Making a Difference
Act 1
Ellen: I don't believe it!
Philip: What's wrong?
Ellen: Carter Boswell!
Philip: Who's Carter Boswell?
Ellen: He's running for the school board. The election's next month.
Philip: What's wrong with wanting to be on the school board?
Ellen: Nothing. But he wants to cut the school budget!
Philip: Maybe it needs cutting.
Ellen: Cutting the budget is fine, but he wants to do it by cutting all the cultural programs. No music, no dance, no concert, no stage presentations.
Philip: Why does he want to do that?
Ellen: He says it's to save the taxpayers' money, and I think he believes that the taxpayers will vote for him if he spends less on the cultural programs.
Philip: He's probably right. Lots of people want their taxes used for new books and a new paint job in the schoolrooms.
Ellen: Maybe some of us would like to pay a little bit more and keep the cultural programs for our kids.
Philip: Well, I'm not sure, Ellen. I hear it from my patients. Lots of people are tired of higher taxes.
Ellen: I know, but if Boswell wins he'll be an important decision-maker on the school board, and he doesn't know anything about our children's education.
Philip: Who's running against him?
Ellen: Nobody. That's the problem.
Philip: Well, it sounds to me like Carter Boswell is going to win this seat on the board.
Ellen: Oh, not if I can stop him!
Philip: And how are you going to stop him?
Ellen: I don't know. Maybe I'll run against him.
Philip: Well, you've got my vote.
Ellen: I'm serious, Philip. Why shouldn't I run?
Robbie: Why shouldn't you run for what, Mom?
Philip: Your mother is thinking of running for the school board.
Robbie: Hey, that's terrific, Mom!
Richard: Against Carter Boswell? Great!
Ellen: Well, if I run for office, the voters will have a clear choice. I stand for everything Boswell doesn't.
Marilyn: I think a lot of people will vote for you against Boswell, Ellen. I'll vote for you.
Ellen: Will you help me if I do run?
Marilyn: Absolutely.
Ellen: The trouble is it takes a little bit of money to run a campaign.
Philip: I think you can make a difference, Ellen. And in a short campaign you wouldn't need as much money. You know something, Ellen? Why not give the people of Riverdale a clear choice? I'm with you. You can make a difference.
Maxwell: Come in.
Ellen: Mr. Maxwell?
Maxwell: Yes, Charles Maxwell.
Ellen: My name is Ellen Stewart.
Maxwell: Hello. Please, sit down. You asked to see me. What would you like to see me about?
Ellen: I'd like your help.
Maxwell: Well, I'm editor of the most influential newspaper in Riverdale. Actually, it's the only newspaper. A lot of people would like my help. Do you have a story?
Ellen: I'm planning to run for the school board.
Maxwell: Against Carter Boswell?
Ellen: Yes.
Maxwell: Well, that is news.
Ellen: Will you announce that I'm running?
Maxwell: Sure. But I need some information.
Ellen: Of course.
Maxwell: Why will the voters vote for you against Boswell, Mrs. Stewart?
Ellen: Because I care.
Maxwell: "Vote for Ellen Stewart. She cares." Not a bad slogan. But what do you care about?
Ellen: Well, I care about the children of our town. I don't want them to grow up without cultural programs in our school.
Maxwell: Do you have a plan?
Ellen: I want our children to learn more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. I want to keep the after-school programs—the music, the concerts.
Maxwell: It's not a bad plan. But who's going to pay for all of this?
Ellen: We are. The citizens of Riverdale, of course. I plan to get help from the businessmen and the corporations of Riverdale.
Maxwell: That's fair enough. Exactly what do you want from me, Mrs. Stewart?
Ellen: You don't know me. I can't expect you to take my side against Boswell. But I do need some publicity so that the people of our town know that I'm running for office and that I care about our children.
Maxwell: Fair enough. I certainly can print the news. And you are now making news.
Act 2
Grandpa: Here are the fliers, hot off the press!
Ellen: Looks good. Simple.
Marilyn: Right over there, Grandpa. You fold the fliers, Richard and I will put them into the envelopes.
Richard: We finished addressing over three hundred envelopes.
Grandpa: Need another box?
Ellen: Good work, gang.
Mike: Hi, this is Mike Johnson. Can I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Anderson? Thanks.
Robbie: Mr. Nelson. Hi. This is Robbie Stewart. Did you know my mother is running for the school board?
Jimmy: Yes, Miss Kim, Ellen Stewart. "She cares." Oh, see you at the polls.
Robbie: Certainly, I'll give her your best wishes, Mr. Nelson.
Mike: Hi, this is Mike Johnson. Can I speak with Mr. or Mrs. Burns? Thank you.
Ellen: We have done so much in such a short amount of time. I can't believe it! Wait till Philip comes and sees our progress!
Robbie: Everyone saw the story in the Riverdale newspaper.
Ellen: Mr. Maxwell was very kind to print my announcement.
Grandpa: It helps enormously. Everybody in Riverdale reads his paper.
Richard: Your photo in it helped, too.
Ellen: Thanks to you, Richard, it's a good picture.
Philip: Well, hi, all.
Richard & Robbie: Hi, Dad.
Ellen: Hello, darling.
Philip: May I... may I help?
Marilyn: Licking envelopes.
Grandpa: I fold the fliers.
Richard: We stuff them.
Philip: And I lick the envelopes.
Robbie: Hey, everybody, Mrs. Greenberg is on the phone. She says Carter Boswell is on the TV right now—doing a commercial.
Philip: What channel?
Robbie: Five.
Philip: Five?
Boswell: ...and if you ask what I care about, I'll tell you. I care about the school buildings in need of paint. I care about more lockers for the teachers. I care about new fixtures in the hallways—not music or dancing or entertainment. I care about the practical things. If you do, vote for me, Carter Boswell.
Ellen: A lot of people will agree with him.
Philip: I told you.
Robbie: Too bad kids can't vote. It's our school, but we can't vote.
Richard: There are people in favor of the cultural programs, Mom.
Marilyn: There are, Ellen. Don't be upset by Boswell's commercial.
Philip: You have to go on television, too.
Ellen: Boswell's a powerful speaker.
Philip: You can be, too. Your ideas are good ones.
Ellen: I don't know. I'm not sure I'm up to it.
Act 3
Ellen: ...my slogan is "I care". I care about people, not things. Vote for me, Ellen Stewart. I care. How was it?
Richard: You were terrific!
Ellen: Can I see it?
Richard: Sure.
Ellen: Hello. My name is Ellen Stewart, and I'm running for the open seat on the school board. My slogan is "I care". What does the word care mean?... I care about people, not things. Vote for me, Ellen Stewart. I care.
Philip: I like it, but now what? How can we possibly get it on so Riverdale will see it and hear it?
Richard: Leave it to me.
Ellen: ...I mean that when I say "I care". I care about people, not things. Vote for me, Ellen Stewart. I care.
Marilyn: What happened?
Richard: Mom is now on television in every appliance store in Riverdale, except Hamlin's. He's a Boswell voter.
Philip: That's a brilliant idea, Richard!
Grandpa: You inherited your father's brains.
Philip: We got our brains from you, Dad.
Richard: And guess what? I called channel five. Their TV news is going to cover it. "Housewife campaigns in appliance stores." And I'll bet some magazine will pick up the story, too.
Robbie: Mom, you're going to win! I know it!
Philip: Hold it, Robbie! Just cool down. I know we're getting some attention now, but in the end the voters will have to decide.
Grandpa: You're going to win. Trust me!
Reporter: In the hotly contested race for the one seat on the Riverdale School Board, Mrs. Ellen Stewart has taken an early lead.
Robbie: She's winning! Mom, you're winning!
Reporter: Now returning to other local news... Riverdale High School beat its rival Horace Mann in baseball today...
Ellen: It's too soon to know for certain.
Philip: You're ahead. That's better than being behind.
Reporter: More sports after this.
Ellen: It's not over yet. Let's just all calm down, and wait for the final results.
Grandpa: Ellen, why don't you go out to the backyard and get some fresh air?
Ellen: Thank you, Grandpa. I need some.
Ellen: What happened?
Philip: You came very close, Ellen.
Grandpa: You lost by only a hundred and twenty-one votes.
Ellen: I lost.
Richard: You tried, Mom.
Marilyn: You lost by a very small number of votes.
Robbie: Only one hundred and twenty-one votes! I'm sorry, Mom.
Ellen: There just wasn't enough time.
Philip: Look, you've made a very strong impression on our community. You'll have another chance next election.
Philip: Hello. Oh, yes, yes, Mr. Maxwell.
Ellen: Hello, Mr. Maxwell.
Maxwell: How are you? I just called to tell you that you are very impressive. You lost the election, but you won the attention of the residents of Riverdale, of Boswell, and of me.
Ellen: Well, thank you, Mr. Maxwell. I appreciate your kind words. I needed that.
Maxwell: I hear Boswell wants to appoint you to a special arts committee. I'm sending over a reporter in the morning to interview you.
Ellen: You are?
Maxwell: I'm going to do an article on "Ellen Stewart—she cares." Maybe we'll all care now. Good-bye.
Ellen: Thank you—and good-bye.
Philip: What was that about?
Ellen: You were right, Philip. I did make a difference in town.
Robbie: And in this family.