Act IV

ACT IV

Scene I

(Set about a week after the end of act III. Ruth and Mama are sitting in a small living room. The room has little furniture, but everything is very neat and thought out. The walls are painted a dull yellow, almost like gold. )

(Walter enters from another room, carrying his coat)

MAMA: Where you going?

(Walter doesn’t answer, or even look up.)

MAMA: (raising her voice) Walter Lee…

WALTER: I gotta get something, that’s all. (shortly, as if extremely annoyed.)

RUTH: What’re you getting?

WALTER: Ain’t none your business.

MAMA: Walter…

WALTER: (cutting Mama off) Why you gotta be in my business all the time?

RUTH: This ain’t like you. What’s going on?

WALTER: Ain’t nothing going on. I just going out! (very agitated)

RUTH: Walter, why you gotta be all secretive?

(Walter ignores Ruth and leaves the house.)

(Before Ruth or Mama can say anything, Travis comes in.)

TRAVIS: Mama, can I go outside now?

RUTH: What’d I tell ya before?

TRAVIS: I know I supposed to wait for Daddy, but he never here!

RUTH: This ain’t like our old place. You gotta be careful here. Wait for your father.

TRAVIS: I been waiting two days. Every time he says he gots things to do.

MAMA:  He’s just a boy, Ruth. Let him go outside.

RUTH: (Under her breath) Come now. You know how they think of us.

MAMA: (completely ignoring Ruth) You can go out now, Travis. Just be back before dark and stay within calling distance.

RUTH: Lena!

(Travis runs out of the house before his mother can say another word.)

MAMA: Let the boy live. There is plenty of time to be afraid.

(Curtain)

SCENE II

(Beneatha is standing in the small kitchen in the back of the house. The light of day is quickly fading. Beneatha is cleaning the countertop when she notices a small sheet of paper and picks it up. Just at that moment, Walter enters)

BENEATHA: What is this? (motioning to the paper in her hand)

(Walter freezes)

BENEATHA: (Clearing her throat, then looking down at the paper to read)”We won’t be letting no coloreds near our children. You folks leave now if you know what’s best for you. “Cause regardless of what you do, you won’t be here long. We’ll make sure of that. You decide how things unfold.”

WALTER: Found that on our doorstep this mornin’.

BENEATHA: Why would you keep this a secret!?

WALTER: It’s under control.

BENEATHA: Under control!? Walter, this ain’t no game. This is serious (shouting). Oh I knew this would happen (under her breath, more to herself than anyone else).

WALTER: I told ya! It’s under control!

BENEATHA: What Mama gonna think? What Ruth gonna think!? Walter, what’re we gonna do?!

WALTER: You gonna hush up ‘bout it. I told ya, it’s under control. No need worrying then.

(Before Beneatha can say another word, Ruth enters)

RUTH: I can’t find Travis (out of breath, on the verge of tears)!

BENEATHA: What you mean? Where he go?

RUTH: Outside to play. He supposed to be back before dark.

WALTER: It ain’t been dark all of ten minutes.

RUTH: He’s never late.

WALTER: I’m sure he’s…

RUTH: (cutting Walter off) I’m gonna look for him.

(Ruth grabs her coat and starts to leave.)

BENEATHA: I’ll help.

(Ruth is walking out when she abruptly turns around.)

RUTH: What do you have in your coat (accusingly towards Walter)?

WALTER: What you talkin’ ‘bout?

(Beneatha pulls the coat open before Walter can stop her, revealing a small handgun)

RUTH: What you doing with a gun!? Get that out of the house! NOW!

WALTER: We need it! You wouldn’t understand!

BENEATHA: It’s that note, ain’t it?!

RUTH: What note?

(Beneatha hands over the note quickly before Walter can grab it. Ruth skims over it for a moment then throws it to the ground, quickly turning around and running out of the room)

WALTER: RUTH?! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!

RUTH: (shouting from the next room, almost sobbing) TRAVIS IS OUT THERE!

(Curtain)

SCENE III

(The clock in the corner of the room reads a little past midnight. Mama and Beneatha are sitting on the couch in the living room. Walter is pacing nervously back and forth. Outside, rain is pouring down. Occasional flashes of lightning are seen in the window. Ruth bursts in the front door, completely soaked and sobbing.)

RUTH: I can’t find him! (choked out between sobs)

BENEATHA: You checked the main road?

RUTH: Of course!

BENEATHA: And the side streets?

RUTH: I looked everywhere!

WALTER: We’ll find him. He can’t have gone too far.

RUTH: REMEMBER THE NOTE WALTER! THEY COULD’VE KILLED HIM!

(Mama gets up and guides Ruth over to the couch, sitting her down.)

BENEATHA: I’ll go look for him Ruth. Right now, I’ll go. We’ll find him, you’ll see.

(A loud crash from outside cut through the room. Ruth jumps up, as Walter starts to head towards the source.)

BENEATHA: What was that? (voice falters, as if scared)

WALTER: I don’t know.

BENEATHA: You don’t suppose the folks who wrote the note…

WALTER: (cutting Beneatha off) Shut up.

BENEATHA: You think they’d broke in? (whispers)

(Walter quietly walks towards the back of the house, Ruth shortly behind him. Beneatha looks after them from the living room, while Mama remains on the couch. Walter reaches into his coat and pulls out the gun).

RUTH: (whispering) Put that damn gun away!

WALTER:( whispering) I ain’t gonna let them just kill us!

(Another loud crash, this time obviously from the back door, sounds through the house.)

WALTER: I got a gun! I’ll shoot!

RUTH: Walter Lee! Put that damn gun away!

WALTER: (ignoring Ruth) I’ll shoot!

(The door burst open, revealing a dark figure hidden in the shadows.)

RUTH: WALTER DON’T SHOOT!

(At the moment, Walter fires, just as a voice softly speaks.)

FIGURE: Mama! Da….

(A body thuds to the floor. A flash of lightning momentarily illuminates the room, revealing Travis’s small face, a bullet wound in the center of his forehead. Ruth collapses, screaming, while Walter stands in shock at the feet of his dead son.)

(Curtain)