Now or Later

Christopher Shinn

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781350146440
• eBook ISBN:
  9781350146464
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Médias et arts de la scène
• Subtopic: Théâtre

"Its brilliance lies in the way Shinn marries ideological debate to psychological complexity, shedding light, laser-bright and precise, on the way in which political discourse informs and shapes individual experience." The Times

Election night in the U.S. and things are looking rosy for the Democratic Party as the likely President-elect, his wife, advisors, and twenty-year-old son John Jnr prepare for victory. When controversial photos of John Jnr begin gathering momentum on the internet, his father's advisors are forced into damage limitation leaving father and son to try and reach an agreement.

Christopher Shinn's potent play examines religion, freedom of expression and personal responsibility. It premiered at London's Royal Court Theatre in September 2008.

This new Modern Classics edition features an introduction by Dominic Cooke.

Now or Later was first performed at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, London, on 3 September 2008 with the following cast and creative team:

John	Eddie Redmayne
Matt	Domhnall Gleeson
Marc	Adam James
Jessica	Nancy Crane
Tracy	Pamela Nomvete
John Sr	Matthew Marsh
Director	Dominic Cooke
Designer	Hildegard Bechtler
Lighting Design	Charles Balfour
Sound Design	Ian Dickinson

Characters

John, twenty, white

Matt, twenty, white

Marc, thirties, Jewish

Jessica, early fifties, white

Tracy, forties, black

John Sr, mid-fifties, white

A note on the design

During the play characters watch television and look at a computer screen. At no time should these images be visible to the audience.

My feeling is that the play will be most effective with a spartan design in all areas.

Late night, election day. A hotel room in a Southern state.

John reads. Matt is at his laptop. A knock. John hides in the closet.

Marc Is John around?

Matt He went to smoke.

Marc You expect him back?

Matt Um . . . he said he might make some phone calls.

Marc Did he say where he went?

Matt Um . . .

Marc Like he went to the stairwell or he went out somewhere?

Matt I’m not sure.

Pause.

Marc All right, do me a favor, what’s his cell so I can call him?

Matt I think.

I think he left his phone actually.

Marc He went to make some phone calls and he left his phone.

All right. When he gets back please have him call me. Because I need to speak to him again about the pictures.

Marc goes.

John I want this to be over!

Matt Sorry. I thought, what if your phone rings from the closet –

John I already told him I’m not putting out a statement, what does he want? Do a search, see if there’s anything new.

Let’s go Florida! Ohio! Let’s get this thing over with already!

Matt It doesn’t seem like it’s been picked up. It’s still just on those blogs.

John What would the story be? ‘Candidate’s Son Attends Crazy College Party’?

Matt Maybe they’re thinking this could become a big deal.

John How? It would be one thing if I was, like, a member of the senior staff or a future cabinet member, then I could see how this might turn into something. But who cares about my going to some ridiculous party, how could that impact my father? I’m a college student, I did what I’m supposed to do on a Friday night, I got hammered and acted like an idiot.

Matt Remember when I took that class on the modern presidency? One of the big things was how quickly Republicans defined the Democrats in ’92, as soon as the election was over – gays in the military, health care. The mid-term elections were a disaster, Republicans controlled the narrative, and that was it, Contract With America, the end of all hope for progressive legislation for over a decade. The lesson was, stay in control of your narrative, if you let the other guys define you –

John I don’t understand, what could anyone say about these pictures that would in any way affect or define my father’s narrative? You’re talking about how in ’92 the Republicans defined the Democrats based on issues, based on the President’s and the party’s policy proposals.

Matt Right . . . but that was, like – early nineties, no internet, no viral spread of this whole kind of insubstantial, like – amorphous, gossipy personal stuff that can disproportionately impact the discourse – some stupid thing that starts on a blog and a week later is on the front pages –

John I understand what you’re saying, but not how it applies. We were being jackasses at an off-campus party – it’s not like we revealed anything about my father, or state secrets or something. What’s the story?

Matt Yeah . . .

Marc (offstage) Hey, John, it’s Marc, you have a minute?

Hey, buddy. Listen, there’s been some more discussion upstairs about these pictures. I know what you said before about your privacy, but we wanted to ask you again if it’s all right if we just put out a really under-the-radar statement that says that you regret your choice of costume. Is that cool with you?

John Marc, what’s everyone so nervous about?

Marc We’re just being cautious. It looks like a good night for us, we want to make sure everything’s taken care of.

John What’s there to take care of? This is on three blogs no one’s ever heard of. The pictures are blurry, you can barely see anything.

Marc Let me just read it to you –

John You know my dad’s policy is that I have say over any aspect of the campaign that has to do with me –

Marc That’s why we’re checking with you –

John So first I want to know, what’s everyone so worried about? You’re being really vague.

Pause.

Marc There’s concern that some news organizations who are hostile to your dad might try to use this story to discredit him.

John Discredit him how?

Marc Ivy League school, President-elect’s son goes to a Halloween party dressed up as Muhammad, his friend dressed up like Pastor Bob –

John I told you, it wasn’t a Halloween party – that makes me like some arrogant xenophobe –

Marc I know what you told me – but in terms of us, how we handle this, we think it’s better if we just say it’s a Halloween party –

John Wait – this is me, this isn’t something for you to say any way at all.

Marc If you – I understand that. What I meant was, if you feel like – we’re just trying to come up with a way to deflect this in case –

John What you mean is, you’ve all already decided that in fact I don’t have a choice about this, and you’re going to put out a statement from me.

Marc If you – yes, we want to put out a really simple, basic statement that will put this thing to bed, if you’ll agree to it.

John I don’t understand what would wake it up.

Marc It’s woken up, John. No disrespect, but – you have anti-Muslim stuff, anti-Christian, elitism – obviously we don’t know what will happen, but we’re planning for the worst.

John Which is . . .

Marc You’re a Democrat, right?

John It makes me cringe to admit it, but – yeah.

Marc Well, apart from this thing taking on a life of its own and becoming a distraction because of the nature of the internet – we think whoever put these pictures out there has an agenda. Meaning, this is not some prank, this is a high-up, Republican Party dirty trick to sabotage your dad, to get in the way of his first few days of press – which are really important in terms of laying the foundation to get future legislation passed.

John How could the Republican Party – how could they use this to further their agenda? ‘The President’s son went to a party, therefore we refuse to pass the President’s economic stimulus package’?

Marc It’s more than a party. There’s a pretty big backstory to all this, right?

John To what?

Marc To your feelings about Muslims.

John Uh . . . not that I’m aware of.

Marc Well – I don’t know the whole story, but I guess you w...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle
• Title
• Copyright
• Introduction
• Dedication
• Now or Later