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breakinglight11) wrote2024-08-12 12:56 pm
breakinglight11) wrote2024-08-12 12:56 pm
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31 Plays in 31 Days, #12 - “Scrubbing”
I am looking forward to interactions between Mary and Beatrice in Mrs. Hawking part 8. There’s a lot of material in the idea that Mary used to be Mrs. Hawking’s apprentice, and Beatrice’s interest in moving into that role. Mary can be a mentor as well, and her ambivalence about what it means to learn from and work with Mrs. Hawking adds some interesting tension. What would she say to another bright young girl who seems to be on the verge on her life moving in the same direction as Mary’s, with all the good and the bad that implies? With the added complication of the class differences, which can never be ignored in this story.
This scene piece uses the word “scrub” too much, but I like it and all its connotations. I feel like you hear the hard work baked right into it in a way that “clean” or “wash” doesn’t necessarily. That vibe is very necessary to this moment.
Photos by Jacob LaRocca
Day #12 - “Scrubbing”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, current apprentice, mid teens
~~~
(MARY and BEATRICE work together in maid’s uniforms and aprons.)
BEATRICE: (Coarse London accent) “Please to meet you, madam. Me mam and da passed of the consumption last winter. I’ve come to the city since me sister and I had to mortgage the farm.” (Posh accent) What do you think?
MARY: Well, it’s not bad. If they think you’ve fallen on hard times, they won’t think it so strange that you’re not an old hand at the job. But don’t lay it on too thick! Or they’ll think you’re a waif from a Dickens novel.
BEATRICE: Papa said I ought to ask people about themselves more than tell my own story. Because folk love to talk about themselves, so they’ll like me and want to answer my questions.
MARY: Your papa knows what he’s on about. He’s got quite good at this over the years.
BEATRICE: Even Auntie says so. How did he learn all that?
MARY: With practice. Which brings me to the rest of this— how you’ll manage a passable job as a housemaid.
(MARY brings out a bucket and brushes. She hands a brush to BEATRICE.)
MARY: Now— start at the corners, and save the doorway for last.
(They get on their hands and knees to scrub.)
BEATRICE: Goodness, this is hard work. And you’ve got to save it for last?
MARY: Afraid so, or there’s not much point to it. Everything else you scrub off will end up on your nice clean floor.
BEATRICE: I suppose I never thought about that.
MARY: Oh, dear. You’ve never chopped so much as a turnip in your life, have you?
BEATRICE: I’ve made tea sandwiches! And baked petit fours— I helped Miss Lawrence, anyway.
MARY: (Laughing) Oh, goodness.
BEATRICE: It’s not funny! Nobody taught me.
MARY: Ah, forgive me. But it is funny— not you, but… what some folks know, and some folks don’t. Well. You shan’t have to do much past that in the way of cooking. But they will see you scrub— the floors, the steps, the counters. So you’d best set yourself, miss.
BEATRICE: I will, Mrs. Swann— I am! I want to learn everything. Sneaking, and cleaning, and disguising, and fighting. I’ll learn all of it.
(Pause.)
BEATRICE: Mrs. Swann… may I ask you something?
This scene piece uses the word “scrub” too much, but I like it and all its connotations. I feel like you hear the hard work baked right into it in a way that “clean” or “wash” doesn’t necessarily. That vibe is very necessary to this moment.
Photos by Jacob LaRocca
Day #12 - “Scrubbing”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
BEATRICE HAWKING, current apprentice, mid teens
~~~
(MARY and BEATRICE work together in maid’s uniforms and aprons.)
BEATRICE: (Coarse London accent) “Please to meet you, madam. Me mam and da passed of the consumption last winter. I’ve come to the city since me sister and I had to mortgage the farm.” (Posh accent) What do you think?
MARY: Well, it’s not bad. If they think you’ve fallen on hard times, they won’t think it so strange that you’re not an old hand at the job. But don’t lay it on too thick! Or they’ll think you’re a waif from a Dickens novel.
BEATRICE: Papa said I ought to ask people about themselves more than tell my own story. Because folk love to talk about themselves, so they’ll like me and want to answer my questions.
MARY: Your papa knows what he’s on about. He’s got quite good at this over the years.
BEATRICE: Even Auntie says so. How did he learn all that?
MARY: With practice. Which brings me to the rest of this— how you’ll manage a passable job as a housemaid.
(MARY brings out a bucket and brushes. She hands a brush to BEATRICE.)
MARY: Now— start at the corners, and save the doorway for last.
(They get on their hands and knees to scrub.)
BEATRICE: Goodness, this is hard work. And you’ve got to save it for last?
MARY: Afraid so, or there’s not much point to it. Everything else you scrub off will end up on your nice clean floor.
BEATRICE: I suppose I never thought about that.
MARY: Oh, dear. You’ve never chopped so much as a turnip in your life, have you?
BEATRICE: I’ve made tea sandwiches! And baked petit fours— I helped Miss Lawrence, anyway.
MARY: (Laughing) Oh, goodness.
BEATRICE: It’s not funny! Nobody taught me.
MARY: Ah, forgive me. But it is funny— not you, but… what some folks know, and some folks don’t. Well. You shan’t have to do much past that in the way of cooking. But they will see you scrub— the floors, the steps, the counters. So you’d best set yourself, miss.
BEATRICE: I will, Mrs. Swann— I am! I want to learn everything. Sneaking, and cleaning, and disguising, and fighting. I’ll learn all of it.
(Pause.)
BEATRICE: Mrs. Swann… may I ask you something?