The Supine Cobbler

Jill Connell

• Éditeur: Coach House Books
• Année: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781770564923
• Sujet: Literature
• Sous-sujet: Canadian Drama

The Doctor introduces the gang: The Supine Cobbler (wanted), her estranged sister (dead by hanging), her former best friend (missing, presumed dead), and her apprentice (a turncoat). Together they negotiate integrity in a lawless world. The Supine Cobbler is an unsentimental legend and a true story. It takes a classic male storytelling genre and tells a hero myth for girls.

Three: Leigh Meloné

The Kid sets up a tent. Pale parachute silk, guy lines high, not necessarily tent-like. Throughout this scene the Kid sources water, sweeps, mops, folds clothes, and builds a fire.

The Cobbler sits alone in the clinic.

The Lover appears in the clinic chair beside her.

Silence. They do not meet eyes.

COBBLER: Fancy meeting you here.

LOVER: Fancy meeting you here.

COBBLER: Back in town?

LOVER: No.

COBBLER: Long time no see.

LOVER: Yep.

COBBLER: Yep.

LOVER: You dressin’ like a girl now?

COBBLER: No.

LOVER: You makin’ friends?

COBBLER: No.

LOVER: Who’s that?

COBBLER: She’s a dancer.

LOVER: Cool. What’s this place?

COBBLER: Doctor’s.

LOVER: You sick?

COBBLER: Nope.

The Lover nods.

LOVER: You get my letters?

COBBLER: What letters?

LOVER: Yeah, I guess I didn’t send any letters.

COBBLER: No, I guess not.

DANCER: She’s got a letter from me.

LOVER: You got a letter from her?

DANCER: She won’t read it.

LOVER: No?

COBBLER: No.

DANCER: It’s a suicide letter.

LOVER: Ah.

The Kid enters. The Lover draws on the Kid. The Dancer and Cobbler draw guns. The Kid does not have a gun. Tense moment.

COBBLER: Kid. Kid.

KID: Yeah.

The Kid snaps out of it.

COBBLER: Go do your thing.

KID: I’m going to go do my thing.

The Kid goes.

The Dancer continues with her grave.

LOVER: (the Kid) Who’s that?

COBBLER: She’s my new best friend.

LOVER: I wanted to call but I didn’t pay my phone.

COBBLER: Right.

LOVER: It’s not like you didn’t know where I was.

COBBLER: I had no idea where you were!

LOVER: I was in fucking hiding.

COBBLER: Yeah, where’s that?

LOVER: Out by the tracks.

COBBLER: What tracks?

LOVER: Tracks by the place. Train tracks.

COBBLER: Yeah, I don’t know where that is.

LOVER: It’s hidden. So?

COBBLER: What?

LOVER: What.

COBBLER: What.

LOVER: What are you asking there?

COBBLER: What are you hiding from?

LOVER: Well, I would ask you the same question.

The Lover unfurls the Cobbler’s Wanted poster.

COBBLER: Rightly so.

LOVER: Crossed the creek in two different places on my way here. Cover my tracks.

COBBLER: That’s a nice picture. Nice picture of me in my hat.

LOVER: Yeah, you haven’t seen that? It’s everywhere.

COBBLER: I’m not really on the internet right now.

DANCER: (to Cobbler, re: poster) Is that my hat?

COBBLER: I’d rather be wanted by something real, like a person, as opposed to like …

LOVER: The Law.

COBBLER: Yeah, like a concept.

LOVER: Yeah.

COBBLER: This should say ‘Unwanted.’ Like, wanted for what?

LOVER: Wanted for dead.

COBBLER: Wanted for five hundred bucks. They don’t even know my name.

LOVER: Yeah, it’s not that great to be wanted.

COBBLER: Yeah, I don’t find it that compelling.

LOVER: What’s the charge?

COBBLER: Fuckin’ … who knows. I haven’t really talked to them.

LOVER: This says ‘dangerous.’

DANCER: (to anyone who will listen) That’s my hat.

COBBLER: Yeah … I don’t know why they’d think that. I think most of the charges are just ideas … idea-based … and general petty criminality … small time, below standard … just, general things you shouldn’t do.

LOVER: I see.

COBBLER: Getting on the wrong side of …

LOVER: The Law.

COBBLER: Yeah, not just that. I think also, like … The People.

LOVER: The People.

COBBLER: Yeah that’s it.

LOVER: That’s it?

COBBLER: Yeah.

The Kid passes by. Wait a minute. She backs up.

KID: Is this a Wanted poster?

COBBLER: Yes.

KID: This is you.

COBBLER: Yes.

KID: This says five hundred bucks.

COBBLER: I know.

KID: That’s a lot of money.

COBBLER: Not really once you’re older.

KID: Your face is on a poster.

COBBLER: Ki...