Tea and Sympathy Read Free

speaks the lyric)
     
     
The joys of love

Are but a moment long,

The pain of love

Endures forever.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
And is that true?

(TOM shrugs his shoulders)

You sang as, though you knew all about the pains of love.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
And you don't think I do?
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Well . . .
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
You're right.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Only the joys.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
Neither, really.

(Teapot whistles off stage.)
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Then you're a fake. Listening to you, one would think you knew everything

there was to know.

(Rises and goes to next room for tea)

Anyway, I don't believe it. A boy like you.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
It's true.
     
     
     
     
LAURA

(Off stage)
     
     
Aren't you bringing someone to the dance after the play Saturday?
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
Yes.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Well, there.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
You.
     
     
     
     
LAURA

(Reappears in doorway with teapot)
     
     
Me?
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
Yes, you're going to be a hostess, aren't you?
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Yes, of course, but . . .
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
As a member of the committee, I'm taking you. All the committee drew

lots . . .
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
And you lost.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
I won.
     
     
     
     
LAURA

(A little embarrassed by this)
     
     
Oh. My husband could have taken me.
     
     
(She sits down again in her chair.)
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
He's not going to be in town. Don't you remember, Mountain Climbing Club

has its final outing this week-end.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Oh, yes, of course. I'd forgotten.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
He's out a lot on that kind of thing, isn't he?

(LAURA ignores his probing)

I hope you're not sorry that I'm to be your escort.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Why, I'll be honored.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
I'm supposed to find out tactfully and without your knowing it what

color dress you'll be wearing.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Why?
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
The committee will send you a corsage.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Oh, how nice. Well, I don't have much to choose from, I guess my yellow.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
The boy who's in charge of getting the flowers thinks a corsage should

be something like a funeral decoration. So I'm taking personal charge of

getting yours.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Thank you.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
You must have gotten lots of flowers when you were acting in the theater.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Oh, now and then. Nothing spectacular.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
I can't understand how a person would give up the theater to come and live

in a school . . . I'm sorry. I mean, I'm glad you did, but, well . . .
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
If you knew the statistics on unemployed actors, you might understand.

Anyway, I was never any great shakes at it.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
I can't believe that.
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Then take my word for it.
     
     
     
     
TOM

(After a moment, looking into the fire, pretending to be casual, but

actually touching on his love for LAURA)
     
     
Did you ever do any of Shaw's plays?
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Yes.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
We got an assignment to read any Shaw play we wanted. I picked Candida .
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Because it was the shortest?
     
     
     
     
TOM

(Laughs)
     
     
No . . . because it sounded like the one I'd like the best, one I could

understand. Did you ever play Candida?
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
In stock -- a very small stock company, way up in Northern Vermont.
     
     
     
     
TOM
     
     
Do you think she did right to send Marchbanks away?
     
     
     
     
LAURA
     
     
Well, Shaw made it seem right. Don't you think?
     
     
     
     
TOM

(Really talking about himself)
     
     
That Marchbanks sure sounded off a lot. I could never sound off like that,

even if I loved a