shatterings
//
Katherine is a young girl when the breakup of her parents’ marriage causes her to split in two.
Produced by Theatre Collide in Houston Texas. Directed by Stephanie Wittels.
Scene 1
(Marie and Mark are in an industrial toy store with their daughter Katherine. As Mark and Marie play out the scene, Katherine dances, ignoring the events taking place. When her lines are said she freezes and looks at her father, says the line, then continues dancing.)
MARIE
Katherine Braenard. Katherine Braenard, you get back here right now young lady.
MARK
Leave her alone.
MARIE
Katherine, you ignore your father immediately. That’s an order.
Katherine, you ignore your father immediately. That’s an order.
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARK
We’re leaving Marie.
We’re leaving Marie.
MARIE
You never loved me.
MARK
That’s right. I never loved you. Katherine never loved you. I doubt that your parents ever loved you.
MARIE
Now is not the time for your sarcasm.
MARK
Now is not the time for your drama.
MARIE
(raises the back of her hand to her forehead and moans)
MARK
Okay.
Okay.
MARIE
(raises the back of her hand to her forehead and moans)
MARK
Right, so we’re leaving.
KATHERINE
Dad?
(Mark and Katherine start to leave.)
MARIE
No!
(Mark and Katherine exit. Marie limply knocks a toy onto the ground.)
Scene 2
(Mark and Katherine sit at a table in a hookah bar. Some time passes. Mark fiddles with the hookah on the table, trying to figure it out.)
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARK
My sweet.
KATHERINE
Dad, what are we doing here?
MARK
I want to expose you to eastern philosophy.
KATHERINE
I want to be a princess.
MARK
Oh sweetheart.
KATHERINE
Why?
MARK
Why what?
KATHERINE
Why eastern philosophy?
MARK
Sweetie, in the east they understand complex notions of self and identity that we in the west haven’t yet….
KATHERINE
Why eastern philosophy when you know that I want to be a princess?
MARK
Well Katherine…
KATHERINE
Princesses are hardcore. No one tells them what to do.
MARK
You’ll have to understand many things about the world, both western and eastern, to control your minions.
KATHERINE
What’s a minion?
MARK
An obsequious follower or dependent: a sycophant.
KATHERINE
What does that mean?
MARK
A minion is someone who does what you tell them to.
KATHERINE
Am I your minion Daddy?
MARK
No sweetheart. That would make me a princess.
No sweetheart. That would make me a princess.
KATHERINE
What if mom were a princess?
MARK
I suppose that in that case you could be considered a minion honey.
KATHERINE
What if Mom were the king of the whole world?
MARK
She would probably be very happy that way.
KATHERINE
Why?
MARK
Your mother can be very controlling.
(a waiter carrying two plates with broken glass on them comes to the table.)
MARK
Ah, here we are. (to Waiter) Thanks very much.
(the waiter nods and exits.)
KATHERINE
Daddy, I want to be a princess.
MARK
Yes sweetie I know. Maybe you can be a princess tomorrow.
KATHERINE
What happens tomorrow?
MARK
I don’t know. You might become a princess.
KATHERINE
I have hopes and dreams.
MARK
You have hopes and dreams.
KATHERINE
Do you want to know what they are?
MARK
Yes.
Yes.
KATHERINE
I want to balance an elephant on my nose.
MARK
Oh sweetheart.
KATHERINE
And grow flowers out of my ears.
MARK
Katherine honey, if you want too much, you will never be satisfied.
Katherine honey, if you want too much, you will never be satisfied.
KATHERINE
And be a dolphin.
MARK
I want you to be whatever you want.
KATHERINE
Maybe a mule….. because they can pull heavy things.
MARK
A mule is the sterile hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, characterized by its long ears and a short mane.
A mule is the sterile hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, characterized by its long ears and a short mane.
KATHERINE
Maybe I could be some kind of combination…
MARK
(poking with his fork at the glass)
This is broken glass.
KATHERINE
Dad, this is stupid.
MARK
I can’t believe they served us broken glass. Excuse me, waiter! Waiter!
(The waiter approaches the table and nods curiously.)
MARK
Hi. Yes. I’m sorry to disturb you, but our plates have broken glass on them.
Hi. Yes. I’m sorry to disturb you, but our plates have broken glass on them.
(the waiter nods)
MARK
Yes, well, maybe there is something that you can do about that?
(the waiter nods)
MARK
You see, it isn’t much good to us as is. It’s used.
(the waiter nods three times)
MARK
Take it back and bring us something new.
(the waiter takes their bowls while nodding. He exits. Mark and Katherine briefly sit in silence.)
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARK
My sweet.
KATHERINE
Why did you bring me here?
MARK
Eastern philosophy.
Eastern philosophy.
KATHERINE
why?
MARK
Citta: "Ordinary consciousness" in Hindu Yoga, as contrasted with Purusha: “our inner transcendent self.”
KATHERINE
You know everything.
MARK
No. It’s written on the napkins.
KATHERINE
Napkins?
MARK
Look, Honey, look at the paper by your plate.
KATHERINE
Am I learning?
MARK
That’s a question that only you can answer sweetheart.
That’s a question that only you can answer sweetheart.
KATHERINE
Then I say yes, I’m learning. “It’s a wonderful world.”
MARK
Who taught you that?
Who taught you that?
KATHERINE
A wonderful world with elephants, flowers, and mules. It’s on the napkins.
MARK
I don’t believe someone would write such a thing on napkins.
KATHERINE
But, it’s right here.
(The waiter carries two plates with unbroken glass on them.)
MARK
Much better, thank you.
KATHERINE
Dad, do you think mom is a princess?
(Mark takes his piece of glass and breaks it on his knee. Katherine’s mouth drops when the glass breaks and she screams silently.)
(pause.)
KATHERINE
Ow.
Scene 3
(Katherine sits on the stage making a beaded curtain. The beads are broken pieces of glass. Throughout the scene, her focus stays on building the curtain. Mark’s voice is either pre-recorded or he is staged in the background.)
KATHERINE
Dad
MARK
Katherine
KATHERINE
For years I didn’t realize that your name is Mark.
MARK
That’s my name sweetheart.
KATHERINE
It rhymes with spark, Dad. You can teach me one thing. Go.
MARK
It’s important to take a conscious role in building yourself.
KATHERINE
Thanks, Dad.
(Katherine stands up and stretches.)
Scene 4
(The setting is the same as scene 1. This time, we see the scene from a different, skewed point of view.)
MARIE
Katherine Braenard. Katherine Braenard, you get back here right now young lady.
MARK
Leave her alone.
MARIE
Katherine, you ignore your father immediately. That’s an order.
Katherine, you ignore your father immediately. That’s an order.
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARK
We’re leaving Marie.
We’re leaving Marie.
MARIE
You never loved me.
MARK
That’s right. I never loved you. Katherine never loved you. I doubt that your parents ever loved you.
MARIE
Now is not the time for your sarcasm.
MARK
Now is not the time for your drama.
MARIE
(raises the back of her hand to her forehead and moans)
MARK
Okay.
Okay.
MARIE
(raises the back of her hand to her forehead and moans)
MARK
Right, so we’re leaving.
KATHERINE
Dad?
(Mark and Katherine start to leave.)
MARIE
No!
(Mark and Katherine exit. Marie limply knocks a toy onto the ground.)
Scene 5
MARIE
I was going through some old boxes that never got unpacked from the move 8 years ago, and I found this. You remember this? It’s the essay that you wrote before Katherine was born. The paper is all faded now. “Man’s best attempt at being God.” Anyway, I think that you should write more. It makes you feel God-like. You say so right here. “I have always considered writing to be the closest that I could come to creating life. Now finally, a daughter will be born. And I will be a Father, a Creator.”
I want you to keep writing. I really did love you. I really do. It’s more important to me that things work out for you than it is that things work out for us. So please, don’t stop writing. I know how important it is for you.
One more thing. If you take Katherine from me, I’ll kill you. She’s half mine.
Scene 6
(This scene takes place in the past. Katherine and Marie sit in the living room of their house. Marie is stretching and dancing. They are listening to Cuban Jazz from the early 60’s.)
KATHERINE
Mom?
MARIE
Katherine, this is it, this is it Katherine.
Katherine, this is it, this is it Katherine.
KATHERINE
Mom?
MARIE
Do you dream about beaches Katherine? Do you ever dream about emerging from a body of water into pure natural heat, yellow and sweaty? Glorious sunshine that dries you before your body hits the towel?
KATHERINE
I like to bundle mom.
MARIE
What’s that sweetie?
KATHERINE
I like sweaters and scarves and intricate knitting patterns that play.
MARIE
Okay, come on sweetie, here is the best part. Everybody up. (singing) Ba Ba bam! Asi Asi! You’ll remember this later honey. You have to dance while you can. Those legs won’t last forever.
(pause.)
KATHERINE
You’re beautiful Mommy.
MARIE
C’mon Katherine, up up, this is what I want to give you. Give me my motherly-moment. You can make fun of me later to your friends.
…..
There you go. This is reality Katherine. You can’t buy music, only attempts to capture it. You can’t buy reality sweetheart.
(Katherine stands awkwardly as her mother dances with her arms. Katherine smiles as Marie tries to get her to dance.)
MARIE
Ah. I see that. I knew you would love it.
KATHERINE
(awkwardly) I’m a dancing machine!
Scene 7
(Mark and Katherine are sitting in an ice cream parlor. Some time passes.)
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARK
My sweet.
KATHERINE
Dad, what are we doing here?
MARK
I want you to learn about goodness, morality, and the conventional appropriation of gender.
KATHERINE
What’s gender?
MARK
Well, it’s a process really….
KATHERINE
Penis?
MARK
Katherine. Don’t say that. Maybe it would be better to talk about this when you’re older.
KATHERINE
If you don’t teach me, I’ll just learn it on the streets.
MARK
Where did you hear that?
Where did you hear that?
KATHERINE
On the streets.
MARK
What?
KATHERINE
The streets Dad, where some serious shit goes down.
MARK
Don’t say shit sweetheart.
Don’t say shit sweetheart.
KATHERINE
They say the damnedest things out there in the world.
MARK
Excuse me?
KATHERINE
I think you know what I’m saying Daddy. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and I don’t want to be anybody’s bitch.
MARK
Calm down Katherine.
KATHERINE
Being calm in for the feeble minded. I need to raise some hell.
MARK
All right honey, let’s get something to eat. What’ll you have?
KATHERINE
Something made of bats and firecrackers.
MARK
This is an ice cream parlor. It’s not the place for a revolution. Please try and think of some way to be happy in these surroundings.
KATHERINE
Smoothies and non-fat yogurt be damned. This country was founded on milkshakes!
MARK
What?
KATHERINE
You heard me.
MARK
Where did you come up with that?
KATHERINE
It’s written on the napkins.
MARK
I need you to pay attention to me when I talk. I’m trying to help you.
KATHERINE
But, Dad, look what’s written on the napkins.
MARK
Katherine.
KATHERINE
Read the napkins.
MARK
“Smoothies and non-fat yogurt be damned. Morality is forever. Right and wrong are forever. Choose to be good. Choose right. It’s what America was founded on!” T-M Parlor to Parlor incorporated.
“Smoothies and non-fat yogurt be damned. Morality is forever. Right and wrong are forever. Choose to be good. Choose right. It’s what America was founded on!” T-M Parlor to Parlor incorporated.
KATHERINE
Right and wrong are forever?
MARK
Maybe we should get a milkshake.
Maybe we should get a milkshake.
KATHERINE
Sounds gross.
MARK
You mean “delicious.”
KATHERINE
They look like something that fat people eat. I don’t want one.
MARK
Katherine. C’mon, we’ll split one.
KATHERINE
I don’t want that. I’ve changed my mind.
MARK
You can’t throw away everything that our parents taught us.
KATHERINE
The Qur’an says:
“When he said to his father and his people: ‘What are these idols to which you cling so passionately?’
They replied: ‘We found our fathers worshipping them.’
He said: ‘You and your fathers were in clear error.’”
MARK
Where did you learn that?
KATHERINE
Eastern Philosophy Daddy. What’s appropriation?
MARK
It’s when something is granted for a definite purpose: grant, subsidy, subvention. When did you start reading the Qur’an?
KATHERINE
I’m not telling.
MARK
Why not?
KATHERINE
It’s a secret.
MARK
It seems like just yesterday you were reading the three little pigs.
KATHERINE
Oh, to be a pig!
MARK
Excuse me?
KATHERINE
You wouldn’t understand.
MARK
Why not?
KATHERINE
Secret.
MARK
Just a minute. Waiter!
(the waiter comes forward and nods.)
Hi. I was wondering if we might trouble you for a milkshake and two straws.
(the waiter nods)
One milkshake, two straws, my good man.
(the waiter nods twice and leaves)
MARK
What were you saying?
KATHERINE
I was talking about the Qur’an.
MARK
What a book that is.
What a book that is.
KATHERINE
Yes. Dad?
MARK
Katherine?
Katherine?
KATHERINE
I need to ask you a question.
MARK
Anything.
KATHERINE
Are you and mom separating?
MARK
You shouldn’t worry about things like that sweetie.
You shouldn’t worry about things like that sweetie.
KATHERINE
Why?
MARK
You’re young. Big problems are for big people.
KATHERINE
Why?
MARK
Your mother and I are just experiencing some difficulties.
KATHERINE
Why?
MARK
Yes, I think that we might be separating. Whatever that means.
KATHERINE
Can I still be a princess?
MARK
I don’t see why not.
(the waiter arrives with the milkshake.)
MARK
Thank you.
(Mark opens two straws and puts them in the glass. For a minute the two sit and drink from the milkshake together.)
KATHERINE
Daddy, I feel that I don’t know who I am anymore.
MARK
Why?
KATHERINE
Everything is broken. I can’t piece anything together.
MARK
Why?
KATHERINE
I think I’m separating.
MARK
How could you say such a thing?
KATHERINE
I don’t know how to make sense of myself.
MARK
Katherine, don’t be ridiculous. Someday you will be a grandmother and see everything from a different side. You’ll work it out.
KATHERINE
I think I’m separating.
MARK
With age you will know who you are.
(the two drink again from the milkshake, pause, and look at each other.)
Scene 8
(Earlier in time. Marie and Mark are still together. They are sitting in their living room while Katherine is playing in the corner. Mark is setting up a lounging chair.)
MARIE
Why are you doing this?
MARK
What do you mean?
MARIE
I mean this is ridiculous, and I don’t understand what’s happening.
MARK
I’m getting older. It’s as simple as that.
I’m getting older. It’s as simple as that.
MARIE
Simple as what?
MARK
I’m getting older.
MARIE
This is ridiculous.
MARK
(Mark pulls at the skin on his face.)
(Mark pulls at the skin on his face.)
Look. Look at me just for a minute. I’m getting older.
MARIE
So what? You’ve been getting older ever since you were born. What happened that is making you act differently all of a sudden?
MARK
Do you see my face Marie? I’m an old man. I can barely look in the mirror without crying anymore.
MARIE
You’re being ridiculous.
MARK
A man reaches a point Marie, where all of the things that he has done up to that point seem insignificant.
MARIE
Don’t give me that man bullshit.
MARK
You should know…
You should know…
MARIE
Maybe this is some bullshit conservative concept that you are carrying around from before or something…
MARK
People’s opinions change
People’s opinions change
MARIE
You used to be fresh and unconventional.
MARK
People’s opinions change Marie.
People’s opinions change Marie.
MARIE
That doesn’t mean that everyone turns into some emotional fart when he gets older. Why are you doing this?
MARK
I’m fifty. I’m fifty years old. I have reached a certain point. I cannot be the dreamer I once was. I’ve run out. I’m tired.
I’m fifty. I’m fifty years old. I have reached a certain point. I cannot be the dreamer I once was. I’ve run out. I’m tired.
MARIE
So you are going to put this chair in my living room?
MARK
I’m building a den.
MARIE
Why?
MARK
I’m building a place to read, and watch t.v., and think and do nothing. Every man should have one. That’s what Thomas Edison said.
I’m building a place to read, and watch t.v., and think and do nothing. Every man should have one. That’s what Thomas Edison said.
MARIE
What?
MARK
Thomas Edison said that every man should have a den.
Thomas Edison said that every man should have a den.
MARIE
You’re trying my patience.
MARK
Get used to it.
(Katherine enters eating bread.)
KATHERINE
Dad?
MARIE
Thomas Edison?
MARK
Things move quickly around here Marie. I’ve run out of energy. (to Katherine) What is it?
MARIE
We’ll see about that.
KATHERINE
The t.v. is busted again. Is that a new chair?
MARK
I’ll come upstairs to fix it in just a minute. Your mother and I are busy right now.
MARIE
You’re father is losing his mind Katherine.
(Katherine walks over to the chair and sits down.)
KATHERINE
I want to play too.
MARK
Katherine, please don’t start.
MARIE
This is a very important moment in your history Katherine. Surely there is no way that you can understand now the importance of the first time that you saw your father as a
feeble, weak, old, pasty-faced man—his oldness circling all of us as it lingers limply in the air.
(Mark stares at Marie.)
MARIE
I’m kidding! I’m kidding you jackass! You’re not old. Get over yourself already.
KATHERINE
(to Mark) Get over yourself pasty-face.
MARK
Katherine.
KATHERINE
Excuse me.
MARK
Katherine, you have to leave now. Your mother and I need some time to sort through some things.
KATHERINE
The t.v. is broken!
MARIE
Honey, come give Mommy a kiss goodnight.
MARK
(to Marie) Can you please just leave me alone tonight?
KATHERINE
Mommy, I want to stay in the chair.
MARIE
What?
KATHERINE
I like the chair.
MARK
Sweetie, this is Daddy’s den. Go to Mommy.
KATHERINE
I like the den.
MARIE
Katherine.
MARK
Get out of the chair.
MARIE
(to Mark) Looks like you don’t have to be all that old to enjoy the den after all. (to Katherine) C’mon honey, Mommy’ll put you to bed now. Your father wants to be alone with Thomas Edison.
(Mark stares at Marie.)
KATHERINE
I want to stay.
MARIE
(walks over to Katherine and takes her by the hand.)
Let’s go.
KATHERINE
Goodnight Dad.
(Mark waves.)
KATHERINE
Will you fix the t.v. after I go to sleep?
(Mark waves again. Katherine exits with Marie. Mark sits in the chair with his head in his hands.)
KATHERINE
(As they walk offstage)
What’s wrong with Dad?
MARIE
He just thinks he’s an old man honey. You know how men are.
He just thinks he’s an old man honey. You know how men are.
KATHERINE
Tell me about it.
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