A Fight Against...

Pablo Manzi, William Gregory

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781350185104
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medios de comunicación y artes escénicas
• Subtopic: Escritura de obras de teatro

"He said, 'The day will come when they don't cut our heads off in front of people.' And I asked him, 'Why?' And he said, 'Because we'll cut them off ourselves.'" A lecturer in Chile. A study group in the USA. A guard in the desert. A hangman in Mexico. A woman who won't stop dancing in Peru. Pablo Manzi's darkly comic odyssey across the Americas explores whether violence brings us closer together and what it takes to make a community. A Fight Against… marks the English-language debut of one of Chile's most significant new voices. It was developed on a residency at the Royal Court Theatre, London, where it premiered in December 2021 in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs.

Chile 2014. Concepción. An Apartment

Carla and Alejandro are in the kitchen. Alejandro puts a kettle on to boil and looks for something in the fridge. There is a baby sleeping, so the whole scene takes place in a whisper.

AlejandroHave you eaten?

Carla No. You?

Alejandro No. How were the classes?

Carla Fine.

Silence.

Alejandro (with his head in the fridge) I thought you were crying when I heard you come in.

Carla Why?

Alejandro I don’t know.

Carla Oh.

Pause. He still has his head in the fridge.

Alejandro That’s what it sounded like.

Carla What?

Alejandro You, crying.

Carla Oh, no. Maybe I was laughing.

Silence.

Alejandro (takes out some bread and cheese) Are you hungry?

Carla Not really.

Alejandro What happened to your hand?

Carla Why?

Alejandro It’s bruised.

Carla Yes. I bruised it.

Silence. He leaves the kitchen and goes into the utility room. Hespeaks from there.

Alejandro Do you want me to put something on it?

Carla Like what?

Alejandro I don’t know. Ointment.

Carla No.

Silence.

Alejandro I had a missed call from Ángela.

Carla Ángela who?

Alejandro From the university. The secretary.

Carla Oh.

Alejandro I think she was looking for you.

Carla Was she?

Alejandro I don’t know.

Silence. Alejandro returns.

Alejandro I’m gonna make a sandwich.

Carla OK.

Alejandro You’ve got sort of dirt on you.

Carla Where?

Alejandro On your back.

Carla Have I?

Alejandro And sort of on your neck as well.

Carla Really?

Alejandro Yes. Look, turn around.

She turns. Her shirt looks as though someone had dragged her along the floor.

Carla Oh. It’s just I had to help a student today. She saidsomething to me and I had to sort of help her.

Alejandro What did she say to you?

Carla I could kill you.

Alejandro What?

Carla I could kill you right now.

Alejandro What do you mean?

Carla That’s what she said. I could kill you right now.

Alejandro Who said that to you?

Carla A student. And then she said, ‘I want you toknow that.’

Alejandro And what did you do?

Carla There wasn’t much I could do; she had my face pressed against the blackboard.

Alejandro In front of everyone?

Carla Mmm.

Alejandro All the students?

Carla Mmm.

Alejandro And what did they do?

Carla Nothing.

Alejandro I mean when she had you pressed against the blackboard.

Carla Yes. So do I.

They look at each other.

Alejandro I don’t understand. She was holding your face?

Carla Yes.

Alejandro So what were they all doing?

Carla Looking at me.

Alejandro And what were you doing?

Carla Looking back.

Alejandro And they were /

Carla Sitting.

Alejandro And you /?

Carla Standing . . . /

Alejandro Right.

Silence. He looks at her, not really understanding. The k...