Drinks Before Dinner (8 page)

(
ALAN
rises from his chair, arranges his tie, his vest, buttons his jacket, shoots his cuffs. Recovers his eyeglasses from the coffee table
)

ALAN
You led me to believe I was at the point of death. What do you think you accomplished?

EDGAR
Nothing. I accomplished nothing. You were already dead. I was looking into the eyes of a ghost born of ghosts. I heard it speaking the words of life. Maybe that’s something. At least I know who I am.

ALAN
I could have told you who you are. I’ve known from the beginning who you are. You’re one of the
beneficiaries of a society that has provided more to its own than any other in the history of civilization. You’re one of those useless beneficiaries who is given everything but respects nothing—one of those hypocrites of privilege who condemns everything but relinquishes nothing. You are a whining, pulullating psychopath. You are one of the wretches of ingratitude who has risen to the top as scum rises to the top. You are scum. You’re a hero of the precious sensibility whose genius is to say in a thousand clever ways how humanity disappoints you, but who if left to yourself would not survive a day. You wouldn’t be able to feed yourself or clothe yourself or keep yourself warm. You wouldn’t even know how to wipe your ass. You are one of those traitorous malcontents, one of those spiritual vandals who would like to be a revolutionary but hasn’t the balls of a flea.

(
He takes the gun from
EDGAR
’s
hand
)

EDGAR
God bless our class.

ALAN
It will give me great pleasure to decide what you deserve for this little entertainment. Yes, I will think of something. It will have all the trappings of justice that we’ve come to expect. But it will be well conceived, I can assure you. (
He walks to the doorway, stands and looks at them all
) I’ll know I can reach you through your friends here. I hold you all responsible! To think the work I do protects and preserves your treacherous souls. (
To the
MAID
) May I have my coat, please?

(
ALAN
exits, followed by the
MAID
.
There is a long silence
.
The
MAID
returns
,
CLAUDETTE
goes to her, comforts her
)

CLAUDETTE
(
Looking toward the door
) Very well. (
Looking around the room
) Very well! First these children must go to bed. (
To the children
) Say good night to everyone. Go on.

(
The children proceed to be kissed and hugged by everyone. This is done solemnly or fervently but in silence
.
JOAN
weeps. The children linger for an extra moment beside
EDGAR
.
Then they are hugged tightly by
CLAUDETTE
and exit with
JOEL
and the
MAID
)

EDGAR.
So. It’s turned out to be not a bad evening, after all.

JOAN
Even memorable.

CLAUDETTE
And now we’ll go in to dinner.

Curtain

TO SAM COHN

Acknowledgments

For the original production of
Drinks Before Dinner
I was fortunate to have the association of Mike Nichols, director, who agitated consistently for a clarity of language and event, and in numerous ways contributed to my understanding of the play; Christopher Plummer, who brought his prodigious skills to the role of Edgar, and afforded me many crucial insights from the performer’s point of view; and Joe Papp, producer, who created an environment conducive to experimentation, and provided both support and criticism in generous amounts. To them and to all the members of the cast and crew, I am deeply indebted.

BOOKS BY E. L. DOCTOROW

NOVELS

Welcome to Hard Times

Big As Life

The Book of Daniel

Ragtime

PLAY

Drinks Before Dinner

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

E. L. D
OCTOROW
was born in New York and educated at Kenyon College and Columbia University. His novels include
Welcome to Hard Times; The Book of Daniel
, a National Book Award nominee; and
Ragtime
, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.
Drinks Before Dinner
was first performed at the New York Shakespeare Festival’s Public Theater in the fall of 1978.

F
ROM
E. L. D
OCTOROW