‘Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen et eet eer eg Roemer eer mies) Seo ater cha aici Care Barron’s raucous pageant of ambition and ferocity, these young dancers have more than choreography on auc emcee Cr) Dee emia eats Clare Barron (Piaynright. Playwrights Herizons detut Off-Broadway: You Got tier (Page 73),1UHever Love Again (The Bushwick Stare Baty Screams Miracle (Clubbed Thur). Rogional: Steppenwolf ard Woolly Mammoth, Awards: Obie ward, Witing Award, Drama Desk nomination, Relentioss Award, ‘Susan Smith Blackburn rao, evra Hina Boer GerenProductions in Print Anlmprne ef Sith and rus Phere Publsec by than esas Ie 177 uyme Rod Hanover TOTS ‘won SmithandKraus.com DANCE NATION (© Copyright 2018 + WRITTEN BY CLARE BARRON «All Rights Reserved Untee Tale agency volar@untedslentcm CAUTION: Profeioose and amtvare ate heseby wate! hat DANCE [NATION is see arya tify protected uno te copy es Of the United Stes of Ametcs and ll ofthe connie coved the Ineo Copyiht Union Geclating the Dominion of Canna ae the ses of te Brith Commonweal the Berae Convention, die Pa- Americ Copyright Convention ad the Ussvecal Coptic Conveation, swell eunes with which he Une Stes ha eps cpyagh ela "ight, indudng profesional amaze tage sight, moter rar, ean, Isciag, pabbeteadng, ado Bradcing, tes, Wiese sound ‘ecotng, ober forma cf meshancal or ection meprodscson, CDROM, CD, infomation soage snl itseva seen a powseopy eg fd the ight ‘of uandaton ia foreign languages ne scl) see Paviular emphasis iad pon the tate of racy, peon for whch ‘must be secured fom the Antu atin wing Applicaton for permission for aay te whatioeey,imung performance ‘gh, mast be made in wang, ia ade, eet ach popored we, UTA bat 1 Aven, 9th for New Yorke NY 10106 or wa erm violt@unitdlenecom. No esormance any be ies wns cers: he oer nari Lays BLY Me reves ttt Playwrights Horizons Dance Nation Slave Barron /\ i wo urea Bec foot ——CamitaCané-Favts lontMaciow Christina owner ‘Themes ay Ryan ina Sina leyTayier—thechuko Ufomacy Lee Sunday Evansconthetillintheholy danee of god. can take any empty space and me empty poe Pater Brook ita bare stage.” ASHLEE: What am I going todo with all this power? Dance Notion Cire Baron ‘The changes of adlescone ate power Adolescents experience power in the mysteous, ightning onset of renal, powe ia he sesperntly enmeshed bonds of fiendsip, power inthe search for a tel defined identity. Hormones contibute nly «faction ofthe fuel fr thie power The major anion occurs in the bran, where imprinted neato pater: ofcildhood se sloughed off and rade through 1 boundlss,Liclogiealy driven appetite for sk and novel, Power surges trough Dane Nate as well dott know if ve ever read play tat capes as fly the breadth nd depth ofthe adolevcent experince, and eerily not one about adolescent gs ‘Thee iba delisertepocal aspect to this exploration. 1 fist fea Dan Nain very shordy afer the celease ofthe notorious Ae Hlabjord tape. The play's rank, uoapologeialy coarse depcton of teenaged gis lockcr room talk” fel ke the ultimate expression oF “panty grabs back,"all the mae a becanse Cate clealy wrote well before the President's coc fee bombtell Nothing i ofits inher stomteling and the play never avers es eye, So there is something ‘usdeninblyempowetng init candor, ad T quickly felt myself swept ‘phy ts eration fore, Mach as Dane Ni is energized by te poe, howere, its endusing overlies in its aris, an ats thet begins nthe authentic o (Clare's characters andthe high shes of ther prepatations for ‘competitive dance contests, Excepe or tel dance teacher and one alpurpose mom, al the characers are teenage. Clae well understands ‘he subse jockeying for pecking order and the fire loyal of team dynamics, She aio understands the ferocity of thee wil to victory. ‘They may as wel be solders But there ite nlzo contend with sometimes crippling insecries, So the tone fpe rests between Ssraggeng ous and svlqatd pauss, Clie init we se the Thumanity of these Se om high ler forthe latent lta tendency to euteiy our epresentation of gs and subverts this inmpalse though the play's boldest stroke, the choice to en these characters with actors of wide range of ages Hence we se the ‘wome-to-bein the younger actors and the ghosting ofthe gts they ‘once were in the older actor, Tie conceit opens up the ame ofthe ‘hy ad pves tan epic perspective. We do no just se these Characters we ee all women. The space too transfor, eis ao longer Justa dance sudo. Ie becomes the “empey space” Peter Brook wrote About, esonant with archetypes. In sucha space, door think its too meh ofa stretch to tees comeliton bersen the in Dan [Neti and the chorus of acing maenads in Th Base, Both plays pion against animalty. And i the sameway that Dionyss's Sisoples oversbeim and demolish the aropsnt,pasionles povemor ‘wo would deny them, the dancers in Dant Nat pve themecves fverto a tassfonmative sisi estes that launches the nto ‘womanhood and renders int, at least fr now, dhe sil uasubdued ‘counter power ofthe patchy. ‘Tim Sanford Altistc Director Playwright's Perspective can be Kind of paralysing to mace work about gender in a moment lke this. And worse t have to talk about i But 'm ging to ty. “This is « ply about 13. year-old gids I ls a play abour women, smbision, an dette. Twanted 10 wie thi play because I wanted 20 present differen picture of temage gs onstage. One whee trauma ‘wasn’t the cent nanaiv, One whete “being the bet “The ps ae played by women ranging fom thir 20st dir 8 ‘pease Twas ted of the cating convention of ting pite 25-year ‘olds o play 13.1 dda’ wat the characters nthe play to ook ike ‘what you think teenage pl should Lok lice becsure teenage gis lone ely ok like tha Also, becuse the pla is ely about how we tasty what happens tour when we'e 13 thrughthe eat of eu ives. 1, for one, am sl strapping with lot ofthe same things. For sample: [remember sanding in pros line to tlle about a ply Thad wee, “Thejournali: aked me i Twas an actor. aid, “No, I wrote the ply!" He gazed in surprise. “Alby yours” Instead of olling sy je teling him off Inughed sy and smd beck at him, "Oh, ‘wall you know I hadots ad lot of help” 1 that moment, making him fc comforcble with is actions, with hie \woals and his perspecive—making sore that he dda think he had done anything wroag—was more imporant to me than standing up for myselfand my work: And Ido think dha hat ia pater that hss auneed me Sometimes think tha the sable of my profesional and my persona lie could be "Clase Bacon Makes Mediocre Men Feel Good Abo ‘Tha’ someching Ihave to change. And Twantto be clea hae shine shatall oF this mich about the works expectation that The pilaable w other peopl, well eared, wet, helpless, and unassuming, sis about my own Flue t ake real esponsbily for ‘myself asa agent for change in dhe werké—ae each ofw ae ‘And als, in my cae, sometimes that “heblesnest” of seeming haplessnss has abled me to work within the stern and suceedWe parcipate in onryptcutencis al he une [feels loaf shame when I cesive any kind of cognition. In past becnute Fin not comfortable ting up too much space. In pa Techs Pi awate that ve halite ean. That theres romething precious about being palmable to grekeepes in x wold Utes seep oni Thats the tick thing about seasding excellence: How can we celebrate afer when tere ate ro many without the plato, witout ‘he acess and who are met with deep aston ia? (Or even, someting more paychologial remenipe when fist started out in playwting, ny playwright uy fends would ge ely angy when they ape for smething (a residency, whiter’ group) snd deat gee [wns confared I cide feo any Then I realized the difference: dey thought they deserved it, Thad consinced myself I dds. “The gia the play ate dealing with al hese questions of who's the best ho deserves tbe recognized, what to do wen the seem aa Dance Teacher Pat isunfais how to be faends and compete a he same time, how to stand up for yourself when you've born tained not “The diferenceistheyte only 13, the aitference is theyre stil a ite ave, Tey sl hia anything possible Tn the pla, the gid anton for “special pat in oe of thei competion dancer. Aft the wudion, one ofthe gs, Arming, une tp to her beat fend, Zsa. Thy both congeatuat exch ther om hc ‘lions, ignoring the fae that one of them wl inevitably be Asappoined, Then Amina gee 23 iea: "Maybe wel both just ge i ‘Zaza lghs up. The though: hide occured to het.“Oh my god That ‘would be perfect” Why aot Clare Barron Playwright ‘The American Voice: No Pudding 1 1872, unde the banner ofthe Equal Rights Paty, Vitoria Woodhall ‘Martin became the fst woman to min for US President. An activist ae leider ofthe vores’ suftge movement, Woodhull was an avocte for Fee Love not the hippie connotation, butt ey feist iced wich calle forthe fesoan to love, mary dvore, and beat ‘hdken without goverament interference, She dda wn, “Het mbion alone was alienating to scene of her most vociferous esc,” author Elen Pitman recounted in The Fgh lt Caing 2015 “(They even likened her the dei Rather than send her to he White lute there free those tat wished see her locked upin pizon on letion Day Tosttutionalzed misogyny may have erent since, buts eident exesyuhere Filly Clinton we the fst female majo patty presenta Candidate inoue county’ ior; one ight thik be informative to heater take on the expesence and the speci changes she fncoontered: the rutine erica of he maflerenc to baking, het “enabling” hechosband’s nfl, she ue of her maiden ae not omention her vice, hee clothe, helo the Hatt soggy coming ather fom she right (Somehing shout he fel catag, verbesng ad sary,” Tacker Caron abvered at one point) Yer ‘then Clinton who had authored coven books porto the 2016 ‘leeson—telessd her memeie this part September was geet with 2 {allcve groan. And when even Thy New York Tar at ns headin, ‘hu’ to be done about Hilary Cliston, the wernan who won go sy?" is unsurprising that Trump oul lly crow o chant, Lack Jherup"—1 hating echo ofthe responce to Woodall LM yas go, Teal cretesathap conten for te ongoing jection ofthe theater of (Cae Baron, whore wor, in ait naked banger aed tw candor, has ‘mphacaly jamal int the conscousnai fart and suiences ‘aos the country over th last ve yer. me ely interested in tang woe about the female body snd Fim contnlly astounded by how uncomforable tae makes peopl,” she sil in +2016 Ind interval ike weal ive ina wodd where we want wore bods be invisible. The other hing hat wold Ie o shnge is ‘would Heo fee mote authority |e lc sometimes a8 «young ‘woman ait have to Sght fr my autho and veto prove itfeel, espcialy with playwrights, ou cn be kindof infantile and fel le that becomes Compiatod as« woman, fel ight now that | am exiting in a system where The to prove myself aun tl gan” Cares far from ivi her plays or, mone pecs, Care as become far ftom ivi Fanying te progression oer writing shows an increasing emexgence of heeft het work, by which T mean her itera sel almost delay so. Aalue that continues io suppres ‘women's voices—sec the recent, poli slencing of senators Kama aco and Bizabeth Wacen on fe erate Door —"ershes young ‘women ito sence,” s Rebeeca Slat wrote in Men Esplin Ther Me (2018), "by indicating, he way haassmenton te sree does, tha is is ot hee would Te wane urn self-doubt and siitatoa jas it ‘rss men's unsupported overennidence” The evolution of Car's Playin the fae of ts, eet witer who increasingly dimes any Patch notion that "tis not her worl." She ha rated ich, Partcularplay-wosds and gradual ken her ight place inside them, enter age, My ow first encounter with her wore wes he odd, pycslogcally ‘meticulous (end apey ied) ply a ey pt hi gi ag nithe dagen te ag aed she prt 2012), which flee graesome tre sory, ahd ‘hich she flowed up with Baby Ses Mirack 2013), a dlivous, nightmare apoalype play abouta fly lerng a freak storm in ‘eastern Washington. Though these eat ply, in thee freshness and peculaiy,bokly anaouneed her a an important wt, is sange to Took back on them tx. Because, sarting with her nex play Yn Get Or 2014), te overly aviobiogrphicl story ofa young woman's ‘eur home to help he ater who's elgg ested for eae, the suthoris present atthe very front of our expetience, distin and ‘unavoidable Ie’ as though Clare has sep oat from Behind het ‘wing so that we may se he dcatly—-something that erally ‘occured in her subsequent pay, Naer Lae Aptin 2016), a adiclly ‘andi confessional pay about adolescence and awakening sexual. ‘About halfway through, Cate stepped out fm the sidelines ofthe play, where she'd been watching, © ply herelf in painfully honest, trembling re-enactment of sex wih her teenage boyhend There's nothing pariulely new about atts breaking the susfceof| thee work and placing themecves inside i ian imple that dates bck at est othe Remantes ofthe eightcenth/niaeteenth eentuts, who deed the impersonal of nocasial eal by asering thei Indvidoaliy, and mote apy when thng of Cares woste the ‘explosion of confesional poety inthe mid-twentieth century led by [Robert Lowel Anae Sexbn, and Syvia Path, "Some whites think of areas a window, and some think of asa doo,” Ricard Wilbur igedgingly mused inthe anthology Mid Cnty Amen Pat (1930), “itartisa window thea the poem s something immediate in chance, lite, synecdochc, part vision ofa partof the wood, Irate conesived w bea door the att no longe: persves wall etween him andthe would; the woad becomes an extension of himself andi dzpsived oft realty. The poewe words cease to bea means of ison vith dhe wor they tke the place ofthe wold. 1s Dae Nati, 8 1 Nawr Lore Ain, Clare seems to bave 20 Iterestin Wiburs prude against arta “oot” In t,t comtie hs meupbor, ses pereay happy to smash te windows entirely and ‘hen not ony widen tem ino doors bur semode the whole hour. ‘Ste’ every in ches plas, inside exch character, a point undedined ‘by the psmase canting concep she employs in both LW/Nenw Lae Apa, Bee Date Nato, petormed by an ensemble that a range of fyesand ehiiciy,aunmatal underninng ny chance of ue ‘eauntering thi pay though te lene of ree, dey cain a play ‘wot atis both univer nd popated easel by her. These play rele weiter who no longer cates to fight for he authosty or le about how much spice she kes up, choosing interd osm ep over those hang-ups, eo mise all hats nie her, however messy, gy ot soft and oe itup. es waitng Ua’ honest and intosienng, a fresh seasuely 2 tis policaly enchant. Playsright Alam Seynkovwics asked, i a interview for his blog “Tellme if you wil story from your chldhood that explains who You areas awrite asa person” CG Ban: “ewes thes dy of event ade, anda poup of gi snd wate to hol ud wetting competion to eebae We AMINA (hushed) DANCE TEACHER PAT No. Again SOFIA (calling ows) Bye, Zu AMINA (calling ou) Bye, Zu. ‘They listen, alitde terrified, DANCE TEACHER PAT Again SOFIA (not unkind Bet you 50 dollars she has a nervous breakdown by the end of | the week AMINA (to Softa) Zuau's a good dancer SOFIA, Tinow AMINA She's really talented SOFIA She istZuzu left alone in the studio, working with Dance ‘Teacher Pat ‘The next day, Zuzu's Mom has come tothe studio to speak with Dance Teacher Pat, Zuza is siting on the toilet in her tights and leotard, mortified. The girls are atthe barre, warming up. AMINA Alright so assume first position and then we're just going to > through the pigs Classical music plays AMINA Demi plié and. Demi plié and. ZUZU'S MOM Ziavis not allowed to be the best dancer she can be. You don’t et her Grand pie DANCE TEACHER PAT J don’t let her? ZUZU'S MOM ‘Yau purposely intimidate her! DANCE TEACHER PAT That’s my job! (he girls ears per: up. What is Boing on???) Fourth position Demi pig an, ZUZU'S MOM You puther down. You make her think she can’t do it! DANCE TEACHER PAT Teach! [ correct! It's up to her whether for not sho thinks she ean do it! ZUZU'S MOM Listen to me. ‘There's no stich thing a talent People plant it in thet minds ‘Whether they're good at this Or bad at that ‘And they bocome whatever you tll ‘hem they are DANCE TEACHER PAT Do you honestly believe that? ZUZU"S MOM ‘Ym just saying that geniuses have had their cocks sucked by /a lat of people DANCE TACHER PAT Okay, please don't alk like that ZUZU'S MOM (back to hushed tones) You are destroying my child DANCE TEACHER PAT. What do you want me to do?Demi plié and (hey stop dancing.) ZUZU'S MOM Twant you to tell her that she’s special T want you to tell er that she’s @ genius DANCE TEACHER PAT Tean’t/ do that, ZUZU'S MOM | want you to whisper inher ear that she’s amazing and that she takes your breath away every. single time. she dances. That's! What I want you to do DANCE TEACHER PAT IT don’t see it/ can [say it) zuzu's MOM. She's only a child DANCE TEACHER PAT Yes, well Children live in the world ‘And it's not some special world ‘Where everyone gets a chance “There is suc a thing as talent ‘And we all know it when we se it ‘And there's such a thing as charisma ‘And momentum ‘And destiny ‘And we know it when we feel it, so Don't tell me ‘To go against the world ZUZU'S MOM. ‘You make her! You make her! I'm saying that you make her! So make her! 1'm asking you to make her Other side Demi plig sasnandd. Grand pli Bend, And come up, Second position Demi plié and. Demi plié and, Grand pisASHLEE (whispering) Pussy AMINA Bend atthe waist, ASHLEE (whispering) Pussy SOFIA (whispering) Pussy AMINA ‘Angd,,.come...0p. Fourth position Dei plié CONNIE (whispering) Pussy ASHLEE (whispering) Pussy MABVEISOFIA (whispering) Pussy CONNIE (whispering) Pussy ASHLEE (whispering) Pussy LUKE (whispering) Pussy AMINA Bend and Come... ASHLEE/CONNIE/MAEVE/SOFIAILUKE (whispering) Pussyyyyy [AMINA (normal speaking voice) And move your pussy into fifth position CietoryIntnny AMINA Demi pig and, ‘Demi plié and Grand plié Bend atthe pussy...and...bring your pussy back up. ‘Dance Teacher Pat comes back into the room, DANCE TEACHER PAT How's it going, girls?AMINA Good. We're almost done with warm up DANCE TEACHER PAT Where's Zz? Blank stares (2ucu still alone onthe toilet. ‘Somehow, some way she's ‘grown litle sharp teeth Like ‘fangs. Ske bites her forearm hhard, Harder. Blood spurts ‘out. She chews off« chunk of her arm) DANCE TEACHER PAT ZUUUZUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU zuZu ‘YESsss17” (he jumps up off te toilet fand dashes out of the bathroom into the std, her crm still pulsing blood.) ZUZU (stil with her fangs) Dm here DANCE TEACHER PAT ‘We're going to run through the number Everybody realy? They nod. LUKE (10 Zuzw) You okay? ZuZu Pm fine 5-6-7-8! They dance, Except it's not realy like Gandhi It's more like baby sexy robots. Bloodsucking robots ‘who want to destroy the world and then fuck i after i's dead. They are berely wearing any clothes. They are touching their bodies. They are gnashing their teeth—all of them have fangs nov. Sharp, pointy test You say you're a big boy But Ican't agree Ca the love you said you had Ain't been put in me wonder. I,m just 100 much for you, wonder Please don't make me just wonder Diuh-chuh-du-du-da du Tae a chance 10 recognize that this could be yours Baby, can’t you see? How these clothes are fting on me T'm about to blow don’t think you know.‘They are climbing up the walls. Maeve is chewing on the light bulbs—glass in her mouth. Glas is crushed ‘beneath their feet. Zuzu does her special past. She's DANCE TEACHER PAT Alright girls. [don’t know what THE FUCK this is it's not Gandhi, But Zzreze The lights go out with an electric hiss except for one bright light shining down from Heaven on... Ashle... panting, sill baby sex robot power, ‘etc. Half-drested, her har sticking to her forehead, ‘The buzz ofthe music beneath her, She talks tous, Not vein, not bragging, Just genuinely pondering the possibility ASHLEE think [might be frickin’ gorgeous My ass, especially ‘Might be frickin" gorgeous wish Ieould show you my ass but I'm only 13 ‘My ass has been described as “epic” An “Epic Bottom” ‘Someone sid that to me once, He said: "You have an Epic Bottom” 1k sounds alittle ereepy now, but it didn't sound creepy when he sui it ‘Men like to stroke my ass when they ee it ‘They pull me over their laps And they stroke my ass Like it were a talismen Ora worry stone ‘Worn perfectly smooth and round By time Except it's the opposite of time T'm young [just got popped out like this Me and my perfect ass Like tw litte dest droppings ‘Smooshed together Frickin’ epic Also [have a pretty face Thave a really nice face, [think I really like my face And [have great tis, so T feel really lucky 1 fel really Blessed or whatever Let's just ado it [Vm e frickin” catch 1 walk down the street and I fel everybody looking at me, you know Tm nottrying to brag {I'm serious. promise. I'm not Pm just trying to figure this ont 1'm just trying to be real fora moment [think it's important tobe real about things lke this, Like sometimes people post pictures online And all of their fiends are bike Whoa. Gorgeous Look at you gil. You could be model. KaBOOM}!!!1 Why do people le to people like thet? Pm serious don't gett Jost say: That's a great picture of you! Nive shot! You look ‘reat! Not: "You're gorgeous" ‘Not: “KaBOOM™ It's like what exploded? Nothing exploded. I don't see ‘anything explosive about tha pictureWhy are you pretending that something exploded? don't get i Jas tell the truth She's off-track, she catches herself, she starts again, ASHLEE, Here's the other thing mreally tickin” smart Tama, 'm smarter Gian most people I meet I'm probably smarter than you ‘And not just liberal arts bullshit {Pm good at math People are always like loll Pm bad at math webbh Like that makes them cool Not doesn't You suck at math That doesn’t make you cool ‘Math makes you coo! W's not that hard tobe good at math Mathis actualy the easiest section ofthe SAT to get a perfect I you just study Ws the most “study-sble” section So T guess you dida’t study That doesn't make you cool That just makes you lazy and shortsighted about your furure Seriously people, it’s not that hard tobe good at math if you frickin try Are you even trying people??? ‘Wahi I'm bad at math” ‘Shut the fuck up and stop whining and just think about the problem fora minute W's not that hard Ws not like you have to write @ fucking poem There ae like rules There's like an answer {don’t even have parenis who can help me and I stil ace it Because I'm nota moron, She collects herself A litle nervous from saying all this outloud, ASHLEE ‘Anyway. So [never say this staff to anybody because I'm affaid they're going to hate me. But I think about it sometimes. And sometimes it makes me feel ashamed. Like I'm a bad person. And I want to bury it down deep, Never acknowledge it Keep my eyes on the pavement when [feel men looking at ‘me and just pretend I don’t exis, Like ever say: "No." ime someone has ever told me that I'm beautiful I This guy, he said to me, “You're really beautiful” and Ijust suid: "No." It's like a reflex ‘You're beautiful. No, You're smart. No. You're funny. No You're beatiful She shakes her head, No, ASHLEE, But sometimes I wonder what would happen i! really went frit mean, I'm little afraid of what would happen if | really went for iOver the course of the following, Ashlee grows taller. Her shadow becomes 12-fet long. Her eyes turn red. Heer fangs lengthen. Her voice becomes the voice of some vengefil, ancient pagan god. The girls stare at har in awe. The baby sexy robot music sill humming, ASHLEE Like iT tied, I realy relly tod, Like if acknowledged it Justembraced it Like if walked down the street and looked those men sist in the eyes and sid: "Yes, I'm ‘beautiful and I'm gona get a perfect score on the SAT, Math Reading one! Writing, motherfucker, and yes I'm only thirteen years old ow but jst wait ten more years because one day I’m going to be a FUCKING SURGEON, one day I'm joing be a FUCKING GENIUS PORT and running ‘ny own company, one day I'm going tobe even more ridiclovsly ateactve than Lam now and GREAT AT ‘SEX and I'm going to cut people open like it's my fucking job beeawse it is my fucking job and I'm going to ‘ake you my bitch, you mothecuckng cunt-munching piece of sit prick. Lam your god. Lam your second coming. I am your mother and I'm smarter than you and more attractive than you and better than you at everything that you love and you're going to get down on your knees and worship my mind, my mind and my body and I'm gonnna be the motherfucking KING of your motherfucking world, I'm going to be the KING OF EVERYBODY'S MOTHERFUCKING WORLD, and you're going cum just by eating my cunt, the taste ‘of my cum is going to make you cum because i'll be the greatest sexual pleasure you have ever known Just tasting ME andthe words | say are going to be the greatest fucking words that you’ve ever heard and the things I do are going to be the sreatest fucking things you've ever witnessed ‘That’s what I’ve got inside this tiny fucking body of mine and I don’t have to deny it I don’t have to disown it I don’t have to be ashamed of it I can shout it from the rooftops because you are all my motherfucking BITCH She shins, ‘The lights snap back to Fluorescents. The light of Heaven is gone, Ashlee stands alone, a tule scared, A little exhausted, Alitle perplexed ASHLEE (a genuine question, she asks us) ‘What am I going to do with allthis power? ‘What am I going to do with allthis power? Huh? don’t know.Thope I don’t pussy out ‘Maeve hovis like a wolf ‘The gis gnash their fangs and strike a final pose— ‘us, fabulous asthe Sprit of Gandhi and in the middle ofthe pack. Amine catches Zuzu after the rus-through, AMINA Hey Zu zuzu Yeah? AMINA You looked realy good out there zuzu Ob, Thanks AMINA ‘You totally killed that sole zuzu Really? AMINA Yesh your tums were rally good. They were rally centered zuzu Yeah they felt good. I felt on top of myself AMINA You were really, really on top of yourself. And you looked clean zuzu Olay good. I was worried AMINA Don’t be woured. You're doing awesome zuzu ‘Thanks I need to work on my side aerial but— AMINA You'll gett zuzu Yeah AMINA It took me like two years to get my side aerial AMINA You'll definitely get itzuzu Thope to AMINA For sure They smile at each other. zuzu . Hey. You wanna come over? My mom's making pizza AMINA (Oh... Tdon’t think Fea zuzu on AMINA Tjust— I wanna get to bed early zuzu Okay AMINA Sorry Ljust— hate not sleeping before competitions zuzu No, I getit I hate not sleeping, too They smile at each other, zuZu Have you thought about what you're doing forthe summer? AMINA On! zuZu 1 was thinking about maybe applying for the ballet fellowship st Pittsburgh Ballet? AMINA That'd be cool zuzu Yeah I don’t know if Ul get ia, But it'd be so coo! need to focus on my ballet AMINA ‘Yeah Dance Teacher Pat wants to send me to Russia zuzu To Russia? AMINA ‘Yeah, he wants me to go and train with this ballet company in Russia I don’t know. It sounds kinda intense zuzu lense is good, though AMINA Pm kinda seared zuzu ‘That's how you get beterAMINA ‘Yea T think Sabina went uu on? AMINA ‘Yeah like when she was ia high school zuzu Cool AMINA Pittsburgh Ballet is supposed to be realy good, though. zuzu ‘Yeab I don’t know ‘AMINA T know this gr! Eliza who went, and she really loved it. She ‘made alot of really great friends Maybe you could also apply forthe Pilly program? That's supposed to be good, t00. zou It's expensive, though AMINA Tet there are like scholarships and things zuzu Yeah I should probably look into that AMINA zuzu Is Russia expensive? AMINA don't know. I'm not paying They smile at exch other. AMINA [think Pittsburgh will be awesome zuzu Hey Amine? AMINA Yeah zuzu Don't be mad at me But I think Tneed to stop talking o you about dance for awhile Like 1 still love you lot You're still my bestfriend But I just might not be able to talk to you about some thingsAMINA ZUZU ‘And I may have to close my eyes, sometimes, when you dance ut i's not heeause{ don't love you t's just because I might need to lake a break from watching ‘And from talking to you For awhile Sony AMINA Uh zuzu Isthat mean? AMINA Uh, Nol don't think so Zuzu [tll realy rally really love you AMINA Tenow just ZuZzu AMINA don’t know. | don’t know what to say zuzu AMINA Thats fine zuzu Yeah? AMINA totally gett zuZu You do? AMINA ‘Yeah zuzu Thanks AMINA zuzu AMINA uz AMINA What kind of pizza are you having?zuzu [don't know (Canadian bacon and olives. That's what my mora likes AMINA Cool zuzu AMINA zuzu AMINA Sony zuzu What? AMINA just dot realy have anythin say Dance Teacher Pat appears. He's locking up, DANCE TEACHER PAT Hey girls ZUZUIAMINA ili DANCE TEACHER PAT “You're still here? zuzu '’'m going home, Goodnight, Amina AMINA Goodnight Zu2u bolts ‘Amina stands there watching Dance Teacher Pat lock wp. AMINA ‘Are you mad at me? He looks at her. DANCE TEACHER PAT Pm not mad et you AMINA DANCE TEACHER PAT (crouching down to her height to look her straight in the eye) But Amina AMINA Yes? DANCE TEACHER PAT ‘Neat time you audition for me I want you to remember that 1 ‘ean tel how rauch you want it AMINADANCE TEACHER PAT Understood? She nods. DANCE TEACHER PAT Don't get lazy He sort of swats ber but, It's not serual???????? But also weird and uncomfortable fora grown-ass man to be swatting a 13-yeerold's burt, Amina i horrified ‘Aad also, she loves it AMINA won't She seampers off DANCE TEACHER PAT (calling after her) SHOW ME YOU WANT IT ‘Amina scampering, from a distane, DANCE TEACHER PAT (holf'hearted down the hallway) TWANNA SEE THAT YOU WANTIT. She's gone. ‘Dance Teacher Pat lone in is studio, Is late. He should pack up his things and head out for te night. But he doesn't eel like moving, He sighs a world-weary sigh DANCE TEACHER PAT I guess I should go home 10 Philadelphia. The day ofthe competition All the girls ina different dressing room getting ready. They cur their hair pant their faces elaborate colors, apply fake eyelashes. Connie is dressed like Gandhi Zuzu isin a billiane gold Spirt of Gandhi costume distinct from the Citizens All te girs stil have their fangs SOFIA IT have a child he isnot getting circumcised AMINA Really? SOFIA Yeah AMINA Why? SOFIA ‘Because its barbaric to cut-off apiece of your baby’s penis ‘CONNIE My dad is circumcised SOFIA Pm not judging. Just not my kid AshASHLEE, CONNIE Luke are you circumeised? LUKE um Ashlee sneezes, AMINA Everyone is circumcised ASHLEE, SOFIA, Everyone isnot circumeised! ASHLEE My kid’s going to be circumcised bacause my mom is Jewish s0 T sorta have to CONNIE Tm not Jewish and my kid's going tobe circumcised too MAEVE ‘What about you Luke? LUKE Um ASHLEE “The thing s—you have to think about the locker room, Because my dad says that boys who are uncircumcised get ‘made fun ofa lot in the locker room. And that’s really not something you want to do to your thirteen-year-old kid, you know SOFIA ‘Yeah but sex is beter with an uncircumeised penis ALL THE GIRLS SOFIA les true MAEVE How do you know that? SOFIA Everybody knows it It's like fact. CONNIE Thet you're circumcised, Lake, aren't you? SOFIA ts like T will never, ever, ever, ever, ever marry & man who’s gogo mate me cieuncie my ed hare nat ‘breaker, you know? oe MAEVE Maybe Amina vas crunised wien se was baby an ‘nobody told her aad that’s why she can’t, rmastirbote 7 CONNIE ‘What are you talking / about? ASHLEE Not CONNIE Maove! ASHLEE CONNIE That's just wrong! il You're erazy