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(DUCH kind of kicks the drum kit over to the side messily) DUCH gone. (the stage management team moves the instruments/equipment to the side) DUCH that's right. there we go. my cadres. i have 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 experiment is now underway. welcome to the year zero. and what does that mean, this year zero? well! (DUCH pulls out the show program, consults the long list he wrote on the back of it, puts on his glasses) DUCH no phones no pagers no photography, technology, or recording devices of any kind no artists, intellectuals, or capitalists no hospitals, no schools, no factories no banks, money, religion, or holidays no glasses —except for these— no electricity (the house lights dim) DUCH —(to the booth) thank you!— personal property? nyet! individual feelings? nein. your children are now our children. your snacks are now our snacks. and most of all: no music. (silence. ahhhhh. DUCH checks the progress on stage. where are the actors? are they in their places?) DUCH
march 1, 2019 draft how are we doing? almost ready? (a CADRE marches a blindfolded CHUM on stage) DUCH oh great, this is great. no lights! no sound! phones off! (lights out. sound out) DUCH and welcome to s21.
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march 1, 2019 draft SAY MY NAME s21, april 1978 (a CADRE tortures CHUM, 21, in a cell. CHUM wears a blindfold, his hands bound, unconscious. he's been fucked up pretty badly, tied up to a chair. the CADRE has a gun strapped to him. the CADRE smacks CHUM) CADRE wake up! CHUM mwaa?! CADRE you said you came from the camp in battambang? CHUM mwaah? CADRE you said you came from the camp in battambang? (the CADRE smacks him again) CADRE answer my question, comrade. CHUM right. sorry. you got it, boss! CADRE (beat) what? CHUM you got it... boss? (the CADRE takes a closer look at CHUM. shit) CADRE (mouths) holy shit. shit shit shit shit shit shit. CHUM did i say something wrong... boss? (the CADRE slams his fist against something, frustrated, makes a noise) CADRE no. you didn't, okay? shut up.
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march 1, 2019 draft CHUM (beat) leng? CADRE what?! CHUM leng, is that you? CADRE no? CHUM c’mon. leng, i know it’s you. leng. your name is leng. CADRE no. CHUM yes. CADRE no. CHUM yes / yes yes yes yes LENG no no no no CHUM your name is leng. you lived in the capital. and we played together in a band. (the CADRE takes off chum's blindfold, pulls down his krama, revealing his face. LENG shuts the door) LENG dude, shut up! CHUM OMIGOD! it IS you.
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LENG shhhh! CHUM say my name. LENG dude. CHUM say my name. LENG no. CHUM say it. say it. sayitsayitsayitsayitsayit! (stops) i’ll say yours. LENG shhhh! CHUM then say it. LENG (small) chum. CHUM can’t hear you. LENG chum. your name is chum. CHUM SEE! YOU DO REMEMBER ME! OMIGOD, I KNEW IT WAS YOU! LENG shhhh sh sh sh sh! (LENG unties CHUM) CHUM omigod, bong, this is amazing. like what're the chances?! I KNEW you’d make it. i bet you were like, “peasant!” and they were like, “YEAH!” LENG you see anyone at your camp? CHUM
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in battambang? LENG yeah. CHUM some people from the capital, yeah. kids i knew from high school, their parents. LENG anyone from the band? CHUM well, pou split off to head down to her dad's village. and rom i have no clue. LENG i mean, like sothea. CHUM didn't she leave with you? LENG after the khmer rouge invaded, we went down south to her aunt's, kept our heads down, pretended to be peasants. but there were troops who needed some help. we got separated. CHUM oh. LENG have you seen her? CHUM sorry, bong, but i bet she's out there. i mean, if i can survive, then she's definitely all right. LENG right. CHUM (nudges) and khmer rouge! niiiiiice. LENG i'm not khmer rouge. CHUM khmer rouge scarf. khmer rouge gun! blindfold's a nice touch. i like it. smart. so they can't see your face. LENG what about my face?
march 1, 2019 draft CHUM they can't see your face, they can't be mad at you for what you've done. LENG what have i done? CHUM nothing. i’m just— i’m so happy you’ve alive, buddy. bong. LENG i am not your bong. we are not friends. CHUM but we are. LENG we don't even know each other. CHUM but we do. LENG if anyone comes into this room, we have never met. CHUM ohhhh. smart. tricky. LENG you don't even know my name. CHUM but i do. leng. LENG shhhh! CHUM leng? LENG that's not my name anymore. CHUM what is it now? LENG i changed it. to comrade kee. CHUM
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march 1, 2019 draft hah. LENG why, what's yours? CHUM comrade song. LENG is that a joke? CHUM it reminds me of the old days. the band. LENG you need to take this seriously, dude. you are at s21. do you know what this place is? CHUM a camp? LENG a prison. if you're here, it's because they think you're a spy. CHUM 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 terrified the vietnamese will come back, take over. CHUM (laughs) me?! a spy?! LENG YES. CHUM i would make a TERRIBLE SPY! LENG then what are you? CHUM what?
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LENG what's your story? CHUM my story? LENG your biography. in the morning, when they come in and accuse you of being a bourgeoisie capitalist, a CIA agent, a vietnamese operative, what do you say? who are you? if you weren't in a western-style rock band, then what did you do before the war? CHUM oh, i'm just a banana seller. i sell bananas. LENG and? CHUM what do you mean "and?" that's all i sell. (winks) "bananas." LENG don't say it like that. CHUM how else can i say it? LENG say it like you're a peasant. CHUM “i’m a banana seller. i sell bananas.” LENG wrong. CHUM “I AM A BANANA SELLER. I SELL BANANAS!" LENG (sotto voce) NOT SO LOUD. they'll hear you. CHUM though if they do, then they'll be really convinced i'm a banana seller because i was just yelling it at you. LENG lower.
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CHUM (deep voice) “i’m a banana seller. i sell bananas.” LENG how much do you buy them for? CHUM what? LENG these bananas you allegedly sell. how much do you buy them for? CHUM i i don't know. LENG BANG, you're dead. CHUM a hundred riel. i buy them for a hundred riel a hand. LENG and how much do you sell them for? CHUM one ten? LENG one hundred and ten riel? CHUM yesssss. LENG those are slim profit margins, comrade. CHUM i'm a peasant. i didn't make much money. LENG yes, but from the sound of it, sounds like you didn't make ANY money. sounds like you were a terrible banana seller. CHUM i was very bad at capitalism! LENG and who are the others?
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CHUM what? LENG the other spies in your unit, name me their names. CHUM bong, come on, there weren't any spies in my unit. LENG BANG, you're dead. CHUM i don't know any names! LENG make it up. and make it believable. CHUM point a finger at old ladies and yell "spy?" LENG give them what they want. DEFEND yourself. this is your life. CHUM how am i supposed to defend myself if i don't even know why i'm here? they say i'm a spy, what're the charges? LENG i don't know. CHUM i've been here two days and no one's even told me what i'm suspected of. LENG it's all written down in your file. in duch's office. CHUM then go get my file from this duch and tell me what i'm doing here. LENG duch's the head of this facility, this is his prison, i can't walk in there, grab a file. CHUM you're an interrogator, aren't you? LENG duch doesn't let us know the charges. he says we get lazy if we don't have to show our work.