>> You are about to see a play

as it was written and performed

onstage.

Some may find the language

or content objectionable.

Viewer discretion is advised.

Next on "Theater Close-Up,"

it's Election Day 2016.

>> Uh, I just hope Hillary knows

that my vote is for not him.

>> And while we're all voting

for a new president,

the Gabriels are forced to sell

their family home.

>> My children grew up

in this house.

>> Join us

for the final play...

>> A play where

everyone is always cooking.

>> ...in the Public Theater

production of Richard Nelson's

"Gabriels Trilogy,"

"Women of a Certain Age"...

>> Well, she's gonna win.

The other is unthinkable.

>> ...on "Theater Close-Up."

>> I've got it all planned out,

Hannah.

♪♪

♪♪

[ Cheers and applause ]

>> Support for

"Theater Close-Up"

is provided by...

>> Hello.

I'm Oskar Eustis, the artistic

director of the Public Theater.

I'm sitting in the Public's

restaurant, the Library,

named for the building's origins

as the Astor Library,

one of the first

and largest public libraries

in our country.

Our building has had a great

and extraordinary life,

first as a library,

then, for decades, as the home

of the Hebrew Sheltering

and Immigration Society, housing

and feeding tens of thousands

of Jewish immigrants in

World War II.

But by the mid-1950s,

this building sat empty,

boarded up, and forgotten,

on the verge of demolition,

when something happened.

Bernie Gersten -- "One Monday,

Hilmar Sallee, our manager,

came in with the Sunday

New York Times real estate

section, which, on the first

page, had a photograph of an

abandoned building, the windows

boarded up, and the headline

said something like,

'Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant

Aid Society Building Up For

Sale.'

There it was in all its

vastness -- 54,000 square feet,

a grand-looking

abandoned building."

Joseph Papp -- "I wanted to do

contemporary plays.

I'd done only Shakespeare

for so long,

and in order to make Shakespeare

alive, you have to be

in the contemporary theater,

so I needed a permanent home

that would be a theater

for new plays.

I'd passed this enormous place

a couple of times, but I'd never

thought much about it.

It was in a very dark,

off-the-beaten-path neighborhood

with a lot of violence

and robberies going on.

Then, we heard the building was

for sale, and on a terrible,

rainy day, we inspected inside.

Everything was dark and dreary.

The building looked very old

and ill-kept.

It reminded me a police station.

Downstairs, where one of our

theaters now is, had been a

synagogue, a shul.

On the floor, we found prayer

shawls, prayer books.

The whole place had been

partitioned, both into small

office spaces and into tiny

cubicles with cots and

mattresses on the floor,

where whole families had lived.

There were even little rooms

that had been put aside

with bassinets for children.

The entire building was littered

with old pictures

and file cards,

thousands of them.

Lists of people who had applied

to come over.

But if you looked carefully,

you could see the outline

of this gorgeous,

domed glass ceiling.

The interior was quite

beautiful.

It was possible to see some of

the past glories

of that building."

The new Public Theater at

425 Lafayette Street

opened on November 12, 1967,

with the premiere of a musical

called "Hair."

This year, we celebrate our 50th

anniversary here in this home.

Hundreds of plays

have been performed

by thousands of artists.

Our finest playwrights,

directors, actors, designers

have graced our six theaters

as we, a theater built upon a

refugee home built upon a

library, work to continue the

hard and necessary work

of serving the best instincts

of our citizens.

Tonight, we return to our

LuEsther Hall, named,

after some difficultly, for one

of our most generous patrons,

LuEsther T. Mertz.

As Ms. Mertz herself described,

"Joe kept saying,

'I'm going to name a theater

after you.'

'No, you're not.'

'Yes, I am.'

'No, you're not, now.

I'm not gonna have it.'

This went on

for a couple of years, and one

day, he said he was turning one

of the upstairs halls

into another theater, and it was

gonna be named after me.

I said,

'I will make a deal with you.

You can use my first name.

Who is that LuEsther Hall?

That way, strangers don't know

who I am, and that suits me just

fine.'"

We return to the LuEsther

for the third and final play

of Richard Nelson's masterful

trilogy, "The Gabriels,"

subtitled, "Election Year

in the Life of One Family,"

performed by a much honored cast

and designed by some of our most

famed designers.

Today's play is called

"Women of a Certain Age,"

and like all three plays,

it is set in the kitchen

of the Gabriel family

on South Street in the village

of Rhinebeck, New York,

which is 100 miles

due north of New York City,

a placeThe New York Times

once called

"The Town that Time Forgot."

For those of you who have yet to

see the first two plays,

"Hungry" and

"What Did You Expect?"

here is a little background.

"Hungry" takes place on

March 6, 2016, four months

after Thomas Gabriel's death

and on the day his ashes are

released into the Hudson River.

Attending are his widow Mary,

his siblings, George and Joyce,

his mother, Patricia,

George's wife, Hannah,

and Thomas' first wife,

whom he divorced

decades earlier, Karin.

Karin is the accidental

participant, having recently

moved to the area

for a temporary teaching job.

Joyce is visiting from her home

in Brooklyn.

The others all live in the

small village of Rhinebeck.

"What Did You Expect?"

takes places nearly six months

later, on September 16th.

Joyce has returned from a trip

to Europe.

Hannah and George's son Paulie

has begun college

at SUNY Purchase.

Karin now rents a room

from Mary, who still mourns.

And the week before the play

takes place, the Gabriels learn

that Patricia, some time ago,

has taken out a reverse mortgage

and extraneous loans

and now stands to lose her home

and be forced out

of her independent living inn.

"Women of a Certain Age"

takes place on November 8, 2016,

Election Day, a day we will all

probably never forget.

It will take place between

5:00 and 7:00 p.m.,

before the polls have closed,

so the characters, as well

as the opening-night audience

and the playwright, do not know

what the results will be.

The weather is beautiful,

a perfect fall evening,

and everyone is anxious.

The third and final play of

"The Gabriels,"

"Women of a Certain Age."

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[ Introduction to Lucius'

"Until We Get There" plays ]

♪♪

♪♪

♪ What do you say?

♪ Is this the time

for one more try

at a happy life? ♪

♪♪

♪ So, what do you say?

♪ Is this unwise

to think my fears

will not reprise? ♪

♪♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Can't be late

♪ It's a rising tide

♪ Like an hourglass

running out of time ♪

♪ So, what do you say?

♪ What will you decide?

♪ It's a win or lose

on a rolling die ♪

♪♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪♪

♪ Gonna get out of the water

♪ Gonna leave the storm

♪ 'Cause everybody's got to get

there somehow ♪

>> Who's there?

>> I don't hear anything.

What do you hear?

>> I thought I heard a door

close, Hannah.

>> I didn't hear anything.

>> Well, I didn't.

>> The wind?

>> I'm sure I closed the door.

>> Sometimes,

if it doesn't click...

>> We didn't hear anything,

Mom.

You want us to check?

>> Why don't I just go and see?

>> So, Mom,

how about a bunny salad?

Do you remember us making that?

>> What's a bunny salad,

Patricia?

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> But show me.

>> I remember making that.

>> Cute.

>> Why is called a bunny salad?

>> No one's out there, Patricia.

>> Oh.

>> You okay, Mom?

There's nobody there.

>> It's a half a sliced pear,

see, sort of looks like a bunny

lying down.

>> Whose cookbook was this?

>> George.

>> George wrote his name

in everything.

I don't remember

a bunny salad, Joyce.

>> I do.

Candle salad.

I don't think we ever made

that, Mom.

>> I think wedid, Joyce.

>> No, don't think so.

Muffins.

[ Telephone ringing ]

>> Phone.

>> Applesauce.

Ooh, Cinderella cake.

[ Chuckles ] Too much work.

I don't think we ever made that,

either.

Choo-choo salad.

>> What's that?

>> So, Mom, who is it?

>> What?

Who's what?

>> On the phone --

who's calling?

>> What?

>> You're almost always right.

>> You are.

She is.

>> What?

>> It's your amazing gift.

>> Joyce.

>> I'm not making fun.

Mom, you almost always know,

just as the phone rings,

who is calling.

>> Know what?

>> You know you can do that,

don't you?

You know that?

>> No. I...

>> Well, I've never really

tested you.

I've wanted to.

>> Well, why would you want to?

>> I'm gonna test you.

Come on, Mom.

Tell us.

Who is it?

It's all right, Hannah.

>> I didn't say anything.

>> So who is it, Mom?

>> Probably, I think...

>> Who?

>> It's George, isn't it?

>> It's George.

>> It could be for me.

>> I'll bet she's right.

>> I don't know, Joyce.

>> No, you know.

I just don't know how you know,

but you know, and it's spooky.

>> It was George.

>> [ Gasps ]

>> See? What did I tell you?

>> She was right.

>> You're ama--

She is just amazing.

>> She knew who was

on the phone.

>> He got stuck in traffic

in Westchester.

He just got off the Taconic.

He didn't want us to worry.

He said to cook

whatever we want.

He doesn't care.

>> You've always done it, Mom.

You haven't lost your touch.

>> Pat, you really know

who's calling?

>> I don't know.

>> And Paulie?

>> Did he say anything

about Paulie?

>> Uh, no.

>> Do you want more coffee,

Patricia?

>> I sometimes know

when it's Paulie calling.

I can just sense it sometimes.

>> You're his mother.

That makes sense.

It's not uncommon with mothers.

>> I'm not always right.

There's still some left.

Anyone?

>> No thanks.

>> Mom! [ Laughs ]

Raggedy Ann salad --

can we do that?

We have to do that!

>> What do we need for that,

Joyce?

>> Joyce, your mother had

a very interesting

or fascinating dream

just last night.

It was last night, right?

Yeah.

It was last night.

We should tell her.

>> We should.

It's fascinating.

>> What dream, Mom?

>> You told us about it just

this morning

and before you got here,

and we think she dreamed

it last night.

>> What?

>> Do you remember telling me

and Hannah?

We came to pick you up to vote,

but you were too tired,

but you remembered

so many details.

I never remember the details

of my dreams.

>> Me neither.

>> In quarters?

>> Smaller.

>> All about your new roommate.

>> You have a new roommate, Mom?

>> I do.

>> Yeah, just this week.

>> You'll meet her.

>> We met her.

The roommate kept saying,

"I don't belong

in assisted living."

She wasn't saying that to us.

She was just saying it.

In your Mom's dream --

Do you remember you described

lying in your bed.

>> Your mother's bed

is now the one by the window.

>> And the roommate,

she's taking care of you.

The roommate has told Patricia

that that was now her --

the roommate's job.

>> To -- To take care of Mom?

>> Yeah, like,

she's now Patricia's nurse,

when suddenly, in the dream --

And Patricia

has her back to the roommate,

and she hears this woman...

>> Gail.

>> ...Gail, say, "Patty,

I am so sick and tired

of taking care of you,

so why don't you just

get it over with

and jump out that window?"

>> What?

>> So Patricia turns

to her and she says...

Did you remember?

>> I remember.

>> You say, "Why do you --

are you saying this to me?"

And the roommate says back,

"But I didn't say

anything to you, Patty."

>> "But I heard you say

that to me, Gail."

>> "Did you see me say it?"

Gail asks in the dream,

And, "No. I didn't."

Am I telling this right?

And your mother hadn't seen her

because, of course,

Gail is behind her.

"So, next time, Patty,

when you think you hear me

saying something,

turn around and look for me."

So Patricia rolls over with her

back to Gail again,

and -- I don't know --

maybe falls asleep.

>> And then, it happens again.

>> Yeah. She hears Gail say,

"Patty, just kill yourself."

And your mom

wants to explain to her that,

because of the stroke, she can't

get herself out of bed,

and so she starts to turn

to tell her that,

and Gail shouts at her,

"Don't look at me. Just jump!"

>> "I can't.

I can't get out of bed."

>> "I've had a stroke,"

she explains,

so Patricia just lies there.

Then, after a while, she turns,

and she says to Gail,

"Why do you keep telling me

that?

Aren't you taking care of me?"

>> And Gail just says,

"Did you see me say that,

Patty?"

She'd been told

not to turn around.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> "Then how do you know, Patty,

it was me?"

>> Does anyone in assisted

living know about this?

>> When -- When we take her

back tonight.

>> Your mom's taking

all these drugs now.

She thinks they are

what give her such dreams.

>> I'm sure Gail is taking

all sorts of drugs, too.

>> Gail wasn't there when Mom

told her your dream, was she?

>> No. She was there, listening.

>> So, Mom, let's do

the Raggedy Ann salad, okay?

>> What do we need for that?

>> Canned peaches, a cherry.

>> We don't have any of that.

>> Raisins for the buttons

and the eyes and the shoes.

>> I think we have raisins.

>> Yellow cheese for the hair.

>> Joyce, you're gonna have

to go back to Tops Friendly.

>> Oh.

I don't want to go back there.

You okay, Mom?

Mom. [ Laughs ] Mom.

♪ My Raggedy Ann was

a very old doll ♪

♪ She lay in the attic for

years ♪

>> What's this?

>> ♪ Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh

♪ My Raggedy Ann with her legs

doubled over her ears ♪

>> What?

>> Mom knows where that's from.

>> Do I?

>> Of course you do,

my little carousel record player

that turned as you played it,

my carousel record player.

She sold it in some garage sale,

like, the second I left for

college.

>> Why would I do that, Joyce?

>> I don't know.

I would love to know.

>> I have no recollection

of any such record player.

>> I think you do.

>> There's shepherd's pie,

paintbrush cookies.

That would be plenty.

>> Yeah. That's enough.

Agreed?

>> All right.

>> We'll work all this out.

So, we'll just do that.

>> Yeah.

>> I had a Raggedy Ann doll,

and I sewed it back together

so many times, it looked

like Frankenstein's monster.

[ Laughter ]

I-I used to operate on her.

>> Pat, I have

a question for you.

>> What?

>> Today, when I came back from

teaching, and Joyce was here,

she told me something, but

I think she's just teasing me.

>> Oh, that.

>> The Gabriels don't tease.

>> [ Scoffs ]

>> Do they?

>> Thomas and George.

>> About some sort of ghost,

a family ghost over in

the guest room above the office

where I'm sleeping --

the room I'm renting...

Joyce said that, as a kid...

>> And teenager.

>> ...she saw a number of times,

and I don't believe her,

but I thought I'd just ask.

There isn't any ghost, is there?

I mean, I think she's just --

she's just pulling my leg.

>> In the guest room, a ghost?

>> Yes.

>> There's never been a ghost

in that guest room, Joyce.

You know better.

>> Thank you.

I cannot believe I even asked.

I'm embarrassed to have brought

it up -- a ghost.

>> It's in the basement, Karin.

>> What?

>> In the unfinished basement

below the office

where you're staying.

Haven't you been down there?

>> I looked.

I opened the door 'cause I

didn't know where the door goes,

so I looked.

>> And you haven't

heard anything?

>> Not really, no.

>> No scratching or rapping

or digging noise?

>> Well, and if I had...

>> So you have.

>> Well, I know we have moles,

'cause didn't you tell me --

George -- he set a mouse trap

down there, and he caught a

mole.

and it's just dirt down there,

so I figure moles could...

>> I remember being over there

once, Joyce, when that was your

father's office, and cleaning up

his -- cleaning up his mugs.

He always left them sitting in

the -- in the sink,

and I went

down into the basement.

We kept a few trunks down there.

I can't remember what I went

down there for.

And, suddenly, the light went --

I was down there,

and the light went out, and,

"Well, must have burned out,"

I thought.

>> Hmm.

>> And so, it's pitch dark,

and I couldn't see anything,

but, suddenly,

I felt my -- my hand was wet.

And I went up to

the top of the basement stairs.

I -- Well, I -- I thought

I might have cut myself.

Maybe it was blood.

>> Mm-hmm?

>> And I turned on the switch,

and the light came on.

It hadn't gone out.

It had just burned out,

and I could see my hand

was completely wet,

just water, nothing dripping.

Nothing else was wet

except on one step, a puddle.

I closed the basement door,

and then I heard...

[ Knocking on table ]

...Karin, and I told you

there was nothing down there

except a few trunks,

and I heard what sounded like

chairs being thrown up against

a wall and smashed,

a whole room full of furniture

being broken up.

And then, I heard a voice --

oh, a voice.

The sound -- A voice...

>> You know she's joking,

don't you?

>> They tease, the Gabriels.

They tease.

>> Thank you for letting me

get that far.

>> We found a lot of things

stuffed in the back of closets

in the attic.

>> George said

he found dad's fiddle.

>> Yeah, he's been

playing it all week.

>> I didn't realize

Georgie played

the violin as well the piano.

>> He's a Gabriel.

>> Yeah.

>> Thomas used to play the

fiddle.

>> I didn't know that.

Hey, what else can I do?

>> Let me think.

>> Oh, look.

How about Jell-O

with cut-up fruit?

[ Laughs ] When's the last time

we had Jell-O, Mom?

You know, I bet you have

a box of Jell-O somewhere from,

like, 100 years ago.

It never goes bad like the

Twinkies you'd feed us.

>> There's no Jell-O.

We don't eat Jell-O anymore.

No one does.

>> Well, I really wanted to have

a Raggedy Ann salad.

Shit. What are we gonna do

for a vegetable?

>> We have canned peas.

Patricia likes those.

>> Mom, how can you

even eat those?

You know, they have, like,

zero vitamins.

>> She likes them.

>> It's amazing we all survived

our childhoods.

>> What?

I didn't hear that.

>> You heard me, Mom.

>> Oh. We all went on

a little scouting expedition

this morning, Patricia.

Here. I think you'll like

this -- a garage sale on

Livingston.

>> Mrs. Voorhees.

>> Not me.

>> Well, you weren't here yet.

We went right after we voted.

>> You bought stuff?

I thought you're trying to sell

stuff.

>> For like 25 cents.

September 1910,

Ladies' Home Journal.

>> I'm not that old.

>> You're not.

Neither is Mrs. Voorhees.

>> Maybe it had been her

mother's.

>> A garage sale on a Tuesday?

>> An estate sale.

>> Was Pam Voorhees there?

>> On a Tuesday, a garage sale?

>> No. She wasn't.

It was a preview.

>> What did Paulie buy?

>> He stayed outside.

He said everything

smelled moldy.

>> Chop?

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Some other people

brought stuff to sell, too.

Barbara Apple had a whole

clothes rack of her uncle's

suits, jackets, shirts.

>> The actor?

>> Good actor.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Practically giving stuff

away.

George is like, "Hannah!

Look at all these neat clothes."

I had to tell him, "You wear

the same thing every day.

You're not gonna wear

those actors' things."

Sometimes, he doesn't

see himself.

>> I thought you were trying to

get George to dress better and

make him feel better about

himself.

You're always saying that.

>> She was saying

that just last night.

>> Yeah, but not those things.

That's not him.

Oh, in one of the upstairs

bedrooms, there was still

wallpaper with pictures of

cowboys.

>> Her son must be

50 years old now.

>> Joey Voorhees

was our age, Hannah.

>> He still is.

>> Was Joey there?

>> Yeah.

>> I wonder if he still sleeps

there when he comes to visit.

I almost asked him.

Little cowboys with lassos.

>> Ooh.

>> Joey told me that today was

just a preview for the village

before the weekenders

got their hands on anything.

>> Hmm.

>> He put a yard sale sign

at the town hall so we'd all see

it when we went to vote.

>> The villagers.

>> Do you think they chose

Election Day on purpose?

>> Well, we're the only ones

that would vote there.

We're the only ones

that would see it.

>> Well, good for him.

>> We went to get some tips

for our own sale, Patricia.

>> Did you get any?

>> Oh, not much.

>> Listen to this --

"The Girls' Club With One Idea:

To Make Money."

Maybe, we should all read that.

>> I haven't had a chance

to even look at that.

>> "An Open Letter to the

American Girl" -- that's us.

>> Yeah.

>> You, too, Mom.

"I want to talk straight and

without mincing words.

Has your mother

ever said to you,

'If I could have had as much

when I was your age

as you have now,

I should have been the happiest

girl in the world'?"

Hmm.

>> You didn't used to say things

like that to your children,

Patricia, did you?

>> Joyce?

>> Take a lock.

"The chance are that,

when your mother was a girl,

she did have an overdose

of self-denial

and unsatisfied longing."

>> Pat, is that how you felt

growing up?

>> That's my mother,

my mother to a "T."

>> You want to say

anything else, Mom?

That's all we're gonna get.

>> "Your mother had

precious good times.

She dressed simply,

and when you came long,

her children, the memory

of her own girlhood heartache

stirred all her tender love of

you, and so she gave you

whatever you wanted.

She gave you clothes which

her own judgment told her

were not suited to you."

Well, Mom, we just fought over

my clothes, didn't we?

>> I don't remember

any fighting, Joyce.

>> Oh, who didn't fight

with their mom about clothes?

>> I wore a lot

of my mother's clothes.

>> Wow.

>> "Your mother gave you money

of whose value you had

not the faintest conception."

We'll skip that part.

>> I'd like to hear

more about that.

>> Yes. "She gave you

praise you hadn't earned."

>> Is that true, Patricia?

>> Maybe. That's maybe true.

I'll give you that one, Mom.

"She gave you privileges

which you just abused."

>> True.

>> "She gave you devotion

that you accepted as a

matter-of-course situation."

>> Pat, true?

>> Take a lock.

>> Oh. Maybe I didn't appreciate

everything you did, Mom.

>> Take a lock.

>> One of Thomas' students,

when -- when Thomas was

teaching...

>> Mm-hmm.

>> One day he comes home, "Mary!

The student said

the most amazing thing today."

This relates to that.

The student told him that

her parents keep telling her

they just want her to be happy,

but she told Thomas,

"Don't my parents realize

the pressure that puts on me?"

>> I don't understand.

What do her parents do wrong?

>> Pressuring her to be happy,

Patricia.

>> Why was that...

>> Sometimes, Mom, I understand

just what Thomas' student meant.

Sometimes, it's helpful to think

about being happy as something

that's -- I don't know --

not in our own control.

There are other factors,

and so, if -- when --

we aren't happy,

maybe then we won't feel

so damn guilty about that.

Like, we fucked up

or have let others,

our parents, down.

Karin, here's an article

for you.

>> What's that?

>> "How I furnished

my entire flat from boxes."

>> Save that.

>> Okay.

>> I'm gonna need that.

Let me see.

Can I see?

>> Why does Karin need boxes?

>> For her new apartment.

I still don't know how you're

going to do that commute every

day.

>> Mnh-mnh.

>> From Kingston...

>> We'll see.

>> ...to Hotchkiss.

>> I thought you were living

in our guest room.

>> Well, she is, Patricia,

but she's moving on.

>> Hey, look.

Here's an ad for Jell-O.

>> Well, we should have

had Jell-O.

>> It looks good.

>> It alwayslooks good.

>> My mother was like

one of those mothers

in that magazine.

>> Why, Mom?

Why was she like that?

Tell us.

>> She never wore makeup

in her whole life.

I can still hear her voice.

You're very lucky, Joyce.

I could have been my mother.

>> Here's a color picture

of the Raggedy Ann salad.

>> Patricia, do you know

where the cookie cutters are?

You used to have full boxes

of all kinds of cookie cutters.

>> Hannah, there's a picture

of paintbrush cookies somewhere.

>> I know where they are!

I saw them the other day --

2 bucks a cookie cutter.

They were way in the back

of the pantry.

I was cleaning stuff out.

I can get them.

Should I get them?

>> Sure.

>> I-I'll get them, then.

>> Thanks, Karin.

[ Footsteps ]

Karin knows where the cookie

cutters are.

>> Hey, Mary.

Is Karin wearing

one of Thomas' shirts?

I've been waiting to ask.

>> Mary gave it to her.

>> Well, she's been helping to

clean out Thomas' clothes

closet, and we've been

going through stuff.

It's dirty work.

She's only got nice clothes.

>> Mm.

>> Why was Pam Voorhees

having a garage sale?

Has she died, Hannah?

>> Last month, when you were

in the hospital.

We'll need paintbrushes, too,

the little ones.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Patricia, do you

still have that...

>> Where -- Where --

Where they've always been,

out in the junk cabinet

in the living room.

We haven't started

on the living room yet.

>> Is Pam's son there?

>> Yes. He even asked after you.

He'd heard you'd been ill.

>> Pam probably told him.

>> Probably, and he'd heard

about you selling the house.

Joey hasn't changed as much

as a lot of men do.

>> That's good to hear.

>> You all right, Patricia?

>> When Joey Voorhees

was something like 8 --

See if you remember this, Mom.

Joey was just across the street

in the schoolyard, playing ball.

I was, I think, jumping rope,

and, um, these two older boys

came along, and they --

they grabbed Joey,

and they started hitting him.

And [laughs] all of a sudden,

Mom, you came running across the

street and -- and into the

schoolyard, and you pushed those

boys away, and then you brought

Joey into here.

I found you both in the kitchen,

and you had given him a piece of

cake.

You remember that?

>> No.

>> You don't?

Come on, Mom.

You need to remember

the good things you do, too.

>> Oh, I can take those, Karin.

>> What else do

we need for the cookies?

>> Paintbrushes.

>> There are paintbrushes

in that cabinet

in the living room.

>> Are there?

>> The junk cabinet, I call it.

Do you want me to get them?

I can get them.

>> Yeah, sure.

>> All right.

>> Thank you, Karin.

>> Yeah. Thank you, Karin.

>> You're a big help.

They might need to be washed.

>> You can use the downstairs

bathroom sink.

>> You've done a lot

of good things. nice things.

You need to remember them, too.

>> I don't remember

those things, Joyce.

>> Yes, you do.

You're just being stubborn.

Hey, Mom, Mary's been finding

all sorts of things

cleaning out stuff.

>> I know.

>> Well, Mary told me on the

phone about a box of letters.

I don't think she said

anything...

>> To Patricia, no, not yet.

>> Hannah, may I see that?

I'd like to pick mine before

Joyce takes the good ones.

>> A box she found way in the

back of your and Dad's bureau,

and on the top of the box --

she just showed it

to me when I got here --

you had written,

"Burn after I die."

Well, Mary decided not burn

them, Mom, 'cause you're not

dead.

>> Well, not just Mary.

I agreed, too.

So did George.

>> Mary, George, and Hannah

have read them, Mom.

I read them while Mary was

picking you up.

They're all about your sister.

>> Yeah. I was just cleaning out

the bureau, Patricia.

>> I know the box, Mary.

>> All of the letters are to you

when you were a girl.

I'm sorry.

Everyone was when Ellie died.

Nothing we read seemed like it

needed to be burned.

Did anything to you?

>> I'm sorry if I should have

destroyed them, Patricia.

>> Do you need help?

>> Yeah, sure.

>> I want to talk with you

about this.

>> What's this, Joyce?

>> Reading the letters

and seeing you

as a girl of 13

and how people wrote to you,

how your dad wrote to you,

the fact that he wrote to you.

I mean, you were living

in the same house, weren't you?

Or had you gone away?

One of the addresses was away.

>> I went to live with my aunt

for a while.

>> Yeah, I hadn't known that.

[ Chuckles ]

How could I know that?

Ellie was my aunt.

Of course, I never met her, but

that picture you keep at the

home, that's when she got

married, right?

She's so beautiful

in that photo.

You once told me --

I bet you've forgotten this.

You told me that she had been

your best friend.

>> She was older.

>> Mm. What was her husband's --

George knew the name.

>> Yeah.

>> George told me something

really interesting on the phone.

I don't think he's told you yet.

>> He hasn't.

>> He did some exploring

on the Internet, right?

Ellie's husband, he was a model

for advertisements, wasn't he?

>> Yes.

>> He was a really handsome man,

very attractive, and George

even ran across one of the ads

he was in for hats.

He told me some other

very interesting things, too.

I think they're interesting.

I think -- I think we all do.

The best man at Ellie's

wedding -- Do --

Do you want to know?

>> Know what?

>> There had been this big

scandal.

Someone even recently wrote

about -- made a play out of it.

Some Harvard students, way back,

were thrown out of school

for being homosexuals,

being gay.

And George discovered that one

of these students

was Ellie's husband's best man,

Mom, at their wedding.

Do you know what I'm suggesting?

Here, Mom.

>> Hannah.

A shooting star -- I didn't know

we had one of those.

>> I'll stop. Never mind.

Do you want me to stop?

George speculates -- and this

does make a whole lot

of sense to me, Mom --

What if your sister --

What if she hadn't known

that her husband was a gay man?

He might have thought he needed

a cover.

That's what gay people

had to do back then.

There's actually a name

for this.

The world made us do that then.

So...maybe Ellie, at this

Christmas party she went to that

night -- She had gone --

They had gone to a Christmas

party, right?

>> Yes.

>> And -- And she sees something

at this party that makes her

realize her situation.

She leaves her husband

at the party.

We know she did that.

She goes back

to their apartment.

We know she did.

She leaves no note.

What could she write, Mom?

>> My sister was high-strung.

>> What does that mean?

Anyway, just suppose what

I'm suggesting is what happened.

Just think what your big sister

would have been going through.

She was trapped.

She was 19 -- 19.

She couldn't talk

to your parents.

She couldn't tell your mom.

Grandma would have told her to,

"Make the best of it, dear,"

right?

>> I don't know, Joyce.

>> "You're doing something

wrong" -- that is what Grandma

would have said, right?

Right?

>> He was a good swimmer.

>> Mom.

>> He played sports.

>> You know better.

It wasn't her fault,

and it wasn't your fault.

>> I never said...

>> What?

You never said...what?

You didn't have to say,

but I think that is

what you thought,

that it was your fault.

I read these letters to this

13-year-old child,

and everyone is saying,

in their own way,

the exact same thing --

"Patty, it's not your fault."

Cousins and uncle,

Grandma's friends,

one of your teachers --

"It's not your fault, Patty...

or your mother's

or Ellie's or her husband's."

What we can say to make you

believe that?

>> I don't know, Joyce.

Who's going to mix the paint

for the colors?

>> I will, Patricia.

How many colors?

>> Karin can come back in,

can't she?

>> Karin.

She can't hear me.

>> I think we have four colors

of food coloring.

We can make more from that.

>> You all right?

[ Chuckling ] Mom, there's a

letter here from Betty Crocker

herself, right in the front.

"Dear boys and girls,

cooking is an adventure.

It's really easy to cook once

you know how.

You'll be trying all sorts

of things, even at supper

for the family some night

to give Mother a holiday."

>> [ Chuckling ] Oh, Joyce.

There never was a Betty Crocker.

They made her up.

>> [ Chuckling ] I know, Mom.

>> Sorry, Karin.

>> It's just the front door,

Patricia.

It's just George.

He's back from taking Paulie

to his college.

>> When he's ready,

he'll come and join us.

>> Mm-hmm. Mary's here, staying.

Found this old songbook in the

attic, Mom.

>> Paulie was upset?

>> He was.

It must have been a shock.

You know, he grew up playing

in this house.

It's his grandma's house.

I'm sure he's calmed down by

now.

[ Chuckling ] He'll get over it.

>> "Sing for America -- George."

>> I used to sing that to my

dog, Cleo.

>> Mom, you used to sing this

to me, "My Old Dog Tray."

Do you remember?

>> I never sang it to Paulie.

I don't know it.

>> Do you want to sing it with

me?

>> I think I know the chorus.

>> ♪ Old dog Tray's ever

faithful ♪

>> You okay, Patricia?

>> ♪ Grief cannot drive him

away ♪

♪ He's gentle

>> [ Laughs ]

>> ♪ He is kind

>> ♪ I'll never, never find

♪ A better friend than

old dog Tray ♪

[ Fiddle playing ]

>> We found your father's old

fiddle tune book.

It was in the attic, too.

George was thrilled.

He said he'd forgotten most of

the tunes, so he's just been

practicing.

Yesterday, he broke a string.

We found a whole package of

strings in the case --

still good.

>> May -- May I see?

>> Yeah.

You know, there's research out

now, um, that -- that shows that

a child's brain isn't completely

formed until his mid-20s.

>> I didn't know that.

Did you know that?

>> She's told me. Good to know.

>> And yet we expect them to...

>> [ Chuckling ] To what?

>> To understand, Joyce,

complex, confusing things --

loss, life.

>> Kids. Hannah, I don't know

how you do it.

>> Me neither.

>> You do what you do.

Paulie's a good guy.

>> He is. He's smart.

>> Yeah.

>> I love having him around.

I miss that.

>> Although, sometimes, as you

saw today, Joyce...

>> You should see

some of the actors I deal with.

That was nothing.

>> We knew he'd be upset.

>> Well, you know kids.

They go away to school -- they

like everything to be exactly

the same when they come home.

>> This was a bit more than

that.

>> Yeah, I know. I know.

>> I bet I was way worse

than Paulie was, right, Mom?

>> When, Joyce?

>> As a kid.

I know I said things to you

and to Dad, too.

I'm sure I gave you some pretty

rough times there for a while.

>> Oh, God.

You really did, Joyce,

and you said things.

>> Okay, you don't have to say

it like that, and I don't think

I was any harder on you

than Thomas or George.

The things they said and did

and got away with?

>> Joyce, you were much,

much worse than your brothers.

>> Are you joking?

>> Much worse.

>> Is she joking?

What are you talking about?

>> I'm not saying that you're

like that anymore.

Not that you're perfect now.

>> Are you all right there,

Patricia?

You need anything?

>> [ Chuckling ] I'm fine.

Thank you, dear.

>> Joyce, you want to do

the potatoes?

You always do great mashed

potatoes, never a single lump.

>> I get out my aggressions,

my frustrations.

>> Look at this one, Patricia.

What do you think this is?

>> It's a Christmas stocking,

Mom.

>> Oh, a Christmas stocking.

I love the little ones.

I'm so glad that you didn't

throw those out, Patricia,

>> Yeah, unlike my little

carousel record player.

>> When you got here this

morning, Paulie seemed

so excited about voting.

>> It was his first time.

>> He's gonna be scarred.

>> No, he was like a little kid.

He couldn't stop smiling.

He probably wouldn't have wanted

you to see him like that.

He'd say, "How do I do it, Mom?

I want to do it right."

Fill in the circles.

Put it in the machine.

You're his cool aunt

from New York City.

He wouldn't have wanted you

to see him like that.

>> I was really looking forward

to calling him tonight,

once the election

results, you know...

We talked about --

it was his first time,

and if his vote mattered,

if it counted in any race.

>> Teachout-Faso.

>> It's a nice aunt thing to do.

>> Well, I think the kids need

to hear that, that it matters.

>> Yeah, so do I.

>> I won't bother him tonight.

Should we try him later

in the week?

>> Mary, you can't sell this

in your garage sale.

>> What? Why?

>> I thought the idea was --

Well, look at this picture.

Look -- it's a little white boy

in blackface.

>> Throw it out.

>> Jesus.

>> Recycle it.

>> It's racist.

>> Mom, that you keep.

>> And this was in your attic?

>> I will -- I'll put it out

later with the newspapers.

>> Incredible.

>> I'll rip out that page.

Hi.

>> Mom, you're looking good.

How do you feel?

>> How's Paulie?

>> He left his favorite sweater.

>> Yeah, he was in a hurry

to get out of here.

>> We told your mother.

>> Why did you have to tell him,

George?

>> He needs to start

taking out loans, Mom.

>> We told you this.

>> He needs to sign stuff.

He needed to know why.

>> We didn't want him coming

home for Thanksgiving

to see just a sign on the lawn.

>> We only waited till today

so we could tell him in person.

>> Do you want anything?

There's beer.

>> I'll get you a beer.

>> Was Paulie upset?

>> He's still just a kid, Mom.

>> It's good to see you in your

kitchen, Mom.

>> He's not a kid.

>> George.

>> You don't get to see that

very often anymore.

>> Tell me what Paulie said.

>> In the car, Mom?

In the car -- let's see.

[ Chuckling ] His exact words?

>> What's funny?

>> What were our son's exact

words to his father?

Mom, I think they were something

like, "Dad, so you're just gonna

let them fuck Grandma over?"

>> What?

>> What does that mean?

>> Sorry, Mom.

>> He said that to you?

>> What does he think we can do?

Who's them?

>> After saying, like,

nothing for half an hour,

just staring out the window,

then, "Dad, you're just gonna

let them fuck Grandma over?"

I mean, that's what I said, too,

Hannah.

"Who's them?

Paulie, who -- who is them?"

>> Where to begin?

>> Right.

Right, where to begin?

[ Chuckles ]

I tried to explain to him

it's not gonna help anything

by getting angry.

Getting angry will not help you.

Mom, the best we can do, to hope

for, is to make all this as

painless as possible for

Grandma.

>> Well, he must have understood

that?

He had to hear that.

>> He asked why we hadn't told

him, Hannah.

"I'm a grown-up now, Dad."

>> Come on.

We waited so we could tell him

in person.

>> That's what I said to him.

>> He's been loving his school.

>> I know.

>> He hasn't wanted to come

home.

>> I know.

>> Today, we got him home to

vote.

>> He's a kid.

>> He's not a kid, Joyce.

>> Uh, you said you were going

to mash the potatoes.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> For what it's worth, the

things some of my students say

and with so much confidence,

so damn confident,

and then, the next day,

something else.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> What's all this?

What are you -- What are you

doing?

Oh, my God, I haven't seen

these old cookie cutters for

years.

>> We're making dinner, George,

and we all decided -- everyone

agreed that everything has

to come out of this book.

"Betty Crocker's Cook Book

for Boys and Girls."

>> I remember this.

>> Mary and Hannah found this

in the attic.

>> Shepherd's pie,

paintbrush cookies.

>> Yeah, and we even

thought about making Jell-O.

>> Remember Jell-O?

>> You used to love your Jell-O.

Or was that Thomas?

>> I don't remember. I don't --

>> Raggedy Ann salad.

>> I don't understand.

Why?

>> Well, sort of Paulie's idea.

>> Paulie's?

>> Yeah, when he first got here

today, before we told him

anything.

Remember how happy he was?

>> Yeah.

>> He told us about a game

his friends played sometimes...

>> Well, this is where we got

the idea, from Paulie.

>> ...at dinner in the

cafeteria.

If you knew this was your last

meal and you could have

anything, what would you have?

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> Why would they play that?

>> I don't know, George -- kids.

It's an ice-breaker, he says.

>> And he said that the

responses -- they always

fell into two categories --

those who would choose something

extravagant to indulge

themselves -- a fancy bottle of

wine, like --

>> Wine? He's 18.

>> God knows what.

>> Come on, Joyce.

>> ...or some meal

from some expensive restaurant.

>> Oh, is that what Paulie

would want?

>> No.

>> And the other category was

those who would choose something

that they remember

having already had,

so with a nice memory attached,

a nostalgic thing, I guess.

>> He wanted that, George.

>> What are kids doing thinking

about last meals?

I don't even think I'd be hungry

if I knew it was my last meal.

I wouldn't be thinking about

what to eat.

>> It was a game, Karin.

And Hannah and I had just

found, in the attic, this

"Betty Crocker's Cook Book

for Boys and Girls."

>> Oh, come on.

>> So we all got this idea

to make everything out of that.

>> Well, he loved it.

He was so excited.

He had agreed to stay to dinner.

I hadn't told you.

I was going to surprise you.

And not only was he going to

stay -- he was going to help us

cook.

>> Where was I?

>> Paulie and Mary and I were in

line to vote.

I think you were talking

to someone.

This could be the last chance to

all have a dinner together here.

We'll make a dinner

in your house, this house.

>> You said that to Paulie?

>> No.

>> So, we had to tell him,

Hannah.

He's not a kid.

>> No, I know.

>> [ Sighs ]

So, when will this

fantastic dinner...

>> Don't make fun of it, George.

>> In about an hour.

>> And, Mom, I am gonna go play

Dad's fiddle for a bit.

I'm getting better.

>> You sounded good.

>> Well, it's all coming back.

>> George, when you were gone,

the real estate agent

for the house came by.

He just walked in the kitchen.

He didn't even knock.

>> What did he want?

>> He just took some pictures.

Can he do that, just walk in?

>> Well, he has keys.

>> He scared your mother.

>> [ Sighs ]

[ Chuckles ]

I'm sorry, Mom.

[ Sighs ]

>> "Sing for America." Recycle?

>> Yeah. Thanks, Karin.

>> Paulie was upset?

>> I think more like

disappointed, Patricia, in us --

not you -- not you, just in us.

>> Pat, then she says,

"Part of the problem with

empathy is that empathy

doesn't do us anything.

We've had lots of empathy,

but we feel that, for too long,

our leaders have used politics

as the art of the possible,

but the challenge now is to

practice politics as the art of

making the impossible possible."

>> She's like 20 years old,

Patricia, and w-we don't see

this side of Hillary now.

>> Well, she's got to be in

there somewhere.

>> Well, I don't see it.

>> Wellesley.

>> She's like, 20, 21.

Karin did a lot of it

for us last night.

>> She said, "We are,

all of us, exploring a world

that none of us understands

and attempting to create

within that uncertainty."

>> Well, that is true.

>> But there is a feeling

that our prevailing culture

and its corporate life --

>> Corporate life?

Come on, where is this Hillary?

>> Corporate life, which

tragically includes

universities...

>> Oh, Thomas would really agree

with that.

>> Yeah.

>> ...is not a way of life for

us.

>> This is Hillary Clinton,

Patricia, at 21.

>> Mm. Rodham. Hillary Rodham.

>> Yeah, here's something the

kids at Vassar couldn't believe.

>> She did her show last week

at Vassar.

>> "Trust," she said.

>> Listen to this.

>> "'Trust' is the one word

when I asked the class

at our graduation rehearsal

what it was they wanted me

to say to them in my speech.

Everyone came up to me and said,

'Talk about trust.'"

>> I wonder if she remembers

that.

>> I wonder if,

when she looks back...

Well, does she look back?

Can she look back?

...what she thinks.

>> But I end my play with a poem

she recited, also at her

graduation.

"My entrance into the world

of so-called social problems

must be with quiet laughter

or not at all.

The hollow men of anger

and bitterness

must be left to a bygone age."

>> "With quiet laughter

or not at all."

Karin said she wanted to end

her show hopeful.

>> Well, I think that's

important, especially this year,

especially with kids.

>> What does hollow men...

>> Of anger and bitterness...

>> They've been left behind?

>> You going to come with us?

What time's your show?

>> Where?

>> The Theatre Society.

>> Who wants to be alone

tonight?

>> The Barn.

We've been there.

We saw "Godspell" there.

You want to come?

We're all going.

>> I don't think so.

>> Oh, come on, Patricia.

>> Mom.

>> It's a special night.

>> If you get tired,

we'll bring you back to the inn.

>> 9:00, around 9:00.

I don't think things are that

tightly scheduled.

>> Sure.

>> I think it depends on how

things go tonight, but

sometimes...

>> We'll see.

>> ...after the polls close,

it's just excerpts,

like 20 minutes.

>> I voted today for that

Hillary.

She's got to be in there

somewhere.

Don't you think she's in there?

>> Yes.

>> Long lines in Brooklyn?

>> Very long, and I got to

talking with the young woman

in front me, and I said,

"It's pretty exciting, right?"

And she goes, "Uh, I just hope

Hillary knows that my vote is

for not him."

>> [ Chuckling ] Gosh.

>> You want to make some

cookies?

Want to choose a cookie cutter?

>> I should get ready soon.

>> Oh, and Karin's wearing

your glasses, Patricia.

>> What? Why?

>> Well, no, no, not those.

We're not taking away those.

We'll have fun tonight

with us girls.

Joyce is right.

It's good to be together

tonight.

But, Karin, you found some other

neat stuff for your show.

What's the weird bit,

about the collars?

>> What bit?

>> Why is that weird?

>> She'll like it.

It's about clothes.

>> She says, "Instead of the

closed collars I usually wear,

I've been told to change my

wardrobe to a more open-neck

look to convey, I'm told,

more openness."

>> One of Bill's pollsters told

her to do that.

Do what the pollsters tell you

to do.

That will make you seem human.

>> Yeah, but then she just says,

"But I just tell them

I get colds frequently,

and I need to keep my neck

warm to avoid them."

>> Good for her.

>> Well, that makes sense tome.

[ Laughter ]

What? Doesn't that make sense?

>> Hillary's just saying,

"Fuck you."

>> Yeah.

>> You think so?

>> Totally saying, "Fuck you."

"Convey more openness."

A man definitely told her

to do that.

>> Yeah, maybe Bill.

>> "Fuck you," so, where is

that Hillary now?

[ Fiddle playing ]

>> Mary.

Patricia, want to cut out

some cookies?

>> Famous paintbrush cookies.

We have plenty of dough.

>> Why don't we get Patricia set

up, so we can...

>> We've been choosing

cookie cutters.

I'll give her this --

she never quits.

I do like that.

>> I do, too.

>> Oh, Patricia, here.

>> Thanks.

>> Karin bought a pantsuit.

[ Laughs ]

>> A pantsuit?

>> Yes.

>> Why?

>> To be Hillary for tonight.

>> Pantsuit?

>> Yeah, I guess she couldn't

fit into any of yours, Mom.

>> [ Laughing ] Joyce.

[ Telephone ringing ]

>> I have a pantsuit?

>> No.

>> We can all hang around here

until about 9:00,

and then go together

and see Karin's show.

And if you get tired or

whatever, we'll bring you back

to the inn.

I don't want to think of you

alone in your room

on this election night.

>> She has a roommate.

>> I would like an apple.

>> You want an apple?

>> Are you hungry, Patricia?

>> I would like an apple,

please.

>> Here. Do you want me to cut

it into slices?

>> I can cut it.

>> Help her cut it.

>> Here. Let me.

>> I can cut it, Hannah.

>> Here, Mom.

>> So, are you wearing your

pantsuit on your date tonight?

>> Date?

>> Be careful, Mom.

>> Date.

>> Karin has a date, Patricia.

She's not eating with us,

Patricia.

She's just been helping us out.

>> Hannah told me.

>> It's just your family

tonight.

>> A date.

>> It's not a real --

>> Well, he's taking you to

Gigi's.

That sounds like a date to me.

>> Sure you don't want some help

with that?

>> He's part of the

Rhinebeck Theatre Society.

I think he just wants to

thank me for the show.

I'm not being paid.

There might even be, you know,

other people with us at the

restaurant.

>> Don't hurt yourself, Mom.

>> It's a date if she bought a

dress.

>> At Marshall's.

>> She bought a new dress.

>> I got new jeans.

>> What do you mean?

>> My boss.

If you promised to vote,

she said she'd get you

a new pair of jeans.

>> Isn't that patronizing?

>> She's rich.

Welcome to my life, Hannah.

If you canvass in Ohio, she said

she'd get you new boots.

I came here instead.

>> What'd they cost --

the jeans?

>> I don't know.

She's here like two months,

and she's got a date?

>> He's in, um, real estate,

uh, the date.

>> Is he selling my house?

>> No, Mom.

They've gone with someone else

for that.

>> My children grew up

in this house.

>> I'm one of your children.

I know.

Can I please do this for you?

It's really hard

with just one hand.

See, here.

>> You want something else,

Patricia?

>> What do you need, Patricia?

>> Where are you going?

>> Tell us what you need.

>> I want to go home.

>> What do you mean?

>> You are home.

>> This is...

>> Patricia, what's wrong?

>> I'm sad.

>> Wait. Okay.

You can't stand on this leg.

>> Please, Mary,

please take me home.

>> Mom, we're making dinner.

>> Joyce is here.

She came for dinner.

>> It's all right.

Patricia, it's all right.

>> Come on, come on.

>> Where's my chair, Mary?

>> Can you get George,

tell him we need him?

>> Mary, where is it?

>> It's right over there.

It's just folded up.

>> It's -- It's right there,

Mom.

Mary's got it.

George!

>> Joyce.

>> Mom, Mary's got it.

It's coming.

>> Mom?

>> It's right there.

>> What's going on?

>> Your mother wants to go home.

>> Nothing.

She said she's sad.

>> Mom, I thought you were gonna

have dinner with all of us.

>> Yeah, you've been helping us.

>> We're gonna be making us

a real nice dinner.

>> She doesn't want to be here.

>> Joyce is here.

Mom, it...

>> George.

>> I'm right here.

>> You know, maybe...

>> I'm right here.

>> ...maybe you need to go to

the bathroom first, Patricia.

Do you want to go to

the bathroom before we go home?

>> Oh, I do.

>> Yes, she needs to go

to the bathroom,

but, no, not on your own.

Not on her own.

>> All right.

>> You can't move that leg,

remember?

So you let George help you.

>> All right.

>> Hold on.

>> Put your arm around my...

>> You don't want that.

>> ...neck and hold on tight.

Okay, I'm gonna swing you

around.

We've done this many,

many times.

There. Good.

Good work.

Really good work.

I think you just got tired.

I think that's what --

I think it's what she wants,

the bathroom,

But, Joyce, will you take her?

>> No, I'll do that.

Joyce, I can do that.

>> I can do it.

>> George, has she been

in the living room

since they picked up the piano?

>> We alway-- We always come in

through the back, up the ramps.

>> Fuck.

>> No, I think -- I think she's

been in there.

She's seen.

I'm sure. Never mind.

>> I should get changed soon...

for my date.

You don't need me for...

>> No, no. Nothing.

Thanks, Karin.

>> You all okay?

>> I thought it wasn't a date.

>> Oh.

>> Mary gave her one of Thomas'

shirts.

>> [ Chuckling ] What?

>> Do you think Mary needs help

getting her off the toilet?

>> She's a doctor.

>> I can -- I'll -- I'll go see

if she needs help.

And I'll drive Mom back to her

inn.

Sorry, Joyce.

>> I'll go with you.

I have to get up really early,

and I want to make sure to say

goodbye.

Ohh, I really thought she was

gonna hurt herself on that

apple.

I couldn't watch.

She does seem a little better,

though.

When I was up last month...

>> You know, she'd just begun

PT then.

She's better.

>> I'm glad we're taking her

home.

She's tired.

Mom.

[ Chuckles ]

>> What?

>> Ohh. [ Chuckles ]

This -- This afternoon, when I

was [clears throat] up in Mom

and Dad's room reading the

letters, and -- and while I was

lost reading, and --

and I hear this, "Hi,"

like, this high-pitched voice,

"Hi."

[ Chuckles ]

And I look around --

nobody's there.

"Hi."

I'm like, "Mom? Mom?"

[ Chuckles ]

It sounds like it's coming

from Mom's closet,

so I'm about to get up and go

check when I realize

it's just my stomach.

>> [ Laughs ]

>> "Hi."

Doesn't that sound like,

"Hi! Hi!"

[ Both laugh ]

You know, when your stomach

gurgles, but it's,

like, it's a thrown voice,

like it's out there somewhere?

And it's just my stomach.

Hey, is everything all right?

>> That was fast.

>> You okay?

>> Yeah, we -- we're fine,

aren't we, Patricia?

Yeah, we're just fine.

>> I'm gonna go with George,

take you back home, Mom.

>> No, no, that's no longer

necessary.

Patricia wants to stay, don't

you?

You want to stay

with your family.

How often do we have dinner

with Joyce, right?

Do you want to sit at the table

or stay in your chair?

Oh, she's wearing...

She just forgot she was,

and she got worried.

T-That happens.

No one likes to

embarrass herself.

What about that chair?

You sometimes like to sit

in the beautiful chair.

>> Chair.

>> Okay.

It's more comfortable.

>> You're staying for dinner --

Mom, that's great.

Mom's staying for dinner.

>> Yeah, I know.

>> Here. Let me help you.

>> Change of scenery.

>> Oh, Dad's old chair.

>> Hold on to me.

>> That was a -- That was a

really good idea to bring that

in here.

How much did you get

for the desk?

>> Um...$85 on eBay.

>> There.

I reminded Patricia

about what today is.

You'd forgotten.

>> I forgot, Mary.

>> Thomas would want all of us

here.

He'd have been very upset.

It's been one year,

one very long year.

>> What about a chair

for your feet?

>> What can I do?

>> Why don't -- Why don't we put

a towel down under and...

>> Here.

>> Can you -- Well, no, can you

get a -- a towel from the sink

drawer, Hannah?

We'll use one of those.

So, um, you just -- you just

forgot about what today was --

that's all.

But, you know, actually,

it's not till tomorrow, the 9th,

but Joyce has to get back.

So, here we go.

Okay.

There.

Now you can sit here in comfort

and just watch over everybody.

[ Both chuckle ]

You do like doing that,

don't you?

>> And give advice.

Mom, you always loved to give

advice.

>> I do?

>> What were we talking about?

I was at the Kingston Mall

the other day.

>> I always hated

the Kingston Mall.

>> Yeah, what -- what a

depressing place that has

become.

>> You used to like it.

We used to go together.

>> As kids.

>> Half the stores are closed.

>> You all right, Mom?

>> Oh, I'm just enjoying

watching these girls working.

>> I think she means us.

>> I was in that, uh, that big

shoe store -- what's that

called?

And I was the only person

in there.

And I'm sitting, and I look up,

and there's this mirror

on a pillar.

>> What?

>> For some reason,

I wasn't prepared.

I-I had makeup on, and I think,

"Well, maybe I put

it on a little too quickly."

You know, the light

in the upstairs bathroom.

>> Yeah.

>> You need natural light.

>> Yes.

>> You know, I'd -- I'd

certainly looked hard at myself

before and see what else might

need to be done.

Should I start coloring my hair?

I think now it's a bit late for

that.

>> Hillary still colors her

hair.

>> Yeah, but to start now?

Who wants those questions?

But, still, I just -- I'd never

been surprised like I now was.

It was startled.

And I look up, and isn't just,

"Oh, look, there's something

new -- another, you know,

whatever to be covered up."

But what I see is --

it's a stranger, and do --

do I want to know this person?

[ Chuckling ] Who's there?

>> What?

>> Oh, just -- Oh, Thomas --

Thomas used to always say that,

one day, he wanted to write

a play with that opening line.

He says it was the greatest

opening line of all time, of --

of any play.

>> What? What? What line?

>> "Hamlet," it was there.

>> "Every play should begin that

way," he said.

"Who's there?"

I didn't understand.

>> All right.

>> Mom?

>> Okay.

Straighten up.

>> You're gonna live to be 105.

[ Laughter ]

And I think that's a really good

thing.

It means I've got those genes.

You, too.

>> You know, I read somewhere,

some book, about dealing with a

loved one's death, how it was

the custom years and years ago,

in a lot of places in America,

in the home where there'd been

a death, to drape black curtains

over all the mirrors.

>> Why?

>> I-I just remembered this --

and over any painting

or photograph of landscapes.

[ Chuckling ] Landscapes.

So that the spirit,

as it left the body,

would not be distracted

by a reflection of itself

or by a last look at the world

now being lost.

It was out west somewhere,

um, log cabins.

>> Oh, you probably saw all that

as a kid, Mom.

>> I don't think so.

>> My boss, in her office in the

shop -- she keeps a print of

Titian's "Venus."

>> Mary, you think you could get

me another egg for the painting?

>> You know, the one where she's

a plump girl, she's lying on the

bed, naked and proud of herself

and her sexiness.

My boss says that it's her

inspiration and her solace and

her joy.

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> Is your -- Is your boss

chubby?

>> No. She's really thin, but

maybe that's how she sees

herself.

>> I don't understand.

>> Never mind. Here.

You want to paint some cookies?

>> You and Thomas always

loved to paint the cookies.

>> Did they, Patricia?

>> I don't know.

I can't remember.

Maybe.

>> What do you want to do,

George?

Do you want to do a fish?

Ooh, here's a fish.

Or how -- how about a duck?

>> Let him pick his own

cookie cutters.

>> Hey, Mom, what do you think

this is?

What's that supposed to be?

I think it might be a squirrel.

>> It's Santa with a sack.

>> I think it's a squirrel, Mom.

>> Paulie didn't seem bothered

by having to take out loans.

That didn't seem to be

what really upset him.

>> I don't think it was.

Did he say anything about loans

during your car ride?

Did you bring it up?

>> I did.

He said, "What the fuck, Dad?

I'll just default. Fuck them."

>> Fuck who?

Who does he think is out there

to fuck for having to take out

loans?

>> You mean, where do you start?

>> Maybe that's what he means.

Maybe, Hannah.

>> Fuck them.

Maybe.

Sorry, Patricia.

Well, good luck, Paulie.

Go ahead and try.

See how far you get.

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> George, tell your sister

what you wrote

underneath that guy's desk.

>> Oh.

>> What desk?

>> So, George built

this small desk for a client.

What does he do?

>> He's a financial guy.

>> For his home.

>> No. He has a home office

in his weekend house.

It's some scam to get

a tax deduction, I'm sure.

>> Yeah.

>> I mean, I used to think

there were rules.

To them, just a game.

>> So, what about the desk?

>> So, George wrote

underneath...

So, say this guy

drops his Montblanc pen

and needs to crawl

under to get it,

and happens to look up.

What will he see?

What did you write?

It's a quote --

he knows it by heart.

Tell her.

>> "I speak not the triumph

of the sword,

nor the wonders of science,

nor of grandiose

economic achievement,

but only of the brotherhood

of man."

>> That's what you wrote?

All that?

That's a lot to write

under a desk.

>> It's from the grave

of a famous poet.

>> And what does it mean?

>> It's obvious what it means.

>> I'm not saying it's gonna

change anything, Joyce.

>> What could it change?

You scribbled it underneath.

>> It's not scribbled.

>> I thought it was

a pretty cool thing to do.

>> I'll -- I'll...

It made me feel good.

>> He wrote it in pen, Joyce.

>> All dressed up!

>> Oh, don't tease.

>> Oh, look at you.

>> I'm not teasing.

>> It's not a date.

>> She looks great.

Doesn't she look great?

>> Yeah, but is it too...

>> No. You -- You look really

good, Karin, and it fits you

great.

I, for one, cannot believe

she got that at Marshalls.

I can never find anything there.

Did you -- Did you want to wear

my, um...

>> Oh, these are fine.

What's wrong with them?

It's not really a date.

>> Mary got asked out on a date.

>> She doesn't want you to.

>> No, please, please, please.

>> Who was he?

>> She doesn't want to talk

about it.

>> It's a good thing, Mary.

A year is a long time...

>> Please, please

don't talk about me.

>> ...and you were taking care

of him, all those years.

>> Shut up. Please shut up.

>> Put an apron on, over that.

>> I'm just...

>> I agree.

>> There's one on the, um --

What time is he...

>> Any time.

It's not a date.

>> Hannah, Paulie also said

in the car, "Uncle Thomas

would have fought all this."

>> What's all this?

>> How?

>> The mortgage?

>> I guess everything.

>> How would he, Mary?

>> I don't know.

>> I think Paulie said it

to hurt me.

I mean, he misses his uncle,

too.

We've -- We've watched this,

haven't we, Hannah?

>> Yeah. We have.

>> And we've tried to talk

to him about it.

We all know Thomas would not

have known how to fight

any more than we do, or who.

>> No. No.

I don't think he would. No.

>> But I just started thinking,

driving back,

of just remembering,

kept popping back into my head

about when Thomas had just gone

off to -- to college...

>> Mm-hmm.

>> ...and how that was really

hard on me.

You know, I felt such

an incredible loss.

My big brother gone,

and I didn't tell

anyone I felt that.

You were too young.

And, finally, he came home at

Thanksgiving, and he didn't seem

all that different.

He still seemed interested

in me and spent time with me

and told me about school.

And, Mom, do you remember how he

and Dad fought at dinner?

They really fought.

"We're gonna make things

better, Dad!"

>> [ Chuckling ] Oh, Thomas?

>> "More just!"

"Well, you just do your

homework, commie."

"Dad!"

>> Dad.

>> "And never sign your name

on any kind of petition,

Tommy, never!"

He was always afraid of that.

Oh, he was really worried

about us doing that.

"You're there to get

an education, period!

That's why you're in college."

[ Laughter ]

You remember?

>> I remember.

>> And Thomas looked

across the table at me.

He winked at me, I remember --

and I -- and I knew what he was

thinking -- "Little brother,

look how scared our father is."

Thomas was exactly Paulie's age,

and Dad was mine.

[ Sighs ]

>> Paulie and George had a big

fight about Bernie this summer.

>> Oh, I -- Bernie is looking

better every day, Hannah --

maybe the only one who is.

>> You need to tell Paulie that.

Mary, guess what Paulie shouted

at George when they were

fighting over Bernie.

>> What? What?

>> "Dad, what about us?"

>> Oh, he did. He did!

>> That is what Thomas

would always do!

>> We know that.

We all know that, George.

>> Just like Thomas,

"What about us?"

Just like Thomas.

>> Your father only wanted you

not to make a mistake

that you'd later regret.

He always said he only wanted

his children to be happy.

>> [ Chuckling ] Happy.

Mom, remember what Mary just

told us about Thomas' student?

>> What? What?

That's all -- That's all we want

for Paulie, too.

That's what we always say,

isn't it, Hannah?

"Just -- Just be happy."

>> I wanted more for you

than that.

>> Hannah's, uh, uh -- She's

been working as a maid now,

Joyce.

>> What?

What are you talking about?

>> And they haven't told Paulie

yet.

You didn't -- I didn't think you

knew.

>> No.

>> Just part-time at

the Rhinecliff Hotel.

>> We're not hiding it, Mary.

>> No, we just haven't told

anyone.

>> When did this start?

>> We need the money.

[ Laughter ]

Catering has slowed.

Who gets married in November?

>> She makes the beds,

and she cleans the rooms

and cleans the bathrooms,

and, um, I think you told me

that you were the only maid

there who speaks English,

and so she's been helping out

the other maids, now,

um, on your breaks, right?

Yeah, with their English,

and good for you.

That is a good thing to do.

>> Thank you.

>> I didn't know.

>> Well, just until Mom can come

and live with us.

Assisted living

is even more expensive.

>> You are getting so much

better, Patricia, every day.

We're just taking things

month to month.

We're working through our

savings, Paulie's funds.

>> You know what's funny, Joyce?

>> What? What is funny?

>> Less than 2 miles from the

Rhinecliff Hotel...

>> Mm-hmm.

>> ...is the Astor estate.

Joyce, our grandmother,

Dad's mother --

she was a maid there...

>> I know that!

>> ...at the Astors',

so I keep kidding Hannah,

"This is like we've gone back

in time.

We've gone backwards."

>> I don't think

you should tease her about that.

>> I have, like, the same

damn job as your grandmother.

[ Laughter ]

>> So, Mom, you are moving in

with Hannah and George.

I didn't know that was

completely decided.

>> When she's ready.

>> When she can. Yeah.

>> Her bedroom will be the

living room because of the

stairs.

>> Don't you need a --

a living room?

>> I have a kitchen.

[ Doorbell rings ]

>> Oh, Karin, there is your

date.

>> It's not a date.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> What are you doing?

>> I'm gonna answer the door.

>> No!

>> I'll go with you.

>> I don't think she

should do it by herself.

>> Isn't that right?

Should she answer the door?

>> No.

>> No.

>> Hang on. Hang on.

>> Oh.

>> Just eager.

>> Order something really

expensive.

>> Oh, I will.

>> Karin...

do you have protection?

>> Oh, fuck off!

>> Joyce teases too much.

>> Yeah.

>> I am going to call

Paulie tonight.

>> He's not gonna answer.

Hannah, he doesn't want

to talk to us.

>> Then I'll call his roommate.

I have the number.

>> How'd you get that?

When we moved him in.

The mothers exchanged

phone numbers.

Moms do that.

"Just in case," we said.

>> [ Sighs ]

>> Please, don't try to talk me

out of it, please.

>> George, do you remember

your grandmother

and the mashed potatoes?

>> No. Mom, no.

[ Chuckling ] I don't.

>> She cleaned out the cracks

of their dining room table.

>> Whose?

>> The Astors.

She cleaned out

the mashed potatoes

with a knife.

They let their kids shove

the potatoes into the cracks,

and she heard one of them

saying once, pointing at her,

"That maid will clean it up."

>> He had his nose pressed

against the window.

>> Did you get to meet him?

>> She wouldn't let us.

>> I think she bruised my arm.

She was out the door in,

like, one second.

>> He looks like a real-estate

agent.

>> That's what I thought.

>> Isn't that what he is?

>> Yeah, but he alsolooks like

one.

I-I think I've seen him around.

>> Joyce, you probably don't

know this, either, about Mary.

>> What?

>> She can't renew

her doctor's license.

>> Oh.

>> It's not just one test.

She'd have to take everything

all over again.

>> I can't -- I can't do that.

I'm too old.

I was so stupid.

>> She's thinking about being

a substitute science teacher

over in Ulster.

>> Yeah. They -- They need them,

and, um, even if you don't have

a teacher's license,

you can substitute for up

to 16 weeks in the district.

So I figure that I will just

register in three or four

districts, and I should be able

to get enough work.

>> You know about this?

Kingston, Ulster?

>> And my daughter has now made

it clear that she doesn't

want me in Pittsburgh.

>> She hasn't actually said,

Mary.

>> She's said, Hannah.

I-I think it's her father.

She just doesn't want to upset

him, and they're -- they're --

they're close.

>> When did this happen?

>> Her daughter called last

night.

>> [ Laughs ]

>> What?

>> She's like -- It's like she

discovered Hillary.

Like, every time -- Like,

two months ago, she wouldn't

have anything to do with her.

"I'll never trust her."

>> Ohh.

>> And -- And now she's calling

me, reminding me to vote, 'cause

"This really matters, Mom."

And, "Oh, she came to Pittsburgh

today, Mom.

I saw her in person.

No, we can't let him win."

And, "Oh, remember,

she's a woman."

>> I think we already knew that.

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> Well, she's in Pennsylvania,

so that's good.

>> Kingston -- you're moving

there.

>> Mary, tell Joyce

about that lawyer's office.

>> What?

>> No. You tell her.

>> There's this law office.

>> Oh, it's, like, two houses

down from where Karin's new

apartment is.

>> Yeah, we all went to look

at Karin's new apartment,

and you -- you, too, Patricia --

you came with us.

Do you remember?

>> Rounds & Rounds,

Attorneys At Law.

"Rounds & Rounds" we go.

>> "We've got you coming

and going."

>> "And we will take forever

doing it."

[ Laughter ]

>> Something out of Dickens.

>> You're right. It is.

>> Like us.

>> We are. He's right.

>> We could all start a NORC.

>> What's that?

>> We would all take care

of each other.

Grown-ups. Who needs kids?

>> A NORC, Patricia --

it's a community of people

of a certain age.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And they take care of each

other, and they live together.

>> [ Chuckles ]

When I was in Paris,

I went to this...

>> Oh, Paris.

"I go to Paris."

>> Shut up!

This is an entirely different

subject.

>> Oh.

>> I visited this famous old

cemetery.

>> By the way, a cemetery

and NORC...

>> Huge old place.

>> Is this really a difference

subject?

>> It's like a city itself,

and lots of famous people are

there -- Oscar Wilde.

>> Huh.

>> Lots.

A -- A crematory, where the

ashes are put into wall

in, like, little slots.

>> Uh-huh.

>> Oh, Isadora Duncan is there.

It just says "Dora Duncan."

I guess her whole name

didn't fit.

[ Laughter ]

There's a workman there,

cleaning out one of these slots,

and, um, and I learn later

that these slots

are just rented, so when...

Then, you're forgotten...

>> Thrown away?

>> I don't know.

Anyways, he's just there,

cleaning out this slot,

and there's another empty slot

just above that one,

and he's put his plastic bottle

of apple juice in there.

So I'm looking, and, you know,

there's all these names,

and then there's this

plastic bottle of apple juice,

taking up its own slot.

>> Yeah.

>> Why do I keep remembering

that?

>> NORCs. Cemeteries.

When are we gonna start

talking about our illnesses?

[ Laughter ]

Come on.

we're fucking Gabriels.

>> That's right.

>> What does that mean?

>> I don't know, Mom.

Does anyone know?

>> Karin, why are you back?

>> Are you okay? Where is he?

>> Yeah. [ Chuckles ]

>> What? What?

>> Oh, he's gone to dinner.

>> Okay.

>> I want a beer.

>> Oh. I've got...

>> I-I can get it.

>> I got it.

>> Well, we got as far

as the traffic light,

and we're standing there,

waiting for the walk sign --

Oh, God, sometimes

that seems to take forever.

>> Well, it can.

>> Do you want a glass?

>> I do.

>> She wants a glass.

>> I'd like a glass.

He asked if, later,

he could see upstairs,

your second floor.

For a minute, a very stupid

minute, I thought, you know,

he thought I was sleeping up

there.

Thanks.

So I said, "No. I'm staying

in the office in back, upstairs

there."

He said, oh, he'd probably like

to look at that, too.

>> I don't understand.

>> But upstairs here really

interested him.

"How big are the bedrooms?"

Square footage.

He had a tape measure with him.

>> What?

>> The second we left,

he started asking about

the house -- leaks, basement.

We're walking down the street,

and that's all he could talk

about -- how, when it's listed

with him, this week, it could

still be listed with him, too.

"They do that.

We can do that."

He's got someone interested.

I said to him, "Are we only

gonna talk about the house?"

And he said, "Is that

all right?"

>> You never even got

to the restaurant.

>> [ Chuckling ] No.

I have a headache.

>> The buzzards are circling.

>> Yeah.

>> What does that mean?

>> Get me my gun.

We're not dead yet.

>> I don't understand.

>> It's all right, Mom.

>> You'll have to eat

with us, Karin.

>> Yeah.

>> No. No. I can't do that.

This is your --

It's a family thing.

>> Oh, come on.

>> I know that.

One year after Thomas' death.

>> Karin.

>> Well, almost. It's tomorrow.

>> You are the widow.

>> Karin.

>> You're welcome to join us.

>> No.

>> Come on. Come on.

>> Stay with us. Sit down.

>> Paint a cookie.

>> Paint a cookie.

We're all Gabriels.

>> Oh, I just kept the name.

My agent told me

I shouldn't change it.

>> We've only chosen our shapes.

>> Yeah.

Do -- Do -- Do you want to

change your dress?

>> Oh, it's fine.

>> It looks like George is doing

Christmas trees.

>> I will take off these.

Oh, crap.

>> Where is Patricia's apron?

>> They'reautumn trees, Joyce.

I'll paint them

with fall foliage.

>> They'll look like lights,

and those are supposed to be

Christmas cookies.

>> Leave him alone.

They'll end up looking

beautiful.

Everything George touches

ends up looking beautiful.

He's an artist.

>> Ah, a craftsman.

>> That's an artist, too.

>> Give her a cookie.

>> Pick what you want.

>> Man, why didn't we have the

Raggedy Ann salad?

That would have made my day.

Aren't I easy to please, Mom?

Mom is asleep.

>> Well, let's not get

your play script dirty.

>> Oh. I meant to show your

mother these.

>> What?

>> Your mother's glasses.

>> Those are your mother's,

for Karin's show.

>> She had glasses just like

these -- young Hillary.

>> Yes.

>> My daughter was 15 when the

whole Monica mess, and I was

visiting her and her dad.

They -- They're in Pittsburgh

And she said to me

about Bill and Monica,

"Oh, I would never stay married

to someone who cheated on me."

I-I know she -- she meant to

hurt me, and I tried to explain

to her that things are --

are complicated.

>> Mm.

>> But, well, she's --

she's calling more often.

>> Good.

>> She's just feeling guilty.

>> Karin, I can't believe that

real estate guy, your date.

Unbelievable.

>> Well, now everyone knows

it wasn't a date.

>> Hey, Joyce, the real-estate

guy for this house called me

last Friday.

Joyce, he -- he said he had some

potential clients

visiting from the city --

could he bring them around?

And I-I told him,

"It's not even listed yet."

>> Mm.

>> And so I hang up.

Can you pass me the green?

>> I use this brush?

>> Use whatever you want.

Don't even ask.

>> He then called me right back

and said he -- he wished to

remind me of the fact that we

don't actually own this house

anymore, and so he was just

being polite and neighborly,

and they'd be here in an hour.

I tell him, "We're busy."

And he says he doesn't give a

fuck and please don't ever hang

up on him again.

Now can I have the red?

>> Why Kinderhook?

>> This very rich gallery owner

from Manhattan...

>> Old Kinderhook -- "Okay."

>> ...bought their high school.

>> What?!

>> I-I don't know --

Why don't I know about this?

>> Their high school, right

in the middle of Kinderhook.

I guess they built a new one.

I don't know.

I hope so.

>> Yeah.

>> And completely renovated it.

>> Open one day a week.

>> How do they make any money?

>> I don't think they have to,

Joyce, but I don't understand

that, either.

>> I don't -- I don't know how

these games are played.

>> So we saw this show

by this African artist --

Anatsui?

>> Yeah.

>> I guess that's how you say

it?

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> Do you know his stuff?

>> No.

>> Oh, he makes these giant,

very colorful...

>> Beautiful.

>> ...like, objects.

Most of them hang on the wall.

>> Out of, like, thousands

of little, tiny bottle caps,

all sewed together with wire.

>> Yeah. They end up looking

like magnificent tapestries,

don't they?

>> Oh, incredible! I mean...

>> They flow.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, and then you get

close, and you see it's just all

these found things.

>> It's just all real stuff.

>> Then you step back again,

and it's like -- whhhh!

[ Laughter ]

Magnificent or spiritual.

>> That's how we felt.

>> It made me happy just to be

there among his whatever

they are, in their presence.

>> From bottle caps.

>> Yeah. George and I said

almost the same thing.

It's like they're overflowing

with life.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> You know, we -- we kept

thinking they're living and

breathing and human, real,

these sewn-together tiny

bottle caps.

But it says on the wall that

they're from liquor bottles,

the sort imported into Africa

from Europe, so I guess

there's something dark, too.

>> Ah.

>> Colonialism.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> But, you know, out of that,

from that, these things are

created, and they're beautiful.

We were both just blown away.

And then, on the way out,

there's this little

room with some books,

like catalogs about the work

and Anatsui's life.

And George picks up one...

>> And I happen to turn to a

page with this intriguing

photograph of one of Anatsui's

big works hanging in the lobby

of the Bill and What's-Her-Name

Foundation...

>> I forget.

>> ...Bill and What's-Her-Name

Gates Foundation.

Anyway...

>> M something.

>> ...and alongside the work,

hanging on their lobby wall,

there's this handsomely

printed description

about the making of it,

and it describes how the village

children in the artist's African

town...

>> And there's a little

photograph of them.

>> ...how they helped to hammer

the bottle caps and tie them

together with the wire.

And for this, the artist,

Anatsui, he repays their labor

by sending them to school.

>> And this is obviously

something that this foundation

wants to celebrate,

to trumpet how,

through his artwork,

this great artist gives back

to his community by sending

poor children to school.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> Why is that a bad thing?

It seems like it's a good...

>> No, well, it explains

all this in the catalog,

and then it says

that this is not true.

>> What isn't?

>> Oh.

>> That someone at the

Gates Foundation

seems to have made all this up.

>> What?

>> There's a photograph in the

catalog of Anatsui looking

incredulous, like, "Where --

Where the hell did they

come up with this idea?"

He never paid for poor kids

to go to school.

It probably never even occurred

to him to do that.

He -- He pays them what he pays

them, the going rate for where

he lives and works, a rate we'd

probably cringe at, but that's

what they get.

They're paid to help him make

art, which doesn't have

to justify itself

by quote-unquote

doing something else.

Just art, which shows or proves

the capacity we human beings

have to create out of our mess.

I'm trying to quote him, now.

"And while never denying that

the mess is there,

we, using just stuff,

even found stuff,

bits of this and that,

even everyday, normal stuff,

even if it's bottle caps,

we celebrate being human."

>> I like that.

>> Yeah.

>> But billionaires, we guess --

didn't we, Hannah? -- must need

to feel that they're buying more

than just that, things they can

turn into something else.

>> Do you think your mother

is comfortable there?

>> Oh.

>> Don't wake her up, please.

[ Chuckles ]

I'm just kidding.

>> Hey, I'm so glad you guys

finally got her wearing those

things.

>> Depends?

>> Yeah.

Thank you for doing that.

>> Are you taking credit for it?

It wasn't your idea.

>> George told me this story

about Alexander the Great

and this great, great artist.

>> You said that it was sexist.

>> Not when I tell it.

What art can do is just art,

like, what it shows us

or allows us to see.

So Alexander commissions

a portrait of his mistress,

and when he sees the painting,

finished, he realizes that this

painter must understand her

better and appreciate her more

than he, Alexander, ever could.

He sees that.

He sees what he hasn't been

seeing, so he just gives his

mistress to the painter.

[ Laughter ]

That's the sexist part.

>> Yeah.

>> A friend of mine from Yale --

She, um -- I don't know why

that made me think of this.

Ancient Greece, I guess.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> But she wrote to Thomas maybe

three or four days before he

died...

>> So, like, a year ago?

>> Yeah, and she's a Greek

and Biblical scholar,

and she wanted to tell Thomas

about some new research

into the New Testament,

and there's all sorts of

electronic research going on

now.

>> Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

>> And she said -- And so it

seems that the word for the

profession of Saint Paul is --

I forget what the Greek word is,

but forever it's been translated

as "tent maker," but now, they

think that's not what it really

means.

>> Well, you never told me this.

>> Well, I guess I still have

some secrets.

[ Laughter ]

>> What does it mean?

>> "Prop maker."

>> Ah!

>> What?

>> You're kidding.

>> What?

>> Prop maker, like, in theater.

The -- The person who does

props, in a -- in a play.

>> Oh.

>> So it now seems that

Saint Paul,the Saint Paul --

he got his start in theater.

>> Thomas must have loved that.

>> Thomas.

>> Was he even able

to hear that?

[ Laughter ]

>> He -- He always said that

theater and religion, you know,

they were like this,

and I don't think I ever

fully understood what he meant.

>> Do you mind if I, um...

>> No.

All her words.

I've added nothing.

I jump from quote to quote.

Oh, here.

I like this.

She's trying to find

her feet again as First Lady,

after that mess.

>> Which mess?

>> Healthcare, 'cause at this

point, she's -- she's really

lost.

>> Not for the first time

and not the last.

>> Mm.

>> "How best to make sure that

children and families flourish."

>> Yeah, I think she's trying

to find her way back to that at

this point.

>> In the early '90s?

>> The children --

Yeah, with, uh, healthcare...

>> Now I remember.

>> You know, to -- to try to

remember who the hell she really

is.

>> You think she keeps

forgetting?

>> "What we need is a new

politics of meaning."

That just sounds ridiculous now.

"A society that fills us up

again and makes us feel

that we are part of something

bigger than ourselves."

Good luck with that.

[ Chuckles ]

"Coming off the last year,

when selfishness and greed...

What does it mean

to be educated?

What does it mean in today's

world to be human?"

Askhim that. Ask him.

Where is this Hillary now?

>> Mostly from letters,

speeches...

>> E-mails.

>> I-I loved her in the moment

when she's, uh, changing

her name to Clinton,

'cause she both did

and didn't want to do that.

>> Mm.

>> I understand that.

>> The séance. What séance?

>> Her dark days

in the White House,

debilitating self-doubt.

>> I don't know anything

about that.

How could I not know about that?

I thought we knew

everything about Hillary.

>> They tell me

she was quite religious.

>> I didn't know that.

>> Look who she wanted

to talk to.

"Are you there,

Eleanor Roosevelt?"

>> Ah!

>> "Eleanor, how did you put up

with all this?

Did you ever feel that you were

carrying the history

of womankind on your back?"

>> Do you think Eleanor

answered back?

>> Mm. [ Chuckles ]

Mom told me this week

on the phone that she had voted

twice for Eleanor Roosevelt.

No, you didn't, Mom.

She didn't run for anything.

>> Can I see?

Do you mind?

>> I went back to Val-Kill

recently.

>> When did you?

>> Six, seven weeks ago?

After coming here, when Mom had

her stroke and I came up.

A friend met me there.

>> What friend?

>> She had never been.

She lives over in New Paltz.

She had never been to Val-Kill.

Anyway, you know Hillary's

photograph is all over it.

>> She loves Val-Kill.

I was just gonna say that.

>> My friend and I...

>> Who is she?

>> ...we were the only two

people in the little gift shop

there, besides the -- the woman

who works behind the counter.

And my friend asked if

the planks out on the front lawn

were where the original

swimming pool used to be,

and the woman explained that

the first pool was over

on the other side of the house,

and, "Why are you ladies

interested in the pool?"

And my friend explained

that she was just, you know,

curious about the,

you know, friends of Eleanor's

who lived there with her,

the -- the women who --

who lived there, the couples.

And, um, so, anyways, the woman

kind of looks us up and down

and sees, obviously, we're the

only two people in the shop.

And she says, "Look."

And she pulls out, from under

the -- the counter, this kind of

scrapbook of photos.

She opens it up, and there's all

these black-and-white

photographs of Eleanor

in her bathing suit,

by the pool, laughing.

And she's -- she's sitting with

another woman.

They have their arms around one

another.

They're both laughing.

And I don't know.

She's just being herself, you

know?

Just allowing herself

to be herself.

>> Did you tell your mom that?

>> About Eleanor?

>> Everything, visiting there

with a friend.

>> Why should I?

>> Well, you should.

>> Well, I don't think

she'd be very interested.

>> Don't just assume.

>> Your mom and I went

on a séance.

>> Why would you ever...

>> I didn't know about this.

>> I think she still remembers.

It was her idea.

And it was some place

on Long Island,

and you pay $600.

>> When was that?

>> $600.

>> Last winter.

>> We didn't know we were broke

then.

And we had read about it in

The Times, about how even being

around people pretending,

how that can be helpful.

So we went to try to talk

with Thomas.

>> I didn't tell you this,

George.

>> And Mr. Edward was the

medium, and, well, he called

himself something else, but...

And there were seven of us,

and each one of us,

I guess, was just not ready

to let go of someone.

>> Did you talk to Thomas?

>> [ Chuckling ] No. No.

No, of course not.

It was in his basement rec room.

It was just, like, golf trophies

in a bookcase and, oh, there --

fold-up Ping-Pong tables.

[ Laughter ]

But there was something in it,

though, that I-I think

we all needed.

>> What?

>> [ Breathes sharply ]

Um, I-I suppose to accept that

it was okay to not want to just

cut it off, to accept that it

can be, and maybe even sometimes

should be a long journey and --

and not to try too hard to move

on, but, rather, when things get

really bad, that you can tell

yourself, "It's okay just to

move."

>> Yeah.

>> But, I mean, it's --

it's Election Day.

We -- We should be talking about

that, shouldn't we?

>> Paulie's first time.

>> Hannah said Paulie was so,

excited he was like a little

kid.

>> Yeah, holding his nose.

Just before he went behind the

voting desk, he turned back to

me, and he held his nose like a

kid.

>> He was joking.

>> And then, when we were

walking out of the town hall,

and he turns to me and he says,

"Dad, could have

been about so much more."

>> Sorry, son.

They're not usually like this.

>> We're better than this,

Paulie.

>> You sure about that?

>> "I thought I'd be inspired,

Dad, not just scared."

>> Oh, he said that?

>> Wrong election.

>> My first time voting, like

Paulie, I'd come back to vote,

just for the day, from college.

My dad wanted me to go with him.

And he -- For some reason,

we waited until around this time

of night to go, so it was dark.

It was a beautiful fall night...

[chuckles] like tonight,

and the crunch of the leaves

underfoot, and the

Dutch Reformed Church bells,

and the -- the town hall lit up.

Dad says to me, "Everyone should

have his first experience voting

for Jimmy Carter."

[ Laughter ]

>> Oh, Dad.

>> "Dad. Dad."

>> The first time I voted...

>> Oh, where were you?

>> Pine Plains then.

>> Oh, you were with that guy

with the really long...

>> Yeah. I got Mondale, and I

finished, and I pulled

that lever to open the curtain

and suddenly thought,

"Did I do it right?"

>> What do you mean?

>> "Did I make a mistake?"

>> I often feel that way. Yeah.

>> What choice did you have?

>> No, George, I mean,

I remember there were going to

be questions, but then I didn't

see any.

And then, later, my mom asked

if I did -- if I voted "yes" on

some very, very important

question.

I felt like I fucked up.

>> Because you fucked up.

[ Laughter ]

>> Yeah, I-I was visiting my

daughter, and they -- they just

moved to Pittsburgh to be with

my ex's family.

And I-I was staying at a motel,

and my daughter was allowed to

come and stay one night with me.

And I had completely forgotten

that it was Election Day.

Well, I'm sure that happens.

I'm sure that happens to a lot

of people when you're

overwhelmed.

>> Yeah.

>> And so I turn on the TV,

and the results come in.

And we're each lying in our own

twin bed.

[ Laughter ]

I-I -- Natalie Merchant starts

to sing.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And we then see the two of

them walk out holding hands.

This, of course,

is in Little Rock.

And my daughter says --

she's all excited --

"Oh, she looks so beautiful."

[ Light laughter ]

So I look over at my daughter

lying in her bed, and I say...

"She's the wife."

I reminded her of that last

night, Hannah, when she called.

>> Oh, did she remember?

>> Yeah, she did.

I was surprised.

I said, "Well, she's not

just the wife now."

>> Mnh-mnh.

[ Chuckles ]

>> Natalie Merchant

l-lives in Rhinebeck.

>> Does she?

>> We've seen her two or three

times in the health-food store.

I think she moved.

>> Can I paint a cookie?

>> Mary.

>> Oh, hey, it's right here.

There's a paintbrush.

>> Give her a paintbrush.

>> This is for you.

>> You know, by now, Teachout

and Faso together have spent

$13 million, $14 million to win

our little rural district.

>> Yeah. I read that, too,

in theFreeman.

>> Yeah. And nearly all of it --

both sides, they say --

comes from people

who don't live here.

This morning, I left that circle

empty.

>> In my show, I want people

to see Hillary, the person.

One of the women who invited

me -- she kept saying, "Tonight,

just do the nice parts.

Only the nice parts."

>> Just her better angel.

>> Right.

>> I got a letter from a friend

the other day.

She lives in Chicago.

And she wrote me that there's a

billboard up in one of the

really tough neighborhoods on

the South Side.

>> Oh, where all of those kids

are getting killed.

>> Yeah. And it says,

"Your ticket out of here."

And it's the state lottery.

It's the Illinois State Lottery.

And my friend wrote to me,

"You see, Mr. Trump,

he's not alone.

What have we become?"

Who are we?

Who's there?

>> Ooh, careful.

You're gonna drip on this.

M-Maybe I'll put it --

the script -- over...

>> Oh, good idea.

>> Just so it doesn't get...

>> Thanks. Yeah.

>> Mom's dreaming.

Hey, George, did you hear

what Mom said?

>> What?

>> "I always wanted

more than that for you."

More than what?

>> I don't know.

>> Do you ever feel like this?

T-Take a shower, and all

I'm thinking is, "Well,

I'll be over with that soon."

And I'll eat breakfast

while thinking, "What's next?"

You know?

Putting on my face --

getting that over with.

Check.

Check mark.

Over with that.

Done with that.

[ Bell rings ]

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> Now what?

What now?

>> Your timer.

>> Yeah. Dinner.

Somebody should set the table.

>> I can do that.

>> God. Listen to this.

I just read this.

This is one

of Thomas' notebooks.

>> No, no, no. Leave it --

Leave that in the bag.

>> Mary.

>> What is it?

>> He's written here, "A play

where everyone is always

cooking."

>> No, we read that.

>> Oh, Joyce,

just give that to me.

>> No, hold on, Joyce.

There -- There's something else

in that notebook.

>> Karin, Karin.

Just give it to me.

>> Show them what we did

in that notebook yesterday.

>> Why is this in this notebook?

>> Well, I'll show you.

>> Let me have it.

>> No, no, no.

Don't give it to her.

Karin, they do not need

to see this.

>> See what?

>> Joyce.

>> Mary, I've never seen you

like this.

>> Give it here.

I think they do, Mary.

I think they'd be really

interested in this.

>> I am interested,

because Mary is blushing.

Why are you blushing?

>> This is not funny.

You know, fuck you.

Oh, just -- Oh, just give me

that book, Karin.

>> I'm -- I'm interested.

>>We wrote something.

>> What? In Thomas' notebook?

>> In this one, didn't we?

Ooh, what did we write?

>> George, tell her to give me

back the notebook.

The -- Dinner is ready.

>> Here it is.

It's a monologue.

We just came across this,

didn't we?

He'd written the whole thing

out, right?

Come on. It's funny.

Mary said he used to do that in

his notes for a play to use

later.

We came across a whole bunch of

them.

Different people,

but this one...

>> What?

>> This one -- do you want to

explain?

>> Mnh-mnh.

>> We -- We -- We just happened

across it.

It's about a...

>> What?

>> ...a female doctor.

>> Mary.

>> Oh, Thomas wrote something

about Mary.

>> Very same age -- the doctor

here -- Exactly Mary's age

when he wrote it.

>> So what about Mary?

>> We figured that out,

didn't we?

Well, we wrote in the date.

I mean, she had never seen

this monologue.

She'd never heard about it,

knew about it.

He never showed.

Anyway, so Vi --

he calls her Vi the Doctor.

>> Vi the Doctor.

>> You want to tell them?

>> No, no.

>> All right.

She comes home from -- from work

one day, from her practice,

and she is wearing a brown

pantsuit and a pretty much

nondescript -- his words --

gray sweater.

>> Well, it wasn't really gray.

And I don't know why it was

nondescript.

>> She knew the sweater.

>> It was very comfortable.

>> And Vi -- she throws herself

into a chair -- that seems

to be the set, one chair --

and she begins to what --

complain, worry?

Well, she'd been checking up

on something at work.

>> No. She's not complaining.

>> Well, you told me that you

said some of these same things

about feeling hopeless...

>> Not -- Not all the time.

>> ...impotent being a doctor.

In this, that very day, she'd --

she'd -- she'd seen one of her

patients die.

>> Here, I think he was trying

to turn her into one of those

Russian doctors from those plays

he loves so much.

>> Mm.

>> Full of frustration.

>> Right.

>> Mary -- I-I read it to Mary,

and she says, "Let me see that."

And she takes a pencil,

and she just begins

crossing everything out...

>> Inhis notebook.

>> ...and adding things.

What did you add?

Tell them.

>> We cut the pantsuit.

That's the first thing we cut.

[ Laughter ]

>> "Vi now enters, having

changed from her drab doctor's

work clothes into a powder-blue

silk dressing gown with a sweet

butterfly pattern..."

Where online did we find that?

We researched.

>> I can't believe this.

>> When was this?

>> I mean, she wrote all over

it.

>> What website?

>> "...that catches all the

lovely curves of her exquisite

body."

>> No, no, no.

You added that part.

>> What? No.

>> What website?

>> No, it is just way beyond

J.Crew.

Hannah, it is way beyond

your imagination.

>> What does that mean?

>> You know, you ought to shop

online with Karin sometime.

>> We put her into some really

nice pajamas, and I would

like to have those pajamas.

Well, then, here, as she's

beginning to talk to us,

she makes herself a cocktail.

>> Yeah. Karin knows the names

of all of these fancy cocktails.

What did we decide?

>> Well, we hadn't made

a final choice.

We were testing.

>> Yeah. I don't even know

how she knows all of them.

>> Were you both drunk?

Was this at night?

>> Mary has a cocktail --

Vi has a cocktail, not Mary.

"Middle of the day.

She is not -- no longer

sitting on a chair,

but now she sits on a divan."

>> I've always wanted a divan.

Thomas said they were too

pretentious.

>> No.

>> What?

>> "She leans back on the

divan."

Oh, this was a nice touch.

"As she begins

to calmly talk to her..."

>> Oh, I added the "calmly."

What -- What did he write?

>> Well, he crossed it out.

I can't read it.

"...one hears the soft,

sensual rustle of her nylons

as she crosses her legs."

[ Telephone rings ]

>> Phone.

>> Oh, I got it. I got it.

I got it.

>> That could be Paulie.

>> I can't believe you two did

that.

>> I thought she had pajamas on.

>> What do you mean?

>> But, then, why is she wearing

nylons?

>> We have to change that.

>> It's so unlike you.

It's childish.

>> I know, but he is not here,

Hannah.

So fuck him.

He shouldn't have died.

>> Well, then, I guess

it serves him right.

Can I see?

Fuck him.

>> There's almost nothing left

of the thing Thomas wrote.

We spent like -- what? --

like five hours on this.

>> [ Chuckling ] Let me see

that.

[ Chuckles ]

Come on.

She -- She doesn't just

complain.

She's not always unhappy.

[ Voice breaking ] Yeah.

She is fucking sexy,

and she's hopeful,

and she's getting on

with her goddamn life.

[ Notebook thumps lightly ]

Mm.

Mm.

[ Clears throat ]

Or she will.

[ Light laughter ]

So let's have dinner.

>> Good.

>> I think George is supposed

to be setting the table.

>> I can do that.

I'll do that.

>> Does she know which plates?

>> The white ones!

>> [ Chuckling ] She knows.

She knows, Joyce.

I just want to finish painting

my damn cookie.

So, I think you -- you should

probably wake up your mother.

>> I almost forgot she was here.

I didn't.

Mom, I kept hearing

your voice all day today.

>> I thought that was just

your stomach.

>> She does sound

like my stomach.

I'm putting on a show.

Mary, I don't know if it's

'cause of all of the stuff you

guys have been digging through,

but Mom -- Mom used to do --

for my birthday --

I just remembered this --

these wonderful puppet shows.

Did you know that?

>> I remember those.

>> Down in the rec room?

>> She'd ring that

little bell and say,

"We're putting on a show."

Well, you could be crying or

fighting, and that was her

solution for everything.

"We're putting on a show."

All of my friends thought

you were so amazing.

>> I know I did.

>> Mom.

Hello.

Mom.

Mom, wake up.

We're having dinner.

>> What?

>> You fell asleep.

>> What?

>> I think you were voting

for Eleanor Roosevelt.

Mom.

Someone just phoned.

Can you tell us

who's on the phone?

Use your magical powers?

>> I wasn't asleep, Joyce.

>> You've always done it, Mom,

and I've always found it

really creepy.

So, is it Paulie?

We think it might be Paulie.

>> Joyce, your mother's

wheelchair is there.

Will you do it?

>> I'm busy, Joyce.

>> So, is it Paulie?

We think it might be Paulie.

>> It's Paulie.

>> It's your son.

He's on the phone.

>> It's Paulie.

>> We know, Mom.

We know.

You always know.

How do you open this up?

>> Figure it out.

>> You have to learn.

>> Why are you doing this?

>> Doing what?

>> I'll take in the salad, Mary,

see how Karin's doing.

Was it Paulie?

>> No, it was Karin's date.

>> Mom.

>> What, Joyce?

>> Calling to apologize?

>> Oh, fuck him.

I'm on a roll.

>> He wanted to know how far

back the property goes.

How can I help?

>> Karin's setting the table.

>> Can you help me do this?

>> No, no. Let her do it.

She'll work it out.

>> Ohh.

>> Are we drinking wine?

Are we...

>> No.

I don't think we want wine.

Do we?

>> We might need it.

>> [ Laughs ]

>> Okay.

>> There, look. Yeah.

She did it.

>> Here we go.

>> Good for you, Joyce.

>> Yeah, but put on -- put on

the brakes.

>> Where's the brake?

>> Put on the brakes.

They're those things back there.

>> This?

>> Are we doing tablecloth

or place mats?

I set out place mats.

Hannah thinks we should have

a tablecloth.

Mary, if you want

a tablecloth...

>> Place mats are fine.

>> Mom, are you gonna put your

arm...

>> She can't move that arm.

>> I know.

>> They're doing fine.

Just let them.

>> Here. So, um, hey, George,

what did that guy who came up

from New York to look

at the house think of it?

He did come, didn't he?

I'm just curious.

>> He said it's too small.

>> Two. Three.

>> I-I heard him asking if

the house could be knocked down.

>> Knocked down?

>> Okay. Yeah.

We don't own it anymore, Mom.

[ Chuckles ]

>> I-I guess so he can build

something bigger.

>> Ohh.

>> Are you in?

[ Chuckles ]

You're in.

I did it.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Sniffles ] Okay.

I'm gonna go into the

dining room with Mom.

Fasten your seat belt.

Just kidding, Mom.

I know you're not a child.

So, I'll sit with Mom

in the dining room.

Just please don't be long.

So, Mom, do you want to sit

at the table in your wheelchair

or in a grown-up chair?

I'm just joking, Mom.

Don't be long.

>> Let's give them about

a half an hour alone now.

[ Laughter ]

>> Hey, I thought the village

was an historic district and you

can't just knock things down?

>> No, they get around that.

They let -- They let the

property go to hell.

They let you knock it down then.

>> That is not right.

>> What does right have to do

with anything?

I'll set out glasses.

>> The church across the street

did that with a house,

just let it go.

The church.

>> Karin, will you also

take out the peas?

>> My mother used to always say,

"Pray for peace and spiritual

food and for wisdom and for

guidance, for all those are

good, but don't forget the

potatoes."

>> It smells good, Mar.

>> Okay, good.

I put on a tablecloth.

>> [ Chuckles ]

>> Are we still taking Patricia

to vote?

>> There if there's time.

Is there time?

>> I think she might have

forgotten about it.

>> Well, she's gonna win.

The other is unthinkable.

>> And if she doesn't?

>> Maybe we follow the crowds

to the cliff, hold hands,

and jump...

shouting, "What about us?!"

We -- We should probably ask

Patricia, let her decide.

There's still time.

>> Karin was just telling me

she's thinking about moving on

Friday.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> She's in a hurry.

>> It's only one day sooner.

And she doesn't teach on Friday.

And Kingston's nice.

>> I'll get George to help

Karin.

>> She doesn't have a lot of

stuff.

>> What cookie did you choose?

>> I didn'tchoose anything.

There was -- There was only one.

It's -- It's a person, but look.

I gave her a nice big smile,

Hannah.

>> I think Uptown Kingston's

kind of like Rhinebeck used to

be -- you know what I mean?

It's only the people who live

there.

>> Hm.

>> That's nice.

>> Yeah, it is.

>> George was just telling me

that, a few doors down

from Karin's new apartment,

not the lawyers out of Dickens,

but in the other direction

is the house where

John Wilkes Booth's brother,

the famous actor, where he hid

out after his brother

had shot Lincoln.

>> Hm.

>> He just came and stayed

and, I guess, felt safe there.

George said, "See?

Even then, no one went to

Kingston."

[ Both laugh ]

>> That's funny.

>> [ Laughs ]

>> Hannah.

>> Yeah?

>> Things do work out.

That is what we have got to keep

telling ourselves.

Damn it.

>> Thomas?

>> Yeah.

>> Mm.

[ Footsteps ]

>> [ Sighs ]

[ Chair creaks ]

Mm.

[ Drawer slides open ]

[ Whispering ] Okay.

[ Piano music plays ]

♪♪

♪♪

What do you need?

>> George wants wine.

I saw an open bottle of white.

I will smell it.

Joyce doesn't like my salad

dressing.

She wants the Paul Newman.

I'll call Paulie after we eat,

see if he answers.

This seems fine.

Patricia wants a pillow

for her back.

Joyce got her in a chair.

>> Hannah...

we -- we -- we did -- we did

sell the piano, didn't we?

And they took it away.

[ Music continues ]

I still hear him, um, even --

even after a year.

He used to play this for me.

You can't hear it?

>> No.

What are you going to do?

>> [ Chuckles ]

Well, I finished my cookie.

Um...

I'm gathering the others.

I will put them in the oven.

Then I'll set the timer.

And remind me.

We might not hear it

in the dining room.

Oh, then I'll bring in

the shepherd's pie.

We'll have dinner.

I've got it all planned out,

Hannah.

I-I'll be right in.

[ Footsteps ]

[ Music continues ]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[ Music stops ]

Mnh.

You done?

[ Oven door creaks ]

[ Oven door creaks ]

[ Lucius' "Until We Get There"

plays ]

♪♪

♪♪

>> ♪ What do you say?

♪ Is this the time

for one more try

at a happy life? ♪

♪♪

♪ So, what do you say?

♪ Is this unwise

to think my fears

will not reprise? ♪

♪♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

[ Applause ]

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Can't be late

♪ It's a rising tide

♪ Like an hourglass

[ Cheers and applause ]

♪ Running out of time

♪ So, what do you say?

♪ What will you decide?

♪ It's a win or lose

on a rolling die ♪

♪♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪♪

♪ Gonna get out of the water

♪ Gonna leave the storm

♪ 'Cause everybody's got to get

there somehow ♪

♪ And I won't wait another day,

another day ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

♪ Ooh-hoo-hoo

>> [ Vocalizing ]

>> ♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

>> [ Vocalizing ]

>> ♪ Won't know until we get

there ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ You know I wanna get there

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Won't know until we get

there ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ You know I wanna get there

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Won't know until we get

there ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ You know I wanna get there

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ Won't know until we get

there ♪

♪ Whoo-hoo-hoo

♪ You know I want to get there

♪ Mm, mm

>> I hope you enjoyed tonight's

presentation.

You can also watch this

and other plays

on thirteen.org/theatercloseup.

I'm Neal Shapiro.

See you next time.

♪♪

♪♪

[ Cheers and applause ]

>> Support for

"Theater Close-Up"

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