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breakinglight11Blargh, I'm a little behind. But I should be able to catch up today. Anyway, this is an early scene of Mrs. Hawking 8, where Clara approaches Mary upon her return to London, asking her to take on a case for a family she knows. I'm also trying to use the early part of the scene to subtly establish some things on Clara's mind early on, but no so obviously that it tips my hand as to where her story is going. Right now I'm not sure if I achieved that, so this scene is a little weak. Not to mention the fact that we still need to figure out a lot of the details of the case, which is always one of the hardest parts of writing a Hawking play.
This also kind of runs into the problem of Tory being about fives years old at this point. Wrangling a child onstage, particularly one so small, is no small order. But maybe this scene could work because we could make a little lump in the bed to believably represent a little girl.
Photo by Mazz Mazzacano
Day #18 - “One Mother to Another”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
CLARA HAWKING, society lady, early forties
~~~
(MARY and CLARA sit beside the bed where five-year-old TORY sleeps.)
CLARA: Oh, Mary. She really is darling.
MARY: Thank you. We’re very proud of her.
CLARA: Has it been hard? Bringing her up, with all that you do?
MARY: I can’t lie, it has been at times. So often there simply isn’t enough hours in the day for it all. Some days I shall work all day and feel as though I’ve finished nothing at all. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
CLARA: Do you worry for her?
MARY: In what way?
CLARA: That... perhaps she won’t understand all you have to do? Even when it’s all to her good?
MARY: Sometimes, I suppose. But I hope, as she gets older, she’ll see how important it is. In the way your little ones have.
CLARA: Yes. Of course.
(Pause.)
CLARA: It’s incredible how much you manage. I don’t know how you do it... I hate to trouble you. I know how much you have on you.
MARY: What is it?
CLARA: I don’t mean to leap on you the moment you’ve returned to London. You must have so much to take care of, but...
MARY: Is something wrong?
CLARA: Would you consider taking on a case? For me?
MARY: For you?
CLARA: I can pay you for your time.
MARY: It isn’t that— are you in some trouble, Clara?
CLARA: Oh, not me— but someone I know is. Several someones, in fact— and I think they need help.
MARY: My help?
CLARA: Well… it’s more than just a woman. A whole family, really. A lady, children, and a gentleman, all in trouble. Nathaniel told me you’ve taken on problems for many kinds of people in your time in New York… and from one mother to another, I thought you might be the person for the job.
MARY: Ah. I think I see what you mean.
CLARA: So will you let me hire you on? For this family’s sake?
MARY: Why don’t you tell me what the trouble is?
This also kind of runs into the problem of Tory being about fives years old at this point. Wrangling a child onstage, particularly one so small, is no small order. But maybe this scene could work because we could make a little lump in the bed to believably represent a little girl.
Photo by Mazz Mazzacano
Day #18 - “One Mother to Another”
From Mrs Hawking part 8
By Phoebe Roberts
London, 1892
MARY SWANN, former apprentice, now society avenger, early thirties
CLARA HAWKING, society lady, early forties
~~~
(MARY and CLARA sit beside the bed where five-year-old TORY sleeps.)
CLARA: Oh, Mary. She really is darling.
MARY: Thank you. We’re very proud of her.
CLARA: Has it been hard? Bringing her up, with all that you do?
MARY: I can’t lie, it has been at times. So often there simply isn’t enough hours in the day for it all. Some days I shall work all day and feel as though I’ve finished nothing at all. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
CLARA: Do you worry for her?
MARY: In what way?
CLARA: That... perhaps she won’t understand all you have to do? Even when it’s all to her good?
MARY: Sometimes, I suppose. But I hope, as she gets older, she’ll see how important it is. In the way your little ones have.
CLARA: Yes. Of course.
(Pause.)
CLARA: It’s incredible how much you manage. I don’t know how you do it... I hate to trouble you. I know how much you have on you.
MARY: What is it?
CLARA: I don’t mean to leap on you the moment you’ve returned to London. You must have so much to take care of, but...
MARY: Is something wrong?
CLARA: Would you consider taking on a case? For me?
MARY: For you?
CLARA: I can pay you for your time.
MARY: It isn’t that— are you in some trouble, Clara?
CLARA: Oh, not me— but someone I know is. Several someones, in fact— and I think they need help.
MARY: My help?
CLARA: Well… it’s more than just a woman. A whole family, really. A lady, children, and a gentleman, all in trouble. Nathaniel told me you’ve taken on problems for many kinds of people in your time in New York… and from one mother to another, I thought you might be the person for the job.
MARY: Ah. I think I see what you mean.
CLARA: So will you let me hire you on? For this family’s sake?
MARY: Why don’t you tell me what the trouble is?
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