AUNT RAINI by Tom Smith

JOEL

The masters of her three major films. Her notes. Her diary. Entries she wrote during the time she filmed Hitler. All of it?

KATHERINE

Horst sent them.

JOEL

Why?

KATHERINE

She wanted me to have them. They were bequeathed to me.

JOEL

I see.

KATHERINE

Is that why you're here?

JOEL

My students asked me what I knew about all this. They wanted to know how it felt dating someone whose family persecuted the very people my art celebrated. Do you know what I told them? I said, "I didn't know who she was until it was too late." Then Joshua—this kid in the front row—a good student—not a great one, but a good one—the kind who never wants to rock the boat. Joshua looks at me with this…disdain…and says, "Isn't that what the Germans said about Hitler?" And he was right. I can't defend you anymore, Katie.

KATHERINE

No one's asking you to.

JOEL

I tried telling myself it was a pattern, something you couldn't control. Your father made you keep a secret that eventually killed your mother so that must have messed you up pretty badly!

KATHERINE

Go to hell!

JOEL

You knew who Raini was and you never told me!

KATHERINE

Why should it matter? I'm not my aunt. Nothing she did or didn't do has any bearing on me.

JOEL

Of course it does; you know it does. That's why it was so important for you to have a Jewish boyfriend. You used me!

KATHERINE

What are you talking about?

JOEL

You knew that someday someone—I don't know, maybe some film student or a rival gallery or someone—would trace Raini back to you. And the best way to defend yourself against that whole backlash would be to mention you were dating a Jew. Every serious boyfriend you've ever had was Jewish. Was that really just a coincidence?

KATHERINE

Yes! Do you honestly think my life is so dictated by Aunt Raini's that I chose who I fell in love with as some kind of atonement for what she did?

JOEL

You're a smart woman, Katie. A great business woman.

KATHERINE

Our relationship was not a lie.

JOEL

I suppose I should be grateful. At least I got more attention in your gallery. As soon as we started dating, my work went from the back corner to the front window.

KATHERINE

Because there was a buzz about it!

JOEL

That you started. But stupid me, I thought it was because you loved my art. But really you just loved my ethnicity. “Highlight the Jew boy's Jewish art!” I'm not stupid, Katie. I know I should be grateful. I would have no career without you. You got me reviewed in the Weekly , in the Times . You called Becky Dobbins personally. Without you, I'd be one more starving artist. But without me, you'd be vulnerable to losing your credibility. I haven't called in five weeks because I didn't know how to feel about my work being sold by someone like that.

KATHERINE

You honestly believe I was just using you this entire time? That it was all some kind of orchestrated relationship to keep my gallery going?

JOEL

I don't know. You kept a lot of secrets from me, Katie, so how can I be sure it wasn't? A lot of people in the art community sure see it that way.

KATHERINE

People at the Blackman Gallery?

JOEL

Among others.

KATHERINE

It didn't take you long to find new representation. Quite a step up.

JOEL

They sold my entire series in four days.

KATHERINE

I read about that in the Weekly. It seems you're everywhere these days.

JOEL

(Beat.)

So, what are you going to do?

KATHERINE

About what?

JOEL

Raini's masters. Her diaries.

KATHERINE

I'm not sure yet.

JOEL

Lionel told a reporter that you were thinking about putting it together as some kind of exhibit?

KATHERINE

I just got back from the Silver Gallery and they're very interested. Which made me realize that I should probably cut out the middle-man and show them myself.

JOEL

How can you even consider that? How can you exhibit those symbols of hate?

KATHERINE

It's art.

JOEL

That's always the catch-all, isn't it? Exhibit anything you want, as long as you call it art. It doesn't matter if it hurts anyone, as long as it brings you notoriety and a fat commission.

KATHERINE

(Mocking HIM.)

I hate art that just sits on a wall, Joel. I like art that pisses people off.

JOEL

When did it happen, Katie? When was the moment you realized being ashamed of your aunt wasn't as profitable as exploiting her?

KATHERINE

I don't get it: no one in your family was killed during the war. You never go to synagogue. You celebrate Christmas, for God's sake. But ever since the press got wind of this you're suddenly the voice of all Jews, spouting quotes for the papers, full of righteous indignation.

JOEL

Don't I have a reason to be indignant? I mean, in this case? I'm sorry you think that I'm overreacting to all this. I'm sorry you think it wasn't important to mention to your Jewish boyfriend that your aunt was a Nazi!

KATHERINE

Aunt Raini was not a—

JOEL

The entire world knows it! Why else did she live in the country—in exile!—for the rest of her life? She took up photography because no one would fund her films anymore! For God's sake, she had to go underwater to find a world that didn't despise her!

KATHERINE

Jesus! You Jews certainly shout about your own persecution, but God forbid anyone should point out your persecution of Germans!

JOEL

"You Jews"?!?

KATHERINE

They're all Nazis as far as you're concerned! Every one of them! But contrary to your revisionist history, Joel, not every German was a Nazi. And not every Nazi killed Jews.

JOEL

No, some of them killed gays and Jehovah's Witnesses. Even if they weren't all Nazis, even if they didn't pull the trigger themselves, the Germans allowed it to happen. They're all accessories to murder.

KATHERINE

Just like all Arabs are guilty of 9-11?

JOEL

In many ways, yes.

KATHERINE

(Stunned.)

Just listen to yourself! Is your world really that black-and-white?

JOEL

There's only one truth, Katie. You can't create another just because you don't like it.