Gidion's Knot BY JOHNNA ADAMS CHARACTERS. HEATHER CLARK: 305-505 CCORRYN FELL: 30s-50s SETTING A fifth grade classroom in a public school in the Lake Forest suburb of Chicago. TIME Early April The present year. Tuesday. 245 panto 415 pam. PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTES When a character name is followed by an ellipsis as such: HEATHE: This indicates 2 nonverbal response the previous line. ‘The ellipsis line may be played in many ways: asa pause, a beat, look, & ‘movement, a silence, a smile, a sudden thought, or itcan just be used to give the A slash /) in the middle of character's line indicates an interruption. The next speaking character should begin her line where the slash appears ‘This play is performed without an Ab grade asrom. “Poem ders are arranged fing a blackboard. Each es bas cable filed tb bok, pce ad otber deri of bid te ide steer each dk where Heater Clark sits grading papers The walls are fled with brighe and cheerful posters of Grek and Hindu gods es, ph- rode, Hora, Vidmu, Ganest, Shea, Buds, ‘Kon Yn, (Children’s ring esxiguments (nm, srs repo) leery par of the wall not rcered ‘ith ad or leon notes. There ae probably 50 pasted aig Fiveor si decorate am core herds arom ome ‘ll, fearing rporsom Greck mgholgy and Aecandr the Great Teis 245 om. Clase end at 3:00 pm. Heather grades er papers and fm it time ‘ips from a capo eon the desk from of ber Herel phone it om tbe desk beside ber. She oaks atthe plone. Sbe pickup and checks toseif he bara menage. Nithing. Se pat the hime dom and ees ber bandon efor a log time, searing at. ‘Ske goes bak o grading "There is a knack at the door. She ie surprised. [No ome knocks, People just walk in. She stands, 1 isl wncesan HEATHER: Yes? Another knock. The knocker can't bear her through the door ‘Ske goes ro the dar and looks out through a small window. ‘Ske opens the dor HEATHER: Yes? Corry Fel enters hesitant HEATHER: Are you looking / for..? CCORRYN: have a parent-teacher conference. Is/this—. HEATHER: Do you know the room? CORRYN: I though... HEATHER: Ifyou go to the ofice and speak to the office manager she can tell you which room you're looking for. Jus give her the teacher’ name. CORRYN: The ofice manager? HEATHER: Carole She a the desk CCORRYN: Thank you. HEATHER: All ight. Corry goes out. Heater recast ber desk. Sb starsat br pone, Anoter ck, then Carry poke ber bead back Sn coutousy, CORRYN:T'm sorry. The office? HEATHER: Ie down the ball and to your left the end of the hall there, ‘CORRYN: Ob. Oksy: Thank you. Corry leaves. leather ean for a long moment in te middle of the roam ‘Ske goes back to grading papers, ‘Someing brea inside ber ‘She stop and pats Ber bead im ber bands, coking deep breaths almare bypercensilting,erying et to sb ‘She shakes ber bead, and under ber breath HEATHER: God...oh god. .god. ‘Ske gets up and walks around the room. ‘She picks up ber cell pone and pute t down. ‘Ske abs ba Berself ender comer A keock at the door. HEATHER: Oh god. ‘Se crises to the door as Corry comes back in CCORRYN: I'm /sorey— HEATHER: Down the hall and to your left— CORRYN: I found it. I found Carole. HEATHER: You need directions othe room? CCORRYN: You're very helpful, aren't you? I ‘mean you'e iriated and not very good at hiding it, bur sl. HEATHER: CCORRYN: I'm sorry: That came out HEATHER: Yes. Te did, CORRYN: HEATHER: Do you need elp finding the room? CCORRYN: No, I found the room HEATHE Carole— CCORRYN: This is the room. HEATHER: No. No, Idon't— No one was there? If you ask HEATHER: No, [don't have anything. CCORRYN: Two-thiry. I'm alte late. WEATHER: [doo't have anything scheduled. Comm pals rumpled piece of paper out of ber por {CORRYN: Tro-thiry. Api th. Room 418. Ms. Clark. HEATHER: ‘CORRYN: You're Ms. Clark. sevitup. Here— Corry gives Heather he paper HEATHER: Thats strange, I—T'm sory. ConRYN: That'll right. You forgot, [gues HEATHER: CCORRYN: cam come back. You're unprepared, Tam see that HEATHER: No, it fine. Come in. CORRYN: Thank you very much. And thank you for making time. HEATHER: I dont think you were atopen house. CORRYN: No. HEATHER: CORRYN: I set ie up with Carole, I guess. I called her. Friday afternoon. HEATHER: About? CORRYN: About my son. HEATHER: Who is your son? CORRYN: Gidion, HEATHER: CORRYN: HEATHER: CoRRYN: HEATHER: ‘cORRYN: cence. The principal was supposed ome, too HEATHER. CCORRYN: [ gues she forgot. HEATHER: No. Ofcourse not. F's just—, CORRYN HEATHER CCORRYN: I missed open house. So we never got to meet. HEATHER: You're Gidion’s mother. Mrs. Gibson, CORRYN: No. That was his father’s name, Ms. Fell. HEATHER: Mrs. Fel. Asking to meet with me. HEATHER: Mis. Fel CCORRYN: Telling me he was suspended. HEATHER: .. CORRYN: There was a voice mail message, t0...Saying to ealHEATHER: CORRYN: And Tea Tiguess with Can office, She dda ell you? HEATHER: No, she did CORRYN: You fo CORRYN: Wall, We see this up, HEATHER: Yes HEATHER: Mrs. Fe CORRYN: No its Ms. HEATHER: Ms. Fell CORRYN: You can call me Corn. you'd ik HEATHER: I'm so sorry. 'n 80 CORRYN: Thankky HEATHER: I di fink you CORRYN: You sent And | a note home with my son, Askin How could [not eome CCORRYN: Hes CCORRYN: You look pale, Have T given you HEATHER: Oh go Conny: I didn't mean w CCoRRYN: We did have an appointment CORRYN: What did you wat HEATHER: CoRRYN: A CCORRYN: Wasi his grades HEATHER: CORRYN: Attendance all abowt Excessive tardines anning in the halls: HEATHERET don. HEATHER: CORRYN: I'd realy like to kn mail was cryptic. I hows Tea yen up for ab sleep. I cant sleep because I'v rand 0. You we in these litle ‘You explained, this to him. Id don't know why youd know what happene HEATHER: CORRYN: He lobked devastated. When he He was shaking. H HEATHER: God!...oh god HEATHER: ..God HEATHER: I don't know / what HEATHER: God. /Tjus JORRYN: Would you like me to get you HEATHER: I didn think CORRYN: You look bloodle HEATHER: I didn't think you'd keep the appointment. It never occurred to me that fou would keep the appointment. CORRYN: He’ my son. CCORRYNS I see. HEATHER: didn't think you'd CCORRYN: Wel, i alk abo CCORRYN: About my son! HEATHER: Thatitm ORRYN: Yes? HEATHER: To talk ab is death HEATHER: HEATHER: conRYN: Well CORRYN: We bad an sppointment HEATHER: CORRYN: HEATHER: Yes, Olay coRRYN:¢ HEATHER: In really very somy— CCORRYN: You've said so.HEATHER: CoRRYN: Thank you....'m sorry I missed open house. Gidion’s father is dead. I'm a single mother. Getting a babysit ona school night is ike squeering milk from stones. Do you have children? HEATHER: No. CORRYN: Oh... never though would either es? HEATHER: What? CORRYN: Do you have pets? HEATHER: I'm not sure how Tan help you, Ms. Fell CCORRYN: Corry, please. This doesnt have tobe adversarial. Does i? HEATHER: ‘CORRYN: How long have you been teaching? HEATHER: Two years. CORRYN: Realy? You don'tlookyoung enough tobe right outf school. You must have had atcareer before tis, am I right? HEATHER: Yes. CCORRYN: What wast? HEATHER: I was in advertising, ‘CORRYN: And you got sick of making al hat ‘money and wanted to make a difference. HEATHER: CORRYN: Good for you. HEATHER: Maybe we should reschedule. Find 4 time when the principal can join us CORRYN: Maybe she’ just running lat. HEATHER: You should be with family now. Ccomnyn: I'm exactly where I should be HEATHER: CORRYN: HEATHER: Olay: ‘CORRYN: You sent note home with my son, HEATHER: Yes. CCORRYN: You suspended him. Five days. HEATHER: Yes. ‘CORRYN: Fe was fighting with another boy HEATHER: No. ‘CORRYN: He came home bruised. With ried blood on his mouth HEATHER! I don't know anything about that. ‘Thae must have happened after he left school CORRYN: Was he beat up a lot? Picked on? HEATHER: I never saw that happen. CORRYN: But the day he was suspended be ‘was beaten up. You dida't know? HEATHER: I'm nor surprised. CORRYN: You're not? HEATHE CORRYN: Iwas, HEATHE CORRYN..? HEATHER: He made some of the children angry. CORRYN: And you. He made you angry. HEATHER: Yes, CORRYN: HEATHER: CORRYN: This isnt what I expected. HEATHER: . CCORRYN: That was very honest. HEATHER CCORRYN: He made you angry HEATHER: CORRYN: Okay HEATHER CCORRYN: This is nice. Your room. Colocfl ‘eaTHER: Thank you. ‘CORRYN: It’ warm. HEATHER: Thank you. CCORRYN: envisioned a barren tomb. Painted prison green, Desks in depressing rows. Hard tile flooring that your heels made ominous licking noises against as you paced up and down the rows, stroking the black chin hairs and warts covering your thick, bovine neck. A lovingly framed portrait of Stalin atthe front of the oom forthe children to genufiect before as they file in. HEATHER: [sent it out tobe cleaned. ConaYN: That’ funny. Yousurprise me 100. HEATHER: ‘cORRYN: Whar did you imagine I was ike? HEATHER: CORR: You must have litte mental images ofall de parents. What they're like. HEATHER: CconRyN: Do I surprise you? HEATHER: I knew you werea single mother. CcoRRYN: How? HEATHER: A writing project I gave. Lasked them to describe their father. CCORRYN: He had nothing wo write about HEATHER: He wrote about his grandfather instead. CORRYN: Hee never met either grandfather, He made it wp. HEATHER: No, He wrote about what he imagined his grandfathers corpse was lik. Inthe earth CconaYN: Well that original. Ibecyou never Inada paper like tin all your two years of| teaching HEATHER: No. CCORRYN: Is hat when you began to hate him? HEATHER: CCORRYN: Come on. HEATHER: [didn’t have him. CCORRYN: Come on. HEATHER: I didn't hate him. CCORRYN: Honesty? did not hate him allright. Poa not angry about it For Christ) sake. T don’ like everyone I meet or everyone I know I feely hate some of them, Iisnetheir ult Te justhappens that vray. Fm sure Gidion was the same. 'm sure you're the same. HEATHER: [ don’ think this is accomplishing anything CoRR: And in tren expect rery- tne I meet to like me.I hated some of ny teachers My ith grade teacher, in fet HEATHER: Tes too oon forth. Conn fel cermin she hated me oo: HEATHER: Ler reschedule for atime when the pinipal and the schoo! counselor can joins. Conn I don't expec yout ike each and every one of your stents, that would be inhuman. eaTiem: Il walk your yourear CORR: He hated ou. Tse happens some- HEATHER: You should take some time to ‘grieve before...this. Weall should take some ‘CORRYN: What did you mean when you sid wwe should reschedule for a time when the principal can join us? Is the principal not able to join us? WEATHER: I'm sure she thought that you ‘woulda eel upto this deussion a this time. CORRYN: Or that ino longer mattered. HEATHER: That it might be in poor tate. CORRYN: That this conversation no longer mattered HEATHER: That it wasn' the priority atthe ‘moment. Your grief the priority. CCORRYN: We bad en appointment. HEATHER: ‘CORRYN: And no one canceled it. You didn't cancel it HEATHER: CCORRYN: I would appreciate ifthe principal srould join us HEATHER: ‘cORRYN: Please HEATHER: She' taking a personal da. CORRYN: Excuse me? HEATHER: She taking 2 personal day today. CCORRYN: That’ what I thought you sid. HEATHER: She took the news about your son very hard, ‘CORRYN: HEATHER: corny HEATHER: ay her in ere. Cal her at home. PU talk to Carole. Heater goes out. (Cornmeal around the rom. She reads me of the children’s reports posted onthe wall: ‘Ske looks for Gidion’s name on one and does ot find it ‘She lnk inside a desk ‘She loks at ane ofthe fam cre board prsenta- tions on Alecander te Great. I is tted "The Gordian Kaot.” There ie a large, complicated