Orphans

A Play

Lyle Kessler

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9780802193117
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

A Best Revival Tony Award-nominated play starring Alec Baldwin. "A briskly entertaining, deeply affecting play. Darkly funny and moving."— USA Today
In a run-down house in North Philadelphia live two orphan brothers: the reclusive, sensitive Philip, sealed off in a world of StarKist tuna and Errol Flynn movies, and Treat, a violent pickpocket and thief. Into this ferocious and funny realm enters Harold, a mysterious, wealthy, middle-aged man who is kidnapped by Treat, but who soon turns the tables on the two brothers, changing forever the delicate power balance of their relationship. Both hilarious and heartbreaking, Orphans is a story of the universal love of a father for his son, and a son's need to live his own life. Orphans is an international theatrical phenomenon and has been produced in almost every country in the world. It premiered in 1983 at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles, was subsequently produced by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, off-Broadway at the Westside Arts Theatre and in London, and was adapted for film, starring Albert Finney as Harold. The 2013 production marked the play's first Broadway presentation and inspired Alec Baldwin to say, "I have dreamed, for a long time, of doing this play with this director." " Orphans has enduring appeal, its powerful theme of fathers and sons searching each other out. Alec Baldwin mines the vein of tenderness that lies deep in the play."— Variety "Wickedly funny one minute and powerfully emotional the next. Kessler uses humor as a subversive force, making the shift into despair a visceral gut punch."— The Hollywood Reporter "Keeps you transfixed."— New York Daily News

ACT I

SCENE ONE

A spring day.

An old row house. Wallpaper, faded, peeling water stains. A cluttered living room, stacks of newspapers, a worn, frayed couch, old, broken furniture, and other litter. A small television set on the floor in the middle of the room. A table with a large empty bottle of Hellmann’s mayonnaise on it. On a shelf, stacks of StarKist tuna cans.

PHILLIP is silhouetted in the semidarkness staring at the TV, which is playing an old movie. A woman’s red shoe is on top of the TV set. Phillip crosses to the window and sees something. He runs across the room, stuffs the books on the couch under the cushions, grabs the newspaper, shuts off the TV, puts the paper by the window seat, starts upstairs, turns back, rushes to the TV, grabs the red shoe and shoves it inside the window seat. He runs upstairs.

The front door opens. TREAT enters out of breath. He wears a dungaree jacket, faded khaki pants, and a bandanna around his neck. He catches his breath, looks out the window down the street, relaxes, snaps his fingers, and enters the living room. He picks up the empty mayonnaise bottle and looks at it.

TREAT (calling) Phillip? Phillip? (Yells.) Phillip, you hear me! (He begins to empty his pockets of bracelets, wallets, and rings.) You home, Phillip! I imagine you’re home! Where the hell else you gonna be, huh! I imagine you’re hiding from your big brother Treat! (He inspects the jewelry.) Come on out, Phillip! I ain’t in the mood for no hide-and-go-seek game. You hear me! Come on the fuck out!

Phillip appears from upstairs. He wears an old tattered shirt, dirty sweatpants, green sneakers with open hanging shoelaces.

PHILLIP Don’t tag me.

TREAT (preoccupied with jewelry) I ain’t gonna tag you.

PHILLIP ’Cause I’m sick and tired of being it, Treat.

TREAT I ain’t gonna tag you. I told you. I ain’t playing no games.

He takes out a large, colored brooch and holds it up to the light. The jewels sparkle. Phillip stares at it.

PHILLIP You said that yesterday.

TREAT Yesterday’s yesterday...