tomeubanks.com

                                     
                   Kimberly Demmary as Det. Angela Zulinski

                  For Act One, Scene One, see Monday, April 19.

                                        American Right

                                             Act One
                                           Scene Two



Same. Several minutes later. ANGELA paces around the room, drinking a Coke. On the table is the tape recorder and two empty water bottles. The door opens. SCOTT escorts a young woman about 20 into the room. She wears a bowling shirt with "Lucky Ladies" embroidered across the back, calf-length pants and bowling shoes. Her hair is bundled on the back of her head to keep it out of the way, not to impress anyone.

Scott: Have a seat, Ms. Martinelli.

(MINA seems nervous and quietly sits in U.S. chair. SCOTT goes to ANGELA, speaks to her in a low whisper, then exits, closing door behind him.)

Angela: (standing to the side drinking her Coke): Mina, I’m Detective Zulinski.

Mina: Hi.

Angela: You doing okay?

Mina: I guess.

Angela: I just have some questions, okay?

Mina: What’s going on? I was just bowling and these two guys flash their badges and tell me I need to come down here. Am I in trouble–for something?

Angela: No, no, no. Absolutely not. (MINA seems to be relieved.) We’re conducting an investigation and your name came up.

Mina: My name? About what?

Angela: Dr. Lebeau.

Mina: (shifting in her seat): Is he okay?

Angela: Well, we thought you might help us with that question.

Mina: Me?

Angela: Yeah.

Mina: This about him not showing up for class today?

Angela: Sort of, yeah.

Mina: Okay. Well, I don’t know where he is.

Angela: (slight pause): What does he teach?

Mina: Speech and theater arts. And I think he does a humanities class or something.

Angela: You take his class?

Mina: Theater Arts.

Angela: Acting?

Mina: (laughing): God, no I–I’m taking his Introduction to Theater. It satisfies some of my English units.

Angela: I see. Do you know anything about his personal life?

Mina: Like what?

Angela: Personal stuff. Married, single, plays the harmonica–stuff like that.

Mina: He’s, uh, single. I don’t know if he plays the harmonica.

Angela: That was...that was just an example. What else do you know about him?

Mina: (sighs, thinking): He smokes cigars. Uh, I know he used to be an actor in New York. Uh...he was born in France but came over when he was ten or eleven, and raised in, uh, Vermont, I think. He has a sister. She teaches at Bailey High. Uh...he collects frogs.

Angela: Frogs?

Mina: Yeah, you go in his office and he has all these frogs. Anything you can find that’s in the shape of a frog, he collects. Us students give them to him. He has, like, a frog candy dish, frog umbrella stand, little ceramic frogs–like, every color and size–on a shelf behind his desk. He even wears a frog tie. There’s a name plate on his desk that says, "Dr. Ribbit." (Laughs.) Frogs everywhere. You know–French– "frogs"?

Angela: I get it, yeah. (Slight pause.) Do you, um, take any classes from Dr. Anders?

Mina: Dr. Anders? Uh, yeah. It’s called, uh, Political Fantasies.

Angela: Political "Fantasies"? Sounds intriguing.

Mina: It’s pretty cool for political science. I’m not into that stuff, but he makes it really interesting. He’s funny, too.

Angela: Yes, he’s hilarious. (A beat; she sits.) What do you know about Dr. Anders?

Mina: Uh...I don’t know. Let’s see. His wife died. And, uh...he golfs, I think–at least he goes to the driving range a lot. Oh, yeah, and he has one of those, you know, wiener dogs.

Angela: A Dachshund?

Mina: I guess that’s what you call it. His name is Oscar–you know, like, Oscar Mayer wiener? Isn’t that funny? (Sings.) Oh, I want to be an Oscar Mayer wiener...."  

Angela: (simultaneous with singing): How do you know about his dog?

Mina: I saw him.

Angela: The dog? Where?

Mina: At his house.

Angela: (a beat): You’ve been to Dr. Ander’s house?

Mina: (guarded): Couple times, yeah.

Angela: And what was the occasion?

Mina: I’m sorry?

Angela: Why were you at his house?

Mina: Why was I at his house? He invited me.

Angela: As a student or... a friend?

Mina: (after thinking for several seconds about it): Both, I guess.

Angela: Well...what did–? You want something to drink?

Mina: No, I’m fine.

Angela: Let me know if you change your mind. About something to drink. (A beat.) What did you do at his house?

Mina: Nothing. Talked. Drank coffee.

Angela: That’s kind of–that’s not ordinary, is it? I mean, a student socializing with her professor at his private residence?

Mina: It’s not? (Gets worried.) Is there something wrong with–? I didn’t know that. Honest to God. Is there, like, a rule about that or something? I swear to God, I didn’t know, if there was. (A good reason.) I wanted to talk to him about voting. And he said I could come over anytime and talk to him. I thought that was–

Angela: About voting?

Mina: Yeah, I never voted before and he’s, like, a professional, right? He teaches this stuff, so I thought, if anyone knows about who to vote for, he would.

Angela: You wanted to ask him who you should vote for?

Mina: Yeah.

Angela: For what?

Mina: For the council thing–the Bailey City Council...you know, in June, that–

Angela: The election for city council–yes, I know.

Mina: Yeah. Well, he’s, like, an advisor for a guy running–I forget the guy’s name–

Angela: Randall Jones.

Mina: Yeah, Jones. I knew it was, like, an easy name to remember.

Angela: So what did he tell you?

Mina: He just said that–what’s-his-name–Jones was running and that I should wait to see who else was going to run against him.

Angela: Really.

Mina: I guess the cumbit–is that what you call him?

Angela: (smiles, amused at her naivete): Incumbent.

Mina: Yeah, the incumbent wasn’t running and so, uh, Jones was the only guy right now or something.

Angela: So he told you to wait. Probably good advice. (Pause.) I’m going to ask you a personal question, all right?

Mina: Sure.

Angela: (a beat): Did you have a relationship with Dr. Anders?

Mina: Relationship. You mean, like, was I sleeping with him? (ANGELA nods; MINA laughs.) Oh, God, no! I mean...he’s not a bad looking guy, but he’s like my dad’s age. (Or: ...but he’s too old for me.)

Angela: Older men often have relationships with younger women.

Mina: (like she does): Yeah, I know.

Angela: Did Dr. Anders ever talk to you about Dr. Lebeau?

Mina: (thinking): Uh...I don’t think so. Like I said, we just talked about–

Angela: He never mentioned Dr. Lebeau?

Mina: No. (Trying to be nonchalant.) What’re you trying to say?

Angela: You said you’ve been to his house a couple of times. What was the other occasion?

Mina: Oh, uh, yesterday. Yesterday he was in Starbucks grading papers, and when I came in for a Mocha Frap he happened to be grading mine, so he invited me to sit down and talk about it. I thought that was–most teachers wouldn’t bother. ‘Specially if they were, like, on their personal time at Starbucks, you know.

(ANGELA is distracted by the mention of Starbucks. Slight pause; then a seriousness can be heard in her voice.)

Angela: So why did you go to his house?

Mina: Uh...he told me he had to get rid of his dog. It’s really sad. I kinda feel sorry for him. It was his wife’s dog–

Angela: You went to his house because of the dog?

Mina: Yeah, he has to get rid of it, so–

Angela: Why does he have to get rid of it?

Mina: I mean, God–it reminds him of her.

Angela: For a year he’s been reminded of her by the dog being there? Is that what you’re telling me?

Mina: Yeah. (Getting protective.) Why’s that so hard to believe?

Angela: I didn’t say I didn’t believe it.

Mina: I’m not an "A" student, but I’m not stupid either, you know. I can tell what you’re doing by, you know, the way you kind of ask a question with part of my answer in it, like it’s not making sense to you.

Angela: I didn’t mean it like that.

Mina: He’s really having a hard time. He cracks jokes and stuff, but I can tell this is really hard for him. He loves that dog, but....(She doesn’t finish.)

Angela: So you went to his house...?

Mina: Oh. Yeah. Well, I wanted to think about it. Taking the dog. So I said I should come over and just...be with Oscar for a while and...well, I could tell he wanted some company, too, maybe.

Angela: How could you tell that?

Mina: I don’t know. He seemed okay with me being there. He didn’t rush me out the door like some people do.

Angela: What do you mean?

Mina: I’m, uh...not, you know...real smart. I’m not stupid, either. But a lot of people sort of ignore me.

Angela: Did he talk about Dr. Lebeau while you were there?

Mina: I already told you "no." You think he has something to do with Dr. Lebeau not coming to class, don’t you? What happened to–

Angela: Mina, I really can’t discuss anything. Please just...answer my questions.

Mina: (put off): I played with Oscar.

Angela: And Dr. Anders didn’t–

Mina: We talked about the dog. And me. He wanted to know about me. He was very nice.

Angela: (pause; trying to get back MINA’s trust): He seems like a very nice man to me, too. My questions may make you think otherwise, but I’m only doing my job. I have to ask certain questions or my boss gets a bit...ticked off at me.

Mina: Yeah. I know what that’s like. My boss is always mad at me about something. I’m a waitress–a waitperson–at Birdie’s. I hate that–whatayacallit....

Angela: Political correctness?

Mina: No, not that–Vince...Dr. Anders called it something else. (Thinks.)

(ANGELA sits back waiting for her to remember...and looking at her with a different eye–an eye exploring for the meaning in MINA’s referring to him as "Vince.")