Raising Jeremy - a Play

A young boy's life is cut short by a sober car accident. When his family gathers for his memorials service, fury and frustration breaks loose. There is an underlying current of generational blame that rises to the surface, bringing about forgiveness and understanding - unfortunately not soon enough. Before the memorial service can begin, his grandmother and Jason each have their respective memories of the past. But the most touching memory is experienced by his blind brother, Jessie. It is this memory that brings all three generations of boys together. They realize that while they all thought they were helping to raise Jeremy, there is a consensus that Jeremy was really challenging them in a way that caused them to grow up.

Characters

Poppy: A tall man in his late 60's with handsome facial features and a thick mane of white hair. He is a working class, lower middle-income grandparent who loves his family and is strong but affectionate.

Grammy: A short woman in her late 60's with white hair and a frail frame.

Grace: A pretty woman in her early 20's, thin and elegant.

Jason: A tall man in his late 30's or early 40's with a beard and a beer belly. He always wears the same flannel shirt.

Jessie: A small boy in his late teens with a medium build and short hair. He is meticulous about his appearance and carries a silver walking stick.

Jeremy: A small boy in his late teens with a medium build and longish hair. He dresses sloppily and has bad posture.

Amy: A stocky blonde in her late 30's who is very plain. Her hairstyle is very 1980's.

Natalie: A short girl in her late teens.

Jennifer: A short girl in her late teens.

Crowd: group of people who attend the memorial service.

Technical Requirements

Props: eight benches, four chairs, a CD player, a Guns N Roses CD ("Welcome to the Jungle"), a mattress, CD covers, shirts and jeans/clothing, an urn, a pedestal, shopping bags. A black curtain all the way upstage for characters to make their entrances and exits from.

Raising Jeremy

By Rebecca Bredholt

Act One

Scene I

The song "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World plays for 30 seconds as the curtain rises and the stage is in total blackness. Then, slowly, a special comes up on the urn. (A light focused specifically just on the urn… perhaps a beautiful blue, but shining directly down on it.) As the characters enter the light on the urn fades and there are lights focuses center stage. A blue down light gives the warmth of the people coming into the scene. Also some finger lights to sculpt the bodies, that color would be a light amber as well.

Center stage, a modest urn sits down center stage on a black pedestal. Several benches line up on either side in back of the pedestal.

An elderly woman enters from up stage center with a younger woman consoling her.

Grammy: (crying) It's just not right Gracie. The young are supposed to bury the old. Not the other way around.

Gracie: (leading her towards a bench) I know Grammy. I know. But it was an accident. Nobody could've stopped this from happening.

They both sit down on the front bench, stage right of the urn.

Grammy: (looking at the urn) If I would've just driven myself to the store…none of this would've…I shouldn't've let such a little boy drive such a big car.

Gracie: (serious tone) Grammy, now you listen to me and you listen good. This is not your fault. It's -

A voice booms from the back of the room.

Jason: - clearly God's fault.

Low light comes up on the benches. Blue down light which washes over the benches ,making them barely visible but noticeable. Also a gobo breakup to simulate stained glass. (Perhaps, if the funding is good, dichroic multiple color class gobo).

Gracie turns to match a face with the voice.

Grammy: (rolling her eyes) Now son, don't you start -

Jason: - start what, Momma? I can't seem to start nothin' without you finishin' it for me.

Gracie walks up to the father to shake his hand.

Gracie: Hello, it's been so long since I've seen you. I'm just sorry it had to be under these circumstances.

Jason rejects her handshake.

Jason: How's life in the big city anyway? You look like you've put on some weight.

Gracie: Life is good, thank you. I have a great job and -

A short woman with a blind boy enters from up center stage. Jason walks toward them, ignoring Gracie's reply.

Jason: What the hell took you so long? I parked the car like an hour ago.

Gracie awkwardly stops talking and returns to site beside Grammy.

Amy: Your son is blind and you are def. It's a miracle I made it in here at all.

While Amy and Jason argue quietly, the blind boy, Jessie, makes his way downstage to the urn, almost as if he can see it. He sets his walking stick down on the ground and carefully reaches out in front with both arms - slowly embracing the urn. As he walks to down light comes up on the urn. Then front and backlight fades up. The back light should give a "heavenly" quality.

Jessie: (cries). Oh, Jeremy…why did you have to leave me alone with the crazy people? I don't want to be alone.

Jason walks up behind the boy and takes his arm. Raise light intensity on benches adding front and side light. (Ambers)

Jason: Be careful, Jessie. You don't want to spill your brother on the floor now do ya? Come here. Come sit next to ya daddy.

Jessie: (picking up walking stick) You might have birthed me, but you're nothin' like Poppy.

Jason forces Jessie to site down next to him on the bench.

Jason: You're right. I'm not. (getting tearful) If I was Poppy you could make damn well sure that my son wouldn't be a pile of ashes right now. Ain't nothin' Poppy can do about that now.

An elderly man speaks from the back of the room.

Poppy: ..but there ain't nothin' I wouldn't do to get him back, son.

Everyone stands from the sheer awe of this man's presence. He is tall, handsome and everyone almost genuflects as he passes by.. Jason quickly wipes away tears and stands up taller.

Poppy: …which is more than I can say for you.

Poppy and the blind boy embrace. Poppy whispers something in the boy's ear that is not audible. The boy sits down.

Jason: What could I possibly do? It was your God that killed him. What kind of a mean God lets that happen? An evil one, that's who. And my family is never stepping foot in a church ever again.

Poppy looks at his son, Jason. Then he turns to hug his wife, who begins to cry again.

Gracie: It's good to see you Poppy.

They clutch hands for a suspended moment.

Poppy: Thank you for coming such a long way sweetheart. I know Jeremy would have loved that you were here.

Grammy: I have a brown shirt that I bought Jeremy for Christmas. What do I do with it? I would give it to Jessie, but that just doesn't seem right.

Gracie: Sure it does Grammy. Jeremy gave Jessie the shirt of his back all the time. This is no different. Jessie would be proud to wear it.

A few people enter upper center stage and sit on benches in the back row.

Grammy: (to Poppy) Do you think we should stand in the back and greet people as they come in?

Poppy: That's such a sweet thought Grammy, but why don't you sit here and I'll take my son the atheist up to the gates.

Poppy takes Jason by the scruff his shirt collar and leads him up stage.

Poppy: (commanding) C'mon son. Let's go meet our guests properly.

Fade to black.

Scene II
Four chairs, arranged as car seats, face downstage, angled stage left. Jessie, Grammy, and Jeremy are walking towards the chairs. Grammy and Jeremy are carrying plastic shopping bags. Downstage right tree gobos simulate them being outside. Warm lighting. Lots of ambers perhaps and underlying magenta, because this is a happy time in their lives. Lighting should be bright and merry. Just enough direct back light to give "heavenly" quality and also to show that this is the past.

Grammy: Now you boys have to promise not to go peakin' at these Christmas gifts just yet.

Jessie: Grammy! How'm I gonna peak when I can't see?

The boys laugh.

Grammy: Jessie, you see more with no vision then most people with perfect sight. Only a blind person can clearly see another man's heart. The rest of us fiddle around in the dark until we guess it right.

Jeremy takes the car keys from Grammy's hands, along with the shopping bags.

Grammy: (surprised) Now just where do you think you're going?

Jeremy puts the bags "in the trunk" and walks around to open the "door" for Jessie. Sound effect of a trunk closing here.

Jeremy: Grammy, I've been taking care of my brother my whole life.

Jeremy puts his hand on Jessie's head as he gets into the car.

Jeremy: Just cause you're here don't make it any different.

Jeremy shuts the door and walks around to open the back seat door for Grammy.

Grammy: That's right son. You take care of your brother…(putting her hand on his cheek)…and I'll take care of you.

Jeremy helps her in, shuts the door and gets in the driver's seat.

Jeremy: Then who's going to take care of you, Grammy?

Jessie: Poppy will always take care of Grammy.

Jeremy: (smart-alicky) Oh, yeah? Then who takes care of Poppy?

Jessie: Not that he needs it, but I think God's had his back plenty of times.

Sound effect of the engine starting… foreshadowing the death.

Fade to Black.

Scene III

The benches are now mostly full. Poppy is upstage near the entrance with his back facing the audience. A man's arms are wrapped around him, hugging him. Again, just downlight with break-up pattern on the bences. Same light focus in center as was in the first scene.

Poppy: Thank you for coming Pastor. It just means the world to me and my wife.

Pastor: Of course, of course. I was so shocked when I got the news from your sister. Just shocked. If there's anything else I can do…

Poppy: Thank you. That's very kind.

Jason: Yeah, there's something you can do, Pastor. When you get to your heaven, you can tell the Big Man upstairs that he's a goddamn -

Poppy: - Now that's enough out of you son. Go sit down and try not to talk to anyone else who's still alive.

The pastor walks toward the urn and Jason sits down in his seat. Down light on the urn. And same intensity increase on the benches as before. Amy puts her hand on his shoulder.

Amy: Why is he always pushing you around? He talks to you like you're still 12 years old. He's not that mean to anyone else.

Jason: He just doesn't understand what it's like to lose your wife and then spend the next six years taking your son in and out of rehab. Shoot, Jeremy probably ran into that telephone pole on purpose just to get out of his court date next week….It's not easy raising a son who just doesn't listen to you.

Fade to Black.

Act Two

Scene I

Stage left. There are two worn mattresses on the floor for a bed. CD cases and magazines litter the room, along with some clothes. Jeremy is sitting on the bed listening to music. A window gobo to show that they are in Jeremy's room. Amber front light and side lighting. A red backlighting or down lighting which starts at a low intensity and increases as the scene progresses.

Jason: (screaming from offstage) Jeremy!! Get your ass in here right now!

Jeremy turns the music up louder. Jason storms into the room and lifts Jeremy off the bed and tosses him against the wall upstage. This needs to be a sound effect controlled by the booth.

Jason: You wanna tell me why the police are at the front door again? Can you hear me? Are you doin' drugs again? (No response.) Look at this mess. You're a pig! (picking up magazines and looking underneath them) What kind of drugs are you doing this time? Huh? Answer me you little prick! (No response). You're not going to answer me because you think you're a tough guy?

Jason raises his hand to strike Jeremy's face. Jeremy stares at him but doesn't flinch. Jason puts his hand back down.

Jason: You make me sick. And I'm tired of you breaking the rules of my house. (long pause). Get out. You're so tough…try to make it without me.

Jeremy picks up his jacket and exits stage left.

Jason: Go ahead and screw up your life somewhere else. And don't come back until you're sober!

Red backlighting should be a full intensity.

Jason sits down on the mattresses and puts his head in his hands. He looks like he is about to cry but doesn't. Jason starts picking up the CDs on the floor and notices the covers.

Jason: Whad'ya know…these are mine.

Intensity of red decreases.

Jason puts one of the CDs in the stereo, hits play and begins to sing along with the rock music. He begins to play air guitar.

Take all of the red out and then fade to Black.

Scene II

Center stage, Poppy is seating the last two guests - two cute young women about the same age as Jessie. Light is the same as it was in scene one.

Natalie: I feel so bad. I don't even know how he died.

Jennifer: I feel worse. I don't even know which one died.

Poppy: (coming to greet them) Thank you girls for coming. Were you in high school with Jeremy?

Jennifer: Was he the blind one?

Natalie: (embarrassed) We used to work together at the auto body shop.

Poppy: Oh, well, he died in a car accident. It was no one's fault.

Jennifer: Well, if he was blind then he probably shouldn't've been driving.

Natalie: (more embarrassed) Thank you, sir, for letting us come. We'll just grab a seat in the back. Bring bench lights up.

Poppy helps the girls get a seat, then he joins his wife in the front row. The pastor stands by the urn, holding an open Bible. Bring up special on urn.

Pastor: (reading) …though I may walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. They rod and thy staff, they comfort me…

The pastor's voice trails off. Blackout except for a spotlight following Jessie.

Scene III

Jessie uses his walking stick to head stage left, tapping the floor with it until it hits Jeremy's feet. A "glow" effect. Lots of side and top light and a little amber front light. The Spot continues to follow Jessie. They stand facing each other.

Jessie: Jeremy….is that you?

Jeremy: Course it is stupid. Who the heck else would it be? Hey, wanna go to may room and play guess the song?

Jessie: (laughing) No. You would tell me I was wrong and I believed you until I heard the DJ on the radio later and find out I had guessed the songs right.

Both boys laugh.

Jeremy: Alright then. It's hide and go seek. Start counting!

Jeremy runs into the darkness and Jessie is left standing alone.

Jessie: One, two, three….hey! Wait! No! Don't' go Jeremy! (starts crying). All lights except for the follow spot begin to fade. I said don't go! I wasn't ready for you to go. Who's going to stop dad from hitting me? Who's going to tell me stories of how beautiful mom was? Jeremy! Please! I'm scared. Please come back. I just want to hug you one last time… All lights should be out this point, and the follow spot should be turned off.

Act Three

Scene I

The benchs are fully lit. The special on the urn is also up. The spotlight widens over Jessie and the memorial service. Everyone is looking at Jessie. Jason gets up and walks demurely over to him.

Jason: Son, who are you talking to? (No response). Jessie, why don't you come back and sit down next to me?

Jessie: (loudly) Ready or not! Here I come!

Jessie starts to run towards stage right but his Jason holds him back.

Jason: Jessie, there's no one there…come and sit down.

Jessie: Jeremy was just here Daddy. I was talkin' to him.

Jason: (beginning to cry) Is that so? What…what did he say? (No response). Did he talk to you son? (kneeling) Did he know that I loved him? Did he say that he knew that?

Poppy walks up and lays a hand on Jessie's shoulder.

Poppy: We all knew son. I think we all knew. Funny thing is, we all thought we were raising Jeremy, when the truth is, Jeremy was really raising all of us. The song "Hear You Me" by Jimmy Eat World plays softly in the background.

Stage goes black except for the urn. After a few seconds of the song completely fade to black.

The End.