American Classic (2026) s01e02 Episode Script

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.