Scene from "The Catcher in the Rye" A Reader's Theatre Adaptation Mark S.P. Turvin Copywright 1987, 1995, Mark S.P. Turvin and Goldfish Publishers Characters: Holden Caulfield-17, medium height, dark hair and eyes, has run away from his boarding school. Phoebe Caulfield-11, Holden's sister. Voice 1-Deep male voice. Voice 2-Strong female voice. Voice 3-High male voice. Scene: An empty, black stage: Holden and Phoebe Caulfield should be standing about four feet away from each other, facing the audience. All movements described by Holden should be carried out, but in mime, so that these things are never actually done to each other, but are actually done facing the audience, with no contact between the two. The three voices should ideally be overhead and spread apart over the area of the stage behind Holden and Phoebe, and never seen. Holden After we left the bears, we left the zoo and crossed over this little street in the park, and then we went through one of those little tunnels that always smell from somebody's taking a leak. It was on the way to the carousel. Old Phoebe still wouldn't talk to me or anything, but she was sort of walking next to me now. I took hold of the belt at the back of her coat, just for the hell of it, but she wouldn't let me. She said, Phoebe Keep your hands to yourself, if you don't mind. Holden She was still sore at me. But not as sore as she was before. Anyway, we kept getting closer and closer... Voice 1 (Whispered, barely audible) closer and closer and closer and. Holden to the carousel and you could start to hear that nutty music it always plays. It was playing "Oh, Marie!" It played that same song about fifty... Voice 2 (quietly, simultaneously) fifty. Holden years ago when I was a little kid. That's one nice thing about carousels, they always play the same songs. Phoebe I thought the carousel was closed in the wintertime. Holden Old Phoebe said. It was the first time she practically said anything. She probably forgot she was supposed to be angry at me. "Maybe because it's around Christmas." I said. She didn't say anything when I said that. She probably remembered she was supposed to be sore at me. "Do you want to go for a ride on it?" I said. I knew she probably did. When she was a tiny little kid, and Allie... Voice 3 (Quiet echo) Allie, Allie, Allie. Holden and D.B. and I used to go to the park with her, she was mad about the carousel. You couldn't get her off the goddam... Voice 3 (Very softly) goddam, goddam, goddam. Holden thing. Phoebe I'm too big. Holden She said. I thought she wasn't going to answer me, but she did. "No, you're not. Go on. I'll wait for ya. Go on." I said. We were right there then. There were a few kids riding on it, mostly very little kids, and a few parents were waiting around outside, sitting on the benches and all. What I did was, I went up to the window where they sell the tickets and bought old Phoebe a ticket. Then I gave it to her. She was standing right next to me. "Here," I said, "wait a second‹take the rest of your dough, too." I started giving her the rest of the dough she'd lent me. Phoebe You keep it. Keep it for me. Voice 1 (Very softly) Keep, keep, keep. Holden She said. Then she said right afterward. Phoebe Please. Voice 2 (Softly, mockingly) Please? Voice 3 (In cannon, desperately) Please? Holden That's depressing, when somebody says please to you. I mean, if it's Phoebe or somebody. That depressed the hell out of me. But I put the dough back in my pocket. Phoebe Aren't you going to ride, too? Holden She asked me. She was looking at me sort of funny. You could tell she wasn't too sore at me any more. "Maybe next time I will. I'll watch ya," I said, "Got your ticket?" Phoebe Yes. Holden "Go ahead, then‹I'll be on this bench right over here. I'll watch ya." I went over and sat down on this bench, and she went and got on the carousel. She walked all around it. I mean she walked once all the way around it. Then she sat down on this big, brown, beat- up looking old horse. Then the carousel started, and I watched her go around and around... Voice 1 (Softly, right after) and around and around and around and. Holden (Phoebe begins doing a stylized movement that takes her up and down as though she is on a carousel and is reaching for the gold ring) There were only about five or six other kids on the ride, and the song the carousel was playing was "Over the Waves." All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fall off... Voice 2 (softly, tauntingly) fall off, fall off, fall off. Holden the goddam horse, Voice 3 (Softly) Goddam, goddam, goddam. Holden But I didn't say anything or do anything. Voice 1 (Accusatory, a sharp hiss) Anything? Holden The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, Voice 2 (a bit louder, taunting) Fall off, fall off, fall. Holden but it's bad if you say anything... Voice 1 (A bit louder) Anything? Holden to them. When the ride was over she got off her horse and came over to me. Phoebe You ride once, too, this time. Voice 3 (A bit louder) This time, time. Holden She said. "No, I'll just watch ya. I think I'll just watch." Voice 2 (A bit louder, half-talking voice) Just watch? Holden I said. I gave here some more of her dough. "Here. Get some more tickets." She took the dough off me. Phoebe I'm not mad at you anymore. Holden She said. "I know. Hurry up‹the thing's gonna start again." Then all of a sudden, she gave me a kiss. Then she held her hand out, and said, Phoebe It's raining. It's starting to rain. Holden "I know." Then what she did‹it damn near killed me‹she reached into my coat pocket and took out my red hunting hat and put it on my head. "Dontcha want it?" I said. Phoebe You can wear it awhile. Holden "Okay. Hurry up, though, now. You're gonna miss your ride. You won't get your own horse or anything." (Pause, no answer) She kept hanging around, though. Phoebe Did you mean what you said? You really aren't going anywhere? Are you really coming home afterwards? Holden She asked me. "Yeah," I said. I meant it, too. I wasn't lying to her. I really did go home afterwards. "Hurry up, now," I said. "The thing's starting." She ran up and bought her ticket and got back on the goddam... Voice 3 (Louder) Goddam, goddam, goddam. Holden carousel just in time. Then she walked all the way around... Voice 1 (Louder) Around and around and around. Holden it till she got her own horse back. Then she got on it. She waved to me and I waved back. Voice 2 (Simultaneously) Waved...waved. Holden Boy, it began to rain like a bastard. In buckets, I swear to God. All the parents and mothers and everybody went over and stood right under the roof of the carousel, so they wouldn't get soaked to the skin or anything. Voice 1 (Loudly) Anything? Holden (Stunned into a slight pause) But I stuck around on the bench for quite awhile. I got pretty soaking wet, especially my neck and my pants. My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyway. I didn't care, though. I felt so damn happy... Voice 3 (Loud echo which slowly fades) Damn happy, damn happy, damn happy... Holden all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around... Voice 1 (Loud echo which also slowly fades) Around and around and around and... Holden I was damn near bawling... Voice 2 (Sharp, loud) Was bawling! Holden (Now speaking over the din) I felt so damn happy... Voice 3 (The voice, which had been fading, becomes even louder than prior) Damn happy, damn happy, damn happy... Holden (Even louder now) if you want to know the truth. I don't know why. Voice 2 (Taunting, very loud, until cut) Don't know?...Don't know?...Don't know?... Holden (Even louder) It was just that she looked so damn nice... Voice 3 (Now picks up this line, very loudly until cut) Damn nice...damn nice...damn nice... Holden (Nearly yelling) the way she kept going around and around... Voice 1 (Taunting, very loud, until cut) Around and around and around and... Holden (Now a near-maniacal, strangled voice) in her blue coat and all. (All voices cut, pause; in a hushed, cracking voice) God, I wish you could have been there. Blackout