LITMIR.BIZ

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at each other.)

      MARIAN: You have? And you remember them?

      BENJAMIN (Without answering the question): But I don’t remember being in it, saying any of the lines. I’m immensely proud of the play. I couldn’t tell you any of the lines. Probably if my memory were not affected by my illness I could remember more. Perhaps not.

       (Short pause.)

      JANE: I thought you were wonderful in it.

      BENJAMIN: I would love to do it again. Someone has to ask me I suppose. Actors have to be asked, don’t they?

      JANE: Tim’s an actor, Uncle.

      TIM: Can I ask you something? (To the others) Jane and I were talking about this in the car on the way here . . . (To Benjamin) Is there a point where your memory stops? Do you remember some things, and then it just . . .?

      BENJAMIN: I think the only trouble I have remembering—I don’t remember the heart attack, and everything after that. But I can remember . . . I did a reading.

      TIM: I saw that. I was there.

      BENJAMIN (To Barbara): Of Oscar Wilde?

      BARBARA (Smiling): That’s right.

      BENJAMIN: And I remember on the back of the program were all the parts I’d played. And I can certainly remember some of them.

      TIM: Which ones?

       (Pause.)

      MARIAN: Sometimes, Uncle, I think you tell us what you think we want to hear. And then we probe . . .

       (She looks at her siblings.)

      JANE: Do you remember playing the piano?

      BENJAMIN: I do remember playing the piano. I don’t play it very much now.

      MARIAN: Then sometimes you do play now?

       (She looks to Barbara, who shakes her head.)

       Barbara has a piano.

      BENJAMIN (Ignoring her comment): I was a good pianist. I was an amateur. If I was playing something I knew and understood well, I was really good. And people would take pleasure in it. I was lucky because I started the piano very young.

      JANE: You also liked to sing.

      BENJAMIN: I did.

      JANE: You used to sing to us when we were kids. Do you remember doing that?

      BENJAMIN: Of course.

      BARBARA: Do you remember what you’d sing?

       (They wait.)

      MARIAN (To Tim): He was around a lot. He helped raise us. Especially me and Jane.

      BARBARA: Especially them.

      JANE (Smiling): I remember you singing “Surrey with the Fringe on Top.” (To Tim) This was even before Dad left. And tell us stories. He has wonderful stories.

      BARBARA: I remember— (Softly sings:)

       Sweetly she sleeps, my—Barbara—fair . . .

       (Explaining) He’d change the name—

      JANE AND THE OTHERS:

       Her cheek on the pillow pressed . . .

       Sweetly she sleeps while her flaxen hair,

       Like sunlight streams o’er her breast.

      MARIAN (Over this, singing): “All Through the Night.” I remember you singing that. I remember falling asleep to that.

      MARIAN AND THE OTHERS (Singing):

       Sleep my child and peace attend thee,

       All through the night,

       Guardian angels God will send thee,

       All through the night.

      BARBARA AND THE OTHERS (Singing):

       Sweetly she sleeps my Janey fair,

       Her cheek like the first May rose,

       Sweetly she sleeps and all her care

       Is forgotten in soft repose.

      JANE: Do you want to sing something to us now, Uncle?

       (Richard returns.

       No response.)

       (To Tim) And Mother said whenever he could, he’d come.

       (To her sisters) I remember seeing him more than Dad. (To

       Benjamin) And I always loved it when we visited you . . .

       (Short pause as the sisters notice Richard.)

       What have you been doing out there, Richard? We missed you.

      RICHARD: I stepped outside to get some air.

       I got to watching these young couples walking down the street. Well, younger than me. And I suddenly realized they must be on their way to vote.

      BARBARA: We vote just around the corner.

      MARIAN (Looking at her watch): The polls are still open.

      RICHARD (Smiles): They seemed—young.

      BARBARA (To Marian): That’s good, isn’t it? That they’re young?

      TIM: How’s the dog?

      RICHARD: Asleep. I left him some water. He’s had a very busy day.

      JANE: Richard, we’ve been trying to get Uncle to sing for us, like he used to.

      RICHARD: I’d like that too, Uncle. What do you remember singing to us?

       I think I was this big— (Very small) —and Uncle was the only one who could get me to calm down. And get me to sleep. By singing . . . What are you going to sing?

       (No response. They look at Benjamin.)

      JANE (To Tim): When Dad left us, Uncle Benjamin became our father.

      MARIAN: Not exactly.

      TIM (To Jane): You told me.

      JANE (To her sisters): I hardly remember Dad.

      RICHARD (To Benjamin): Do you remember when we visited you over Thanksgiving?

      JANE (To Tim): He was in a show. In New York. I was like five?

      RICHARD: And Mom drove all the way from Chicago with us?

       (To sisters) Did we sleep somewhere on the way?

      BARBARA: I don’t know. I don’t think so.

      MARIAN: Where was Dad?

      JANE (Over this): Do you remember any of that, Uncle Benjamin?

       (He nods.)

       What do you remember?

       (No response.)

       You don’t want to tell us? He has secrets.

       (Short pause.)

      BARBARA: How are we doing? Anyone want any more? Tim?

      TIM: I’m fine, thank you.

      JANE (To Tim): There’s more chicken. (Looks at Benjamin) He looks like pictures of our father. Barbara’s lucky, she gets to have him here all the time.

      BARBARA: Yes, I do.

      JANE: I didn’t mean—

      BARBARA: He does suddenly remember things sometimes. I don’t know where they come from. A couple of weeks ago he suddenly— (To Marian) I told you this— (To Jane and Richard) —suddenly

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