American Classic (2026) s01e01 Episode Script

Marie, here, hi!
Testing.
Richard, can you hear me?
Test, one, two.
- One, two, yes.
- Mm-hm.
Shh, shh. Shh, shh.
Anytime.
Mm.
What's happening?
Yeah, I know.
I know. I know.
Richard, anytime.
Push me.
Sorry--Sorry?
Push me.
More.
Mm!
Bravo!
Attend the Lords of France
and Burgundy, Gloucester--
and let not women's weapons,
water-drops,
stain my man's cheeks!
"No, you unnatural--"
No!
You unnatural hags!
"I will have such--"
I will have
such revenges on you both!
- Caviar?
- Smile to the camera.
So good.
Can I get a picture?
One photo, please.
It never gets any easier,
does it, darling?
- Uh
- Ah.
Certainly never gets
any easier to watch.
What does that mean?
The actress playing Goneril.
That was an accent, right?
Yes. Norwegian.
Mm! Was that not a problem?
Was that not pointed out
as a problem?
I mean, I don't mean to be
politically incorrect,
but, what,
did King Lear adopt?
It took me out of the play.
Took me right out of the play.
As did the set.
No--Oh, not what
I would've done.
Well, we couldn't afford you.
- Not what I would've done.
- Could we?
Well, overall, though,
you liked it?
And by "it," I mean,
you know who.
Darling, you were wonderful.
The director should just
get down on his knees and
I wasn't pushing?
Not at all. You--
There was no effort.
That's what was so effective.
You look so weak
and sapped and--
and broken.
You made me cry.
I'm sure anyone with a heart
cried at the sight of that.
Hm
I--I know you don't
read reviews
- No. No!
- But--Yeah. No, no, I--
- Polly! I will not--
- No--I--have to. I have--
Raves! Can you believe it?
Raves across the board.
- Except for The New York Times.
- Even The Times.
- Yeah, uh--
- I don't believe you.
- No.
- Ah, what is his name?
- Xerxes?
- Xander.
- Xander Young.
- Xander Young. Yeah.
I just--
I only skimmed the review,
but he--
he clearly loved it.
He said you were the anchor.
- The anchor? Wow.
- Yeah.
He--Mm.
He has--he hasn't
liked me in ten years.
He has not.
- No.
- Here's to small victories.
Bastard.
Can we go somewhere quiet?
I can't bear this music.
You know, we can talk about,
you know, the play and
- No, no, no.
- my performance.
Darling, you cannot
depend on your ex-wife
for your social life.
Anyway, I'm here with David.
David, my colorist?
No. God, no!
Divorce lawyer David.
It's not a date.
He wanted to see the play.
I didn't want to come alone.
David!
Uh, David
- Well, what a pleasure. Hi.
- Richard!
That was a really
excellent play.
Yes.
I have no idea how you
remember all those lines.
Don't say that.
David, only idiots say that.
Look at the time. Wow.
I--I have a--
I've got a--
Oh, oh, oh--Richard--
You see--
You see what you've done?
- I'm sorry.
- Easy. Slow down, cowboy.
- Take it easy, darling.
- Okay, I will.
Hello, everybody.
Table for Xander Young.
Mr. Young!
We have your table
ready for you.
Right this way.
Here you are. Enjoy.
Yeah
Mm, Xander Young.
- Yes.
- Richard Bean.
I heard you liked my "Lear."
I agree with you.
I'm glad we're
on the same page at last.
- I can't talk to you.
- Wh--why not?
I can't talk to you
about what I write.
I'm afraid there are
very strict rules.
Journalistic ethics.
Ooh, well, I just wanted to
swing by and tell you that, uh,
I appreciate your support.
I've waited a long time for it,
but if the truth be told,
I haven't been a fan
of your writing
for quite some time.
But I'm starting to like it now.
- Did you read the review?
- Troy--
No, I had it summarized for me.
He loved the production.
He didn't like you.
- Troy
- I'm a little confused because
he liked the production,
but he--he didn't
like the Lear?
I don't think that's possible.
Do you know how much shit he
has to sit through every week?
- Troy, we do not engage.
- We are not engaging, Xander.
I am engaging, okay?
I saw the show, too.
- And?
- Lifeless, passionless.
Uh, you know--
I'm trying to process this.
I was told
that he said I was the anchor.
Like an anchor.
Dragging the whole thing down.
That's very different.
- We can't discuss this.
- No, of course not.
You can only slander me
in print,
but not to my face.
It's not slander.
It's an opinion.
It's not an opinion.
It's a megaphone.
I have an opinion.
- I think
- Troy.
Troy is too young for you,
but I'm not gonna write
a piece about it
in The New York Times
because that would be rude.
Do you know he used to love you?
He still talks
about your Hamlet
at some little theater
in Pennsylvania.
Wait a minute.
You came and saw my Hamlet
at the MFT?
He wanted to see this kid
that everyone was talking about,
and he thought that he'd seen
the future of American theater.
We're leaving.
But that Richard Bean
is long gone.
And now you're here,
on your own opening night,
a sad old man drinking alone.
- Troy.
- A man more lost and defeated
than King fucking Lear.
There, I just summarized
the review for you.
- You're welcome.
- Come.
Nnn
No!
What the fuck?
You unnatural hags!
No regrets.
- Were you drunk?
- No.
- Were you high?
- No.
What I was
was justifiably, uh, miffed
at a, uh, dismissive,
cruel review,
uh, from a third-rate critic.
And that's why you attacked him
and his husband
and called them
"unnatural hags"?
That's a quote from the play.
Great.
There is a whole subreddit,
whatever the fuck that is,
about you being a homophobe.
Someone called it gay-bashing.
I'm a Broadway actor, okay?
I'm--I'm--I'm as gay
as a man can be
without actually being gay.
You know what I'm saying?
So you don't know.
You weren't there.
No, I wasn't.
Luckily, there's video.
Okay.
But they shall be
the terrors of the earth.
You look deranged.
King Lear is quite deranged
at this point in the play.
I see.
Get away from me!
Behold! I have a weapon!
Go.
Get off of me!
Richard Bean!
Why is the table on fire?
I don't know. I don't know.
I must have left before any
first responders showed up.
This is a viral shitshow,
Richard.
Because it's taken
out of context.
I mean, I'm not saying
it's a deepfake.
But could we say
it's a deepfake?
Nah. I'm gonna lean into
the drugs and booze angle.
- Oh, good.
- I'll put out statements.
Yeah, but not an apology.
Oh, you're filled with remorse
and regret and shame.
I'm not filled
with any of those.
I told a critic the truth.
I have no remorse.
I feel no shame.
I'm a little embarrassed
by the fact that I did launch
into a verse of "Edelweiss"
because I was trying
to defuse the situation.
But apologies, regret?
Mm-mm, no.
So you write whatever
you want to write.
I don't care.
I have to go to the theater.
- Why?
- Because I--
I thought maybe I'd do
a matinee of King Lear.
- What the fuck?
- No, Richard.
You have no matinee.
You have no evening
performance either.
The producers
are putting you on hiatus,
a forced hiatus while
I clear this shit up.
But I have to be
on that stage.
Every performance--
people are gonna think--
What? That you had some kind
of public breakdown?
Well, you did, Richard.
You had a small involuntary
mental collapse,
which I'm going to say
was caused
by mixing booze with medication
you were taking for back pain.
I'm gonna need a month
to clear this up, maybe two.
In the meantime, leave.
- Leave?
- As in go somewhere else.
And I don't mean Brooklyn.
I mean like a remote island.
Another country, another
state at the very least.
So I'm being banished
from Broadway
for, what, entertaining people.
That's what I do!
Okay.
- Hello.
- Mom's dead.
- Who's this?
- Jon.
- Jon who?
- Your brother.
Oh, hi--Hi, Jon.
This is my brother.
Did you say Mom's dead?
Yes.
Did she read the review?
He's coming tomorrow.
He cannot go to the theater.
Promise me.
Well, what do you
want me to say?
I don't know.
Say anything.
Say it's being fumigated.
It's tented. Lie.
Lie?
Why did you have to tell him?
Why did I tell him
his mother died?
He has not seen her
in three years.
The only person that cares about
is himself. You know that.
He just beat up a critic.
It's all over the Internet.
It's literally
the most narcissistic thing
a person can do.
I will deal with him.
I can't even handle
his crap right now.
He's going to come back here.
He's gonna intone
all over the place.
Just in case you forgot,
we are so financially fucked.
- What is that?
- A "Bizou"?
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
You cannot--you cannot
ply me with alcohol.
Come on.
God, I feel so bad for your dad.
I know you do.
Oh, sweet Jesus,
I don't know how you do it.
It's about
how you express the lemon.
Mm-hm!
How the two of you
came from the same parents,
I will never understand.
Richard has to pay
for the funeral.
- I'll ask him.
- No, no. You will tell him.
You will look him
in the eye
Just--
Keep him away from the theater.
- Hey, pal.
- Oh.
Good you're here.
- Glad to be here.
- Hey, I got this.
Oh, thanks.
I'm over--over here.
- Wow.
- Changed a bit, huh?
God, look at this.
Everything.
Everything's closed.
Yeah, well,
times are tough.
Struggling, you know,
like everywhere else.
Still feels like home.
I'd love to swing by
the theater.
No, no, that's not the--
- Let's go to Dad's.
- Just for a minute.
I have to stand on that stage.
You know,
I need the inspiration.
Hey, let--No, Richard,
let's just, you know,
let's focus
on Mom and Dad today, okay?
Come on. I'll take you home.
- Okay.
- You can get settled.
Sure. You're right. Yeah.
I'm glad she went quickly.
No, she didn't, actually.
No, she was sick for a while.
Well, I just saw her
last spring.
No.
Yes, I brought her
that ostrich egg from Harrods.
No, no, that was
three years ago.
- Three years.
- No, but--
- Three years ago. Yeah.
- Three years?
Three years. This is me.
How's Dad taking it?
Well, he's, uh
coping.
You know, it's hard.
Listen.
We need help with the funeral.
Oh, I'll take care of it.
I'll stage something
theatrical but discreet.
Death will be the theme,
but it can't be all about death.
It'll also be uplifting
but appropriately depressing.
Music has to be there.
Quintet, maybe.
I meant paying for it.
I know it's asking a lot
and I hate doing it, but
maybe it'll help you with
the guilt I hope you're feeling
for not having seen her
in all this time.
All right.
Hey, here. Here you go.
- You're not coming in?
- No, I would.
But look,
I got a crazy afternoon.
Miranda's there.
She'll set you up.
Miranda. Great.
Spends a lot of time with Dad.
It's like two peas, those two.
It's--it's nice.
- She'll love seeing you.
- And I her.
Hey, hey, come by tonight.
- I'll make you dinner.
- Oh, great.
I'll stop by the theater
on the way.
Yeah--
No, don't--don't do that.
Just spend time with Dad.
Okay?
I'll come by and get you.
- Great.
- Oh, and, Richard
don't tell dad about the,
uh, the thing with Mom.
- What thing?
- The death thing.
That she's dead.
He doesn't know.
He d--
Won't he--won't he sort of
figure that out,
when he sees her in the coffin?
Just don't, okay?
It'll upset him.
He won't know how to process it.
And this is
a longer conversation.
Just--he'll love
seeing you, okay?
Just enjoy each other.
- Okay.
- I'll see you later.
Dad.
Miranda?
Miranda.
Dad?
Dad?
Jon, you sound like a woman.
Speak from the diaphragm!
It's Richard.
Richard, my son!
My star!
Come on up. Wait.
I'll put something on.
I don't want to frighten you.
Dad?
You're home. Wow.
Look at you.
Oh, wow.
I'm a mess.
I didn't know you were coming.
I wanted to surprise you.
You have been
working very hard, I see.
Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
Look at this gentleman here.
Who is he?
No, I know it's hard
without the hair.
It's, uh--
You did his Earnest at MFT.
Oh, Christ. Oscar Wilde.
You see?
Yeah. Dad, I'm sorry
I've been away so long.
Well, you're here now.
Sit.
You were only 23-years old
when you did it.
Earnest, I mean.
That was the same year
as we did Much Ado.
So have you two
tied the knot yet?
- We two?
- You and Kristen.
Uh, Kristen is married to Jon.
But how does that work
with both of you in New York?
She's here. I'm in New York.
This tapioca pudding.
So tell us
how are things
on The Great White Way?
Oh, they're--they're great.
In fact, I just opened there
in King Lear.
Lear?
Did you hear that, Bill?
"Why should a dog, a horse,
a rat have life?
And thou no breath at all.
Thou shalt come no more.
Never, never, never.
Never, never, never."
How were the reviews?
They were--
All raves. Raves.
Do you remember our Lear?
You as Edmund, Jon as Edgar?
You boys were terrific.
And Ethel as Regan.
She was terrifying.
I built a theater,
best in the country.
But this is
what I'm most proud of.
My eldest, my artist.
And if I play my cards right,
I'll talk him into doing
another play here with me soon,
the two of us together again.
You think about that.
I will, I will.
There's something
that I want to say.
And I don't want you
to respond to it.
I just want you to sit there
and listen to me.
Sure.
Boy, this is--
This is harder than
I thought it would be
and I don't know why.
Here it goes.
I'm gay.
- Oh.
- I'm a gay man.
I was always a gay man,
but I just never
allowed myself to be one.
But now,
in the twilight of my years,
I'm motivated
to tie up loose ends.
Now, I want you to understand
that this is not
the dementia talking.
Okay.
I'm gay. I'm a gay man.
I've always been a gay man.
But now, in--
in my twilight years, I--
Didn't I say that already?
You did, Dad, yeah.
That's the dementia.
Well, that's wonderful, Dad.
I'm so happy for you.
I knew you would understand!
Have you told Jon yet?
Oh, hell no.
I can't tell him anything.
He worries.
He thinks I'm losing my mind.
Oh, there's one more thing.
You must promise me
something, Richard.
You must promise me.
I--I--What?
You won't tell your mother.
I won't.
Uncle Richard?
Oh.
- Miranda.
- Oh, my God.
Oh, you're all grown up.
Don't cry.
Don't--No, no,
no, no, please.
If you start crying,
I'll start crying.
I know, I know.
I just miss her.
Well, we all do. Yes, I know.
God, I'm so glad you're here.
Are you okay?
Well, you know,
she had a good life.
No, I meant with the review
and the whole thing
with the critic.
Oh, that.
Yes, well, uh, um--
You know, I'm kind
of surprised it actually
didn't happen after the Beckett
I actually managed
to repress that one.
Yeah, thanks for reminding me.
How do you know about all that?
Mom forwards me
all your reviews.
Really?
What's that about?
She's trying
to discourage me, I think.
- From what?
- Being happy, I guess.
I never had more fun than when
I went to visit you in New York.
Nana would take me
to see your shows.
You came a lot.
Yes, didn't you?
Wait a minute.
You were a child.
What were you, eight, when you
came to see Virginia Woolf?
I was so scared, but I loved it.
I loved all of it.
All the actors and shows
and the parties.
It was magic.
How many of my shows
did you actually see?
- A lot.
- Really?
Yeah. 'Cause that was
the one place she saw you.
She had to die
for you to come back.
Don't say that.
That's--
That's not true.
It is true.
I'm an asshole.
- Only sometimes.
- Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Anyway, I think I want
to live in New York.
Oh.
I remember you said
if I want to be an actress,
I should be there.
- And I can help you.
- Really?
I mean, I--
There are calls I can make,
strings I can pull.
Maybe not as many strings
as before?
I saw the video.
"Behold, I have a weapon."
Maybe.
But still,
don't rush to New York.
You've got a perfect opportunity
right here in Millersburg.
You've got a theater
in your backyard.
It's where I learned everything
I know about acting
at the Millersburg
Festival Theater.
It was the perfect place
to start a career.
When I played Hamlet,
the acoustics and such--
whatever it is,
it's magical because it was--
It was a communal experience.
You know what I mean?
Have you been to the theater?
Not yet.
You should go.
Put aside your worries ♪
You won't have a care ♪
When the doorbell rings ♪
And the matzo man is there ♪
It's no wonder ♪
He gets so gets
So many calls ♪
No one can resist
My matzo balls ♪
Yeah!
He's
The matzo, matzo, matzo man ♪
You'll fall in love
With the matzo man ♪
Matzo, matzo, matzo man ♪
He's a lotsa
Hotsa muscle with a matzo pan ♪
Whoo!
He's
The matzo, matzo, matzo man ♪
Every Jewish home
Needs a matzo man ♪
And let it not be said
He ignores us nuns ♪
+ I'm almost Catholic
With my hot crossed buns ♪
He's the M-A-T-Z-O-M-A-N ♪
Matzo, matzo, matzo, matzo ♪
Matzo ball, matzo ball,
Matzo ball, matzo ball ♪
Matzo ball, matzo man ♪
- Whoo!
- Whoo-hoo!
Yeah! Give me some
of that matzo!