English to Russian Art/Literary Poetry & Literature stage directions

Anne: (a rare burst of anger) You’ve grown so bitter! You’re so full of contempt for good people!

Bob: Well thank you, Annie, for casting that first stone. Appreciate it, really.

Anne: (he’s hit a nerve) Yes, well, Lord knows I’m not perfect.

Bob: ***(a look; a beat)*** Why doesn’t she work on her own family? There she is, living down in the gatehouse with the kids, and just up the driveway, her husband’s holed up in the mansion, alert for her attack!

Anne: She’s a remarkable woman. All these years, I don’t know how I’d’ve managed without her. But you have not done everything she’s asked, Bob. Whenever you do come to a meeting, you never reveal your drinking. It’s time.

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Bill: I’m from East Dorset. Small village outside—

Bob: Manchester. Vermont, eh? Well that’s quite a coincidence.

Bill: ***(a beat)*** I’m a real nasty drunk, sober five months and one day, today. Last night I was knocking around the Mayflower Hotel, alone, about to take a drink. (checks watch) We got twelve minutes. I’ll give you the Reader’s Digest version: condensed. Y’game?

Bob (shaking, goes to chair, sits; uses a hand to pull one leg up across the other; sarcastically): Fire away.

Bill: Okay. Where to begin?

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(Lights up on Brooklyn)
Lois (reading letter): “—so we ran into a slight snag with Lloyd. But we’re learning—never try to work with drunks in bars. We’ve got a perfect prospect now, young fella named Eddie, he’s connected to all the best circles in Akron, so if we get him, we’re in! He, his wife Ruthie, and the two little kids…(amazed) moved in with us? We tapered Eddie down with tomatoes, but then he tried to commit suicide. When we got him back he got angry at a tuna fish sandwich and threatened Anne with a knife. So we locked him up down in the coal cellar and started our treatment again. (astonished at the next sentence) I do wish you’d come here on your…vacation, darling. ***(a beat; a ‘look’)*** It must be hard for you alone to manage the finances, but somehow I know that will all take care of itself.”
(Lights down on Brooklyn)
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Lois: I see. And you’re still not about to come home?

Bill: I can’t yet, no.

Lois: You ‘can’t’? ***(a beat)*** Bill, I’ve got some bad news. I wanted to tell you face to face, not in a letter. (pause; a bombshell) Ebby’s drinking again. He’s been drunk for weeks.

Bill: What? (devastated, putting down suitcase) Ebby?

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Hen: Thank you kindly. (pause) The final straw was last week. My brother was gettin’ married for the second time, small weddin’, just family? So there we all are, dressed fit to kill, but my brother can’t marry Wife Number Two, ‘cause this idiot lawyer husband of mine hadn’t gotten around to filin’ the papers to divorce him from Wife Number One!

(A beat. All break out laughing.)

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