The English Teacher Page #3

student who came back

to inspire

the next generation.

It's a great story,

and I think I know a little something

about great stories.

We'll double

normal ticket sales.

You'll see the people of Kingston

are hungry for something new.

And if it does come down to money,

I'll tell you this.

If we go one penny over budget,

I'll pay for it myself.

Out of my own pocket.

That's how much

I believe in this play.

Phil, what do you think?

All right. Okay.

Hold on now.

We haven't talked

about the ending.

What about the ending?

Oh, it's dark.

"Dark"? Trudie,

it's a teenage girl

who hangs herself and then her dad

blows his freakin' brains out!

You can't do that

on a high school stage!

But everything

hinges on the ending!

It's poetry.

It's Ibsen!

It's a lawsuit

waiting to happen!

The ending would

have to change.

All right.

- We'll cut the ending.

- What?

- What?

- We'll cut it.

Leave it ambiguous.

Yes. Yes, it could

heighten the mystery.

Leave it open

to interpretation.

I like it.

Would Jason

agree to that?

I'm sure he understands,

as we all do,

that one must be flexible

in the name of Theater.

Oh! God, I'll have to start the auditions

by Friday, assemble my crew...

- Carl. Carl! - So much to do,

so little time.

But when the inspiration is there,

it hardly seems like work.

Carl! We can't cut the ending,

we just can't.

It's gonna ruin

the play, it'll kill it!

- Relax.

- No! I won't relax.

I mean... How am I supposed to

explain this to Jason?

Very simply.

Don't.

- Because we're not going to cut it.

- We're not?

No, I just said that to get the go-ahead

from der Fuhrer and his wife.

That's how it works

in show business.

It does? Keep it moving

at all costs.

Believe me, when the entire audience

is bawling on opening night,

even that sub-cretin Phil

will give it his blessing.

- Really?

- Really.

I give you my word.

It's a game, Linda.

And I know

how to play it.

- Oh, my goodness. You must

be freezing! - Oh, I'm fine.

Let's get you some coffee

to warm up. Okay?

Oh, no. I don't want coffee.

I have an ulcer.

- Oh, some herbal tea, then.

- No, no, no. That's fine.

I don't... I don't

really want anything.

How long have

you had an ulcer?

Um, since, uh...

Since New York, actually.

Since this play.

Um, speaking

of which...

Ah, yes! The play!

The play's the thing.

Um... All right.

Here's the contract.

Well, it's not really a contract,

it's more like an informal agreement

Um... All it says is that you grant

the high school the right

to mount a production

of your play.

I just need your signature right here,

and then we're good to go.

Everything okay?

Um...

I don't want

to be difficult, um...

And I know

you're only trying to help,

but this is not exactly a high

school play that I've written...

Well, I understand that.

And as much

as I want it produced,

believe me, I do, I would just rather it

be not made at all,

than be made badly.

Well, Carl and I feel

exactly the same way.

I...

I just don't

think I can do it.

Do you want

your father to win?

What?

I'm not stupid.

I read the play.

I know where

this came from.

Your father doesn't

understand you, fine.

He doesn't

support you, fine...

- He'd say he does...

- Well, financially, yes.

Paying for law school.

He'll encourage you,

but only if you do

what he wants you to do.

Don't give in to him, Jason!

Prove him wrong.

Well, what if

he's not wrong?

You know, you've just lost

confidence, that's all.

That can happen to any artist.

But if you do this...

...you're gonna get it back.

I promise you.

I feel like I'm signing

my soul away.

Ja, Herr Faust!

It's all mine.

Sheila Nussbaum will be playing

the role of Margaret,

the cruel Irish stepmother.

Sheila's been working on her Irish,

haven't you, Sheila?

I'll meet ya at the pub

on Grafton Street,

ya bloody eejit!

Will Traynor will play

Dr. Tim Sherman,

the cold,

alcoholic father.

Fallon Hughes will play our heroine's

deceased mother, Ariadne,

who haunts our tale

as the spectral Moth Queen.

And last,

but certainly not least,

Halle Anderson will be

Miss Jane Sherman,

our sensitive,

misunderstood ingenue.

Hi.

And now, Mr. Sherwood,

may I say on behalf

of the entire Kingston

High Theater Department

it is an honor

to have you with us.

And I know we have questions,

questions, questions.

So, who wants to begin?

Halle.

Your play really captures what it feels

like to be a teenage girl,

not knowing who you are,

and wondering if anyone gets you.

And I want to be as real

as I can in my performance,

so it would really help me to know

where Jane came from.

What inspired you?

You know, well...

Everything I've written,

everything my characters

experience, is authentic.

Um...

Yep! It all happened

to me in my life.

It's all something I've lived

through at some point.

It's a very,

very personal story.

- Anyone else have

questions? - Yeah.

Um, on page 52,

when Tim is having

that big fight with Jane?

Do you really think it's necessary

for him to hit her?

I mean, isn't the whole point

that he's too repressed

to show any emotion?

It just seems kind of...

Kind of what?

Well, I don't know.

- Trite.

- Oh, really, Will...

Is that necessary?

Uh, yeah...

I'm sorry.

- Oh, dear lord.

- Will?

Will, what is wrong

with you?

Do you know how lucky you are,

to workshop with the actual playwright?

Jason is our honored guest.

And if you can't treat him

with the respect he deserves,

then maybe we can find someone else

to star in his play.

Is that what you'd like?

- No.

- No. I didn't think so.

Did you take

your Ritalin today?

Forget it. I think this was

a very big mistake.

- I shouldn't have even...

- I'm so sorry...

I am not going let some high school

smartass tell me that my work is trite!

Of course not. You know what,

he's testing boundaries.

I deal with

this stuff every day.

You have to,

it's your job.

- I don't have to be doing this!

- No, you don't.

You don't have

to do any of this.

We so appreciate

you being here,

and the kids are so excited,

and they love your play.

- No, they don't.

- Yes, they do. They love it.

And they'd be crushed

if you pulled out now.

- Not what's-his-name, Mr. Trite.

- Will? What...

- He's intimidated by you.

- Oh, come on.

He's just an insecure kid

in Kingston, Pennsylvania.

And you're

a New York playwright.

Are you really going

to let him get to you?

I think you're

stronger than that.

And, Jason,

your work is brilliant.

Thank you. I'm sorry if

I'm overreacting a little bit,

- No, no. - I don't really know how

to react to criticism. - Do not.

It's easy to feel discouraged,

but you shouldn't be.

Not with something

like that.

- We're back.

- Good.

Uh, let's all rejoin

the circle, shall we?

- I apologize for that.

- No, no, no...

It's Will, right?

Yeah. Look, man, I'm sorry

about what I said.

No, don't be sorry.

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