The Inheritance Read online

  Charles That’s it?

  Henry That’s it.

  Paul Who the fuck is Eric Glass? Let me see that.

  Henry He was a friend of Walter’s. He and his partner live a few floors up. Apparently the two of them had spent a lot of time together while I was away.

  Paul What do you mean, ‘spent time’?

  Henry I just mean that Eric had been kind to Walter.

  Charles Kind enough for Walter to leave him his house?

  Paul This is bullshit. It’s written in pencil. Pencil doesn’t count, does it?

  Charles There’s no date, it isn’t witnessed. There’s not even a signature.

  Henry It’s Walter’s handwriting.

  Charles It’s not a legal document, Pop.

  Henry It’s his last request.

  Charles Why would he leave that house to a total stranger? He loved that house.

  Paul I bet this Glass guy tricked Walter into writing that.

  Charles Yes! He probably knew that Walter was sick.

  Paul Have you checked Walter’s bank account lately? He’s probably cleared him out already.

  Henry All right, both of you, that’s enough.

  Charles Come on, Dad. Don’t you think this is just a little suspicious?

  Henry Walter was always giving away books and nick-nacks to people.

  Paul But never an entire house.

  Charles He was on so much morphine at the end.

  Paul That fucking nurse should be fired for it. We’re lucky she didn’t erase this Eric guy’s name and replace it with her own.

  Henry If Eric had needed somewhere to live, I could understand it. And even if he did, he wouldn’t want to live up there.

  Paul It’s three hours from the city. We don’t even go there anymore.

  Charles That’s not the point, Paul. That house is a part of our family. And it meant everything to Walter. He couldn’t have meant to give it to a stranger.

  Paul So then what do we do?

  Charles looks at his father for a tacit go-ahead and then pulls out a lighter and sets the letter aflame.

  Morgan Refrain, if you can, from judging the Wilcoxes too harshly. Should they have offered their home to Eric? Logic – and even emotion – suggests not. What they could not have known was that to Walter it had been more than a house: it had been a spiritual possession, for which he sought a spiritual heir. No; the Wilcox men are not to be blamed for their decision.

  Except.

  One hard fact remains. They did neglect a personal appeal. The man who had died did say to them. ‘Do this,’ and they answered. ‘We will not.’

  End of Act Two.

  Act Three

  Autumn 2016–Spring 2017

  SCENE ONE

  1. Adam’s Apartment

  Autumn 2016. Toby on Adam’s doorstep, soaking wet.

  Toby Is this a bad time?

  Adam You’re soaked.

  Toby Oh. Yeah.

  Adam Let me get you a towel.

  Toby That’s okay.

  Adam You’re dripping on the rug.

  Toby Sorry for barging in on you like this.

  Adam It’s fine. What’s going on?

  Toby Eric and I broke up tonight.

  Adam Wait, what?! How? / What happened?

  Toby I could really use a drink right now.

  Adam Um, sure. Do you want some wine / or –

  Toby Wine’s a nice girl but she’s no match for tonight. I need whiskey. Lots of it. And bring me something while I wait for it.

  Adam Oh Toby.

  He pours Toby a drink.

  Toby ‘Oh Toby.’ I’m going to have that phrase emblazoned on my tombstone.

  Adam hands Toby the drink.

  Adam What happened?

  Toby Eric and I had the Hiroshima of fights.

  Adam What about?

  Toby You.

  Morgan But what Toby actually said was:

  Toby The thing is I can’t even remember. All I know is that I told him I didn’t want to get married.

  Adam Oh Toby.

  Toby There it is again: ‘Oh Toby.’ This time with judgement attached.

  Adam Not judgement … bewilderment. You’re Eric and Toby.

  Toby Toby and Eric.

  I just felt stifled, you know? Eric has this whole future mapped out for us. Marriage, children, a house in fucking Westchester ten minutes from his parents.

  Adam That sounds amazing.

  Toby Then you marry him.

  Adam You two love each other.

  Toby Sometimes that’s just not enough.

  Adam I can’t believe that. Because if you and Eric can’t make things work, what hope is there for me?

  Toby Oh, don’t put that on me. I can’t be a role model for you.

  Adam I’m sure it’s fixable.

  Toby He fucking kicked me out, can you believe it? Jesus, I’m homeless.

  Adam Do you still love Eric?

  Toby I don’t know anything right now. I think I might be a monster.

  Adam Go home. Talk to him.

  Toby God no. I’m sure he’s summoned the coven by now. They’re probably gathered in the apartment doing incantations against me. I’ll probably get a hotel.

  Adam I mean, you can stay here if you want. My parents are in Vermont.

  Toby Yeah, okay. I’m sorry to drop all this on you.

  Adam It’s what friends do, right?

  Toby Like I fuckin’ know.

  Adam And in the morning you’ll call him and you’ll work this out.

  Toby The thing is, Adam, I don’t want to work it out.

  Adam What do you want, then, Toby?

  Toby You.

  Morgan But what Toby actually said was:

  Toby I don’t know anymore. I’m sorry I haven’t been in touch since you got back from Chicago. Things have been nuts lately.

  Adam I’ve been a little nuts, too.

  Toby Yeah? Doing what?

  Adam Been meeting with agents and managers, mostly.

  Toby Yeah, me too. I just got back from LA.

  Adam I’m going there next week.

  Toby The old couch and water tour. The Evian Trail. Hey, I sold the film rights.

  Adam Oh good for you, Toby!

  Toby Yeah. Good for good ol’ Toby.

  Adam Wait, you sold the film rights before Broadway? Wouldn’t you have made more / money if you’d –

  Toby Just shut up, Adam. Hit me again.

  Adam I got the offer for Broadway yesterday.

  Toby Hey, that’s great! I’m glad that all worked out.

  A beat.

  Adam What do you mean, ‘worked out’?

  Toby That they ended up going with you, after all.

  Adam Why wouldn’t they?

  Toby What? Oh. Um. There was talk of replacing you but that idea went nowhere.

  Adam Who wanted to replace me?

  Toby No one, just the producers. Don’t worry, you’re fine. I insisted that they keep you. Glad to hear they made the offer.

  Adam Which of the producers wanted to replace me?

  Toby Oh God, I shouldn’t have said anything. There was the briefest talk of finding a star but that fizzled very quickly.

  Adam Tom told me everyone was excited for me to do the show in New York. That I was the star.

  Toby You talked to Tom recently?

  Adam We talk on the phone. Text, you know.

  Toby I didn’t realize you two were that close.

  Adam Oh. Well …

  Toby What?

  Adam Well … I’ve been meaning to tell you, actually. Tom and I are … we’re kinda dating.

  Toby You and … Tom?

  Adam Yeah.

  Toby He’s fifty years old.

  Adam He’s forty-seven. I wanted to tell you but … you’ve been so busy. It started just after we opened. I didn’t think that he – anyway, it took us both by surprise.

  Toby starts to implode.

  Toby, are you okay? Toby?


  Toby You’re fucking Tom Durrell?

  Adam Toby –

  Toby You’re fucking the director of my play?

  Adam He’s my director, too.

  Toby Which is why you shouldn’t be fucking him!

  Adam I mean, it’s more than just sex. We … we kinda fell in love.

  Toby Oh, I don’t believe this. You’re in love with Tom Durrell?

  Adam I think I might be. He’s taking me to Brazil for Christmas.

  Toby I don’t even know what to say to you right now.

  Adam You could try being happy for me.

  Toby Yeah, but Tom fucking Durrell, Adam?

  Adam What’s wrong with Tom?

  Toby What’s wrong with me?

  Adam Toby?

  Toby tries to kiss Adam. Adam pulls away.

  Toby.

  Toby grabs him and pulls him toward him. Adam resists.

  Toby, stop.

  Toby pulls Adam in once more. Again Adam resists.

  Toby, get off of me!

  Toby pulls him back once more into a kiss.

  Toby, stop!

  Adam shoves Toby off, knocking him to the floor.

  Why did you do that?

  Toby Because I love you.

  Adam No, you don’t.

  Toby I love you.

  Adam Stop saying that.

  Adam No, that isn’t true.

  Toby Yes it is! I came here tonight to tell you that.

  Adam No you didn’t. That’s not why you came here.

  Toby Please, you have to believe me. My heart was pure. My heart is always pure. Unfortunately it happens to be surrounded by the rest of me.

  Adam You’re upset and and and you’re confused –

  Toby I love you.

  Adam And you’re drunk.

  Toby I’ve been in love with you since that night I walked you home in the rain.

  Adam Toby, we’re friends. Eric is like my brother.

  Toby That’s what’s made all of this so agonizing. I fell in love with you and I kept falling in love with you and now I’m completely, irreparably, disastrously in love with you. You have to know that, Adam. I think that maybe you feel the same.

  Adam No, I don’t.

  Toby Don’t feel like you have to be in any rush to answer.

  Adam I don’t feel the same as you.

  Toby Maybe you’re confused.

  Adam I am not confused. I do not love you, Toby. In fact, I want you to leave.

  Toby I’m sorry, Adam. I promise this is not how I wanted this to go.

  Morgan How did you want this to go?

  This brings Toby up short.

  Toby Well, obviously better than this!

  Adam Just leave.

  Toby Please don’t go to South America with Tom.

  Adam That is none of your business.

  Toby Please don’t choose him over me.

  Adam This isn’t about you, Toby.

  Toby Yes it is because I love you!

  You know that Tom is a drug addict, right?

  Adam Yeah, and you’re a drunk.

  If you leave now, I promise I will never mention this to Eric.

  Toby Adam –

  Adam But only if you leave right now.

  Toby But … but it’s raining.

  Adam grabs Toby’s umbrella from Act One.

  Adam Here. Take your shitty umbrella. I’ve been meaning to give it back to you anyway.

  Toby Adam –

  Adam Goodnight, Toby.

  Young Man 1 Adam picked up his phone to call Eric.

  Morgan But he stopped himself before he could dial.

  Young Man 1 Why would he do that?

  Morgan That night in Chicago, when he told Toby the story of what happened to him in Prague …

  Young Man 1 He wanted to see how deeply he could draw Toby to him. He was surprised at how well it worked.

  Morgan Perhaps it worked too well.

  Young Man 1 Adam feared he might have been the unwitting author of Eric and Toby’s breakup.

  Morgan And that was the thought that caused him to put down his phone. Adam may have triumphed over Toby …

  Young Man 1 But at what cost to Eric?

  End of Scene One.

  SCENE TWO

  Autumn 2016.

  Eric Autumn brought none of its usual joy to Eric Glass that year. He was forced to face the future alone.

  Young Man 6 Toby had moved out a few days after their breakup.

  Young Man 3 Walter was gone without a goodbye.

  Young Man 4 Even Adam had vanished.

  Young Man 5 And soon Eric’s home would be gone, as well.

  Young Man 7 Even his country was gone, having changed overnight like a sudden betrayal.

  Eric Like Toby’s betrayal.

  Morgan Eric’s plans for the future vanished overnight –

  Eric – as if written in disappearing ink.

  Young Man 8 Eric’s first task was to find a new place to live. His next was to pack.

  Young Man 2 He was daunted by both tasks.

  Morgan And so it came as a great relief when Henry Wilcox knocked on Eric’s door.

  1. Eric’s Apartment

  Eric and Henry. Henry holds a crystal wine decanter.

  Henry Is this a bad time?

  Eric No, not at all. In fact, you’re aiding and abetting in some very important procrastination. I’ve been thinking about you, actually.

  Henry You have?

  Eric Yes, and wondering how you’ve been.

  Henry I’m fine, thank you. This decanter belonged to Walter. It was his grandmother’s, actually. Waterford. Manufactured in the mid-nineteenth century.

  Eric It’s beautiful.

  Henry I want you to have it.

  Eric Oh no, Henry, I couldn’t.

  Henry You can and you will. You were a good friend to him, especially at the end.

  Eric I didn’t know it was the end.

  Henry Which is what made it all the more genuine. Please take it.

  Eric Henry, it’s way too expensive.

  Henry It would mean a great deal to me if you accepted this as a gift from me in gratitude for your kindness.

  Eric For you, then. And for Walter’s memory.

  Henry Thank you.

  Eric Thank you.

  Henry Are you moving?

  Eric Yes, unfortunately. End of the year.

  Henry Why ‘unfortunately’?

  Eric I lost the lease here.

  Henry You’ve been renting this place?

  Eric I love that you and Walter both thought I was secretly rich.

  Henry I didn’t think it was a secret.

  Eric I’m terminally middle class.

  Henry Where are you going?

  Eric That is a very good question. I’m honestly feeling a little overwhelmed right now.

  Henry Where’s Toby in all of this?

  Eric Burning in hell for all I care.

  Henry Oh.

  Eric Toby and I broke up.

  Henry I’m sorry to hear that, Eric. You’re going through some things right now, aren’t you?

  Eric Not like what you’ve been through.

  Henry It doesn’t have to be a competition.

  Eric I thought to businessmen everything was a competition.

  Henry Not when it comes to suffering.

  Eric Are you suffering, Henry?

  Henry I really wish I hadn’t used that word.

  Eric Yes, but you have, so it’s in play. Are you suffering?

  Henry develops a sudden interest in the floor.

  Henry He still gets mail.

  That’s … well … and sometimes I’ll forget he’s … I’ll think for a moment he’s just in the next room and … anyway, I’m starting to realize just how much I depended on him.

  Eric Funny. I’m starting to learn just how thoroughly undependable Toby was.

  Henry I always liked the two of you together.

  Eric Yeah, me too. B
ut, you know, fuck him.

  Have you been lonely since Walter … ?

  Henry Work keeps me busy. And I have my sons.

  Eric But are you lonely?

  Henry I do listen to music now. I never did that before. Not in a maudlin way, just …

  What’s your plan, then? For the housing situation.

  Eric The plan is to come up with a really good plan.

  Henry Can you afford to buy?

  Eric Maybe. If I look in the Bronx and it’s 1977.

  Henry All you have to do is fix your price, fix your neighborhood and don’t budge. I could put you in touch with a broker, if you’d like.

  Eric I would actually, thank you. I’ve had the wind taken out of me. And then the election. I’m still reeling from that, aren’t you?

  Henry Maybe not as much as you.

  Eric It’s actually a blessing that all of this is happening in the fall.

  Henry Why is that?

  Eric There’s just so much to do in the fall: new movies, new plays, new books, dance, exhibitions. New York Film Festival, City Ballet – ooh, the new Justin Peck piece is coming up! – Restaurant Week, the BAM Next Wave Festival alone, my God! New York is the perfect place to waste your time and still maintain your dignity.

  He notices Henry smiling.

  What?

  Henry I’d forgotten how vivid you are.

  Eric Me? No I’m not, I’m just – what do you do for fun?

  Henry I work.

  Eric And when that gets old …?

  Henry It hasn’t yet.

  Eric Tell me one thing you do for fun.

  Henry I read. History, mostly. Biographies, that sort of thing.

  Eric Novels ever?

  Henry Older ones. I find most contemporary fiction glib and self-conscious. Do you have plans tonight? I feel like having a nice dinner out. Do you want to come with me?

  Eric Oh. I would love to. Oh shit, no! I have BAM tickets tonight.

  Henry Ah. I see. Another time, then.

  Eric Yes.

  Actually, I have an extra ticket. What are your opinions on German expressionism?

  Henry Oh. Well. I have no idea what that is but I’m pretty certain I hate it.

  Eric How would you like to travel to Brooklyn with me tonight and broaden your horizons?

  Henry Must they really stretch as far as Brooklyn?