164 way and becoming become. But running ay. And here Lam, Liowo: Heve you are. RacieL- On my way to Lion: Meet Poot RACHEL: Meet Poaty Liovo: Yeah? TacheL: Do you think we ever relly now people? 1 Tknos we know people Lon: You mean relly Racuet: But really LLeovo: You mean knots then Racist: Do vow think? Low: Well... I really da't know. Loyd? acne: Idon't now ether. I mean. I suppose 1 kom of people Luorp: Sure you do, act: Andi you know lots of people Luowp: Poot RACUEL: Yes. We lve our lives ind we know los of dL don't know what I'm saving. Did you get a Chit Leow Yep. acim: That's good ove) Lupe: 1s allright. acute: Of coumve if all right sometines. Low: Tlaow . You see your parents? RACHEL: Not sine they died town: Youll spend Christmas with us. ‘Ob, Christmas tree, Oh! 1 don't know what 1 though God I ate the hold The Red Coat (from Welcome to the Moon) John Patrick Shanley (Characters Jobn (17), Mary (16) Setting: Nighttime on a Se street, unde a streetlight Premiere: Ensemble Studio Theatre, New York ity, 1682 Publisher: Dramatists Play Service. Tac. Welcome to the Maon ts aa evening of six short plays by John Patrick Shanley, The fed Coat, printed here tn is em tits, the Res Nishtane on aside street A street ih! shines down on some steps through a green tree. Moonlight maser in the dows: A secenteen year-old boy sts om the sop a white shirt with a Taosened skinny te, lack dees pants, and black shoes. He is staring off His eyes are shining A teen year-old gr enters in neighborhood party cates hort skirt Bouse, penny loafers) Jon: Hl, Mary Many: Oh! T dda’ see you there. You're hiding Jous: Net fren you, Mary. Magy: Who from? Jon: Oh, nabody. Iwas up at Susn's party Man: Thats whore Vin going Jons: Oh Many: Why did you leave? Jou: No reason, Marv: You just gonna sit here Jos: Fora whe Man: Well Ti ging in Jous: Oh, Okay "OR! Tm not going fn out because. «Oly, gn i!166 ‘ME RED COT ‘Maa: Whats wrong with you, John? Jos Hef the party beease ye weren’ there, Thats hy let th party Mam. Why'd yu leave the party ‘cause [was there? Jons: U dunn. Mane: I'm going in. JouN. 1 ef the party ‘causa L felt ike everything 1 wanted res outside the party.» oot here. There’ a breeze out here, the moon. Tookat theway the mooa is.» and Tkiew you were outside somewhere, too! So I came out and sat on the steps Here and I thought that maybe you'd come fd T would be bere. outvde the party, onthe steps ia the anaonlight . and those ather people the ones at the party... wouldn't be here.» - but the night would be ‘here and yon and me would be tlking onthe steps ia the night in the meoalight and could tll you Many: Tell me what? Jol: lw I feat! ‘Many: How you feel about what? Jon: I dort kaow. Twas looking out the window at the ‘party un Frank some wine and 1 was looking out the window at the moon and T thought of you and ‘ould fool my heart.» breskig. ‘tan Joh JOHN. fle that one and the moon and you foal pushin in my heart and I Tet the party and T came out here Mant: Your eyes ar all sn Jou: Ilnow: And T case out ere looking or the moon and 1s tht street ight shining down through the leaves of shat tree Many: Hey yeah! Tt does lok prety Jon: 1s hesutif. T didn't know a street light could be Traut. Ive abvays thought of them as being cold ad lucy you know? But this oae's yellow and it comes down | through the leaves andthe Teaver are so green! Mary, lowe yn! MARY: Ob! ‘THE RED coaT 167 Jon: I shout said tI shouldat've sald it Many: No, no. That’ all ight Jouss My hear’s breaking You most chink Y'm so. stu. pid... but can eel t breaking. Iwish I could top talking Teast Un Many: | never heard you talking ike this before. JomN: Tha’ ange this is ouside the party and it's night and there's a moon up there. and a stret light thats more heat than the sun! My God, the sdewalk’s bent ‘Those bits ofshiny sufi the eonerete «lok how theyre sparkling up the light! Many: You're ering! You'te crying over the sidewall Jo8x: Love you, Mary! Mam: That'll ight. But don't cry ver the sidewall, You're ‘ually so quit Fouts Oly Ola. (A pate, Tow Jon grabs May and Mant: Oh... you used your tongue. (He Kisses her again) You... should we go into the party? Joan: Ne. Many: I-gt all dressed... 1 tasted the wine oa your mouth. You were waiting for me out here? I wasn't oven olny to ime T dont ke Sessa so much, I a going Stay home and watch a movi. What would you have dame? Joss [don't now. (Kies hr again. She Kes ir Book. Mane: You go to St. Nicholas of Tolentine, don’ sou? Jour: Yeah Man¥: [see you on the platform on @ Hundred and Forty: ninth Street sometimes. JOUR: 1 see you. oo! Sometines I just let the trains by ‘atl the lst minute, hoping fo 506 you Mane Realy? Jom Yea Many: [tak a Took around for you bat Tahways get on my train, What would you have done Tada’ come? Jon: don't know, Walked aroand, 1 wal around «lt Mary: Walk sronnd whens?165 ‘HE RED CoAT Jou, walk around your Block a lot Sometimes Tran into Mant: You mean that was planned? Wow! I aleays thought you were coming from somewhere, Jon. [love you, Mary. [eat believe fm saying it... to ‘som. «outloud. I love you ‘Man Kiss me asain. (They Kise) Jon. ve loved you for «long time. Many: How long? Jor: Months. Remember that bis snowball ight? Man: In the pack? Jon: Yeoh. That's when it was, That's when I fll love with yon, You were wearing» red coat Man: Ob, that cot! I've had that for ages and ages. I've had ‘since the sith grade Jou: Really? Many; U have really special feelings for that cost, feel ke Wapurtafme ike itstands forsomething «my child hod» something ice that. Jon; You lok nice in that coat. 1 think I sensed something shout it - theenat t's spocial to mo, to. If'ss0 good tobe able to talk to you lke this Man: Yeah, this is ice. Thats fanny how you fel that about ‘my engt. The red one, No-one knows how I fel about that coat Jom: L think I do, Mary MARY: Do you? Ifyou understood about my red cout. that ed coat is like all the good things about when T was a id 5 Hike I still have all dhe good ki tings when Fan In that red cout. slike heig grown up and aving your cluldhood, too. You know what ifs ike? 15 lke belng in tne of those movies where Youre sue, even whea youze in tn adventure. Do you kaw what I mean? Sometimes, in a ‘movie the bero's don’ all his stuff that's dangerous, but you. nos, becaasa the kid of movie itis, that he's not gonna fet hurt. Ben’ that red coats ike that ike ben’ sale ‘nan adventure ‘THe ED coat 169 Jour: And that’s the way you were in that snowball ht! It as like you knew that nthing could go won! ‘Man: That's right! That's viht! That’ the way ie fel! Oh, you do understind! It scems silly but I've always wanted someone to understand some things and that was one of them. tho red oat. Jous: I do understand 1 do! Manu: I doa’ kaow. T dont know. don't know shout t- ‘morrow, but. eight this minute I. lve you! Joux: Of, Mary! Mant: Ob, is ae, John. Please! Jon: You're crying! Many T dda’t now. I ida’ know two people could wider stand some things - share some things. (They Kiss) Joni: Ie mnst be temible not to, Mane. What? JOHN: Be abe to share things. “Many: Iis! Iti! But don tyou remember? Only afew minutes ‘tgo-we were alone, [fel like I could tll you anything. Ia tbat enzy? Jou: Do you want to go fora walk? Many: No, no. Lets stay right here. Betwaen the streetlight and the moon. Under the tree. Tell me that you love me; Joie: Tove yon MARY: Tlove you, to. You're good-looking, did you know that? Does your mother tll yur tha? Josie: Yeah, she docs, Many: Your eyes are shining, Jous: How. Tea fel them shining (The lights go down slowly)