Scene 1 (Sunday morning. The living room of the Bennett family. Enter Jennifer. Distraught. Megan enters.)
Megan: ÒWhatÕs wrong with you? YouÕve been walking around this morning like death warmed over. Are you sick?Ó
Jennifer: ÒIÕm not sick.Ó
Megan: ÒThen what is it?Ó
Jennifer (She looks around to be sure no one can hear her) ÒI was raped.Ó
Megan: ÒOh, no. (she rushes to Jennifer and hugs her) When?Ó
Jennifer: ÒLast night. At a frat party.Ó (she cries)
Megan: ÒMy poor baby. (comforts her) Tell me about it.Ó
Jennifer: ÒA guy in my lit class invited me to the Lacrosse team party. Larry was away this
weekend, so I went. There was a lot of drinking, pot smoking, I think some of them were snorting coke. I didnÕt like it, but it didnÕt threaten me. People were dancing and having fun. Ron, the guy who invited me, offered me coke, but I refused. He got me a beer and we danced. I started feeling dizzy and he led me to another room. I guess I passed out, because the next thing I knew when I woke up was my clothes were off, he was on top of me and he was inside me. (Jennifer looks at Megan, horrified) He was doing it to me. I tried to push him off, but I could barely move. It was hard to talk, but I said: ÔStop. Get off me. Please stopÕ. But he kept on until he came in me, moaning like an animal.Ó (She breaks down sobbing)
Megan: (comforts her, asks) ÒWhat happened after that?Ó
Jennifer: ÒHe left. I found my clothes, got dressed and snuck out of there. I didnÕt want anyone to see me. When I got back to the dorm I was so agitated I couldnÕt stay there. I was afraid IÕd go crazy. So I came home.Ó
Megan: ÒWell weÕve got things to do.Ó
Jennifer: ÒWhat?Ó
Megan ÒFirst weÕve got to to go the emergency room and get you examined and let them take DNA samples of your attacker. Then we got to the police and report itÉÓ
Jennifer: ÒI donÕt know if I can deal with thatÉÓ
Megan: ÒYouÕve got to. Monday morning weÕll go to the school and report it.Ó
Jennifer: ÒNo. I canÕt. EverybodyÕll know.Ó
Megan: ÒYou didnÕt do anything wrong. He did. Let them look at him. It sounds like he gave you that date rape drug, then assaulted you. HeÕs a criminal. YouÕre an innocent victim. (Megan hugs her and whispers) If you donÕt have him arrested, the same thing that happened to me will happen to you.Ó
Jennifer: ÒWhat do you mean?Ó
Megan: ÒI was raped when I was your age.Ó
Jennifer: ÒOh, Megan. I didnÕt knowÓ
Megan: ÒI was so ashamed I didnÕt tell anyone. I started drinking, had panic attacks, became depressed and dropped out of school. When I finally told Mom, she took me to the doctor and he diagnosed me with post-traumatic-stress-disorder.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI had no idea. Mom told me you were sick, but she never explained what was
wrong.Ó
Megan: ÒWhat did you expect? You were 12 years old. She couldnÕt tell you I was raped.
You were an innocent kid. You wouldnÕt have been able to deal with that.Ó
Jennifer: ÒSomeone should have told me something to make me understand what was
wrong with you. All they said was you were sick.Ó
Megan: ÒIt took me a year to finally tell Mom what happened. By that time I was an
alcoholic. I was miserable and had lost control of my life, which was a mess.
I was beginning to think about suicide. Out of desperation I told Mom. She got
me help, but it took two years and a lot of money we couldnÕt afford before I got
back on my feet. Then I went back to school and rebuilt my life.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI wish knew. Maybe I could have helped.Ó
Megan: ÒThere was nothing you could have done. Now we have to make sure the same
kind of thing doesnÕt happen to you. I know what youÕre going through. I was
there. You have to protect yourself. The only way to do it is by overcoming your
shame and feelings of guilt that it was your fault, then facing what has to be done.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI donÕt know if I can. ItÕs so humiliating.Ó
Megan: ÒThatÕs why itÕs so important to get treatment, with proof that it happened, and have your attacker arrested. HeÕll be the one whoÕs humiliated when heÕs in jail.Ó
Jennifer: ÒAlright. IÕll do it. But youÕve got to go with me.Ó
Megan: ÒOf course, Jen. IÕll stay with you every step of the way. First youÕve got to
tell Mom and Dad.Ó
Jennifer: ÒDo I have to?Ó
Megan: ÒSure. TheyÕll be part of your support system. WeÕll need them.Ó
Jennifer: (Hugs Megan) ÒThanks, Meg. Last night I thought IÕd die of shame. As long as
youÕre with me I can face it.Ó
Megan: ÒAll the way, sis.Ó (exit Jennifer, Megan)
Scene 2 (Late afternoon. The Bennett family living room. enter Jennifer. Megan leads in Julia and Mitchell Bennett)
Mitchell: ÒWhatÕs up? We were about to take a power walk before dinner.Ó
Megan: ÒJennifer has something to tell you.Ó
Julia: ÒI assume thatÕs why you brought us here. What is it?Ó
Jennifer: (Megan gestures for Jennifer to speak. Jennifer stares at her parents for a moment)
ÒThereÕs no easy way for me to say this. I was raped last night.Ó
Julia: ÒNo. NoÓ. (Rushes to her. Mitchell stands there stunned. Then slowly goes to her
and hugs her. Julia and Jennifer are crying. Mitchell is miserable)
Megan: ÒWe went to the hospital and they checked Jen thoroughly. They found some of his hair on her clothes and one of his pubic hairs. They also found his semen on her abdomen, even though he used a condom. They tested her blood which still had a heavy presence of Ryphonol. There was almost no alcohol level, which proved she wasnÕt drunk. Then we went to the police station, spoke to a detective and filed a complaint. We gave them the medical records and after they questioned Jen they issued a warrant for his arrest. Jen was terrific. You can understand how she was feeling, but she did everything right.Ó
Julia: ÒWell thank heavens for that. We couldnÕt survive another case of a daughter keeping her mouth shut and going nuts.Ó
Megan: ÒMom! DonÕt talk like that. Jennifer did us proud. She actually asked the detectives if they could arrest the guy in class.Ó
Mitchell: ÒGood for you, Jen. That took nerve. (He pats her fondly) WeÕre here for you. Whatever you need weÕll get for you.Ó
Jennifer: ÒThanks, Dad. IÕm glad youÕre not mad at me.Ó
Mitchell: ÒOf course not. ItÕs him IÕm mad at. If they donÕt send him to jail IÕll get him.Ó
Julia: ÒDonÕt talk that way, Mitch. Jen was smart enough to go to the police. TheyÕll take care of him. You donÕt have to pound your chest like the righteous avenger.Ó
Mitchell: ÒAre you telling me I canÕt hate the guy who violated my daughter?Ó
Julia: ÒNo, Mitch. Just donÕt stir her up. SheÕs going through enough as it is.Ó
Mitchell: ÒI know this is hard for you, Jen, but you did the right thing going to the police. This way everyoneÕll know the scumbagÕll get what he deserves.Ó
(Jennifer nods, beginning to believe that she can deal with the nightmare.)
Megan: ÒI told her what happened to me.Ó
Julia: ÒDid you tell her what it cost us because you didnÕt have she sense to speak up?Ó
Megan: ÒNo, Mom. I thought it was more important to help her, rather than tell her about how much you spent on doctors, therapy and medication.Ó
Mitchell: ÒWe did whatever we had to in order to save our daughter. Just like weÕll do for Jennifer.Ó
Julia: ÒJudging by how sensibly sheÕs dealing with this, she wonÕt need addiction rehab, or hospitalization.Ó
Megan: ÒThatÕs a little cold-blooded, Mom.Ó
Julia: ÒI didnÕt mean it like that. WeÕre still paying off our debt from your treatment. We just couldnÕt afford another major treatment expense.Ó
Mitchell: ÒLetÕs stop talking about money and do whatever we have to to take care of Jen.Ó
Julie: ÒOf course. ThatÕs what we all want.Ó (exit all)
Scene 3 (Sunday evening. The living room of the Bennett family. Enter Jennifer and Larry)
Jennifer: ÒI have something to tell you.Ó
Larry: ÒLet me guess. YouÕre not going to sneak into my dorm room tonight.Ó
Jennifer: ÒNo. ItÕs something serious.Ó
Larry: ÒLike what?Ó
Jennifer: (She hesitates) ÒI was raped last night.Ó
Larry: ÒWhat?Ó
Jennifer: ÒYou heard me.Ó
Larry: ÒAre you joking?Ó
Jennifer: ÒNo. It happened.Ó
Larry: (Getting upset) ÒHow?Ó
Jennifer: ÒI went to a frat party last nightÉÓ
Larry: (Amazed) ÒWhy did you go to a frat party?Ó
Jennifer: ÒYou werenÕt here. It was Saturday night. I was bored, so I accepted an invitation from a Lacrosse player.Ó
Larry: (Indignant) ÒYou went on a date?Ó
Jennifer: ÒIt wasnÕt a date. It was a party.Ó
Larry: ÒSome guy asked you and you went? Sounds like a date to me.Ó
Jennifer: ÒThatÕs not important. IÕm trying to tell you what happened to me.Ó
:Larry: ÒSo you went out with this guy and he raped you?Ó
Jennifer: ÒI didnÕt go out with him. I met him there. He gave me a drink that was drugged
and I passed out. When I woke up he was raping me.Ó
Larry: ÒDid you try to stop him?Ó
Jennifer: (Outraged) ÒOf course I did. I had trouble speaking, but I told him to stop. I was
so groggy that I couldnÕt resist.Ó
Larry: ÒDid you enjoy it?Ó
Jennifer: ÒAre you crazy? How can you ask that?Ó
Larry: ÒYou know what they say. Most rapes are invited by the way women dress and
act.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI
donÕt believe you said that. I was drugged and overpowered. It wasnÕt my
choice. I was violated. DonÕt you understand that?Ó
Larry: ÒIt wouldnÕt have happened if you didnÕt go to the party.Ó
Jennifer: ÒAre you saying I asked for it?Ó
Larry: ÒWhat else should I think? You went out with a strange guy to a frat party. We
know what happens at those kind of parties.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI hoped youÕd understand and care about what happened to me.Ó
Larry: ÒWhat do you want me to do? Go find the guy and beat him up?Ó
Jennifer: ÒI expect you to be concerned that something terrible happened to me. Instead
youÕre saying it was my fault.Ó
Larry: ÒWell you shouldnÕt have been there.Ó
Jennifer: (Crying) ÒYouÕre just making it worse. Get out of here.Ó
(Larry
shakes his head angrily and stalks out. Jennifer exits.)
Scene 4 (Evening. The living room of the Bennett family. Enter Jennifer, then Megan)
Megan: ÒSo how did it go?Ó
Jennifer: ÒNot good. He thinks itÕs my fault I got raped because I went to a frat party.Ó
Megan: ÒWhy the lousy bastard. What did he say?Ó
Jennifer: ÒThat if I didnÕt go out on a date it wouldnÕt have happened.Ó
Megan: ÒIÕm so sorry. I thought he was a nice guy, though I didnÕt know him very well.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI couldnÕt believe he blamed me. He was always so nice. It was a shock to find
out how he really felt.Ó
Megan: ÒJust remember that guys donÕt always know how to deal with something like
this. It can threaten their masculinity.Ó
Jennifer: ÒAre you defending him?Ó
Megan: ÒNo. IÕm just trying to be fair.Ó
Jennifer: ÒWell donÕt. He turned out to be an insensitive jerk.Ó
Megan: ÒBetter to find out now, when you have a support system and can do without
him.Ó
Jennifer: ÒThatÕs one way of looking at it.Ó
Megan: ÒYou have to develop a different mindset now. You were victimized. That
doesnÕt mean youÕre helpless. Someone took advantage of you, but you began
fighting back today. That shows character. It may take some time, but youÕll
come out stronger from this.Ó
Jennifer: ÒIt doesnÕt feel like that.Ó
Megan: ÒGive it some time. YouÕll see. YouÕre a survivor. YouÕll come out of this
alright.Ó
Jennifer: ÒI hope youÕre right. But how can I ever trust a guy after this?Ó (Exit Jennifer and Megan)
© Gary Beck
Bio: Gary Beck has spent most of his adult
life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a
living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a
salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and
Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have
appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 28
poetry collections, 11 novels, 3 short story collections, 1 collection of
essays and 2 books of plays. Published poetry books include: Dawn in
Cities, Assault on Nature, Songs of a Clerk, Civilized Ways, Displays,
Perceptions, Fault Lines, Tremors, Perturbations, Rude Awakenings, The
Remission of Order, Contusions and Desperate Seeker (Winter Goose Publishing.
Forthcoming: Learning Curve and Ignition Point). Earth Links, Too Harsh For
Pastels, Severance, Redemption Value and Fractional Disorder (Cyberwit
Publishing). His novels include Extreme Change (Winter Goose Publishing). and
Wavelength (Cyberwit Publishing). His short story collections include: A
Glimpse of Youth (Sweatshoppe Publications). Now I Accuse and other stories
(Winter Goose Publishing) and Dogs DonÕt Send Flowers and other stories
(Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Essays of Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing).
The Big Match and other one act plays (Wordcatcher Publishing). Collected Plays
of Gary Beck Volume 1 and Plays of Aristophanes translated, then directed by
Gary Beck (Cyberwit Publishing). Gary lives in New York City.