The Inheritance Read online

  Young Man 2 Toby, look over here.

  Young Man 7 Don’t forget to smile.

  Toby Toby glances up at the marquee, catching sight of his name: ‘Loved Boy, a Play by Toby Darling’. And for a second, his eyes register it as: ‘Loved Boy, a Lie by Toby Darling’.

  Young Man 3 Toby, over here!

  Young Man 4 Toby, big smile.

  Toby And in that moment, Toby knows that Eric was right.

  Young Man 5 Toby, who designed your suit?

  Young Man 8 Toby, what a night for you!

  Toby That his book was a lie and his play was even more of one.

  Young Man 7 Toby, how do you feel?

  Toby And soon all of New York is going to see it and no one will know who Toby Darling really is. Toby looks up and sees Leo. Their eyes meet. Toby smiles and Leo stares at him with a look that could only be described as love.

  Young Man 4 Toby thinks to himself –

  Toby He is all that I have in this world.

  Leo They take their seats. Toby leans over and whispers into Leo’s ear:

  Toby I’m so happy that you’re here.

  Young Man 4 The house lights dim –

  Young Man 5 – and the lights slowly rise on Adam McDowell alone on stage, silently staring at the audience.

  Leo Leo gasps at the sight of him. There before him, on the stage, Leo sees himself. But not himself. Leo turns to look at Toby, seeking confirmation that he is not crazy for seeing the resemblance. But Toby is too focused on Adam to notice. Leo watches Toby watching Adam and in that moment, Leo understands everything. Leo wants to cry, Leo wants to scream, Leo wants to run out of the theatre and not stop until the river swallows him. But he is forced to sit there as the silence continues, staring at Adam, his twin, his negation.

  Young Man 5 Finally Adam speaks the first line of the play:

  Adam ‘You won’t like me at first but you will over time.’

  Young Man 5 And Toby’s play begins.

  Adam Elan: a devilishly cocksure seventeen-year-old from the Upper West Side, who has known nothing but privilege all his life. The story is set over a single day as Elan ditches his classes at the elite Manhattan prep school he attends and instead traverses New York City in search of his best friend Agatha, who has been missing for two days. Along the way, he gets high with his building’s new doorman; argues about God with a homeless woman in Central Park; has sex with a thirty-five-year-old married man in town on business; stumbles upon a far right political rally and is enlisted to speak, which he does to tumultuous cheers; meets his AA sponsor; sells his Adderall and gives a blowjob to an NYU senior whom he secretly loves; and tracks down Agatha at an apartment in Bushwick, where she’s crashing with her new twenty-eight-year-old boyfriend, Lars. They drink Lars’s whiskey, smoke his cigarettes and Elan tries on his clothes, for a moment getting completely naked. They get into a fight and Elan storms out, making the long subway ride back to the Upper West Side and finally arriving at Sloan Kettering to sit by his father’s bedside where we discover he is slowly dying of cancer.

  Young Man 8 A cheap trick, that ending, but it slays ’em every night.

  Adam The play ends with Elan in his father’s arms, weeping like a child.

  Young Man 4 The curtain falls and Leo bolts out of his seat.

  Toby Leo, wait!

  He catches Leo.

  Toby Hey! What’s the matter?

  Leo I have to go.

  Young Man 2 Congratulations, Toby!

  Toby What’s going on?

  Young Man 3 Toby, that was beautiful!

  Leo I can’t do this.

  Toby What do you mean?

  Leo I can’t be here. With you. I don’t belong here. I feel so stupid.

  Toby Wait, hold on – !

  Young Man 4 Hey Toby, congratulations. Do you have a minute to –

  Toby (to Young Man 4) Just gimme a second. (To Leo.) Please don’t go. I want you to be here with me.

  Leo No, Toby. I’m not who you want.

  Young Man 3 Toby, I told you that you were going to be a big deal someday.

  Toby What are you talking about?

  Leo You called me Adam the night we met. And the morning I came back.

  Young Man 7 Toby, some of the investors want to get their pictures with you and Adam.

  Toby Leo, no.

  Leo I saw how you watched him. You’re in love with Adam, not me.

  Toby No, Leo, that isn’t true.

  Leo You actually made me believe that you wanted me.

  Young Man 8 Is that Adam McDowell?

  Young Man 4 Jesus that kid looks just like Adam McDowell.

  Young Man 3 Maybe he’s Adam McDowell’s understudy?

  Young Man 5 Toby, can we get that picture now?

  Leo I’m just a whore you picked up because I look like someone else.

  Toby JUST GIMME A MINUTE!

  No, Leo, listen to me you got it all wrong yes I asked you over that night because you look like Adam I was crazy and obsessed and he put me through hell but then I met you and you’re nothing like Adam which is good because I fucking hate that kid and the only good thing about him and I mean the only good thing is it’s because of him that I met you and I would go through that pain a thousand times if it meant I could have you I don’t look at you and see Adam anymore I see you, Leo, you are the person I see, Leo with his book of poetry, Leo who whimpers in his sleep if he’s not held all night long, Leo the gentlest soul that I know and I can’t lose you because I need you and I need you because you have asked me to take care of you and I really fucking want to because I love you, Leo.

  Leo Oh.

  Toby I love you, Leo. And I’m sorry I didn’t know that until tonight.

  Leo Leo’s head says run, but his heart says stay.

  Toby I will take care of you, I promise. I promise I will never hurt you again. You don’t have to be alone anymore, Leo. Not any more.

  Leo And for the first time in his life, Leo decides to trust.

  Young Man 3 An hour later, the reviews start to pour in. Toby’s play is a smash.

  End of Scene Five.

  SCENE SIX

  1. Henry’s Estate in Dutchess County

  Autumn, 2017.

  Young Man 6 The morning of Eric and Henry’s wedding dawned crisp, clear and bright. A perfect autumn day. Eric Glass woke with a sense of optimism he had not known in quite some time.

  Eric in a new suit, with Tristan, also in a suit.

  Tristan You look so handsome.

  Eric Do I? I really love these shoes. Henry’s personal shopper picked them out.

  Tristan They’re a perfect fit. Listen, I’m not gonna lie: it has taken a lot of work for me to make peace with you and Henry together.

  Eric Please tell me you’re not rehearsing your toast right now.

  Tristan But I see how Henry looks at you. And I see how happy you are. The fact that Henry loves you is all I need to know. You are a good man, Eric Glass. And you deserve to be loved.

  They embrace. Henry enters.

  Henry Am I interrupting?

  Tristan Not at all. See you both out there.

  He exits.

  Henry Last chance to flee.

  Eric In these shoes, are you joking? This will be a fun day, I promise.

  Henry I believe that’s true.

  Henry pulls Eric tightly to him in a deep, tender embrace.

  There will be days when you do not feel as tightly held by me as you are right now. But never doubt my gratitude. You’ve reminded me what it’s like to be hopeful, to respond to life with excitement and wonder. You are joy personified.

  Young Man 6 And with that, Eric Glass and Henry Wilcox went outside to greet their guests on the lawn of Henry’s Dutchess County estate. They exchanged brief vows. Music and dancing, champagne and a dozen different cakes. The sun sparkled through the autumn leaves. Neither Eric nor Henry could remember a more perfect day.

  Young Man 2 And then.

  Young Ma
n 3 A taxi drove up the gravel driveway toward the house.

  Young Man 2 A few heads turned in its direction. Most did not notice.

  Eric But Eric did.

  Young Man 4 For out of that taxi climbed Toby Darling. And with him was …

  Eric Adam?

  Young Man 5 As they drew closer, Eric could see that it was not in fact Adam McDowell but rather a young man who bore an astonishing resemblance to him.

  Young Man 8 Neither he nor Toby looked like they’d slept in days.

  Toby enters with Leo in tow, both in deeply altered states.

  Toby Eric! Eric Glass!

  Eric Toby?

  Toby Eric! Get in the car. We can all escape together.

  Eric Toby, what are you doing?

  Toby Rescuing you!

  Eric You are coked out of your mind.

  Toby Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here.

  Eric Toby, please don’t do this.

  Leo Toby, maybe this was a bad idea.

  Eric Yes, Toby, listen to your friend.

  Toby His name is Leo. He’s my boyfriend. We’re in love.

  Eric I don’t give a shit! I want you both to leave right now.

  Toby You invited us!

  Eric Not to do this!

  The Jasons approach.

  Jason 1 Is everything okay?

  Jason 2 Toby, you made it!

  Toby Oh good! Reinforcements! Jason, tell Eric he’s making a terrible mistake.

  Leo Toby, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.

  Jason 1 Toby, what do you think you’re doing?

  Toby I’m saving Eric!

  Leo Maybe we should go.

  Tristan enters.

  Tristan No, no, no, no, Toby you have got to go.

  Leo Toby, maybe we / should go.

  Tristan Toby, get the fuck outta here.

  Jason 1 Come on Toby, why don’t you and I take a walk?

  Toby You don’t need to marry this man. You don’t need his house, his money. Let me show you that I can be a better person. Look: I can love! See? I’m in love with Leo but you’re not in love with Henry.

  Jason 1 Toby, I’m serious, man.

  Toby Get your hands off me, Jason.

  Leo Toby, please, let’s just go.

  Jason 1 I’m not going to ask you again, Toby.

  Toby Oh fuck you, Jason.

  Eric, I will make up to you everything that I’ve done wrong.

  Eric Including right now? Only you could crash a wedding you were actually invited to.

  Toby It isn’t a wedding, it’s a celebration of marriage!

  On that last line, Toby grandly swings his arms out and accidentally hits Eric in the face.

  Eric Toby, Jesus!

  Jason 1 That’s it, Toby.

  Jason 1 socks Toby in the face. Toby falls backwards on his ass.

  Henry storms on.

  Henry What the hell is going on? Toby?

  Eric They were just leaving, Henry.

  Toby No, we were not. We were invited!

  Henry Toby, get the hell off my property.

  Toby I won’t let you ruin his life. Eric deserves to be happy.

  Eric I am happy!

  Henry I’m calling the police.

  Eric No, let’s just get them back into their taxi and –

  Leo Henry!

  Silence. All eyes on Leo. Henry is frozen. He stares at Leo in disbelief.

  Henry What are you doing here?

  Leo suddenly realizes he’s made a terrible mistake.

  Leo I’m sorry, Henry. I didn’t know.

  Henry (to Eric) What is he doing here?

  Eric Toby brought him. Do you know him?

  Henry (to Toby) You sick piece of shit. What the fuck do you think you’re trying to prove?

  Toby Me? Fuck you, asshole. How do you know my boyfriend?

  Eric Henry …?

  Henry Get them out of here.

  Eric Henry …

  Henry Now!

  He storms off. Eric looks Toby.

  Eric Leave.

  Toby Eric –

  Eric LEAVE ME ALONE!

  Eric violently pushes Toby away from him.

  Leo Toby, let’s go.

  Toby Eric, I’m sorry –

  Eric I once loved you, Toby, but I am cured of that. Everything you touch you destroy. You are unhappy and unloved because you deserve to be. I now understand why your father killed himself, why your mother drank herself to death. They did it to get as far away from you as possible. They didn’t abandon you, Toby, they fled from you like the disease that you are. You will spend your life alone and, like your parents, you will die alone. I just hope for this boy’s sake it happens sooner rather than later.

  Eric runs off. The Lads follow. Toby and Leo are alone.

  Leo Toby?

  Toby Toby wants to reach for Eric. To rewind the last three minutes.

  Leo Toby, let’s go.

  Toby He would rewind until the tape snapped free of its moorings and the story of Toby vanished from existence.

  Leo Toby, I don’t want to be here.

  Toby But he doesn’t reach for Eric and he cannot rewind his story. Toby can only go forward.

  Leo Toby?

  Toby But he doesn’t know how.

  End of Act One.

  Act Two

  Autumn 2017–Winter 2018

  SCENE ONE

  1. Henry’s Estate in Dutchess County

  Autumn, 2017.

  Eric and Henry.

  Henry Did you invite him?

  Eric Yes.

  Henry Why?

  Eric I, I, I just felt –

  Henry Were you trying to humiliate me?

  Eric I didn’t know that he was going to do that.

  Henry You should have.

  Eric I should have anticipated that he’d show up drunk and coked out and that he would make a scene?

  Henry Yes! Because he is Toby Darling and that is what he does.

  Eric Should I have also anticipated that he would bring someone you clearly have some kind of a history with?

  Henry Do not turn this around on me, Eric.

  Eric Who is he?

  Henry He’s no one, nothing.

  Eric Didn’t seem like nothing to me. How do you know him?

  Henry I fucked him.

  Eric When?

  Henry I can’t give you dates.

  Eric So more than once? How did you meet him?

  Henry I paid for him. He’s a fucking prostitute. You are the one who invited him into my home.

  Eric How long have you been seeing him?

  HENRY, ANSWER ME!

  Henry Two years, off and on.

  Eric Why?

  Henry Oh, don’t be a child, Eric.

  Eric No, I mean: why not me? Why don’t you want to fuck me?

  Henry I’m not having this conversation.

  Eric It is the same conversation.

  Henry You willfully went behind my back and invited that madman to my home.

  Are you still in love with him?

  Eric Have you fucked that kid since we’ve been together?

  Henry Yes.

  Eric More than once?

  Henry Yes.

  Eric In our home?

  Henry No. He didn’t know anything about me until today.

  Eric I guess that makes two of us.

  Henry I have given you everything I can.

  Eric Except yourself. Walter was able to tell me –

  Henry I am not Walter! If you married me hoping to find some connection to him, you’ve made a terrible mistake. One that I will free you of if you want.

  Eric What I want is you. All of you. You’ve asked me to spend my life with you and here I am, in a brand new suit, willing to give you what you’ve asked of me but you have given me nothing that actually costs you to give. If I can’t have sex with you, then I at least deserve to know why.

  Henry Because that would ask more of me than I ever want to give to anyone
again. That boy lets me do what I want with him and then he goes away. He does not matter to me. You do. I don’t reach out to you for the same thing because you cannot give me what he can.

  Eric I’ve spent these months trying to accept the idea of a sexless marriage but what you’re really asking me to accept is a loveless one.

  Henry That is not how I see it.

  Eric Did you love Walter?

  Young Man 4 Yes.

  Eric Did you ever need him like I needed Toby?

  Young Man 4 You did, Henry.

  Eric WERE YOU EVER ALIVE, HENRY? HAVE YOU EVER FELT ANYTHING DEEPLY?

  Young Man 3 He was so beautiful that day you first saw him. At that rooftop party, in the late afternoon sun.

  Henry His hair was shining in the light.

  Young Man 3 His skin was luminous and dark from his summer at the beach.

  Henry His eyes were so honest.

  Young Man 3 Seeing right into you. Wanting you. Drawing you to him. God, how you wanted him.

  I’m Henry.

  Young Man 4 I’m Walter. You’re married.

  Young Man 3 No, I’m not.

  Young Man 4 You’ve got a farmer’s tan on your ring finger.

  Young Man 3 God, how you wanted him.

  Henry He stopped my brain from working. He made the words come out all wrong.

  Young Man 3 You stumbled out of the gate.

  Have you seen ET yet?

  Young Man 4 Jesus, you’ve got kids, too?

  Henry I think you’re beautiful.

  Young Man 3 Round and round you both went. Talking about nothing, though it felt like everything. And then finally, when you couldn’t stand to wait any longer:

  Henry and Young Man 3 Do you want to come back to my place?