flu…

NATALIE: Hmm. 

JEN: (picking up the book on the table) So. We finally got around to the Crawdad book everyone’s been talking about. What did you think of it?

(Everyone’s quiet for a beat. NATALIE is trying to move her patio chair a bit farther away from TARA without being too obvious about it.)

JEN: I liked it, for the most part. Kya’s an interesting character.

TARA: I liked the twist at the end! I really didn’t see that coming.

NATALIE: Huh. I wasn’t exactly sure about that…it didn’t seem believable to me. And if Kya’s that beautiful, I don’t believe those asshole men in town leave her alone. Plus, I think the way this white author wrote the black characters was a bit— 

TARA: (to NATALIE) You think every book is racist. Or sexist.

NATALIE: (laughingly) What?

TARA: (annoyed) I said, you think every book we read is racist or sexist.  It’s like the first thing you mention, every time.

NATALIE: I… I don’t think that’s true…

TARA: You thought To Kill A Mockingbird was racist!

NATALIE: Well, I kind of think it is...

TARA: It’s a classic! Who doesn’t love Atticus? 

NATALIE: I… do we have to rehash this? I think Atticus was just doing his job. He cared about manners, not morals. Books can be classic and worthwhile and still be problematic.

(TARA gives a frustrated sigh)

JEN: Hey guys, let’s get back to— 

TARA: (to NATALIE) The only book you liked this year was the one where women get electricity in their hands and can electrocute men! God, I don’t know why I try to be friends with liberals.

NATALIE: What?

JEN: OK, guys…

TARA: (more subdued) Sorry. (beat) I’m really sorry. It’s been a really, really tough week for my family. My cousin was arrested Saturday.

(JEN and NATALIE don’t know what to say.)

JEN: Oh, no!

NATALIE: I’m so sorry…

JEN: What happened?

TARA: Well, he was at a rally downtown, and…I guess things got violent…and…

JEN: What rally? The Black Lives Matter march? That was Saturday, right? 

TARA: Yeah… 

JEN: That’s terrible! Did…did the police just arrest him for marching? 

TARA: Well… he wasn’t exactly supporting the Black Lives stuff. He thinks they’re wrong, actually, that’s why he was there. He was at a counter-protest, supporting the police.

JEN: Oh.

NATALIE: (somberly) I heard about that…counterprotest.  A right-wing guy was shot and killed there.

TARA: Do we have to label him “right-wing” though? Does that make it OK that he was murdered? My mom says my cousin actually knew him. He was a great guy, a true patriot.

(Again, NATALIE and JEN aren’t sure how to react to this.)

NATALIE: So, what was your cousin arrested for?

TARA: Umm, the charges are bullshit…I mean, Dan’s passionate about his beliefs, he might have gotten up in a few protesters’ faces…but he wouldn’t have actually done anything to them…

JEN: (trying to be as delicate as she can) Tara…from what I saw on the news, those counter-protesters were like, practically all neo-Nazis, Proud Boys, that type…is your cousin involved in that?

TARA: Well, he thinks all lives matter, not just black ones. Is that racist?

NATALIE: (deep breath) Well. I don’t know your cousin. (treading carefully) But from the news reports I saw, it seems like those counter-protesters went to a peaceful march to make trouble, to beat people up? 

TARA: Oh my god. You can’t trust what you see on the news! And a “peaceful march?” Please. Those leftists are rioting every night, destroying our city. 

JEN: Come on, “leftists?”

TARA: Probably antifa—

NATALIE: I’m pretty sure it was a protester, trying to be peaceful, who was truly afraid for his life. Ashley, come on… if that guy was a neo-Nazi, and was threatening people—

TARA: Does that mean it’s OK to murder him?

NATALIE: He was going up to BLM marchers and punching them in the face! He had a gun on his belt! It’s on video! He wasn’t there just to support the police, whatever that means, he was there to cause trouble! The news showed his Facebook posts. He was a neo-Nazi, he’s done this in the past. I’m not surprised he got shot, he was kind of asking for it. 

TARA: Wow.

JEN: OK…

TARA: No. You’re being really shitty about this. My cousin and his friends are allowed to believe what they want—

NATALIE: I know, but they can’t physically threaten—

TARA: You don’t know! You look down on me for not thinking like you, being conservative and supporting Trump. I hear your little comments…I thought we could—

NATALIE: I know. I know people can be complicated. But…I guess I didn’t realize…listen, we can agree to disagree about some things, but defending neo-Nazis? Really?

TARA: (beat) You know what? We’re not really friends, we never were. We don’t agree about anything, not even books. Keep crying racism as our city burns down. (Grabs her things and slams her glass down on the table. Holds her mask in her hand, not bothering to put it on.) And I have no doubt this stupid virus will go away the day after the election! 

(TARA exits stage in a huff.)

JEN: (stands up) Tara?

(Silence for a moment. Jen goes to wine bottle, refills her glass.)

JEN: Refill?

NATALIE: God, yes. That was intense. (beat) Am I a total bitch?

JEN: No. (beat) You were fair. Those “counter-protesters” were Nazis, I saw it on TV.

NATALIE: Oh, you know you can’t trust the liberal fake news!

(The women exchange a sad smile.)

JEN: I feel like I can’t…“agree to disagree” about politics anymore. I just…how can I be friends with people who think police brutality is OK, or it’s fine to put children in cages? I look at Facebook, and some of my friends are all, “Let’s flood our timelines with kitten pictures and stop talking about politics! We don’t have to all agree!” And I’m all, “No, I don’t think we can be friends if we disagree about basic morality.”

JEN: I deleted my Facebook account, Zuckerberg is a criminal.

NATALIE: That’s smart. I should delete mine too. (beat) Tara didn’t seem like a white supremacist.

JEN: She’s probably not…

NATALIE: But she doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. How’d she start meeting with us, do you remember?

JEN: She was Melissa’s neighbor.

NATALIE: Yes! That’s right! Then Melissa moved away…but Tara kept coming. I wonder why?

JEN: I don’t know, everyone needs friends, connection. And it used to be easier to talk books without getting political.

NATALIE: Ha! Not for me! But yeah, I guess you’re right.

(The two women are quiet for a moment, sipping their wine.)

JEN: Hey, do you want to bring the boys over to play next week? Evan and Josh would love to see them again.

NATALIE: That’d be great. It’s so good for them, all this isolation is so hard on the kids, on their mental health. I’m so thankful for our little bubble.

JEN: Yeah, I think all of our mental health is in trouble. I took the boys to my sister’s last weekend and let them run around with the cousins…they had so much fun! They all jumped on the trampoline, got their energy out, it did so much good for them all…

NATALIE: Oh, how’s your sister doing?

JEN: She’s fine. It was so good to see them all.

NATALIE: (jokingly, but not really) How big was that trampoline, that all those kids could social distance on it?

JEN: Well, they couldn’t really do that on the trampoline, but other than that we were really careful.

NATALIE: Hmm.

JEN: Hey, do you think schools are going to open in August?

NATALIE: I don’t see how they can, but I’m losing my mind trying to work from home with the boys there all the time.

JEN: Oh my God, me too! We’ve been doing a little homeschool pod in the neighborhood, you know, in case everything goes remote again, we can take turns having the kids at our houses. Zoom just doesn’t work for my boys. 

NATALIE: How many kids are in that pod?

JEN: Oh, just the kids in the cul-de-sac, five families…so…like eight kids? Do you want to join?

NATALIE: Um…so you’ve been seeing five families, their kids, plus your sister’s family and those kids too? Are you OK with seeing all those people?

JEN: Don’t worry, we’re being safe.

NATALIE: (Beat) But…how? (more upset/emotional than angry) You can’t tell if someone is contagious with this! It’s like an STD, like whenever you sleep with someone, you’re sleeping with all the people they’ve slept with, and on and on…

JEN: What are you talking about?

NATALIE: I thought my boys were safe over here! You know Caleb has asthma and diabetes! He can’t get Covid, it would be a disaster! Why didn’t you tell me how many people you’ve been seeing? I thought we were your bubble!

JEN: Nat, You’re acting like I’ve cheated on you or something. We’ve been safe!

NATALIE: But if you’re hanging with like six different families, how is that safe? Are you wearing masks? You can’t just throw parties and say you’re being safe! That’s not a bubble, it’s a whole crowd!

JEN: I’m not having parties…Nat, we’re only doing what we feel comfortable with. You said yourself, it’s important for our mental health!

NATALIE: But you won’t have any mental health if you’re dead!

JEN: Natalie! (beat) Look. I…I think it’s easier for you to stay locked down than it is for me. 

NATALIE: Why? We’re both stuck at home, trying to work with our kids underfoot…

JEN: But you have Brad to help share the load! And your bosses are being flexible! I don’t have that! It’s just me and the boys. And my boss wants me back in the office, starting right after Fourth of July. So what do I do? Stay safe from Covid by refusing to go to work? Lose my job and health insurance during a pandemic?  But if I go back, I need someone to take care of them, and yes, risk more exposure. Summer camps are full.  Daycare is full. So yes, I’m opening my “bubble” to some neighbors and my sister. I feel like I have no choice. What would you do, Nat? You tell me. I’m doing the best I can, but I’m drowning here!

NATALIE: (Beat) God, I’m sorry. I didn’t think about all that.

JEN: That’s OK. You’re lucky not to have to. But some of us aren’t breaking the rules for fun. Some of us have no choice. 

NATALIE: I’m so sorry.

(Silence for a beat.)

JEN: I…I either feel anxiety, or guilt…all the time. I don’t know what to do. 

NATALIE: I feel so helpless. And I’m so afraid there’s going to be another wave.

JEN: Me too. Honestly. I know the virus is real and the science is real, and I’m trying to be as careful as I can…but so many parents are screwed right now…my boss is acting like this is all over. He actually sent a memo last week telling all employees, “I trust you’ve had time to solve any childcare issues.”

NATALIE: What? 

JEN: Yeah. Like, it’s not a problem for him, his kids are grown, so he doesn’t see why it’s a problem for anyone else. 

NATALIE: I hate “the new normal.”

JEN: Whenever I hear that term, or that kids are “resilient,” or that we have to suddenly “pivot” or be “flexible,” all I can think is that’s just a fancy way to tell people to fuck off. Like, we should just accept that government won’t help and employers won’t help, and we still have to pay our bills like everything’s OK. How do we get through this with like zero societal support?

NATALIE: Yeah. I don’t know. I hate 2020. (checks her phone for the time) I’m sorry. I really am. I should probably get going. I have a super-early Zoom meeting tomorrow. (starts to gather up her things)

JEN: I’ll text you about next month’s meeting? What’s the book we chose for next time, do you remember?

NATALIE: Umm. I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to see. I totally understand your bigger bubble now. I don’t know what to do either. I think your bubble is still maybe too big for me though…I am sorry. I’ll text you.

(NATALIE exits.)

JEN: Bye. (puts her wine glass on the table, lowers her head, covers her face with her hands.) 

END OF PLAY