Town Players of Pittsfield, Inc.
P.O. Box 765, Pittsfield, MA 01202-0765
Bringing the Best of Broadway to the Berkshires
Since 1921

2000-2001 Season

MARVIN'S ROOM

By Scott McPherson

Directed by Richard T. Johnson

MARVIN'S ROOM by Scott McPherson is a tender and terribly funny play about love and death and and account of one woman's commitment to loving others first, and her belief that giving such love has made her life unbelievably rich, even as she faces her own death.

Bessie lives in Florida and takes care of her Aunt Ruth and her father, Marvin. Aunt Ruth has several collapsed vertebrae and has to wear a electrode pack that she uses to control her constant pain. This electrode pack also wildly opens and closes the garage door at random intervals. Unable to speak and confined to his bed for years, Marvin's only entertainment comes from bouncing beams of sunlight that are reflected from a small mirror.

Bessie learns amidst all this that she has become sick with Lukimia requiring a bone marrow transplant from someone in her family. Her sister Lee comes from her Ohio home to Florida with her two sons; Hank , who has just been released from an 'institution', and the quiet, shy Charlie to see if they are compatible.

CHARACTERS (In order of appearance)
Bessie		Deborah Fredenburg
Dr. Wally		Jay Africa
Ruth		Melanie Rivers
Bob		Dick Griffin
Lee		Christena Keyes
Dr. Charlotte		Brenda Galenus
Hank		James Fredenburg
Charlie		Kyle Barry
Retirement Director		Jill Cimini
Marvin
Director		Richard T. Johnson

Production Dates

Friday May 11^th
Saturday May 12^th
Friday May 18^th
Saturday May 19^th

Random Pictures from the Production
All pictures and set designs © copyright 2001 Townplayers of Pittsfield, Inc.

Marvin's Room LOGO2

Marvin's Room Set Design
Marvins Room Set Design
© copyright 2001 Townplayers of Pittsfield, Inc.

		*BESSIE :* It's just a vitamin deficiency, right? *DR.WALLY :* I said it might be a vitamin deficiency. But we must rule out the other posibilities.
*RUTH :* Bessie, what happened to you? *BESSIE :* They took a little blood.
		*RUTH :* I'm so useless. What if Marvin were to choke on something again?. *BESSIE :* Ruth, he puts things in his mouth because it gives him pleasure. He Likes the way it feels. You know how he likes it when you bounce the light off your compact.
*BESSIE :* I am probably thinking it's something much worse that it actually is. Is is cancer? *DR.WALLY :* (silence)
		*DR.CHARLOTTE :* We 've missed you on the other days, so has Hank. *LEE :* I know. I wish I could visit more but . . . well . . . you know.
*HANK :* How come you've never visited before? *LEE :* I have visited before, but you were unconscious.

		*BESSIE :* Does Daddy miss me? *RUTH :* Well, I haven't actually told him you're gone.
*BESSIE :* He must think that he's losing his mind.
		*RUTH :* I know that God made me crippled for a reason. He wants me to learn someting. It may be patience or it may be forbearance or it may be how to dress without standing up.
*BESSIE :* OK, Dad. Let me get the sheet. Oh, c'mon you can help me out a little bit!
		*LEE :* Bessie? *BESSIE :* I'll be right out.
*LEE :* You look good, Bessie. *BESSIE :* This is a wig. It's from my chemo.
		*BESSIE :* I've got myself two grown nephews I've never seen. *LEE :* Now, I invited you up for both their christenings.
*BESSIE :* Hopfully your mom will be a match. *HANK :* Even if she isn't, I must . . . *BESSIE :* Is that ywhat you were doing? Sitting out here thinking about it?

		*HANK :* Did you know my dad? *BESSIE :* I met him once.
*LEE :* Are you tired? *BESSIE :* Do I look tired? *LEE :* You look good. *BESSIE :* Then why did you ask me? *LEE :* I thought maybe you were tired of waiting.
		*LEE :* This is the best place we've seen. *BESSIE :* We can't afford it so why are we talking. *DIRECTOR :* I never said that.
*DIRECTOR :* On page four, you'll see a chart of the various financial-aid programs available. And you'll see that you don't qualify for any of them. *BESSIE :* So you're wasting our time. *DIRECTOR :* No. It means you have to drop into a lower income bracket. *BESSIE :* Lower?
		*DR.WALLY :* Is everybody clear on the procedure we are about to do? *BOB :* How long does the anesthetic take to work? *DR.WALLY :* It's not so important that you understand the procedure, Bob.

*BOB :* Hank, An I reading your medical card correctly? Are you currently on lithium? *HANK :* Yeah. *BOB :* It's a great drug, isn't it?
		*BESSIE :* Why do you tell so many lies? *HANK :* You don't know anything about that place.
*HANK :* They can keep me at the institution as long as they want. It's not like a prison term. I've been there longer than most.
		*CHARLIE :* Do you ever think about dying? *HANK :* No. *CHARLIE :* I wish we never had to go home.
BESSIE : I had a true love. LEE : You did? . . . . . . BESSIE : He jumped into the water and then he bobed up out of the water making that monkey face, which gets all of us laughing even harder. And he dives under again and doesn't come up and doesn't come up and he doesn't come up. Laughing and choking looked the same on Clarence. He drowned right in front of us.
		*LEE :* Do you want me to do something with that wig? *LEE :* (silence)
*LEE :* (silence)
		*Ruth :* I went by your room. You wern't there. *Bessie :* I'm here. Oh, honey, I'm still here.

*LEE :* I took you both to that movie. *HANK :* I remember Dad took us to The Planet of the Apes. *LEE :* No he didn't. *HANK :* He didn't? *LEE :* I took you to that but you were older then.
		*LEE :* On Saturday I worked and your dad took care of you. *HANK :* He did? *LEE :* Yeah. and sometimes on Saturdays you'd get hurt. . . . and I loved him and what was I suppose to do? Then Charlie came and I just . . . .
*BESSIE :* Isn't it a beautiful day? I feel like I haven't been outside in years.

		*LEE :* What happened *BESSIE :* I fainted. *LEE :* From the heat? *BESSIE :* There was blood in my mouth.
*BESSIE :* I am so lucky to have been able to love someone so much.
		*HANK :* If I ever take anything from you, you know I'll find a way to pay you back.
*RUTH :* I'm a silly old woman dressing up for a TV show.
		*BESSIE :* I see. Then should I keep taking what I'm taking now? No, I understand.
*BESSIE :* They got Charlie's test results back and it looks like it didn't work out. *LEE :* Oh Bessie. Maybe we should do them again.

		*CHARLIE :* Hank ran away. *BESSIE :* What? *CHARLIE :* He left you this note.
*BESSIE :* Aunt Bessie, Gone someplace else. Goodbye, good luck. I love you, too. Hank

*BESSIE :* Here, let me do this for you.

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