Ugly Lies the Bone (NHB Modern Plays)

Lindsey Ferrentino

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781780018591
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

After three tours in Afghanistan, Jess finally returns to Florida. In a small town on the Space Coast, as the final shuttle is about to launch, Jess must confront her scars – and a home that may have changed even more than her.

Experimenting with a pioneering virtual reality therapy, she builds a breathtaking new world where she can escape her pain. There, she begins to restore her relationships, her life and, slowly, herself.

Award-winning American playwright Lindsey Ferrentino made her UK debut with this honest and funny new drama, at the National Theatre in February 2017.

As house lights fade, ‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’ plays in the dark, preferably the folk-rock version by Glen Navis.

‘When Johnny Comes Marching Home’

When Johnny comes marching home

When Johnny comes marching home again,

Hurrah! Hurrah!

When Johnny comes marching home again,

Hurrah! Hurrah!

Well the men will cheer and the boys will shout

And the ladies they will all turn out

And we’ll all feel gay when

Johnny comes marching HOME!

A woman’s voice speaks on top.

VOICE(Off.) Open your eyes.

Lights up to a small lit area downstage where JESS stands alone, in an army-green T-shirt and men’s sweatpants. Her hair, forehead, and ears are wrapped tightly in a scarf. She wears a virtual reality headset.

Get ready for the Jubilee,

Hurrah! Hurrah!

We’ll give the hero three times three –

JESSExcuse me – Can – Hello?!

Hurrah! Hurrah!

The laurel wreath is ready now

To place upon his loyal brow

And we’ll all feel gay –

JESSHELLO?

– when Johnny comes marching HOME…

JESS rips off the headset and music cuts off. Her face and neck are severely distorted by third-degree burns. Skin is stretched tight with the rippled sheen of melted plastic.

VOICEAre you alright?

Is there a problem?

JESSThat song.

Are you kidding me?

VOICEIt’s just a stock song file. Looks like I have – let’s see – a few patriotic anthems and… Paul Simon!

JESSLook at me.

Aren’t I suffering enough?

VOICELoud music will overwhelm your senses… It’s the same as when you were a child and your mother said look over here so you didn’t notice while she ripped your Band-Aid off… that’s all I’ll do. Distract the brain with enough stimuli, it can’t THINK about your pain. It simply won’t have time…

JESS…

VOICE(Tapping the mic.) Am I still coming through the / speakers?

JESSYes.

VOICEAny pain?

JESSPressure. Under my right eye.

VOICEFrom the headset? When fitting equipment on the first day, I need to make sure the headset itself doesn’t add to your pain.

JESSIt took three surgeries to give me back my eyelid. So no. It’s always there.

VOICEI cannot undo what’s been done, but I can help you move on from here, if you’ll let me.

JESSAnd you think this will work?

VOICEI hope.

In time.

JESS…How long – ?

VOICEThat’s what you’re helping me to figure out.

JESSJust tell me –

How. Long.

VOICEHonestly, I don’t know yet, exactly. Very few people are – well, frankly, injured enough to qualify for this treatment.

JESS laughs.

JESSLucky me.

VOICENarcotics dull your brain’s capacity for pain, but they will not make you healthier.

I want to give the power back to my patients. Back to you.

JESS…

VOICEUntil now, pain management has not improved since World War II.

You could stay on morphine… or try this… Okay?

JESS(Softly.) Okay.

VOICEGood.

So.

Take a deep breath. And let’s begin again.

JESS inhales sharply. Lights shift and the song picks up where it left off.

JESS removes the...