Shanley - Prodigal Son

BOOKS BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY AVAILABLE FROM TCG DefianceDirty Story and Other Plays ALSO INCLUDES: Wheres My Money?Sailors SongDoubt, a parableOutside MullingarProdigal SonStorefront ChurchProdigal Son is copyright 2016 by John Patrick Shanley Prodigal Son is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156 All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors representative: George Lane, Creative Artists Agency, 405 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10174, (212) 277-9000. The publication of Prodigal Son by John Patrick Shanley, through TCGs Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution. Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC. ISBN 978-1-55936-852-0 (ebook) Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover design by John Gall Cover photo by Imelda Kahuni/EyeEm Author photo by Monique Carboni First Edition, March 2016 Table of Contents

Our subject was The Waste Land, and we studied it through a long winter and into the spring. I felt I didnt understand the poem, and I didnt care. I had seen a picture of T. S. Eliot, and I didnt like the look of him. He wasnt for me because I didnt want to be him.

That was how I judged poets then. This play is my account of that time, the period during which my whole life was being decided. It is a true story for the most part. The changes Ive made have been to simplify or make a point. Most of the names remain unchanged, or only slightly altered. I wish you could have been there.

I wish more generally that you could have shared my whole life with me, so we could discuss and compare. These plays I write are the best I can do to make that possible. JPS The world premiere of Prodigal Son was produced by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Director) in New York City on February 9, 2016. It was directed by John Patrick Shanley. The scenic design was by Santo Loquasto, the costume design was by Jennifer von Mayrhauser, the lighting design was by Natasha Katz, the sound design was by Fitz Patton and original music was composed by Paul Simon. The cast was:

Theres a paperback on the floor. Jim Quinn enters from the surrounding dark, picks up the book. Hes in a white shirt, navy sports jacket, black pants, oxfords, skinny black tie. Hes from the Bronx, and sounds it. He quietly says to the audience: JIM: I always had a book. I was fifteen.

Do you remember fifteen? For me, it was a special, beautiful room in Hell. (More light. Sound of a train.) I came by train. Mr. Schmitt and I met at a diner in Keene, New Hampshire. (Carl Schmitt enters, crew cut, New England reserve, early forties, also in a jacket and tie. (Carl Schmitt enters, crew cut, New England reserve, early forties, also in a jacket and tie.

He and Jim sit in a diner booth. Carl figures out Jims credits on a napkin. They have a stainless steel pot of tea. Jim forgets the audience.) MR. SCHMITT: Jim. JIM: Mr.

Schmitt! MR. SCHMITT: I read your transcript, Jim. Youve had a pretty bumpy two years. JIM: Yes, I guess I have. MR. MR. MR.

SCHMITT: It says you were suspended for saying you didnt believe in God. Is that true? JIM: Its true that I said it, but I didnt mean it. MR. SCHMITT: Then why did you say it? JIM: I just was trying to wake the teacher up. Brother Henry. He taught Religion, but the way he taught it, he just read from the book.

He didnt like questions. So I raised my hand and said I didnt believe in God to see what hed do. MR. SCHMITT: And what did he do? JIM: Well, it definitely woke him up, but he wasnt happy. He sent me to the principal. MR.

SCHMITT: Its a serious thing to say you dont believe in God, Jim. JIM: Thats what the principal said. He suspended me. MR. SCHMITT: What got into you? JIM: Just crazy stuff. MR.

SCHMITT: What? JIM: Well, the thought came into my head to say I didnt believe in God, and I thought, Who put that thought there? And I thought it was probably God, you know? MR. SCHMITT: What if it was the Other Guy? JIM: I dont think so. I feel like the Devil would want me to be lazy, and God would want me to speak. MR. SCHMITT: Youre fifteen? JIM: Yeah. Yes.

Ill be sixteen in October. MR. SCHMITT: I teach Religion. Comparative Religion. But unlike your friend Brother Henry, I dont read to the class from a book. JIM: Yes. MR. MR.

SCHMITT: To see if you wanted to be a priest. JIM: I didnt. I dont. MR. SCHMITT: Howd you get involved with Opus Dei? JIM: Mr. Benishek, my Political Science teacher brought me to their house.

They kind of adopted me. MR. SCHMITT: Lot of smart people at Opus Dei. JIM: And The John Birch Society. MR. Benishek. Benishek.

He took me to hear The John Birch Society, too. You know, a speaker. MR. SCHMITT: What did you think? (Jim laughs.) JIM: Oh, he messed up. MR. SCHMITT: In what way? JIM: He said bad stuff about President Kennedy to a bunch of Irish Catholics in the Bronx.