31 Plays in 31 Days, #3 - “No Secrets”

[breakinglight11]

For Hawking part 8, we’re planning on continuing a thread we began with Clara in part 7: In the Bones. You can tell in that play that as Beatrice has gotten older and more independent, she and Clara have had more and more trouble getting along. We do not pay that off in that story, but it lays the groundwork for what we’re hoping to do in this upcoming one.

Right now we’re thinking the case at the center of part 8 is brought to them by Clara, who has a friend in some trouble and pulls in both Mary and Mrs. Hawking to work on it. She leads with the idea that she just wants to make sure her friend gets the help she needs, and maybe bring our heroes back together in the process, but she actually has an ulterior motive. It’s also fun to see a little vulnerability from Clara, who is usually so in control and strong.

This is very intentionally designed to mirror scene 2.2 in Base Instruments, where Clara calls out Nathaniel for trying to hide things from her.


Photo by Mark Edwards

Day #3 - “No Secrets”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts

London, 1892

NATHANIEL HAWKING, Mr. Hawking’s right hand man, late thirties
CLARA HAWKING, his lady wife, early forties
~~~

NATHANIEL: Darling. What’s this?

CLARA: I beg your pardon?

NATHANIEL: Don’t you think you’re pushing rather too hard?

CLARA: I don’t know what you mean. I’m only thinking of Madam and Mary.

NATHANIEL: And Susan, of course.

CLARA: Of course!

(Pause.)

NATHANIEL: Clara. I should say after sixteen years of marriage, I ought to know when you’re not acting yourself. What’s going on, then?

(Pause.)

CLARA: I mean all of it, you know— to help Susan. To do right by Madam and Mary, if we can…

NATHANIEL: But there’s more to it. Isn’t there?

(Pause.)

NATHANIEL: Darling, you told me once we can’t keep things from one another. Not if we’re truly in it all together.

CLARA: I know. But… I couldn’t tell you. I just couldn’t.

NATHANIEL: Why?

CLARA: Because you’d be cross with me. Because… you’d try to stop me.

NATHANIEL: Clara!

CLARA: Because you wouldn’t understand!

NATHANIEL: Do you really believe there’s anything about you I couldn’t understand? That I wouldn’t do everything to understand?

(Pause.)

NATHANIEL: The only way is if you won’t tell me. And I won’t have that, darling. There’s been too much of that in this family.

CLARA: Even so… you may be sorry when you hear.

NATHANIEL: Never. Not if it matters to you.

(CLARA sits on the sofa.)

CLARA: Truly, Nathaniel? You shan’t think less of me when I tell you?

(He comes to sit beside her.)

NATHANIEL: Clara Rebecca Partridge Hawking. I have loved you since I was nineteen years old. There is nothing you can tell me that would change that now.