TIc World Is An Alc

H AIcto S. Focntno
CIuuctcs.
Cou
Muo
PuIo

Sccnc.
An nouscd Ionc IcInd u oton o tIc Intunuos uus. Tuo uoodcn Ioxcs
unI tIc doouu. At ct s un ucucu tcc utI u uoodcn IcncI undc t.
Muo cntcs on tIc stcct ut ct. Hc s n Is utc tucntcs sIuII dcsscd und
utI Iu tIut sccns to Iuuc Iccn uncut o uccIs. Hc uts Is uncI Iug on tIc IcncI,
sts doun, cnoucs Is sIocs und uts tIcn Icsdc Is uncI Iug.

Cloria. (cus on nsdc) Mario! Is iIai you Mario?
Mario. Ycs.
Cloria. (u snu uonun uIout Muo`s ugc, utI ong Iu und u scuun Iod,
concs out ung Ic Iunds on Ic dcss)
I'm glad you'rc Iomc carly.
Mario. How is Tiia? (utIout uutng o un unsuc Ic cntcs tIc ducng)
Cloria. (cosscd tIc IcncI) don'i walc Icr u, Mario. SIc's iircd. SIc cricd iIc
wIolc day.
Mario. (cucus und cosscs to tIc IcncI und sts on onc cnd) Has sIc lccn
caiing wcll?
Cloria. SIc wouldn'i cai cvcn a mouiIful of lugao. Dui I'll luy Icr somc liscuiis.
Maylc sIc'll cai iIcm. (sIc ss Ic ngcs nto Is Icust ocIct) I'll ialc
somc of iIc moncy---
Mario. (scs, unnocd) Cloria! Can'i you waii a minuic?
Cloria. (tuIcn u IucI) Hcy, wIai's iIc maiicr? WIy arc you suddcnly so ioucIy?
Mario. WIo wouldn'i lc? I'm ialling io you aloui iIc cIild and you loiIcr mc
ly ransacling my oclci! I wisI you'd iIinl morc of our daugIicr.
Cloria. (cosscs to tIc ccntc) My Cod! Wasn'i I iIinling of Icr? WIy do you
iIinl I nccd somc moncy? To luy mc a rciiy drcss? Or scc a movic?
Mario. Tonc down your voicc. You'll walc iIc cIild u.
Cloria. (ou Iut ntcnsc) All I wani is a liiilc moncy io luy Icr somciIing io cai!
SIc Iasn'i caicn anyiIing all day! TIai was wIy I was loiIcring" you!
Mario. (ccntunt) I'm sorry, Cloria. (gs Ic un und tuns uuu)
Cloria. Ii's all rigIi, Mario. Now, may I Iavc somc of iIc moncy?
Mario. (tuns to Ic) Moncy? I. I don'i Iavc any. noi rigIi now.
Cloria. Today is ayday, Mario.
Mario. Ycs. lui.
Cloria. Dui wIai? WIcrc's your ay for iIc wccl?
Mario. I don'i. Iavc ii.
Cloria. WIai? I waiicd for you iIc wIolc day and you icll mc
Mario. (ung) ---iIai I Iavc noiIing! NoiIing! WIai do you wani mc io do---
sical?
Cloria. I'm noi asling you io do a iIing lilc iIai! All I wani io lnow is wIai you
did wiiI your ay.
Mario. (sts on tIc IcncI) NoiIing is lcfi of ii.
Cloria. NoiIing? WIai Iacncd?
Mario. OI, I Iad a fcw drinls wiiI my fricnds. Dcforc I lncw ii, I Iad scni
cvcry ccniavo of ii.
Cloria. (ccng In ntcnt) Mario, do you iIinl you can malc a fool of mc?
Havcn'i I sccn you drunl lcforc? Crawling Iomc lilc a woundcd snalc
and rccling of alcoIol lilc a Iosiial? You don'i smcll or lool drunl.
Mario. All rigIi, so I didn'i go drinling.
Cloria. AnoiIcr woman? I don'i lclicvc if you don'i lnow. I lnow you wouldn'i
do sucI a iIing.
Mario. I didn'i lnow you Iad so mucI faiiI in mc.
Cloria. No, Mario, wIai I mcan isyou wouldn'i scnd all your moncy wIcn you
lnow your daugIicr may nccd somc of ii. You lovc Icr ioo mucI io do
iIai.

(Muo sts doun und Iucs Is Icud n Is Iunds. Cou cosscs to In und us
u Iund on Is sIoudc)

Cloria. WIai's wrong, Mario?
Mario. (tuns Is ucc uuu) NoiIing Cloria, noiIing.
Cloria. (sts Icsdc In) I lnow somciIing is wrong, Mario I can fccl ii. Tcll mc
wIai ii is.
Mario. (stucs ut tIc gound) Cloria, I'vc losi my jol.
Cloria. (scs sIocIcd) OI, no!
Mario. (ooIs u ut Ic) Ii is iruc, Cloria.
Cloria. WIai aloui your ay for iIc wIolc wccl?
Mario. I losi my jol a wccl ago.
Cloria. And you ncvcr cvcn iold mc!
Mario. I iIougIi I could gci anoiIcr, wiiIoui maling you worry.
Cloria. Do you iIinl you can gci anoiIcr in fivc moniIs? Ii iool you iIai long io
gci iIc lasi onc.
Mario. Ii won'i ialc mc as long io gci anoiIcr.
Cloria. Dui Iow did you losc ii?
Mario. (scs und tuns uuu) WIai's iIc usc of ialling aloui ii? TIai won'i
lring ii lacl.
Cloria. (suddcn n un ugonzcd uocc) Mario!
Mario. (tuns uound) Ycs?
Cloria. Havc your sinful fingcrs lrougIi you iroullc again?
Mario. Now, now, Cloria! Don'i iry io accusc mc, as iIcy did!
Cloria. WIai did iIcy accusc you of?
Mario. Jusi wIai you mcani io say. Pilfcring, iIcy call ii.
Cloria. WIai clsc would you call ii? (Puusc) wIai, according io iIcm, did you
sical?
Mario. (ou) Ii was noiIing mucI, rcally noiIing ai all.
Cloria. WIai was ii?
Mario. Ii wasan alc.
Cloria. An alc! You mcan
Mario. An alc! Don'i you lnow wIai an alc is?
Cloria. You mcan, you iool onc alc
Mario. Ycs, and iIcy liclcd mc oui for ii; for ialing onc, singlc alc. Noi a
dozcn, noi a craic
Cloria. TIai's wIai you gci for noi sioing io iIinl lcforc you do somciIing.
Mario. (sts doun) Could I Iavc gucsscd iIcy would do iIai for onc alc? WIcn
iIcrc wcrc millions of iIcm? (uusc} Wc wcrc Iauling iIcm io iIc
warcIousc. I saw onc roll oui of a lrolcn craic. Ii was iIai lig.
(dcnonstutcs) Ii loolcd so dclicious. Suddcnly, I found mysclf uiiing ii
in my luncI lag.
Cloria. TIai's iIc iroullc wiiI you. wIcn you iIinl of your own siomacI, you
iIinl of noiIing clsc!
Mario. (scs) I was noi iIinling of mysclf!
Cloria. WIo wcrc you iIinling of mc? Did I cvcr asl you io lring you io lring
Iomc alcs? I am noi crazy as iIai.
Mario. I was iIinling of our cIild.
Cloria. Tiia? WIy? Did sIc cvcr asl for alcs?
Mario. Ycs, sIc did. (uusc) Do you rcmcmlcr iIai day I iool Icr oui for a
wall? On our way Iomc wc asscd a groccry siorc iIai sold dclicious"
alcs ai scvcniy ccniavos cacI. SIc wanicd mc io luy onc for Icr, lui I
did noi Iavc grccn alcs iIcy scll on iIc sidcwall, lui sIc jusi iIrcw ii
away, saying ii was noi a rcal alc. TIcn sIc cricd. (uusc) So. wIcn I
saw iIis alc roll oui of iIc lrolcn craic, I iIougIi iIai Tiia would lovc
io Iavc ii.
Cloria. You sIould Iavc iricd io lring Iomc un dc su, or ricc or milland noi
iIosc dclicious" alcs. Wc'rc noi ricI. Wc can livc wiiIoui alcs.
Mario. WIy? Did Cod crcaic alc irccs io lcar fruii for iIc ricI alonc? Didn'i
Hc crcaic iIc wIolc world for cvcryonc? TIai's wIy I iricd io lring iIc
alc Iomc for Tiia. WIcn wc lrougIi Icr inio iIis world wc sori of
romiscd Icr cvcryiIing sIc Iad a rigIi io Iavc in lifc.
Cloria. So, for a mcasly alc, you losi a jol you nccdcd so mucI
Mario. I wouldn'i mind losing a iIousand jols for an alc for my daugIicr!
Cloria. WIcrc is iIis alc you rizc so mucI? Is ii Icrc? (cosscs to tIc IcncI to
gct tIc uncI Iug)
Mario. No, ii isn'i iIcrc. TIcy lci ii as cvidcncc. (sts doun)
Cloria. Scc? You losi your jol irying io filcI an alc and you cvcn losi iIc alc
for wIicI you losi your jol.

(Cou uts uuu tIc sIocs und tIc uncI Iug. SIc sts on tIc stcs und tIc
cnun scnt o u tnc.)

Cloria. (sng) FilcIing an alciIai's ioo small a rcason io licl a oor man
oui of worl. You sIould asl iIcm io givc you a sccond cIancc, Mario.
Mario. TIcy won'i do iIai.
Cloria. WIy noi?
Mario. (scs) Can'i you scc iIcy Iad lccn waiiing for mc io malc a sli lilc
iIai? TIcy'vc wanicd io iIrow mc oui for any rcason, so iIai iIcy may
lring iIcir own mcn in.
Cloria. You sIould comlain
Mario. Suosc I did? WIai would iIcy do? TIcy would dig u my olicc rccord.
Cloria. (cosscs to In) Dui, Mario, iIai was so long ago! WIy would iIcy iry io
dig iIai iIing u?
Mario. TIcy'll do anyiIing io lcc mc oui. (Iods Ic un) Dui don'i worry. I'll
find anoiIcr jol. I i isn'i rcally so Iard io lool for a jol nowadays. (on
tIs ont Ic uuods Ic ccs) you lnow, I'vc lccn jol-Iuniing for a wccl
now. And I iIinl I Iavc found a good jol.
Cloria. TIcrc you go, lying again.
Mario. Dclicvc mc. I'm noi lying iIis iimc.
Cloria. (cosscs to tIc ccntc) You'rc always lyingI can'i icll wIcn you'rc iclling
iIc iruiI.
Mario. In faci I'll scc somconc ionigIi wIo lnows of a comany iIai nccds a
nigIi waicIman.
Cloria. (Iods Is un) Arcn'i you only irying io malc mc fccl lciicr, Mario?
Mario. No, Cloria.
Cloria. Honcsi?
Mario. (uuods Ic ccs) Honcsi! (sts doun)
Cloria. (sgIs Iu, ooIs u) I lncw Cod wouldn'i lci us down. Hc ncvcr lcis
anylody down. I'll ray ionigIi and asl Him io lci you Iavc iIc jol.
(ooIs ut Muo) Dui Mario would ii mcan iIai you'd Iavc io siay oui all
nigIi?
Mario. TIai would lc all rigIi. I can always slcc during iIc day.
Cloria. (IusIcs ugunst In Ic u cut) WIai I mcan is, ii will lc diffcrcni wIcn
you arcn'i ly my sidc ai nigIi. (uuIs uuu on In) lui, oI I iIinl I'll
gci uscd io ii. (cosscs to tIc ccntc und tuns uound) WIy don'i you go
and scc iIis fricnd of yours rigIi now? Anyway you don'i Iavc anyiIing
io do ionigIi. Don'i you iIinl ii's wisc io scc Iim as carly as you can?
Mario. (utc u uusc) Ycs, I iIinl I'll do iIai.
(Cou cosscs to tIc stcs to gct Is sIocs, ooucd I Muo.)

Cloria. (Iunds In tIc sIocs) Hcrc, Mario ui iIcsc on and go. I'll siay u and
waii for you. (sts on tIc stcs und uutcIcs In)
Mario. (uttng on tIc sIocs) No, Cloria, you musi noi waii for mc. I may lc lacl
quiic laic.
Cloria. All rigIi. Dui I douli if I can slcc a winl uniil you rciurn.

(Cou concs u to In utc Ic nsIcs und tcs to Iug In, Iut Ic usIcs Ic
uuu. Suddcn conuscd, Ic sts on tIc stcs. Cou sts Icsdc In un us
utI Is Iunds.)

Cloria. MoiIcr was wrong. You lnow, lcforc wc goi marricd, sIc uscd io icll mc.
Cloria, you'll commii iIc grcaicsi misialc of your lifc if you marry iIai
good-for-noiIing loafcr! You can'i malc Iim any siraigIicr iIan you
could a croolcd wirc wiiI your larc Iands." OI, I wisI sIc wcrc alivc
now. SIc would Iavc sccn Iow mucI you Iavc cIangcd.

(sIc sccs sonconc IcInd tIc tccs. PuIo. Hc Ius Iccn uutcIng tIcn
o u tnc. Hc s odc tIun Muo, snstc ooIng und uc dcsscd.)

Pallo. (sucustc) Hmmmm. How romaniic!
Mario. Pallo!

(suddcn unncucd, Muo stuts to dgct. TIcc s un unconotuIc scncc us
Cou scs und uuIs to tIc ccntc, Ic ccs Iunng utI Iutc. PuIo gIts u
cgucttc, ncuc tuIng Is ccs o Ic.)

Pallo. You'rc noi glad io scc mc arc you?
(uts u oot on tIc IcncI)
Cloria. (ung) WIai arc you doing Icrc? WIai do you wani?
Pallo. Saaaay! Is iIai a way io rcccivc a fricnd wIo Ias comc a visiiing?
Cloria. Wc don'i carc for your visiis!
Pallo. You Iavcn'i cIangcd Cloria. noi a lii.
Cloria. NciiIcr Iavc you, I can scc!
Pallo. You'rc siill iIc samc woman wIo curscd mc io Icll lccausc I Iacn io
lc Mario's fricnd long lcforc you mci Iim. Timc Ias noi madc you any
lindcr io mc. You siill Iaic mc, don'i you?
Cloria. Ycs! And I wisI you'd siay away from us for iIc rcsi of our livcs!
Pallo. Am I noi siaying away from you?
Cloria. TIcn wIy arc you Icrc?
Pallo. Cod! May I noi cvcn comc io scc you now and iIcn, io scc if lifc Ias lccn
lind io you? How arc you gciiing along?
Cloria. (sconu) wc wcrc doing wcll uniil you sIowcd u!
Pallo. Your daugIicrsIc was only iIai IigI sincc I saw Icr lasi-- Iow is sIc?
Cloria. (cut) SIc's all rigIi!
Pallo. OI! And I iIougIi sIc Iad noi lccn vcry wcll.
Cloria. (suscous) How did you lnow? (to Muo) Did you icll Iim?
Mario. (stunncng) I. no. Iow could I? I Iavcn'i sccn Iim in a long, long
iimc. (sts doun) uniil now of coursc.
Pallo. WIai is sIc sicl wiiI?
Cloria. (cut) Wc don'i lnow!
Pallo. Don'i you iIinl you sIould ialc Icr io a docior? (uts Is oot doun und
us out Is uuct) Hcrc, I'll lcnd you a fcw csos. Ii may Icl your
daugIicr io gci wcll.
Cloria. (sconu) Wc nccd ii all rigIi-- lui no, iIanl you!
Pallo. WIy don'i you ialc ii?
Cloria. Paying you lacl will only mcan sccing your facc again.
Pallo. Wcll, if you Iaic my facc so mucI, you don'i Iavc io ay mc lacl. Talc ii
as a gifi.
Cloria. TIc morc rcason I sIould rcfusc ii.
Pallo. All rigIi, if iIai's Iow you wani ii. (sts doun und us utI tIc uuct)
Cloria. Mario Ias siocd dccnding on you, sincc iIc day I iool Iim away from
you cluicIcs!
Pallo. Havcn'i you rcalizcd ly now iIai ii was a icrrillc misialcyou'rc ialing
Iim away from my cluicIcs"?
Cloria. I Iavc no rcgrcis.
Pallo. How aloui Mario? Has Ic no rcgrcis ciiIcr?
Cloria. Hc Ias nonc.
Pallo. How can you lc so surc? WIcn Ic and I wcrc als wc could go io firsi
class air-condiiioncd movic Iouscs cvcry oiIcr day. I'll lci all iIc moncy
I Iavc Icrc now (lrandisIing Iis wallci} iIai Ic Ias noi lccn io onc
sincc you lilcraicd" Iim from mc. And iIai was almosi four ycars ago.
Cloria. Onc cannoi ccci ioo mucI from Ioncsi moncyand wc don'i.
Pallo. (riscs and walls aloui} WIai is Ioncsi moncy? Docs ii lool lciicr iIan
disIoncsi moncy? Docs ii luy morc? Or Ioncsiy? WIai is ii? Drcssing
lilc iIai? Siaying in iIis dungcon you call a Iousc? Is iIai wIai you so
lcauiifully call Ioncsi"?
Mario. (scs) Pallo!
Pallo. (dcsuc) Scc wIai Iacncd io your daugIicr. TIai is wIai Ioncsiy
Ias donc io Icr. And Iow can Ioncsiy Icl Icr now? SIc's noi sicl and
sIc nccds no mcdicinc. You lnow iIai. You lnow vcry wcll wIai sIc
nccds. food. Cood food. SIc's undcr-nourisIcd, isn'i sIc?
Mario. Pallo!
Cloria. I lnow you Iavc comc lacl io lcad Iim lacl io your disIoncsi ways, lui
you can'i. Hc won'i lisicn io you now! Wc Iavc gonc iIis far and wc can
go on living wiiIoui you Icl!
Pallo. (sucustc) You call iIis living? TIis, Cloria is wIai you call dyingdying
slowly--- minuic ly minuic. (uugIs)
Mario. (cosscs to In und sIuIcs In) Pallo sio ii! (PuIo stos) You sIouldn'i
Iavc comc
Pallo. (IusIcs In o) I goi iircd of waiiing for you!
Cloria. So you Iavc lccn sccing cacI oiIcr! I was afraid so!
Pallo. Hc camc io iIc Iousc ycsicrday
Mario. Pallo don'i!
Pallo. (gnong Muo) Hc said Ic would lc lacl iIis noon. Dui Ic didn'i sIow
u. I camc lccausc I was afraid Iis conscicncc was loiIcring Iim.
Mario. Pallo, I iold you sIc sIould noi lnow!
Pallo. Ii's all rigIi Mario. You'd lciicr icll Icr cvcryiIing. SIc's lound io lnow
laicr. Tcll Icr wIai you iold mc; iIai you no longcr lclicvc in iIc way sIc
wanicd you io livc. Tcll Icr.
(Muo tuns Is IucI on tIcn)
Cloria . (cosscs to Muo) Mario. is iIis wIai you mcani ly anoiIcr jol? OI
Mario. you romiscd mc you wcrc iIrougI wiiI Iim. You said you'd go
siraigIi. and ncvcr go lacl io iIai lind of lifc.
Mario. (tuns uound und Iods Ic un, stunncng) Cloria. you. you musi
undcrsiand. I iricd. I iricd long and Iard. lui could noi lifi us oui of
iIis lind of lifc.
Cloria. (cosscs to ccntc und sIouts ut PuIo) You'rc io llamc for iIis, you son-of
iIc-dcvil! You'vc comc io Iim wIcn you lnow Ic's down
Pallo. Hc camc io mc firsi---
Cloria. WIcn you lnow Ic'll cling io anyiIing and do anyiIing! Evcn rciurn io
iIc lifc Ic Iaics! (cosscs to In und tcs to stIc In) Cci oui of our
sigIi! Cci oui!
Pallo. (cus uudng o Ic sts) All rigIi, all rigIi, I'll lcavcjusi as soon as
Mario is rcady io go.
Cloria. Hc's noi going wiiI you! (cosscs to ccntc)
Pallo. Is iIai so? WIy don'i you asl Iim? (sts on tIc IcncI, gnnng)
Cloria. (sIouts) I said Ic's noi going!
Pallo. (onts to Muo) Co on, asl Iim.
Cloria. (tuns to Muo) You'rc noi going wiiI Iim, arc you, Mario? Tcll iIai crool
you'rc noi going anywIcrc wiiI Iim. Tcll Iim io lcavc us and ncvcr comc
lacl! Tcll Iim io go, lcasc, Mario, lcasc.
Mario. (Iods Ic un) Cloria, I.
Cloria. Mario. I lnow Ic Ias iallcd io you and iricd io oison your mind
again. lui don'i go wiiI Iim. TIis is siill iIc lciicr way of lifc. If iIings
Iavc noi lccn iurning oui wcll, you musi lnow iIai Cod is noi lciiing us
down. Hc is only irying us.
Mario. (Iods Ic) Cloria I.
Cloria. (us uuu on In) You'rc going! I can scc iIai you wani io go wiiI
Iim. OIII. (ccs) You'll lcavc mc Icrc again, wondcring wIciIcr you'll
lc sIoi in iIc Icad or scni io jail!
Pallo. (IcInd tIc tcc) Don'i worry aloui Iim Cloria. Hc's safc wiiI mc. Hc
won'i comc anywIcrc ncar jail. I'vc goi conncciions
Cloria. (Ic u IcscI Icust, sIc usIcs ut In und cuus Is ucc) You Iidcous
lcasi! You. you. Cci oui! Cci oui!
Mario. (us Ic uuu) You siay iIcrc Pallo. I'll lc wiiI you in a minuic. (cuds
Ic to tIc stcs)

(PuIo xcs Is cotIcs, cusng)

Mario. (n) Cloria, I'm going wiiI Iim.
Cloria. Don'i Mario, don'i.
Mario. You can'i malc mc sio now. I'vc iIougIi aloui iIis sincc lasi wccl.
Cloria. No, no, Mario, no. (Iods ust to In)
Mario. (ooscns Ic Iod) You ialc good carc of yoursclf and our cIild. I'll ialc
good carc of mysclf. Don'i waii u for mc. I'll comc Iomc vcry laic.

(Muo uuIs uuu utI PuIo. Cou stucs dunI ut tIcn, too scnt to un utc
tIcn. TIcn sIc sIouts.)

Cloria. Marioooo!

(sIc coucs Ic ucc utI Ic dcss und ccs nto t. TIc duugItc on nsdc,
ons Ic n cng us tIc cutun cosc)