THE WOMYN (excerpt) by Martha Southgate

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SCENE 1 A darkened stage, then a chorus emerges, a multi-racial group of women in their 70’s and above, old feminist types--short hair, no makeup, no bras, lots of beads, flowy pants, some kente cloth on the black women. Maybe one is shirtless?(used to be a big thing at allwomyn festivals) They face the audience. CHORUS Here we stand, bent with age but strong of heart. We were born to change the world, we wanted to change the world, we did change the world, with magazines, with marches, with laws, with orgasms with vibrators with tennis matches with haircuts with coming out with poems with dance with laughter with festivals with music with haircuts with our bodies in the streets with our arms around each other We opened a door and the world fought us. We opened a door and the world came charging through.. We opened a door and the world ran over us, too quick to see, too quick for us to comprehend some times too quick to offer gratitude too quick to allow for thanks too quick to allow for grace to quick for us to change with it. And now we stand here bent with age but strong of heart as our bodies weaken, knowing we are ending the journey that so many are beginning even as the form of life that we are all a part of is so close to some great change some great change we will not live to see, some great change that goes beyond the human, even as it is caused by the human, even as it wrecks the human. Here we stand bent with age but strong of heart. Here we stand. The chorus fades back but FLO and GEORGIA step forward, holding hands. They turn away from the audience to hold each other’s hands and each other’s gaze. The chorus fades back and the lights come up to reveal a modest beach house--lots of art everywhere--large wooden sculptures and such. Silver dollars on shelves, faded, loved blue blankets draped over things--a place of warmth and affection. Georgia walks to the sofa and sits, picks up a hard copy of The New York Times. Flo walks to a counter and starts mixing drinks--some beachy thing.


2. Gin and tonic or another cool summertime drink. It seems like something they’ve done a million times over a million summers. Flo walks to the sofa, nudges Georgia to move her feet, hands her a drink and settles herself. GEORGIA Thanks, babe FLO You’re welcome. GEORGIA (indicating something in the newspaper) Do you believe this mess? FLO I can hardly bring myself to look these days. GEORGIA It just makes me feel sick I go back and forth between being ready to kill some people and ready to give up. It’s not just the Occupant--though why God or his health hasn’t struck him down yet I’m sure I don’t know. He has a deal with the devil--I really believe that. FLO I know, I know. Flo picks up the Style section. They both read and drink. FLO Can I read you this? Philip Galanes cracks me up every time. Flo reads one of his letters/exchanges from the “Social Q’s” column. (a different one every performance-or some other part of the paper if this changes over time).They laugh. GEORGIA I swear, some people have NO home training. He tells them about themselves though.


3. FLO I keep meaning to go on his Facebook page and tell him how much I love him. Remind me the next time you see me on, okay? GEORGIA Fat chance. FLO Fat chance of what? GEORGIA Fat chance of me remembering. You know that half the time I’m like “where-are-myglasses-oh-they’re-on-top-of-my-head” So helping you out? Hmm. But I’ll try. I’ll make a Post-It, okay? They both laugh, then Flo looks at the clock. FLO What time did they say they’d be here? GEORGIA (still reading paper) Around 2. Just as she says this, the doorbell rings. She goes to answer it and welcomes in HARRIET and SENECA, two more of the women from the chorus. Warm hugs etc, all around. GEORGIA Here. Let me take your stuff. What do you want to drink? Harriet? Seneca? HARRIET You know white wine’s always good for me. SENECA Same here. Flo busies herself with the drinks, serves, settles down. GEORGIA How was the drive?


4. SENECA Fine. You know. The L.I.E. was the usual nightmare. I’m so glad we’re staying over. When is Dove getting here? A slightly tense silence falls. Then Georgia gets up and puts on some music--old jazz maybe? Or something unexpected--but not something contemporary. SENECA So how’s it going getting ready for the show, Georgia? GEORGIA Good. Good. Working some new pieces. FLO I keep telling her you’ve done enough. Go ahead and rest on those laurels. Nobody needs new work from you now. GEORGIA You’d have me just stop right now, huh, Flo? FLO You know that’s not what I mean. I just hate to see you working yourself into the ground. GEORGIA You know what? Two years before he died, Matisse asked his assistant to take him out to a nearby swimming pool so he could see divers. It was so hot that they both practically fell out--they couldn’t sit there and keep watching. So they went home and even though it was so hot, he was so inspired that he sent his assistant out to get some paper and he said, “I’m gonna make these divers myself” and he painted those beautiful shapes, and had them pinned around the room so it’s almost like you’re in a swimming pool--you feel like you are. You know--we’ve all seen it at MOMA. Right up til he died almost, he kept working. I saw a picture of him working on them once--that man was in his BED with a stick, pasting up those forms on the wall. That’s what I want to try for-to keep going. Why shouldn’t I? FLO It’s not just a person’s will, to keep going though you know, Georgia. Its... GEORGIA It’s what?


5. FLO Well, don’t you ever feel...Look at us--70, 75, even older, all those people we looked up to, all those figureheads. Heck, Gloria Steinem is 86. And we’re doing great, we’re doing great. But doing great doesn’t mean you don’t die. Being sharp as a tack (like they’re always telling us we are when they’re not calling us honey) doesn’t mean you don’t die. Silence. Flo speaks again. FLO Can I get anybody another drink? GEORGIA I’ll have one, doll. Flo stands up, but there’s a slight hesitation in her movements, maybe a wince. No one notices-they’re getting out a board game, distracted by this and that. She moves through it and goes to the bar, gets the wine, and brings it back to Georgia. The other women have gotten out an ancient game of Monopoly and are setting it up. GEORGIA I’m the car SENECA I’m the iron. Does anybody even iron anymore? Like if I played this with a younger person, would they have any idea what this thing is? HARRIET Hat. Always the hat. Flo? FLO I’m less picky than you all are. Remind me what’s left? GEORGIA Here. You can have the dog . HARRIET Why do we love this capitalist celebrating game so much? SENECA I’ve been playing it all my life. It reminds me of my mother.


6. FLO Yeah, we used to play for hours back at Smith. GEORGIA Lord, I swear to god, even all these years later, I don’t know when y’all did any work up at that school . She picks up the dice, rolls. GEORGIA Mama needs a new pair of shoes! Whoa! Lucky 7 coming through! She moves her piece. The women are playing intently when the doorbell rings. Georgia rises to answer and and ushers DOVE into the room.. There are hugs all around--Georgia and Dove hug a little bit longer than the others. DOVE I brought wine! She triumphantly pulls two bottles out of her bag. Harriet laughs. HARRIET (sarcastically) That’s great because that is one thing Georgia and Flo are always short of . FLO Ha. Ha. You know you love it...you only come here to see our pretty faces and drink up all our booze. HARRIET You’re not wrong. Speaking of which... Georgia gets up and gets everybody another round. Dove flops on the sofa. DOVE Ugh. I’m about to fall out. HARRIET Why?


7. DOVE Trying to get this show up and dealing with the museum is more than a notion. They’re excited to get the work, yeah. But they wanna give you all this drama at the same time. She takes a big swig of wine, looks at the game. DOVE Who’s winning? SENECA Who’s always winning? (to Flo) Are you sure you weren’t a real-estate mogul in a previous life? FLO I’ll never tell. Gimme my rent. As the scene continues, and the women keep drinking and laughing, gradually a kind of ballet develops. The actors keep miming playing Monopoly but Georgia gets up and comes behind Dove and runs her fingers across her neck or through her hair. Maybe Seneca, Harriet and Flo all three together share a quick nuzzle/kiss. Georgia and Flo take each other’s hands, hug and kiss affectionately as Dove looks on with a little bit of longing. Then maybe Georgia takes her hand and draws her into their embrace. This should all be a kind of flowing, erotic, well-practiced series of movements, As they get up and down, they return to rolling dice, moving pieces until we’re uncertain if we’re dreaming this or if they’re doing it. The general sense should be of them all being in and out of love and connection and anger for many, many years. SCENE 2 Back to the sofa and the living room. But now only Georgia and Dove are on the sofa.


8. Georgia is smoking and they both hold wine glasses reflectively. After a few minutes silence, Dove lies her head in Georgia’s lap. DOVE This okay? GEORGIA It’s great. DOVE I know it’s a little...even though we agreed, I know it’s a little...Flo doesn’t love it. GEORGIA We decided a long time ago that we had an open door, as long as we were respectful and came home to each other. She strokes Dove’s hair kind of firmly. GEORGIA So don’t worry about her. It’s fine. I want you here and she understands that. God knows she’s had enough folks come through--boys and girls. They kiss. DOVE So they’re gonna have the wood you need by the time you get back to the city next week. GEORGIA Good. I really need to get going on these last pieces. DOVE You’re doing some beautiful new stuff. GEORGIA You think so? DOVE I know so. GEORGIA I don’t. Dove sits up and looks at her, a little shocked.


9. DOVE What do you mean? GEORGIA I mean....I mean that it’s like....it’s like okay, I’m making these pieces and yeah, I’m making them but it feels....it feels a little muddy. Like I’ve said everything I’m gonna say and I’m kind of repeating myself. DOVE I think you haven’t lost a step. GEORGIA Well I pay you to think that. She laughs. Dove doesn’t. GEORGIA Come on, sweetheart. Don’t look so grim. I’m just kidding. DOVE I like to think you’re not just paying me. I’m...I mean there’s no way I can have the history that you all have but I’m 50 years old. I’m not some teen studio assistant. GEORGIA Whoa,whoa I know that. I love your work and I appreciate everything you do with me. Not FOR me. With me. Dove kisses her firmly. Sits up and picks up her wine. DOVE Okay then. I’m gonna go to bed. See you in the morning? GEORGIA Of course. Sleep well. She leaves passing Harriet, who is entering at the same time. Georgia sits, smoking a little longer, turns her head to greet Harriet. HARRIET Lover’s quarrel? GEORGIA Don’t be a wise-ass.


10. HARRIET You need to be a little careful, G. GEORGIA Yeah, Mom? HARRIET Don’t play that shit with me, Georgia. I’ve known you since we were both in red diapers. I’ve met everyone--well, a least a large proportion of--everyone you’ve ever slept with. GEORGIA (grinning) Black people aren’t red-diaper babies. That’s more of a Jewish thing. HARRIET You know what I mean. Anyway. You need to be a little careful with Dove. GEORGIA First her, now you. Come ON. Everybody is perfectly aware that Flo and I have this deal. I mean what happened to all the open minds around here? HARRIET My mind isn’t closed. It’s just...she’s not in the same place in life that we are. She’s got a kid, she’s just 50. And I see the way she looks at you. GEORGIA Like how? HARRIET Like she could eat you alive. I mean, not like a snake. Like a really good ice cream cone. Like she is perfectly prepared not to leave so much as one spoonful for Flo. GEORGIA She knows what’s up. HARRIET There’s knowing and there’s believing it. Just...look she’s really beautiful and smart and I know she’s a help to you. But... GEORGIA But what? HARRIET But nothing. I’ve had too much wine.


11. She grins. HARRIET Want another? GEORGIA Oh god, no. I’m 73 years old. I still love it but you know...can’t keep that shit up forever. HARRIET Me either. I was just kidding. Actually, I was thinking about making some herbal tea. All that wine...I can’t sleep. GEORGIA We have some chamomile. Top right shelf. HARRIET You want any? GEORGIA No. No. I’ll just wake up needing to pee and that’s way more of a drama than it used to be. HARRIET I know, right? Stumbling around in the dark. Sometimes I’m not even sure I’m gonna make it. GEORGIA Yeah. Yeah. It’s a mess. HARRIET What’s a mess. GEORGIA The body. Yours. Mine. The way it carries us and carries us and then, bit by bit, it stops carrying us. I mean. It still works. Or you can get stuff to help it work--lube, Ginko Biloba, exercise, She looks ruefully at her cigarette, puts it out. Harriet stands making tea for a while, gearing up to say something. HARRIET G?


12. GEORGIA Yeah? HARRIET Seneca’s sick. GEORGIA What? HARRIET The breast cancer. It’s back. GEORGIA Oh, my god. Harriet. HARRIET She. She’s not gonna do chemo or anything. Not this time. GEORGIA For fuck’s sake why not? HARRIET Because last time it was hell. You didn’t see. I mean, you know in your mind. Everybody knows in their mind--they read the books, watch Grey’s Anatomy. But you can’t really know unless you’re living with it. There were days we both wished she was dead. The sores in her mouth? The nausea? And she was 15 years younger then. Now of course, I’m grateful--we’re both grateful--that she got through it. We’ve had some great years. In the end, that time, it was worth it. But she’s...she’s 80 now. She...doesn’t want to go through that again. I tried to convince her but you know what? She was begging me and then she reminded me of that time she was in the hospital, before she turned the corner and she was screaming. She was in so much pain she was just...screaming. Like. I don’t know what like. Like something insane. She reminded me of that. And I looked at her face. And then I saw she was right. She can’t. We can’t. It’s... She starts crying. The teapot starts whistling. Georgia rushes over, turns it off, goes to embrace Harriet. GEORGIA Hey. Hey. Hey. HARRIET I don’t. I’m sorry, she just. I just couldn’t sit around here with everybody and not say anything. She’s probably gonna be pissed. I mean, we weren’t gonna do that “not telling” thing. But...I know she wanted to be there for the telling.


13. GEORGIA It’ll be okay. She’ll understand. Couldn’t keep your mouth shut around your red-diaperbaby friend. They embrace again. GEORGIA Come on, my dear. It’s been a very long day. We should get some rest. They walk out, arms around each other like two old soldiers.


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