School Assignment

Short Play written about characters Tom from Glass Menagerie, Blanche and Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire, and Maggie and Brick from Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
If you know these plays... it really helps to make sense.

Tom: Yes, I have tricks in my pocket, I have things up my sleeve. I bring you to a place, New Orleans. The time is the forties, where internal and external tensions are high post-war, and every doll is looking for her fifteen minutes shining with hotsy-totsy big shots. People here see illusion. But I show you truth in a streetcar named Desire. I am the narrator of the play, and a character in it. There’s also Blanche, a dame who’s tied up in fantasy. There’s Maggie, she’s a witty and beautiful broad, but needs help; Help! She’s stuck in a trap. Another character is Stanley… now you don’t want to go messing around with a man like Stanley, especially if you’re a pretty young thing with her head in the clouds. But Stanley’s been a better man since his pregnant wife was murdered. And we have Brick, who’s living the life of a prince throwing back drink after drink. There is a final character in the play who doesn’t appear except on the movie poster. (Motions to poster) It’s my father. He ran away from our family a long time ago; he’s an actor who’s got the part of a telephone man who fell in love with long distances. Here are the characters are stepping out for a night at the movies, but they are all a bit early for the showing. This is the background of the play and the people in it…

(Exit Tom, Enter Blanche and Stanley)

Blanche: I want magic… Movies are filled with desire, Stanley. It let’s one go back to another time, a fantasy of the past. Oh but it’s a real. You don’t know real fantasy, do you Stanley?

Stanley: How’s about no talk of fantasies tonight, eh Blanche?

Blanche: Fantasy takes you back to when we had Stella. Stella for star. My baby sister didn’t get caught by the man on purpose, Stanley. She was just minding her business, all alone, no one there to protect-

Stanley: Enough about Stella, Alright! I don’t need no loony queen blaming me.

Blanche: (dreamily) Ah, remembrance. Dreams. They all go together, Stanley. Men and forbidden desires, the dancing… and… BAM! (Mimicking a gunshot)

(Enter Tom)

Blanche: Why hello there young man. Young, young, young man. Please excuse me for not being appropriately fresh, I’m afraid I haven’t washed or powdered my face in days. You see Stanley here hasn’t any money to pay the bills, and I’m afraid since I’m a gal with no real purpose in this country and no help to this economy, I haven’t any either.

Tom: Hello m’am. It’s alright; you don’t need to make an impression on me.

Blanche: (In a dreamy, yearning voice) Oh, well if you don’t mind how I look now, you’d be a perfect young, young, young man to wake up next to in the morning after a long night filled with passion and desire… Voulez-vou coucher avec moi ce soir?

Tom: Excuse me?

Blanche: Oh nothing, honey. What’d you say your name was?

Tom: Tom Wingfield.

Blanche: Tom, that’s a bland name, isn’t Tom? But I suppose you’re a simple American, honey, and you don’t need much of a name for a simplistic lifestyle… three letters, indeed, are enough. Stanley, say hello to Mr. Tom Wingfield?

Stanley: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Blanche: Stanley that is no way to greet such a kind man. Such a kind young man. Young, young, young man.

Tom: Uh. (Tom turns toward movie poster and stares at it a while, before turning away in disgust, he is completely silent and staring at the ground)

(Enter Maggie)

Stanley: (directed to Blanche) Who’s this?

(Blanche looks questioningly at the woman as well)

(Tom overhears Stanley’s question and finally looks up again)

Tom: Oh that’s Maggie, she used to be quite the doll but lately she’s rather catty… I blame her husband.

Maggie: Brick! He doesn’t understand that I love him, I love him so much, I do! (Looks around theatre) Hmm, this place reminds me of that Rainbow Hill. Place that’s famous for treatin; alcoholics an’ dope fiends in the movies! (Pretends to claw at poster of actor)

Blanche: Why hello there, dear. Might I introduce myself? My name is Blanche DuBois. I remember when I had a shape like yours, so young and fresh. You must have a man to appreciate your looks, you don’t even have to bother with creating an illusion. Me, I have to create magic for a man to look me over… But I love doing it, I love making them see a fantasy… It may be false but it’s much more delightful then the truth, don’t you agree?

Maggie: Well my name is Maggie, and I’m afraid no man appreciates my shape except Big Daddy. I caught him moving his eyes up and down my body. Brick doesn’t right now, but I know he’ll change his mind soon or else… Ah I would just die! I’d have to pull the trigger on myself! If Brick never made love to me again… Oh I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof.

Stanley: (Gives Maggie a once over) I don’t know what man wouldn’t appreciate that shape.

Blanche: Now Stanley. Don’t forget Stella. She may be gone but my baby sister’s husband shouldn’t marry another woman yet!

Stanley: Who mentioned marriage? I had something else in mind…

Blanche: Stella!

Stanley: (Finally cracks) STELLA!!

(Enter Brick)

Maggie: Brick! Brick! I’m so glad you came, Baby.
(reaches out for his arm but he shrugs his shoulder away)

Brick: Maggie, please, the conditions. Listen I’m only here since my liquor’s still locked up. Now how about you come back with me and take care of that problem?

Maggie: Not unless you make a baby with me, Brick. Then they won’t pick on us for being childless! And you’ll see how much I really do love you, Baby. You will.

Brick: Maggie, you’re not going to conceive a child with a man who CAN’T STAND YOU and who LOVES HIS LIQUOR.

Maggie: You’re just sore about Skipper, Baby. Now I know you guys had a special kind of a friendship, and Skipper loved you, Baby, he really did. I’m sorry we made love to each other, but you know that was your fault. Baby, please finally understand. Let’s have us a child tonight, or else I will go to watch this movie and find you at home. But sooner or later, you’ll give in, Baby.

Brick: I can’t give in; I don’t even want to be near you. I just want my liquor, but I can find that elsewhere.
(Turns to leave)

Maggie: Brick! Brick! Brick!! I do love you, Brick, I do!

Brick: Wouldn’t it be funny if that was true?
(Exit Brick, leaves for good)

Maggie: Brick! You make me feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. (Sinks to the ground beneath the poster)

Tom: Why are the doors still closed?

Blanche: Oh it builds the suspense, honey. That’s how they keep you coming back for more.

Stanley: Yeah, I’d be more likely to come back if I didn’t have to witness all this mess here.

Blanche: Isn’t it grand, Stanley? All these people have so many stories, and they all meet up in the same place at the same time. I think that’s the way life has to work to keep people living it. We have these moments where the stars seem to line up. Besides, Stanley, you’ve got your own mess.

Stanley: STELLA! I got her killed. STELLA!!!

(Theatre doors open)

Tom: (narrating)The movie is going to start, finally, but no one reacts to the doors. Not just yet. Some of us never get a chance to go out to the moon, but on the other hand, some of us go much further. Blanche is stuck in a false reality, completely lost. She has no love, no life. Stanley is left crying out for his wife who was brutally murdered in his absence, a fate that he blames entirely on his inaction. Brick and Maggie are through being anything to each other, and here sits Maggie, hurt and lonely. For all of them, it’s over. Me, I ran away from home. I got no job, no future, and burning memories of my sister and mother. I’m the bastard son of a bastard who’s starring in the movies, and would like nothing to do with me. For all of us, it’s over, so we have to go in.

(Maggie gets up, all of them walk into the movie)

(Blanche pauses at poster)
Blanche: (to the poster) Whoever you are, I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.
(This tells us she has finally… lost every bit of sanity)

Stanley: STELLA!!!!!!

Maggie: Brick! Brick! I DO LOVE YOU, BRICK!

Tom: We’ll all go with the fantasy tonight. The movie begins, the theater darkens. And so good-bye…