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    Dutchman Play Script

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    348 views9 pages

    Dutchman

    Uploaded by

    Ryan Skiles
    Dutchman Play Script

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 9
    Amiri Baraka/LeRoi Jones ‘CHARACTERS. ccuax, twenty year-old Negro ura, thirty-year-old white woman RIDERS OF CoacH, white and black Inthe flying underbelly of the ety. Steaming hot, and summer on top, ‘outside, Underground. The subway heaped in raodern myth, Opening scene fa man siting im a sub Sat holding a magazine ‘ut looking vacant just above is wilting pages. Occasionally he looks Dank tomar the widow on his right. Dim lights and darkness whis- dng by aginst he pss, (Or past the lights, as adited props, ight “onthe subway windows Have them move, even diem and flicker. But give the sense of sped. Also stations, whether the train stopped or the iliterand activity of thee stations merely lashes bythe windows) ‘The man i siting alone. That i, ony his seat is visible, though the res of the cars ousted as a complete subway car Bu ony his seat is shown. There might be, fr a ime, asthe play begins, loud Ssevean ofthe actual train, And it ca reeu throughout the play oF Continue on alower key ance the dialogue starts, “The tain slows after a time, pulling toa brief stop at one ofthe stations. The man looks idly up, until he sees a woman’ face staring ‘at hin through the window; when it realices that the mar has Ioticed the fae, t begins very premeditated 1 smile. The man niles to, fora moment, without a trace of self-consclousness ‘Almost an instinctive though undesirable response. Then a kind of ‘awkwardness orembarracsient ses in, and the man makes to look ‘any. further embarrassed, so he brings back hs eyes to where the face was, but By now the train is moving again, and the face would seem tobe left behind by the way the man turns his head to Took back through the other windows atthe slowly fading plasform. He smiles then: more comyortably confident, hoping perhaps that his memory of this brief encounter willbe pleasant And then he & {dle again. SCENE ONE "rain roars. Lights flash outside the windows. uta enters rom the rear of the ear in bright, skimpy summer Clothes and sandals. She carries a net bag fal of paper books, fut, land other anonymous articles, She is wearing sunglases, which ‘he pushes up on her forehead from time to time, wa isa tall Slender beautiful woman with long red hair hanging straight down her back, wearing only loud lipstick in somebodys good taste, She ‘seating an apple, very daintly. Coming dovn the car toward She stops beside cunv's seat and hangs languid from the strap, Mill managing to eat the apple. 28 apparont that shes going to Sitin the seat next fo CLA, abd that she is only waiting jor hi to notice her before she its. Cua sits at before, looking just beyond his magazine, now and ‘again pulling the magazine slowly back and forth in front of his Jace ina hopeless effort to fan himself. Then he ses the woman Fhanging there beside him and he looks up into her face smiling ‘gquizziclly. sua: Hello. ccLa Ub, he you? LvLa: Pi going to st down, ceay Sure. OK? (Swings down onto the seat, pushing her legs straight out as ifshe fevery weary) ‘Oo0af Too mach weight. ‘xav: Ha, doesnt hook tke much to me. (Leaning back guns the window ite surprised and maybe sf) 76 usta Iss0-anyway. (And she moves her toes i the sandals, then pulls her right leg up fon the lft ke, better to inspect the bottoms ofthe sandals and the back ofher hee. She appears for asecond not to notice that cuav issittng next to her or that she has spoken to hint just a second before c.at looks atthe magazine, then out the lack window. As Ihe does this, she turns very quickly toward hin.) ‘Weren't you staring at me through the window? (Wheeling around and very much stiffened) What ura; Weren't you staring at me through the window? At the ast stop? ‘ouave Staring at you? What do you meant ura: Don't you know what staring means? ‘ceats saw you through the window ...iftha’s what it means, T don't know if was staring, Seems tome you were tating through the window at me. ua: vas, But only after I'd tumned around and saw you ‘staring through that window down in the vicinity of rny ass ane legs. cay: Really? ‘ota: Really I guess you were just taking those idle potshots, ‘Nothing else todo, Run your mind over people's les ceuay: Oh boy. Wow, nto Tadmit Iwas looking in your direction ‘But the rest of that weight i yours vata: I suppose. Ccuav: Staring through train windows is weird business. Much Weider than stating very sedately at obetract asses. tuuva: That's why Tame looking through the window have more thaa that to go an. Leven smiled at you. ‘cua That’ right. ‘uta: Leven got int this rain, going some other way than mine ‘Walked down the ssl... searching you out soy i 3 cia Really? That's prety Funay. tvta That's pretty fanny... God, you're dull cua, Well im sorry lady, but I really wasnt prepared for party tal, LA: No, you're not. What are you prepared for? (Wrapping the apple core ina Kleenex and dropping it om the floor) | (Takes her conversation as pure sex talk He turns to confront her squarely with this dea.) Tin prepared for anything, How about yout aughing loudly an cutting tof abrupely What do you think you're doing? cua What? J wer: You think | want o pick you up, gst you to take me somewhere and serew me, huh? “cua sth the way ook? b) tata: You look like you been trying to grow a beard. That exactly what you lok ike. You look ike you live in New Jersey with your parents and are trying to grow a beard, “Tats what. You look ike you've been reading Chinese he {> poetry and drinking lukewarm suganess tea, > aug, ncrossing and recrossng her legs) You look lke death eating a soda cracker G (Cecking his head from one side tothe other, embarrasted and try- HF lig to make some comeback, but also intrigued by what the woman ying... ven the sharp city coarseness of her voice, which is, te kindof ponte sidewalk throb) and laughing louder than the huror) Yet Idee Bats true, most oft, right? Jersey? Your bumpy neck? Biko How'd you know all that? Huh Really. I mean about By hisy...and even the Beard. I met you before? You know en Eneight? Youtried to make twith your sister when you were ten, seen back hard against the back ofthe seat, his eyes opening trying took amused) AMIRI BARAKAVLEROI ONES « OUICHMAN 767 But I succeeded a few weeks ago, (She starts laugh again) Car: What're you talking about? Warren well you that? Yourea friend of Georgias? ‘uta: Fld you I Te. don't know your sister. I dont know ‘Wareen Snright 7 ‘Lay: You mean you're just picking these things out of the ac? uta: Is Warren Enright tall skinny black black boy with phony English accent? CLA: [figured you knew hin, tua: Bul I dont | just figured you would know somebody 75 Tike that (Laughs) ccuay: Yeah you ‘LA: You'e probably on your way tobi house now, ‘coat Thats right tuva: 80 {Putting her hand on cua’scloser knee, drawing it from the knee up tothe thigh’ hinge, then removing it, watching his face very closely, and continuing to laugh, perhaps more gently than before) Doll, dull, dull bet you cay: You're O.K, ota: Am exciting you now? ‘ctaY: Right. That's not whats supposed to happen? ora: How do Tknos? 85 nk'm exciting. (She returns her hand, without moving it. then takes it away and plunges tin her bag to draw out an apple) You want this? cay: Sure, (She gets one out ofthe bag for herself) ating apples together s always he first step. Or walkingup uninhabited Seventh Aveneinehetwenties on weekends. 90 (Bites anc giggles, glancing at CLAY and speaking in loose sngsong) Can get you involved... boy! Get us involved, Um-hu, (Mock seriousness) Would you lke to get involved with me, Mister Man? (Trying to be as fippant as Luca, whacking happily at the apple.) Sure. Why no1? Albeautful woman like you. Huh, Ca bea Fool not to 95 tua: And [ bet you'e sure you know what youre talking about (Taking him a ite roughly bythe wrist, so he cannot eat the ‘apple, then shaking the wrist) ‘768 UNIT VE THE UNITED STATES, "et you're sure of almost everything anybady ever asked you about. right? (Shakes his wrist harder) 100 Right ‘cuav: Yeah right... Wow youre prety strong, you know? ‘Whatta you a lady wrestler or something? tua: Whats wrong with lady wrestlers? And don't answer because you never knew any. Huh, (pms) 105 “Thats for sure, They don't have any lady wrestlers in that part of Jersey. ‘That's for sure, ‘cuas: Hey, you sil haven't tole me how you know so much about me. tua: [told you didnt know anything about you to awelh-knowa type. ‘cea Really? LULA: Or at leat know the type very well. And your English fiend too. ‘ovat: Anonymously? us uta: you're (Settles back in seat, single-minded finishing her apple and Junming snatches of rhythm and blues song) What? ‘av: Without knowing us specifically? LOLA: Oh boy. | ooking quickly at cx) What a face. You know, you could be a handsome man, 120 cua: Lean’ argue with you. (Vague, of enter responte) What? (Raising his voice, thinking the train noise has drowned part of his sentence) ean’ argue with you 125 una: My hair ie turning gray. A geay haic for exch year snd type Te come through, ‘tax: Why do you want to sound so old? ‘LUCA: Bt its always gentle when itstats (Attention drifting) Hugged against tenet 130 cxar: What? day or night (Refocusing) Hey, why don't you take me to that party you'te going to? ccuav: You mui be a friend of Warren's to know about the party LULA: Wouldnt you like to take me tothe party? mitates clinging vine) ‘Oh, come.on, ask me to your party. ‘cua Of cauree Flask you to come with me to the party. And Til bet youre a friend of Warren's. uta: Why not bea friend of Warren's? Why not? (Taking his arm) Have you asked me yet? ‘cuay: How can Lask you when {dont know your namet suka: Are you talking to my name? CLAY: What sit sseret? tam Lena the Hyena, CeLAw: The fernous woman poet? uta: Poetess! The sane! ‘CLA: Well you know so much about me. wh {ULA: Morrie the Hyena ‘eLAv: The famous woman poet? Lvuai The same. sy name? (Laughing and going into her bag) You want another apple? ccuac Cant make it lady only have to keep one doctor away a ‘dey uta: T bel your neme: ‘Walter. Huh? cay: God, na, La: Lloyd, Norman? One of those hopeless colored names ‘creeping out of New Jerte. Leonard? Gag, couave Like Waren? ta: Definitely. Just exactly like Warren. Or Bverett cua: Gag, Lua: Well for sur, isnot Wille, ‘cuavs Ite Clay. Lua: Clay? Really? Clay what? ‘cuav: Take your pick. Jackson, Johnson, or Williams. LuLa: Oh, really# Good for you. But its got tobe Willian. ‘Yoi'e too pretentious to bea Jackson or Johnson, ‘oun. Thass right. Luca: But Clay's OK, ‘cua: So's Lena, Lua: Is Lala, ‘eta: Oht ‘ura: Lal the Hyena cave Very good something like... ub, Gerald or {Starts laughing again) Now you say to me "Lula, Lula, why don't you goto this party with me tonight?" Its your turn, and let those be your lines. cat: Lula, why donttyou gotothispartywith me tonight, Hub? LaLa: Say my name tice before you as and no huh’. ‘cay: Lala, Lula why doa't you goto this party with me tonight? Lata: Id like to go, Clay, but how can you ask me o go when you barely knove met uo fe us an 195 U5 cLavs That is strange, font? uta: What kind of reaction is that? You're supposed to say “AM, ‘come on, well get to knov each other beter a the party” ‘cLav: That's pretty corny. LULA! What ate you into anyway? (Looking at hin half sultenly but stil amuse) 190 What thing are you playingat, Mister? Mister Clay williams? (Grabs his thigh, up near the crotch) Whatare you thinking about? cxav: Watch it now, you're gonna excite me or real (taking her hand away and throwing her apple core through the window) 195 bet (Ge stumps tthe seat and is heavily silent) ‘av Ithought youknew everythingabout me? Whathappenedt {tts looks at him, then looks slowly away, then over where the other tle woul be Noise ofthe train, She eaches in her bag and pulls ‘ut one ofthe paper books. She puts tom har leg and thunnbs the pages litesy. CLAY cock hls head to sce the tite of the book. Notse ofthe train, LULA fps pages and her eyes drift. Both remain lent.) (§re you going to the party with me, Lulat ‘Bored and not even locking) 1 don even know you. 200 ctav: You said you know my type (strangely tetated) ‘Don get smart with me, Buster: I know you lke the palm of sy hand, ciayThe one you ca the apples with? 205 Lula: Yeh, And the ane Lopen doors ate Saturday evening with “Thats my door. Up atthe top ofthe stale. Five fights. Above lot of ftalians and lying Americans. And scrape carrots with. Also (Cooks at him) the same hand T unbutton my dress eth, or let my skirt fll 210 down, Same hand. Lover. cxav:Ateyoutangry aboutanything? Di say something wrong? OLA: Everything you say is wrong, (Mock smile) ‘hats what makes you so attractive. Ha. {n that funnybook jacket with all the buttons. AWIRE BARAKA/LEROI JONES « DUTCHMAN 769 (tore animate, taking hold of his jacket) ‘Whatve you got the jacket and ton in allthis heat for? ‘And why re you wearing a jacket and te like that Did your people ever burn witches or start revolutions over the price of tea? Boy, those narrow-shoulder clothes come from ‘tradition you cught to fel oppressed by A three-button fst, What right do you have o be wearing a three-button. suit and striped tie? Your grandfather was. slave, he didn’t so to Harvacd. CcLaY: My grandfather was2 night watchman tuova: And you went to.a colored college where everybody ‘thought they were Averell Harriman, car: All except me ‘uta: And wh did you think you were? Who do you think you (Laughs as fto make light ofthe whole trend ofthe conversation) ‘Wellin college I thought I was Baudelaire, But I've slowed down since. urea: (bet You never once thought you were a black nigger (Mock serious, then she howls with laughter CLAY Is tuned but after intial reaction, he quickly tries to appreciate the humor. Wea almost shrieks) ‘A black Baudelaire. ‘cua That right LUdLAs Boy, are you coray. I take back what sald before. Everything you says not wrong. It’s perfect, You should be ‘on television, ‘cuav: You ct like you'e on television already. LA: "Thats hecause Pm an actress ‘av: [thoughts ‘ota: Well, you're wrong, 'm no actress. told you [always le honey, and don't you ever forget it. ghaer Although my mother was Communist The only person in im family ever to amount to anything, ‘ctav My mother was a Republicen ‘uta: And your father voted for cexaw Right! ‘ta Yea for him, Ye, yea for him cexav: Yea! tua: And yea for America where he's free to vote for the riediocrity of his choice! Yeal ceuay: Yea! LULA: And yea for both your parents who even though the difer ‘bout so crucial a metter a the body politi still forged « union ‘oflove and sacrifice that was destined to lower atthe birth of thenable Clay... what's your middle name? evar: Clay, LULA: Anion of love and sucrifice that was destined to flower at the birth of the noble Clay Clay Williams, Yea! And most of allyea yea for you. Clay Clay. The Black Baucelaice! Yes! rather than the party. (And with knflike cynicism) My Christ. My Chuist, as 220 ns 230 235 0 us 250 255 260 265, 20 2s » 70 UNITY! = THE UNITED STATES ‘cua: Thank you, mater, ‘usta: May the people accept you as ghost ofthe future, And love you, that you might not kill hem when you can. ‘ovat: What? tata: You're a murderer, Clay, and you krov it (Her voce darkening with significance) ‘You know goddaron well what I mean, coats do? via: So we'll pretend the air is ight an full of perfume. (Gnifing at her blouse) lis, via: And we'll pretend the people cannot see you. That is, the citizens. And that you ace free of your own histo ‘And Iam free of my history. We'll pretend that we are both anonymous beauties smashing along through the citysentrals, (She yells as loud as she can.) Groove! (lack) SCENE TWO Scene is the same as before, though now there are other seats visible im the car. And throughout the scene other people get on the subway. There are maybe one or two seated Inthe car asthe scene ‘opens, though neither CLAY nor LOLA notices them, caw’ tele ‘open. La is hugging hie arm, ‘cua The party! ‘uta: I know i'l be something good. You can come in with me, looking casual and significant llbe strange, haughty, and silent, and walk with long sow atedes, ‘cone Right, u.a: When you get drunk, pat me once, very lovingly on the flanks, and Tl look at you cryptealy, licking my lips ‘ouay: Itsounds like something we can do, ‘ut You'll go around talking to young men about your mind, and to old men about your plan. Ifyou meet a very lose fiend who is also with someone like me, we ean stand together, sipping our drinks and exchanging cades of lust ‘The atmosphere will be slithering in love and halflove and very open moral decision, ‘coat: Great. Gest, uta: And everyone will pretend they don and the now your name, (She pauses heavily) late, when they have to, theyll claim a friendship that denies your sterling characte, (Kissing her neck and fingers) And then what? ‘ura: "Then? Well then ve'll go down the street, late night, ‘ating apples and winding very deliberately towerd my ‘cunt: Deliberately? 3 4 ‘uta: Lmean, we'll look in alle shop windows, and make fan ‘of the queers. Maybe we'll met a Jewish Buddhist and flatten his conceits over some pretentious coffer, ‘cunts In honor of whase God? LULA: Mine 30 ceuat: Who i...? ta: Me... and you ax: A corporate Godhead, ‘uta Exactly Exactly (Wvotices one ofthe other people entering) ‘cua: Goon withthe chronicle, Then what happens to us? 3 {A mild depression, but she stil makes her description triumphant and increasingly direct.) To my house, ofcourse ‘czar: Ofcourse ‘uta: And up the narrow steps ofthe tenement. ‘cua: You live ina tenement? 0 ‘wa: Wounki't ive anywhere ele Reminds me specifically of my novel form of insanity, ccuav: Up the tenement stairs, ‘uta: And with my apple-eating hand I push open the door end lead you, my tender big-eyed prey, nto my... God, what cant 4 call it. into my hovel, ‘uate Then whst happens? ‘uta: After the dancing and games, after the long drinks and long walks, the real fun begins ‘LAY: Ab, the eal fen 50 (Bmbarassed, in spite of himself) Which is...? (Laughs at him.) Real fun tn the dar house, Hat Real fu inthe dark house, high up above the street and the ignorant cowboys, lead you in, holding your wethand gently in my hand ‘tax: Which isnot wet? ‘uta: Which is dry a ashes, ‘ena: And cold? {ULA: Don’ think you'll get out of your responsibility that way. Ws not old atall. You Fascist! Into my darkliving room. 60 ‘Where we'll sitand talk endlessly, endlesly, ccuay: About what? ‘ota: About what? About your manhood, what do you think? ‘What do you think we've been talking about all this time? ‘cua: Well, dida't know it was that, That's forsute. Every other 65 thing in the world but that, 35 (Notices another person entering, looks quicly, almost invotun- tarily, up and down the car, seeing the other people tn the car) Hey, dd’ even notice when those people got on. % 80 8s 0 95 tos, 110 us uta: Yeah, Eknow. ‘otat: Man, this subway is slow, tuba: Yeah, know. ‘eLay: Wel, goon. We were talking about my manhood. wra:Westillare. Allthetime. ceLat: We were in your living room. living coor, Talking endlessly. ‘cLAY: About my manhood, LoLA:T make youra map oft Just as soon as we get to my house ‘cunt: Wall, that’s great. LULA: One of the things we do while we talk, And screw. (Drying ta make his smile broader and less shaky) ‘We finally got there ova: And youl eall my rooms black asa grave. You'll say, “This place is ike flit’ tomb.” (Laughs) might. tuuta:Tknow. You've probably said it before, (Guat: Ang is that a2 The whole grand tour? LOLA: Not all. You'l say to me very close to my face, many, many times, you'll say, even whisper, that you love me tay: Maybe will. vata: And you'll be lying. Ca¥: {wouldnt Hie about something like that. ‘fs the only kindof thing you will ie about specially if you think i'l keep me alive. ccunv: Keep you alive? I don’ understand. (Bursting out laughing, but too shrily) Dor’t understand? Well, dont fook at me, It’s the path I take, that’s all. Where both fet take me when Iset them down. One in front ofthe other. ‘exav, Morbid. Morbid. You suee youre not an actress? All that sellaggrandizement. ‘uta: Well, Told you T wasn't an actress... but Tals told youl Ue all the time. Draw your own conclusions. ‘cuav: Andis that all of our lives together you've described? "There's no more? ota: ve told youll I know, Or almost all, ‘chat There’ no funny parts? ‘uta: Lthought it was al funny. ‘Lav: But you mean peculiar, not ha-ha wa: You don't knov wat Lean, ccLay: Wel tell me the almost pact then, You sad almost all, ‘What ee? I want the whole story. (Searching aimlesaly through her bag. She begins to talk breath lesly, with alight and silly tone) Allstories ate whole stories, Allof'em. Our whole story nothing but change. How could things go on like that forever? Hubt AMIRI BARAKNLEROI JONES « DUTCHMAN 771 (Slaps him on the shoulder, begins finding things in her bog, taking ‘them out and throwing thom: over her shoulder into the isle) Except do go on as Ido. Apples and long walks with

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