Butterflies are free (theatre)
The
story takes place in an apartment in New York, in which Don Baker lives. One
morning, he telephones with his mother. He tells her, that he had a little
party one day ago and besides he says to her, that she shouldn't visit him for
one month. Suddenly he hears loud noises in the next apartment. After finishing
the telephone call, Don bets his new female neighbour to turn down her TV. They
begin to talk and some times later the girl, named Jill Tanner, comes into
Don's living room. They talk about their apartments and about Don's telephone
call with his mother. Don tells Jill that his mother doesn't believe that he
can live alone and without her help. Besides they talk about the marriage of
Jill which lasted for 6 days. Jill says that it wasn't Jack's fault (=her
husband). While they are talking Jill recognises that Don is blind since he was
born. Then they talk about her work - she is an actress (doing off-Broadway
plays). Don tells her that his mother wrote a series of children's books about
a blind boy named Little Donny Dark. He tells her that after his dad's death
his only friend was Linda Fletcher, a girl from the neighbourhood. She often
visited him and with her help he got (self-)confidence for the first time. And
it was her idea that he should live in an own apartment.
Jill
says that she has a secret box, in which there are a baby tooth of her, her
birth certificate, a picture of her and her testament. She doesn't want to have
a 'normal' funeral. The people should wear coloured + crazy clothes, she wants
tons of flowers, but no wreaths and music of the Rolling Stones. While Don and
Jill are talking, Don's mother comes in - one month too early.
Mrs.
Baker comes and brings Don some shirts as an excuse to come. Jill did a TV
commercial one year ago. For Mrs. Baker Jill isn't the sort of girl she dreams
for her son. Mrs. Baker wants Don to come home with her. But he wants to sing
and to play the guitar. Don says that, if the music doesn't work out, then
there will be a lot of other things blind people can do. While Don is shopping,
there is a discussion between Mrs. Baker and Jill. Mrs. Baker wants Jill to
send Don home. But she says that he should go his own ways.
This
evening Jill has her audition. For this reason she forgets the dinner with Don.
Mrs. Baker and Don are waiting for her until 10 o'clock instead of 7.30. While
they are waiting they listen to the song "Butterflies are free", which Don
wrote. Jill comes home late. Jill tells Don that she fell in love with Ralph
and that she will leave her apartment for this reason. After a discussion Mrs.
Baker goes home alone. Don says that she only leaves him because she is afraid
of falling in love with him - a blind man. After Jill went out of Don's
apartment, he crushes the flowers and lies on the floor with tears filling his
eyes. But suddenly Jill is standing next to him
