(The lights fade.)
Marian
A short time later. All but Marian are sitting. Perhaps they have sat down in different chairs, with plates, drinks, eating. Marian stands, serving herself.
MARIAN (Answering a question): Adam’s poll watching.
BARBARA (Explaining to Tim): He runs the Democrats here.
MARIAN: He doesn’t “run” them. But he’s busy tonight. He said he might try and drop in after the polls close. But I doubt it.
(Short pause.)
JANE: Is it going to be as bad as they say?
MARIAN (About Richard): At least his boss is going to win.
TIM: Do we think they’ll take both houses?
RICHARD: I was telling them a funny story—
BARBARA: Don’t. Please.
MARIAN: What? What funny story? I think tonight we’re going to need all the funny stories we can get.
(She smiles.)
RICHARD: The punch line goes something like—“Fuck Kirsten Gillibrand and the horse—”?
MARIAN (Upset): For Christ sake—when are you going to grow up?!
BARBARA (Over this): I told you not to—
MARIAN: Why is that funny, Richard?! You want her to lose? You want them to win everything?
RICHARD (To himself): “And the horse’s name is Chuck.”
MARIAN: I really don’t understand you. (To Barbara) Thank god Adam’s not here. (To Richard) You know he calls you a whiner.
JANE (Smiling): Does he? (To Richard) Did you know that?
MARIAN (To Jane): And you too sometimes.
JANE (“Whining”): When do I whine?
RICHARD: I think of myself as—objective. As—critical. A social critic.
MARIAN (To Barbara): When did he give up?
RICHARD: What have I given up? What is there to give up on? (Smiles)
MARIAN (To Jane): Barbara said she didn’t even know you were spending the week up here. And if Richard hadn’t told her, we’d never have known.
JANE: We were settling in.
MARIAN: Bard College is just down the road.
JANE: I know where Bard is. I’m working hard on my book.
(Short pause. They eat.)
MARIAN (To Jane): How’s Billy?
RICHARD (Before she can answer): He’s lost. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. Helpless.
JANE: He’s thinking of applying to law schools.
BARBARA: You didn’t say that—
JANE (To Barbara): I’m not “pushing him.” (To Marian) How’s Evan? Will we see her—?
MARIAN: She might drop by. I told her her uncle was here . . . (Gestures to Richard)
JANE: What about me?
MARIAN (To Jane): Mostly she just goes in and out.
BARBARA: That passes. (To Jane) Doesn’t it?
(Jane shrugs.)
MARIAN: If we don’t support people like Gillibrand, no matter what we may think of her—and I sort of like her . . . I’ve met her. She’s okay. But—we need to win, Richard. It’s not about “like” anymore.
JANE: I’d have voted for Gillibrand.
(Marian looks at her.)
I’ve been up here. It was too late for an absentee ballot.
(To Tim) Wasn’t it?
BARBARA: I thought you said you voted for Cuomo.
JANE: Did I? (To everyone) Did I? I guess I feel like I did. (Then)
I would have . . .
(She eats.
Benjamin starts to stand up.)
MARIAN: Where are you going, Uncle Benjamin?
BENJAMIN: Where’s Oliver?
(They all look at each other. Then:)
MARIAN (Impatient): Oliver is dead. You put him to sleep. We couldn’t ask Barbara to keep cleaning that mess up—
BARBARA: That wasn’t why we put him—
MARIAN: He’s dead, Uncle.
(Benjamin looks around, and sits.)
(Calmly to the others) He forgets. You have to remind him.
BARBARA (To say something): The bean salad and the dessert are Marian’s. She brought them over earlier.
TIM: It’s very good . . .
(Barbara looks at Tim; he buries himself in the eating.)
MARIAN (To Richard): And how are your kids, Richard?
RICHARD: They’re good. They’re not teenagers yet.
BARBARA: And your wife?
MARIAN: She has a name, Barbara.
BARBARA: I didn’t mean—How’s Pamela?
RICHARD: I just spoke with her. Before dinner. I called. She sends her best to all of my many many sisters . . . Tim, do you have sisters?
TIM: No.
(Short pause. The sisters wait for Richard to say something.)
RICHARD: I’m not going to say anything. Certainly nothing that could get me hurt.
MARIAN: We spoiled him, Tim.
RICHARD (To Tim): I’ve got the scars to prove it. (Starts to pull up his shirt)
BARBARA: Not while we’re eating. Where did you grow up?
(This makes all the siblings smile.)
JANE: He teased us mercilessly.
RICHARD (To Tim): That is a complete lie—
JANE: Shut up.
MARIAN (To Tim): We taught him everything. (Beginning to name the things they taught him) To keep the toilet seat down.
JANE: What else?
BARBARA: I think that’s it. That’s all that mattered to us. (Smiles, then back to the subject; to Richard) Is Pamela home now for good?
RICHARD: We’ve worked things out.
BARBARA: Good.
(Then:)
(To Tim) She was away.
RICHARD (Without looking at anyone): I’m going to be leaving the office. I’ve taken a job with a big firm. It’s time. The kids are going to be going to college . . .
MARIAN: What? (To Barbara) Did you know about this?
BARBARA: