WASP

Scene 1: WASP

In a 1950s kitchen, a family is gathered around the dinner table as Dad says a prayer to “God in heaven, which is seventeen miles above the Earth.” The family eats, but Son’s curiosity gets the best of him--he learned that the moon is 250,000 miles away, so that means heaven is closer than the moon. More than that, if Adam and Eve only had two sons, where did all the other people on Earth come from? Mom bursts into tears while Dad assures Son that his science teacher will be punished in hell. When the phone rings for Dad, he takes the call in the living room. His wife, son, and daughter visibly relax; Dad’s presence prompts everyone to put on a facade of happiness. When he returns, everyone resumes eating.

Mom declares that they will have salad after their main course--she has made a large cherry Jell-O mold adorned with slices of mango. Sis excuses herself to prepare for choir “molestation” (as she calls it), Dad cuts himself a slice, and Son frantically rubs his