The Anarchist

BOOKS BY DAVID MAMET AVAILABLE FBOM TCG

The Anarchist

Keep Your Pantheon (and School)

Race

A PLAY BY
DAVID MAMET

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP
NEW YORK
2012

The Anarchist
is copyright © 2012 by David Mamet

The Anarchist
is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156

All Rights Reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the author's representative: Ron Gwiazda, Abrams Artists Agency, 275 Seventh Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10001, 646-461-9325.

The publication of
The Anarchist
by David Mamet, through TCG's Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

ISBN: 978-1-55936-428-7

Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover art and design by aka

First Edition, December 2012

This play is dedicated to Patti and Debra

Contents

The Anarchist

Chaque génération doit dans une relative opacité
découvrir sa mission, la remplir ou trahir.

— Frantz Fanon
Les damnés de la terre

PRODUCTION HISTORY

The Anarchist
premiered on Broadway on December 2, 2012, at the John Golden Theatre (Producers: Jeffrey Richards; Jerry Frankel; Howard and Janet Kagan; Catherine Schreiber; Jam Theatricals; Luigi and Rose Caiola; Gutterman Chernoff MXKC; Kit Seidel; Broadway Across America; Amy and Phil Mickelson; James Fuld, Jr.; Carlos Arana/Bard Theatricals; Will Trice). The production was directed by David Mamet, with scenic and costume design by Patrizia Von Brandenstein, lighting design by Jeff Croiter and sound design by Peter Fitzgerald; the production stage manager was William Joseph Barnes. The cast was:

CHARACTERS

Cathy and Ann, two women

SCENE

An office

Ann, seated at a desk. A telephone is on the desk. An intercom sits on a conference table. Also on the desk are several files, a loosely bound manuscript and several books. A briefcase sits on the floor. Cathy is standing
.

ANN
: Will you sit down? How are you?

CATHY
: No, I think I'm well. Thank you for asking.

ANN
: What have you been doing?

CATHY
: I've been studying. As usual.

ANN
: And what have you learned?

CATHY
: In the larger sense . . .

ANN
: . . . all right.

CATHY
: I hope that I've learned to be reasonable. At least I have studied it. Most importantly.

ANN
:
Most
importantly.

CATHY
: Yes.

ANN
:
Reason
more than patience?

CATHY
: One might think the pressing study would be patience. But patience, of course, implies an end.

ANN
: “Patience implies an end.”

CATHY
: Well, yes.

ANN
: As?

CATHY
: One may be patient only
for
something.

ANN
: Such as?

CATHY
: A deferred
desire
, or the cessation of
discomfort
. . .

ANN
: Revenge?

CATHY
: Well, that would fall within the rubric of desire deferred.

ANN
: And Reason teaches?

CATHY
:
Reason
would teach the abandonment of the unfulfillable wish; and, so, of the need for patience. It therefore may be said to be the higher study.

(Cathy gestures back, toward upstage. Pause.)

Lovely girl.

ANN
: Yes?

CATHY
: In the anteroom.
(Pause)
I find when conversation stalls it never indicates a want of subject—one may always talk about the weather—but rather some subject's repression. What is it?

ANN
: I'm leaving.

CATHY
: Yes, we were expecting that announcement quite some time. Well.
(Pause)
Everything ends. That is neither a new nor a monumental understanding. But it's true.

ANN
(Points to the large manuscript on her desk)
: I've been reading your book.

CATHY
: Is it a book?

ANN
: Isn't it?

CATHY
: Well. You are the first to read it.

ANN
: I'm honored.

CATHY
: And, you know, I've been thinking of it, so long, as a . . .

ANN
: . . . “A” . . .?

CATHY
: A manuscript, a “work-in-progress” . . . A “collection of . . .”

ANN
: Why would that not be a book?

CATHY
: No, I'll take your comment as an endorsement. Thank you.

ANN
: You're welcome, Cathy.

CATHY
: If it is a book, it remains only to see what a publisher . . . And what the Public, but, of course, I am ahead of myself.

ANN
: No, of course it's a book . . .
(Picks up the manuscript and reads)
“When he came. The first time. He questioned me.”

CATHY
: . . . oh, yes . . .

ANN
(Reading)
: “And I said, in answer to him, ‘I revere Jesus, though I do not worship him. But I have the utmost respect, and I might say “love,” for those who do.'” It's quite beautiful.

CATHY
: You chose that phrase purposefully.

ANN
: In order to?

CATHY
: To compliment me.

ANN
: No. But I would have. As with much of the book.

CATHY
: Thank you.

ANN
: And that was the first meeting.

CATHY
: What was the first meeting?

ANN
: You describe here . . .

CATHY
: With?

ANN
: The priest.

CATHY
: The meeting with the priest?

ANN
: Yes?

CATHY
: The first time? I don't know if that was it. But some time. During that first year.

ANN
: In the first year yes.

CATHY
: Not regularly. He came, of course, as part of the rotation.

ANN
: The rabbi also came, during that time.

CATHY
: That's right, and the Protestant . . .

ANN
: Yes.

CATHY
: . . . minister. The word is
minister. (Pause)
I forgot a French verb yesterday.

ANN
: The minister.

CATHY
: Came regularly.

ANN
: Would you like some coffee.

CATHY
: No, thank you.

ANN
: Did they give you breakfast.

CATHY
: I wasn't hungry.
(Pause)
“Who came when.” Poor clerks. Copying Notations in the Logs, no one would see.

ANN
: I saw them.

CATHY
: I meant no disrespect.

ANN
: I understand.

(Pause. Then, simultaneously:)