Based on a true story
Catherine sits on her couch, wearing a Stuyvesant High School Sweatshirt, a phone in her hand. Ben enters in a suit.
Ben: Hey has he called yet?
Catherine: Not yet.
Ben: Well he said he would call at 8:00 right?
Catherine: That’s what he said.
Ben: Hm.
Catherine: I mean he said he wanted to talk to Erica about it.
Ben: Erica?
Catherine: His wife.
Ben: Who you talked to?
Catherine: Online yeah.
Ben: And she just found you.
Catherine: Yeah.
Ben: And how exactly?
Catherine: Well you can message someone if you think you’re related.
Ben: Huh.
Silence
Ben: Look he might just not want to talk to you.
Catherine: I would want to talk to me.
Ben: I know but it’s a lot to take, it’s late, and none of us really know what’s actually true.
Catherine: I just feel like –
Her phone rings. Lights up on the other side of the stage. We see Danny and Erica. Erica is holding her phone.
Catherine: Oh it’s him.
Ben: Oh wow ok. Uh, put it on speaker.
Catherine picks up.
Catherine: Hi, Danny?
Erica: No this is Erica. Hi!
Catherine: Erica! So nice to actually talk with you.
Erica: Yes, good to talk with you too. So I’m here with Danny. I’m gonna put him on speaker ok?
Catherine: Ok.
Erica puts the phone on speaker and places it down. Danny doesn’t say anything. Erica silently gestures to him to talk.
Danny: Hello.
Catherine: Hi Danny my name’s Catherine. It’s really nice to meet you. Thank you for calling.
Danny: Nice to meet you.
Silence
Catherine: So, I don’t know how much Erica told you about our conversation.
Danny: Something about my Dad.
Erica: I didn’t want to say much without all the information.
Danny: Well you should know my dad died before I was born. It was a motorcycling accident.
Ben: Your mom told you that?
Danny: What?
Catherine: Oh sorry my husband Ben is here too.
Danny: Oh, ok. Um, no my mom died when I was five, I was raised by my grandparents.
Ben: Ok, well Danny the reason that we’re calling you is Erica reached out to my wife on ancestry.com because it said we might be related.
Danny: You’re not about to say you’re my dad or some shit right?
Catherine: No. But, um, I had an uncle, and it said he might be.
Danny: Oh, wow. And your uncle died in a motorcycle crash?
Catherine: Well… no.
Erica: Wha- then, uh… what’re you saying?
Catherine: We’re just… presenting a possibility.
Danny: Why would my grandparents lie to me about this?
Erica laughs.
Erica: Oh come on. (to the phone) Danny’s grandparents were very traditional. (off Danny’s look) I’m not saying it’s true but it would make perfect sense why they wouldn’t want you to know.
Silence
Catherine: Look, I didn’t mean to open any old wounds. You know, we can’t be sure, and I’m sorry for bringing this up.
Danny: No, it’s ok.
Ben: Wait Danny where do you live?
Danny: Cleveland.
Ben: Oh ok. Then I guess this whole thing doesn’t make a lot of sense anyway. We’re in New York.
Danny: New York?
Ben: Yeah.
Erica and Danny look at each other.
Erica: That’s where Danny grew up.
Catherine: Where?
Danny is silent
Catherine: Where?
Erica: New York City.
Catherine: Where?
Erica: Manhattan.
Catherine: Where?
Erica: Stuyvesant Town.
Catherine and Ben look at Catherine’s sweatshirt. They are silent.
Danny: What?
Catherine: I grew up in Stuyvesant town. East 16 street.
Erica: (to Danny): Oh my god, weren’t you on east 16th street?
Danny: East 17.
Catherine: Oh my god. That’s where the whole family was.
Danny: The whole family?
Catherine: Yeah. My mother is one of eight, so I had a lot of cousins.
Ben: What about you Danny?
Danny is silent.
Erica: Danny’s childhood was… challenging. His grandparents weren’t the warmest and he didn’t have any siblings..
Silence
Catherine: Well, again, it’s hard to be completely sure. My uncle Teddy never said anything about-
Danny: Teddy? That’s his name?
Catherine: Yeah, my uncle Teddy.
Danny: Teddy as in Theodore?
Catherine: Yeah.
Danny: That’s my middle name. Daniel Theodore Watkins.
Silence. Full Realization.
Danny: Is uh.. Is he still alive?
Ben: He died three years ago.
Danny: Did he have any…other kids?
Catherine: No. One miscarriage once. He always wanted one though.
Danny: Well…
Catherine: No. No he must not have known. There’s no way.
Danny: So what’re you saying? My mom wanted to lie to me?
Catherine: Or maybe your grandparents did? Just because I know you said they were sort of traditional.
Silence
Danny: Do you…have any photos? Of him?
Catherine: Yeah, Erica you still there?
Erica: Yeah.
Catherine: Here I’ll send them to you.
Catherine picks up her phone and sends the photos. Erica picks up her phone and smiles.
Erica: The eyes…You have the same eyes.
Erica: Who are all these guys?
Danny takes the phone and looks at the photo. He swipes through them.
Catherine: Well Teddy was one of seven. Those are all his brothers.
Danny: Big family…
Silence
Ben: Um… listen, Danny. They’re good people. They care about each other. They’re kind. A lot of them are pretty smart. I don’t know if this is what you want to hear but, they would’ve taken you in, without a second thought.
Danny: (still looking at the photos) God. Oh God. Down the street? Down the fucking street I had a real dad? … God, all my life he was some myth. But he has a face, and a name, and a family. A family that was my family. And I got robbed? Jesus Christ.
Catherine: Look Danny, if there’s anything we can do.
Danny: No. I – I appreciate the call. I just – I need a little bit, I think.
Erica: Yeah so I think we’ll let you go now, but we have your number if we need.
Catherine: Yeah, yeah no problem.
Danny: Uh, if you find any more photos, would you mind sending them over.
Catherine: Not at all.
Danny: Thank you. Thank you guys. Goodbye.
Catherine and Ben: Goodbye.
They hang up
Ben: Wow.
Catherine: What do you think?
Ben: I think we need two more place settings this Thanksgiving.
Wonder Road 