Family Album U.S.A

Posted 2022-07-30 kershaw

EPISODE 1 - 46 Linden Street

ACTⅠ

On a ferryboat in New York Harbor. We can see the Statue of Liberty. Richard Stewart, 30, is taking pictures.

Richard：Excuse me. My name is Richard Stewart. I‘m a photographer. May I take a picture of you and your little boy?
Mrs. Vann：What‘s it for?
Richard：It‘s for a book.
Mrs. Vann：You‘re writing a book?
Richard：It‘s a book of pictures. I call it Family Album, U.S.A.
Mrs. Vann：Oh, that‘s a nice idea. Well, it‘s fine if you take our picture. I‘m Martha vann. [She offers her hand.]
Richard：Thank you. I appreciate your help. [to the little boy] I‘m Richard. What‘s your name?
Gerald：Gerald.
Richard：How old are you, Gerald?
Gerald：Five.
Richard：And where do you live?
Mrs. Vann：We live in California.
Richard：Well, welcome to New York. OK, just a second. [He takes out a reflector to have more light for his photographs.] I‘m almost ready here.

[Alexandra, a sixteen-year-old girl, is watching.]

Alexandra：Can I help you?
Richard：Oh, please. [He gives her the reflector to hold. Then he speaks to Mrs. Vann and her son.] Hold Gerald‘s hand, please. Great! Now point to the buildings. Terrific! Give Mommy a kiss, Gerald. Nice! Thank you, Gerald. And thank you, Mrs. Vann.
Mrs. Vann：Oh, my pleasure. We‘ll be looking for your book.
Richard：Thank you. Good-bye. Bye, Gerald. [to Alexandra] Thanks again.
Alexandra：Oh, you‘re welcome.
Richard：Hey, let me take your picture!
Alexandra：Wonderful. Please.
Richard：Are you from New York?
Alexandra：No, I‘m from Greece. I‘m an exchange student.
Richard：When did you come here?
Alexandra：Three months ago.
Richard：Your English is very good.
Alexandra：Thanks. I studied English in school.

[They sit on a bench.]

Richard：Would you like some coffee?
Alexandra：No, thank you. Tell me about your book.
Richard：Oh, it‘s not finished yet, but I have some of the pictures. Would you like to see them?
Alexandra：Yes. I‘d like that.
Richard：Here they are. [He opens his bag and takes out a photo album.] Family Album, U.S.A. It‘s an album of pictures of the United States：the cities, the special places, and the people. [He shows her the photos.] And these are pictures of people working：steelworkers, bankers, police, street vendors, ambulance drivers, doctors... Oh, this is my father. He‘s a doctor. This is my mother.
Alexandra：What‘s her name?
Richard：Ellen. My younger brother, Robbie. He goes to high school. This is my sister Susan. She works for a toy company. Here‘s my grandfather. He lives in Florida. And this is my wife Marilyn.
Alexandra：Oh, she‘s very pretty.
Richard：Thanks. And what about your family?
Alexandra：They are in Thessaloniki. That‘s a large city in northern Greece. But now I‘m living in the Bronx.
Richard：With a Greek-American family?
Alexandra：No. Hispanic.
Richard：[He hears a foghorn.] Oh no! It‘s five thirty. Will you excuse me? I have to meet my wife.
Alexandra：It was nice meeting you.
Richard：It was a pleasure meeting you, too. Thanks for your help. And good luck! I‘ve got to go. By the way, I‘m Richard. What‘s your name?
Alexandra：Alexandra.
Richard：Bye-bye, Alexandra. Thanks.
Alexandra：Bye-bye. [Richard hurries off the boat. Alexandra sees that he forgot one of his bags. She takes it and begins to follow him.] Richard! Richard! You left your bag!

ACT Ⅱ

Outside the ferry building. Alexandra sees Richard leave in a taxicab. She asks a policeman for directions.

Alexandra：Excuse me, officer. Can you help me?
Policeman：Sure.
Alexandra：Can you tell me how to get to Linden Street, in Riverdale?
Policeman：[He reads the name tag on Richard‘s bag.] "Richard Stewart, 46 Linden Street, Riverdale, New York." You should take the number 1 subway.
Alexandra：Is there a station near here?
Policeman：Yes. The station‘s that way. You should take the number 1 train to Van Cortlandt Park.
Alexandra：Number 1 train to Van Cortlandt Park. Thank you.
Policeman：Anytime. Good luck. Remember, the number 1 train. The uptown platform.
Alexandra：Thank you.
Policeman：You‘re welcome.

[Alexandra walks toward the subway entrance. She passes the "uptown" sign.]

[In a boutique. Marilyn Stewart, Richard‘s wife, is helping a customer.]

Customer：Is this pink too bright for me?
Marilyn：Mmm-hmm. It is a very bright pink. Try this. [She takes a red sweater from a table.] It‘s size eight.
Customer：But wear size ten.
Marilyn：How about green? It‘s size ten.
Customer：Let me try it on.

[Marilyn looks at her watch.]

Customer：I‘m taking too much of your time.
Marilyn：It‘s six o‘clock, Where‘s my husband? I was expecting him here at five forty-five.
Customer：Don‘t worry. The traffic is very heavy at this hour.
Marilyn：I know. But we‘re going to be late for dinner.
Customer：I‘ll take this green sweater, I like the color on me, don‘t you?
Marilyn：I think it looks terrific on you.

[A little later. Richard rushes into the boutique.]

Richard：I‘m sorry I‘m so late. I had a really bad day.
Marilyn：It‘s ten after six. We‘re late. Robbie‘s cooking tonight, and dinner‘s at six thirty.
Richard：I know. I know. I‘m really sorry. I left my bag of film on the ferry. I went back for it, but the ferry was gone. I lost a whole day‘s work.
Marilyn：I‘ll call the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office.
Richard：I didn‘t think of that. Thanks.
Marilyn：[She picks up the telephone and dials the number for information.] Hello. Yes. The number, please, of the Staten Island Ferry lost-and-found office. Five five five… zero eight zero eight. Thank you.[She hangs up and dials the number.]
Richard：I really appreciate it, Marilyn.
Marilyn：Hello. Did anyone find a camera bag this afternoon, a small canvas bag, on the J. F. Kennedy Ferry? No? Maybe someone will find it. The name is Stewart, Richard Stewart. And the telephone number is five five five…three oh nine oh. Thank you.[She hangs up.] Sorry, Richard. They don‘t have it.
Richard：Thanks, anyway. [thinking] There was a girl on the ferry. Now maybe…
Marilyn：Tell me about it on the way home.

ACT Ⅲ

At the Stewarts‘ home in Riverdale that evening. Philip is on the phone with one of his patients.

Philip：And give her a teaspoon of the medicine after every meal. Don‘t worry. She‘ll be fine. You‘re welcome. Good-bye.
Ellen：[She enters.] How are you?
Philip：I‘m tired and hungry.
Ellen：Well, Marilyn and Richard called. They‘ll be here soon, and then we‘ll eat.
Philip：All right. Is … is Susan coming?
Ellen：Well, she‘ll be here later. She has to work late tonight.
Philip：And what‘s Robbie cooking for dinner?
Ellen：It‘s a surprise.
Philip：I hope it‘s pasta.

[Later that evening. Philip, Ellen, Richard, Marilyn, Susan, and Robbie are in the Stewarts‘ kitchen.]

Philip：Robbie, the dinner was terrific.
Susan：Yes, it was delicious.
Marilyn：What‘s for dessert?
Robbie：Oh, I forgot dessert.
Philip：Robbie!
Ellen：Don‘t worry. We‘ve got lots of ice cream. [She goes to the refrigerator.]
Richard：Oh, I‘d love some ice cream.
Ellen：Well, there‘s chocolate and coffee and a little vanilla.
Robbie：I‘ll have vanilla. Is that all right with everyone?
Philip：I‘ll have chocolate.
Marilyn：Me, too.
Richard：Uh , one scoop of coffee and one scoop of chocolate for me.
Ellen：Robbie, will you help me serve?

[Robbie gets up to help . Richard brings the ice-cream dishes to Ellen.]

Richard：I keep thinking about that bag of film. Eight rolls. A whole day‘s work. And good stuff, too.
Ellen：Don‘t worry, Richard. Someone will find it.

[The doorbell rings.]

Robbie：I‘ll get it. [He opens the door. Alexandra is standing there. She is holding Richard‘s bag of film.] Hello.
Alexandra：Hello. Does Richard Stewart live here?
Robbie：Yes, he‘s my brother. I‘m Robbie. … Robbie Stewart.
Alexandra：I‘m Alexandra Pappas. How do you do? Your brother left his bag of film on the ferryboat. I found it.
Robbie：I‘m really glad to see you. I mean … my brother‘ll be really glad to see you!
Ellen：[Calling] Robbie! Who is it?
Robbie：It‘s Richard‘s film! I mean, Alexandra Pappas. [to Alexandra] Come in, please.
Richard：Alexandra!
Alexandra：Hello, Richard. I found your bag!
Richard：Oh, thank you! Thank you! Um…Alexandra, let me introduce you. This is my wife Marilyn.
Alexandra：Richard showed me your photo. How do you do?
Marilyn：Oh yes. Richard told us all about you. It‘s nice to meet you.
Richard：And this is my mother, Ellen Stewart.
Alexandra：How do you do?
Richard：And my father, Dr. Philip Stewart.
Philip：Nice to meet you, Alexandra.
Richard：And.… ah … you met Robbie.
Alexandra：Yes. And you must be Susan. Hi.
Susan：Hi. Welcome.
Richard：I‘m so glad you found the bag and took the time and trouble to return it.
Alexandra：Oh, it was no trouble. I just took the wrong train.
Ellen：Would you like something to eat?
Alexandra：Thank you, no. I‘m late for dinner at my house. I really have to go.
Richard：Would you like to call home?
Alexandra：I‘d appreciate that.
Ellen：Please, use the phone.
Alexandra：Thanks. Excuse me.
Richard：[to Robbie] Alexandra‘s a high-school exchange student from Greece.
Robbie：Where does she live?
Richard：With a family in the Bronx.
Robbie：Oh, that‘s not too far from here!
Richard：Take it easy, Robbie.
Alexandra：Thank you. I can only stay a few minutes.
Ellen：Have some iced tea.
Alexandra：Thanks, Mrs. Stewart.
Robbie：Please sit down, Alexandra.
Philip：So, you‘re an exchange student. Where do you go to school?
Alexandra：At the Bronx High School of Science.
Philip：Oh, that‘s a very good school. What are your favorite subjects?
Alexandra：Biology and mathematics. Richard tells me you‘re a doctor.
Philip：Yes, a pediatrician. And what does your father do?
Alexandra：He‘s a lawyer, in Thessaloniki.
Robbie：Would you like some pasta? I made it myself. It might be a little cold.
Alexandra：Thanks, no. I do have to go. It was nice meeting you all.
Marilyn：Well, maybe you‘ll come for lunch some Sunday, so we can really thank you for bringing Richard‘s bag back.
Alexandra：Maybe.
Ellen：You‘re welcome anytime. [She and Richard walk with Alexandra to the front door.]
Philip：Good-bye.
Richard：Can I drive you home?
Alexandra：No, thanks. The train is just up the street. It won‘t take me long at all.
Richard：Well, you really saved the day for me, Alexandra.
Alexandra：Bye.
Richard：Bye-bye.
Ellen：Good night.

[Alexandra leaves.]

Philip：She‘s a smart young lady, and very nice.
Robbie：Very! [He sees Alexandra‘s bag on the chair.] Hey, she forgot her bag!
Ellen：I guess we‘ll be seeing Alexandra again. Right, Robbie?