THE COCKTAIL HOUR
by A.R. Gurney
New York- Mid-1970's -Ann (50-Q0)


A family reunion goes awry when John, a playwright, announces that his new play is about the family.   Here, Ann, his well? meaning mother, encourages him to write a book instead.


ANN:     All  right,   then,  I want  to  say  this:  I don't like  all  this psychological  talk, John.    I never have.   I think it's  cheap and  self? indulgent.      I've  never   liked   the  fact   that   you've consulted a psychiatrist, and your father  agrees  with me.  It upsets us very  much to think that the money  we give  you  at Christmas goes for  paying that   person   rather   than   for   taking   your   children   to  Aspen   or
somewhere. I don't like psychiatrists in general.  Celia Underwood went  to  on,
bridge.   Psychiatrists make you think about yourself  too much.   And about  the bedroom  too much.  There's no need!
[JOHN:  Mother-  ]
ANN:  No,  please  let  me finish.    Now I want you  to write,  John. I think  sometimes you  write  quite  well,  and  I think  it's  a  healthy enterprise.  But I think you should  write books. In books,  you can talk the way you've just talked and it's not embarrassing. In books, you  can go into  people's minds...   Now we all  have  things  in our lives which we've done,  or  haven't done,  which a book could  make clear. I mean, I myself could  tell you...I could tell you...I could  tell you lots of things if I knew you would  write them down quietly  and carefully and sympathetically in a good,  long  book...