Shanley - Storefront church: a play

BOOKS BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY AVAILABLE FROM TCG Defiance Dirty Story and Other Plays Doubt Outside Mullingar Storefront Church Storefront Church is copyright 2014 by John Patrick Shanley Storefront Church 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 Storefront Church 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. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Shanley, John Patrick. Storefront church / John Patrick Shanley.First edition. pages cm ISBN 978-1-55936-759-2 (ebook) 1. Bronx (New York, N.Y.)Economic conditionsDrama. 2.

ClergyDrama. 3. Spiritual lifeDrama. I. Title. PS3569.H3337S76 2014 812.54dc23 2014029523 Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover design by John LaMacchia Cover art by Dave McMacken First Edition, September 2014 CONTENTS To Philip Seymour Hoffman, that beautiful and private man, who died too soonStorefront Church received its world premiere at Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) in New York City on June 11, 2012.

It was directed by John Patrick Shanley; the set design was by Takeshi Kata, the costume design was by Alejo Vietti, the lighting design was by Matthew Richards, the sound design was by Bart Fasbender; the production stage manager was Alison DeSantis. The cast was:

Ethan Goldklang, a threadbare Jewish accountant in his sixties, sits with a loan officer named Reed Van Druyten. Reed is in his mid-forties or so. His face is stiff on one side. Hes deaf in one ear, partially blind in one eye. In addition, he has a tic in his speech. He makes involuntary sounds occasionally.On the desk, in addition to financial materials, is a thick, well-thumbed paperback and a cardboard cake box.ETHAN: Here you go.REED: Aa.

Whats this?ETHAN: My wife made it. Its a chocolate cake.REED: Im an officer of the bank. We cant accept gifts.ETHAN: Relax, kemosabe. Youll live longer. Has anybody ever told you that youre the spitting image of Alexander Hamilton?REED: No.ETHAN: When I walked in, I thought you were a ten-dollar bill holding a pencil.REED: Please take that off my desk.ETHAN: Let me ask you a question. What do you think makes somebody great?REED: I have no idea.ETHAN: Have you ever read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame?REED: No.

Im not allowed to accept gifts.ETHAN: Whats the big deal? Its a cake. Its perishable. Do you read?REED: Yes.ETHAN: You oughta read The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Id lend it to you but Im not done.REED: Thats all right.ETHAN: Tells the story of this one nobody and you get everything. Its amazing how a story can make you feel the time. I mean, were living in a time, right? This country was built by giants.

They died and midgets moved in. Tiny people. Were walking around inside this republic like a nine-year-old boy wearing his fathers suit. When the tiny people got in power, they changed what was taught in school. No great books, no big people. Everybodys tiny now.

Well, let me tell you something. Greatness is real. And giants come along. You might be one. The opportunity is there, right now.REED: Im an officer of the bank. I cant be compromised by accepting gifts.ETHAN: Youre still on the cake? Its a cake.

My wife made it for you. I cant eat it. With my arteries. Youre stuck with it.