Original subtitles

Previously on American Classic...

Raves. Can you believe it?

- Except for The New York Times. - Even The Times.

He hasn't liked me in ten years.

He said I was the anchor.

Like an anchor,

dragging the whole thing down.

You unnatural hag!

The producers are putting you on hiatus.

Mom's dead.

- Who's this? - Your brother.

The only person that cares about is himself. You know that.

I will deal with him.

Keep him away from the theater.

Dad!

- I'm gay. - Oh.

Uncle Richard?

Have you been to the theater?

♪ No one can resist My matzo balls ♪

Yeah!

♪ It's the matzo, matzo ♪

♪ Matzo man ♪

It was a nightmare.

People were yelling for gravy and potatoes

and more Brussels sprouts and peas,

and they thought I was a waiter.

I've never even played a waiter.

Not staying for your mother's funeral

because of a matinee of nonsense is overreacting.

I'm not overreacting.

Everything I loved is gone.

You just have to get through this.

Do I? I don't think I do.

Coffee.

Get me out of here and get me back on stage.

I don't care how you do it.

We've been over this.

You are still a meme.

Listen, I'm asking, Alvy, as a friend, okay?

- A what? - A friend. You're my friend.

All your friends get 10%?

Look, I won't stay here.

Just find me a path out of--

I'll call you back.

What are you doing here?

Dinner. Remember?

- We need to sit down. Hey. Hey. - Yeah, well--

We need to sit down,

have a nice meal, drink some wine

and talk about this like adults.

The dinner theater.

- Do not start. - I'm not starting.

The Millersburg Festival Theater used to be a destination--

You know absolutely nothing.

Our parents acted on that stage.

Dad should be there now doing Lear.

Doing it? He's living it.

No, he's not. He's f--Okay.

He's compromised in some ways, but he's--he knows who he is.

He confided in me something that, well, that I--

Confided. So I can't share it.

- He's gay? - He's gay.

- You know. - Everybody knows.

He came out the first time about a month ago.

Now he comes out every day

and then he forgets he did and he comes out again.

It's sad and happy. It's weird.

Well, I wish somebody had told me

that our dad was in a coming-out loop.

Jesus, I--I mean,

you could've called, I would've come and--

And done what? Beat him up?

- Oh, honey, don't say that. - Seriously, that's not cool.

Sweetheart, don't you have something to do?

I wanna see who wins.

He was doing Willy Loman for me.

He did "Out, out, brief candle."

He made me cry.

It reminded me of how great we were.

And now a dinner theater.

You are such a pompous ass.

If you'd climb down from your ivory tower for five minutes,

maybe-maybe you see what's going on in this country.

Do you have any idea how hard it is just to live?

We had to close down for 15 months.

Our subscriber base is gone.

Miranda, why don't you take some duck up to your room, okay?

Can I have some wine?

No. No, you cannot-- cannot have any wine.

A little glass is fine.

You know, we can't afford to produce anything on our own.

So yes, we are bringing in pre-packaged touring musicals

because we're just trying to make sure this theater survives.

Love you, Uncle.

We are serving food. We are serving alcohol.

And let me tell you something,

Forever Plaid and Nunsense saved our ass.

You're gouging out the soul of this town.

You do know that.

What does the mayor have to say about this?

- She's the mayor. - I'm the mayor.

- You're the mayor? - Yep, I'm the mayor.

Deal with it.

Dark N' Stormy's. I thought it was appropriate.

It's usually ginger beer and rum,

but I've added a little--

Just give it to me.

Make it more of an event.

You've changed.

Kristen, you have fundamentally changed as a human being.

Oh, no, no, no. You don't get to tell me who I am.

I'm not telling you who you are.

I'm telling you who you were.

You had very high ideals.

You were an artist.

You built a theater company

with your bare hands in New York.

- No, we. - Out of nothing.

We built a theater company.

You just stopped showing up.

You still blame me

because my career took off and yours didn't.

Maybe that's because I was too busy taking care of you.

Or maybe it was...

something... else.

No. No, I'm not gonna--

What? Say it.

Do I need to say it?

- Yes, you do. - Absolutely not.

- No-- - Do not say it.

- Do not say it. - Say it.

Do not say it.

- I will say it. - Please!

You weren't as good as I was.

You are such a dick.

Well, at the time you weren't.

- You wanna know why? - I was better than you...

I wasn't able to go to auditions

because the entire time I was there

I was looking after you!

Come on, please.

Please, please...

Hey.

Can use the front door, you know?

Yeah. You always used to say

that I was super romantic and stuff.

Hi.

Whoa, what is up with the yelling?

My mom and uncle are having an epic shit fight.

They used to date like 20 years ago.

Your--your mom dated your uncle?

Mm-hm.

Oh, there's duck on the bed if you want some.

Mm! Oh, my God.

So I finished our Mirandall demo.

Really?

- Mm-hm. - And?

It's a total banger.

And you slay the fucking kingdom, babe.

Don't say "slay."

♪ Almost breaking ♪

♪ What's meant to bend ♪

♪ Can we weather ♪

That's your voice.

Jesus, smoke out the window.

- ♪ Try to learn ♪ - Sorry.

You do sound pretty good.

♪ By looking at how--♪

So I can get us gigs when you're at Penn.

And I got a lead on an apartment in Brewery Town.

It's $850 a month, which is sick.

Could we chill for like five seconds?

Yeah. It's not what we're doing?

Yeah. It's just you're--

I'm not accepted at Penn.

I'm waitlisted at Penn and you're talking about apartments.

It's stressing me out.

Penn would be crazy to not take you.

I mean, you're the smartest, most talented,

most wonderful person that I've ever met.

Thanks.

Why am I even trying to go there?

It's a great school.

I know. That's what my mom says, but...

I don't know.

My Nana's gone.

Might be moving away.

Everything just happens so fast.

Life...

You're so high.

You called her a bad actress again.

Why do you do that?

She gets all self-righteous, you know, and just, it--

Writes off my whole life.

She gets in my head.

To this day when I'm trying to make a decision about something,

I--I hear her voice judging me.

You know, sometimes,

when you talk about Kristen,

it's like you think you're married to her.

I just want to remind you

she's actually my wife.

No, I know. Yeah, I know.

And she was a terrific actress in New York.

She just didn't want to be there.

Not with me.

Mom's dead.

She was always there.

And now...

she's not.

To Mom.

I want you to know

I've decided to stay for the funeral.

You know, attending your mother's funeral

is not a noble thing.

You--you make it sound noble.

It's my voice.

I'm gonna pay for the whole thing.

- Every penny. - Yes, you will.

Yeah. I want to have it at the theater.

- The funeral? - Yes.

I want Mom on stage, one last time.

In a coffin, of course.

Obviously.

We'll invite the town.

The theater will live again,

if only briefly.

Then I'll be gone.

It'll be my swan song,

Isn't it Mom's swan song?

Yes, hers too.

It is a restaurant.

And Mom's dead.

I don't--don't know if we can actually do that,

put a dead body in a restaurant.

We're--we're gonna need to get a permit.

I think you'll be able to make that happen.

You know the mayor.

It's a shitty apartment building.

Where a lot of very lovely people live.

And it's on a lot that is not zoned commercial.

So, rezone it.

Best Buy needs 5,000 square feet,

and I can't get that within the mall footprint.

Well, I--I'm--I'm sorry,

but I can't keep going back to Planning and Zoning for you.

People are not liking it.

Best Buy. Best Buy.

I mean, I'm bringing you a Best Buy tied up with a bow.

I mean, look at me expanding your tax base.

It's a gift.

And I do not mean to sound ungrateful,

but there are a lot of people in this town

who were beginning to think that you were the--

- The devil? - Yeah.

Yeah, because the devil comes to town in the dark of night

and replaces a vape shop, Flowers by Barbara,

and a shitty residential building with a Best Buy.

It is the worst Stephen King novel I can imagine.

Flowers by Beverly.

Her name is Beverly.

And I'm really sorry for Beverly,

but I didn't kill her business. COVID did.

Look, conversations like this

are happening all over this country

and they're not easy.

But, you know, you can either

cry for the florist or the vape shop or, uh...

you take my money.

And you take it and you rebuild this town.

Or don't.

I'll just hold a candlelight vigil

for the whole freaking thing.

If I go to P and Z for you,

then I need to be able to tell them that you've committed

to building some low-rent residential,

at least 12 units and in a better location.

- Why not? - And...

a $250,000 donation

to the daycare center at the Y.

Done.

Ooh!

Look at that, ey!

You did cost me some money,

but we're doing it.

We're doing business.

How's the theater?

It's fine, fine.

But it's a lot right now

because I don't know if you know, uh,

my mother-in-law just died.

Do you need help?

Because, you know,

if you help me with the taxes on 217, roll them all in--

You need to go now.

So I, uh, crossed the line?

Hey, listen, you, we're doing good work here.

You should be proud.

Oh, and if I am the devil,

then maybe the devil is what Millersburg needs.

Hey, Dad.

Look at this.

If Jon let your cape touch the floor even for a moment,

you chase him around the room and beat him with your stick.

Oh, yeah, I remember that.

- Two funny boys. - Yeah.

Your mother and I had a great laugh about that this morning.

You two-- That's good.

Um...

Speaking of Mom, uh, we--

we're doing a...

a thing for Mom tomorrow.

At the theater.

A show?

It's a-- it's a kind of show.

Um, it's--it's a--

it's a--it's--it's just--

it's a thing for--for Mom.

A celebration.

Whoa, whoa. Are you in it?

Yeah, I have a part, but it's it's--it's--

it's more of an ensemble kind of thing.

Mom, in fact, is...

the star.

Do you understand?

I understand, but my sweet boy, it's not possible.

It breaks my heart to say this, but...

she gave up her Equity card years ago.

I--I suppose if it's a one-off thing,

the union would reinstate her.

Let me look into it.

Mind you, if--if it's a comedy,

maybe I could take her place.

Remember my Lady Bracknell?

I had them rolling in the aisles.

It's more of a drama, Dad.

Um...

I'll call the Equity people.

I'll let you know what they say, okay?

- Okay. - I'll see you later.

I hope it's not inappropriate for me to say,

but I'm a big fan of your work.

Oh, no, never inappropriate.

I followed your career.

We actually worked together once, many years ago.

Of course we did. Yes, yes!

Yes, we did play together. You were...

Uh, oh, I remember. I know.

I was somewhere with you.

- It was at the MFT. - It was at the MFT, yes. What?

- A Midsummer Night's Dream. - Yes.

Of course, you were-- You were Demetrius.

I was Demetrius.

You were Lysander.

Kenny did the glitter makeup for the fairies.

Oh.

That's when the bug bit me.

I still do all my clients myself.

Oh!

No more glitter though.

- No, it's good. - No.

I mean, it is an art.

I mean, simulating the glow of tissue

flushed with blood

and concealing scars and sutures

so your loved one doesn't, you know,

look like a mannequin.

But the best moment

that I've ever had in the theater

is the two of you doing Our Town.

Ah.

Falling in love in the soda shop.

You were so good together!

So real.

Thank you.

Now, shall we say hello to your mother?

Yes.

She's not finished, but I think you'll be pleased.

Excuse me. Kenny? Kenny.

When--when you say "not finished."

In--in what way not finished?

Don't worry.

She just looks like she's asleep.

Like she could pop awake at any moment.

Yeah.

Could you--

Could you just give me a moment?

Certainly.

What? Jon.

Jon's not very good with death.

I know, I know. Yeah.

Listen, I want to apologize

for what I said at dinner last night--

About my lack of talent?

I was just--

Kenny's right.

You--you were good in Our Town.

You're good in everything.

- I was good. - Yeah.

Thank you.

That was a long time ago.

- Richard. - What is it?

I'm sorry about Ethel.

- I really loved her. - I know you did.

She was like my mother, too.

She wore this to your opening

of Long Day's Journey.

Oh, it's beautiful.

We're gonna put it on her

and no one's even gonna see it, right?

Mm...

Yeah.

Everything just feels so ridiculous and pointless.

What do you mean-- What do you mean by everything?

Everything.

"We give birth astride of a grave."

You're too young to quote Beckett.

You've got your whole life ahead of you.

What am I gonna do with it?

You're going to be an actor.

Mom wants me to go to Penn.

What--What do you want?

I want to act.

But I don't even know if I'm any good at it.

Of course you're good. You're my niece.

But maybe I only wanna do it to piss mom off

because she doesn't want me to do it. I don't know.

I have anxiety all the time

and everything is just fucked up.

Democracy is dying. People hate each other.

The world is just falling apart.

It's different than when you guys were young.

We had the Cold War,

we had the bomb, we had race riots, we had...

Richard Nixon, we had the Vietnam War.

Did--did Papa or Nana ever tell you about

the rock musical that they put on at MFT?

- No. - Viet Rock it was called.

Very controversial. They were picketing us.

I had this song.

"Men Die Young" was the name of the song.

♪ Don't put all your eggs In one basket ♪

♪ Baskets wear out And men die young ♪

One night I was singing it,

and I came face-to-face with this woman that I knew

whose son had just gotten his orders

for Vietnam just two weeks before,

and I'm singing this right in her face.

What did she do?

She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight.

I just kept singing.

What could I do?

Every night after the play,

the audience and the actors would gather together and talk.

Anyway, we--we had our...

troubles.

Yeah, we felt disenfranchised,

angry as hell.

But we had a place where we could commiserate and commune.

Now that place is a dinner theater.

Uh, yeah, but it's still a theater,

so there's hope.

Oh, yeah.

Perfect.

Now the other one has to come in about three inches...

towards stage left.

- How's it going? - Oh, great.

I'm glad you're here.

You can help me with the music cues

I'm gonna have underscoring, you know, between--

As transition.

Why are you there?

That's me in Hamlet.

That was Mom's favorite.

You can't do that.

Why not?

Because it's not your funeral.

I'm shocked I have to remind you of that.

I know it's not my funeral,

but, uh, Mom loved that performance.

It was her favorite.

And the town will recognize it.

Ties in the whole theater, Mom,

the graveyard, death, the whole tragedy.

Okay, fine.

Nina, let's lose the-- the photograph stage right.

Put it downstairs

and replace it with mom in Salome.

No.

Hold that thought. Mom in South Pacific.

It's in the green room.

- Happy? - Yes.

Let's run the, um, the sound cues

for Ethel's entrance, shall we?

Yeah, we're gonna-- we'll run cue 14.

Her entrance-- Her entrance?

Yeah.

Start with number one, please, whenever you're ready.

Number one.

Yeah, I get it. I get it.

It's--You're transfixed.

You don't like it. I know. It's too much.

It was just an idea.

Um, reset 14.

Reset 14.

This next one, it's gonna be entirely different.

Much more lighthearted, more carefree, more whimsical.

You'll recognize it.

It's one of Mom's favorites.

Uh, number six.

Number six, going.

♪ Isn't it rich? ♪

Seriously?

♪ Are we a pair? ♪

What? Too light?

"Send in the Clowns."

Isn't that totally disrespectful?

Is it just me?

Yeah, it's just you.

I said the same thing.

Thank you, Randall.

- You're welcome. - Thank you, Randall.

Yes. And how many Tony Awards have you won?

Remind me, please.

Yeah, okay. I don't know what I'm doing.

I mean, how would I--

Hey, take a breath. Take a breath.

Hey, maybe--

Clearly I know nothing.

Listen, maybe, maybe, maybe

don't have the coffin descend.

Just have it on the stage at the beginning.

Nope. Nope.

She's gotta have an entrance. Sorry, sorry.

This--this is the theater that Mom built with Dad,

and it's her last entrance

and it's gotta be a big entrance.

Okay? Cue three.

Oh, my God!

What the fuck!

Okay.

Go, go, go!

I don't know what I was thinking.

I'm sorry. I just--

I'm sacrificing everything for some cheap spectacle.

I'm not trusting the material.

- It's a funeral. - Yeah.

Everybody loved Mom. They're gonna be sad.

Yeah.

I just want it to be perfect, that's all.

I--

I know you do. I know you do.

- It's gonna be great. - Yeah.

Hey, just the fact that it's here.

In our theater.

Of course. I know. It's--You're right.

- It's your gift to her. - Yeah.

Thanks, Jon. You're right.

Um...

Let's lose the fog machine, Randall.

That's a mistake.

Welcome.

Nice to see you. Thanks for coming.

Welcome. Thanks for coming.

You have the house.

House up.

Richard, Richard.

Here I am.

- How you doing, Dad? - Fine, fine.

Jon's taking good care of me.

Good.

Your mother is so looking forward to this.

We're good.

Would you help Granddad?

Hey, sweetie.

Hi.

Hi, everyone.

It means so much looking out and...

seeing you all here.

And I want to thank you for coming here today

to help us celebrate the life of my mother.

Ethel Bean.

A wife,

an actress, and a friend.

A friend to all of you.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

- You okay? - Yeah. I'm good.

Where were you?

Friend to all

and grand dame of this, our--

our family's theater.

As some of you know, she was born in Dayton

and she worked her way through nursing school

as an upholsterer's assistant.

But the truth is,

life for Ethel Harper Bean really didn't begin

until she played Laura

in The Glass Menagerie right here on this stage.

With Linus there as her gentleman caller.

I think I've got it. I'm good.

I think I've got it.

You know, my mother

always dreamed of being an actress.

But it took her a while to find a home.

This place.

This place was her home.

The Millersburg Festival Theater.

And it's her life in this place

that she would want us to celebrate.

Now, we have a video for you

that was put together by Miranda and Randall.

So, please.

Horace Vandergelder never tired of saying most people,

people in the world, were fool.

And in a way, I think he's right, isn't he?

But there comes a moment in everybody's life

when he must decide

whether to live with human beings or not.

Be a fool among fools or a fool alone.

As for me...

I've decided to live among the.

Oh, here. Excuse me.

Is--is there a funeral happening in here?

- Yes, there is. - Wait.

- What? - You are he.

You're from the movies, Connor.

- Shh. - This is he.

He's the one I tell you about.

Oh, my God. Would you sign?

What'd you sign one thing I have?

Maybe a little later, love.

I'm so sorry. This is totally inappropriate.

- Yes, it is. - My name is Connor Boyle.

I--I'm--I'm working with the mayor.

- Your-- - Sister-in-law.

No, I mean, you are...

No, he's Richard Bean, you idiot.

He's huge.

Oh, you know, huge. Come on, love.

Would you sign something, please?

Of course.

- This-- - Shh! Of course.

He's nice.

Put "To Nadia."

- Na--Nad-- - Nadia.

- Nadia. - Mm-hm.

"With great love and respect."

And I--

"And don't ever--

don't ever give up on dreams."

I won't.

And then put, "Your dreams will--"

"Your dreams will come true one day."

"Your dreams..." I hope so.

"I promise."

- "Love always." - Love...

"I carry you in my heart."

I've run out of room.

Then you just put, put-- just put your name.

Yeah. Great. Really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

- Thank you. - You don't know

how much this means to me.

You don't know how the theater it feeds me.

Hope they haven't buried her yet.

♪ When you walk ♪

♪ Through a storm ♪

♪ Hold your head up high ♪

♪ And don't be afraid Of the dark ♪

♪ At the end of the storm ♪

♪ There's a golden sky ♪

♪ And the sweet silver song ♪

♪ Of a lark ♪

♪ Walk on through the wind ♪

♪ Walk on through the rain ♪

♪ Though your dreams ♪

♪ Be tossed and blown ♪

Hello?

It's your paid friend Alvy.

Richard, are you there?

- Yes, I am. - Here's the deal.

They're willing to have you back at Lear,

but you need to consent

to a psychological evaluation

and two weeks of anger management training.

♪ Walk alone ♪

Yes. I'll have to think about it. I'll call you back.

♪ You'll never walk alone ♪

Thank you.

I have to admit I thought this would be a train wreck.

Well, I gave him a few notes.

It's kind of great.

"We are such stuff that dreams are made on

and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

Shakespeare's Tempest.

His last play

and his farewell to the theater.

Fitting words today as we say goodbye

to my mother, Ethel, the founder of this--

this theater.

It's difficult for me to explain what it was like

growing up in an atmosphere of creativity

and free expression

and the impact that it had on me,

my brother Jon, on Kristen and Miranda.

And this town.

There's Mrs. Wilkie,

my favorite algebra teacher

and a brilliant Masha in The Seagull.

Howard Frazier,

who, when the lights went out

on our Mourning Becomes Electra,

he ran out to his truck,

hooked up our electrical system,

and in five minutes, presto,

the lights were back on.

He knew how important it was

to keep the lights on in this theater.

At that moment, it was the most important thing in his life.

And it still is important

because the Millersburg Festival Theater

was not just my mother's home.

It was and is

the soul of this town.

Sadly, I must report that...

because of financial pressures

and misguided programming choices,

this theater's in trouble.

It might even close. That's right.

But we're not going to let that happen, are we?

No.

I'm coming home to Millersburg.

I'm coming home.

And I swear to you that together

I will restore the soul of this town

by producing and directing and maybe starring

in the greatest production this country has ever seen

of a true American classic,

Thornton Wilder's Our Town.

My son's come home!

This is Mom's funeral, right?

No, not anymore.

It's The Richard Bean Show.