"The Neighbors"

Synopsis

Is the health care system in America virtually one sided to the wealthy? Most Americans and Canadians would say that it is. This is one centered theme addressed allegorically through the characters in the play “The Neighbors”. Lee Burty and John A. MacDonald both have very modest homes in Gaia Circle. This is a cul-de-sac in which all the residents pay a gross lease on their homes, and their neighbor and landlord Ben Watson (Big Ben) pays for all property charges in the tenant’s home. Lee Burty is extremely unhappy with everything that “Big Ben” provides for them; she feels that charges are much to high and that “Big Ben” doesn’t provide proper living arrangements with the utility that he supplies. John MacDonald on the other hand feels quite the opposite. This initial disagreement creates tension between the two families, much like it did with Canada and the U.S. during the revolutionary war. The Canadians wanted to stay with Britain, this was something Americans really couldn’t believe. They then go on to talk about one another behind each others backs, stating their views on how they live their lives. These are clear representations of how each other feels with issues in one another’s culture ranging from social welfare to women in both the U.S. and Canadian societies. The major conflict of the play is when Lee’s son George is hurt playing in the MacDonald’s yard. This leaves George very badly injured, and with a poor family like the Burty’s not owning proper health care they exhaust every option but nothing will work to help George. When the MacDonald’s hear of how bad of condition George is in they decide they must help. They believe it is wrong for someone to suffer just because of their economic status. This leaves the Burty’s and MacDonald’s with opposing views but also a mutual friendship, which is based on helping your neighbor.

ACT I

Scene 1

(It’s a summer day in Gaia Circle and Lee Burty and John A. MacDonald are both outside mowing their lawns. They do not recognize each other with the exception of one cordial wave to one another)

(LEE is in the middle of mowing her lawn when all of a sudden her lawnmower breaks down; she becomes enraged and kicks angrily at the mower) 

LEE

You have got to be kidding me! Nothing around here ever works!

JOHN

Hey their Lee is everything all right?

LEE

As a matter of fact John everything is not all right! Everything around here is falling apart and Big Ben expects us too pay for it all. It is bad enough that we have to live with him watching our every move from across the street, but now he won’t even take care of our essential needs!

JOHN

Oh, we don’t have it all bad, eh?

LEE

You can’t be serious? I can never get anything done around here without Big Ben in my ear all the time. He is always referring to my home as “HIS house”, and telling me all the time “I better not break HIS stuff”. These are my things! I refuse to be pushed around when I pay rent to live here, and neither should you!

JOHN

Well to be fair Lee he is our landlord, he did pay for these things. It’s not too bad of a deal if you ask me.

LEE

Well I think it’s a horrible deal, I pay to live here and so do you, and we should be free to live our lives without a constant reminder that Big Ben owns us!

JOHN

Oh come on Lee, he doesn’t own us.

LEE

Yeah well it sure feels like he does! And you know what else? I heard talk about Big Ben increasing our rent again!

JOHN

That can’t be true…

LEE

You bet it’s true! And I for one refuse to pay more to live in HIS house!

JOHN

Well the man needs to make a living too, and to be honest our rent really isn’t all that high considering what Big Ben provides for us. I really like living in a place that has someone there to look after me.

LEE

Well John then your about as stupid as he is!

(Lee stomps to her door and slams it shut, leaving John alone feeling not angry but shocked)

Scene 2

(The scene opens with Lee Burty sitting drinking coffee after dinner with her husband Frank Burty)

LEE

Can you believe what’s going on in this place Frank?

FRANK

What do you mean dear?

LEE

I’m talking about these unfair living conditions. Big Ben will never let us live our lives and no one around here seems to care.

FRANK

What do you mean?

LEE

Well like our neighbors the MacDonalds. They just don’t seem to care about what is going on.

FRANK

Well sure I’ll admit that they are a bit different but they have always been pretty nice.

LEE

Please they have no spine, they should really stand up for what is right.

FRANK

Well John has gone soft ever since they adopted that boy of theirs what is his name…Samuel…no… ah Alexis that’s it!. John even had to switch to a part time job too look after him, no longer being the breadwinner in the house probably shifted the household power quite a bit don’t you think? That’s got to hurt his pride.

LEE

That’s what I’m saying, no spine!

FRANK

I guess some people have mixed priorities. Lets face it the MacDonald’s have always been more focused on how everyone in the outside world views them that they don’t really seem to care much about their own well-being, they need a more well rounded family like we have.

LEE

Not everyone can be as lucky as us Frank, it really isn’t everyday that a family is blessed with four beautiful children, it’s really the only thing in this world that gives me hope.

FRANK

What’s that dear?

LEE

Seeing our children with their whole lives ahead of them, honestly Frank they could do so many amazing things. Could you imagine our children as accomplished doctors, or lawyers, or even musicians. They have a chance to do things that you and I couldn’t even dream of, its really amazing isn’t it?

FRANK

It truly is honey, it’s getting late what do you say we get to bed?

(Lee and Frank shut off the lights and accompany each other up the stairs)  

Scene 3

(John MacDonald is lying in bed talking with his wife Agnes MacDonald, still bothered by the day’s events)

JOHN

I just can’t believe she snapped at me like that?

AGNES

Are you still hung up on Lee Burty, for heavens sakes John just let it go.

JOHN

I just can’t believe that someone would just lash out at another person like that and a neighbor no less, all because I didn’t agree with her. I don’t understand how someone could be so self-centered, Honestly Agnes those Burtys don’t seem to care about anyone but themselves. 

AGNES

Please John we have known that about the Burtys for years now. The Burtys think that they are just better than everyone, they could never understand anyone’s view but their own. Why do you think their children are so out of control? There are so many of them and they are never held responsible or disciplined properly for their actions. So don’t act so surprised about this little fit that Lee had, they just aren’t very accepting people.

JOHN

Maybe your right Agnes, they just don’t seem to get along with anyone it seems.

AGNES

You bet I’m right and I’m not the only one who thinks so, no one in this neighborhood gets along with the Burtys. They just can’t deal with people that don’t see everything through their eyes.

JOHN

That’s true they are just intolerant, that’s what it is. We would never do anything like that and we certainly wouldn’t be so blatant about it.

AGNES

Well that is for sure.

JOHN

And what about the message are they sending to their children with behavior like that? I am always confident that our son will be successful in life because of the way we will raise him, unlike those Burty children. You can clearly see they are heading down the same road as their parents and that will get those kids nowhere in life.

AGNES

I couldn’t agree with you more John, now can we finally get some sleep?

JOHN

Yes that is probably best, goodnight dear.

(John shuts off the lamp and the stage goes black)

ACT II

Scene 1

(The next day the Burty’s youngest son George is playing in the yard when he notices the new swing set outside the MacDonald’s house, he quickly stops what he is doing and runs over to the MacDonald’s house and knocks on the back door)  

AGNES

Oh, hello George

GEORGE

Can I swing?

(George motions his finger excitedly to the new swings)

AGNES

Um well… I guess that would be fine, just please be careful George

(Agnes returns inside)

(10 minutes later Alexis MacDonald frantically comes screaming to his mom and dad)

ALEXIS

Mamma pappa! Le garcon! He blood!

(Alexis points to the yard, and John and Agnus frantically run to the door)

(They reached the door to find George crying out screams of pain lying next to the pile of rocks that outlined one of the MacDonald’s trees, his leg covered in blood)

(Lee Burty had herd the screams and was already there comforting her son)

ALEXIS

He jump! Sauté!

LEE

Do you just let anyone into your yard! He is only five!

AGNES

I’m sorry I had work I really needed to finish, and I didn’t think…

LEE

How could you not be watching him what is the matter with you!

AGNES

Jesus Christ! You said it yourself he’s only five why weren’t you watching your own kid!

LEE

Don’t you dare take the lords name in vein in front of my son!

(Lee quickly but carefully picks up her son and hurries into her home)

LEE

Frank! Frank!

Scene 2

(Two days have passed and Lee and Frank are sitting in their kitchen, Lee begins to talk with tears in her eyes)

LEE

The doctors said that George not only needs surgery to fix his broken leg but that the infections from the cuts are beginning to spread…

FRANK

Well then that’s what we’ll do we will just have to get him treated…

LEE

And how are we going to do the, huh! You know we can’t afford it!

(She begins to sob even harder)

FRANK

Well there must be something we can do? What about the money your dad left us when he past…

LEE

We don’t have insurance and the surgery is too expensive we just can’t afford it; we are in debt enough as it is!

FRANK

Maybe we could talk to Big Ben and maybe he could give us a break…

LEE

Don’t you think I tried that all ready! He said “he’s sorry but he just can’t help us right now” why would we even think that he would help us now or ever!

FRANK

Well we can’t just sit around and do nothing! There has to be something!

LEE

All we can do is pray…

Scene 3

(John is reading the newspaper in the living room as Agnes walks in the room with a solemn look on her face)

JOHN

What’s the matter Agnes?

AGNES

That was Big Ben at the door… He said that the Burty boy is worse than we thought.

JOHN

Well what is wrong with him?

AGNES

Ben said that he need surgery to repair the damage that was done to his leg, and the Burty’s just don’t have the money for it

(Tears slowly build up in Agnes’ eyes)

JOHN

Well don’t they have insurance for that kind of thing?

AGNES

No, I guess they can’t afford it, oh John I just feel so terrible!

(Agnes breaks down into tears)

JOHN

Well maybe we can use our insurance to cover it?

AGNES

Can we do that?

JOHN

There must be some way, and maybe we could ask my parents for some money, and the rest of the neighborhood.

AGNES

Do you think that will work?

JOHN

I think we need to try Agnes. I know that we haven’t always seen eye to eye with the Burty’s but in the end they are our neighbors and they truly need our help, we have to be there for them when they need us most, and child’s life could be at risk only because of his family doesn’t have the money. Just standing by and doing nothing goes against everything we believe in.

AGNES

Yes John! Yes! We need to help.

ACT III

Scene 1

(Lee Burty is crying at her kitchen table, when she here’s a knock on the door. She answers it to find John MacDonald standing on her porch)

JOHN

Hi there Lee

LEE

Hello John

(She nods her head down to hide her tears)

JOHN

Lee, I know about what you’re going through and I feel just awful about the whole thing, I’d really like to help.

(Lee tries to respond but is too choked up)

JOHN

I have talked it over with my insurance company and they are willing to cover most of George’s surgery, Agnes and I have talked it over with some more friends in the neighborhood and they are all willing to pitch in to help you out.

LEE

Thank you! Oh thank you!

(newly energized Lee throw her arms tightly around John)

(John laughs)

JOHN

Your welcome, that’s what neighbor’s are for

Scene 2

(Weeks later there is a moving truck outside of the Burty’s home, the Macdonald’s are there helping them move out)

(John sets a the last box into the truck and turns over to Lee)

JOHN

So Lee, how is little George?

LEE

He is still in pain but the surgery went great, and I think he is starting to feel a lot better.

JOHN

Well that’s just terrific. Are you sure about moving out it’s a pretty big decision? You know we’d love for you to stay.

LEE

Oh yes, I still meant what I said. I’ve had enough of living under Big Ben. We’d love for your family to join us.

(John laughs)

JOHN

No, I think we are doing just fine here

LEE

All right if you say so, I just wanted to thank you again for everything.

JOHN

Don’t mention it. I’m sure you would have done the same for us.

LEE

You bet we would have.

(Lee smiles)

We never saw everything in the same light John but I’m so grateful that we could put our differences aside when we were in desperate need. It would be so hard to go on without all of your help.

JOHN

I feel the same way, goodbye Lee.

LEE

I’ll see you later, John.