The Boys Next Door by Tom Griffin (1986)

TW: Bulimia Mention, Autistic Slur, Fatphobia, Physical Abuse, Black Slur

 

SYNOPSIS

            We’re introduced to Arnold, a self-described nervous person, that has just done his grocery shopping and bought several unnecessary items after getting bad advice from clerks and other shoppers. When Jack arrives he and Lucien try to hid the extra groceries in the tub, but Lucien quickly spills the beans and Jack orders Arnold to return the items and get his money back. Norman returns from work attempting to hide free donuts from his job under his shirt but Jack sees and gives Norman the ultimatum of giving him the donuts or his precious keys since Norman is supposed to be on a diet. Jack introduces himself as the supervisor of group homes for the mentally disabled with Arnold, Lucien, Norman, and Barry being his charges. Arnold is being bullied at his movie theatre job, Lucien is up for a trial to determine whether or not he can be released into the mainstream public, Norman is dating Sheila from another group home and she wants his keys, and Barry’s golf lessons are interrupted when he gets word that his father is coming to visit. Barry is nervous but excited about his father coming, but it’s revealed that his mother was his true advocate and that after her death is when he became a ward of the state. His father arrives but Barry doesn’t know what to do and spends most of the visit sitting quietly, which upsets his father to the point of beating him over the head and quickly leaving when he realizes what he’s done. Afterwards Barry goes mute and gets sent to an institution where Jack visits and announces his decision to take another job with a travel agency. Back at the apartment, the men throw him a surprise party but only when Jack arrives does it set in that he won’t be their caretaker anymore. The men don’t take it well. Lucien runs to his room crying and Norman threatens to go on a hunger strike, but Arnold attempts to runaway and catch a train to Russia. Jack finds him waiting for a train and Arnold asks to be taken back home of his own volition. The leave just as the train to Russia arrives.

 

CHARACTERS

Arnold Wiggins – 40s, Very Nervous, Autistic

Lucien P Smith – 50s, Black, Large, Quite Slow, Autistic

Jack – Mid 30s, Wry, Allistic

Norman Bulansky – Maybe 30, Fat, Sloppy, Autistic

Barry Klemper – 28, Schizophrenic

Mr. Hedges/Mr. Corbin/Senator Clarke – Adult/Middle Aged, Mild Mannered/Middle Aged

Mrs. Fremus/Mrs. Warren/Clara – Deaf/30s, Cheerful/Very Clearly Autistic

Sheila – Late 20s Early 30s, Overweight

Mr. Klemper – Middle Aged, Coarse, One Armed

 

POSSIBLE MONOLOGUES

            The show opens with a monologue from Arnold detailing his experience as a nervous person trying to shop for groceries. It’s a monologue establishing him as having some mental difficulties that could be cut to a minute with the risk of losing some of the monologue’s nuances. He’s got a fun monologue about accidentally getting a few drops of pee on his pants and deciding it was better to splash water all over himself and blame it on an explosion.

            Some of Jack’s monologues serve to help the play along and don’t stand very well on their own, but his monologue about his ex-wife and Lucien’s impeding trial makes for a fairly somber piece. He has a slightly more humorous monologue about Lucien pulling the fire alarm in the apartment complex to get some aspirin.

            Jack has a series of lines that can come together with a short monologue of his to make a great dramatic one about his mixed feelings towards his father’s upcoming visit.

            Mr. Klemper has two monologues but none of them work well alone in my opinion.
            Lucien has what is probably the best-known monologue of the show. It’s about how uncomfortable allistic people feel around folks that are autistic. I do suggest replacing the R word, with “autistic” but that’s the choice of the performer.

            There are more long segments of spoken word by characters, but I don’t think they work very well outside the plays context. The monologues I chose to highlight are only possible ways to use the play’s text. They are not necessarily monologues that I think should be used in any general situation.

 

PERSONAL THOUGHTS

            I have mixed feelings about this play. On one hand, we have representation with one schizophrenic man, a one-armed man, a deaf woman, and five different autistic characters. On the other hand, is the representation good? This play premiered in 1986 and the language reflects it. The R word is used as the standard though I very much do believe the play is intended to raise awareness to the struggles of people with disabilities and their caretakers. What was daring and progressive in the 80s doesn’t always hold up and it’s been nearly 40 years. I think there would be a number of changes if the play were written or performed today.