Bread

A sequel to Of Mice & Men, by John Steinbeck:

...Wherein a young woman Leanne with Down Syndrome (unplanned daughter of Lennie) living with a friend (a parttime prostitute eerily named Georgette), becomes sexually aware Act 1, active Act 2, and subsequently pregnant Act 3. Abortion is illegal; and the friend hires a "midwife" for home delivery, and "termination" of the born disabled infant.

A Play in 3 Acts

ACT 1: SCENE 1

Friday night, Spring.

A shared flat in Los Angeles, dark, mostly bare-- one prominent window center, upstage. Stage includes scattered clothes and random paper debris, small table, a chair, lived in but not wrecked. Stage is lit only from window, shifting from twilight to moonlight. Naked overhead bulb with pull cord (functional) is off. Bedding, stage left, audience right...

Curtain rises on seemingly empty stage. LEANNE is lying flat in bed, still, covered by thin sheet. She begins to roll lightly side to side, moving her arms under the sheet across her body, and it is unclear if she is having a nightmare or is ill.

She begins to moan, as GEORGETTE enters the room from hall, stage right.

Drops her purse. Hurries to bed.

GEORGETTE [upset]: Leni! are you ok? ... what are you doing?! [yanks sheet off and pulls LEANNE upright.] Stop it! Leni, you hear me!? you stop that! What do you think you's doin'? [pulls cord on bulb flooding the room with harsh bright light]

LEANNE [sits on edge, holds her hand to her crotch, evidently pleasuring herself, without self-consciousness; face turns towards audience, with visible Down Syndrome characteristics, upward slanted eyes, round flat face, compressed nose] oo aagh

GEORGETTE [increasingly agitated] Ugh. STOP. You cannot be doin' this. Stop it! Stop it I said! [yanks LEANNE's arm away]

LEANNE [holds out device in her hand, tightly gripped, not perturbed] No, no, me.

GEORGETTE [angry] Ugh Oh my God. What?! What the fuck? my vibrat---!? how do you even --? [turns away, stage right, holds stomach and head feeling sick, and like remembering something] ...that was you wasn't it? when I had "John" over last night? Not the stray. The cat. Oh my God. Jesus Christ. Leni, you cannot do... you cannot do tricks.  [starts to sob]

LEANNE [not understanding stands, pulling thin nightgown down over naked bottom only by standing, not adjusting her clothes. Walks closer to GEORGETTE and stands at uncomfortable closeness]

GEORGETTE [distraught and as if no longer aware of LEANNE, sobbing to herself] ...I pay the bills. The fuckin' bill. I just pay... God damn it Leni, you cannot be copying. This is not... this is not... oh my God. [realizes something and stands, grabs LEANNE by the shoulders] This is not a game. You cannot be me. You cannot be like me! You cannot. You understand?!

LEANNE [surprised, mild mannered] you hurting me, ow, Georgie. You hurt me. [does not struggle from grip]

GEORGETTE [tightens grip, clenches jaws and gives a shake to LEANNE] You listen. Don't you ever let me catch you again? You hear?! and I don't mean with my... my toys. God. Oh, please!! [chokes up] Do You Understand? Tell me you understand. [sobs] --don't you ever let me catch you fucking around again. By yourself or god damn it, not with anybody else around. Man or woman or... oh my god. Just fucking stop. Stop. [Stops shaking LEANNE takes her vibrator back] Please! [more kindly] Please?

LEANNE [unperturbed] ok. Georgie, I'm hungry.

GEORGETTE [composes herself, rubs face, smooths clothes] Yeah, ok. Yeah, I brought us something. Go have a seat. [redirects LEANNE's body to bed. LEANNE sits on edge and waits. GEORGETTE heads back to the bag she dropped and begins to rummage for snacks.

[FADE TO BLACK]