PRODUCTION HISTORY ‘Race premiered on Broadway on December 6, 2009, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre (Producers: Jeffrey Richards; Jerry Frankel: Jam Theatuicals; JK Productions; Peggy Hill and Nicholas Quinn. Rosenkranz; Scott M. Delman; Terry Allen KrameriJames L, Nederlander; Swinsky Deitch; Bat-Barry Productions; Ronald Frankel; James Fuld, Jrs Kathleen K. Johnson; Terry Schnuck; The Weinstein Company; Marc Frankel; Jay and Cindy Gutterman/ Stewart Merce). The production was directed by David Mamet, ‘with scente design by Santo Loquasto, costume design by Thomas, Broecker and lighting design by Brlan MacDevitt; the production stage manager was Maltiew Silver, The cast was: JACK LAWSON James Spader ‘unNRY BROWN David Alan Grler susan Kerry Washington (CHARLES STRICKLAND Richard Thomas ‘THE scene An office THE CHARACTERS sack Lawson and (CHARLES STRICKLAND two white men in thelr forties NAY nROWN a black man in his forties SUSAN 1 black womaiSCENE ONE An office Jack, Henry, Charles and Susan onstage. neny: Sit down, (Charles holds an overcoat, w! sits.) You want to tell me about black folks? (1 help you: OJ. Was ‘guilty, Rodney King was in the wrong place, but the police have the right to use force, Malcolm X. Was noble when he renounced violence. Prior to that he was misguided. Dr. King ‘was, of course, a saint. He was killed by a jealous husband, and you had a maid when you were young who was better to you than your mother, She raised you. You've never fucked a black girl, bat one sat near you in science class, and she was actually rather shy. Pause)conan: . ‘would never say any of cuanuas: “Nothing.” very: Th Pause) ccmants: Black people can talk about Race. ssexny: How about that, Pause.) clean, None of us ccmances: Why? JACK: Because ye 1s: And if I were not paying you? JACK: Iwould assume that you ace guilty ‘chants: Why? Jack: Because it makes a better story. newny: World goes to sleep at night Mr. Strickland. Wakes up ant it needs two things. A cup of coffee and some vicious gossip, IARLS: And you can change the world, the world. s change. The outcome in this for our al fo attempt cause in which you did not ‘Cannot be controlled. One believes. People are good, people are bad, God exists. Or the Mob killed Kennedy. The coca appearance of belief, May be induced or extorted. People may ‘be: coerced, seduced or suborned, into momentarily acting agai "4 sack: Why? ccHantes: Because I feel that would make you more effective advocates. sack: Let me enlighten you. advocate. ‘Who sve” in the pro- ‘cess, Whereby: each side is permitted, To engage an truth? Neither side w. You under ‘condemned man having led sack: Listen to our Instructions, obey them—and cultivate the appeatance of contrition. ctanas: I didn't do anything, exmy: You're Pause) ccuanes: Is 02 uve Tn this instance. taPause) ccuances: You're kidding. anny: Sadly Tam not, Ccuanues (To Henry): Do you care that I'm white? nny: "Do I hate white folks?” Z’at your question? "Do all black People hate whites?” Let me put your mind at rest. You bet we do. White folks are “scared”? All to the good. You under- you're ‘cuantes: I'm guilty. vena: Yes. Cctiantes: Because I'm white. nnewey: No, Because of the calendar. Fifty years ago. You're white? Same case, Same facts, You're innocent. (Pause) This is the situation. In which you discover yourself. ‘cnaRLES: [ understand. You're testing me. I understand, exny: I'm not “testing” you, siz I'm telling you the truth. Your people, if they were assured by Gad, that you were innocent, ‘would sell you out, curanuis: And the blacks? uubyey: And, to the African-American community. coantas: Alzight. env: You were found fucking one of our women. ‘cuantzs: I loved her. nt that glorious. ‘CHARLES: And she loved me. 1 guess she changed her mind, zvey: We (Pause; he picks up « newspaper.) "Cause t says here she says you raped her. sack: Alright, I would say I am Jack Lawson, and this is Henry Brown. But you must know that. Because of our race. But you must pretend you do not. Must you not? Here is my ‘question to you: why? ‘cant: Why? Jack: Yes. You know that one of us is black and one’s white. Why ‘would you pretend to be ignorant of which of us is which? ccuantzs: [tS a convention, sack: Bravo, There exist convent superfluous, offensive, or indeed immoral. But st in force. (Pause) Having been accused of having broken with convention, your problem is to win from your fellow citizens ‘2 pass. There are tivo ways to accomplish that, The first is to assert you were somewhere ese, incompetent, coerced or framed. The second is to challenge the convention. Which do you like? ‘cuan.ts: I don’t like either of them. sncx: That's a good start. Now pick one. ‘cwantss: Isn't that your job? sack: Well, you tell me, We're going to roll the dice. But: you which may be: outdated, {guess wrong, or we're Incompetent, 1 get paid either way, ‘cuarts: Well, that’s blunt nck: You wanted to hire your brother-in-law, You had that option ‘cuantés: I don’t have a brother-in-law, ewny: You had a brother-in-law by your first marriage ‘cutantes: Good for you. env: I read the papers nce: Everybody reads the papers. That’s your problem, ‘chantes: Why do you address me this way? sack: *Rich as you are"? CHARLES: .. alright . sack: Why did you come to us? ccuantis: 1 sack: | assume you chose us because of our Racial Makeup. After you went to Greenstein vey: Why did you leave Greenstein? sack: Now the nickel drops. comantes: Can I rely upon your honesty? sack: I don’t want you relying on our honesty. ‘cuances: Upon what should I rely? annvs Upon our desite for Fortune and Fame. sncx: Why did you leave Greenstein? ccnanues: I didn't like the way. He was handling the case,Davio Mamer Jack: What didn’t you like about it? ‘charts: What difference does it make? JAck: Somebody who hits his first wife will hit his second wie, You know why? He's a wife beater. ‘cutantes: I didn’t like the way that I was being treated. Jack: Do you have it in contention to plead guilty? ‘cHaRtzs: Absolutely not Jack: Then, free of charge? You're going to have to drop the rich bit. Pause) Why should we treat you better? uewny: ‘Cause we're the underdog, ani hhave to eat more of your pompo: contuition, ‘citan.es: Who do you think that you're talking to? lewny: 1 think I'm talking to a rapist and race-criminal, And | think you didn’t play straight with Greenstein, and you'te going to pull the same trick here, and walk out on us when ‘things get rough, and leave us looking sweet and silly. And turn to the American Public, a misunderstood man, whose lawyers do not “like” Jack: “At some point env: And pss. 1 don’t like treating you unfairly, as italso treated you unfalely when you ‘were born to wealth, but I don’t believe that you complained tiven—so let's get that out upon the table now—because as it occurs to me, be assured It will occur to the jury ‘CHARLES: I want you to represent me, snex: Why? ‘CHARLES: Because and believe your fake Pause) sack: Go on, CcuaRLes: Because I think you can win, JAck: And why would you think that? snsey: I don't Ike i wants: Because you've won before, -muvay: Greensteln’s won before. ‘uanuus: But he's white, | t | I hewn: So you do understand the nature of the case. cuanss: 1 do, ewry: And do you understand that it cannot be won, Other than by dealing with the sordid? coranues: The sordid sack: How do you think we've won before? cuanurs: 1... sack: We have won, By being quick, and being brutal. Being fast ‘and first, and tearing off the fucking Band. ccuakces: Its very important to me, that, let me put it differently. L of course yack: Mr, Strickland, save it ccmanuzs: Save it anny: The surgeon may have time. To do the operation. He does not have time, to wake the fella up, and explain what he's going to cat ccuances: And, I:am the drugged patient . Henny: You want me to tell you what you are? White man, man? You are so fucked-up out of your mind, you dor know which comes first, Christmas or Lincoln's Birthday. You don’t know whether to confess or go out and buy a pistol. Now, tell me, you haven't thought about bot. Pause.) cunces: | am the victim, Pause) Of a false accusation. ayny; Which of ws [s immune? (Henry passes Charles a notepad.) Jack: Mr, Strickland, We need you to go in the outer office and ‘write down, in effect, “everything you ever did.” ccnanues: I don't understand, sack: Yes, you do. cchantas: You want me to write. sack: I want you to write, A catalog of your sins. ccHartes: And what does that have to do with “the facts of # case"?Davio Mauer he wisdom you'd be paying us for zs: And what isthe rest? than the prosecution. ‘Poor people don't get dragged up in the press? “Manuel went to the massage parlor..." “Mo! fon her husband...” ccuasurs: Why? JACK: Beca omanues: “It... ? wn: The legal process, Charles is only about three things. cctanuzs: What are those three things? gossip your tight. Is abou understand? ‘can destroy mei ‘chants: Why? JACK: Because it knows your name. owey: He might have to beg .. You never begged sack: You never begged? You were young, you for pussy? You never begged the officer to let cent. JACK: Nobody fucking cares. You understand. Nobody cares. The only way o1 ‘CHARLES: Alright cx: We just offered you the best one that you're going to get, ‘ances: Some lawyer will taki sack: That is correct, want you to defend me. Jack: Why? ‘CHARLES: Because I want to fight. sack: Take the pad, and write down. Everything you've ever done, Pause) ind, (He takes the pad) ‘cuantés: Al (Susan picks up Charles's ove money. If he offered ise) What does she sack: We have to assume that he offered h her money why didn’t she go away? want? ewny: What does she want? Jack: “Revenge?” sewn: In which case... (Si sacK (To Susan): He just “walked in. susan: That Is correct, He just walked In, nters) @ause) nce: What did he say when he walked ‘pethaps you've heard of me.” sway: Why'd he leave Nicky Greenstein? saex: You want to call hirn or shall 1? seve(Henry picks up the phone and dials.) sack: He bring anything in with him... file...? susan (Shakes head): He told me his name and asked if he could speak to you. sack: To me? He asked to speak to me? Uh-huh. nexny (To phone): This is Hank Brown. Is he in? need: a copy of the indictment. ‘susan: Kelley? sack: Ang: the arrest repost, wite t down, and of the testimony of: the First Responding Offices. susan: That won't be aval sxx: Just make the cal v7: Robert Kelle. ack: ... and the chambermatd, senny: And of the chambermaid SUSAN: How would I...? seen: Kelley will gett. JACK: Teed it now. (She starts to exit. To Susan) Keep He runs out of things to write, chat him up, Make you a question. Get him to, I don’t know, fl out a “client information foren” susan: Is there such a. ..? nce: Just keep him out there. teeny (To phone) Have him Brown. He has the number (Site hangs up) snc: Walt. How does fe Look to you? sack: How does a guilty man look? ‘susan: Fustlve, False, uh, Jack: How would a man look, who's been Pause) SUSAN: Yes. I see Jace: Which one is he? (Pause) SUSAN To Pause.) Why did you send him out there? Jace: You tell me. SUSAN: To. (Pause) To establish dominance, to .. newny: Guess again. susAni To decide if we should take the case. ‘tight, : Why would we not? [need more information. susan: Can't we ask the client. sack (Shakes his head): No. He's off the charts susan: [ don’t understand, HeNny: At this point, he is regressed to the savage. He doesn ‘understand his state. He's never been Here before. And he Ike it, No one has said “no” to him, For forty years. ent, These people hat moment, doesn't iis answer now isto be abject For one m before whom he feels he has abased te will, later, turn on. susan: That's why he left Greenstein, Jack: We don't know. self in SUSAN: But Jace: Alright susan: He came here shopp! JACK: $0? SUSAN: “So shoulda’ we bend over backwards?” Jace: “To SUSAN: To “pleas neay:I think that’s what Greenstein did. (the phone rings, Jack answers.) Kelley? Wermay have a new client. (Pause) ise) That's right. (Pause) No, he left sack (Te phone}: Het Red sequined dress. (Davio MameT Greenstein. (Parse) Dunno yet. I need: the arrest report. Notes of the first responding officer. The testimony of you be back I need you to do ‘The report, they file a repor wi you Soon as you can, SUSAN: So: take sack: Wel 1e question, susan: Why would we not? Jnck: ‘Cause Nicky Greenstel He is one smart Jew. 9, he did not. have advised him to buy the gi door. could have bought her off? ‘unlimited, susan: How do you know Ack: He could not or would not have bought the gis off. And he ‘wouldn't plead. Which is why Greenstein fired him, susan: How do you know? da loser: ne): Mister Greenstein please. Hank Brown ...? ght: what do the blacks think? black people are stupid? people are stupid. I don't think blacks are exempt saney (To phoney: Thank you. (Shakes his head: hangs up) Ace: And I think, you get caught and you want a pass, confess to ing else, embarrassing or criminal ” sack: [ dunno. He ... the git’ half his age, he... well, he's fuck Ing her uunyny: He's married? k derstand that, but Simon Legree that's the American Way. We man ripped my dress off,” now at does it cost us if we susan: What does It cost us if we win? Jac: Good for you. Pause.) susan; What's his “Racial History?” Pause.) hnistory? To the extent we can we're office we, speak going to make {ng for the group, do not give a fuck. ace: Here's what give a fuck, Other than as it may affect susan: What do you sack: What do susan: In thi sack: In the hot susan: Yeah. sack: How would know? aowyewy: What do you think you what 1 ippened? ink. I think that wor being self-interested, will exploit every advan- tage they may have, Chief amon, youth and beauty. Just as will men, who possess the advantages of and rich. SUSAN: And white. sack: You bet: (Picks up newspaper, reads) "He ripped off my new sequined dress. He threw me down upon the bed. And raped me.” (Picks up another newspaper, reads) "Room all askew..." ‘This motherfucker—looks to me like instigating a race riot. nvay: But note: the order. Putting, to her mind, graver offenses first. “He ripped my dress.” susan: She's a poor gitl She loved the dress It meant respectability. nex: Is she a poor gi? hewny: If she's not, she'll look like one the D.A, puts her on the stand SUSAN: “He tipped off my red dress." muxny: he'll put her up there in a fucking cotton sack, sacx: What did you make of him? susan: thought... Henny: Il tell you what / thought, susan: No, go ahead, Jack: No, you, Twant to hear what you think. susan: [ thought. Here's a fellow, “charismatic,” as they say yack: ... charismatic SUSANE.... prt of his charisma is his reticence. HHewry: . oh my. susAN: Which we may interpret as reserve, or manners 1: Or standoffishness, ack: Which is to say “money.” ‘susan: Or, yes, or we might say “Intelligence”? Or quote “natural grace,” because nobody's going to come out and admit that they're awed by his money. vewny: Well, yeah, But that's the problem with the jury. ‘re going to hate him. rewny: Sure why? Because he's white? susan: You bet. inwny: Well—that’s the face of the case you « nck: He fit with you? He flirted with you me, I suppose he did. “t change lidn't he? unyry: What'd he do? susan: He, Idon’t know tle ways “omen “just know! when a man away: O, yes, the js interested in her..." susan: That’ right, Henny: And was he interested in you? susan; He flirted with me, evry: Yes, dentably. ‘susaw: Well, that’s the essence of the act. Pause.) ace: And so your fst impression was ...? susan: I disliked him, env: Why? susaw: He has a wedding ting, sack: That make him guilty of rape? ‘susan: I think he fs guilty hnewey: You know that he raped the gir? susan: He acts gully. sack: How does a guilty man act? enny (To Susan): Get Kelley's office. Get his guy on the phone, ‘you have the lst, (Susan starts to exit) jack (To Henny): Hold on. (To Susan) Fiow does a guilty man act? (To Henry) Hank, what's he doing out there? He got bis head in his hands or is he puffing up all righteous? 1's go see. env: Well Genry exits.)