The America Play and Other Works

Suzan-Lori Parks

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781559367363
• Topic: Literatur
• Subtopic: Amerikanische Dramaturgie

"Parks has burst through every known convention to invent a new theatrical language, like a jive Samuel Beckett, while exploding American cultural myths and stereotypes along the way.... She's passionate and jokey and some kind of genius."-- Vogue

Imperceptible Mutabilities in the Third Kingdom

1986-1989

PART 1: SNAILS

A.

Slide show: Images of Molly and Charlene. Molly and Charlene speak as the stage remains semi-dark and the slides continue to flash overhead.

CHARLENE: How dja get through it?

MOLLY: Mm not through it.

CHARLENE: Yer leg. Thuh guard. Lose weight?

MOLLY: Hhh. What should I do Chona should I jump should I jump or what?

CHARLENE: You want some eggs?

MOLLY: Would I splat?

CHARLENE: Uhuhuhnnnn. . .

MOLLY: Twelve floors up. Whaduhya think?

CHARLENE: Uh-uh-uhn. Like scrambled?

MOLLY: Shit.

CHARLENE: With cheese? Say “with” cause ssgoin in.

MOLLY: I diduhnt quit that school. HHH. Thought: nope! Mm gonna go on—go on ssif nothin ssapin yuh know? “S-K” is /sk/ as in “ask.” The little-lamb-follows-closely-behind-at-Marys-heels-as-Mary-boards-the-train. Shit. Failed every test he shoves in my face. He makes me recite my mind goes blank. HHH. The-little-lamb-follows-closely-behind-at-Marys-heels-as-Mary-boards-the-train. Aint never seen no woman on no train with no lamb. I tell him so. He throws me out. Stuff like this happens every day y know? This isnt uh special case mines iduhnt uh uhnnn.

CHARLENE: Salami? Yarnt veg anymore.

MOLLY: “S-K” is /sk/ as in “ask.” I lie down you lie down he she it lies down. The-little-lamb-follows-closely-behind-at-Marys-heels. . . .

CHARLENE: Were you lacto-ovo or thuh whole nine yards?

MOLLY: Whole idea uh talkin right now aint right no way. Aint natural. Just goes tuh go. HHH. Show. Just goes tuh show.

CHARLENE: Coffee right?

MOLLY: They—expelled—me.

CHARLENE: Straight up?

MOLLY: Straight up. “Talk right or youre outta here!” I couldnt. I walked. Nope. “Speak correctly or you’ll be dismissed!” Yeah. Yeah. Nope. Nope. Job sends me there. Basic skills. Now Job dont want me no more. Closely-behind-at-Marys-heels. HHH. Everythin in its place.

CHARLENE: Toast?

MOLLY: Hate lookin for uh job. Feel real whory walkin thuh streets. Only thing worse n workin sslookin for work.

CHARLENE: I’ll put it on thuh table.

MOLLY: You lie down you lie down but he and she and it and us well we lays down. Didnt quit. They booted me. He booted me. Couldnt see thuh sense uh words workin like he said couldnt see thuh sense uh workin where words workin like that was workin would drop my phone voice would let things slip they tell me get Basic Skills call me breaking protocol hhhhh! Think I’ll splat?

CHARLENE: Once there was uh robber who would come over and rob us regular. He wouldnt come through thuh window he would use thuh door. I would let him in. He would walk in n walk uhround. Then he would point tuh stuff. I’d say “help yourself.” We developed us uh relationship. I asked him his name. He didnt answer. I asked him where he comed from. No answer tuh that neither. He didnt have no answers cause he didnt have no speech. Verona said he had that deep jungle air uhbout im that just off thuh boat look tuh his face. Verona she named him she named him “Mokus.” But Mokus whuduhnt his name.

MOLLY: Once there was uh me named Mona who wanted tuh jump ship but didnt. HHH. Chona? Ya got thuh Help Wanteds?

CHARLENE: Flies are casin yer food Mona. Come eat.

MOLLY: HELP WANTEDS. YOU GOT EM?

CHARLENE: Wrapped thuh coffee grinds in em.

MOLLY: Splat.

B.

Lights up onstage with canned applause. At the podium stands the Naturalist.

NATURALIST: As I have told my students for some blubblubblub years, a most careful preparation of one’s fly is the only way by in which the naturalist can insure the capturence of his subjects in a state of nature. Now for those of you who are perhaps not familiar with the more advanced techniques of nature study let me explain the principle of one of our most useful instruments: “the fly.” When in Nature Studies the fly is an apparatus which by blending in with the environment under scrutiny enables the naturalist to conceal himself and observe the object of study—unobserved. In ou...