Table of Contents
Praise
Title Page
PRODUCTION HISTORY
CHARACTERS
Act One
SCENE ONE
SCENE TWO
SCENE THREE
SCENE FOUR
Act Two
SCENE ONE
SCENE TWO
SCENE THREE
SCENE FOUR
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Copyright Page
“David Lindsay-Abaire has crafted a drama that’s not just a departure but a revelation—an intensely emotional examination of grief, laced with wit, insightfulness, compassion and searing honesty.”
—DAVID ROONEY, VARIETY
“GRADE: A! A transcendent and deeply affecting new play, which shifts perfectly from hilarity to grief.”
—WHITNEY PASTOREK, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
“Rabbit Hole presents a tragedy and its consequences with utter candor, and without sentimentality. The dialogue is most impressive for capturing the awkwardness and pain of thinking people faced with an unthinkable situation—and eventually, their capacity for survival, and even hope.”
—ELYSSA GARDNER, USA TODAY
“With Rabbit Hole, David Lindsay-Abaire has crafted the most serious, simply told work of his career—a painstakingly beautiful, dramatically resourceful, exquisitely human new play.”
—LEONARD JACOBS, BACKSTAGE
“A thoroughly absorbing, profoundly affecting and painfully touching examination of grief.”
—ROBERT FELDBERG, BERGEN RECORD
“The highest praise to playwright David Lindsay-Abaire! Rabbit Hole is an entertaining and satisfying play—it might just be the year’s best.”
—GENA HYMOWECH, SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY
“A perceptive and poignant study in the day-to-day aches of bereavement: problems with personal intimacy, the uneasy friends who don’t call, the emptiness in a house packed with reminders ... Heart-breaking in its theme and details, Rabbit Hole is a beautifully crafted work of great sensitivity.”
—MICHAEL SOMMERS, STAR-LEDGER
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Rabbit Hole was commissioned by South Coast Repertory (Martin Benson, Artistic Director; David Emmes, Producing Artistic Director) in Costa Mesa, CA. It received its world premiere by Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) on Broadway at the Biltmore Theatre, on February 2, 2006. The production was directed by Daniel Sullivan. The set design was by John Lee Beatty, the costume design was by Jennifer Von Mayrhauser, the lighting design was by Christopher Akerlind and the original music and sound design were by John Gromada. The production stage manager was Roy Harris. The cast included:
BECCA Cynthia Nixon
IZZY Mary Catherine Garrison
HOWIE John Slattery
NAT Tyne Daly
JASON John Gallagher, Jr.
CHARACTERS
BECCA: late thirties/early forties
IZZ Y: early thirties, Becca’s sister
HOWIE: late thirties/early forties, Becca’s husband
NAT: mid-sixties, Becca and Izzy’s mother
JASON: a seventeen-year-old boy
PLACE
Larchmont, New York
TIME
The present
Act One
SCENE ONE
Late February. A spacious eat-in kitchen.
Saturday afternoon. Becca, late thirties, is folding the laundry, kids clothes, and putting it in neat piles on the table. Her sister, Izzy, early thirties, is in the middle of a story, getting herself a glass of orange juice from the fridge.
IZZY
And then I see her across the bar, coming at me with this look, you know. And everybody kinda steps aside for her, like the Red Sea, or whatever—just clears a path for her, and I’m like, “What’s with this nut-job?”
BECCA
But you don’t even know this woman.
IZZY
Never seen her before. I was just sitting there with Reema. Do you remember Reema?
BECCA
No.
IZZY
She’s a friend of mine. I was sitting there with Reema, and suddenly this lady is in my face. And she’s all sweaty and yelling and really pissed.
BECCA
Why?
IZZY
I don’t even know at this point. It has something to do with her boyfriend, who’s apparently at the end of the bar.
BECCA
Were you flirting or—?
IZZY
No, I don’t even know who she’s talking about. So she’s all up in my face, and her breath is like—
BECCA
Boozy?
IZZY
Yeah boozy, but even worse, you know, like there’s something rancid stuck to the roof of her mouth.
BECCA
Ew.
IZZY
Rotting peanut butter or something.
BECCA
Good lord, Izzy.
IZZY
And she’s harassing me, and blowing her stank-breath in my face. And cussing. My god, you wouldn’t believe the words that came out of this lady’s mouth.
BECCA
And you don’t even know who she’s talking about.
IZZY
She’s talking about her boyfriend.
BECCA
No, I know but—
IZZY
Auggie.
(Beat.)
BECCA
Oh. I thought you didn’t know who she—
IZZY
No, at the time I didn’t know who she was talking about, because I didn’t know he was there. But then I figured it out later, “Oh, she must be Auggie’s girlfriend.”
BECCA
IZZY
Yeah, I know him, but still. Lemme finish.
BECCA
I’m sorry.
IZZY
So she’s all, “You bitch, you. Fuck you, you bitch.”
BECCA
Izzy—
IZZY
Sorry: “F-U, you B,” and all that. Just talking like a maniac.
BECCA
Uh-huh.
IZZY
And people are looking at us, so I’m starting to feel self-conscious.
BECCA
Of course.
IZZY
And she’s just going off, and I can’t really do anything because the place is so crowded, you know? And she’s a big lady. Real hefty. More chins than—what does Mom say?
BECCA
More Chins than a Chinese phone book.
IZZY
Exactly. So I can’t even get around her to escape or whatever. And I’m starting to feel violated, you know?
BECCA
Sure.
IZZY
My personal space, and my dignity, or what have you, so I just made a fist, hauled off, and BOOM!
(Beat.)
BECCA
What does that mean?
IZZY
It means I hit her.
BECCA
No, you didn’t.
IZZY
Crazy, right?
BECCA
You hit her?
IZZY
Yeah. Right in the face. BOOM. She went down.
BECCA
Oh my god, Izzy.—You hit that woman?
IZZY
I couldn’t get around her. And she was screaming like a retard.
BECCA
Izzy—
IZZY
What would you have done?
BECCA
Well I certainly wouldn’t have hit her. Jesus.
IZZY
And you know what they don’t tell ya? It really hurts. To punch someone. It
frickin’ hurts.
BECCA
Well, yeah.
IZZY
They don’t put that on TV. It’s all, “Now that oughtta show him.” But for me it was like, “Motherfucker, that killed!” Look at my knuckles. (Shows her; then off Becca’s look) What?
BECCA
Nothing.
IZZY
You don’t approve?
BECCA
I didn’t say that.
IZZY
This lady was at me.
BECCA
I know. I didn’t say anything.
IZZY
But you wanna though.
(Beat.)
BECCA
I just worry about you.
IZZY
Don’t worry about me. She was the one on the floor.
BECCA
That’s not what I meant. You were in a bar fight.
IZZY
So?
BECCA
A bar fight, Izzy.
IZZY
She was up in my face!
BECCA
I know, but it’s so ...
IZZY
What?
BECCA
Jerry Springer.
IZZY
What’s that supposed to mean? You think I’m trashy?
BECCA
You punched a woman in the face!
IZZY
She provoked me!
BECCA
Were you drunk?
IZZY
BECCA
I thought you were getting it together.
IZZY
Don’t judge me.
BECCA
You said you were gonna take it easy.
IZZY
Man, Becca. Why do you have to—?
BECCA
You can’t be doing this kinda stuff, Izzy. You’re not a kid anymore.
IZZY
I didn’t realize there was a cut-off date.
BECCA
Well there should be. For acting like a jackass there should be a cut-off date. Were you on anything?
IZZY
Oh my god.
BECCA
Were you?
IZZY
No. Man, why did I say anything to you?
BECCA
I don’t know. Why did you?
IZZY
Look, I went out. I got into a fight. I thought it was a funny story. I thought you’d be amused.
BECCA
I’m not.
IZZY
Clearly.
BECCA
I thought you were gonna go easy, that’s all. That you were gonna do less of this.
IZZY
Hey, I’m still coping, too, Becca. I know it’s not the same, but it’s still hard. Okay?
(Beat.)
BECCA
Don’t do that.
IZZY
Do what?
BECCA
Gimme a break.
IZZY
What? I’m not allowed to be upset anymore?
BECCA
No, you’re not allowed to use him.
IZZY
What are you—?
BECCA
As an excuse.
IZZY
I’m not.
BECCA
You’re not allowed to use him to justify your own shit. Just don’t do that. Please.
(Silence. Becca folds the clothes.)
IZZY
That’s not what I was doing.
BECCA
Okay.
IZZY
I’m hungry. Mind if I get something?
BECCA
Since when do you ask?
IZZY
You’re making me feel sensitive.
(Izzy heads back to the fridge.)
Where’s Howie?
BECCA
He’s with Rick. They’re playing squash.
IZZY
(Chuckles) Squash.
(Regarding something in the fridge) What’s this? Pudding?
BECCA
It’s gonna be crème caramel.
IZZY
Howie’s a lucky man. Ya won’t see me making anyone crème caramel.
BECCA
If you’re hungry, Isabel, grab something. Don’t stand there with the door open.
IZZY
(Holds up an individual crème caramel) Can I have one of these? There’s an extra in here.
(Beat.)
BECCA
Yeah, okay.
IZZY
Well I won’t eat it if you don’t want me to.
BECCA
No, go ahead. You’re right, there’s an extra.
IZZY
You sure?
BECCA
Just let me finish it.
IZZY
I can eat it like this.
BECCA
No. Then it’s just custard.
IZZY
I like custard.
BECCA
I didn’t make custard, I made crème caramel.
(Becca gets a dessert plate, and over the following she takes the ramekin and runs a knife around the inside edge of it.)
How’s work?
IZZY
Don’t ask me that please.
BECCA
Why not?
(Beat.)
You got fired?
IZZY
It never ends with me, does it.
BECCA
Not often, no.
IZZY
Don’t tell Mom.
BECCA
How can you get fired from Applebee’s?
IZZY
It was all politics. I don’t really wanna get into it.
(Becca flips the ramekin over onto the plate, and the crème caramel comes out. She gets a spoon and hands both to Izzy.)
Thank you.
(Becca wipes down the counter, cleans up. Izzy pokes at the caramel with her spoon.)
I like how it oozes.
BECCA
Of course you do.
IZZY
(Takes a bite) Mmmmm.
BECCA
Better than custard, isn’t it?
IZZY
Yes it is. You were right. Again.
(Beat.)
And again and again and again.
(Becca goes back to folding clothes.)
I wasn’t using him as an excuse. I was just saying that it’s been hard to pull it together, that’s all. For all of us.
BECCA
Izzy, please.
IZZY
And I wasn’t drinking when I hit that lady. Stone sober.
BECCA
Yeah right.
IZZY
I was. I just had soda that night.
(We hear the dryer buzz.)
BECCA
She gonna press charges, ya think?
IZZY
No, Auggie would kill her. She’s over it anyway. She moved out. Went to her cousin’s or something.
(Becca, on her way to the laundry room, stops.)
BECCA
What are you talking about?
IZZY
She moved. Out of Auggie’s place. They’re not together anymore.
BECCA
(Confused; comes back) I’m sorry ... Do you know these people?
IZZY
Auggie I do. The girlfriend I only heard about.
(Beat.)
BECCA
What’d you do, Izzy?
IZZY
Whadaya mean?
BECCA
To that woman. What’d you do to her?
IZZY
I told you, I hit her.
BECCA
Before that.
IZZY
Nothing. That was the first time I met her.
BECCA
People don’t scream in your face for no reason.
IZZY
Sure they do. You should get out more.
BECCA
Were you sleeping with him? This Auggie guy, whatever his
name is? You were sleeping with him, right?
(Beat.)
IZZY
Where ya goin’ with this?
BECCA
Well Jesus, Iz, you tell this story like you’re an innocent bystander. You say you don’t know who this woman was—
IZZY
I didn’t!
BECCA
You were having sex with her boyfriend!
IZZY
That is so beside the point!
BECCA
It is?!
IZZY
It was over between them for a long time. They were just living together because of the rent situation. She didn’t care what he did.
BECCA
Then why did she accost you in a crowded bar?
IZZY
Because she’s a lunatic!