Olga's Room

Dea Loher, David Tushingham

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781849434294
• eBook ISBN: 9781849438452
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: British Drama

'The only way not to be a heroine, a martyr, a victim, is to make myself an accomplice, a collaborator.' Communist. Jew. Revolutionary. Lover. Mother. Olga Benario's story is a searing tale of survival as alongside her fellow prisoners she struggles to hold onto her disintegrating sense of self. Based on real events of the 1930s-40s focusing on Benario's time in Brazil and Germany, this gripping play was the first work by one of Europe's foremost contemporary dramatists, Dea Loher, and was originally performed in 1992. After their highly successful run in Luxembourg City, Speaking in Tongues bring the English-language world premiere to London.

MONOLOGUE II

How the revolution came about. 34 Rio de Janeiro: The left form an alliance for national liberation. Freedom from dictatorship. Prestes becomes chairman. 35 Rio de Janeiro: the government outlaws the national liberation movement. There is unrest. We call for revolution. The government announces a state of emergency. And mobilizes its troops. The revolution collapses as quickly as it broke out. It is beaten down. Mass arrests. In searching for the leaders the Brazilian police receive help from the Intelligence Service. And the Gestapo.

They launch interrogations. Prestes is sentenced first to 17, then to a further 30 years imprisonment, that makes 47 years. Those who used to be guerilleros have changed sides and now execute their former comrades. The Chief of Police is called Filinto Müller. I don’t know him well yet. Not well enough yet. But I know a few things about him. That years ago he used to fight for Prestes. For the revolution. And was decorated for bravery.

Filinto Müller is my interrogator. I want to deceive him for as long as possible. To confuse him with different faces and not give myself away. But Filinto won’t listen to any stories. And he doesn’t tell any stories. I have to be extremely reticent. Careful. Don’t be afraid. Don’t show it. I’m saving the past I’m saving my mind I’m saving my life I’m saving myself. I have no fear. I am not a victim. Just don’t believe the torturer. Give nothing away under torture. Not a word. Silence.

PAS DE DIABLE I

FILINTO	Apparently you’re pregnant.
OLGA	Yes, I am.
FILINTO	The Gestapo is well informed about you. You know how Hitler likes to keep an eye on Communist agents, you Jew. I can hand you over any time.
OLGA	I’m married to Prestes. I’m a Brazilian citizen. I am going to become the mother of a Brazilian child. According to the law of your country you can’t hand me over.
FILINTO	You’re lying. Your passport’s a forgery. You’ve got no marriage certificate. You’re a slag, a whore Prestes grabbed out of the gutter to satify himself on, slut. Hitler demands a sacrifice from you, from every Jew a Jewish sacrifice. Perhaps he’ll just take your child away and let you live. You’ll have to sacrifice your child to Herr Hitler. (He laughs.)
OLGA	I can’t be transported. I’m pregnant. I’m malnourished. I spit blood at night. I’d never reach Germany alive. The child would die with me.
FILINTO	Who’s crying about that? One whore’s son less. (He laughs.) Your child. (He laughs.) How do I know you’re really pregnant? That this child isn’t the invention of your sick Jewish brain, that you’re not going to suddenly lose it? That this is Prestes’ child and not from one of the sweaty niggers who crawl out at night like rats from the latrines and beg you: make lust with me, come on, give it to me and you, you doll woman, vibrating, electrified, without morals or decency, you enjoyed it, shaking on a stick like a hollow scarecrow, blown about by the hot wind, inflated, till you’re becalmed, lust diminishes, she sighs with fatigue, never any will power, she doesn’t think, just bodies… bodies… (He laughs.)
OLGA	(Assured.) I demand a doctor. I demand a medical examination. And don’t fool yourself. My name is still in the papers. I’m a foreigner. They care about what happens to me. I want to be taken to a public, to a city hospital. I want to be examined there.
FILINTO	Excellent idea. An excellent idea, this examination. Remember to remind yourself later on that it’s what you wanted. I’ll examine you myself, to make things simpler. No need to be afraid, I’ve got a lot of experience. (He laughs.) I’ll do the toad test on you. (He laughs.) The toad test to detect early stages of pregnancy. A 99% success rate. Lies don’t get very far. (He laughs.) When’s the last time you bled? When’s the last time you expelled your worthless, unfertilized egg, that slimy lump of blood, when? Answer! (Pause.)
OLGA	I already told you. I’m in the second month. The second month.
FILINTO	(Laughs.) Good. Very good. (Lecturing.) The test can be carried out successfully ten to twelve days after a missed period. (Pause.) In the morning you will go to the latrine and pass water. Take your enamel cup or your plate and piss into it. You’ll bring me your steaming urine. I’ll give you a toad, you put it between your hands. It’s a male toad, a man. He sits on your lap. You’ve got to hold him tight, the lie detector. (He laughs.) Better than any lie detector. (He laughs.) I can also take a bit of blood from you. You give him your morning urine or your blood, they’re both equally good to him. Let’s take the urine. I inject your urine into the toad, the male toad gets to drink your yellow juice; food for his flesh, his blood, his lust. You sit there and hold on to him.
	Feel the toady skin against the palms of your hands, the tiny hard, warty bumps. It will take six hours. You will feel the male toad change: his lungs pump harder, his pupils dilate, his body swells up rhythmically, his skin warms and softens, his warts become sharper and harder. – If you’re really pregnant, he will shoot his sperm into your lap. – (He laughs.) After six hours he’ll spray his sperm onto your lap. Toad jelly. (He laughs.)
OLGA	I’ll piss on you. You can give your toad as much of my blood as you want. You can get me to talk, yes, but I’m going to talk about you, always talk about you, without stopping.
FILINTO	But – my little experiments are so harmless. Scientifically approved methods. Specialists use them, experts. Another suggestion then. I’ll even let you choose the type of examination. – Do you know the dwarf carp method?
OLGA	No. No, I don’t know it. I do not know it and I don’t want to hear anything about it. I don’t want to hear anything.
FILINTO	Oh but, you’re going to listen, dear Olga, you are going to listen, whether you want to or not. The dwarf carp experiment is very pretty, really delightful. You’ll like it. It even satisfies – aesthetic demands. (He laughs.) We wait until you’re in the third or fourth month. We’ll have two dwarf carp, a pair. The male has a glistening silky skin of green scales. I inject a sample of your urine under his skin. If you’re expecting a boy, the dwarf carp will change the colour of its scales. Pretty, don’t you think? A living sex indicator. His coat will turn steel blue, with a luminous orange tinge. (He laughs.) And we do the control experiment with the female:
	if you’ve got a girl growing in your belly then the female fish’s egg-laying tube will grow by an inch (Makes an obscene gesture.), it’ll grow by an inch. (He laughs.) If you wish, dear Olga, you can eat the carp afterwards. You’ll have them fried, on silver foil, served with a knife and fork, a fish knife and fork, and with potatoes and melted butter and their colours will shimmer and the egg-laying tube will stick up all brown and crispy. (He laughs.) You’re a good actress, Olga Benario. Pregnant women are quick to feel sick, aren’t they? They’re so sensitive. Those surrounding them are expected to show consideration. Well I’ve heard a lot of people talk about the sickness associated with this condition. But doesn’t it occur mostly first thing in the morning?
OLGA	You’re a pig, Fil...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Characters
• Contents
• Monologue I
• Monologue II
• Monologue III
• Monologue IV
• Monologue V
• Monologue VI
• Monologue VII
• Monologue VIII
• Monologue IX