These Four Walls
directed by David Hopkins
Dixon Place, NYC
April-May 2002
Review
“There’s something disturbingly pleasant in the off-kilter nature of These Four Walls. Once you accept that nothing you’re going to see makes sense, and once you understand your role as an audience member is essentially to become another member of the asylum, you’ll do fine.”
— Matthew Murray, Talkin’ Broadway
(top l-r): Christine Säng, Brian Quirk, Cam Kornman
(bottom l-r): Jason Lew, Kate Marks
Jason Lew (Pauly)
(l-r) Brian Quirk (Alger), Kate Marks (Ivy),
Christine Säng (Evelyn)
Brian Quirk (Alger)
Excerpt
Scene: ALGER and EVELYN’S house.
At rise: ALGER and EVELYN with daughter IVY. (A knock on the door.)
ALGER
Who is it?
EVELYN
Who is it?
(No response.)
Quick. Ivy, hide in the closet.
IVY
But I want to stay here with —
EVELYN
(interrupting)
Get in the closet now.
(A loud knock on the door.)
ALGER
Don’t speak harshly to her, Evelyn. Ivy, dear, step into the closet for a minute, would you please?
IVY
Okay, Daddy.
(IVY curtsies and climbs into the closet.)
ALGER
And be careful not to wrinkle your dress.
EVELYN
What should we do?
ALGER
I will not be intimidated. I’m going to answer this door right now.
(ALGER hesitates. EVELYN opens the door. There stands the ghost of ALGER’s mother properly dressed with a handbag.)
Cam Kornman (Mother Pearl)
EVELYN
Look what the devil dragged in.
ALGER
Oh Mother, not now.
EVELYN
I’ll go get the fire extinguisher.
MOTHER PEARL
(looking at EVELYN)
She’s always been as dumb as a bag of manure.
(Exit EVELYN.)
Did you have to knock her up?
ALGER
You know how I feel about you putting down Evelyn.
MOTHER PEARL
First she took you from me. And now she’s taking your dreams.
ALGER
Mother, please. Stop your spying.
MOTHER PEARL
I can’t stand to see you unhappy, son. I’ll never rest like this.
ALGER
You caused a lot of problems between us while you were alive
MOTHER PEARL
She was the problem from day one. That’s what you get when you marry a tramp. Don’t think she’s not running around.
ALGER
Mother, why do you torture me?
MOTHER PEARL
It’s my job. And what are you going to do about Axel?
ALGER
I was on my way over there just now.
IVY, from the closet.)
IVY
Daddy, I’m hungry.
ALGER
Don’t you be rude, young lady. I’m talking to your grandmother.
IVY
Hello, Grandma Pearl. Could you ask Daddy to let me out of the closet?
MOTHER PEARL
When hell freezes over, you little trollop.
(to ALGER)
She’s Evelyn’s inside out.
This production was made possible by a Mondo Cane! commission and the tremendous support of Dixon Place’s Executive Director, Ellie Covan. This play and all my previous plays owe a great deal to the late Elise Revson, whom I met in my first job at the Whitney Museum at Philip Morris. She produced numerous readings, workshops, and productions of my early plays. My confidante in art and my first reader — always.
Poster design: Duane Smith