Thirty Pieces of Silver: A Play in Three Acts by Howard Fast Page A

western hemisphere its first opportunity to see the play.
    HOWARD FAST
    April 1953

CHARACTERS IN ORDER
    OF THEIR APPEARANCE
    Jane Graham
    Mildred Andrews
    Hilda Smith
    Lorry Graham
    David Graham
    Fuller
    Grace Langly
    Austin Carmichael
    Frederick Selwin
    The action takes place in the Spring of 1948, in Washington, D.C.

ACT I
    Scene One
    The scene is the living-room of the Graham home, in a suburb of Washington, D.C. Just from this interior, you would know the house, white clapboard outside, like a thousand others in this rather intermediate, middle-income bracket, an indeterminate colonial style in a well-kept small lawn. The room is furnished in the colonial style of the house, also indeterminate, with some taste but enough timidity to make it a blood brother of a thousand other such living-rooms that represent six, or seven or eight thousand dollars of income per year.
    On stage left, the archway to the entrance; on stage right, the archway to the dining-room. The staircase to above backs the room, and under it there is a bay window with a recessed window seat. Which is not to say this isn’t a cheerful room with a chintz-covered couch, Lawson style, two big easy chairs, and a rather nice selection of occasional pieces in pine. There is a baby-grand piano, stage right rear, and a tray bar. Several hooked rugs, and Audubon, and Currier and Ives on the walls. It is too right, too even. A toy tractor on the floor is the only note of indifference.
    When the curtain rises , JANE GRAHAM and MILDRED ANDREWS are in the room. JANE GRAHAM is a slim, rather pretty woman of twenty-nine. Dark-haired and blue-eyed, she is a fairly familiar type south of the Mason-Dixon Line, and her voice reveals just a trace of that accent. What makes her unusual is a certain measured sincerity and an almost compulsive determination.
    MILDRED ANDREWS is a few years older, harder, better dressed, more made up and more skilfully made up. When the curtain rises , MILDRED sprawls on the couch. JANE is attempting to pin the pieces of a slip cover on to the upholstered chair. She goes on with her work through this scene, pins in her mouth sometimes, always intent on what she is doing.
    MILDRED It’s none of my business. Darling, if I hewed a line to what is my business I’d be biting the edges of those fine carpets that Jim Andrews hasn’t quite paid for yet.
    JANE But, Mildred, you don’t know—do you?
    M ILDRED Was I in the room with them? Honey, I haven’t even got a photograph.
    JANE It would hurt a little more if they said it about you. Or Jim.
    MILDRED Why? The truth doesn’t hurt—well— What have you heard about my fine Jim?
    JANE Nothing.
    MILDRED He hasn’t—? ( She swallows and stares at Jane. ) If that son-of-a-bitch made a pass at you, I’ll— Did he, Jane? I want the truth. The whole truth. I’ll hate your guts if you don’t tell me.
    JANE ( unconcernedly going on with her work ) No one ever makes a pass at me.
    MILDRED Where have I heard that before?
    JANE I wouldn’t know.
    MILDRED Not even Leonard Agronsky?
    ( She says this casually, but transparently so. JANE pauses in her work long enough for it to be noticeable. )
    JANE No.
    MILDRED ( smiling tolerantly ) Well, I wouldn’t know either, would I? I suppose you require some special kind of ego to live in a no-pass world. I’d be scared to say it, if it were true.
    JANE What makes you thinks——
    MILDRED Yes, my sweet?
    JANE Oh—nothing.
    MILDRED Simple projection, as a matter of fact. Andrews doesn’t like Agronsky. I like Agronsky. If he looked at me the way I’ve seen him look at you, I would undoubtedly be in bed with him, being a sort of slut myself.
    JANE ( still unconcernedly ) You really have Agronsky on your mind, haven’t you?
    MILDRED No—men in general maybe. Not your David, honey.
    ( Now JANE turns and looks at her half-angrily, half-uncertainly .)
    Well, I’m sorry.