(REBECCA enters.)
JENNA
Scott, when someone like Mr. Lorca makes statements like that… Let’s face it, tradition is our biggest asset. The reputation of
Miss Thwaite is what is selling the school. Her reputation can not be tarnished. Like the school song says:
(singing) “In brilliant sun the tendril grows around the trellis curled
Producing blossoms ever pure, unspotted from the world.
Our girls like precious blossoms bloom and wait to graduate
While nourished by the omnipresent gaze of Martha Thwaite.”
Scott, if people think that Martha Thwaite was a dyke, it’s over. Even a whiff of scandal and enrollment could plummet.
SCOTT
What would you like me to do?
JENNA
CSNR. Contract status: non-renewal.
SCOTT
Fire him?
JENNA
Just don’t rehire him. And make sure he keeps his mouth shut until the end of the year.
SCOTT
He’s rather outspoken –
JENNA
If you don’t protect Miss Thwaite, there won’t be a Thwaite Academy to be headmaster of.
SCOTT
Of which to be headmaster.
JENNA
That’s what I said. (Her PDA rings.) Hold? (She punches a few buttons.) Hello, Rebecca.
SCOTT
Rebecca, you shouldn’t have been -
JENNA
What do you know about this David Lorca? You teach a class with him, don’t you?
REBECCA
We team teach American Liter-
JENNA
Hold…( To herself, but audibly, as she types into her PDA) Let it fly. Yes, you were saying?
REBECCA
David and I teach American Literature. He’s incredibly perceptive –
JENNA
He teaches some sort of World Literature, too, doesn’t he?
REBECCA
Yes, he –
JENNA
They read a lot of books I’ve never heard of. None of the parents know the books.
REBECCA
They’re reading Vaclav Havel, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Arundhati Roy…
JENNA
See, I wouldn’t even know how to spell that. How can we discover what’s objectionable in those books if we can’t even look them
up? (Her PDA rings.) Hold.
REBECCA
They’re not objectionable books.
JENNA
(Speaking as she types) Seize the day. Look, I don’t care if he has the kids reading all about “oppressed people” or whatever, I
really don’t, but he can not be talking about the founder of the school, just out of the blue–
REBECCA
It wasn’t out of the blue. They were talking about Willa Cather and he said it was important to understand she was gay and
somebody said, “Why isn’t that in our -
JENNA
Wait, Willa Cather was gay?
REBECCA
Yes.
JENNA
(to Scott) Did you know this?
SCOTT
I…had heard.
JENNA
Go on.
REBECCA
And someone apparently said, “Why isn’t that in our book? It seems important,” and David said, “Of course it’s important but
people are afraid to talk about it just like they’re afraid to talk about the fact that Miss Thwaite was gay.”
JENNA
And Caitelynne said he went on and on about it. And he doesn’t even care that tomorrow is Founder’s Day. Did he even go to
private school?
REBECCA
Miss Thwaite never married, she lived with a succession of young women, she -
SCOTT
I think they were just roommates.
JENNA
Of course they were just roommates.
REBECCA
Miss Thwaite was a sexual being!
JENNA
She was not! She was far too busy running a school to think about sex!
REBECCA
(to Scott) Then that explains that, I guess.
JENNA
Look, I am as committed to...whatever...diversity, as anyone, but that is going too far. Scott, you have to act. Right now there’s a
crack in the dike…so to speak…and it’s your finger in there. Patch it up!
SCOTT
Yes, mother. I mean…Jenna.
The following sample occurs in the middle of Act One.
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