OUR TOWN

ACT I

PAGE 12

LADY

SO I THOUGHT

ST. MANAGER

(XING C) THANK YOU, MR. WEBB.

(MR. WEBB NODS, AND EXITS THROUGH TRELLIS L.)

NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO THE TOWN. IT'S TWO O'CLOCK. ALL TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND FORTY-TWO HAVE HAD THEIR LUNCHES AND ALL THE DISHES HAVE BEEN WASHED.

(MR. WEBB, HAVING REMOVED HIS COAT, STARTS PUSHING HIS LAWNMOWER TO APPROPRIATE SOUNDS, FROM DOWN L. OF ABOVE HIS HOUSE TO L OF C. TURNING HE RETRACES HIS STEPS AND MAKES ANOTHER TRIP TO L OF C.)

7

THE CHILDREN HAVE GONE BACK TO SCHOOL - THERE'S A BUZZIN' ABD A HUMMIN' FROM THE CHOO'L BUILDINGS. ONLY A FEW BUGGIES ON MAIN STREET, HORSES DOZIN' AT THE HITCHIN' POSTS. THERE'S AN EARLY AFTERNOON CALM ABOUT THE TOWN YOU ALL REMEMBER WHAT IT'S LIKE. (XING DOWN R.) DOC GIBBS IS IN HIS OFFICE, TAPPIN' PEOPLE AND MAKIN' THEM SAY "AH". MR. WEBB'S CUTTIN' HIS LAWN OVER THERE, - ONE MAN IN TEN THINKS IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO PUSH HIS OWN LAWN-MOWER. no air, it's later than I thought. Here are the children coming home from school.

(LIGHTS ARE NOW AT HIGH NOON)

(CHICKEN SOUNDS ARE AGAIN HEARD FOR A MOMENT, THEN FROM DOWN LEFT L. A GAY BABBLE OF YOUR VOICES.)

(MR. WEBB KNEELS L.OF C. TO PICK GRASS FROM EDGE OF WALK.)

EMILY

(STARTS UP FROM DOWN L. WALKING SEDATELY ALONG MAIN STREET. AS SHE REACHES THE CORNER, SHE SPEAKS OFF R.)

I CAN'T LOIS. I'VE GOT TO GO HOME AND HELP MOTHER. I PROMISED (STARTS TO CENTER)

MR. WEBB

EMILY, WALK SIMPLY. WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TODAY?

EMILY

(XING SLOWLY UP C THEN TO HIM) OH, PAPA, YOU'RE TERRIBLE. ONE MINUTE YOU TELL ME TO STAND UP STRAIGHT AND THE NEXT MINUTE YOU CALL ME NAMES. I JUST DON'T LISTEN TO YOU. (GIVES HIM AN ABRUPT KISS ON THE BACK OF THE NECK, THEN STROLLS TO TRELLIS DOWN L.)

GEORGE

(STARTING DOWN L ON "YOU'RE TERRIBLE" THROWING A BALL HIGH IN THE AIR AND RUNNING FORWARD TO CATCH IT. BUMPS INTO SOMEONE. FACING UP) EXCUSE ME, MRS. FORREST.

ST. MGR

(DOWN R. IMITATING MRS. FORREST) YOU GO OUT AND PLAY IN THE FIELDS YOUNG MAN. YOU GOT NO BUSINESS PLAYIN' BASEBALL ON MAIN STREET.

GEORGE

(STILL FACING UP) AWFULLY SORRY, MRS. FORREST. (STAGE MANAGER SMILES AT AUDIENCE AND DRIFTS OFF R.) (GEBRGE TURNS SHYLY PEERING AROUND THE WEBB HOUSE TO SEE IF EMILY IS THERE) HELLO, EMILY.

EMILY

(SHYLY) H'LO.

GEORGE

(EDGING DOWN, SOCKING MITT WITH BALL) YOU MADE A FINE SPEECH IN CLASS.

EMILY

ABOUT THE

(FACING OUT) WELL - I WAS REALLY READY TO MAKE A SPEECH ABOUT THE MONROE DOCTRINE, BUT AT THE LAST MINUTE MISS CORCORAN MADE ME TALK ABOUT THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE INSTEAD. I WARKED AN AWFUL LONG TIME ON BOTH OF THEM.