Mama: Come out of the sun, boy. Eat your raisin toast. Ain�t ya hungry?
Son: You know what I hunger for, Mama? The wishbone from a turkey�so that I can make me a slingshot and shoot my dreams back towards the stars!
Mama: How you gonna shoot your dreams back toward the stars, when your head is in the clouds? Now you listen to me, boy. A man is like a fruit�
Jerri (reading out loud while watching the movie): ��either he grows proud, ripe and juicy, or he surrenders and shrivels like a raisin in the sun.� God, Mother, I would be so right for this role in the school play. I wonder what it pays. Hmm. I could just see the program now: �Starring Jerri Blank, in her first leading role since getting out of prison and starting her life over as a high school freshman at the age of 46.� Dreams can happen.
Sara: It�s nice that you think that, Dear.
Scene � Auditorium stage.
Jellineck: Alright, people. Let�s focus, have a seat. Alright. Tough year to make casting decisions, but I have made my final choices, and, for the part of Abetha, that will be going to�Susan Cream! Susan, congratulations. And the part of Zobo will be played by�Craig Snow! You�ve got some big shoes to fill, Mister. That part was originally played by Sidney Poitier.
Jerri: Ooh, he�s good, he�s good.
Jellineck: And, finally, being cast in the lead for the role of Mama, the poor but proud, heavyset, African-American woman�Jerri Blank!
Jerri: Oh!
Jellineck: There they are, this year�s cast of Raisin in the Sun. We did have a little difficulty casting for the role of Walter Scott Lee, the young, attractive, yet troubled son, so we cut it. And as for everybody else, don�t worry, there are roles for everybody; you�ll all be playing trees. Alright, that�s it for today, we�re gonna have rehearsal tomorrow early, please be prompt. Congratulations, good work, good work, yes. Jerri, congratulations.
Jerri: Thanks. Oh, listen, I have a question about Mama on page two�
Jellineck: One thing about the role of Mama: Yeah, I�d like you to gain 40 pounds.
Jerri: Oh�well, couldn�t I wear, like, a fatty suit?
Jellineck: I don�t think so. I like to go as realistic as possible. OK? Concentrate on this region (points towards her upper body). You�re selling it down here (points to her lower body).
Jerri: OK. Alright, I�ll see you Tuesday.
Jellineck: Good work, Jerri.
Scene � Jerri�s house.
Jerri: Hey, Mother, you won�t believe what happened!
Sara: Just a second, Jerri. I�m looking through my old scrapbook...and here�s my one-woman production of �Twelve Angry Men.�
Jerri: Listen, I got cast in the school play.
Sara: Oh, that�s great, Darling. You�re going to make a wonderful raisin. Now, when I was in that production�as Mama�
Jerri: I�m playing Mama!
Sara: Ya know, Jerri, I�m a little bit concerned about this acting career of yours.
Jerri: It�s just a school play.
Sara: Yes, well, it starts out that way, and then it blossoms into something wonderful, and then it�s crushed by the needs of others. Anyway, break a leg.
Scene � Jerri enters the kitchen.
Jerri (reading her lines): It ain�t just a sweet dried grape, Zobo. It�s the memory of all that sunshine.
Jerri puts out a fire on the drape.
Sara: Jerri!
Jerri: What was in that?
Sara: Breakfast.
Jerri: Well, what kind of breakfast was that?
Sara: A cup of rum cake. We ran out of the flour.
Derrick enters the room.
Jerri: Derrick, why are you wearing a curtain?
Derrick: Mom didn�t fold the laundry.
Sara: I was busy making rum cake!
Jerri: You�ve been acting very strange, Mother.
Sara: Oh, everything has to be �acting� with you now, Jerri, now that you�re a big �actress.�
Derrick: Hey, why don�t ya lay off her, Troll, can�t you see she�s sick?
Jerri: You know you�re gay, right?
Derrick: I can�t wait till Mom meets your teachers today and hears what a loser you are.
Sara: Oh, that�s right, it�s Parent-Teacher Day.
Jerri: Oh, no, no, you don�t have to come, Mother.
Sara: Nonsense, Jerri, I�ll go upstairs and put on a nice outfit.
Jerri: No, really, it�s just �
Sara: First, I think I�ll pour myself another four fingers of breakfast.
Jerri: Oh...
Scene � Mr. Noblet�s classroom on Parent-Teacher Day.
Noblet: Following his violent revolution, Gandhi was devoured by his followers.
Sara: This is fun. Ooh, why don�t you introduce me to this young buck?
Jerri; Mother...this is my teacher.
Noblet: Hi, I�m Chuck Noblet.
Sara: Ooh, Chuck! You know what that rhymes with.
Noblet: Jerri certainly is one of our students.
Sara: Jerry? Who�s he?
Noblet (pointing to Jerri): Um.
Sara: Oh! Our little hobgoblin. (looks at the Honor Roll list) What�s this?
Noblet: Oh, that�s the best of the best.
Sara: Oh, Jerri, Jerri, Jerri, nope! Nowhere to be found. You know, when I was in high school, I was elected Queen of the Honor Roll. Of course, I reigned over quite a few lists.
Jerri: Mother�
Sara: I�m sorry, I was just streetwalking down memory lane. Well, it was very nice to have met you, Mr. Goblet.
Jerri: Noblet.
Sara: Speaking of which, I would like to use the little girl�s room.
Jerri: Mother, no!
Sara: I�ll just be a minute.
Scene � School hallway.
Sara: This is fun. Aren�t you having fun?
Jerri: Oh, a hoot.
Craig Snow: Hey, Jerri.
Jerri: Hey, Craig.
Blackman: Oh, Mrs. Blank, would you care for some soup?
Sara: Don�t you have anything stronger?
They laugh.
Blackman: You must be an extremely proud parent.
Sara: Oh, my son Derrick�s a wonderful boy.
Blackman: No, I mean, Jerri being cast in our annual production as Mama in Raisin in the Sun.
Sara: Ya know, I had a very promising career as an actress, before I got saddled with this flying monkey here.
Jerri: Let�s go, Mother.
Sara: Ya know, I took a 16-year hiatus to raise my natural son Derrick. And I was planning on returning to the footlights, till you-know-who came slithering along. Ya know, I don�t look a day over 30.
Jerri leads Sara away.
Jerri: Did they really need to know all that, Mother?
Sara: You know, I�m a person, Jerri. I�m not just your stepmother.
Jerri: Look, we�re leaving.
Sara: There�s a face behind this mask!
Jerri: OK, we�re leaving, alright?
Sara: Get your filthy convict hands off of me! If you�re such a great actress, act like you respect me!
Sara leaves the school.
Jerri: She�s going through menopause�with a hint of epilepsy�she�s diabetic�give her her pills�
Scene � Jerri gets on the school bus.
Craig: Your mother was certainly in a festive mood today.
Jerri: Look, why don�t we just talk about the play, alright? Hey, you know, I�m considering memorizing my lines for it. Why not, right?
Craig: You have a lot of commitment, Jerri.
Jerri: Hey, ya think so?
Craig: Yeah, I mean, you already gained all that weight.
Jerri: What?
Craig: So, are your mom and dad coming to opening night?
Jerri: Well, my real mother�s dead and uh, my father�s in Greece, on vacation. How about yours, Craig? Jesus.
Craig: I don�t think they�ll be making it.
Jerri: Oh, what a shame, how come?
Craig: Oh, let�s just say they�re�alcoholics. So, maybe I could come over and help you with your lines.
Jerri: Uh, look, I don�t think so, it�s not a very good idea, alright?
Craig: We open on Friday.
Jerri: I know.
Scene � Jerri and Craig enter Jerri�s kitchen; her stepmother�s on the floor.
Jerri: We could do some lines right in here, if you want. Oh! She musta bumped her head on this�shot glass.
Craig: She didn�t bump her head, Jerri. I mean, you need to face the fact that your mother is an alcoholic. But Jerri, it doesn�t mean that she doesn�t love you.
Jerri: No, I�ve heard her say plenty of times that she doesn�t love me. (to her stepmother) Tell him...
Craig: She was probably drunk.
Jerri: No, I�m pretty sure she was sober.
Craig: Look, Jerri �
Jerri: No, you look, Craig. Can�t you see how embarrassing this is supposed to be for me? Can�t you imagine the heartbreak that I should be feeling? Just get outta my way! Get out!
Scene � Play rehearsal.
Jellineck: OK, OK, trees? One more time: When you�re on stage, this�is this. OK? Good.
Mr. Jellineck goes over to Jerri and Craig.
Jellineck: OK, let�s take it from the uh, the top of scene five, shall we?
Jerri: Zobo? Why you done Anetha like that? She was a good woman before you broke her.
Jellineck: God damn it! We have one day, people, that�s it! You know, I already lost a tree because of an attitude problem. Craig, excellent job. Please take five. Jerri, I�d like to speak with you for a second. Jerri, remember what we discussed, how you�d play your character as if you were being chased by a �
Jerri: Cougar.
Jellineck: Exactly, and frankly, I don�t see it. I don�t know what you�re being chased by. Here, put this on. (puts chairs on Jerri) OK, now let�s hear your line.
Jerri clears her throat.
Jerri: Zobo �
Jellineck: You can stop now. It�s difficult, isn�t it, with all this emotional baggage? Now, Jerri, I know that you�re having some family problems at home, but �
Jerri: My step �
Jellineck: I don�t wanna hear it.
Jerri: But she � but I have � she �
Mr. Jellineck makes noises to stop Jerri from talking.
Jellineck: But if you can�t check your baggage at the door before rehearsal, then I will find someone else �
Jerri: No!
Jellineck: Somebody who doesn�t have a family. OK? Great. Good, fantastic. Oh, and you can stop gaining the weight now. You�re more than there. OK? Good. (to other students) Where�s my raisin?
Scene � Jerri�s locker.
Jerri is putting her snake, Leslie, in her locker.
Jerri: Back in the locker, Leslie.
Craig: Hey, Jerri. You wanna hear a joke? Last night, my silly mom and dad had a few belts and Dad swung this funny floor lamp into my mother�s hilarious skull.
Jerri: Why are you telling this to Leslie�and me? Why me?
Craig: I think you have the same humorous problem.
Jerri: What do you mean?
Craig: Look, Jerri, if you ever need to listen, there�s this group I go to where people love to talk. It�s for the children of alcoholics. It�s called Ala-Coholics.
Jerri: Look, I never said my mother was an alcoholic, alright? Yeah, she drinks a lot and yeah, it�s alone, and yeah, OK, maybe she can�t stop. But it doesn�t mean she has a problem.
Craig: Why are you covering for her, Jerri?
Jerri: I�m not covering for her, Craig. I�m dealing with this the same way I dealt with my own alcoholism and drug addiction: With lies and delusion.
Craig: I can�t force you to come, Jerri. But we meet in the basement of Tippler�s Lounge every night, so, when you get fed up with lies and delusion, we�ll make a place for you. We�ll just tell somebody to leave.
Jerri: Hey, Craig? I�m sorry your mom and dad are so�funny.
Craig: They�re a scream.
Jerri puts a mouse in the locker with Leslie.
Scene � Jerri enters her kitchen to find Derrick nude at the kitchen table, eating uncooked pasta dipped in a jar of pasta sauce.
Derrick: Hey, Troll.
Jerri: What are you doing?
Derrick: Mom didn�t cook anything again.
Jerri: Where is she?
Derrick: Right there, not cooking anything. I think she needs a doctor.
Jerri: No, Derrick. What she needs is a bartender.
Derrick: Your play is tearing this family apart.
Jerri walks into the other room to find her stepmother passed out on the floor in her Peter Pan costume.
Jerri: Look, I know where you�re going, �cause I�ve been there myself. But I am not gonna let you destroy my play.
Scene � Tippler�s Lounge; Ala-Coholics meeting.
Noblet: Why don�t we start off as usual with the Obscurity Prayer? Dear God�
Everyone else joins in: Please give me the strength to blame those who did this to me, to accuse those who didn�t, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Blackman: Hi, my name is Onyx.
Everyone: Hi, Onyx.
Blackman: And I�m the child of�alcoholics. Daddy used to come home late at night, the smell of the demon on his breath. The slightest provocation would send him into an unspeakable rage. And then this morning, he set the porch on fire. I�m thinking about moving out. Does anyone have a place that I could stay?
Nobody responds.
Blackman: Oh well. I�m, I�m sure it�ll all work itself out.
Jerri: Hi, I�m, uh, well, I�m Jerri.
Everyone: Hi, Jerri.
Jerri: Hi! And, uh, well, I�m, uh, I�m the stepdaughter�of an alcoholic.
They applaud and Jerri gets excited.
Jerri: And I�m also an actress, and the play opens tomorrow night at 7, and there are plenty of tickets available.
She claps, but nobody joins her. She sits down.
Jerri (to Craig): That went great.
Craig: That was brave, lady. The first step is always the hardest.
Jerri: You know, I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet�and then I laughed, really hard.
Scene � Jerri enters her house to find her stepmother putting dishes in the washing machine.
Jerri: Mother?
Sara: Hi, Jerri. We missed you for dinner. We had a lovely um, wine in meat sauce.
Jerri: Drinking kills feelings.
Sara: Where�d you get that crap?
Jerri: Well, I went to a place tonight, where people listen, while other people talk.
Sara: Oh, did you go to one of those nice meetings where you stand up in front of a bunch of losers�tell them that your mother�s an alcoholic?
Jerri: No, I told them my stepmother was an alcoholic.
Sara scoffs.
Sara: But I�m not an alcoholic! I can stop whenever I want! What, you don�t believe me? Well, if you�re such a good listener, why don�t you watch this? Say goodbye to my mixers.
She pours them down the drain.
Jerri: I guess she can stop.
Scene � Backstage, the night of the play.
Jerri (singing): La, la, la, la, la, la, la.
Craig: Hey, Jerri? I was gonna go to another meeting after the play. You wanna come?
Jerri: I was thinking that maybe I�d go to the cast party tonight.
Craig: Suit yourself, but you�re gonna miss a lot of great blaming.
Jerri: You know what, Craig? I don�t think I�ll be coming to any more of those meetings.
Craig: What do you mean?
Jerri: Well, my stepmother�s not drinking liquor anymore; it�s strictly wine and beer. So now, well, there�s no one to blame.
Craig: That�s too bad, Jerri. I thought you had the courage to judge other people by their faults. I guess I was wrong. Oh, even if you don�t show up, you are still gonna have to pay your dues at the end of the month. Have a nice show.
Scene � Stage, during the play.
Jerri as Mama: He finally come into his manhood today, didn�t he? (to Jellineck) Line?
Jellineck (whispering): Kind of like a rainbow.
Jerri: Kind of like a rainbow. Line?
Jellineck (whispering): Of magnificent colors.
Jerri: Of magnificent colors. Line?
Mr. Jellineck hands her the script.
Jerri (reading the script): Blossoming like a raisin in the sun. The end.
The audience applauses. Sara goes onto the stage.
Sara: Bravo! It�s my daughter! Thank you! (she backs up into a prop of a sun and raisin) Oh, excuse me.
Sara gets lifted on the stage by a hook.
Sara: I can fly! I can fly! (she crows) Jerri, I don�t feel very well.
Jerri: No!
Sara: Jerri, I don�t feel�
Jellineck (while closing the curtain): God damn it! God damn it!
The audience laughs.
Scene � Jerri�s house.
Jerri is sitting with Craig and she�s lighting fireworks.
Jerri: You know, Craig? You were right. I shoulda never let up on the blaming.
Craig: It�s OK, Jerri.
Sara: What is that banging?
Jerri: Banging? I don�t hear any banging. You know, you oughta get that checked. You were a complete embarrassment last night.
Sara: Was I? Did you read the reviews? (reading) The highlight of the evening was when the charming mother of the portly leading lady �
Jerri: Just stop it.
Sara: Geoffrey Jellineck�s scenery was finally put to use �
Jerri: Shut up!
Sara: When Sara Blank �
Jerri: Shut up!
Sara: Took to the floorboards and was hoisted to the stars!
Jerri: You�re nothing but a drunk!
Sara: Maybe I am, but I have a damn good reason!
Jerri: Oh yeah? Why don�t you tell Craig your damn good reason?
Sara: I drink to kill the pain!
Jerri: Please.
Sara: Every day I see you come home from your rehearsal. You have all of your dreams yet to be dreamt. Look at me. I�m a size eight! Peter Pan has gotten old. I�m never gonna get a chance to give the Tin Man his hook.
Craig claps.
Craig: Brava, Mrs. Blank, Brava.
Jerri: Oh come on, you�re not buying into this crap, are you?
Craig: Yes, �cause, you see, sometimes, when life becomes too painful, it�s better to just be�a drunk. (to Sara) Drink?
Sara: I�d love one.
They leave the room.
Jerri (to herself): I see. Sometimes, it�s better to be a happy, gin-soaked grape, than an anguished raisin in the sun.
Crew Member: Cut! That�s a wrap, everyone.
Jerri: Mmm. Mmm.
Jerri has a drink and puts it back on the tray.
Jerri (to Crew Member): Go, go, go. (to camera) Hi. I�m Jerri Blank. We had a lot of fun tonight with the idea of alcoholism, but the strange fact remains that eating disorders plague America�s children. Now here�s our own Mr. Noblet, reading Langston Hughes� �A Dream Deferred.�
Noblet: What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load�or does it explode?
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