Mauritius by Theresa RebeckCopyiylt © 2008 by Theres Rebeck ALE RIGHTS RESERVED CAUTION: Professlouals and amateuse are hereby waned that MAURITIUS te subject co a soy. tis fully protected der the eopy- High lows of the nized States of America, the Hess Commonwealth, Fueling Canada, and all ater couuties of dhe Copyright Union. Al iybes, including professional, amateat, motiou pientre, recation, le- lasing, public eeading, eadio broadcasting, celeision anc the rights of transition lio foreige aguages are strictly reserved. fn ts present form the play seated to the reading pubic oly. "The amateue ive sage performance rights to MAURITIUS are cow twolled exclusively by Saniiel Prenely, fe and royally artangenents sl Hlcerues iis be secured well in advance of preseutadion. PLEAS! NOTE that anatear voyally fus ane se upon application In accordance ‘ith your producing elremmstances. 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Royal- ties ave payable one week before she opealng performancs of the play to Sausel Breach, Ine. at 4% W. 25th Sueet, New York, NY 10010 or to Suniel Gren (Canada), Ley 100 Lombard Street, Lower Level, “Toronto, Ontario, Canada MBC 183 Royalty ofthe required amount nist be pal wleeder de pla is pre seated for charity or gan aud whether or wotadmission is eyed Stack soyalty quoted upon application to Samuel rene, Ie or all her rights dan dose stipulated above, apply to Creadve Atists Agency, 162 Fl Avenue, Gut Bloor, New York, NY 10010 At Geonge Lane, Particular erophae eat on the question oF auteur oc profesional soulings,pevmilou ancl terms for whieh must be secured in writlng From Sinael Fenel, Copying fou this book ia whole or in partis srietly forbidden by longa dhe ght of performance ts wot tasers, "Whenever the play is produced the following notlce must appear on all progeans, printing and advertising tor the ply: "Produced by special Die authorship ered mast be given on all programs, printing and adverts fo the play. ISBN 9780573.6501941 rags? "No ove shall comunit or muhorie any actor omission by whieh the copyright of, oF the right to copyright, this play may be Impaired. "No one shall make any changes inthis play for the purpose of proclaction. Publlston ofthis Both amateurs and profesionsls considering 2 production are strongly advised in their own interests to apply to Samuel French, ne, for wren permision betore wasting rehearsals, advertising, ‘or booking a thenr. "No part of this book may be veproduced, stored in a reuiewl 9 tem, oF tansrited in any form, by any means, now known or yet to be invented, inchading mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, videotaping, or otherwise, without the prior written per Inlasion ofthe publisher, IMPORTANT BILLING AND CREDIT. [REQUIREMENTS All producers of MAURITIUS aust give ere tothe Author of the Play in all programe dstribted in eonneetian wt performances ofthe Ply st 4 all stances in which the te of We Play appears fr the purposes af advertising, pblilzng or otherwise exploiting the Phy and/or a produc tion, The mame ofthe Author us appear om a separate line on whieh no fier name appesr, immedltely following the thle aul st appear in sae of type nt es than filly percent ofthe see ofthe te ype ‘in sion, the following credit most be given in a clear ane prominent vay on te te page nal programs ia connection with exch predation of the Play ‘The following eset shal be ina ype not les xan that aeconded ‘ny person, firm oF corporation secesing the smallest edit om such tle page, or in such ac, or on sch recorded versions, however #3 no eve all predcer's credit be les han 259% a ange ts that sed for the Ue: (Originally produced In New York bythe Manhattan Theatre lnb, Lynn Meadov, Arse Director, Bary Grove Executive Producer, Daniel Sullivan, Acting Arie Director 2007-2008 Season, atthe Biltmore Theatre on September 18, 2007 “The following credit shall also appear atthe bottom ofthe tile page of the program for exeh production ofthe Play: ‘Mauris was developed atthe Lark Phy Development Center, ‘New York Giy| ‘Mauritins was orginally produced by the Hiuntington Theatre Company, Boston, Nicholas Mastin, Artie Director/Michael Maso, Managing Directo, i i i“MAURITIUS tilts worl prewler athe Boston Center for dhe Arts 1 October Guy, 2006, "he produetion was disetedl by Rebecca Bayla Tact with set design by Eugene Lee, Manda Ffotinun was the congue desig, Pal Whitaker yas the lighting desigues, and Bastin Desjacins was hous wound desiguer and composer Rick Sordeler served “asthe prodactionayhcdicecto. The prokiction sage manager was Ste Kas wis ait sage manages, Mauween Lane. The exst was a4 fae ee-Marin freland pau, Robert Dorf penis: = Miehael Aronow SStERLING, James Gale Many, Laue Lavelle |MAUIRETIUS tad us wostd Now York premler atthe Bilawore Theatse on ‘Gctobee Ath, 2007. The production was directed by Doug Huge wl, st desig by Joh Loe Beaty, lighting design by Paul Galle, cossame: ‘design by Catherine Zuber, original msc and sound design by David Van Tieghen, ‘he Stage Manager was Elizabeth Moloney. The east was a followst acta. Aliso Pll uuu Dyan Baker DENNIS. sc scsseeses Bobby Cannavale SEURLING...cccesccesseesserseeeseeoBe Muay Abeabaat MARY. .ocseccssecssesseeseeeeeseees Rate Mera I I t i i i ! 1 } 1 } 7 | CHARACTERS SsreRLING ‘MARYa nema ii NBS NSE fu snsnON ACT 1 Scene 1 (A shop. JACKIE stands in ight, holding a book, PHILIP 4 the counter; reading a book. There is someone in the comer of the room, renga netuspaper) JACKIE, Can you, excuse me, I was wondering, I need some- one to look at this. I'm not sure what itis. Its quite old, and my understanding is that it could be, you mow, someone told me that it was maybe worth a lot of money. I don’t actually, 1 mean, it’s mine, itis mine, but I don't know a lot about it, gnoring hes, PHULAP fics his nose.) So they said that you could maybe look at it, that you have some expertise in thisarea and that actually you're really knowledgeable and you would be the person to ask. (beat) Ws stamps, (she opens the book, to show kim) know a lot of people collect stamps, I never did, but 1 ‘know that itis a popular hobby with some people, Not just nerds, either, normal ~ ob, Sorry. Sorry. (beat) W's mine to sell, hough. mean, Ido own it. It’s been in our family for a Tong time, there’s some, in there, eigh- tcensomething. Which, I have no idea if they're real, 1 guess they could be fake. With my luck they probably are fake, but I’m ying not to, I'm trying, actually, 10 be positive, althongh I actually don’t judge myself for 7s Maumerius being negative more or less most of the time, Not that Fux defending negativity. And it’s not like I chink the stamps are Fike, either: E don’t think they are. They're real. No question. Atall, ‘That's so.... Anyway, (She nods. A beat.) PHILP. Why do you think that? JACKIE, What? Oh, Sorry. Sorry! Whar? PHILIP. You said you don’t think the stamps are forger ies, but you also admit that you dow't know anything about stamps. So what makes you think your stamps are auther Jacki, Edlon’t, uh = LAP, Does this Took like Antiques Roadshow to you? Do. you want o be on television? JACKIE. No, 110, of couse, T— PHILIP. Do I know you? JACKIE, No, But they ~ PHILIP. They, they who? JACKIE. Who? PHILIP Yes JACIAL, Well, you know, people — PHILIE. People, what people? JACKIE, (/lustered) I talked to this person, this person, in this store ~ PHILIP. You talked to a person in a store? JAGKIE, Yes, who said — PHILIP. But you don't kuow who this persow is? JACKE, Pu “who?” Tmean, I don't know his name. Ab ont , that pers (The newspaper shifts. fu the comer, DENNIS appears ‘fron behind the paper: He watches.) JACKIE. Okay, Could you = PHILIP. Could L what? I'm working here, Do I know you? JACKIE, This guy, in this store ~ MauRirius ° PHILIP. What store? JACKIE. It was, I was there buying something else. And they were also, itwas also aa, stamp store, and. HTP A stamp store, JACKIE. Yes, it was for stamps and things like comic books, and, and Yugioh cards. PHILP. Is that what you were buying? Yugioh cards? JACKIE, No. I was buying... a coinic book, (She fades, depressed now) PHL. Ah, JACKIE. He’s always, really, pretty nice 1o me. He said to call you. PRILIP. The nice person in the Yugioh store said he would not look at ypur stamps, is that what he said? JACKIE, He said — PHILIP. It doesn't matter what he said. I will not look at your stamps, either. JACKIE. Okay. Sure, okay. (eat) mean, I just ~ Pamap. Thank you. (A beat) JACKIE. (a small flare of anger) Okay, fine. That's fine, 1 don't. You kniow, these things are worth a lot. They are like, a weasure, they're like ~ you know. I'm just telling you, Okay? PHILIP. If you know what they're worth, then why are you asking me? JACKIE. Because 1... need help. (She sands therefor 0 moment, sudeny fghling back tears. PHILIP staves at her. She takes back her book,) DENNIS. Tl look att sexi. Ob, Can you? ‘MUP No, actualy he ean’. He doesn't work here. eckson ERR RIRAISE LOAN i Rl tna MS10 MaunerTUS. DENNIS. She ueeds somebody to look at it, Philip. What's the big deal? PHILP. 'The “big deal” maybe would be the Fact that you are uiierly unqualified, DENNIS. ‘Then why don't you look at anything, Pune. Tn fet Lam doing something. DENNIS, What? PHIL. I don’t have to justify my actions to you. DENNIS. “Justify your acti and fook at her stamps PHILIP. Listen, [tolerate you. I foleae you. But if you think tat means you have vighis here ~ JACKIE. Te’ okay, Lean ~ DENNIS, He's not doing anything, he'll look at it, Just look acitl PIL Fine! (bea) TiLlook atic (He gestures to her Perplexed, she takes the album to the desk eset it dow. She waits. le continwes to read his book. He turns a page. She watces him, mare and more ansious and anneyed.) You're not doing stop being such an asshole JACKIE. Are you going (0. PHILIP. [said T would look at it. You need to leave it. JACKIE, You want me to = PHILIP. My fee is ovo percent of the net worth, or two thou sand dollars. JACKIE. You want nvo thousand dollars just to look at it? PHILP. Lam looking at it now. Looking is for free, Using thinyseven years of experience and expertise to evaluate the specific worth of your property costs two thousand dollars. JACKIE, I didn's, E didn’t, um ~ [don't have two thousand dollars. eee “ PHILIP, Well, that’s a problem then, isn’t i? (DENNIS stands, gos fo the counter) DENNIS. Philip, you know, you can be a veal jerk. I will look ati PHILIP. That would be very useful (o her if you actually imew anything, DENNIS. I know plenty. JACKIE. I just need to know, 10, I just, because iP is worth something, then if I sold it— DENNIS. Totally, I get it, People do this all the time, He's supposed 10 do it, but he’s a litle, don’t worry about him, I'll look at itfor you. (He starts to page through it.) PHILIP. This is not in any way a professional evaluation, DENNIS. Relax, woud you? You're not going to help her, what's the big deal? JACKIE, How much, wh ~ DENNIS, Nothing. This is free JACKIE, Great PHILIP. I cannot vouch for this man, He knows next to nothing DENNIS, Wow, look at this. Where'd you get. this? JACKIE, My nom had it, Its been in our Family DENNIS. She’s got an inverted Jenny, Phil, It’s a litde bit ‘of a mess, the colors are compromised, unfortunately, by what Tooks like water damage, see this line here? That's not good. But it’s a significant stamp. JACKIE. Is it worth anything, even with the. DENNIS. Hard to say. Maybe three thousand? JACKIE, Dollars? Three thousand ~ [PHILAP (sneering) An inverted Jenny. There are so many for ‘ries floating around out there people are starting to ‘use them to mail in their absentee ballots. Besides which how would you know the difference? Tell me what the difference is, You can’t because you don’t know,2 MaURETIUS. DENNIS. She's got some nice stuff here, Phil, Couple of Zepplin, These are nice stamps, JACKIE. Three thousand dollars? For one stamp? DENNIS. What's your name? JACKIE, Jackie, DENNIS. You have some lovely stamps here, Jackie, This ig a nice collection JACK It belonged to a relative. He's dead now. DENNIS. Well, this isa beautiful collection, he was an artist, PHILP, (aghast at this bullshit) Oh my god. DENNIS. What do you care, Philip? She asked, I'm telling her. I's a shame to sell this, Jackie, I hope you have a good reason, JACKIE, Well, I, you know, yes Edo, T have a really good reason, DENNIS. You want to sell the whole thing together or break cup? JAGKIE, Which is worth more? DENNIS. Well, it depends on different, you know, dift ferent. (He stops paging, stares at one of the pages) JAGKIE, Whichever you think is better: PHILIP He is not qualified to give you anything resembling a legitimate estimate, This man is not a philavelist, He is not an employee of this store, this store does not endorse anything he has to say, [ barely know him, He ig an acquaintance, at best. DENNIS, (looking af JACKIE) Where did you get this? JACIGE, [fold you my, what? (She watches hin, alert now He is staring ata page) JACKE, (continuing) What? Is i worth something? PHILIP. (annoyed) his is ludicrous. Let me, let me, he doesn't (PHILIP reaches over to take the book. DENNIS slams the oak shut before he car) sneha eh PSE SARIN 5 MAURITIUS w DENNIS. (friend) This is a nice collection, You got a few ‘nice things, its okay, {KIB Yeah but is it. Y'm no realy an expert. That one stp, iC good stamp, the inverted Jem i rare anda tot of peopl ae looking for dhe? Bat yours ion" rely a ten shape, Besides, wfortunately he i ight about hose forgeries. Thete were a whole mess of forgeries tha hit the market in the eighties, that’s more than likely ‘what your stamp is, f PHILIP. As if you know anything about forgeries. DENNIS. You were right. There’s not a lol here, for you, Phi, For hes this is Ym sre a tennure, Your yelave had a Jovely collection. But in his terms, i's not worth anything, You should take it home, JACKIE, He said, but he said you don’t know anything, DENNIS. I know a Tot. {JACKIE He said ~ DENNIS. (gentld) Go home. (He gives her her book, Blackowt)“ Mauarrius. Scene 2 (DENNIS and STERLING, in a coffe shop.) STERLING. | don't believe you, DENNIS. I sav it, STERLING. You saw it, DENNIS. Yes. I touched it STERLING. You touched it. DENNIS. (firm) Yes I cid. STERLING. I don't believe you. DENNIS. I don't care if you believe me Delon i rang { Beleve me oF not. al dow (Vey thin for a moment) STERLING. Ia fake DENNIS. I's not a fake, STHREING. You only saw it for a second, DENNIS. He was tight hor over my shoulder! What was Tsu posed to «lo? ” paaenee STERLING. Shit, DENNIS. Fuck you. (Beat) ‘uck, I don’t believe you. STERLING. So this person just wall and showed it to you, a STERLING. What kind of shape vas ia? DENN. Uncaneld, es mounted dt ne of those ot Dennison things, the ely good ones hat pet ight off There might be the bate memory ofa oloce mount along one of die borers ut or than the sliver of a i ver of a suggestion of that previous inount, { woul have Co say itis... pristine en STERLING. Fuck, that DENNIS. I savy itl STERLING. And then she went home? seu nnn RDA BAI ts OPH Maurrrtus ae DENNIS. She di STERLING. She walked in, and walked out, you Tet-her just walk out with 12 DENNIS, Well, I followed her STERLING, Where'd she go? DENNIS. She went home. STERLING. Where? DENNIS. Oh no no. No no no. STERLING. This story is shit, You think I don’t know when in being played? DENNIS, I think you do know when you're being played, Lesling, which is why your're sill sitting here, STERLING. Puck you, you litde piece of shit. You bring me this ficking preposterous story about some girl with a— fuck you. Fuck you, Life is short my friend, and i's getting shorter, you bring stories like this to the table. You ask yourself, what do you want out of fife? I advise you, At momenis like this, you are stepping out over the abyss, for what? How much money is it worth to you, Dennis, to sisk iwhat will befall you, 1 don’t say possibly, I say certainly, what will befall « person like you, stepping onto the highwire of complete bullshit that just came out of your mouth. DENNIS, How much do I want? Is that what you just asked ‘me? How much money do 1 expect you to pay me (© ‘make this happen? (beat, happy) A lot, Sterling, Really, quite a lot (Beat) STERLING. You're lying, o she is. DENNIS. ’m not lying, And she doesn’t know how to lie, STERLING. Since you spent so much time with her, And you know her so well, DENNIS, She reads comic books, Sterling. This gir! is a lamb,6 MauRETTUS (A bet, while STERLANG considers.) STERLING. I don't believe you. Lim leaving, (He stands to go. DENNIS leans bacle in his chair, lets him get all the way across be y the room, then calls after DENNIS. [didn’t tell you everything, (STERLING stops, but doesn't turn.) DENNIS. (continuing) There are two pe ee of them. The one STERLING. Oh you mothetfiscker (STERLING tus an looks at rags, “ DENNIS, laughs, eis wey haply Blackout) cccbunapneesn is 9PM AANA AERIS AS AAS ATION MAURITIUS i Scene 8 (any, at ome, She is surrounded by bases) >MaRy. Mauritius is a paradise tropical istand in the Indian ‘Ocean, off the coast of Aftica, east of Madagascar. acxtE. I don't need to know about the island. I was curi- ‘ous about the stamps. (She enters, carrying box full of stuf, drops it on the flor) MARY. But you have to know all of it, that’s what's so fan! Mauritius, what do I remember? Voleanic in origin, surrounded by coral reels, what else? The Labourdonannais orchards ~ JACKIE. These are all the bills. Most of them I can’t even read, to tell the uth. You look at it, there’s so many ‘uumbers, 1 have no idea what we owe. Every time 1 uy to figure it out my head starts 10 hurt. 1 feel 60 stupid. ‘MARY, (off @ box) Oh, look, her jewelry! Did you bring this down? JACKIE, Yes I, yes, Idi. “MARY. Let’s see what else do I know about Mauritius, They have beautiful beaches. I dislike the beach, don’t you? {All that sand, Do you like the beach? JACKIE. I've never been. ‘MARY. You've never been? JACKIE, No, I've never been. ‘MARY. "To the beach? Any beach? JACKIE. No. I’ve never been to any bench, MARY. You've never seen the ocean. |ysaxte, Oh god. You know — ‘MARY I just find that ~ JACKIE, 'm nol = ‘MARY. What? Why can’t even comment? |JacxtE, Because there's nothing 10 comment on, I've just never seen it.I will see the ocean. I will, 1 see it," see it some day. 'm young, P'm Pm young.18 Mauritius. MARY. (smiling at hey love) OF course you arel OF course you ae, We don't have to talk about it, Let's ee, where were we? JACKIE, ‘The stamps? MaRY. Ob yes, ‘They lad this stamp, the Mauitians ~ Mau- ‘itians, that sounds like Martians, coulel dat be right? ‘Ob well, actually, it wouldn't have been the Mauri tians, it would lave been the British, they took it-over back when they were you know, taking things over, and in 1847, they printed one of the first postage stamps on cath, The fifth country, { think, ‘The head of the young Queen Vietoria ~ oh, look at this! f remember thist (She holds 1p an ugly broach.) JACKIE, ‘Take it. Take all oF it MARY, I'm sure you want some off, JACKIE, Ie’s not worth anything, MARY, Maybe not to anyone else, but to us ~ ob look at. this! JACKAE, (off the stamp bool) So i's worth a lot of money then. “This Mauritian stamp, Many. Both of them. The one penny and the two penny post oflice. ‘Together: They're considered the crown jewel of philacely. le’s quite a spectacular error. aeKE, Ervor? MARY, Well, that's what makes i¢ so valuable, the errors'are what make it well, you don't know anything about stamps, do you? JACKIE, So what's the “error?” MARY. Alongside hier face are the words “Post Office.” ‘The printer was supposed to print the words “Post Paid.” Post paid. OF course once you know that it makes sense, ‘why would you put “Post Office” on a stamp? I wonder that sometimes. What was going through that man’s head, While he made the first postage stamp, and put the wrong words on it, out there in the middle of the n Ocean, MAURITIUS ” (She thinks about this, moved. JACKIE. inks too, look- ing at the stamps) JACKIE, So how mnuch, a thousand, a hundred thousand? How much are stamps worth? ‘any. I have no idea how much it’s worth, it’s beside the point. couldn't possibly sell i. Oht Ob, I'm sorry. But you do realize that those are my stamps, Don't you? (bea) ‘Many, He was my granclfather. He wasn’t your grandfather “Those are ~ ny stamps. JACKIE, Mom said, she gave the stamps to me, because she didn't know for sure but she said they might be worth something ~ “MARY, Well, but ~ these weren't lerstamps. ‘JACKIE, She gave them to me, MARY. If you want the jewelry ~ ‘yack. I don’t want the jewelry. already said 1 con't want the jewelry. any. But they were my grandfather's siamps, they're not part of the general, this isn’t ~ ‘WAcKIE, This isn't what? I mean, you weren't here — “MARY. That’s not exactly ~ JACKIE. Not exactly what, not exactly true? That you weren't here? ‘Mary. Not exactly relevant, I was going to say. {JAGKEE. It was relevant to me. That’s why 1 asked, so many times. You got my messages, right? We really needed you, I needed, you know ~ MARY. Yes, yes yes but. I'm sorry but could we slay on the point please? JACKIE. The point is when Mom was — even when she was so sick, she she she gave the stamps to me and you weren't here ~ MARY. Look, I don’t want to, we're just having a conversa tion. You asked about the stamps.0 MAURITIUS JACKIE, Yes I did, that’s tight I did ~ MARY. So we're having a conversation! ‘There's no will and. itwould be tertible if we had to probate anything, that would take years, and involve all sorts of legal isstes, so it’s great tat we can talk about what is yours, and what is mine, L'a really thrilled t0 have the stamps back. [ T don't know how they ended up in mother’s hands, Grandfather and T spent so much cite with these stamps, Making catalogues, and lists. Correspond- ing with other deaters. Grandfather once, obviously this is long before L was born, but he actually had an extended correspondence with FDR about the Two Penny Post Office, he wanted to buy it but grandfather would never lec it go. You just wouldn't, Let it go. You wouldn't, (Beau,) JACKIE, Wow. An extended correspondence with FDR. ‘That's incredible. How much did he offer? Many. I don't know that dhey ever got that JACKIE (beat) Maybe you could look through these boxes, Teleared out that closet upstaits. Ic doesn't look like anything to me but what do I know (There is a bua atthe door MARY continues to page Uarougth oe book of stamps while JACKM continues to work.) MARY. Look, the inverted Jenny! This was owe of sy favor ites, 1 used tw pretend thar grandfather and E were fying in the airplane, upside down! JACKIE, Ave you getting the door? MARY. What? JACKIE, The door, didn’t you hear the door? MARY. Oh, [thought you were geting it JACKIE. I'm working. MARY. All you have to do is ask. JACKIE. That's what Vn doing, Pm asking. MARY. And I'm geting it MAURITIUS a (She smiles and goes to answer the door, After she is ‘gone, JACI is alone in the scam for a moment.) JACKIE, (to hase) I hate her. I hate her so much. Oh god, Thate her (She looks around, goes to the chair where MARY left the stamps, picks up the stamp book an mous it to her side of the room, Then she goes back to work, MARY reenters, ‘with DENNIS.) MARY. Your friend is here! JACKIE. (without looking up) 1 don’t have any friends DENNIS. I’s Dennis, Hey, Jackie. (Ske looks up. He smiles at hes reaches out 10 shake hands. She takes his hand and at the last minute he dase her in, kisses her onthe chek.) DENNIS, (continuing) Good to see yon. WsCKIE, What are you doing here? DENNIS. We met the other day, when you came over 10 Phil's |JacKAE, I remember. What are you doing here? DENNIS. (JoMARY) Hi, Pm Dennis, What’s your name? MARY. I'm Mary, I'm Jackie’s sister, Her halfssister: Her much older half sister, mn afraid. DENNIS. Yeah, yeah, Jackie mentioned you, MARY. Oh, I'm sare. DENNIS («quick glance to JACK, sizing this up) No, she did, She said you were the pretty one. MARY, (laughing at this nonsense) So how do you two know ‘each other? DENNIS. Wé met, actually, at my friend Phil's store, just yesterday. She came in with this - on averlap, cool) Mary, you know, listen, maybe Dennis Me ae soe tnd ten, Doni, wos you Tike some iced tea? Or lemonade, or water, maybe some cookies?2 Maunerius, (DENNIS laksa hr Beat) DENNIS, Suve, that'd be great JsCkE, Mary? Could you bring Dennis some refvesh- ments MARY, OF course. Iced tea? Maybe a beer? DENNIS. A beer would he great, Mary, Thanks. (MARY nods anal goes, leaving JACKIE. and DENNIS alone) DENNIS. (continuing) L know, it's kind ofa litle bold for me to just show up like this. I’m socry. Buc I really needed. w talk to you, JACKIE, How did you know where L live? DENNIS. Yeal, well, after you left Phil's the other day, [fol Jowed you home, Listen, clo you mind if L.. (He points and. instinctively marves to the table, where ‘he book of stamps sits, still open tothe page with the one Penny coud tuo penny post office stamps. JACKIE, crosses stwifly and takes the book. He looks at her) DENNIS. (continuing) Sorry. There’s just'a couple of stamps in there, that Thought were kind of interesting, JACKIE The one penny and the avo petty post office. DENNIS, (deat) Yea, JACKIE. They're from Mauritius, DENNIS, (recovering swift) Yes, that's ul, that’s right, JACKIE, Ir’ in the Indian Ocean, Off the coast of Aftica, East of Madagascar: Ie was only the fifth county in the world to issue postage stamps, ‘The post office stamps ‘are considered the crown jewel of philately. DENNIS. Wow. Thats pretty good. You know a lot. Because you didn’t, Yesterday. Know much, L mean. Well. You're an interesting gist (He sits) JACKtE, Look. You cai stay here. IFyou want to talk about dose stamps — i ' i : SMEAR ae emai cheat SN SEE TERETE EEA STATE M8 MAURITIUS ® DENNIS. I do want to talk about them, Are you selling. them? JACKIE. Leave me your number and I'l call you. DENNIS. Do yon know how much they'+e worth? JACKIE. I said, I'l call you. DENNIS. She doesn’t know, does she? the stamps. JACKIE, She doesn’t need to know, DENNIS. Is she the one I should be talking (0? JACKIE, They're not her stamps. DENNIS. Does she know that? JACKIE. Look. You talk to hes; i's not going to get you anywhere. DENNIS. Maybe I should find that out for mysell JACKIE, You do, and you take yourself out of the running, DENNIS. “The running?” JACKIE, That's right ns Wel, i’ very ateresting hing 059 om 1 girl who is increasingly interesting, You have other offers? JACKIE. Yes, I have other offers. ae dealer and I have a lot of fs. I contacted another dealer and I have a To need {0 speak tup nov, because. DENNIS. Oh, buy thein, JACKUE Yes buy them. Of course buy thems, Z DENNIS. It's not of course, of course is the last. ching this is, (Beas) JACKIE, Look, if you con't want to buy them ~ DENNIS. I didn’t say that either JACKIE. So make me an offen: DENNIS. Oh, shit no. : JACKIE, Okay, thank you so mach for stopping by. that you're selling(She sands, to show hiv out, Hl stands, and blocks ha) DENNIS. You make me aus offer: JACKE, You want-me to make you an offer? DENNIS. Is thaita probles? JACKIE. I own them! f don't have co offer you anyching! DENNIS. ‘Tell me what you want for them, JACKIE. Why don't you just tell me what you're willing to pay, and UU tell you if that's enough. DENNIS. Why don’t you tell me what you think they're ‘worth, and UH ell you PHL pay that, JACKIE, Look, [ know you think L don’t know anything? DENNIS. Yeah, Factually, [do think that. For a minute there T thought you maybe knew a few things, but I dou’t think chat anymore. JACKIE, Falveady got gn offer ou these stamps, I know what they're worth, DENN (beat) You grow less interesting every second. JACKIE, Olt yeah? Because it seems to me, as long as I'm holding the stamps and you're not, T'm still prety fucking interesting, MARY. (reentering) Here we are! Ob, you're not leaving ate you? JAGKIE Yes, sally he has to go. DENNIS. Actually [ can stay. You know, that thing I had to lo, Ldou’t really have to do it, Pl love to stay. Thanks, Mary. (He takes his bor fiom hes, ast.) JACKIE, Well, U'n actualy, [have a lot to do, Cm working ight now, so this isn'ta great time for me, For a visit DENNIS. You go ahead. Mary MARY. Obi DENNIS. jackie was celling me about the stamp collection. hen why don'tyou tell me what itis, nd Ecan hang out, MAURITIUS Po ‘MARY. Really? DENNIS. Does that surprise you? JACKIE. Listen. aaa eee as Kw aying abou, sm Cling Wel = son toy Dean aa ry ona eo tel Youre the samp cols ees MARY. My grandfather. news, What be he? ‘MARY. He was wonderful, he really was. My father died when Mn a Aca toner DENNIS, Your father’s father. haves — tary maybe hs ihe best ne. eft e You don't want tok bout Sa a Arto ll abo see a pndaer were oe nara Oh neering om aa You drut ak abou You 0,0 Dennis? I fine it JACKIE, Would you stop using my name, 1 fin see peseasingly unnerving having you tlk to ne Hike this, ‘MARY, Well... JACKIE. Yes, that’s hilarious, a oe a Oo cn) cane you've bot been though any. She didn't wll you? 7 prefer ~26 MAURITIUS MARY. Our mother: Passed. DENNIS. Oh, MARY, It was very sudden. JACKIE. Okay, that is not stictly true, Mary, she was sick for a long ~ . Fim. You know, Deus, ['m sure you. understand that ic’ just nota good time, today ~ DENNIS. It scons like it's a good time for Mary. JACKIE, Buc it’s terrifically tetvible time, for me, MARY. (tinder her reat) T's always a. terrible time for you. JACKIE. We are not talking about this, Mary! MARY. Why not? Why not? JACKIE, (snapping) Because I don’t want tol MARY. Why? Why is it so hard for you to understand, 1 ‘didu’t have the tine you had, to to to get used to what swas happening ~ JACKE, (overlap) Stop acting, it’s your own Fault! She asked you to come, she begged you, and you stayed away, ‘That was your choice MARY, It had been so long since anyone was interested, years, what-was I supposed to do? Oh now she’s dying, she wars to see you now. [had feelings about that. 1 dou't apologize for that. What, she only wants to see ime when she’s dying? JACKIE, She was dying! She wanted to see you! MARY. Well I needed a little time to work chat through, all right? JACKIE. Yes, that’s a terrific point, except there wasn’t any ‘ime! She was dying! MARY. 'm sorry. didn’t mean to ger into this, You've been 30 kinel to mie, Dennis, I really appreciate it W's beers bard, going through what we're going through. L'm suve that’s what you sense with Jackie. DENNIS, Absolutely. (beni Do you wanta glass of wine or something? MAuRITTUS a ‘MARY, I'm fine, I'm fine, I shouldn't have just erapted Tike that, I’m 50 sorry DENNIS. Please don't apologize, The death of a parent, that’s huge. : ACKTE, You know it xeally is and I really really think that Mary and I need a little privacy right now, Dennis Please. DENNIS. How did she dic? ‘MARY. Cancer, yack. Oh my Goel. ‘DENNIS, (Jo MARY) And you Tost your father as well? MARY. Ob well, that was years ago, DENNIS, That's rough, Mary. I mean, that’s just tough. ‘MARY. Thank you. DENNIS, (putting it logether) And so Jackie's your half sites, bbut you have the same mother ~ well, had, I'm so sorry 80, that means Jackie’s father — where'd he go? acute, (a veal eruption) Mind your own fucking business! ‘That is none of your ~ you know, you need to get out of here, Just GET OUT OF HERE. DENNIS. Whoa, Jackie. am so sorry: Did I step intoa tive subject? (There is a pause. JSCIUE takes a breath. She reaches ‘over and takes the beer fom MARY, drinks.) JACKIE. It is a bil of a sensitive subject, Dennis, I really apologize. To you too, Mary, 'm clearly just not mysel these days. (beat) You know, Dennis, fam so glad you stopped by and 1 think you and I have a lot to talk over andl I'm hoping wwe can do that DENNIS. Oh, good. JACKIE, Yeah, I'm more than willing, T really want to hear ‘you out, and talk things over and things like that, But right now, really, really ~it’s such not the right tne, ont tin tint ine RARER CRUISES SOCKET HISAR2s MAURITIUS: DENNIS. [cotally understand. Look, Let’ talk about some- thing else, What can we talk abou? ‘The stamps. Why don’t you cell me about them, Mary? (He hands her the alban, She touches it, reverential) DENNIS. (continuing) You know, Franklin Roosevelt col- lected stamps. MARY. (laughing « litte, sad) OF course {knew that. My grandfather actually corresponded with FDR. He wanted t0 buy one of our stamps! DENNIS. Did he? MARY. My grandfather had both @ one penty AND a wo pemy post office, From Mauritius. They're very very DENNIS. ‘The crown jewel of philately. MARY. You know stamps? DENNIS. A little, (DENNIS smiles at he friendly, while JACKIE. watches this, appalled. Blackout) sa sir atnteih an eh ne AEE oT-SEREDEATEANRUARCSNMSEAASA RNA MAURITIUS » Scene 4 (PHILIP’s shop. He is at the counter, reading again. STERLING slands in the doorway.) ‘STERLING. Hley. PHILIP. (glancing up) Yes? STERLING. How you doing? pumar. Oh, SPERLING. Yeah, hi. PHILIP. le’s not here, [STRRLING. No, I know. I mean, I see that, PHIL. Well, STERLING. You talk 1o him today? PHILIP. No. STERLING. Yesterday? PHILIP, (« sigh) Yes. He was here yesterday. ‘STERLING. Yeah? How was that? PHILIP, How was it? STERLING. Yeah, you know, anything going on? PHAR. Not that I know of. STERLING. Yeah? PHILIP, Do you want something, Sterling? Do you want to Jook at something, or. (He thinks for a minute, then renensber.) STERLING. Or what? ‘PHILIP. Nothing, (beat) Did he .. tell you something? STERLING. Is there something to tell? PHILIP.No. There isn't. He just sat here, That's all that bap- pened, that’s all that ever happens. If anything shows ‘up, my undersianding is he'll tell you, but nothing,30 Maunertus: STERLING, ‘That's not what he says. Phere is a beat, PAMLAP tiuks about this, then shrugs, Iaughs a ite) PHILP. Yon want co look through my case? I'd be happy to have you look through this stuff. Ldon'e know why you'd want to, Pus pretty sure this iit going to meat anything t you, and [don't know why you think, ‘whacever i is you do think ~ STeRLING. I don’t think anything. PHIL. Okay, Okay then, let me show you what f got, maybe you'll get lucky and! [Il get lucky ancl retire on the vast suns of mouey you'll shower ou my unworthy head. STERLING. I don’t need to do that. prmtae, (dea) What do you want? Stecling? Just tell me what you want, okay? STERLING. I want 1 hear about the gil umtar. What git? STERLING, You really want to play it lke that, Phil? PusP. Oh any god, Does this actually get you dings, talk- ing lke Unis? STERLING. Yeah, actully it does pattie. Well good because Fiankly it seems kind of silly co SPERLING. "That's five, That's fine, Phil. Now why don't you tell me about the git. PusLAP, Was there a girl who came in here yesterday, that Dennis talked to who had some stamps, is this the question you'se asking me? Yes. The answer is yes, there was a gil who came in who lad some stamps and Deunis talked to her. Now ean Task you some- thing? Did Dennis tell you this, that he sav a gisl in haere and she showed Iii some stamps? STERLING. Yes he did. Dini, Then why axe you asking me about i? STERLING, I'm asking about it because I'm wying to be polite MADRITIUS a PHIL Hey, con't strain yoursell STERLING. Philip, J don't. 1 just offer you an opportuni Tknow you've got a problem, you think I took some- thing from you at some point, you can’t get over something that happened so long ago no one gives a shit, [realize that. 'm coming in here and V’m being, nice out of sensitivity 1o something I really, a rats ass would be a step up, in my book, © what you're hold- ing onto, We both know that. And it isan ievitant 10 a person, let’ say a person was stupid at one time in the past, ane! Pm not talking about myself, but someone behaves in a stupid way, no one has to say anything about that except that that person needs 10 own his, ‘own stupidity and not wallow in some sense of blame or victimhood, you're so interested in vicimhood? Go watch 'LV,, that is not a world that interesis me. Its an irritant. So there is some question, in my mind? How Jong this attempt at civility is going to survive here. Under these circumstances. Because due respect, I'm better in a sitnation when I can just be direct (beat) ‘This is an olive branch, Philip. PHILP. Well, you know, I'm touched. I mean, that’ terrific ‘All of this, what you just suid, 1feel a lot better, T mean you were right, you're right, I have been holding onto that silly tle matter, how long ago was that ~ STERLING. Eight — PHILIP, Eight years! Is that how long? Wow, time flies doesn’t it? STERLING. You ever hear from her? PHILIP. That's not— Iam not~ STERLING. I'm asking as a friend. PHILP. 1am nor talking about her! STERLING, Fight years, due respect, is a long enough time to contemplate that maybe there was a problem in the marriage.