Curtain, LYNN NOTTAGE Tableofey (2098) fad Rice Produced by Morchet form ceauthored the sro ‘She abl Library for her and class ARG StOTY Set im 2905 alert ree art asin aston °S alot seamstress who sews linger i cen vat New ovkers including prostitutes and socety mae ‘ pera ini pn Nie et tao he So a eo ted was unnecessary Ske old an intervie her play evista pore ft mt te rt moma yu ou se cheat oe 8 ‘here are things © wo dnamatic hie” Not and a MacArthur Grant in %, Stone (1499), and Side Steets (1959) a file ond dicted by Tony Gerber, for hich Noten part move than a Year doing esearch i lay limate Apparel (2003), exploring the soa teas the recipient of a Cs heim 5 200719 2007herley Rael wore bale A plight, Netege Ihe that the oes of ‘women are very stsportan because they ween, men re par ofthe feng Ye 008 8c ht 6 sn og 1 ns lating PV ites davai Anger nomen tf Ys wal Ab mote ex ant my goatee fy aoe Ie ett ard they stores hata ch compen en see i and essential.” And their stories have become ‘he ma a cee ae 2% les bolt oer am a ane et sms erat lesion as Bas Bay Tuan car ea Y cof the African-American woman, és also the Ar toe ake ee a or fils. You would think SOMMECTON Susan Gilaspel, “Trifles,” page 1360, Commewrs “On Ws wmenrany Lyra Nottage, “On Writing ‘POOR! Page 1612 SRG FY prem CHARACTERS SAMUEL, Loureen’s husband LOURFEN, a demure housewife, early thisties FLORENCE, Lourcen's best friend, early thitties suse: The present ace: Kitchen a nore: Nearly half the women on death row in the United States were convicted of tilling abusive husbands. Spontancous combustion is wot recognized as a capital crime. Darkness, saves (In the dariess: WHEN I COUNT TO TEN IDON’ WANT TO SEE YA! 1 DON’ WANT TO HEAR YA! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR— sounten (Jn the darkness): DAMN YOUTO HELL, SAMUEL! A bright lash Lights rise, A huge pile of smoking ashes rests in the middle of the kitchen. Loureen, a demure housewife in her earty thirties, stares down at the estes incre: alously. She bends and lifts « pair of spectacles from the remains. Ske ever so slowly backs axoay. Somuel? Uh! (Places the spectacles on the kitchen table) Uhl... Samuel? (Loo) around) Don't fool with me now. I'm not in the mood. (Whispers) Samuel? I didn’t mean it really 1'i be good if you come back... Come on now, dinner’s waiting. (Chuckles, the stops abruptly) Now stop your foot ishness. .. Andlet'ssit down. (Examines the spectacles) Uh! (Sojly) Don't bbe cross with me, Sure I forgot to pick up your shirt for tomorrow. I ean ‘wash another, Tl do it right now. Right nos! Sam? ... (Cautious) You hhear me! (Aunts a response) Maybe I dlidn’tever intend to wash your shirt (Puls back as though about to receive blow: & moment} URE Sits down and dials the telephone) Flozence, honey, could you come on down for a ‘moment. There's beens... ite. ..secident... Quickly please. Uh! Louseen hangs up the phone. She gets a broom and a dust pan, She hesitantly ‘approaches the pile of ashes. She gets down on her hands and knees and takes laser look, A fatuous grin spreads across hey face. She is startled by a sudden Irnock on the door. She slowly walks across the room like a possessed child. Loureen lets in Plowence, her hes fiend and upstairs neighbor, Florence, also @ houseife in her early thirties, wears a floral howsecoat and a pair of aversizod slippers Withow acknowledgment Loureex proceeds to saunter hace acros the room. Lorene: HEY! Locman (Pvincing at the ashes): Uhl... (She stinggles to formulate words, uch press at the inside of her mouth, nat quite reatiad) Uh!EEE SITES rooxence: You all right? What happened? (Sniffs the air S ‘ nif the air) Smells like you burn Something? (Stores atthe Inge pile of ashes} What the devil is thar? Lournes (Hushed): Samuel .. ['sSamuel, I think. PLonENce: What's he done now? Lous: Ie him. 1’ him. (Nods her head ‘s (Nod: her head repeatedty) an Teese bat'8 wtong with you? Did he finally dive you out your mind? knew something was, ‘going to hay LouRzEN: Dial 911, Florence! ONG FLowence: Why? You're ecaring me! Loueren: Dial 911! Florence picks up the telephone and quickly dials ; [think I kitled hi Florence hangs up the telephone mLonence: What? Lounsen (Whinpers): [killed him! [Killed Samuel! Fonence: Come again’... He’sdead dead? Loureen wrings her hands and nods her head tw “ rence ack ag Hand ed nods her head ice, mouthing “dea dead” Fl- Novsopit iden {have time for this, 'm going back upstairs. You know "w Saunuel hates to find me here when he gets home. You're nat ech getmethistine {Cader} all can have your ltl joke, Pm aocpartofit Inoment. She takes « hard lok énto Loureen’s eves: se apne really doit this time? ~ oe mae is Louse (Hushed): Tdon't know how or why it happened, i ooaenct: Why are you whispenngy Yt hPPene, ts ci Lourcen: [ don’t want to talk too loud —something else is Fonence: Whete'shisbody? sn eit npr ‘LouLrEN (Paints tothe pile of ashes): There! LORence: You burned him? fourses: [DON'T KNOW! (Covers her mouth as if tom hushed) I think so * Oe FhoueNes: Either yow did or sou didn’, what you mean you don't know? We're talking murder, Loureen,notoven settings nn knew? ‘oureen; You think I'm playing? *-oR#N'c: Hlow many times have I heard you talk about being rid of him. How ‘many times have we sat at this very table and laughed about the many \ways we could do it and how many times have you dene it? None Louris (Lifting the spectacles): A pair of cheap spectacles, that's all that’s left, ‘And you know how much I hate these. You ever sen him without them, nol... He counted to four and disappeared, swear to God! “Loxrace: Don't bring the Lord into thixjust yet! Sit down now... What you $0t to sip on? Louxeen: don't know whether to have a stiff, shot of scotch ora glass of cham- pagne. NOTTAGE/ POOF! 1563 Florence takes a bottle of sherry out ofthe cuphosnd and pours them each a glass. Loreen downs hers, then holds out her ylass for more, Hewas FLowance; Take your time LOUREEN: Standing there mLowence: And? Lounean: He exploded. ruorexct: Did that muthafucka hit you again? Loren: No... he exploded. Boom! Right in front of me. He was shouting like he does, being all colored, then he raisee up that big crusty hand 9 hit me, and poof, he was gone -.. Fharely got words out and I’m looking dowinata pile of ash Florence belts tack her sherry She wipes her forehead and pours them both another. FLORENCE: Chile, 'll give you this, in terms of color you've matched my hus- bond Edgar, the story king. He came in at six Sunday morning, talking about he’ hit someone with his car, and had spentall night trying to out run the police, I felt sorry for him, Ittuens out he was playing poker with his paycheck no less, You don't want to know how I found out... Bur J did Louse: You think I'm lying? FLORENCE: I certainly hope so, Loureen. For your sake and my heart's ouRsEN: Samuel always said if I raised my voice something horrible would happen. And it did. I'mawitch .... the devil spawn! FLonence: You've been watching too much television. Loursen: Never seen anything like this on television, Wish I had, then Id know what to do... There's no question, I'm a witch. (Looks at her hands with disgust) PLoweNcE: Chile, don’t tell me you've been messing with them mojo women again? What did Fell ya. Loureen, agitated, stands and sits back down LOUREER: He's not coming back. Oh no, how could he? Tt would be a miracle! ‘Two in one day... I could be canonized. Wotse yet, he could be... All that needs to happen nov is for my palms to bleed and I'll be eternally remembered as aint Loureen, the patron of battered wives. Women from across the country will make pilgrimages to me, laying pies and ot roast at my feet and asking the good saint to make theie husbands turn todusi, How often doesa man like Samuel get damned to hell, and go? She breaks down, Florence moves to console her friend, then realizes that Loureen is actually laughing hysterically YLORENCE: You smoking crack? LouREeN: Do [look like Lam? ruorence: Hell, I've seen old biddies creeping out of crack houses, talking about they were doing church work.a 1904 Floss anc! Playwrights close to the edge! sweep him up?Do el hepa’ eo Oh God sce: You gonna let iting? Loureen ‘teaches for the. telephone slow! LourseN: NO! (Holds the his mother? FLoy ye oar The phone continues vit ce se a. They st until it stons They uth dreatio a sigh of banal oe aes T should be Praying, | should be think; na oe wna ee ‘ees Popping into my mind js what will [ ‘ican eae ence. Whim ans hetibleand wopdrcfil story with sone hava genta fi LleSmademeatiller, Florence wed edi aud vaccine Teeth Toon (Whspesi aes Pasa eee i Int throw that word about foo lighth cst Th te ree ‘ghély even in jest. Talk Tike Lourety: You think th: bly get the deatt murdetesser> ey Hock me up? A few my few misplaced words and I pro aly that whe ey ch pb ratte you? Wy tar ne 28 80g to tho up my arms ano uae rou have to go and jose your mind at ey ee a pot of rice on the: stove 3d Edgar chee me S genoa mnmcste sy atts meh co edict fhonlviy ca tnkand an etme cn ihe olde oan snk # Norence. Really. It's out of my lan oe ‘She takes Plovence’s hand, ‘and squec Sel adsnos FLORENCE (Regaining he Sethe Chg otk brests) Toone onbathofthen Sra Sout Breasts, Loureen! You know wher will happen if you're lying, (Loureen nods; in soon 'ds; hushed) Both your breasts Lourcen? wt, sweet LouRcew: No more than x Toni: Yorke en hes abe Me ners tied the check and waited? 13 have hapa na Dae ee sere ped you pack. Like we talked A moment ounstes: Uhl. Tcould how on hia and bet p im and he'd disappear across rete fren) ota Send oe eat ela ou picking up, pardyeed) Wha ity NOTTAGE / POOF! 1363, "come other "R” word? I'm strangely jubilant, like on prom night when Samuel and [first mad love. That's the feeling! (The women tock eyes) Ub! pxexce: fsit 13088: Like a ton of bricks been lifted from my shoulders, yeah, jrence walle to the other sie of the mom. jomsct: You biteht hen: What? oxence: We made a pact. tourer] know. agence: You've broken it both of us we'd... you know. together upstairs to that? ... What next? Lousten:] thought you'd tell me! ... Tdon’t know! Frorence: | don't know! Tourcen: [ don’t know! Flarence begins to wath around the room, nervously touching objects. Loureen sits, seringing her hands and murabling softly to herself. We agreed that when things got real bad for Do T have to go back. xoaence: Nowr you got me, Loureen, I'm truly ata loss for words. cOURsEN: Exerybody always (old me, "Keep yout place, Loureen.” My place, ‘the silent spot on the couch with a wine cooler in my hand! and a pleasant smile that warmed the heart. All this time I didn’t know why he was so afraid for me to say anything. ‘o speak up. Poot! .. I’ve never been by myself, except for them two weeks when he won the office pool and went to Reno with his cousin Mitchel, He wouldn't tell me where he was going until got that postcard with the cowboy smoking a hundred ciza rettes... Didn't Sonny Larkin look good last week at Caroline's? He looked good, didn’t he Florence nods. She nemously ples up Satmuels jacket, which i hanging on the bach of the chair She clutches # unconsciously, NNO!No! Don't wrinkle that, that’shis favorite jacket. He'll kill e, Putt back! Florence returns the jacket to its perch. Louroon begins to quiver. 'm sorry (She grabs the jacket and wrinbles it up) There! (She then sigs into the coat pockets and pulls out his wallet and a movie stub} Look at that, he said he did't goto the movies last night. Working late, (Frantically thumbs through his wallet} Picture of his motorcycle, Social Security card, driver's Ticense, snd fook a that from our weeding, (Smiling) [looked good, didn’t 1 (She pues te pictures back i the wallet and holds te jacket up to her face) “There were some good things. (She then sweeps hey hand over the jacket to temove the wrinkles, ane folds it ener so esrefully aud finally throws itn te garbage) And oat of my mouth those Words made him disappear Al these Yeorsansljast words, Florence. That'all they were1566 Plays and Playwrights ‘howenct: I'm afraid I won't ever get those words out. I'll stat resenting you, honey. I'mafraid won't anything change for me. LoUREEN: [been to that place Lonect: Yeah? But now E wish I could relax these old lines (Touches her joe. +head) for a minute maybe, Edgar has never done me the way Samuel dig you, but he sure did take the better part of my life. 1.ouxéeN Not yet, Florence muovence (Nod): Thave the children to think... right? Lourr#N: You can think up a hundred things before Porencr: Then come upstairs with me. we'll wait together for Edgar and then youcan spitout your words and |. ‘Lounezn: [can't do that. Frown: Yes youcan. Come on now, Loureen shakes her head no. Well, [guess my mornings are not going to be any different. Lourenw: [F you can say for certain, then guess they won't be. Ecouldn’t say that. FLokENcE: But you got a broom and a dust pan, you don’t need anything mare than that. . . He was a bastard and nobody will care that he's gone. ‘Lown: Phone's gonna stat ringing soon, people are gonna startasking soon, and they'Itcare nLorence: What's your erime? Speaking your mind? ‘LouREEN: Maybe I should mail him to his mother. I owe her that. I fel bad for heer, she didn't understand how it was. J can't just throw him away and pretend like it didn’t happen. Can I? FLORENCE: I didn’t see anything but a pile ofash. As aras [know you gota lit: tlecarelessand burned. chicken. Louraen He was always threatening not to come back. Loren: I heard hiz, ‘LouRrEN; It would've been me eventually rrowence: Yes, Louneev I should call the police or someone ForeNce: Why? What are you gonna tell them? About all those times they refused to help, about all those nights you slept in my bed ‘cause you ‘wereafraid to stay down here? About the time he nearly took outyour eye “cause you flipped the television channel? tourer: No FLoseNct: You've got it, girl! ounen: Good-bye to the fatty meats and the silty food. Good-bye to the ‘bourbon and the bologna sandwiches. Good-bye to the smell of his Feet, his breath and his bowel movements... (4 moment, She closes er eves and, reliving a horrible memory, she shudders} Good-bye, (Walls over to the pile of ashes) Samuel? ..Justchecking, FLORENCE: Good-bye Samuel Thay both smile NOTTAGE/ POOPY 1567 {yoursen: I'll et the police know that he's missing tomorrow ronexce: Why not the next day? Lounuen: Chicken’s warming in the oven, you're welcome to stay. SLORFNCE: Chile, I gota pot ofrice on the stove, kids ae probably acting out: and Edgar, well... Listen, JTL stop in tomorrow: oursen: For dinner? plon:sice: Edgar wouldn’t stand for that, Cards maybe. ‘ourreN: Cards sos hea 1 women hug for a long moment. Florence exits. Loureen stands aver the ashes je a few se Contemplating what to do. She finally decides to suvep them under the carpet, and then proceeds to set the table ai sit dow to eather dimer, END OF PLAY