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.