LEAVING HOME BY DAVID FRENCH: SUMMARY

David French

LEAVING HOME is a two act play written by DAVID FRENCH.

Set:

The light set outs in working class house. Stage is divided into three parts.

1.      Kitchen

2.      Dining room

3.      Living room

Characters:

1.      MARY MERCER

2.      JACOB MERCER

3.      BEN MERCER (18 years old)

4.      BILLY MERCER (17 years old)

5.      KATHEY JAKSON (BILLY’s fiancé)

6.      MINNIE JACKSON (KATHEY’s mother)

7.      HAROLD (MINNIE’s boyfriend)

Summary:

Ben is drinking wine, while Bill is standing beside him

Act 1:

As the story begins, mother (MARY) is in kitchen and preparing dinner. Her two sons get in. BEN is graduated last night and he is a loyal student. While BILLY character is bit ridicules.

BEN takes beer from fridge and starts drinking it, while BILLY throws his bag and went to his room and switch on his radio. Mother asks him to turns down the music so that she can talk to BEN.

After sometime BILL asks her mother about her leaving home with KATHEY. He asks mother to help him in packing. He comes out of room with some old gym dress and throws them outside. Mary resists him from throwing books outside.

Jacob is dancing with Mary, while their sons are standing beside them.

She further tells him about KATHEY’s coming at dinner. She asks him to dress well. While after leaving home he must have to work somewhere for paying rent. BILL went back to his room.

Now BEN speaks to his mom and tells her that he also want to leave home with BILL and KATHEY. He elaborates that he wants to work somewhere. He will help bill in paying rent. While MARY seems amused at this point.

In next, she calls BILLY and asks him to polish his father shoes. He insists that BEN should do this job. He is already busy. But MERY insists that father asked BILL to polish his shoes so you have to polish them. BILL takes his father shoes and starts polishing them.

Now JACOB comes in from his job. He arrives and asks for BILL. MERY replies that he is room. Jacob went to him and asks him to go outside and bring tool box from truck. He retorts in nonsensical attitude and asks father to send BEN for this job. At this point BEN himself stands and moves outside.

Now MARY asks Jacob to change cloth. She further tells him about dinner party and about KATHEY. She asks him to not do any kind of blunder in presence of KATHEY.

BEN comes back with tool box. JACOB says sorry to BEN for not coming in his graduation ceremony.

BILLs comes and gives shoes to his father. And asks his father to not make any joke about pope’s nose during dinner.

Mary asks BEN to help her in preparing things for dinner. JACOB exist!

Ben asks to his mother that why she did not spoke to JACOB about him. He further clarifies the things that he paid for tuition and he will must leave home.

JACOB enters singing and desires to have a camera so that he can have a picture in good dress. He asks his sons to turn on music and give place to their parents to dance. MARY and JACOB both dance. Mary than dance with BEN.

Now Jacob asks bill to bring wine. Mary asks Jacob to stop this but he replies that this thing will not bring any disaster to his family. He and bill have wine. While MARY moves to kitchen and BEN sits on sofa without taking wine.

Now the door bell rings and KATHEY comes in. she greets with family and takes BILL to the living room. She asks BILL that is he loves her? He replies in yes. Further when BILL asks him party she replies that she has not went to office. She felt sick in the morning while her friend took her to doctor, they come to know that KATHEY has lost his child. Now she is no more pregnant. BILL seems very astonished on this news.

Everyone is on dinner table. Jacob starts discussing different topics, MARY asks him to stop discussion. JACOB asks KATHEY, what kind of flowers her mother has purchased for her marriage? She replies that the red roses but she likes yellow roses. MERY comments that red roses mean tears so she should like some other color. And MARY further tells about her marriage that she was not given any kind of flower on her marriage. Jacob retorts that he was poor at that time but he presented everything before pope on his marriage occasion.

Now the fonts door opens. Minnie comes in with his boyfriend. They all have introduction. Minnie says congratulation to BEN for his graduation. Further MINNIE and MERY go to leaving room to see shower gifts and Jacob has discussion with HAROLAD.

Further KATHEY speaks to BILL’S mother and tells her that she is no more pregnant and she lost her baby in early morning. MARY puts her both hands on KATHEY’s shoulder and asks her to sit down.

Act 2:

Second act starts with the discussion of KATHEY and BILL’s marriage. KATHEY says that she does not want to marry BILL now. She wants him to carry on his study. On this point, MINNIE speaks angrily to KATHEY and even tries to slap her. But later on they agree to marriage.

Now MINNIE asks JACOB to dance with her. They both had dance. Later on JACOB dances with MARY also. BILL also dances with KATHEY.

At this point MARY tells Jacob that BEN is also moving. He wants to be independent. JACOB retorts that you all should go to hell. He further that I always worked hard for you.

Now MINNIE decides to leave instead of wasting her time in their family matters. She also asks KATHEY and bill to move also. KATHEY and bill both moves out and MARY desires to see them in church. Minnie and Harold also leave.

Now BEN gives more clear statement to his father that why he want to leave. He says that he loves his family but he want to be independent that is why he is leaving. His father angrily asks him to leave out with his mom also.

Mary calls for cab and asks BEN to pack his bag. After sometime Jacob feels that it’s all going to be wrong. He asks BEN to not leave. But now there is cab outside. First MARY moves out and then asks BEN to follow him.

Ben also leaves home and leaves JACOB alone. After sometime MARY comes back and says that she is not going to leave him alone.