Lauren Yee Cambodian Rock Band Cambodian Rock Band BY LAUREN YEE FEATURING SONGS BY DENGUE FEVER THE CHARACTERS ‘CHUM: Cambodian, male, 51 NEARY: 1,and 18 ambodian American, female, 26 {also plays Sothea) ‘TED: Thai Canadian, male, 25 (also plays Cadre, Leng) DUCH: Cambodian, male, ageless ROM: Cambodian, gender neutral, 20s-30s {also plays Journalist) POU: Cambodian, gender neutral, 205-305 {also plays S21 Guard) Chum, Neary/Sothea, Ted/Leng, and Duch serve mainly as actors. Re Pow serve mainly’ as musicians, (Nove: Rom and Pou are written as male and female, respectively in this draft, but the characters are gender neutral.) In scenes from the past, Chum, Leng, Sothea, Rom, Pou, andl Duch speak in perfeer English, standard American accent, to reflect that they are speaking ‘uent Cambodian/Khmer. THE BAND You can adapt this (and corresponding dialogue) acording to your actos’ musical talents, but heres a possible blueprine (CHUM: Fleccric guitar, lead male vocals LENG: Electric bass guitar, background vocals SOTHEA: Lead female voeals, tambourine ROM: Drums/percussion, background vocals POU: Keyboard, background vocals bucH: Tambourine or cowbell A sax and more percussion would be great, Dut nor necessary THE SET LIST SIDE A: “Cyclo” by Yol Aularong and Has Salon “Uku” by Dengue Fever “Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice” by Ros Serey Sothea “Family Business” by Dengue Fever “One Thousand Tears of a Tarancula” by Dengue Fever Cement Slippers” by Dengue Fever SIDE 8: “Champa Battambang” by Sinn Sisarmouth “Sni Bong” by Dengue Fever “The Times They Are A-Changin™ by Bob Dylan (or another recognizable pre 1975 American song) “Tooth and Nail” by Dengue Fever “T'm Sixteen (Chnam Oun Dawp-Pram Mouy)” by Voy Ho “Cyclo” by Yol Aularong and His Salon “Today [Learnt to Drink (Doo Wop)” by Ros Serey Sothea ABOUT THE MUSIC “The music in ths play is raucous, LOUD, bubblegum, dissonant psychedelic surfer rock. We should hearin tthe Jackson 5, Jefferson Airplane, and James Taylor, but also all their Cambodian counterparts. It should sound both familiar and foreign, Most ofall, the music should be shit you wane to get up and dance to, Masie 10 get drunk and high to. The biggest, most epic, and possibly last concert of your life Check out music by Ros Serey Sothea and Sinn Sisamouth to get started Listen to the music of Cunbaian Rack Band here: wavtinyurl.com/CRBplaylist ABOUT THE PLAY The play is set in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (April 2008), outer Phnom Penh, Cambodia (April 1978), and Phnom Penh (April 1975). Cambodian New Year happens in April The show runs ? hours and 15 minutes, including all the music and a 15-minute = / "indicates overlapping dialogue. ONE MORE THING This will help you out: The word “Khmer” means “Cambodian.” It can refer to the language (we speak Khmer), the people (we are Khmer), and the Khmer Rouge (Red Cambodia” or the communists). “Khmer” is pronounces! kuh-MAL” ALSO Some of tis really happened, PRESHOW An empty stage, setup fr a rock concert lec eitar, clic bs fl dram it, and The band—Che, Leng, Suen, Pa and Roce nt. They pay the sng “Cy! “cyclo” BY YOL AULARONG AND HAS SALON Verse 1: GEE.CYCLO CYCLO /Pronownced: Se-hlow) DAO SAI CT)MAYE, CYCLO, K(U)N SRAISRAL CYCLO BOE OW PAUM cyclo BOE OW PAUM, cycLo (YUM SMUN DAH PAUM CYCLO. M(WN MIEN PAUM DAY cyCLo. GEY NIT NIVUM MAW (IMAY-EE, Chorus: MOY (T)NAY MOY (NAY AHHH (K)NOM-OH RAUT DE GEE CY MUN S(R)ETS(RJEL AHHHH BAH DUAH DJEE KROV NING RUE(T) AHHE © MUQN) S(R)EIS(R)EL AHHH (K)NOM SUK DJEECT) DIE LO exe Breakdown: DAU SAH DJAH(NG) Note: the song sstruturedasa catandesponse, The Khmer language has apumber of vowel and consonant sounds tat dont existin the English lanquace. As a shorthand, some these sounds have been approximated in parenthesis, but the best nay to lean sto listen to the language, AMERICANTHEATRE JULYAUGUSTI®Joe Ngo (Chum) and Brooke Ishibashi Neary/Sothea) in the South Coast Repertory production cycLo (REI S(R)REI DRA NAH. CYCLO (LEIP) MASAU BEY(NG) MOK CYCLO DU(K) SAU DEE CYCLO UNG GOI DJAUNG HAUNG CYCLO DO(NG) PLAT SAU MAU CYCLO BYE(T) OW PAUMDEE(T) HAY-EEE(NG) DOL-EE RIDING A CYCLO TO CENTRAL MARKET CHECKING OUT GIRLS WEARING MATERNITY BLOUSES THOSE MATERNITY BLOUSES THOUGHT SHE WAS KNOCKED UP BUT SHE'S NOT IPSJUST A POPUL NEW STYLE RIDING A CYCLO TO THE OLD MARKET THERE'S PLENTY OF GIRLS THEY'RE ALL POWDERED UP WEARING PIG TAILS THEY CROUCH TO SIT WHILE BUYING RAMBUTANS THEY REWEARING MATERNITY BLOUSES AGAIN OH: EVERY DAY IRIDEA CYCLOAND CHECK OUTGIRLS IF THIS MAKES ME POOR, Tt RIGHT Then they play “Uw.” AT'S ALL “uku" DJUNG-OH / KAH-DU(K) / ALOWN/ NUKS(T)-RO®) NUK DAW / YAY (T)AH / MING (M YEAH/OWN BONG DJUNG-OH / KAH-DU(K) / ALOWN / NUKS(1)-RO®) NUK DAW / YAY (DAH / MING (M) YEAH/ OWN BONG THE WINDY SEASON MAKES ME THINK OF MY VILLAGE I THINK OF THE OLD PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE, AUNTS AND UNCLES WE USED TO RUN AND PLAY, HIDE AND SEEK BUT NOW WE ARE FAR APART PARAPART They ge Duch a th aps the ang, about balay thre DUCH: Thank you! Thank you! (One seray note plays DucH: THANK YOU The Cyclos, everyone Weren't they great And that was “Uku, ‘Uky" A no. From their frst, last, only album, recorded in Phnom Penh, April 1975. A tape that-like so much of Cambodia's music of the time—no longer exists. Because in case you were not aware, musie isthe soul of Camboati Its true Dak clicks through slides of Cambodia's rock brands and masical ats. The people are young, rant, and of the period cH: But tha you think of Cambodia, ist YOU think ofsomethinga litle morelike this Dubcbiskon iderof Came ring the Kner ‘Snot what you think ofwhen Rouge. Black-and-cbite. Gracin DUCH: Boring. Nest side DUCH: Tragique! Nest side DUCH: Genocide genocide genocide. Boo,ian Rock Band tee ree cant Dich clicks off the slides. DUCH: You think of everything that came after, once the shit hit the Fan ‘The Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot,and twomillion dead, A.stony I've told a thousand times over, quite a lonely endeavor. Tesenough to keep you up at night! ‘The sound ofa plane landing streaks overbead, DDUCH: Bur tonight, find, I've got company. [Because for the irs ime in 30 yearsis plane has hit the tarmac, his bags are in the eab. And it appears, oh yes, he is back Sooner or later, they all come back. Like fish, can't keep away from the scene of the crime, And while this is good, Perhaps this s how [finally get son rather set in my ways, perhaps sleep. So tonight—for one night only—my story Told justa litle bit diflerently T may not appear in this story for quite some time. IKNOW! But even when I'm not HERE here, 'm still basically her, oh yes Lam. Watching watching always watching, Isthatconfusing? Are you confused? Welcome to Cambodia, 2008! Ting! Duck basa pair ofinger conta that be plays bioaslfor depatizes to Rom. DUCH: The jewel, the pearl, the Devroit of Southeast Asia, “The lost cause of lost causes! Phe eapital of mu ‘Welcome to my show SCENE1 Phnom Peab. April 2008 Lights up an the radio nthe corner ofthe botel room. Chim, 51, bas just entered the room. He Dears the radio playing. He raras of be radio. Masie stop. Silence. Neary, 26, enters on a call sith a uge sack of manila folders. (CHUM: Neary! NEARY: Frank, It you back. Neary bangs up. NEARY: Daddy, what're you doing here? ‘CHUNE I said Iwas your dad, they just GAVE “ME the key That terrible! could've been a stranger. We need to talk o them about that. NEARY: No, no, no, what're you doing here? In Cambodia. CHUM: You invited me, NEARY: When [first gothere, nwo yearsago. ‘CHUM: You always said for me and Mom to going to have to call NEARY: never thought you'd actually come. ‘CHUM: Hey, ie New Year's! New year, new Dad NEARY: It's a really busy time for us. Why didn’t you guys at least tell me you were ‘coming’ (CHUM: uy calling from the airport, but I ‘couldn’ find some change! NEARY: No, like BEFORE today: ‘CHUM: Last minute. You know your dad, ‘Cambodian time! NEARY: Weren't plane tickets like— CHUM: Aah, don’t worry! Ijust went to the airport and told them, “I'm Neary’ dad, 1 sorta see my daughter for New Yeu,” so they put me on the next plane to Phnom Penh, no charge! (Beat) That's not true. 1 maxed out the credit card. NEARY: Mom let you do that So how come you liv ne of our partnering ina hotel? it. Is convenient. CHUM: They give youa good des NEARY: On the room? cHuM: How much they charge? They take it out of my salary How much? fvo hundred, DOLLARS? ah, AMONTIR! Wie can’ ite tell from bis tome whether thar’: goad ba. NEARY! ..yes? (CHUM: Thats TERRIBLE! My daughter ‘comes back to Cambodia and they put her in this room, SO SMALL, NEARY: I didn't “come back.” (CHUM: Oh yes you did! NEARY: I've never been to Cambodia, So technically [can't be “coming back. (CHUM: Hey—I come from Cambodia, so you ‘come from Cambodia, And now you come back and they don’t even give you a good deal on the hotel? They should be ashamed of themselves! What kind of Cambodians are they NEARY: Tdonteventhinkthey'reC: ‘CHUM: What else could they be NEARY: I don't know, Thai ‘CHUM: See? Can't trust the Thai! NEARY: Daddy! ‘CHUM: We gotta move you outta here and across the street to the Sheraton! NEARY: I'm not moving into the Sheraton! ‘CHUM: My cyclo driver was telling me, they gota fll buffet and everything! Wecheck you into the Sheraton, take a dip inthe fish spa! nboxtan! NEARY: The what? ‘CHUM: The sh spa! You aint been there ‘ye® You pay the people money and they eat the dead skin offyour feet. The ish, not the people Imma pay my money and Imma sit here all night! Get my whole fot eaten! Get sy whole moneys worth You come with me, snaybe they give us the Cambodian price! A ewo-for-one deal. (efring tomate offs) ‘Ora four-for-rwo deal NEARY: Ifyou and Mom wantto stay atthe Sheraton, fine, but be here— Nah! We stay, we tay all together In this room? just sleep on the floor NEARY: Daddy, you're not sleeping on the oor. CHUM: [ used to sleep on the floor al the time! Back then, you used to be lucky, you had some flor lke this sleep on, you be like, “Wow, look at that floor! Imma sleep allover tha!” NEARY: And Mom wants to sleep aor, 00 Ted enters svimarunks, He roves off TED:Oh he CHUM: Who're yo NEARY. Ted this is my father. TED: OH! MR. CHUM! I didn't know we were expecting you. NEAR) CHUM: New year, new Dad! NEARY: Ted works with me at ICT]. CHUM: Oh! ‘The International Center for Tricky Justice! [NEAR Transitional Justice. We work forthe International Center for Tansivonal Justice. ‘CHUM: War crimes, know. ‘TED (lv Khmer) Lo, chon re sur? (CHUM (Can't ea: What? TED (In Khmer) Lak, cho reb sor? say tin English, Ted ‘CHUM: In my GOOD EAR! (Referring bit Iejiear) This one don't work no more. TED: Hello, Mr. Chum, (CHUM: Hello— TED: Ted. Patpong. ‘CHUM: Patpong. Tha NEARY: Half Thai ‘CHUM: So Tel PATPONG, whatchu doing all the way here from THAILAN NEARY: Tes never been to Thailand. ‘TED: | was horn and casein Toronto. ‘CHUM: So you switch off ‘TED: Excuse me? ‘CHUM You work for Thailand, youwork for the Weweren'. AMERIEANTHCATRE: sULYAAUGUSTINEARY: Ted is from Canada. (CHUM: Well, very nice to meet you Ted the Canadian switeh-hitter who SOMEHOW lives in Cambodia, TED: Will we see youat the party? (CHUM: What party? NEARY: No party TED: Over at the Sheraton CHUM: Oooh, the Sheraton! NEARY: Just to toast New Yea TED: They've gor live-band karaoke and ‘everything. NEARY: My dad doesn’t do karaoke. TED: Yeah, [pretty much suck at everysong, too. But Nears beast. You should come! ‘CHUM: Well, Isee you there. Ted wis ‘CHUM: You looking for something, Ted Patpong? ‘TED: Sorry, [gotta cha NEARY: Do icin your room TED: This is my room. NEARY: You changed rooms, (CHUM: This is Neary’s room, NEARY: So goto YOUR room, TED: Oh. Yes Ted slowly cols everything thar's bis, Chum imayhe hands bina sack. TED: Anyway, s» exited you're here, Mr, Chum. That you'll getto be around for this. (CHUM: For what? ‘Ted picks wpa file from the bed TED: Duchs cHu TED: Monday? Near didn’t tell you? NEARY: Olay, Ted. Bye. Rid exits NEARY:Illsce ‘CHUM: Aaaah, don't worry Cal in the maid, Slip "ema dollar: NEARY: You and Mom aren't sleeping on the floor, ‘CHUM: Mom’ nor coming. NEARY: What? CHUM: Mom don't know I'm here. NEARY: Why not? ‘CHUM: You know your mon! Youtell her one thingand she’ gotta know everything else Chim ses the maid outide te door ‘CHUM: Oooh, there's the maid. Imma go get hhertochange those sheets your friend got wet Chuo lips ot ofthe room : What about the Duch? ‘we can getyou guysanother SCENE 2 Duck picks pa file om the bed, opens it UCH: Dach! AKA Kang Keu leu. AKA Bad Bad Leroy Brown, JULYAUGUSTIO.AMERICANTH=ATRE ‘Themeticulous controlling and uterly uterly charming head of Tuol Sleng Prison—S21! Rawr, During the Khmer Rouge’ four-year reign of terror, Duch sent almost 20,000 men, ‘women, and children to their deaths. $21 was soeficient that when the Vietnamese liberated the prison in 1979, only seven survivors were found. Even his fiercest erities would later admit, Duch was wery very good at his job. ‘Once presumed dead, Pol Pots chief torturer would rise back into public consciousness in 1999 when he was discovered and later arrested near the Thai border, after decades of hiding in plain sight. The only reason Duch was later charged with anything?—was the vast paper trail of confessions he hal aceumulated during his time at $21. When asked about the documents that ultimately led to his arrest, Duch replied “Iwas a math teacher. [always expected my students to show their work.” Nearyenters. Duc drops the folder back nt the pile on the bed. DUCH: “What other choice did I have?” Dac bang an the radia Ie springs t life. Masi: again, SCENE 3 Nay goes throagh the ote rao, stuffing Tey belongings into a pillozcase. Ted rventers. He nrns ofthe rai. ‘TED: Is the coast clear? NEARY: He'sacross the street, checking out the fish spa TED: So how much time've we gor? NEARY: You also need to get your things from the bathroom. Newry shoves te pilose at Te TED: For wh: NEARY: Teche’ gonna be backany minute, TED: I've never seen you like this before. You're really worried NEARY: ‘TED: 've scen you confront former Khmer Rouge. ve seen you speak up in those tribunal meetings [And this is what freaks you out? NEARY: He my father, so please do this fone thing. I don’t need to give him another reason to be disappointed in m ‘TED: Who could ever be disappointed in you? NEARY: Lam 26 loans Tam the sound of a good LSAT score going Tam the only child of an only chil Tam disappointment made flesh TED: And how much of that has he actually sid? NEARY: I can see icin his face. TED: You're working to conviet the first Khmer Rouge official to be tried for erimes against humanity: You are a rock sear, Nea NEARY: Nor according to him. TED: Have you even told him about the photograph? NEARY: Of course not, no. TED: That you went to S21 and you found evidence of a possible eighth survivor— NEARY! found a photograph, ‘TED: In a haystack of 20,000 dead NEARY: Wehaven'teven ID'dthis person yet. ‘TED: The biggest break in Duch’s ease in how many years? NEARY: I did okay, rah rah, Paton the back TED: Does he even know about the press conference on Monday? NEARY: Obviously not. TED: So how can you expect him to be proud of you when you keep all of your accomplishments a secret? NEARY: It's not a secret. My mom knows. T told her about the photograph. My dad could find out if he wanted to. TED: Ifyou wanted him to. NEARY: When I first got here, 1 emailed both my parents updates about che trial, all the time, And nothing. He never responded. Ohno, except tosay,"Duch’ tial? The ease you've been working on for months, YEARS now? Alla sham, Neat. All for show.” He never wanted me working on this case t0 begin with ‘TED: Genocide makes you exazy NEARY: Cambodia makes him crazy. When Tas 10, nother Cambodian family moved in across the street fromus. The next day he bought a gun so he could “guard against street thugs.” ‘TED:] thought you grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts NEARY: Somerville, He doesn’t trast the Thai, he doesn't trust Cambodians. As faras he concerned, he thinks the Khmer Rouge are still in power ‘mean, hebnot wrong. There are former Khmer Rouge ae all over the country NEARY: But he literally thinks the Khiner Rouge are gonna pop out from behind 2 bbush and snatch his junk mail,TED: He lived through Pol Pot NEARY: My dad spent most ofthat time ata labor eamp in Battambang, quietly planting rice, far far from Pol Pot Teo: NEARY: He wants nothing to do with nbodia ‘TED: He's here now, though. NEARY: Justso he ean yell at me, Tm sure, ‘TED: Invite him to the press conference, NEARY:No. ‘TED: Show him who you are. NEARY: He'l run off taking pictures before Tean even sit him down to talk. TED: So you know where you should take him... 'm just saying T understand hismindse. SCENE 4 “The bud drs and heys—plays “Old Po Sil Cooks Gand Rice.” “Old Pot Still Cooks Good Rice” BY ROS SEREY SOTHEA ‘TE(R)(M)DOIK/ AHLOW/BAH BONG. /BAICHECT) ROH KUCT) /MUN, RUNG AVAL BOT CHET / NAH DAI / RAW RY- / -EHTRAL ROUX BONG / MIEN (T)MAYI/ BAN (D)CHIYUH / PLEK OWN MUH BONG / VUHL VE! Goan /TUL) TUET RIP CHUNG / SUM ROYT /TAH GEE J BUHN (MAY (CELNANGJAH/BAICH-NANG/PLOCT) TROY/ MOH (LAT ‘YAM YOP/ YAM (DAI/ BAI DAU/DO pal DONE /TALKOH, FOWN English translation: WHAT AM ITO DONOW? ICAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT I'VE DONE WRONG I'VE TRIED TO KEEP YOU PLEASED BVERY NIGHT ISTHERESOMEONE NEW, NOW YOURE FORGETTING ME? IP YOU COME BACK'D WELCOME YOU WELL START A NEW CHAPTER OF OUR LIVES THE OLD POT'STILL COOKS RICE YOU ONCE ENJOYED EATEN DAY OR NIGHT, THE RICE IS ALIAYS WARM WHAT AM1TO DO, YOU'RE OFF WITH SOMEBODY NEW COME BACK I'D LET YOU IN, AND I'LL. BENICE ‘CAUSE THIS OLD POT STILL MAKES TASTY RICE uci: Also! I'm Duch! ‘That guy! Tean’t remember if I've mentioned that, But you knew that, right? No? Some? Half? Seeerly utterly charming plain sight Whata coincidence, yes? snow, right? When I joined up, I never thought Td be partaking in class-based genocide either! ng in But after the general's capitalist dogs arrested my students for being “communist sympathizers” and hung them from the flagpole, [joined the opposition, in hopes that the Khmer Rouge would make things beter Instead of making it, wll, a shitshow Beeause the starvation, the killings, the general incompetence? “ThatSnotwhatthey soldme on when Joined up, [promise you. Aste ere moves thee: DUCH: But I guess Brother Number One Iknew—ance you've got them in their seats ‘once youre calling the shrs, who will possibly challenge you? All you have to do slower the lights. ‘The lighs di DUCH: Play some ruse A not or 00 DUCH: And you'd be shocked what you ean geramay with "The bond pay the instrumental “Tay.” Dnch resees, “Tokay” eventually morphs int the fib spas musa SCENES Chum and Neary are seated at a small pool of seater, Their legs dangle above the water as the muzak play. Chum fils om bis camera. (CHUM: Okay; Near, what day i it? (NEARY: leis April 12 / 2008, (CHUM: New Year! Cambodian New Year’! And where are we? NEARY: We'rein Phnom Penh / Cambodia ‘cHuM:CAMBODIA! YEAH! CAMBODIA, WHOOO! And what are we about to d NEARY: We're about to getin the / fish spa. CHUM: The world-famous international fish spal Dr. Fish, Geta picture of me andthe sign, Neary fl, the sign and Chum, NEARY: Can we do it yet? CHUM: You gor it, boss! They dunk their legs in the fsb spa. The fib begin to nibble ay, “We see you soon.” / Well see you soon.” (CHUM: Okay! Send it later to Mom so she won't yell ar me, They endure tiny fib ning on ther fet NEARY: Daddy, I think you're bleeding. (CHUM: Where? Neary pints ara fob nibbling on Chun’ big ae NEARY: Over there. (CHUM: Ooh yeah, look achat big How you think they ger the like that? NEARY: So I was just wondering how long. you were planning to stick around for— ‘CHUM: Five minutes! NEARY: What? (Chien sets an aaron bis atc CHUM: Five minutes, and then she comes back, gives usa free Coke NEARY: I don't mean the fish spa, I med Cambodia, Flow long are you here for? CHUM: However long I neil to! To get the job done. NEARY: What job? (CHUM: will tell you! But frst— Chum take out ie guidebook, rend ‘CHUM: "Cambodia is one ofthe most beautiful ccounries in the world.” —Thotis tru! “With some of the most friendliest and accommodating people.” —See, you think we areall so sa, not so! NEARY: know Cambodia. I've been here Hungry. almost two years. You dont need to tell me all that, ‘CHUM: Who said anything abou you? not reading it for you, I'm reading for me. NEARY: You grew up here Tm CHUM: So? NEARY: You need a book? (CHUM: I grew up in OLD Cambodia, this is NEW Cambodia, My first time back, 1 gotta stay up-to-date, Maybe we read this, ‘we learn something. “But visitors should know you stay here too Jong, its possible co lose yourself” —Oh wow!— “Toy not tell your dad things of the most {important nature. NEARY: What is this about? ‘cHUM: I'm here to bring you back (NEARY: That's why you came. ‘CHUM: Pinksslip. Law school is waiting! NEARY: I didn't get into Comnell! Pm not going to law school.‘CHUM: Swing anda mis. Try again Vm in the middle ofthis cas. fou been in the middle since you started. Tivo years ago. NEARY: We'vemade progress. eb solved in two, thre years. Ted says maybe even sooner. (CHUM: Ofcourse TED say that kep youre as—what do you call i?—his bute dial? I's lneen NINE YEARS since they atest Duch, NEARY: The trial wil happen. CcHUM: Cambodia don't want trial NEARY: Yes, itdoes— (CHUM: Haven't you ever wondered why, 30 years, they never arestanyone? Why Duch’s twialische FIRST® Because the government, the police, the PRIME MINISTER of mnbodiaisall former Khmer Rouge! NEARY: Wehavea strongease against Duch, Amassive amount of evidence. ‘CHUM: Buc how come you don't stare with Brother Number'Tvo, Thre, or Fourinstead ‘of Brother Number 5622 Someone important, not this low man on the totem pole. NEARY: Duch ran S21 prison. He helped Brother Number One—POL POT—ki ‘womillion ofhis own people. And we have just found evidence that wil low this case wide open. ‘CHUM: You mean your eighth survivor. NEARY: ..Mom told you about that? ‘CHUM: Uh-huh, And I have something to sayto that! NEARY: WHICH IS WHY I wanted to insite you tothe press conference we're holding NEARY: On Monday, we'te going to formally launch the search for the eighth survivor. ‘CHUM: Oh, NEARY: We just decided CHUM: But you already got survivors to boohoo in court! NEARY: Youmean Bou Mengand Vann Nath? CHUM: Yeah! You got the Bobbsey “Fins, why you need more? NEARY: You mean Bou Meng who goes to S21 everyday o sell his book, and Vann Nath, who released a documentary about his time there. The most vocal survivors are also the ‘ones who have the most to gain by Duchs ‘conviction, Duch walks and what happens to them? Who buys their book, who hires them for speaking engagements? (CHUM: Duch walks, what’ gonna happen to you? Who you think he’ gonna be gunning for, Long Beach-style’ NEARY: Duch isa 66-year-old former math teacher otoff, which he wll no, he not going to gun down the team that helped prosecute him, mom did not tell me that ven fhe “DULYIAUGUSTIS. AMERICANTHEATRE ‘cHUM: Why not? NEARY: WHY would he do that? Whats the point? ‘CHUM: Pol Pot hands him 20,000 prisoners, and how many’lefewhen Duch gets through 1's what kind of man the Duchis. NEARY: He deserves to be punished. Hes had this coming for years. ‘CHUM: You think karma’ gonna work like that here? NEARY: I'm not leaving until we find this cighth survivor. (CHUM: You ain't gonna find him! If he ain't come forward by now—you know heisa-tead! NEARY: From what? (CHUM: From a friendly fire. From the Vietnamese guns. From the refugee camps. From the horrible shits. From the THAI. ‘Cambodia: We are the land of 10,000 lakes you can dein! NEARY: He’ alive. Iknow it. ‘CHUM: How can youbeso sure? What makes your gun a-smoke? NEARY: On the back of the photo, Duch wrote: “Keep for use.” CHUM: So NEARY: The same thing he wrote forallseven ‘other survivors, “Keep for use”— (CHUM: “For now"! NEARY: What? (CHUM: “Keep for use. For now.” NEARY: That’ right. CHUM: So you not looking fora man, Near, you looking fora ghost. Chum’ soatch goes aff ‘CHUM: Ohp! Five minutes. Gotta get the Cokes! Orebs, she’ gonna cheap out on us. Chae goes of fr the Cokes. Neary sts fr anther _mament. Then something bits ber. She gets ont of the fl spas and hurries of SCENE 6 Dak bolds Chums guidebook. He reads DUCH:*Cambodia is one of the most beautiful ‘countries in the world. With—" Yada yada, skip skip— “BUT travelers to this once mighty kingdom should beware: Of the pickpockets, “The seams. The potholes. With so many bodies to bury during Pol Poe reign, amajority ofthe dead was thrown into shallow graves, alongside roads, so that even lighe rain can unearth the grisly evidence of the past.” Durch lass the guidebook, DUCH: In short, nothing in Cambodia stays buried for long. Sooner or later ital rises tothe surface. auch eracs open a Coke SCENE 7 (Chum sd Ted ar at the party atthe Sheraton The faint sound of Hive-tand karaoke plays in she next room TED: Hey, Mr. Chum! You made it! ‘CHUM: Yeah! Gotta see the Sheraton. ‘TED: You see Near? I just put in her song for karaoke. ‘CHUM: Don't worry, I'm sure she’s on her ‘vay! Right now, Ijust want to talkto YOU, ‘TED: About what ‘CHUM (Referring to bis deaf ea “Ted Parpong! ‘Teo: ABOUT WHAT. ‘CHUM (Laos out): What nice couple. Where ‘you think they mee? She’sso young, he’ so ‘ld, You don’ see that lot. TeD: Mr. Chum, I think (Lander) THAT'S AHOOKER. (CHUM: What?! NO. ‘eo: Yeahh. Young Cambodian gels an ich Westerners, mostly Australians, Ivs become a big problem around here CHUM: Oh wow. That’ terrible. (Beat) ON “THE OTHER HAND, Ibetyou those men tip well. Notlike Asians! Asians don't tip at all. Ses) Ohp, theyre leaving. ‘That was fast. Maybe they heard you. ‘The unseen gir and sex: tourist walk by them. Other ear nate! Stay The girlandsex tvs eit. CHUM: How come you don't work on the sex tai Teo: You mean work with an NGO? CHUM: mean how come you waste all your timeon Duch when you could be fixing ha? TED: Cambodia’ sex tourism industry is unfortunate, y ‘CHUM I notjuscunfortunae its right over there, Orthe Thai Maybe yougo fix the Thai Teo: Fix what? CHUM: You know the history of the THAT in Cambodia? How they used to come and take ALL OUR THINGS ‘Teo:FTunredsofyearsago, hough, wasnt? ‘CHUM: Even today, they say that Angkor ‘Watis theirs. Pssh say, "Angkor Wat isthe ‘middle of our country, brother!” How you gonna lam somthing hatin the MIDDLE school!Lauren Yoo Cambodian Rock (OF SOMEONE ELSE’S COUNTRY? don't think I've ever heard anyone say that, ‘CHUM: The one time I visit Thailand, I walk all the way to the Thai border, on the run from Pol Pot, and the Thai? They say," home!” And I say, “Cambodia is my home and Cambodia is GONE.” But the Thai don’t care! They just send me back. Maybe you workhard, you ger mean apology from ‘THEM, finally help out Cambodia. id like to think that we are helping ambos, ‘CHUM You really wanttobelp,Irell youhow: Teo: Chine takes oe isa (CHUM: Call off che survivor search, airlift sy daughter outta here, and] makeit worth your while, : My while? CHUM: ‘Traveler's check, Mastereard, you tell me, TED: Wait, are you bribing n (CHUM: Not a bribe. A DON: Neary enters. CHUM: Ob hey, Near! NEARY: It was you, TED: NEARY: How could [have been so stupid? ‘CHUM: Hey,you the one who ditched me with the Cokes! You eft before we could find out about the fet! [looked in the hook there, ts just a regular fish, But you starve enough, they eatanything, even feet! NEARY: How did [not see it? TED: What are you talking about, Near? (CHUM I think she is saying take a hike, ‘Ted Patpong. NEARY: “Keep for use, For now! (CHUM: Yeah? NEARY: How did you know what Duch wrote ‘on the back of the eighth survivors photo: (CHUM: You said it yourself. NEARY: “For now."*Keep for use. For now.” ‘That photois the only one that contains that exact phrase ‘TED: That’ right NEARY: How did you know that? CHUM: Maybe you told Mom. Maybe you sprunga leak! NEARY: Nobody knows what Duch wrote. ‘TED: Noone but me and Near anda handful n long ep for use.” of the team, ‘CHUM: read aboutitsomewhere. Or else 1 am psychic! Wow NEARY: ItS you: You're the e ‘TED:Oh my god ghth survivor. ‘CHUM: Me?! Near, thatSerazy: Alle people in Cambodia and SOMEHOW ieisme, your dad? You believe this, Ted? Neary teks ont the photograph NEARY: Thisis you in the photograph. snc (CHUM: Could be anyone! Cambodians, we alllook alike. We all got the same sad face. TED: This is amazing. NEARY: Why didn’t youtell me? Why didn’t Mom— ‘CHUM: Also don’t tell any of this to Mom. NEARY: So were you thet (CHUM: Don't ask, don’t ell! NEARY:IFTdon‘ tell Mom, were you there? (CHUM: Pinky swear? TED: Should we be recording this? NEARY: How did you survive S21? CHUM: Imma survivor. Keep on surviving. TED: Uh-huh. ofyou. NEARY: Seriously — CHUM: I get to S21 and Duch, he says, “Listen, Chum, you a nerd, and I gotta kill all the nerds.” And Isay, “No, sir, you cannot.” “Why no” “Bong, I gora daughter coming.” “Where “In the future, [gota get out of here and have her born, so she can go to Cornell, be a lawyer” [And Duch says, “Oh wow I did not know!” ‘And then? He lecme go. TED: Duch let you go? ‘CHUM: “T'll se you in the nest life, NEARY: That can't be true. No on escaped $21 ‘CHUM: Duch letme go. NEARY: Would you be willing that in com ‘CHUM: You said you would not tell Mom! NEARY: I don't want to tell Mom, [wan am ASKING—youto say thisat Duch’trial, ‘TED: We would beso gratefil ‘CHUM: You mean go in frontof the cameras like Bou Meng, be a-crying like that, go to the S21 museum, sell my sob story to tourists at 10 bucks a pop? That’ not your dad, that’ not me. NEARY: But sooner or later, once we release this phoro— ‘CHUM: Once YOU kiss and tell! NEARY: —someone will recognize you. ‘CHUM: Who isle ro point the fing testify © My friends, my family? NEARY: If you don‘ speak up... may have tocome forward for you. ‘CHUM: My daughter gonna rat me out? NEARY: I can’ratyou Newry holds up the photograph NEARY: You we You deserve justice. nd Mr. Chum, we can help. Toston ifyou're innocent a prisoner. You were Te Hu bodians! NEARY: Because I'm not Cambodian, ‘CHUM: Because youare American, And Irised youbetter than ths. [raised younot to care, NEARY: Can't I care about YOU? About what your life was lik ‘CHUM: You don't know anything about me. NEARY: Isn't that a problem e!Lemeitothe You want to know about me? You ‘want 10 know how sad my life i? Okay! Seven. My daughter thinks I was an only child? No. Seven. Thad seven brothersand sisters growing up. TED:Oh wow: NEARY: Ted, can you leave us? Ted exits. NEARY: Why didn't you tell me thi ‘CHUM: You never asked. NEARY:I came here for you. To understand ‘what happened to you and Mo ‘CHUM: You won't! You never will. NEARY: Do you know how we found this photo? How many weeks Ispent at S21, all bby myself, in the archives, going through the files? I was there every day for a month, ‘CHUM: Bur where'd you sleep a night? NEARY: ‘CHUM: Uneil you spend! a night there and see the sun rise and know that they're coming to do it again? Until you watch ‘em di froncof your face, you don'tknow shit. And you dont geta say. Because this is not your usiness NEARY (Referring 1 the photngrap amy father, You are my family So this is my fucking business. ‘CHUM: Fine, but Duch’ guilty? Then soam L AML around Neary, the background noise gets lauder the room bszex with elec. The musi certakes ber, aud, insctnt. Neary deons ber dink, grubs the mike. She sings “Family Busines." As the sng climases, Neary raps the mike, and disappears into the dark “Family Busines: AMERICANiCArSe suLwAueUsti®‘Brooke lehibashi (Neary/Sothea) and Joe Ngo (Chum) in the South Coast Repertory production INFRARED THERMAL SIDEWINDER JUST A FAMILY BUSINESS) HEAT SEEKING MISSILE FROM HEIR TOAIR (IP'SJUST A FAMILY BUSINESS) TRACKING AND BUSINESS IS GOOD BUSINESS IS GOOD SHE TOSSES IN BED AND SHE’S UP ALLNIGHT HAPPY THAT PEOPLE TO FIGHT SHE CARVES A TINY HEART ONTHE NUMBER CODE \S'THE SIDEWINDER LOCKS ONTO TRACKING MODE JUST LOVE AND BUSINESS IS GOOD BUSINESS IS GOOD SHE CARVES (HER HEART ON EVERY MISSILE THAT SHE KISSES) SHE CARVES (HER HEART ON EVERY MISSILP THAT SHE KISSES) THAT SHE KISSES, THAT SHE KISSES, JULYAUOUSTIS. AMERICAN: THAT SHE KISSES INFRARED THERMAL TRACKING SIDEWINDER (IT’SJUST A FAMILY BUSINESS) HEAT SEEKING MISSILE FROM HEIR TOAIR ((P'SJUST A FAMILY BUSINESS) AND BUSINESS IS GOOD BUSINESS IS GOOD SHE CARVES (HER HEART ON EVERY MISSILE THAT SHE KISSES) SHE CARVES HER HEART ON EVERY MISSILF THAT SHE KISSE! THAT SHE KISSES, THAT SHE KISSES, THAT SHE KISSES. SCENE 8 ring. Chuan ison. shoveling same tree foad its bs mouth, pacing Ted approaches Chur. TED: She wasnt there CHUM: [told you! TED: I looked in every stall in every corner of the market (CHUM: Youclon' find her, your know how much Max out the ther mam’ gonna chews me out? Visa AND get our daughter kidnapped! TED: know you're worried, Mr. Chum— UM: No shit, Dr. Watson! TED; Bur I don't think she was kidnapped Then how come she don’t answer her phone? How come she don't pick up 1: I think she just went to blow off some CHUM: ALONE night allthis morning’ TED: I think she just wants to be alone in Phnom Penh? All last CHUM: Yeah, she WANTS to be alone, bbut how long you think i's gonna take for someone to pick up her? How long before Yo, bong, we need some help. Neary Chum, ED: Well, then do you want to go to the police CHUM: Ob right, the POLICE hard you think they gonna look for her when ‘Cause how you tell ‘em she is going after their old pal DUCH? And how’ she g she leave her wallet! She got no money. She don't speak Khmer. TED: Neary is CHUM: Shei TED: Well, ou treat her like she’ 9 years old CHUM: Maybe America she is 26, maybe America she knows all, ut here? She don't know shit. That this way landmine, thatCeNeri tad ha way Pol Pot! TED: Pol Pot died 10 years ago. ‘CHUM: Pol Pot never left this country. (Chum shoves bis erect fad at Te. (CHUM: Here. You have some lunch, Imma take it from here. TED: How long would you have waited? CHUM: I don't know whatchw talking about, ‘Ted Patpong. TED: How long would you have let Neary search forthe eighth survivor? The rest of her life? ‘CHUM: Hey, that guy, she may never know who he is! ‘TED: And don't you think: that’ a mistake? ‘Mr. Chum, why do you think she came here in the first place? Why do you think shes devoted herself to taking down Duch? You. She did it for you Panse, From ont of the corner of bi ye, Chun sees Due. Or someone like Duch, Duch aie mme your phone, ‘TED: She hasn'tbeen picking up. Every time Teall, it goes straight o voicemail. “Ted bands Chuo bis phone. Imma call het. We gonna play her favorite game. TED: But she’ nor answe: Chum gestures fr Te tsb, fou want to help out? Go help out hat temple over there td wanders aff. Chum dials Neary’ phone ‘CHUM (75 phone: Okay; Near’ phone! What day isit> Ieis April 13, 2008! And Tam turning up the city looking for you. "Cause you pulling a Dad move, fash in, fash out And we can'thave that. You don’t want to talk to your dad? Okay. But maybe you got ime play your favorite game, huh? “Ler Make a Dea You want to know what my life was like And me? I want to know where you are So! Imma call your phone, Imma leave you voicemailsand Imma talk till you hear what you wane to know. And then you gotta tell your dad how to find you. Olay? So! Ar Chron speaks an instrament ersion of One Teousend Tears ofa Tarantula” underscores bm CHUM: Where we leave off? Seven! had seven brothers and sisters grossing up Bur [was the oldest. was my mom’ fivorite. ‘And Phnom Penh, April 1975, Cambodian New Yeats [My family we should've been gone by then, Escape to Pais. But no! I don’ wane to go, Noryet. Tam stubborn, Runs in the far, Tsay, "Ma, “want to see New Year's. I want to go to temple.” —That was: x she say, “Okay; kon, one more week.” Why I make ther stay You want to know? The sounds of a jam session, vocal warmups, toning guitar ‘CHUM: Well, you gotit, boss! Dic siguals the tights. Transition ito the pat. (Chere ransform ne bis 18-yard self. Phnom Penb, 1975, Leng, Sotbea, Roman Pou abo eater, and begin transforming the space inzo a reerding studio, ‘This transition might rake a while, that okay. Jeonpig back nsme tes tine, Maybe te bease Tightscome wp stagebands lp 0 ral nctruments ‘onstage. When everyone is ready, Sothen gosto the mike, Leng on hss, Chum on gut drums, Pow on keyboard. The lighting sifs 0 te past and a different location, The band plays “One Thousand Tears ofa [did noteare about that— rantula.” “One Thousand Tears of a Tarantula” BY DENGUE FEVER KNOM JAAP GOMNAUT NEAU BATTAMBANG NEAU CHNAM MUY BPOAN BRAM BUAN ROY HA BPI BEAL KNOM NEAU KMEN\ MEUN DTOAN DUNG KDAY Verse: KNOM JAAP GOMNAUT BATTAMBANG. NEAU CHNAM MUY BPOAN BRAM BUAN ROY HA BPT BEAL KNOM NEAU KMENG MEUN DTOAN DUNG KDAY NEAU MEDYE KNOM ROMENG DYENG JRIENG BAHM BAY BONNEDEN BEYSACH COMME NACH AU DTAU CHNGAY Chant (8X): DTAUJRIENG YOUMDTEANGDTUK NEH DTRAH JOHM WENG RONG WOHNG MOUL Taesong ends. Thy all lek tach tbr They ve silent The lighs flicker abit, They bald their death. Clam rans the recrding boob 109 the rearing LENG: Are we good? CHUM: That keeper! LENG: My boy says it was good! The hand exhale Ram fort slighly ROM: Auaaaaahl That was good! CHUM: That was SO GOOD, LeNG: WAS IT GOOD: rr WAS GOOD. s HOW GOOD? chum: GOOD GOOD. Ran fares ROM: Wii Wasi okay? POU: We've done, Rom. ROM: Wis itloud enough? Do you think I should've been louder? CHUM I was 0 afraid the power was gonna goout again LENG: Okay: Seriously. SERIOUSLY, Was that not the best rake we've ever done? ROM: thoughe was going ofarethe whole Pou: You did ROM: Bue not loud, ight? CCHUME thoughtallthe takes wer prety good. FROM: Fvery time we gottotheend, the room ‘was shaking, and Twas like, don'aredon't farndon'¥artdon'tare. SOTHEA: How didtscund on yourend, Leng? LENG (Fry) lite slow tobe hones. SOTHEA (be fry: Really? Lene: Ubu SOTHEA:I'll speed itup nexe time, babe. LENG: You do that. Pou: LENG: Um, we have on {HUME thought the tempo sounded fine. SOTHEA: Chun like LENG: Chum’ being polit. POU: Chum is always o poi. ROM: Dude, when you two get hitched, J berter be an open ba. LENG: Who sid you're invited? SOTHEA (Zo Leng): Who said you're geting marvied? AMERICANTHERTRE JULYAUGUSTI®Pou: Oooedh, ROM: Dang, Sothea. ou: He’ blushing! ROM: Obhhh, Leng’ blushing! LENG: Whi SOTHEA: No one’ said anything to me! LENG: We're not talking about this, ' don’t know why we're talking about this! CHUM: Okay, guys. Pou: Killjoy SOTHEA: See, you can’ split those two up! LENG: Thass right! You know this was originally guitar band. OUR band. POU: Back whenall yourarrangements sucked, SOTHEA: Back when you had Chum on female voeal. POU: Oh shoot, [forgot my eamera LENG: Good for you. Pou: No, I was gonna get a picture for the album! (CHUM: Oh yeah! We should. LENG: We have photos. POU: Norall of usin one shot ROM: We do! Central Market. POU: That’ us getting noodles, ‘ROW: But Pou, that's who we are. That’ ws. LENG: Next time. Everyone but Chaom begins packing a ‘CHUM: Wait, where're you going? SOTHEA: Wake up, Chum, we finished. Gotta make curfew. You guys don't want ro go out for a snack fist? SOTHEA: Now’ CHUM: Like we always do. LENG: Holiday, Central MarketS closed. POU: And some of us've got work in the morning. ROM: And some of us've got sleep in the morning. SOTHEA: I gotta help my mom cook: (CHUM: We haven'teven toasted New Year's yet Leng brought beet! LENG: Chum! (CHUM: Surprise! LENG (Relents): Happy New Year's, bitches! Happy new beer! Leng breaks ou the beers. POU: Whaaat? ROM: Ohhih, you sweet sweet man, SOTHEA: Um, thisis Western beer. LENG: SOTHEA: Where'd you getit from? LENG: paid a call on che Americans. SOTHEA: So you stole it LENG: I was doing a job nest door to this liplomat’ house. Back door was open, nobody even cared. JULYAUGUSTIC. AMERICANTHEATRE SOTHEA: The Americansre gonna kck your as when they find out you their supplies LENG: Sothea the Americans ae our ais. Share and share alike! They tas POU: Happy New Year LENG: Happy 1975! ROM: Tous! Pou: Ta the Cyelos! LENG: To the fucking BE band in Cambodia! SOTHEA: The best fucking UNKNOWN band in Cambodia. ‘They tas lnk, drink. ROM: "To Nixon! POU: Fuck Nixon. RON: Pouhe' our patron saint of beer! CHUM: Actually, the current American president isa man named Gerald Fond? FROM: You sound too sober right now: LENG: Why aren't you drinking? POU: Chum’ classy ROM (Sex: Chum’ so fucking classy: LENG: DRINK! Dude, you gotta drink. I's unlucky ifyou don't CHUM: Says who? LENG: New Year’ Eve. Bad luck now, bad luck the rest of the year You wanted it, you drink ie Row: DOIT. ‘CHUM: [don't even have a drink. Leng hands bie bse LENG: DOT ROM/LENG/POU/SOTHEA: DOT DO TT DOIrpOrT DOTT— {CHUM:"To my bandmates, my bes fiends — LENG: Hear hear! ‘CHUM: To the midnight eoncerts, the rooftop partes Pou: Ow ow! ‘CHUM To everything we did together— —And everything we have yet tod! re been raiding ST FUCKING have been waiting for this moment my whole life And we are finally here. Wedid it. ul Tam so happy I stayed for this. (Chiu pats don bs beer: LENG: Dude, whae’s going o CHUM: We've leaving. My whole family and I, we're leaving Cambodia, SoTHEA: WHAT? LENG: No, you're not. fomorrow, we're getting on a plane POU: You're going to France?! ‘CHUM: I wasn't supposed to say anything. POU: Oh god, T'm so jealous, hate you. SOTHEA: Babe, hes serious. Ishe serious? CHUM: Come on, you guys had ro know my family would he leaving. Everyone's been geting out. Ics time. LENG: The war's not even over y (CHUM: It’ basically over. We know who's ROM: BEER WILL WIN, ‘CHUM: Is over for my family here. Our in Cambodia sup. LENG: Your dad cant ind anew job? CHUM: YOUR family didn’ suppore the general. YOUR father wasnt a member of, his cabinet. Lene: top anymore, weleome tothe cub. POU: Welcome tothe nosebleeds CHUM: I'm going to Pars, and I hope that maybe you'll think about coming, too. LENG: Are you kidding me? (CHUM: There are stil fights, there are stil spots. LENG: Dude, we don’ need your help. ‘CHUM: You can't stay herein Phnom Penh. You know chat, right? Lene: Tes gonna be fine CHUM: When the Khmer Rouge gethere SOTHEA: No, no, we are not talking about the KR— CHUM: When they ger bere, what are you going to do? SOTHEA: Not this. Not tonight. (CHUM: 'm jst saying— SOTHEA: I thought this was our night! I thought we were going to have one last night without talking about some fucking communist located hundreds /ofkilomerers ine, the general’ out, you're noton away— (CHUM: Hundreds? Try tens even. ‘SOTHEA: —Tam gonna be sick CHUM: Our country ison fire, ‘LENG: Cambodia been on fre since you hit puberty, dude. ‘CHUM: Weean't ignore this, Mier this, nothing will be the same ever again. POU: Maybe that’sa good thing! Iforone am looking forward to finally ending this mess. (CHUM: The only reason they let us have the recording studio for the night? It because there're no more musicians eftin the capital, Because everyone ese led. Isnt that right, Leng? Isnt that what you told me? SOTHEA: Babe, is that true? POU: You know what I think? I think no ‘matter who wins— CHUM: The Khmer Rouge will win POU: Doesn’tmatter! We get fucked over bythe Khmer Rouge, iS the same as getting fucked over by the French, the prinee, the ‘general? Differes ROM: Which one are we? LENG: We're whicheverside wins, dha wht. (CHUM: In another month, a week even, che Khmer Rouge willbe here and anyone who's gotten in their way LENG: Rumors, dude, (CHUM: They're already executing people LENG: So did the general (CHUM: They are executing civilians LENG: You don't know that (CHUM: Musicians. Intellectuals. Anyone with college degree. ROM: Lucky for mi POU: You're a musician, Rom, ROM: When did drummers become musicians? (CHUM: They are marching right now; through the countryside, destroying anything even remotely connected to the West LENG: So? (CHUM: We'rea Western sylerock band, You ddon'cthink we're going to be fist on thei is? ROM: Don't worry about me. I'm lke a spider, stomp on me, and I'm stil here. POU: You mean a cockroach. ROM: Naw, I'm a spider. I'm tasty: I don’t ‘wanna be a cockroach. LENG: Hey,aslong asthe Americans occupy Phnom Penk, as long as we've got American tanks and American guns ROM: —And American beer. LENG: —nothing changes. As long as the Americans are here, keeping the peace, the Khmer Rouge won't be able to pull half the shitthey’ve been threatening. They will have to compromise. ‘CHUM: And ifthe Americans go? LENG: No way the Americans pull out. They bombed the shit out of us, chey create his whole Khmer Rouge problem in the frst place: They're going oust leave ushanging? They owe us. CHUM: Do the All tn rb silence 0 bewr—froma dance — the faint sound of fighting, bol, war machines (Or maybe just New Year's fireworks, ROM: I met LENG: Who? ROM: The Khmer Rouge. Their leader. Brother Number One low'd you know it was him? ROW: He said, “Rom. Iam the leader of the Khmer Rouge.” LENG: What did he s ROM: Nothing. He just took away myname, ‘0 took away my fice, washed over me like a ‘wave, and Iwas him, POU: Was this dream? ROM: It wasn'ta dream! Itwasa VISION. It ‘was heavy, man, POU: Wer ROM: Yeah, POU: So it was a dream, ROM: Weighed a ton, POU: Okay, tiger. Pou takes aay Ron's ber ROM: Where'd it go? POU: Let's go downstairs. Rom, get some Food in you, Pou leads Rom out ROM: And I was me, but he was him and the two of us!— Pou and Ram ext Snbensenderofftage inthe opposite distin, Chuan retrievesa tape reorder, takes out a crsette tape LENG: What the fuck, dude? Why didn't you tell me you were leaving? ‘CHUM: I just did LENG: Same time you tell everyone el: (CHUM: I wasn'teven supposed to mention it! LENG: So this was it? This was our last gig together CHUM: It doesn’ have to be. LENG: So is that why you wanted your own, # So you'd have a souvenir from when you were slumming it with the Cyelos? CCHUMEI'm goingto getyou guysoutofhere, T'mserious about that LENG: How? you asleep? ‘CHUM: Once people hear this tape? LENG: You take that tape and the quality’s ‘gonna be shit, man, And France has musi, CHUM: But nothing lke this. Like us. LENG: You want tbe famous. Do there, in ‘Cambodia. Assoon asthe nightclubs reopen, wwelllbe playing the Mekong, the Locus— (CHUM: Leng, are you serious? Look out that window. What do you see? LENG: When i settles down— ‘CHUM: When it settles down, allthis, che music? Gone. LENG: Dude, this is alkways be music, (CHUM: Cambodia is over for us. Why don't you seit LENG: Because I can't! Because not all of us can afford to split. ‘CHUM: Yes, ou can. Sell your bike, borrow some money, and come with me to Franee. LENG: And what about Sothea? What about Ther mom and her sisters and her sisters kids, huh? She won'e go, and Tean‘ leave her. (CHUM: Then youneed plan. Getoutofthe ‘capital, go into hiding, something. imbodia—there will LENG: Dude, we're gonna be fine, (CHUM: Bur when the Khmer Rouge come? LENG: I'll do whar I have to. Get a haircut and go straight into their ranks, CHUM: No, you won't LENG: Khmer Rouge’ gotta be looking for new recruits, too. ‘CHUM: You can’t just keep switching sides, LENG:T'mon the side of Cambodia. Whoever wins, thae’s my side (CHUM: Good karma, LENG:T'llsalucea fre hydrancif thar what intakes, (CHUM: Listen to me, Leng: When the Khmer Rouge get here it gonna be more than just changing the color of your scarfor the way you salue, LENG: Talk about karma, you're the one leaving. You know if you go, this is goodbye, band really is dead (CHUM: Don'tsay that, Pou and Rom come back in. Pow bangs on the throm doo: POU: Turn on the radio, LENG: Whar? POU: Sothea! ROM: I ald you, Pou: Turn it up. ROM: The mystic approaches. Chum fides with the radio, Static. A news annowncer:Indecipberable, LENG: What're they saying? 'SOTHEA (Emerging fn the bathroom: What's happening’ POU: The Americans have left C boils ROM: I was me, but he was him (CHUM (Listens to rad): Pou's right. Their ‘embassy pulled out this morning. ROM: [told you, dude! My dream! Pou: The Khmer Rouge are marching on the capital ROM: The prophet has arrived. LENG: Holy shit. POU: I's over. (CHUM: [es nor over. Thisisjustthe beginning, ROM: Here comes the water. SOTHEA: We have to get out ofhere. Hu ROM: Here comes the sun. (CHUM: They've taken over the aitport. No ‘one’s getting out. SOTHEA: So what do we donow? Leng picks up bis bass. He plays a chord. Beat. (Chuo pick up bis guitar Sotbea nods, oes tothe mike, Rea erp bak othe dams, Pets om hey Te too late. AMERICANTHEATRE JULYAUGUSTI®‘The band plays *Comont Slippers.” “Cement Slippers” BY DENGUE FEVER Mate vocals: 3IRLFRIENDLOVESEVERY THING HE BEACH EXCEPT THE WATER, THE SAND AND THE SUN Mate female vocals HERE COMES THE WATER Female vocal: MY BOYFRIEND LOVESEVERY THING ABOUT ME HE ENDLESS HOURS OF Chorus: AND IT WEIGHS A TON...ON ME AND IT WEIGHS ATON...ON ME AND IT WEIGHS A TON...AH! Female vocals: MY BOYERIEND LOVES EVERYTHING AT THE BAR BUT'THE MUSIC, THE SMOKE AND. THE BOOZE, Male ferale vocals: HERE COME HE WATER, Male vocals: MY GIRLFRIENDLOVESEVERYTHING ABOUT Mi BUT WHEN I STARE AT THE GIRLS IFPM FREE Male/femate vocal HERE COME HERE COMES THE WATER HE SUN Chorus: JULYAAUGUSTIC. AMERICANTHEATRE AND IT WEIGHS A TON. AND IT WEIGHS A TON... AND IT WEIGHS A TON, AND IT WEIGHS A TON. AND IT WEIGHS AON. AND IT WEIGHS A TON...ON ME AND IT WEIGHS ATON...AH! Behind then, the sound of explosions. New Your's fireworks. The sky gloes.a bright red. Tbe song is overtaken by the sound ofan incoming army, gunfire, eps alin nt the city, military sounds, ums eslading. Bur the hana plasm aalon and on, Duch pops out wit bs finger cymbal. Ting! DUCH: Intermission Intermison ON ME ON MF ON ME .ON ME .ON ME SCENE 9 As the intersan ends, even before the lights go doom and ceryone's seated, Chum comes ont He sings “Chapa Battambang.” “Champa Battambang” By SINN SISAMOUTH. Verse: ‘OUR..., BATTAMBANG BON DOL JIT ERY... KHA-NHOM SUOM LEA HERY, LEA TEANG AH LAL... TANG PIRUOB KHA-NHOMBAN KLEAT TOV CHHA- NGAY...KHA-VOL KHA-VAY...NEOK DAY PUOM MEAN PEL LA-HAE, OUR...BATTAMBANG KORNG KAM \VEA-SNA...DEL KHA-NHOM PRA TNAKHA-MEANPEL TOMNAE...BER SINJEA KOU KHA-NHOM PI BOOB PAE....SUOM ORY... MEAS SNAE NEOK KHERNH KREA DERM. M! JAM MEAN TER, TE ROUBOUN DEL JEADONG-HERM... SA-NGUON. JOMPUSNUONLA-ORNGJIT BORNG SONG-KHOEM...SONG-KHOEM, NHOR-NHOEM THA BANJEAKUU, VEAS-SNA! Ver PORNG YUHERY... NALERY BAN YOL PHEAK-TRA...JIT JA-RUULJA-ROR BOL RAOL THANGAL KHA-LERCH PHA-SA. .JORNG BAN. (CHAM PA BATTAMBANG. Choras: JORNG BAN... CHAM PABATTAMBANG ERY. JORNG BAN... CHAM PA BAT TAMBAN ERY, JORNGBAN... CHAMPA BATTAMBANC ERY English translation: OH BATTAMBANG, HEART. IT WAS HARD TO SAY GOODBYE SINCE THE DAY I'VE BEEN AWAY FROM you TIVORRY AND THINK ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME (OH BATTAMBANG, MY DESTINY, ICANT STOP MISSING YOU IP YOU WEREMY LOVE'S PREVIOUS LIFE PLEASE DON'T FORGET OUR TIME TOGETHER. ITS BEEN SUCH A LONG TIME, DO YOU STILL REMEMBER ME? YOU ARE MY BREATH | ALWAYS HOPE.T0 BE YOURS STILL OH BATTAMBANG, I'VE MISSED YOU FORSO LONG WHEN WILL ISBE YOU AGAIN? I PEEL SO SAD WANTING MY BATTAMBANG. Clam sings the bund comes back onstage, tes ther instruments. Avsvon as theyre ready, they play “Sai Bong.” “Sni Bong” BY DENGUE FEVER ON SNIBONG DUNG THAY TAON SNI BONG ON SNIPRA BONG JIEYU BON NAH DOU HAUT) SNI PRATLAL JRA NAI BONG MUN DUNG KLUEN HIDUVEYNUNGKLUENLUNGUON YANG NI LANG MAO BONG JUMROOM MAO ROM NUNG CAY -MUHDAIK PROM MIEMEL (NGYEK MOOK DAIJENG YANG NI on. 000K, HOLD MECLOSE TO YOU TONIGHT, ON SNIBONGLauren Yee Cambodian Reck Sand ON SNIBONG, HOLD ME Ci YOU TONIGHT, ON SNIBONG DUNG THAY TA ONS ON SNIPRABONG JIEYU BON NAH DOU HAK(UH) SNI PRATLAI JRA NAI BONG MUN DUNG KLUEN, HIDUVEY NUNGKLUENLUNt YANGNI LANG MAO BONG JUMROOM MAO ROMNUNG CAY MUHDAIK PROM MIEMET (NG)YEK MOOK DAIJENG YANG NI on. 0008. HOLD ME CLOSE TOYOU'TONIGHT— English translatio OLSNIBONG, YOU KNOW THATILOVE vou LOVEYOU, BOX,SINCEALONGTIMEAGO 1'VE BEEN LOVING YOU, BUT BABY YOU DON'T KNOW MY HONEY, WHY DOYOUACT LIKE THIS? (COME ON, RABY, COME DANCE WITH ME WHY DO YOU TURN AWAY FROM ME? Chorus (2X): (OH, Oli, 10, O11, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH 1000, 00H, OOH, OOH, HOO, 1100 HOLD ME CLOSE TO YOU TONIGHT, OH, SNIBONG OW, SNI BONG, HOLD ME CLOSE TO YOU TONIGHT (ONSNIBONG, YOU KNOW THAT ILOVE you LOVE YOU, BOY, SINCEALONG TIMEAGO VE BEEN LOVING YOU, BUT BABY YOU DON'T KNOW PY, WHY DO YOUACT LIKE THIS? COMEON, BABY; COME DANCE WITH ME WHY DO YOU TURN AWAY FROM ME: Chorus (2X): Oi, O11, HO, OH, OH, OH, OF, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH, OH 1000, 00H, OOH, 00H, HOO, HOO HOLD ME CLOSE TO YOU TONIGHT- ‘Then uch maker bie way from the back ofthe theatre tothe front ofthe stage, shamelessly and sadly, drink and ona in band. He kicks am ontlet, the plug is pulled. The electricity goes ask out, The band looks around, confnsed. UCH: Sorry sory sorry sory sorry, bathroom, line, Cambodian time. OKAY! I'm back. “Told you I'd be back. How are we doing? Fi REFRESHEI Well, that is all about to change! ‘Because its 1978 and three yeas have gone by. Tknow! Fee like 15 minutes, buc no! And now weare here at $21 THAT place Hey, intermission, YOU chose come back ‘The band members lok at ach tbe UCH (Ti he hand): So that will beall. Thank you. Thank you. Shoo, shoo. As Chum begins to wander off DUCH: Comrade, did Tsay you could go? CHUM: Yes DUCH: Did I say. You could go. CHUM: I guess not... DucH: No. Dac gags and Mindjilde Chum, jeter. So much better! N OW you Chun is pulled offtage bya unseen forse (CHUM: Wait wait waie wai! DUCH: So just to recap: My name is Duch and weare the Khmer Rouge. A scream of torture from ofitage. 18% Chum? DUCH: Yes! KHMER ROUGE! Yes, scream, YES. And on behalf of our esteemed leader Pol Pot, welcome to Cambodia! Because it is now 1978 and all the rules have changed, oh yes they ha The Americans are fled, Vietnam is over, and to the outside world? nbodia is usta dark spot on the map. So this? All this? Duc nd of kicks the drune kit over tothe side esi BUCH Ge ‘The stage management tum macs the instruments and equipment tthe side DUCH: That’ right. There we go. My cadres, Thave cadres! Aren't they great? ‘The black, it looks good on everyone! ‘We have taken our brief pause and now we are in the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge! (Our great utopian experimentis now undersay Welcome tothe year zero. And what does that mean, this year 2 Wall, ‘ack pls on he shox programe, cones the ong lis be rate onthe back of, put on bit glass, DUCH: No phones Nopagers ‘No photography, technology, or recording devices of any No artists, intellectual, or capitalise No hospitals, no schools, no factories No banks, money, religion, or holidays No glasses except for these— No electricity The houselight di DUCH (Zo te bot Personal proper Individual feelings? Nein Your children are now our children. Your snacks are now our snacks, And most ofall: No music Silence. Abbbb, Duc check the progres onstage Were are rhe ators? Are they in their places? DUCH: How are we doing? Almost ready? A Cadre marches blindfolded Chum onstage DUCH: Oh great, this is great Nolights! No sound! Phones off The lights go ont. The somnd got out DUCH: And welcome to S21 SCENE 10 S21, April 1978, A Cadre tortures Cham, 21, in acl. Chum ‘wears a blindfal, his bands bound, tcomscous He's been faced wp pre bly, ed up ace The Cadre basa gn strapped to bim. The Cadre smacks Chom ‘CADRE: Wake up! (CHUM: Maa?! ‘CADRE: You said you jn Barambang? (CHUM: Movaah? ne from the camp ‘CADRE: You said you came from the camp in Battambang? The Cadre smacks bim again Beat. (CHUM: You gotic...boss? The Cadre ober a closer lok at Chiom, Shit. ‘CADRE (Monti: Holy shit, Shit shit shit shit shit hit (CHUM: Did I say something wrong...boss? The Cadre slams his fit againce something, _frnstrated, makes a noise ‘CADRE: No. You didn't, okay? Shut up. Beat. ‘CHUM: Leng? ‘CADRE: Wh: ‘CHUM: Leng, is that you? AMERICANTHEATRE JULYAUCUSTIC‘CADRE: No? ‘CHUM: C'mon, Leng, Iknow it you, Len Your name is Leng. ‘cADRE: Ne CHUM: Yes, CADRE: No CHUM (Sinultanconsy): Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes LENG (Simultaneously): No No No No ‘CHUM: Your name is Leng. You lived in the capital. And we played together ina band. The Cadre takes off Chums blind, pull dren biskruma revealing his face. Leng shuts the doe LENG: Dude, shut up! CHUM: OMIGOD! Ie IS you. LENG: Shhh (CHUM: Say my name LENG: Dude. (CHUM: Say my name LENG: No, (CHUM Say it. Say it, Sayitsayitsayitsayitsayie! Stops) V'l say yours. LENG: Shhhh (CHUM: Then say it LENG (Smal): Chum, ‘aleve Tsuj (Oven) and Joe Ngo (Chum) in the South Coast Repertory production. CHUM: Can't hear you, LENG: Chum. Your name is Churn, CHUM: SEE! YOU DO REMEMBER ME! OMIGOD, TKNEWIT WAS YOU! LENG: Shhh sh sh sh sh! Leng wnties Chum. ‘CHUM: Omigod, bong, this is amazing. Like what're the chances?! IKNEW you'd make it. [bet you were lke, “Peasant!” And they were like, "YEAH!" LENG: You see anyone at your camp? CHUM: In Battambang? LENG: Yeah, CHUM: Some people from the capital, yeah Kid I knew from high school, their pa LENG: Anyone from the band? ‘CHUM: Well, Pou split off to head down t0 her dad's village. And Rom Ihave no clue LENG: mean, like Sothea, ‘CHUM: Didn't she leave with you? LENG: After the Khmer Rouge invaded, we went down south co her aunt’, kept our heads down, pretended to be peasants. But there were troops who needed some help. We got separated. HUM: Oh. LENG: Have you seen her? CHUM: Sorry, bong, but bet she's our there I mean, if ean survive, then she’s defintely LENG: Right (CHUM (Nindges An! Khmer Ro LENG: I'm not Khmer Rouge CHUM: Khmer Rouge scarf. Khmer Rouge gun! Blindfold a nice touch, Ike it. Smart So they ean'tsee your face LENG: Whar about my face CHUM: They can't see your face, they can't bbe mad at you for what you've done LENG: What have done? CHUM: Nothing. I'm just you're alive, buddy. Bo Nile Vm so happy LENG: Tam noc your bong. Wearenot friends (CHUM: But we are LENG: We don’t even know each other. CHUM: Bur we do, LENG: If anyone comes into this room, we have never me CHUM: Obhhih, Smart. Tricky LENG: You don even know my name CHUM: But Ido. Leng, LENG: Shhh CHUM: Le LENG: Thar’ not my name anymore CHUM: Whats it now LENG: I changed i. To Comrade Kee (CHUM: Hah, LENG: Why, what’ yours ‘CHUM: Comrade Song. LENG: Is that a joke? CHUM: I think it’s a good name! LENG: You need total this seriously, dude.PNrrtiad Youareat $21. Do youknow what this place i? LENG: A prison. Ifyou're here, its because they think you'rea spy t:On the truck here, it was old women and children. Five year olds, We're not spies! LENG: If you're here, there's a reason to suspect you, ‘CHUM: Our whole country is starving to death, and this is what the Khmer Rouge is worrying about? LENG: They're ter come back, ake over. (CHUM (Laughs): Me?! A spy?! LENG: YES. CHUM: would m LENG: Then what are you? CHUM: What? fied the Vietnamese will kea TERRIBLE SPY! Your biography. In the morning, when they come in and accuse you of being bourgeoisie capitalist, a CIA agent, a Viernamese operative, what do you say? ‘Who are you? Ifyou weren'tin a Western- style rock band, then what did youdo before the war? (CHUM: Oh, I'm just « banana seller. T sll ba LENG: And? (CHUM: Whar do you mea I sell. WVints) “Bananas. LENG: Don’ say it like that (CHUM: How else can I say it? LENG: Say itlike you're a peasant. (CHUM: “I’m a banana seller. sell bananas.” LENG: Wrong, ‘CHUM:*I AMA BANANA SE BANANAS!” LENG (Sort cw): NOT SO LOUD. They'll heat you CHUM: Though if they do, then they'l be really convinced I'ma banana seller because Twas just yelling it at you. LENG: Lower. ‘CHUM (Deep vices “I'm a banana seller. 1 sell bananas.” LENG: How much do you buy them for ‘CHUM: What? LENG: These bananas youallegedly sel. How much do you buy them for? (CHUM: FT don't know LENG: BANG, you're dead, CHUM: A hundred riel. T buy them for a Founded riel« hand, LENG: And how rmuch do you sell them for? (CHUM: One ten? LENG: One hundred and ten riel? LENG: Those are slim profit margins, come ‘CHUM: I'm a peasant, I didn't make much ‘LENG: Yes, but from the sound ofit, sounds like you didn’t make ANY money. Sounds like you were a terible banana seller. ‘CHUN I was very bad at capitalism! LENG: And who are the others? (CHUM: What? LENG: The other spies in your unit, name ime theie names. CHUM: Bong, come on, there weren't any spies in my unit. LENG: BANG, you're dead. ‘CHUM: T don't know any names! LENG: Make it up. And make i believable. ‘CHUM: Point a finger at old ladies and yell “spy? e them what they want. DEFI yourself. This is your life (CHUM: How am I supposed to defend myself if] don't even know why I'm here? They say ma spy; what're the charges? LENG: I don't know. CHUM: I've been here two daysand no one’ sn told me what I'm suspected of. LENG: Ie all written down in your file. In Duché oftce. ‘CHUM: Then go get my file from this Duch ang tell me what I'm doing here ‘LENG: Duch’ the head of this Facility, isis his prison, I can’ walk in there, grab a fil. cHUM: Interrogator, aren't you? LENG: Duch doesn't let us know the charges. He says we get lazy ifwe don’t have toshow ‘our work, CHUM: Please, bong. LENG:I'l ey ‘CHUM: Thank you ‘The sound ofa bl LENG: That's curfew: The night shifewill be hhere soon to take you backiinto your cell. cheek on you as oon as ean, ‘CHUM: Thank you. ‘or what? (CHUM: You saved my life LENG: No, [haven't. ‘CHUM: You did. You gave me some live for. : Goodnight. CHUM: See you tomorrox. tha isthe hope. ‘CHUM (Biiper): Thank you. LENG: You're welcome. ‘CHUM: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. LENG: What're you doin ‘CHUM: I'm saying thank you, Thank you. Thank you. I'm going to say ita thousand times before Ifill asleep ngto Fine. But doit silently CHUM: You gotit, boss! LENG: And try to get some sleep, (Chie leans back closes bis eyes, Smaller, bute au stil bear it (CHUM: Thank you. ‘Thank you. Thankyou. Thankyou. LENG: Chum? cH LENG: You know what goes on right? cHu! a this place, sm han, LENG: So why are you sil smiling? (CHUM: Because! Today someone remembered ime. Tova someone sid my name, So today ‘a8 a good day Leng exits, Chum silently to himself CHUM: Thank you. ‘Thank you. ‘Thankyou. ‘Thankyou. Thank you. ‘Thank you. Bventnally, Chum falls asleep SCENE 11 BUCH: So right now itis three Aa. And they ae all asleep. nov, right?! I don't know how they do it, but Every night Without fail Nomatter who they are rd, prisoner, guard-turned-prisoner, prisoner-tuned-to~dlust Itisthree sa, And they are all asleep. ometimesin the interrogation rooms before they'd even finished! One on top of the other, Men, women, children, who'd been chained up, tossed around, thrown against battered, bruised, the worst smells, the foulest ‘condition... and yetevery night SOMEHOW I atch themallfllasleep. Only tostarvover the next morning — ‘The sownd of Chun scoring at be tartare. DUCH: How envy them SCENE 12 (Chuo etd np in bie char: He' ben thoroughly fucked up since lat abn. Leng enters, sus the dove: Chum sbimpers LENG: Bong, its me, its Leng, it Leng unties Chum, feds bi a rice eake, which Chim devours AMERICANTHCATRE JULYIAUGUSTI®LENG: This all I could get. CHUM: Where have you been?! LENG: I've been busy. Lhad work. ‘CHUM: Whyam There? Whatarethe charges? LENG: I'm working on it (CHUM: You ie you'd find out for medaysago, LENG: Duch keeps the files in his offie, T can't getin. ‘CHUM: Go at night when he sleeps. LENG: Duch never sleeps. (CHUM: Finda way. Otherwise, they're going cokill me. LENG: They won't, ‘CHUM: You sure about that? LENG: They're trained not t. ‘CHUM: Seemed pretty realistic to me! LENG: Tonight. promise, Tonight, Till getit. Lemg moves tthe door CHUM: Where’re you going LENG: Bong— CHUM: Don't leave me. LENG: Ihave to. (CHUM: You're secu you're an interrogator, Vm the prisoner. This is your job. Sty. ‘LENG: If I'm here in this room, you know what Ihave todo. LENG: What? CHUM: Do your job, Comrade Leng. LENG: I'll find someone else, someone responsible— CHUM: The other guards are 13-year-old BOYS, LENG: —who obey my orders. CHUM: Please, LENG: You think I'm going to fuck up my karma like that? (CHUM: We've all done something LENG: Not you. (CHUM: Yes, [have. LENG: Bullshit. ‘cHUM: I’ve killed people, too. (CHUM: My family: LENG: I don't believe that. CHUM: Do you know why my family stayed in Cambodia, why we didn’t leave sooner? [Because of me, So could record te albu By the time we were done, the Khmer Rouge wwashere, the airport was closed and wemissed ‘our escape, So you're not the only one with blood on your hands. (Bea) IFsomeone has to doit, Pd rather itbe you. Leng picks up a pair of jumper cables from the dos in the corner: CHUM: See? You got it, bos. JULYAUGUSTIC. AMERICANTHEATRE Chron smiles, Leng gins to warm up te jumper cables. Sparks SCENE 13 UCH: The one good thing aboutall hours, allnighe? Other than the work you get done— You learn how things sound. Ordon’ In the silence, you hear things you never ‘even noticed had a sound before: ‘The sound of bodies ‘The sound ofsleep ‘The sound of searching And the sound of deceit Leng appears vith a file folder: He stands outside the iterogatan rm schere Chum is being held. DUCH: This is the part where I enter the story. So of course the part where _get significantly more interesting. You're ‘weleome. Dal enters the scene. He leans against the polishing a gn DucH: Evening, comrade. LENG: Comrade Duc, didn't see you there, DUCH: Couldn't sleep. LENG: Sorry to hear, DUCH: Thank yo LENG: Excuse mi a DUCH: You've been here how long? A year? Two? LENG: 18 months, DUCH: Longer than any of our current guards, And never a misstep, never a word out of tum, So thank you. LENG: only seek to do my ob. DUCH: Every night this week, I've seen you working late. Working working always working, LENG: Yes, lots of work to be done. DUCH: That's wonderful, that’s very commendable. I wish the others were as assiduous a painstaking as you, Comnade Kee. LENG: I was just finishing an interrogation. UGH: In my office? LENG: What? DUCH: You came straight from my office. Diuch gestures fr th file that Leng bold LENG: I just wanted to confirm a detail. DUCH: Oh you could've asked, comrade, 1 woukd have gladly obliged. LENG: I didn’t want ro bother you. Ie’ late. UCH: You're working on— Dich peoks at the fle bucH: —Comrade Song? LENG: Yes, bUCH: The banana seller. LENG: He’ a particularly stubborn case DUCH: The rest of his group has already been processed, turned to dust. What so special about him? LENG (Referring tothe fleh That’ what 1 wanted to check on. ucH: Can F meet hi LENG: Comrade? UCH: Humor me, just for kicks. LENG: Hee\apeasunt, not worth your valuable UCH: Md just like o understand why this prisoner out ofall the other prisoners has ‘been so tricky for you. Let me meet him. It will edueate me as much ast will aid you. LENG: Of course. Leng hands te folder to Duch and opens be door to the interrogation rove, sere Chum was. if chats infact your real name— ‘CHUM: Ie definitely is DUCH:—itis so good to meet you! Dich reaches out to Con, hon DUCH: Untie him, please! He's not our prisoner, hes our GUEST! LENG: Yes, comrade, Duch fk: Chun’s bands DUCH: Long fingers. ‘CHUM: Yes. DUCH: Soft hands. (CHUM: Are they uci: I don't chink Ive ever met 2 banana seller,a FRUIT VENDOR, with such long graceful fingers and such soft soft hands. CHUM: They bad co be. bucH: Did they? ‘CHUM: Who wants to buy bruised banana Dac laughs, Chum laugts DUCH: You know, I never thought of that! Bot that is true! CHUM: Itis! DUCH: Wel, comrade, Thave toad, thisis conundrum. According to Comrade Kee, your story seems to check out— LENG: Ie does. DUCH: And YET, if Central Committee sent you here, then you must be guiley. And if you're guilty, ies my job to find out why: CHUM: Or else I'm innocent. (CHUM: Whatever they've charged me with, uc: Oh, ‘of something. Pa banana seller, UCH: You sell bananas. CHUM: Yes, UCH: Bananas. ‘cHUM: Thar’ right.(CHUM: Bananas. ucH: “BANANAS.” CHUM: BANANAS! Beat. Chum smiles nervous DUCH: You havea beautiful smile, comrade. T do hope you never lose that. That would be such a shame. CHUM: Thank you? LENG: Comrade, wih all due respect, what does this have to do with— A thought DUCH: Open your mouth. Bet. (CHUM: What DUCH: Ifyou would, LENG: We did full search, stripped! him and everything. There’ nothing he’ hiding. DUCH: Oh, I disagree. LENG: He's been here for ovo weeks, what could this peasant possibly be hiding? DUCH: “Three things cannot belong hidden ‘The sun, the moon, and the eruth.” LENG: But we haven't found anything, UCH: Iam going to teach you something, ‘comrade. For yourbenefitas much as mine, Watch closely. (Ta Chum) Open your mouth, come, (Chua does. Duch bands the fle 10 Lengo becan eer inside Chen's mont DUCH: Bigger. Wider. Wider...stop. Right there. Thats perieet. (Chuom bold bis mouth open DUCH: You see that, comrade? LENG: I don't think I do. DUCH: Filings. He got fillings. Heb peasant with dental worl? LENG: ...G DUCH: You're weleome. Tell the men to grind him to dust, But save the teth. T'm sur ‘can use the metal for something. LENG: But what about his confession— DUCH (Referring to te fillings: We have his confession, ‘CHUM: What was I charged DUCH: We have everything we need. uch begins ro mave Leng tard th do LENG: But, comrade, how will we explain what he wrot (CHUM: What Leng takes srap of paper from the fil LENG: What hisunit leader found in is bunk. (CHUM: THAT'S why Pm here? You're going tokill me over that? What Twrote down on. piece of paper?! DUCH: I'm going to ger someone to doit for me, bue yes od job, comrade. ‘CHUM: You don'teven know what thats DUCH: CIA code, obviously (CHUM: Bur if Brother Number One wants to know what it means? What will you tell him? How will you explain it? DUCH: Irs a message. To your operatives, thac’ what vis, ‘CHUM: But what ifyou're wrong? DUCH: What what what (CHUM (Deliberate: What if you're wrong. DUCH: Luckily, tha is never the case (CHUM: Except this time you are, You kill me now, you will never know the answer, And then what will Brother Number One nk of your excellent investigative work, Comrade Duch? Dal gestures fr Leng go. DUCH: You may go, Leng doesn’ DUCH: Comrade, you may go, Leng stands there. uCH: You and I will have the opportunity to discuss your overzealous extracurricular activities ata later date Leng exis, shutting the door DUCH: Wel ‘CHUM: They're lyrics. Ta a song. Duc ook atthe pice of paper UGH: Ir doesn'teven rhyme, (CHUM: It does in English DUCH: And where did you gett fron (CHUM: I wrote it down from memor DUCH: Because you're a spy CHUM: Because I'm a musician, My band and T used to play this song all the time. les a very popular song. DUCH: Then why don't [know it? ‘CHUM: You will, once I play it, 0. Let’ hear it. This “song,” these nent frst. DUCH: You're stalling, ‘CHUM: Find me an instrument and we'll doit later. BUCH: You mean tomorrow: ‘CHUM: ast wantyouto hearhow tt supposed tobe played, Soyou know the absolute ruth. Dach gosto the bo of torture ineraments, He ulls out an elecric guitar: He bans the guitar 0 Chum. CHUM: This isa Stratocaster, DUCH: Yes. (CHUM: Where did you get this from? DUCH: [havea way'of making things appear and disappear. Dauch pgs tele guitar nt the all, Chum playsa nate. Now impress me. m1 bucH: Yes? ‘CHUM: donitknow fT remember how t goes. UCH: Up to you. (Chu loses his eve, tens 0 smenbing inside of ‘im. He lays “The Tomes They Are Changi.” “The Times They Are A-Changin"” BY BOB DYLAN (COME GATHER "ROUND PEOPLE WHEREVER YOU ROAM AND ADMIT THAT THE WATERS AROUND YOU HAVE GROWN AND ACCEPT IT THAT SOON YOU'LL BE DRENCHED TO THE BONE, OUR TIME-TO YOU IS WORTH SAVIN" ‘THEN YOU BETTER STARTSWIMMIN OR YOU'LL SINK LIKE A STONE FOR THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ COME WRITERS AND CRITICS WHO PROPHESIZE WITH YOUR PEN AND KEEP YOUR EYES WIDE ‘THE CHANCE WON'T COME AGAIN AND DON'T SPEAK TOO SOON FOR THE WHEELS STILL IN SPIN AND THERE'S NO TELLIN’ WHO. THAT IT'S NAMIN’ FOR THE LOSER NOW WILL BE LATER TO WIN FOR THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ SCENE 1: DUCH: Okay. Fine. It wasn’t electri. But hey, you know what? Maybe it was! Maybe I did plug i in, Maybe Dylan really DID go electric in Cambodia You don'tknow, This is my story [could tell you anything want Isn't that stra While you are here In this space can tell you anything and you will believe it Because whoever tells the story tells the truth, Because if tree falls in the Forest and that forest is a communist dictatorship and the diceator has ordered you to eut down all the trees to make way for the forest you're supposed to be planting, then who’ to say what did or didn’t happen’ But what is for That night AMERICANTHEATRE duLyiaveusrie