Untitled Play-A Bare Beginning

Hi Everyone,

This is a three person play I began a few months back and thought I would post it.
I guess I'm looking for your reaction. Should I pursue it? Does it engage you? Is it too maudlin. I reckon I'm copying the Love Lettrs format. Three actors would stand at the podium or at least that's how I envision it now. Could metamorhis in any number of ways. Anyway some reactions would be appreciated.

Untitled Play by Gail Mangham

Characters:
Jen: Wife/Daugherinlaw
Ryan: Husband/Son
Lynn: Mother/Motherinlaw

Jen and Ryan write one another and Ryan and Lynn write one another.


The letters span September 1967 to November 1968


Act One



Son

Dear Momma,

On the plane. I can just make out the shoreline of my new home for the next 14 months. I hope this reaches you soon. It was so hard saying good-bye to you and the baby. I know men aren’t supposed to cry, but that’s all I really wanted to do. I’m glad you weren’t at the airport. And thank you for watching the rug rat for us. Saying good-bye to Jen was bad enough. We stood there watching a gunny, gunnery sergeant say good-bye to his wife. He was ramrod straight and I didn’t see a tear in his wife’s eye. They just looked at each other. But still I could feel the tension between them, stretched like a rubber band, ready to break. Finally he picked up his flight bag and turned and walked to the plane and never looked back.

Someone shouted to get our asses on board and suddenly the moment was there and I had to say my good-bye to Jen. She was so beautiful standing there, trying to be brave like the other woman, but tears trembled in her eyes, making the hazel turn emerald in the sunlight. God, I wanted to hold her forever. I know you understand all this because like so many women you had your turn too, saying good-byes to Dad when he was ordered to sea. Jeesh, does it ever end Momma? Does there ever come a time when we get it, when we stop saying good bye to go to war? How about a law that limits good-byes to leaving on vacations, going off to school, going out for pizza… Oops gotta run. We’re landing. Will send this off soonest since I don’t know when I can write again. Don’t even know where I’ll be. I keep telling myself this is my duty and the adventure of a life time. Tell Dad hello.

Love you,

Ryan Jr.

Jen

Hey there First Lieutenant Ryan Scott Jr.,

I love you. Gotta get that out there right at the beginning. And don’t you forget it. Ever!
That’s an order. We’re fine. Everyone’s fine here. Really. Maggie is cutting a tooth, so I have been rubbing her gums with a tiny bit of oil of clove. She sucks my thumb and seems to like the taste. She is so cute and I hate that you will miss seeing her grow for more than a year. But enough said about that. I promise to take lots of pictures and send them to you and make tapes of her chattering away in her own special language. I’m settled in a small apartment and it’s only a mile from the beach, which could be nice when it is not so blasted hot as it is now. I swear you could fry an egg out there today.
My classes are going well. My first year of teaching. I swear some of my students are only a year younger than me. Did you know you can stay in public school ‘til you turn twenty-one? So I have this one guy who is 20. Egad I’m barely 22. When I know him a bit better I think I’ll try to find out his story. The high school is huge, like a small college, with over 2200 students. I was walking down the hall yesterday and one the students shouted as he passed me, “Hiya Teach.” Of course later I thought of coming back with Hiya Pupe, but you know me always slow on the comebacks. Still it sort of made me feel like I belonged, a little bit anyway.

Ah Maggie just woke up…More later…

Love you,
Kitten

Mother

Dear Son,

I never thought to be writing like this again. I guess I believed that my last letter to your Father on his last tour at sea was it. I didn’t like writing those letters in a way, you know. I always felt I had to present the stiff upper lip image of the navy wife, fully competent and keeping the home fires burning. God knows he certainly didn’t need to hear me whining. But it often felt unreal, fake. So let’s make a deal—mother to son—let’s let our feelings out, let’s not hide behind platitudes, fears of upsetting one another. I want to know what life is like for you in this coming year. Your father never talked about his experiences, never seemed to want to and maybe you will feel that way too, but now at the beginning of this thing, just know I’m the one person you can dump on and bear it and if I can’t I’ll tell you. Deal???

So I will begin by saying, Ryan, you are unimaginably precious to me and I will live each day you are gone with both fear and pride. Last night I awoke with my heart pounding in my chest and suddenly the fleeting remnant of a dream surfaced, I had been holding you, feeling the curve of head against my breast, your body limp, heavy and warm from feeding, your mouth open in a little o of remembered pleasure. The touch of you was so real, I held my breath trying to make it last, but like all dreams it vanished. But it was a gift in the night my darling.

I love you,
Momma

Ryan

My darling Jen,

Where to begin. I miss you, oh how I do miss you. And wee Maggie. A new tooth?! By the time I get back she’ll have a mouthful and probably give me a bite instead of a kiss when I first see her. Ah well I’ll survive. Give her a big hug from Daddy.
This is a strange place Jen. So beautiful in so many ways, green, green and more green. Of course right now the heat is awful and the humidity is a killer. I’m drenched when I wake up. Well let’s face it I’m drenched when I go to sleep as well. Can’t seem to get enough water into me, but I’m sure that will change. All of us here are new and still not sure where I’ll be sent, guess wherever they need a greenhorn lieutenant, probably north. Everything here is warm—the water, the food, the beer—the air feels like walking through warm syrup. And people always seem to be either running in all directions or lying in a patch of shade waiting for the next breeze to wander through.

Remember that song Big Bad John, when we were in high school? I think Jimmy Dean sang it. Anyway there is this gunny here who fits the song to a T.
The song starts off…
Ev'ry mornin' at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed two forty five
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew ya didn't give no lip to Big John.

Well that’s this guy. I even asked someone about him and his name is John. Unbelievable! When he walks through an area, people part like some huge cruiser is coming through. Not sure I would want him in my company, but on the other hand he might just be the bad ass that you would want around your troops. Mail call is coming up soon. So I best end this so it will go off. I love you and don’t worry about me. Other than being wet all the time, I’m just fine. And of course I miss you something awful and the munchkin too. Give her a big hug from Daddy. And if you see Momma tell her hi and share this with her if you wish…or not whatever you want. I’ll be trying to write as often as I can, but I’m sure when I start going out on patrol, the letters will not come as often, so be prepared and not to worry.

Wishing I were there in your arms,

Ryan, the Mess



Jen


Hi Sweetheart,

I’m at the beach. Sunday morning. I thought I’d come down early. Maggie is playing in the sand. The Gulf is mostly flat with puny waves rolling in, but that’s ok. I have the place to myself. I guess since it’s fall and kids are busy with school or sleeping late or going to church or whatever… well anyway it’s too cool to have it all to myself. As far as I can see in all directions the only thing alive are sea gulls. Their cries and the sound of the sea are it, all I can hear. No traffic noise, no ac’s humming. It almost feels like being on a deserted island. Wow what a luxury in this day and time.

Oops had to rescue Maggie. She decided sand would make a good snack and then changed her mind abruptly when she sampled it.

Last night I chaperoned a dance at the gym. The assistant principal, who is this oily type, put the moves on me. He started with “I understand your husband is overseas, must get lonely.” I wanted to shout that with my first year of teaching and an 18 month old, there was no time for loneliness and would he please just eff off. But I do get lonely sometime. It’s almost always at night, when I’m just lying there drifting off and suddenly I’m overwhelmed by this longing; it first washes through me like a huge wave and then it settles under my heart like a stone. It ‘s so palpable this feeling with a shape and weight that is material. I’m probably not making any sense and I don’t won’t you think I go around in a perpetual state of longing. It just creeps in a night and takes me unawares.

OK YOUR daughter has decided she wants to hit the surf. More later.

Big, Huge Hugs,

Me

Son

Dear Momma,

Sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been pretty busy. We’re at Con Thein right now. I guess Jen gave you my address. You wouldn’t believe this place. It rains constantly! Nobody can stay dry. All these stupid bunkers leak like sieves.

This country has beautiful forests complete with orchids and huge poinsettia trees. Only problem is the damned incoming. We pick up 40-50 rounds a day in our sector here; nobody hurt though. I’ve thought about your ‘deal’ and if you’re up for it, I will tell it like it is, or will be, except I don’t know what it will be, do I? And I don’t know if I will be able to handle what’s coming. I think about that. I guess I don’t want to let Dad down, or the guys under me, or myself. I’m not sure Basic School can really prepare you for this. In fact I know it can’t. The guys on the other side of the DMZ are out to kill you and that pretty much makes Basic School a walk in the park. You hear the rounds screaming in and you never know of course where they’re going to land. So you just keep checking your equipment, checking your men-- which I have to do right now. So I’ll close and I promise to write more later. Let me know how you are, ok? And tell Dad Hi, and give Jen my love and hug little bit for me.

Love,
Ryan Jr.



Mother

Dear Ryan,

This will be short, but I want to dash something off to you before I head for work. Jen called me yesterday, on your anniversary. Bless her heart. I could hear the tears in her voice. I remember your Dad was at sea, on our 10th anniversary. You were about six. And if I’m remembering this right I took you to ride the ponies. Do you remember that place outside of town with the small track? You just loved that, going round and round, never enough for you. And we were driving back we passed the lake and you saw a boat and yelled out, “Is that Daddy in the boat Momma?” I explained that he was on a big boat, a ship out on the ocean. And you said, “Let’s grow wings and fly to see him Momma.” I know you don’t remember that. I just lost it right then and there and had to pull over. And I grabbed you and hugged you—and held on for life. Finally you said I was hurting you, but that it was ok, and you patted my wet face and kept saying, it’s ok Momma, it’s ok. I started laughing at the notion of you comforting me and then you started giggling and we sat there me laughing hysterically and you wiping my cheeks dry and kissing me. I hope Jen finds as much comfort in Maggie as I found in you my darling Ryan.

Love,
Momma

Jen

Happy Anniversary Sweetie,

Three years. Wow! I’m sure you are celebrating in some elegant restaurant with lots of French delicacies and superb wines. Just make sure you’re toasting me across the miles and not some Asian beauty. I left Maggie at day care for a bit and went straight from school to the beach. I had the place to myself. I guess I was feeling sort of lonely and so I just sang my heart out to the ocean. I went through all the songs I’ve been singing since I was a little girl. I sang until the sun set and I was hoarse. No one to hear me except the sea gulls and the ocean to remind me how insignificant were the tears washing down my face. Then I opened a bottle of wine and poured it into a crystal glass and raised it to the west and shouted, “Here’s to us Ryan, Three going on a Life Time. Keep your Head Down Darling.” Does that sound silly? Yeah perhaps, but it all helped. I love you Ryan. So much. Sometimes I can’t seem to breathe when I think how much I love you. At night I imagine your arms around me and I can feel your skin on mine, feel the beat of your heart, trying to put mine in sync with yours. Sometimes it is so real, you know? So real.
Back to the real world. I have to give tests tomorrow and I’m not quite finished with preparing them. So…Be careful darling. If I could a put magic bubble around you to protect you, I would.

Love you,
Me

Ryan

Dear Jen,

I’m writing by candlelight so it may not be too steady. This place is a pain. We never see anybody, just take rounds from mortars and artillery at odd intervals during the day. So far I’ve no one killed. And only 2 hurt badly enough to take to the rear. I hope we can keep it that way. Whoops! My candle burned out. Oh well as long as my kerosene lamp holds out, I’m in good shape..
These men who work for me, boys really, most are 18-19, and unbelievable. They gripe a lot, but they also work like teamsters and joke about anything. They’re the world’s greatest scroungers. Don’t let anybody kid you about us having everything we need. Ha! Ammo and food, yes. Construction material, clothing, almost anything else you care to name—we’re short of it. McNamara’s Band! Sheessh!

No, my own one I don’t think it’s silly to toast me on the beach. The best I could manage was warm water from my canteen? No candlelit restaurants anywhere around, but I did send you my love and lewd thoughts across the miles. Remember the time in the car at the park?. I thought I’d have a heart attack when that cop shined his flashlight through the window. Oh well probably not the first lovers he’s come upon in a parked car.

Now the kerosene is beginning to go. I best close while I can see at all. I love you darling and promise that this anniversary and the next are the only two I will ever miss.

Me

Son


Dear Momma,

I’m in good shape, a little tired, but fine really. I hope we eventually go where we can take showers and sleep nights for a while. Hey Dad if you get a deer and make sausage, why don’t you send me some.. Any goodies to supplement the C-Rations are Greatly appreciated!