Revised 10/10
Representation:
Ms. Susan Schulman
The Susan Schulman Literary Agency
454 W. 44th St.
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 1 212 713 1633
Fax: 1 212 581 8830
Email: [email protected]
Excerpt from:
THE BOXER REBELLION
by
Lawrence DuKore
Contact:
Lawrence DuKore
540 W. 52nd St. / apt. 2A
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 315 0558
Email: [email protected]
THE BOXER REBELLION
Characters
Boxer Darby
18 years old, a painter from Liberty,
North Carolina, now living in Spain
William Hoffman
35 years old; an art dealer; close, longtime friend of
Boxer
Jacqueline (Jackie) Bernstein
28 years old, Boxer’s sister; married to Gary;
8 ½ months pregnant
Gary Bernstein
29 years old, real estate broker; married to Jackie
Vivian Albanese
25 years old; tennis instructor; beautiful, sexy and
gay
The entire action of the play takes place on a weekend in July.
Act One:
Scene 1: the TriBeCa apartment of Gary and Jackie Bernstein in downtown Manhattan;
Scene 2: later that evening in the Bernstein apartment.
Scene 3: is set downstage with only a light illuminating the foyer of the 5 th Avenue
apartment of William Hoffman. The time is after midnight on that same Saturday
evening.
Act Two:
Scene 1 takes place in the Bernstein loft, later that same evening, after midnight.
Scene 2 takes place in the Bernstein loft, about three o’clock later that morning.
Scene 3 takes place in the Bernstein loft, the following Tuesday afternoon.
84
(Excerpt: the last ten pages of the play)
BOXER
You’re so beautiful.
VIVIAN (teasing)
I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.
BOXER
I can’t believe …
VIVIAN
What? (pause) Say it.
BOXER
I can’t believe you wanted to spend an evening with me. And … I can’t believe you really kissed
me.
VIVIAN
I didn’t. You kissed me. (She gets up from the couch.) Time to go home! (She starts to leave.)
Good night. Thank you for a very nice evening.
BOXER
Why did you come here with me?
VIVIAN
I like you! Is that so hard to believe?
BOXER
Yes.
VIVIAN
You’re … interesting.
BOXER
A book is interesting. A painting is interesting.
VIVIAN
Your painting is very interesting.
BOXER
It’s just a painting.
85 (rev.)
VIVIAN
It’s not “just a painting”? It’s a work of art; a creation.
BOXER
Jackie’s having a baby! That’s a creation.
VIVIAN
Why do you keep knocking yourself?
BOXER
Maybe everything – everything - came too easily? I Maybe I’m confusing my ambitions with
…with the rest of my life? When I went to art school in Sarasota,
I knew I was good. But that wasn’t good enough for me. I wanted my teachers to know it … and
they did … and they told me … and they praised me …. one teaher, in particular. He said I had a
great future. I was thrilled. And then … things happened in his house. I was afraid people
would think I was a sissy. I was afraid people would think I was queer. And maybe I was? And
maybe I am? I was ambitious. It wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about sex. It was about me – me
and my friggin’ paintings.
(Vivian has been watching and listening to him intently.)
VIVIAN
When I was 13 years old, I was considered a promising junior – a promising junior tennis
player. I got a scholarship to a big deal tennis camp in San Diego
to take private lessons with one of the greatest tennis players of all time: Louise Crawford. She
had been number one in the country – in the world – forever – and I was thrilled – just like you
were thrilled. Louise was a great coach – a great teacher – and a great lover. Tennis and sex
were one and the same thing – just like painting and sex were one and the same with you.
(Boxer has also been watching and listening intently.)
BOXER
So you and I … we’re like … brother and sister?
VIVIAN
Boxer … you and I are like … friends. Isn’t that good enough?
(Suddenly, there is a turning of the key in the lock. The front door opens – freezing them - as
Gary enters.)
86
GARY
We lost the baby. We lost Zalman!
(Light change)
(Sound cue: in the pre-dawn darkness, a phone is ringing. An answering machine responds.)
JACKIE (voice-over)
Neither Gary, Jackie or Zalman can come to the phone – but if you leave your name, rank and
serial number, one of us will get back to you. Have a nice life!
HOFFMAN (voice-over)
Boxer, are you there? Are you screening calls? I know you’re there. Pick up the phone. I’m
worried about you. Everybody is worried about you. Rene was so anxious to meet you and so
disappointed that you never showed up. Are you all right? I hope you didn’t take the subway.
(pause) Did Jackie have the baby?
I guess – I guess you’re still at the hospital but please call me as soon as you get this message.
And please hurry home.
Scene 3. The lights come up in the Bernstein apartment, - about three in the morning. Boxer
is sitting on the couch, sipping wine and taking pills.
BOXER
Well, Zalman, I’m going to miss you. I think I would have been a good uncle but, hey, I’ll never
know. You had a great mother and father. They’ll never get over you – and neither will I.
(The front door bell rings. Boxer hurries to open it – and there is William Hoffman.)
HOFFMAN
Didn’t you get my message? (pause) No, you didn’t get my message. I’ve been worried sick
about you, wondering what happened to you. Do you know what time it is? (looking at his
watch) Three in the morning! So – what happened? Did Jackie have the baby?
BOXER
She had a dead baby.
HOFFMAN
I’m sorry; I’m truly sorry.
87
BOXER
Jackie and Gary have a dead baby – and you have a dead baby.
HOFFMAN
What are you talking about? Boxer – have you been drinking?
BOXER
Not to worry. I wasn’t drinking alone.
HOFFMAN
Jackie and Gary must be devastated.
BOXER
Jackie’s in shock. So is Gary. He just came back to pick up some clothes for her – because
they’re holding her over for a few more days.
HOFFMAN
I understand.
BOXER
What do you understand?
HOFFMAN
You had a death in your family. Well … I was worried that I had a death in my family. What
have you been doing? You look like you’ve been drinking all night.
BOXER
I had a beautiful drinking companion – beautiful and sexy and funny and … she made me realize
that, after all these years, I wanted to be with a woman. I’ve always wanted to be with a woman.
HOFFMAN
Always? Well, you could have fooled me, young man. Do you want to look at a highlight reel of
the past four years? Look: what happened tonight was a traumatic experience but that has
nothing to do with you: tonight was all about Jackie and her husband.
BOXER
Jackie’s my sister. Jackie’s my family.
HOFFMAN
And you’re my family. Come back with me. Come home.
88
(Boxer remains standing there.)
What are you standing there for?
pushes him away.)
HOFFMAN (contd)
What’s going on with you? (He reaches out to Boxer, who
BOXER
I don’t want to be touched.
(Again, he tries to embrace Boxer. This time, the young man pushes him violently.)
BOXER
I said I don’t want to be touched.
(Hoffman turns and walks away.)
BOXER (contd)
It doesn’t feel right any more.
HOFFMAN
What doesn’t feel right any more?
BOXER
You and me.
HOFFMAN
After all these years … ?
BOXER
After all these years! Yeah!
HOFFMAN
You think, because you’re reunited with your sister, that you want to be straight?
BOXER
Yes, I want to be straight.
HOFFMAN
Lots of luck! You’re queer – and you know it.
89
BOXER
I met this girl – and she brought out something in me.
HOFFMAN
Do you hear what you’re saying? “I met this girl and she brought out something in me.” What
did she bring out: your dick?
(He lunges for Boxer, who pushes him away.)
BOXER
Get away from me.
HOFFMAN
No, young man, you get away from me. After all the years we’ve been together – after all I’ve
done for you -- who the hell do you think you are?
BOXER
That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
HOFFMAN
Well, let me see if I can help. It’s what you do that establishes your so-called sexual identity.
And do you want me to remind you what you’ve been doing these past couple of years …
sexually?
BOXER
I know what I was doing sexually. I also know it wasn’t about making love.
HOFFMAN
I knew this was a mistake: seeing your sister again; seeing your mom and dad again. They
brought out all your guilty feelings. You may not think so but it’s true. You’ve grown so far
above and beyond that Liberty baby – that Sarasota schoolboy.
BOXER
No, I haven’t.
HOFFMAN
And now you’re going to walk away from everything you’ve worked for since the first day you
picked up a brush – not even a brush – a crayon! You’re going to give all that up for some little
cunt?
90
BOXER
Wow! You really hate women, don’t you?
HOFFMAN
Not true. I love women.
BOXER
Maybe you adore women but you don’t love them.
HOFFMAN
This may come as a surprise but you’re the one I love; the only one I’ve ever loved. What? You
really are surprised?
BOXER
I never thought it was about love? I always thought it was just about … sex.
HOFFMAN
God! You’re still a virgin.
BOXER (a faint smile)
I know.
HOFFMAN
You do have charm – and I’m sure your new friend is charmed by you.
BOXER
I don’t have any charm. I don’t have anything. Look at that painting up there! That’s the real me!
Naked … with nothing! Nada!
HOFFMAN
Let’s make love!
(William reaches out to Boxer, who shoves him away.)
BOXER
No more! No more! No more!
HOFFMAN
But the show will go on. I’ve invested too much in you already. And when the offers come in –
and they will come in – when the little red dots go up on the wall next to your paintings, I’ll have
my lawyer draw up a contract. I thought a handshake would have been enough but, after all,
business is business.
91
BOXER
I was just hoping you’d understand my feelings.
HOFFMAN
Believe me, kiddo, I understand your feelings perfectly. And don’t forget to give me your
mailing address so I’ll know where to ship your things.
BOXER
I’m sorry. I … truly … am … sorry.
HOFFMAN
Do you understand how I feel? No, you don’t. You don’t have a cle.
BOXER
I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. Fact is, you have been a friend.
HOFFMAN
I’ve been more than a friend. Hey, how’s that for an epitaph: “Here lies Willy Hoffman – more
than a friend.”
BOXER
I guess so.
HOFFMAN
Just remember what I told you, a long time ago. When people hold the door open for you, it’s not
easy to turn around and hold the door open for someone else.
BOXER
I want to hold the door open for someone else.
HOFFMAN
“On verra (orn veh rah”), as we used to say on the Right Bank! We’ll see, my boy. We’ll see.
BOXER
Let me hold the door open for you. Come on, Willy; let me hold the door open for you.
(Boxer goes upstage to the terrace doors and opens them. He takes a deep breath of the fresh air,
then turns to face Hoffman.)
92
BOXER (contd)
It’s a beautiful view. See? There’s the Statue of Liberty out there in the harbor.
(Hoffman goes out on the terrace with Boxer and does indeed look out to the harbor.)
BOXER (contd)
You know what Jackie said when I came here? She said, “Lower Manhattan is at our feet.” Yeah,
that’s what she said. This great city is at our feet. So how about a goodbye hug? A farewell kiss?
Hey, come on. We have so much to look forward to. We have the rest of our lives … the rest …
of our lives.
(Boxer hugs William. It is a vise-like embrace. Then he kisses him full on the mouth. The kiss
is returned. And then, with manic strength, Boxer takes William over the edge of the terrace.)
(Light change)
Scene 4. The Bernstein home; late Tuesday afternoon. The terrace doors are still open as the
sun shines through. And now the front door opens. A very tired, weak, Jackie comes in, escorted
by Gary. They are wearing black mourning bands.
GARY
Honey, can I get you anything?
JACKIE
No.
(She walks over to the painting, the self-portrait, of Boxer.)
GARY
We can go away for a while.
JACKIE
Yes.
GARY
Some day – not now, but some day – we’ll have another Zalman.
JACKIE
We’ll never have another Boxer.
93
GARY
We never had him to begin with.
JACKIE (looking at the painting)
Honey, would you close the terrace doors. I’m feeling a draft.
(Gary closes the terrace doors. Then he joins Jackie as they both continue to look at the selfportrait of Boxer.)
(Blackout)
End of Play
.