SETTING: Two adjoining apartments with two doors and apartment numbers’ posted number one and
two. The apartment on the left (No. 1) is a partially furnished kitchen (Visible from the audience perspective), kitchen counter
with a hotplate for cooking and kitchen sink, (Non-working –but a plastic tub of water for ease of set construction)
a mirror above the wall over the kitchen sink as well as your standard kitchen cupboards. Furniture consists of: kitchen table
and four chairs, couch and 4 folding chairs. Pictures of the family line the walls, the two sons and their mother –with
an intentional space missing where the fathers’ picture used to be. (I suggest a light coat of paint to simulate the
appearance of the dust left over from a picture taken off of the wall-a void in their life.) A picture of the parents’
rock and roll band blown up, with an intentional crack going across the picture to show time. A golden record award hangs
on the wall as well -with a crack across the glass too. A guitar hangs from the wall from the band from years gone by. Two
large sliding glass doors are left without the glass on both sides of the adjoining apartments so the audience can hear and
see the action on stage. The two apartment doors are on both left and right sides. Above the two apartments is a sign that
reads “Sunrise Apartments”. The apartment on the right (No. 2) has a lack of furniture and it’s intended
purpose is for a later scene where actors will be moving Jim Pederson into the adjoining apartment.(No.2) When the play has
progressed they will be moving more furniture in. The time is 1968 and early morning breakfast is being cooked while sons
are patiently waiting for their meal. The table is set for three people and an empty flower vase lies on its side on the kitchen
table as well as napkin holder, salt and pepper holder. The clock on the wall reads 7 AM. A bottle of whiskey and shot glasses
are on the kitchen counter.
AT RISE: While a coffee maker is perking Steve and David Pederson are sitting at the kitchen table while
their mother Nicole Kidman is bustling about the kitchen cooking eggs and setting the table. They are both dressed as security
guards ready for work-complete with pistols in holster. (Plastic guns hopefully or real guns without bullets!)
NICKI:
(Appears wearing a bathrobe .Places the vase
upright that was fallen.)
Your real father wouldn’t be so demanding.
STEVE:
My real father left me when I was about 10 years old Ma!
DAVID:
Yeah ma-he abandoned us!
NICKI:
It’s not like that and you know it!
(SHE sets the table with their silverware for breakfast in
front of them-while she is talking and cooking the eggs)
STEVE:
You better tow the line now Ma- we’re in charged!
DAVID:
Hurry up with that breakfast!
NICKI:
You want the eggs done raw or something?
(She puts their bottle of whiskey and shot glasses away in
disgust)
STEVE:
You haven’t even given us our morning coffee!
NICKI:
It’s perking...I-I haven’t’ got ten hands -I’m just one person!
DAVID:
We could take those hands!
STEVE:
Better watch your step mama child!
NICKI:
What kind of sons did I raise? Are you threatening me?
DAVID:
We could easily replace her! (Snickers)
STEVE:
She’s lucky they were able to sew that finger on!
DAVID:
Well- you know accidents happen!
STEVE:
Yeah-we’d hate to see you have another accident!
NICKI:
My real husband would knock you out -he’s a real man. You both became a couple of hoodlums!
I ought to c-call him!
(SHE pauses and starts to show a noticeable shake as
she won’t look up at them!)
STEVE:
Now- what did we tell you?
NICKI:
I-I ought to!
STEVE:
I-I what ma?
DAVID:
We have to remind her! Mafia’s power Ma!
STEVE:
You’re not to call him… ever!
DAVID:
You like your fingers don’t you?
NICKI:
You’ve made my life a prison!
STEVE:
Just remember -we’re the boss now!
DAVID:
Yeah- get that straight mama!
NICKI:
If you two hadn’t been so violent as boys-he would’ve stayed with me!
STEVE:
Just shows that your Jim was a fag!
DAVID:
Yeah- we really whacked him a good one-just like old Tony taught us!
STEVE:
His own father made a fool of him!
NICKI:
Here’s your food!
(Throws it on the table)
(CONT.) Son of a Bitch!
DAVID:
I notice how she shuts-up now… “when” I tell her to!
STEVE:
Better watch that lip of yours! Stick out that tongue of yours…now-mom!
NICKI:
I won’t and you can’t make me!
(Pause as SHE just shakes in fear of them)
DAVID:
Now we told you what to do ma!
(They both pull out hammers from their pockets
and hammer the kitchen table)
STEVE:
Yeah- and you better do it!
DAVID:
Now Ma! Now!
(HE hammers again)
(CONT.) It better bleed too!
STEVE:
Or we’ll make it right!
NICKI:
Oh God- what have I done?
(She sticks out her own tongue and bites down)
DAVID:
That’s right ma-you’ve done that to yourself- didn’t you?
STEVE:
I wonder how come?
DAVID:
I wonder! (Snickers)
NICKI:
You’re both so abusive! So very abusive!
STEVE:
We told you- not to talk about him!
NICKI:
Your violence drove my Jimmy away from me! You both made this wall that’s between us!
DAVID:
We told you before- not to talk about him!
STEVE:
That’s right -we don’t want to talk about him!
NICKI:
And to think he taught both of you to read and write!
DAVID:
I’m telling you -we don’t want to hear about it ma!
STEVE:
He abandoned us! But we’re a member of a big family now Ma!
DAVID:
Mafia’s our family now!
STEVE:
We’re both a made man now!
NICKI:
A made man?
DAVID:
That’s where you do a favor for the mafia.
STEVE:
We’re both members of the outfit now ma!
DAVID:
Mafia’s come ma!
STEVE:
We’re more than survivors now!
DAVID:
They try our hand -it’s the last thing they do!
NICKI:
But I’m just a little woman that brought you into this world! Don’t I count?
STEVE:
You have to follow the rank and file of the mafia now! Get me some more coffee!
NICKI:
I know! One lump or two?
(SHE glares at both of them -then walks over to the coffee
pot)
DAVID:
She’s starting to catch on!
STEVE:
She remembers!
DAVID:
Just don’t remember too much!
STEVE:
Safer that way!
NICKI:
I know you really whack people’s heads! What kind of sons-
STEVE:
Ball peen hammer!
(HE hammers the table)
DAVID:
They get whacked!
NICKI:
If you are this abusive to your own mother …after all I’ve done for you-what are you like
around others that I don’t know?
STEVE:
You don’t want to know!
DAVID:
Safer that way!
STEVE:
Yeah-you could have another accident- if you get to nosey ma!
DAVID:
That’s our business ma!
STEVE:
That’s right ma! NICKI: You went from becoming gifted children -to becoming gifted criminals! What
did I do wrong? Where did I go wrong?
DAVID:
I think it started with Dad using a baseball bat against us!
STEVE:
I think that about says it!
NICKI:
But what was he supposed to do? Both of you would come at him with hammers! Telling him that you’re
mafia!
DAVID:
Orders came down and we followed them!
NICKI:
Orders? Orders? Fathers’ give orders...and he told you …I give orders-not you!
STEVE:
So you thought!
DAVID:
Sure found out different-little mama child!
STEVE:
We got our orders from Buster!
DAVID:
We followed them!
NICKI:
But this was your own father we’re talking about!
STEVE:
Let that be a lesson for you too! Understand?
DAVID:
Yeah-don’t get to nosey into our business or you’ll get whacked! (Snickers)
NICKI:
Your own father had an I.Q. of 250; I thought you were going to be gifted like him - a genius! Instead
you’re a gifted criminal! A criminal son!
(THEY both start laughing)
STEVE:
Oh ... so you think so David? A gifted criminal?
NICKI:
Criminal sons!
DAVID:
We have to play our cards right! (Snickers) We might make Al Capone look like hell!
NICKI:
Oh my ... and you both just relish this!
STEVE:
Mafia gets all the women, all the cars!
DAVID:
Positions in the business world too!
NICKI:
No...No...don’t do this to me!
STEVE:
Positions of authority!
DAVID:
Mafia’s power!
STEVE:
We got clout!
NICKI:
But aren’t you afraid of going to prison?
DAVID:
We cover our ass ma!
STEVE:
You might have to cover for us too ...sometime!
NICKI:
Oh little me? I’m only 5ft and I don’t cover much ground!
STEVE:
Well... she has a point there! (Snickers)
DAVID:
We pay off the police officers and judges ma!
STEVE:
They know we got the goods on them too!
