Havana is Waiting and Other Plays

Eduardo Machado

• Publisher: Theatre Communications Group
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN:
  9781559363662
• eBook ISBN:
  9781559366601
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: American Drama
• Index: Literature

“The existential pain of exile, the confusions of sexual identity and the complex legacies of the Cuban revolution are predominant [in] Mr. Machado’s writing,” –The New York Times

Eduardo Machado explores his lifelong themes with humor and passion in Havana Is Waiting (a writer returns to Cuba after thirty years), Kissing Fidel (a comedy set in Miami funeral parlor), The Cook (chronicling Cuban history), and Crocodile Eyes (inspired by Federico García Lorca).

Eduardo Machado is the author of more than forty plays. Born in Cuba, his plays have been widely performed. He is artistic director of INTAR Theatre and head of playwriting at New York University.

THE COOK

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For Amy Madigan

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PRODUCTION HISTORY

The Cook was originally commissioned by the Cherry Lane Theatre (Angelina Fiordellisi, Artistic Director) and premiered in December 2003 at INTAR Hispanic Arts Center in New York City (Max Ferrá, Founder and Producing Artistic Director). The production was directed by Michael John Garcés; the set design was by Antje Ellermann, the costume design was by Elizabeth Hope Clancy, the lighting design was by Kirk Bookman, the sound design was by David M. Lawson and the original music was by José Conde. It was performed by:

GLADYS	Zabryna Guevara
CARLOS	Jason Madera
ELENA/ROSA	Nilaja Sun
ADRIA/LOURDES	Maggie Bofill
JULIO	Jason Quarles

The final draft of The Cook (which is printed here) premiered in November 2007 at Seattle Repertory Theatre (David Esbjornson, Artistic Director; Benjamin Moore, Managing Director). It was directed by Juliette Carrillo; the set design was by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams, the costume design was by Elizabeth Hope Clancy, the lighting design was by Geoff Korf and the music composition/sound design was by Chris Webb. The stage manager was Amy Poisson and the assistant stage manager was Lori Amondson Flint. It was performed by:

GLADYS	Zabryna Guevara
CARLOS	Al Espinosa
ELENA/ROSA	Jessica Pimentel
ADRIA/LOURDES	Yetta Gottesman
JULIO	A.K. Murtadha

CHARACTERS

GLADYS
CARLOS
ELENA
ADRIA
JULIO
ROSA
LOURDES

TIME AND PLACE

El Vedado, a district of La Habana, Cuba
Act I: New Year’s Eve, 1958
Act II: 1972
Act III: 1997

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ACT ONE

A mansion in El Vedado, a district of La Habana, Cuba. December 31, 1958. Gladys, the cook, is talking to her husband, Carlos, the chauffeur. They are both in their early thirties. They are in the kitchen. The kitchen is luxurious. They are in the middle of serving a New Year’s Eve party. There is a big bucket of homemade ice cream on top of a counter. Carlos is trying to steal a taste with a spoon. Gladys is brushing his hand away.

GLADYS: No, Carlos!

CARLOS: Just a little bit, baby. Just a little taste of something sweet on my lips.

GLADYS: Kiss me then.

CARLOS: Come on.

GLADYS: My lips are sweeter than any dessert.

CARLOS: Baby! A taste, that’s all.

GLADYS: It’s for the party!

CARLOS: They won’t know.

GLADYS: But I will.

CARLOS: They’re all drunk. Who cares.

GLADYS: I care.

CARLOS: Come on, one taste.

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GLADYS: I said no.

CARLOS: Oh, really.

GLADYS: Yes.

CARLOS: Are you going to tell me what to do?

GLADYS: That’s right.

CARLOS: It’s New Year’s Eve. Something’s gotta be for me.

GLADYS: I don’t mix business with pleasure.

CARLOS: They won’t mind.

GLADYS: But I mind. It’s my job. What if we run out?

CARLOS: Are you kidding?

GLADYS: We work for them.

CARLOS: So?

GLADYS: So we don’t eat their food. Unless they tell us to.

CARLOS: I’m having some and that’s that.

(He takes a little spoonful.)

GLADYS: You’ll never learn.

CARLOS: This is good! This is goddamned delicious!

GLADYS: Really?

CARLOS: Baby.

GLADYS: I am your baby.

CARLOS: What a cook!

GLADYS: Well.

CARLOS: What fruit did you put in it?

GLADYS: Guess.

CARLOS: I gotta take another bite.

GLADYS: Nothing like homemade ice cream.

CARLOS: Another taste, please.

GLADYS: Use another spoon.

CARLOS: Why?

GLADYS: That one has your saliva on it.

CARLOS: Jesus!

(She gives him another spoon.)

GLADYS: Don’t complain, you’re getting another bite.

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(Carlos takes the other spoon.)

Taste it.

(He does.)

CARLOS: Mango?

GLADYS: No.

CARLOS: Papaya?

GLADYS: Way off.

CARLOS: Guayaba, has to be guayaba.

GLADYS: Guayaba? For the Señora Adria Santana? Are you kidding?

CARLOS: How do I know?

GLADYS: She has a more delicate palate.

CARLOS: Really? Well . . . Well . . .

GLADYS: It’s strawberry.

CARLOS: Hmm. Strawberry.

GLADYS: Do you like it better than the lime?

CARLOS: Better than the lime?

GLADYS: Yes, do you? You had the lime last year. Bring in ’58 with lime, ’59 with strawberry.

CARLOS: And ’60 with rum?

GLADYS: I don’t know about the future.

CARLOS: I do.

GLADYS: I don’t want to hear about it.

CARLOS: You’re gonna have to . . .

(Elena enters.)

ELENA: It’s fun.

GLADYS: Elena. You’re so sweet.

(Elena exits.)

CARLOS: Give me another spoonful.

(Gladys laughs.)

GLADYS: When it’s finished.

CARLOS: It’s delicious. It has to be finished.

GLADYS: No! Now it’s going to turn into “Baked Alaska”!

CARLOS: What?

GLADYS: Cake underneath, meringue on top. Then right before the New Year, I put it in the oven to brown.

CARLOS: Are you crazy?

GLADYS: No.

CARLOS: It will melt!

GLADYS: Apparently not.

CARLOS: Impossible.

GLADYS: Señora...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• BOOKS BY EDUARDO MACHADO
• Dedication
• HAVANA IS WAITING
• KISSING FIDEL
• THE COOK
• CROCODILE EYES
• Copyright Page