Father Unknown by David Simms
This Play is the copyright of the Author and must NOT be Performed without the Author's PRIOR consent
FATHER UNKNOWN
David Simms
© 2023
CHARACTERS
Adriana Kloet, 58, daughter of Kaat
Anya Voordewind, 40, Adriana’s daughter
Jan Van De Casteele, 84, a former Dutch resistance cell leader
Daniel Long, 81, a Canadian veteran
Kaat de Groot, 21, and 31, a member of the Dutch Resistance
Johannes, Mark, Jeroen, Rie, Maria and Sanne, neighbours of Kaat’s
Four members of Daniel’s infantry squad.
SETTING
Groningen
TIME
December 23, 2004
SYNOPSIS OF SCENES
Scene 1 Kaat’s attic, Groningen December 23, 2004
Scene 2 Jan’s home, Groningen Later the same day
Scene 3 Outside Kaat’s home April 1945
Scene 4 Jan’s home December 23, 2004
Scene 5 Canadian War Cemetery, Holten Christmas Eve 2004
Scene 6 Jan’s home December 28, 2004
Scene 7 Kaat’s home May 11, 1945
Scene 8 Jan’s home December 28, 2004
SCENE ONE
(Darkness, except for daylight through a dormer window. ADRIANA enters, closing a hatch behind her, switches a light on and inspects labelled boxes. She opens one, takes out a letter and reads it. She finds another letter, this one sealed, opens and reads it. A knock on a door in the house below.)
ANYA
Mother? Are you here?
(ADRIANA places both letters in her backpack. Changing her mind, she slips them into a pocket. Closing the box, she places it in a darkened corner of the attic and turns off the light. The sound of approaching footsteps followed by the hatch opening.)
Where is the damned switch?
(ANYA, her head appearing in the hatchway, turns on the light.)
Really? Hiding from your own daughter? Didn’t you hear me?
ADRIANA
No, I didn’t. Hello, Anya.
ANYA
Too absorbed in your search.
ADRIANA
You frightened me.
ANYA
Don’t tell me you were just putting her things in order. You don’t do that in the dark.
ADRIANA
I thought it was an intruder.
ANYA
Uh huh. Did it sound like a break-in?
(Pause.)
So?
ADRIANA
What?
ANYA
Did you find it?
ADRIANA
Find what?
ANYA
Your birth certificate.
ADRIANA
I already have it. She gave it to me when I was 13.
(Enter KAAT, visible to neither ADRIANA or ANYA.)
ANYA
Something else you never told me.
ADRIANA
It was after I came home from school one day, in tears.
KAAT
Kids had teased her, called her the German bastard.
ADRIANA
Right away, she walked out the door, saying she wouldn’t be gone long. It was very cold, but she was not going to put it off. Not for a minute. When she came back, she carefully unfolded it on the table in front of me, like this…
KAAT
(Pointing to a spot on the certificate:)
Read that. What does it say?
ADRIANA
Mother: Kaat de Groot.
KAAT
And what does it say under “Father”?
ADRIANA
‘Unknown.’
KAAT
Do you know what unknown means? Do you?
ADRIANA
Did she not know? Or did she to refuse to say when she registered my birth?
KAAT
This is private.
ADRIANA
I persisted.
KAAT
No more questions.
ADRIANA
She didn’t know who he was? Had she been...?
KAAT
Enough.
ADRIANA
Was he German? Or Dutch? Did she even know? She put a stop to it.
(Kaat makes a hard slapping motion, Adriana’s head turns, remembering the slap.)
KAAT
No more questions.
ADRIANA
Then—
KAAT
Adriana, I’m sorry.
ANYA
Grandma said she was sorry?
ADRIANA
The only time. Ever.
ANYA
But did you find anything?
ADRIANA
No, Anya. There’s nothing to find. The fact is, I was trying to figure what we’re going to do with all this.
ANYA
You’re just going to throw it out, aren’t you?
ADRIANA
No. I’ll go through everything—
ANYA
What about me?
ADRIANA
Sorry?
ANYA
Do I get some say over what gets kept and what gets thrown out?
ADRIANA
Yes, if you want—
ANYA
Of course, I want to keep some things.
ADRIANA
You never shown interest before. I thought you’d be happy if I took care of—
ANYA
Yes, you’d take care of it, I’m sure. I know what you’re doing.
ADRIANA
No. I will go through everything very carefully. If I find anything that might have meaning, I’ll tell you.
(ANYA inspects the boxes and their labels.)
ANYA
You’re hiding something.
ADRIANA
No.
ANYA
Let me see your backpack.
ADRIANA
No. You don’t get to just—
(ANYA grabs the pack and begins rummaging through it.)
There’s nothing.
ANYA
Don’t you want to know?
ADRIANA
I cared about this once. I got over it.
ANYA
(Looking out the dormer window to the street below:)
Oh look. It’s Jan.
ADRIANA
No. Once again, it’s not him.
ANYA
Who’s that?
(ADRIANA joins her. KAAT looks away.)
ADRIANA
I don’t know. He must be an old friend. Look at them, laughing like that.
ANYA
I like Jan. And he liked Grandma.
ADRIANA
They were never a couple.
ANYA
Would you even know?
KAAT
You don’t have to know everything. Some things are private.
ADRIANA
I would have known. You didn’t know her the way I did.
ANYA
He came to the funeral. He was very upset.
ADRIANA
They went back a long way. They went through the war together.
KAAT
Occupation. Martial law. Public executions. Air raids. Starving.
ADRIANA
It’s not Jan.
ANYA
He treats you like a daughter.
ADRIANA
He’s a kind person.
ANYA
It was wartime. Things were different. Maybe they were just lonely.
ADRIANA
He wasn’t her type.
ANYA
And afraid. Danger makes life more real, love more intense.
ADRIANA
I’m not going to ask how you would come to believe that.
ANYA
Of course not. Why take an interest now?
ADRIANA
Not again. I’m your mother. I deserve some respect.
ANYA
Don’t go there. Don’t even try going there. Respect is earned.
ADRIANA
Having a little respect —for each other— might make us—
ANYA
Especially for a mother who did what you did.
ADRIANA
I knew it.
KAAT
Enough, Anya.
ANYA
Look. I get it.
ADRIANA
I’m not listening to any more of your armchair psychology.
(ANYA blocks ADRIANA’s exit.)
ANYA
Nothing’s going to change. Not until you—
ADRIANA
No.
ANYA
--are able to work out why it is that—
ADRIANA
Anya. It was 40 years ago.
ANYA
--you refuse to face—
ADRIANA
Always it’s that.
ANYA
As it always will be. I just have no idea why you—
ADRIANA
That’s right. You have no idea what was happening to me then—
ANYA
You have no idea what it was like to be left with him.
ADRIANA
He’s your father.
ANYA
Is he?