Summer Solstice Script 16 Entoy: At such times, she is not my wife: she is the
wife of the river, she is the wife of the crocodile, she is
Narrator: It’s a scorching summer morning, and Doña
Lupeng woke up feeling dizzy from the heat and hearing
yelling. The three boys, who were eating breakfast in
the dining room and were already dressed in their
holiday suits, immediately surrounded her and started
chatting.
1st child: How long have you slept mama?
2nd child: Are we going now?
3rd child: I'm excited to go to grandpa's house!
4 Lupeng: Look, your father has a headache and so am I.
So be quiet this instant or no one goes to grandfather.
Narrator: Lupeng went to Amada's room.
5 Lupeng: Have you been beating Amada again!?
6 Entoy: Oh no, señora. have not touched her.
7 Lupeng: Then why is she screaming? Is she ill?
8 Entoy; I don't think so. You can go and see yourself,
señora. She is inside.
9 Lupeng: Okay.
10 Lupeng: What is this Amada? Why are you still in bed
at this hour and in that posture? Come, get up! You
should be ashamed!
11 Lupeng: Tell me Entoy. Has she had been to the
tadtarin?
12 Entoy: Yes, señora. Last night.
13 Lupeng: But forbade her to go and I forbade you to
let her go!
14 Entoy: I could do nothing. It's the day of Saint John:
the spirit is in her. She is the Tadtarin. She must do as
she pleases. Otherwise, the trees would not grow, the
trees would bear no fruit. the rivers would go no fish,
and the animals would die.
15 Lupeng: did not know your wife was so powerful.
Entoy.
the wife of the moon.
Narrator: The young Guido showed over at the
grandfather’s house that afternoon. Adequately
groomed, perfumed, and dressed. He was mesmerized
by Doña Lupeng’s attractiveness and graciousness. They
were outside in the lovely orchard, amid the delicious
mangoes, with Doña Lupeng sitting on the grass with
her legs crossed, and the young man lying flat on his
stomach, staring up at her with sweat running down his
face.
29 Guido: Once upon a time you women were supreme
and we men were the slaves. The queen came before
the king, and the priestess before the priest, and the
moon before the sun. The moon, who is the Lord of the
women
30 Lupeng: Oh, you are mad! mad! Is this how they talk
to decent women in Europe?
31 Guido: Why are you so afraid, Lupeng?
32 Lupeng: I, afraid? And of whom? My dear boy, you
still have your mother's milk in your mouth. I only wish
you to remember that I am a married woman.
33 Guido: Remember that you are a woman, yes. A
beautiful woman. And why not? Did you turn into some
dreadful monster when you married? Did you stop
being a woman? Did you stop, being beautiful? Then
why should my eyes not tell you what you are- just
because you are married?
34 Lupeng: Ah, this is too much now!
35 Guido: Do not go, I implore you! Have pity on me!
36 Lupeng: No more of your comedy. Guido! And
besides- where have those children gone to! must go
after them.
3rd Scene
Narrator: Don Paeng discovered Dona Lupeng in the
dark room while sitting at the harp and playing a tune
while still wearing her white gown and shoes when he
emerged from the bathroom and changed.
43 Paeng: How can you bear those hot clothes, Lupeng?
And why the darkness? Order someone to bring a light
in here.
44 Lupeng: There is no one, they have all gone to see
the Tadtarin.
45 Lupeng: Listen, Paeng. I want to see it, too. The
Tadtarin, I mean. I have not seen it since I was a little
girl. And tonight is the last night.
46 Paeng: You must be crazy! Only low people go there.
And thought you had a headache.
47 Lupeng: But I want to go! My head aches worse in
the house. For a favour, Paeng.
48 Paeng: I told you: No! Go and take those clothes off.
Woman, whatever has got into you!
49 Lupeng: Very well, if you do not want to come, do
not come- but I am going.
50 Paeng: I warn you, Lupe; do not provoke me!
51 Lupeng: I will go with Amada. Entoy can take us. You
cannot forbid me, Paeng. There is nothing wrong with
it. am not a child.
52 Paeng: Yes, the heat has touched you in the head,
Lupeng. And since you are so set on it- very well, let us
go. Come, have the coach ordered!
th
4 Scene
Narrator: The festivities start. With such joyful delight,
the women began to laugh and dance. Eventually,
everyone was laughing and dancing, including those in
the center, on the sidewalks, and even on the balconies.
To join the show, women separated from their spouses
and daughters from their parents.
53 Paeng: Come, let us go home now.
Narrator: Her husband was neglected by Lupeng.
Incompletely oblivious to her husband, she let her hair
down and joined the dancers. Don Paeng sought out his
wife with the intention of snatching her and bringing
her home, but he instead became trapped in the
dancing crowd.
54 Paeng: Lupeng! Lupeng!
55 Random person: Hey, you are crushing my feet! Let
go of my shawl, my shawl! Stop pushing, shameless
one, or I kick you!
56 Paeng: Let me pass, let me pass, you harlots!
57 Random person: Ahah, it is a man! How dare he
come in here? Break his head! Throw the animal out!
Throw him out! Throw him out!
5th
Narrator: He was kicked and wracked, his eyes blinded
and His torn mouth salty with blood, before being half-
pushed, half-dragged to the doorway and rolled out to
the street. Hands repeatedly struck his face, tore at his
hair and clothes, and tore at his flesh. He quickly got
back up and left with a dignity that prohibited the
people gathering outside to laugh or feel sorry for him.
Entoy rushed over to meet him.
58 Entoy: But what has happened to you, Don Paeng?
59 Paeng: Nothing. Where is the coach?
60 Entoy: Just over there, sir. But you are wounded in
the face!
61 Paeng: No, these are only scratches. Go and get the
señora. We are going home.
62 Paeng: What a sight you are, man! What have you
done with yourself?
Narrator: And when they were home and stood facing
each other in the bedroom, she was as still as light-
hearted.
63 Lupeng: What are you going to do, Paeng?
64 Paeng: I am going to give you a whipping.
65 Lupeng: But why?
66 Paeng: Because you have behaved tonight like a
lewd woman.
67 Lupeng: How I behaved tonight is what I am. If you
call that lewd, then I was always a lewd woman and
whipping will not changed me - though you whipped me
till I died.
68 Paeng: I want this madness to die in you.
69 Lupeng: No, you want me to pay for your bruises.
70 Paeng: How can you say that Lupe?
Narrator: Dona Lupeng gave a look of success.
Streaming fluid and black in the white night where the
huge moon glowed like a sun and the dry air flamed into
lightning and the pure heat burned with the immense
intense fever of noon.

71 Lupeng: Because it is true. You have been whipped

by the women and now you think to avenge yourself by
whipping me.

72 Paeng: If you can think that of me-

73 Lupeng: You could think me a lewd woman!

74 Paeng: Oh, how do know what to think of you? I was

sure knew you as I knew myself. But now you are as
distant and strange to me as a female Turk in Africa!

75 Lupeng: Yet you would dare whip me

76 Paeng: Because I love you, because I respect you

77 Lupeng: And because if you ceased to respect me

you would ceased to respect yourself?

78 Paeng: Ah, I did not say that!

79 Lupeng: Then why not say it? It is true. And you want
to say it!

80 Paeng: Why should I want to?

81 Lupeng: Because, either you must say it- or you must

whip me.

82 Paeng: No, I cannot whip you!

83 Lupeng: Then say it! Why suffer and suffer? And in

the end you would only submit.

84 Paeng: Is it not enough that you have me helpless? Is

it not enough that feel what you want me to feel?

86 Lupeng: Until you have said it to me there can be no

peace between us.

87 Paeng: I adore you, Lupe.

88 Lupeng: What? What did you say?

89 Paeng: That I adore you. That I worship you. That the

air your breath and the ground you tread is holy to me.
That I am your dog. Your slave...

90 Lupeng: Then come, crawl on the floor, and kiss my

feet!