BURIED CtlIE[).
siiiiiy
BRADLEY
II ii\i)LUY
BRADLEY
BRADLEY
SC [ 3
What?
Inotioning for her to open her mouth
Open up.
[She opens her mouth slightli I
\ider.
Size 1
u’ns her mouth wider. I
Keep it like that.
[She does. Stares at BRADLEY. With his free hand he puts his fingers into
her mont h. She tries to puii au’ay
just stay put!
She free:es. lie keeps his fingers in her mouth Stares at her. Pause. lie
pulls his hand out. S lie closes her i,ioiith, keeps her Pies Ofl him. BRADlEY
smiles, lie looks at DODGE on the floor and crosses over to him. SHELLY
watches him closely BRADLEY stands over DODGE and smiles at SHELLY. He
holds her coat up in both hands ocer DODGE, keeps smiling at SHELLY. lie
looks dunn at I)ODCE then drops the coat so that it lands on DODGE and
covers Ins head. itI(A1)LEY keeps his hands up in the position of holding the
coal, looks oter at SIllILY and smiles. ille lights black oztt.j
Act 3
Same set. Morning. Bright sun. No sound of rain. Evers’thing has been cleared
up again. ‘so sign of carrots. No pail. No stool. VINCEs SILW phone case and overcoat are
still at tile foot of the staircase. BR\Dl LV is asleep on the sofa under DODGES blanket. His
head toward stage left. it sinuv\ wooden leg is leaning against the sofii right by his head.
I lie shoe is left on it. rhe harness hangs doin. DODGE is sitting on tile floor, propped up
ScENE:
against the L Uset ficing stage left nearing his baseball cap. SIlELLY rai,bit fur coat
his chest and shoulders. He stares off toward stage left. He seems weaker and more
disoriented. ihe lights rise siowiv to the sound of birds and remain for a while in silence
(at the OI’o Ol(’il. ltR.si)l LV Sl(’epS very
DODGE hiardl moves. SIIELLY appears from
stage left with a big smile, slowly crossing toward DODGE balancing a steaming cup of
broth in a saucer. 1)1 )I)( ;i: just stares at her as she gets closer to him.
covers
she crosses j ‘Ihis is going to make all the difference in the world,
Grandpa. \ou clout mind me calling you Grandpa do von? I mean I know
ou minded when Vince called you that but von don’t even know him.
ooci: He skipped town with my money va’ know. I’m gonna hold von as
collateral.
sii iii. Hell be back. Dont you worry,
I She kneels down next to DOi)GE and puts the cup and saucer in his lap. I
DoDGE
It’s morning already! Not only didn’t I get my bottle but he’s got my
two bucks!
SIIELLY
[rv to drink this, okay? Don’t spill it.
i)ODGE
What is it?
SIIELLY
Beef bouillon. It’ll warm you up.
DODGE
l3ouillon! I don’t want any goddamn bouillon! Get that stuff away
from me!
SIIELLY
I just got through making it.
DODGE
I don’t care if you just spent all week making it! I ain’t drinking it!
SIIELLY
Well, what am I supposed to do with it then? I’m trying to help you
out. Besides, it’s good hr you.
DODGE
Get it away from me!
SIIELLY
1133
1134
I
SAM SHIPARD
up with cup and saucer.
what’s good for tnt anyway?
know
von
do
twrncw What
then tunic anwvfnnn him, rrrsssing to staircase, sits
nonc;i€
at
leinks
I She
on bottom step and drinks the bouillon. iM)DGE stern at her. I
hot. know nhat’d he good for mc’?
pu DODGE
SllEl.L What?
DODGE A little massage. A little contact.
Thanks anyway.
stints Oh no. l’se had enough contact for a while.
lShe keeps sipping bouillon, stun sitting. Pause as nomx.i. stern at her.]
fella’s not gonna be
DODGE Why not? You got nothing better to do. That
you?
are
again
lip
show
to
him
ing
expect
not
back here. You’re
s
here.
horn
his
left
lie
up.
show
le’ll
I
SHELLY Sure.
ixrnc;tt His horn? I lstighs. You’re his hornl
%IWm.i.Y Wi-v funny.
imoc;u He’s run off with my money? I Ic’s not coming back here.
a siin.iv Hell he back.
trniw;E \nure a. funny chicken, ‘ot. know that?
SHEI t.v Thanks.
kill of faith. I lope. l:aith and hope. You’re all alike you hopers. lilt’s
IN)IH.E
woman. liii’s not a
not God the.. it’s a man. If it’s not at man then it’s a
woman then it’s the hind or the future of some kind. Some kind of future.
45
Ihmnse. I
I’m glad it stopped raining.
SiWl.LY looking touwrd porch I
to hen ‘l’hat’s what I mean. See, you’re
back
then
porch
txtiwz I looks tmrarcl
everything’s gonna he different. just
think
you
.
Now
d
mining
glad it stoppe
lsiIEt.Lt stands
‘cause
45
siwi.ix
DODGE
siu€in
cu
cc
the suit comes
out.
sun iv It’s already difkrent. last night I was scared.
I)OIN.E Scared at’ what?
SilKilY Just scared.
Bradley? Ilswiks at nn.m.itl lie’s at pushover. ‘Specially now; All ya’
DODGE
door. I lelpless. lötally
gotta do is take his leg and throw it out tIn’ hack
helpless.
iliesi kinks at IWHXE.
hilt:, i i tunic antI stun’s at aft s,n.t.i’c anodes, kg
Slit’ sips bouillon. I
You’d do that?
Me? la’ hardly got the strength to bn’athe.
But you’d actually do it if you could?
noix; Don’t he so easily shocked, girlie. ‘l’here’s nothing a man can’t do.
Thu dream it tip and he can do it. n)thing.
Thu’ve tried I guess.
SliEti.
Don’t sit there sippin’ your houillon and judging me! ‘l’his Is my
DODGE
house!
silLilY I forgot.
noix;u You forgot? Whose house did you think It was?
smcux Mine.
I DODGE just stares at hemt Long pause. She sips frrnn cup. I
sm:i.is I know It’s not mine hilt I had that feeling.
DODGE What feeling?
I
I 1,
‘(
4
I he leelilig that nohiul uses here hut nie. I mean uervFan1s gone.
here,
hut it doesn’t seem like voure supposed to he, [Poiiiti;ig to
\oure
tIHAt)LLYj Doesot seem like hes supposed to he here either. I dorit know
what it is. It’s the house or something. Something lam liar, Like I knoss my
way around here. Did you ever get that feeling?
ooi><a: stares at her in sili’uce, Pause,
No. No, I never did,
DOt)CL
SIlLILY gels op Mm’es around space holding cup.
SI1LLLN
Last night I ss eni to sleep lip there in that room.
\Vhat room:
i)oI)CL
Ihat room up there si it h all the pii’ttires .,\ll the crosses on the wall.
Sill I IV
I lalies 10(4111:
Doiw;L
slIIrlI
eah. hoeser “I lalie’ is.
She’s iu ii ile.
i)(>i)(I
So voti remcmher her?
SI Lii 5
\Vh,id’vi mean! Course I reinelnl)er her! She’s oiils heen gone br II
I1()I)(.L
(lay—hall a day, I lowever long it’s heen,
Do sou R m mh, r ht r ss h n hi r h or ss is hrft,ht r d St indin, in
Sni ii i
u tru’
1
I root ot in ipp
1 \ ho ri son to hi iskin
‘sv h it is this t hr third d. grit or somi thing
000( t
na pi rson ii (Jill stions ihout my ss ik
\ou nt’s er look at those piel ores up there?
SIIELLY
t)ODCE
What pictures!
\ur ss hole Ides up there hanging on the wall. Somehody who looks
situ
iv
ust like oLi. Soiiiehodv who looks pulsE like you used to 1(10k,
i)i>i>(;i
Ihat isn’t me! Ihat never s’,as me! ‘I his is inc. Right here. 1 his is it,
I he whole shootin’ match, siti in’ right in front of’ von
So the past neser happened as Far as oii re concerned:
SlILi,LY
t)Oi)GL
llw PisL: Jesus Christ, I’lie past. What do son kmiss ;ihout the past:
Not much, I know there ssas a farm,
slut L5
aiist’. I
1
II
A farm?
I)ODCL
sitcity There’s a picture of a farm,,\ big l’arm. A hull, \‘ heat. Corn.
Corn?
DODGE
All the kids are standing out in the corn. They’re all waving these hig
stict,i,v
straw hats. One of them doesn’t have a hat,
DoDcL Which one was that?
siieiiy ‘[here’s a baby. A hahy in a ssonians arms. [he same woman with
the red hair. She looks lost standing out there. Like she doesn’t know how
she got there,
She knows! I told her a hundred times it ssasnt gonna he the ciI ! I
txioi;e
gave her plenty a’ warning.
She’s lmikiug down at the hahv like it ss as soruel)od\ else’s. Like it
Si iLii.1
didnt esen I)elong to her.
I’hat’s ahout enough outa von! \ou got sonic funny ideas. Some
DOl)(L
damn funny ideas. You think just because people pr(ipagate they have to
love their offspring? You never seen a hitch eat her puppies? Where are ‘ou
from anyway?
L.A. We already went through that.
StIELLY
slI[ ilY
Is
I hat’s right. I .:\. I remeniher,
Stupid country.
Ihat’s right! No under.
1)011CC
Pause. I
sul[ ity W hat’s happened to this filmily invway?
nur<’ in iiii position to ask! V hat do oti care? \ou some Linda
iU)I)(,1
Sot ial ‘t orkt’r?
I iii \iulces lrieiid.
SI III I
\ mcc’s friend! I hat’s rich. ‘[hats really rich. “Vince”! “Mr. Vince”!
ooDCC
“Mr. ‘[hid” is more like it! I us name doesnt mean a hoot in hell to me. Not
a tinkle in the ssell. You know hoss many kids Re spawned? Not to mention
(;id Lids and (reat Grand Lids and Great (;rit Grand Lids alter them?
:\nd von tlont rememher mv ol’ them?
stilt ty
\\‘hat’s to rememherr I lalie’s the one with the family iilhum. She’s
tn)i)(C
you should talk to. She’ll set vi in straight on the heritage ii that’s
one
the
what voure interested in, She’s traced it all the way hack to the grave.
\Vhat (Ii) 50(1 rnea n:
SI IF t,t,Y
ro uit \\ hat do on think I mean? I loss Far hack can smut go? :\ long line of
corpses! I here’s not a li ing soul liehiimd nie. Not a one. \ hos holding
in their uimemors? \ilrn gises it damn imhotut hones in the ground?
snLuLy Was ‘l’ilden telling the troth?
000CL ‘tops short. Stares at stueut,s. Shakes his head, lie looks off stage
1ft.
Was he?
51111,11
loire changes ilrulstu’uilll.
1)01)1,1
I ilden? I hums to snia is, calinls. I Where is hldeii?
mmx;u;
I ast night. Was he telling the troth ahout the hahy?
oiima
ShiLl V
iS
0015(1”
I Pause.
tunis to)u’ar(l stage l<’fj
\ hat’s happened 11)1 iltlen? Why isn’t ‘[ilden
here?
5
iradlev ulmasetl him out.
iradlev? u\. hv is he on nuv sofa?
ill Un SOt I I asleep
looking
I
‘hi,mus hack to sneuti. I I las e I heen here all night? ( )n the floor?
I Ic svonldnt lease. I hid outside until he Fell asleep.
SmIFILY
( )mutside? is ‘lilden outside? He shouldn’t he mit there in the rain.
000CC
he’ll get himselF into trotuhle. lie doesn’t Luioss his ssav around here aiiv
more. Not liLt’ lit’ used to. lit’ ssent out West and got hiuiisell’ into trouhle.
( ot himself’ into had troll hie, \‘ don’t want any (IF that around here.
What did he do?
StIFFLY
Pause.
‘i’ilden? lie got mixed <up. ‘I’hat’s <‘hat he
t)oi)CI Ihlu1’t’1l) ttil5’S at suii:uu
alone. Not now.
him
lease
to
Ford
al
ditl. We can’t
in,
collies
il
laughing
Iron, ofl left. Shill V stands, lool.iiu
IL\t
I Sound of
1 soiree r, does u ‘I kmuo nt u lu’t lit’ r it) st a
di reel iou, ol 101cc, hold, m ig en p a lit
or mzmn.I
Sit down! Sit hack down!
1)00CC j iuiotioniflg to SIIFII.Yj
IlSi ILs lauugluier ntgnllu?.
o
SoloutIc
sits.
StILl
I
S
I
stiiiiv
000CC
-ni
L Pitt) (lIPID,
i
is
‘SC
3
j
ii 3/
Dont
DoinE Ito SIllilY in a heaey whisper, pulling Coat up around hi.n
I
need
alone.
leave
me
go
and
off
Don’t
me?
leaVe me alone now! Proiiiise
I)on’t
someone.
I
need
and
now
gone
ss
ildens
I
me.
ith
soiIleI)odv here
leave me! Promise!
I ssont,
Slit] IN jsittingj
151 I I appears out side I he screen por li door, up lelt nit ii i iii 113 i)IWlS.
tt, it’h,te gluts’s and her arms
1
‘die is nearing a bright wiiou dress, ito h
iii traditional black suit,
is
dressed
newis
eStHER
tre full of )eIlote roses.
white clerical collar, and shirt, lie is a very distinguished grevhaired
Jlia;I in his s,sties lheT are boil, slightly drunk aml jeeling gidils As they
enter the porch through tile screen door, nonce pulls the rabbit hir :oal
his Iietid and hides. sneily stands tlL.t1itl, ltoI)(,F drops tilt (‘Out anti
whispers intenseli to SHLL[,Y. Neither HAUl nor I sitteR newts are aware
of the people inside the house
“ou promised!
t,oi)cI. to suet I S iii ii strong whisperl
SnilU sits on stairs agtiili. DoIn.E pulls coat back 03cr his bead. isiti
and r stuett newts talk oil the porch as thc’v cross toward stage right iiite
nor door, I
)li
(
lather! hat’s terrible! that’s absolutely terrible. Aren’t von afraid
tit ii
of being ptintsb’f:
She giggles.
Not by the Italians. ‘they’re too busy pttnshing each other.
Dt5 is
I lhe both break out in gigglt’s. I
\ hat 11)1)111 ( .mE
II si ii
iwss is
‘ell, prayerfully. ( aid only hears ss hat he wants to. that’s just be
tsvc’en you and me of course. In our heart of hearts we know were every bit
as ss eked as the (‘at holics.
1 reach the stage right door.
I bei giggle again wit
lather, I never heard you talk like this in Sunday sermon,
ext i F
Well, I save all my hc’st jokes for pritc’ company. Pearls before
niss is
sss i[ic Soil Lnoss.
I lhe tiller tile rooti: luntghi;ig 111tl stop tibet, tbei see sniii s. sueeis
stands, iit ii closes the door behind tAt OER newts. i)oI)(.I:s Ioicc is
heard under the coat, talking to snetiy. I
Sit (lussn. sit dossn! l)un’t let ‘em buffalo von!
000(.F ililuler coat. to siiiiisI
sits oil stair tigIlin. iusu.ie looks at noi)ci: oIl the floor tIle,, looks
sluIl.l
at ttitsniia asleep on sola and sees ins lt’ootle;I leg She lets oil! a shriek of
embarrasstnent for [ArtIeR DEWIS.
hat in the name of’ Judas Priest is going (In in this
( )h my gracious!
iii ti:
house!
I She hiinds 01cr the roses to
F VUIIER
nuwis.
Excuse me Father.
I usuu crosses to nonce, u’hips the coat off him, and covers the wooden
leg uith it. R11AIiI i:s sta s asleep.
“iou can’t lease this house for a second s ithout the l)evil blowing in
uisiii:
through the [runt door!
txi i
e
• See
Port’ so
\laiihess ‘‘E: ‘‘Cise not that sliich is holy tiniit the togs, nei her cast ye sour pearls he—
nt’, lest i he I riniple iheni oitler their Peel, ,iutt turn Igain md rend ‘no.’’
113$ I SAM SHEPARD
mmca Glmmc hack that coat! Gimmie back that goddamn coat before I
InS
freeze to death!
1nt’rt’ not going to freeze! [he sun’s out in case you hadn’t noticed!
(;im.llL’ hack that coat! Heat coats for live flesh not dead wood!
lieu ii whips the blanket off itRiiH.iV and throws it on ieoiw.i IJOIIGE
crnwvs his lanai again with blanket. cut ui.tii wnpiitated leg can lie
flaked b hating half .4 it under a cushion tithe sofa. I IeJiilly clothed.
BRADLEY sits up with a jerk when the blanket conies off hint. I
Hs%LIE las she tosses blanket I Here! Use this! It’s yours anyway! Can’t you
take care of yourself for once!
170 BRAInS? (yelling at hALlS) Gimme that blanket! Gimme buck that blanket!
That’s my blanket!
IILU.lV. crosses hack toward I ‘d 11kB hit WIS •i’ho just stands there with the
mit’s. nn.unix tltntsbes helplessl tnt the ct4t trying to reach hla,,ket.
hio.n;lt l,ides himself deeper in blanket. si ,u.e.i looks on from staircase,
still holding c’up and canter I
ee.u.ai lieliete me. Father, this is clot what I had in mind when I invited vote in.
mwes Oh, no apologies please. I wouldn’t be in the ministry if I couldn’t
face real life.
Ille laughs self-consciou.slg hALlS notices SIIELLY again and crosses over
to her. SIlliLY stays sitting. IIAI.IE stops and stan’s at her I
en BIIAOI.fl I want my blanket back! Gimme my blanket!
luu.u. turns toward Bht.h)h.I.Y awl silences him. I
,e.u ii. Shut up. Bradley! Righi this minute! l’c’ had enough!
I BhtSOl Iti slowl; recoils, lies hack doee’ii on afa, tunis his lank toward
ii U.lr.
IW)IMII.
.
ci u.w.
and whimpers stiJili:
ii un:
directs her attention to seew..’. eagain.
Rinse. I
urn
11.41W Ito SHELI.Yl What’re you doing with m cup and saucer?
ShIi€l.l.Y Ilooking at cup, bach to ll.’.,.IEI I made some bouillon for Dodge.
11*1W For Dodge?
SHELLY Yeah.
HM.hE Mkll, did he drink it?
ceivi.i.v
int.w
%hII€h.I.Y
ens IIU.W
No.
Did you drink it?
‘St’s.
I .i*i .IE stares at her long 1*119w. She turns abruptly aim; front SlhI’I.I.Y
and crosses hack to I ‘Semi l)IMI%.l
Father, there’s a stranger in my house. What would you advise? ‘SYhat
would be the Christian thing?
I really——
I.
isqttinningl Oh, well.
hALlS ‘SW still have some whiskey, don’t we?
IDODGE slowly pnlls the blanket down off his head and looks toward
.
FAflIER IWWIS. SHELLY
SI WILY
Listen,
.
.
.
.
.
stands.)
I don’t drink or anything. I just—
I.w.c.€ tunes tousard seeais ricinns4. I
I’m IL4l.W
IL4LIE
DEWiS
back down!
lsnn.e v sits again on stair
Thu sit
II 41W
tunis again to oEwls.l
I think we lane plenty of whisky left! Don’t we Father?
Well, yes. I think so. ‘Söu’ll have to get it. My hands are full.
ERIi D CHIEF)
AC I
searching Jar bottle She
HAL. iggle%. flcaclu’s into Di\VIS% pockets.
cmt’lls the roses as she searches. DEWIS stands stitfl DODGE watches HALJE
ok or bottle’. I
0
1
clost’h as size 5
ble things, roses! ;rert they incredible, Father?
incredi
most
he
I
nAtIE
ks. \‘s hey are.
1)155 Is
a l\l IC 1 lw almost cover the stench of sm in this house. just magniflcent!
[he smell. We’ll have to put some at the foot of Ansel’s statue, On the day
the unseiling.
vest pocket. She pulls it
HALIE Jinohs a silzerjlask j whiskey in DEWISs
opens the flask, and
t)0DGE,
to
crosses
IC
I
IA[
on
o’agerlv
lookc
out. DODGe
takes a sip. I
Ansel’s getting a statue, Dodge. Did you know that? Not a
HALIE Ito DODGE
live statue. \ [till bronte, lip to toe. A basketball in one
real
plaque bitt a
hand and a nIle in the other.
oo
tttvtey I his back to fruit: I lie never played basketball!
played basket
ozu shut up, Iradles ! \ou shut up about \nsel! Ansel
IrsI Ii:
an! There’s
All—Americ
an
vsas
Ic
it!
I
. And you know
t
ball better than anyone
others.
from
iss
av
no reason to take the glnr
nesvis sippiio. on
useie turns away Jroin HBADI[y, crossLs back toward
.
and
sn’ili’c
tlie flask
ensel ss as a great basketball player. One of the greatest.
nut e Ito or wis
I remember Ansel.
I)IWIS
flute ( )f course! ‘ton remember. \ou remember how he could play. Size
of
tunis toward sttt:tt. I ( )f course, nowadays they play a different brand
basketball. More vicious, Isn’t that right, clear?
I don’t know.
stun y
n size crosses to suet cv, sip pini on ask. Size stops it, jront of snELIAcI
Much, much more vicious. lucy smash into each other. Ihey knock
ii situ
each other’s teeth out. [here’s blood all over the court. Savages.
3 into it. I
I Ii Sit i takes t lie cup Iroin SI tEl i i and pon rs it lii.skr’
all.
ihev allow themselves
at
Not
I he don’t train like they used to.
ItAliC
.
mostly
.
\\omen
to run amuck, Drugs and women
). suet iv takes it, I
1
iY sloB
irseli iuozds tlu cup oJuluskt’i back to stiLl
to
Mostly Women. (irls. Sad, pathetic little girls. IShe crosses back
n un.
?
An
Father
think
dont you
sitteit Diwis. I It’s tist a reflection of the times,
indication of where we stand?
I uppoe so, ses.
newts
tiseze ‘es. A sort of a bad omen. ( )ur youth becoming monsters.
newts Well. I nh—
Oh you can disagree with me if you want to, Father. I’m open to cie—
iisiie
you?
bate. I think argument only enriches both sides of the question don’t
.
matter
t
doesn’
it
She motes toward ooix;e. j I suppose, in the long run,
hing
Everyt
eyes.
very
your
When you see the way things deteriorate beFore
even think about youth.
running downhill. It’s kind of’ silly to
important to believe in certain things.
it’s
newts No, I don’t think so. I think
I think that’s right. 1 think that’s
mean.
you
what
tust.te s. \s. I know
things. We can’t shake certain ba
basic
Certain
u)ooGe.J
true. jShe looks ott
husband. u can see it in his
my
Like
craty.
up
end
might
We
sic things.
eyes. ‘thu can see how maci he is.
1144)
iss
2O
2s,s
S\Si St-It I’ARL)
[notice covers his head with the blanket again. LIMIt takes a single rose
from DEWIS and moves stately over to DODGE.
ItALIC We cant not believe in something. We can’t stop believing. \ just
end up dying if we stop. Just end up dead.
throws the rose gently onto DODGEs blanket. It lands hetacen his
[iisi
ktzeec and stafl there. lont pause as IIMIF stares at the rose. SIlILLY
stands siu1denli usrie doesn’t turn to her hut keeps staring at rose.
Dont you warina know who I am! I)on’t you svanna know
SIIEILY to FIALIE
what I’m doing here! Im not dead!
[slietLy crosses toward FIAt if:. HALIE turns slowly toward her. I
Did you drink your whiskey?
ItALIC
No! And I’m not going to either!
SHELLY
Well that’s a firm stand. It’s good to have a firm stand.
u.sitt
I dont have any stand at all. I’m just Irving to 1)01 all this together.
SHH LY
iisi ii-: laughs and crosses back In Dewis.
to oi:wisl Surprises, surprises! l)id sou have any idea ssed be
returning to this?
I came here ssith your Grandson for a little sisit! A little innocent
silr:LLY
friendly visit.
ItALIC
My Grandson?
\s! That’s right. The one no one remembers.
SIIELI,Y
Uhis is getting a little far-fetched.
ItALIC [to I)Fw1s]
I 101(1 him it ssas stupid to come hack here. lo try to pick LII) from
SOLELY
where he left off.
‘vVhere was that?
IIAIIE
Wherever he was when he left here! Si years ago! len years ago!
SIIELLY
‘Whenever it was. I told him nobody cares,
Didn’t he listen?
ItALIC
No! No he didn’t, We had to stop off at every tiny little meatball
SlIELLY
town that he remembered from his boyhood! Every stupid little donut shop
he ever kissed a girl in. Every l)rive-ln. Every l)rag Strip. Every football
held he ever broke a bone on.
Where’s Filden?
LIALIE [suddeiiiv alarmed, to DODGE I
Don’t ignore me!
SLIELLY
Dodge! Where’s Filden gone?
ItALIC
[StIELLY moves violently toward HALIE. I
sttiu,y [to IIALIE] I’m talking to you!
[I1nSDLEY sits up fast on the sofa, SIIELLY backs awa
Don’t you yell at my mother!
BI1AD[,EY [to sIIFLLY}
Dodge! jShe kicks noix;e. I told you not to let Filden out of your
LIALIE
sight! Where’s he gone to?
Gimme a drink and I’ll yell va.
DODGE
Flalie, maybe this isn’t the right time for a visit.
DEWIS
I HALIE crosses hack to oewis. I
I never should’ve left. I never, never should’ve left! Tilden
IJALIE [to DEwisi
could be anywhere by now! Anywhere! He’s not in control of his faculties.
Dodge knew that. I told him when I left here. I told him specifIcally to
watch out for Tilden.
BURlED CHI[D, ACT 3
I
[BRADLEY reaches down, grabs DODGES blanket, and yanks it off him, He
lays down on sofa and pulls the blanket over his head. I
lie’s got my blanket again! lie’s got my blanket!
noD(;F
Bradley! Bradlec put that blanket back!
HALIl-: [turning to BRADlEY]
[uuii: moves toward BRADLEY. snri,i.Y suddenly throws the cup and saucer
agaiust the stage right door, nEWtS ducks. The cup and saucer snu&sh into
pieces. HAUTE stops, turns toward SHELU5 Everyone freezes. BRADLEY slowly
pulls his head out from under blanket, looks toward stage right door, then
to STIF:LLY. ST-JELLY stares at HALIE. BEWIS cowers with roses. SHELLY flioves
skntls toward HAUL. Lou pause. SI1ELLY cpeaks softly I
I don’t like being ignored. I dont like being treated like
SLIELTY [to IIAIlil
Irn not here. I didn’t like it when I was a kid and I still don’t like it.
We dont have to tell you anything, girl. Not a
BRADLEY [sitting up on sofa]
are
you? You’re Dot the government. You’re just
thing. Thu’re not the police
in here.
brought
Tilden
that
some prostitute
s
Language! I won’t have that language in my house!
HALIE
Thu stuck your hand in my mouth and you call me a
SHLLLY [to BIL5DLLY]
prostitute!
Bradley! Did you put your hand in her mouth? I’m ashamed of you. I
IJALIT:
can’t leave you alone for a minute.
250
I never did. She’s lying!
BRADLEY
1-lalie, I think I’ll be running along now. I’ll just put the roses in the
DEWIS
kitchen.
[DEwis moves toward stage left. HsLlE stops him. I
Don’t go now, Father! Not now.
HALIE
ss BRADLEY I never did anything, \lom! I never touched her! She proposi
tioned me! And I turned her down. I turned her down flat!
[SHELLY suddenly grabs her coat off the wooden leg and takes both the leg
and coat down stage, away from BRADLEY,]
Mom! Mom! She’s got my leg! She’s taken my leg! I never did
BRAJ)LIY
anyt hing to her! She’s stolen my leg!
BRADlEY reaches pathetically in the air for his leg. SHELLY sets it down
for a second, puts on her coat fist, and picks the leg up again. DODGE
starts coughing softlyj
I think we’ve had about enough of you young lady. Just
HALIE [to SHELLY]
about enough. I don’t know where you came from or what you’re doing
here hut you’re no longer welcome in this house.
No longer welcome!
SIlLILY [laughs, holds leg]
Mom! That’s my leg! Get my leg back! I can’t do anything without
BRADLEY
my leg.
[BRADLEY keeps making whimpering sounds and reaching for his leg.]
Give my son back his leg. Right this very minute!
295 1-IALIE
[DoDc;E starts laughing softly to himself in between coughs.]
Father, do something about this would you! I’m not about
DEWIS]
[IALIE [to
to he terrorized in my own house!
Gimme back my leg!
BRADLEY
Oh, shut up Bradley! Just shut up! You don’t need your leg now! Just
H,SLIE
lay down and shut up!
141
ill?
‘\5i
Sill t’\Rll
uhinzper’s. I tirs down and pulls blanket around hi iii. lie Iweps
one aria outside blanket, reaching out toward his wooden len. iwts cau
tiousli approiche’s sOt ci v nit!, tin’ roses in his anus. sni ii Y clutches the
h \hL’% knli,aj’ju’d it.
4
itooib’o leg to her chest as tlioiif
\os’s, Iiouestl dear, ‘souldnt ii he latter to try to talk
i5% is to Still iY
use some reason
to
try
lo
out?
things
I here isn’t to’s rl’asuuli here! c;in’t find a reason for anything.
5111.1 L’s
I here’s not lung to he at rnd of. I liese ire all good people. All righteous
iu’s’sis
people.
I rn not train!!
si jet iv
Iut this isnt your loose. ‘too ha’se to ha’se some respect.
i’s’sis
situ iv ‘t(stmre the strii1gers here, not nie.
I his his gone far enough!
IIALiI,
oi,wis I halie, please. I et me handle this.
dOllt need any
l)on’t (Oiflt_’ lear ne! flout in’oille cOme near lie.
sin I I ‘s
‘s’s hat un
kno’s’s
(5(11
siui. liii lint tlireateuiing an’s huudv, I dont
‘s’s ttds lrusuii
don’t.
‘son
mayhe
okay,
\unue,
doing here, ‘iou all sa you ilont rerneuuher
imp, I
thing
s’shohe
family
this
made
M;ivhe it’s Vinee thats era,’,. \lavhe he’s
itd
thought
I
ride.
sir
tie
ailing
coming
just
‘s’sis
tlout e’sen care lii’s more. I
familiar
sound
visit
ill
all
made
lie
curious.
‘s’sas
I
lesmtles,
he a nice gesture.
to me. Ever one of von, [or every name, I had an image. I ‘serv time he’d
tell me name, I’d see the person. In ‘act, each of you s’sas so clear in ow
niuud that I actually helieed it ‘s’sas ‘soil. I reall’, helie’sed ‘s’s lien I ‘s’s ilked
through that door that the pepk’ ‘s’s ho lised here ‘s’soild turn out to he the
same peoplt’ in m imagination. Iut I tlont reeogui/e any of’ von. Not one.
Ni it e’s en the slight est reseni blauce,
nissis \ell’,nciuh1irdlvlil;Inieotherstori1uutfumlhillil1g’sisiirliallueiuiation.
It ‘s’sas no lidltieuuatiuui’ It ‘s’sas more like a prulihiec’s. ‘tint helie’s e 1
stii I i’s
iw’soiLY
(loot von?
lather. t here’s niu pornt in tulling to her any fur hi’r. We’re list going
u
to ha’se to call tIn’ poluc’.
in here.
No! Don’t get tile police in here. We don’t ‘s’saut the police
nit ‘siiiev
This is our home.
smii•i ‘s ‘I hats right. Bradley’s right. Don’t von usually settle ylor illairs in
prl’sat’? Don’t you usually take them suut in the dark? ( )ut iii the liack
‘ton stay uuut oh’ our uses! ‘ton lua’se no Inisimiess iuterhermg!
nti’sini:’s
I (lout hase any husiness period I got nothing to lose.
still A
I She uioies ioonizd. staring sit (‘uft’il 01 then,.
kno’s’s unytliiuig!
‘ton don’t kuo’s’s ‘ssllat ‘s’seve heeui through. ‘ion dout
tin ‘sin l’s
so secret in
It’s
secret,
got
a
all
‘toti’’se
secret.
got
a
vou’se
‘s’ss stieit’s I knos’s
happened.
lever
it
convinced
all
you’re
fact,
I 1St
Ii St II
IS.)
Oh, n (,od, lather!
laiughitg to huuis’lj] She thinks she’s going to get it out oh its. She
thinks she’s going to nneo’s er the truth of the matter, I ,ike a deteeti’s e or
something.
Im lilt tel hug her myth ing! Nothi hg’s ‘s’s rong here! Nut liiulg’s ever
BI1AIII L’s
been wrong! Everything’s the way it’s supposed to he! Nothing ever hap
11 good people!
1 that’s had! Every t hing is all right here! We’re i
pete
it ‘sin:
DOI)(L
4i)
illOic’S to ill S’s
ItLRttfl
(tutU,
ACt I I
She thinks she’s gonna suddenly bring everything out Into the open
after all these years.
tWWI% so s,uu.isI Can’t ou see that these people want to be left in peace?
l)on’t you hate any mercy? [hey hairen’t done anything to you.
mtix;I She wants to get to the bottoni of it. flu s.un..sl [hat’s it, isn’t it?
hn,’d like to get right down to bedrock? You want me to tell ya’? 1n• want
. I might as well.
m
me to tell a’ what happened? I’ll tell ya
BRADLEY No! Don’t listen to him. He doesn’t remember anything!
DODGE I remember the whole thing from start to finish. I remember the day
he was born.
llinnr. I
littlE Dodge, if you tell this thing—-if you tell this. youll be dead to me.
ass mull be just as good as dead.
DODGE That won’t be such a big change. Hulk. See this girl, this girl here,
she wants to know. She wants to know something more. And I got this feel
ing that it doesn’t make a bit dil’ferenee. I’d sooner tell it to a stranger than
ant body else.
an uw.n Iso innw;.J W. made a pact! W’ made a pact betneen us! ini cant
break that now!
ixnx;i
I don’t remember any pact.
See, he doesn’t remember anything. I’m the only one in
BRADLEY Lw sliEuxf
the family who remembers. The only one. And I’ll never tell you!
os siiii.ix I’m not so sure I want to find out now.
listen to her! Non she’s runnin’ scared!
ixnw;i llcnsgliing to binisvlj’I
scared!
not
ShEllS I’m
luo’xa slops L.ugl.ing. long pn.w. noin;t stun’s at her. I
nom;hi You’re not huh? Well, that’s good. Because I’m not either. See, we
were a well-established family once. Well-established. All the boys were
tie
grown. The farm was producing enough milk to fill Lake Michigan twice
ner. Me and Halie here were pointed toward what looked like the middle
part of our life. Etething ttas settled nUb us. .ll nt had to do nas ridi’ it
out. l’hen I lalie got pregnant again. ()uta’ the •iiiddle at’ non here. she got
DODGE
tic
I)nnant. We neren’t planning on han in’ any more boys. We haul enough
hays already. In fact, we hadn’t been sleepin’ in the same bed for about six
years.
[moving towuni stairsl I’m not listening to this! I don’t have to listen
to this!
thilLf
1
Where are you going! Upstairs! i,u’ll just be listenin’ to
DODGE lstops lh
it upstairs! öu go outside, you’ll be listenin’ to it outside. Might as well stay
here and listen to it.
halE
‘at
li,.tt.a stays by stairs. I
BRADLEY If I had my leg you wouldn’t be saying this. You’d never get away
with it if I had my leg.
DODGE I pointing to shui.LISI She’s got your leg. ILsn’ghsl She’s gonna keep
your leg too. I’I’o siuu.vf She wants to hear this. l)on’t you?
SIIELLY I don’t knott
DODGE Well even if ya’ don’t I’m gonna’ tell ya’. I 14n,sel Halie had this kid.
‘this baby boc She had it. I let her have it on her own. All the other boys I
had had the best doctors, best nurses, everything. This one I let her have by
114$
1144
400
os
41)
‘,vi
slit
I’SRD
herself. This one hurt real had. Almost killed her, but she had it anyway. It
used. see. It lived. It wanted to grow up in this family. It wanted to be just
like us. It wanted to be a part of us. It wanted to pretend that I ssas its
father. She wanted me to believe in it. Even when everyone around us
knew. Everyone, All our boys knew. bitten knew.
\ou shut tip! Bradley, make him shut up!
HAIIL
I Can’t.
HI4ADLEY
DOIN..E Tilden was the one who knew. Better than any of us. Fled walk for
miles with that kid in his arms. Flalie let him take it. All night sometimes.
I led walk all night out there in the pasture with it. Talkin’ to it. Singin’ to
that kid
it. Used to hear him singing to it. He’d make up stories. He’d tell
him.
understand
uouldnt
it
all kinds a’ stories. Even ss hen he knew
him.
understand
would
Never
was
savin’.
Couldn’t understand a ssord he
grow
to
that
allow
couldnt
We
continue.
that
We couldnt let a thing like
up right in the middle of our lives. It made everything we’d accomplished
look like it was nothin’. Everything was cancelled out [>y this one mistake.
I his one seakness.
So you killed him?
SIIELLY
I killed it. I drowned it. Just like the runt of a litter. Just drowned it.
uon;c
I L’. I IL motes Iowa rd IsIi.SDL LY.
Ansel wouldve stopped him! Ansel wouldve stopped
HALIE [to nn,wt.cv[
lies! lie was a her&.A man! A whole man! What’s
these
telling
him from
happened to the men in this family! Where are the men!
[Suddenly VIN(;E e’o;nes crashing through the screen porch door up left,
tearing it off its hinges. Everyone but DoDcE and BI1ADLEY back away
[ron, the porch ad stare at VICE who has landed on his stomach on tin’
porch in a drunken stupor, lie is singing loudly to himself and hauls him
self sloulv to his feet. lie has a paper shopping bag full of etnph’ booze
bottles. lie takes them out one at a time as he sings and smashes them at
the opposite end 01 the porch, behind the solid interior door, stage right.
sMELt_S ,;Eoies slou’ly toward stage right, holding tt’ooden leg and it’atch—
ing VIN( E.j
viNue lsinging loudly as he hurls bottlesl “From the Flails of Montezuma to
the Shores of lril)oli. \‘e will light our countrys battles on the land and on
2
the sea.”
[lie punctuates the words “Montezuma, “‘Fri poll,’ battles,” and “sea”
with a smashed bottle each. lie stops throwing for a second, stares toward
stage right of the porch, shades his eves iLitli his hand as though looking
across to a battlefield, then cups his hands around his mouth and yells
across the space of the porch to an imaginary arm The others watch in
terror and expectation. I
I lave you had enough over there! ‘Cause there’s a
VINIE Ito imagined arm)’I
lot more here where that came from! [Pointing to paper bag full of bottles I
“
2. The opening of the official anthem of the
US. Marine corps (author unknown; the
music is from a song in the 1867 revision of
Geueciète de Jirt,b,o,t I 1659 atomic opera
hy Jacques Offenhach). The first line refers,
respectively, to the capture of Mexico City’s
Castle ol Chapultepec the Flails of Mon
tezuma( in the Mexican-American War
(I 646—481 and to the 181) 1—OS war against
the Barbary pirates of North Africa, who were
hased largely in Tripoli (in northwest Libya).
lilkiFi) Cull 1).
SC I
I
got enough over here to blow va Irom here to king’
A hellua lot more!
domc ,me
1
I Ic take’, z,,oiIier bottle, onikes I,ith it’hictiing sound vi ii bomb an,
.
1
th ro Li’, it to LI 0 ,d stage rigli 1 porch. So, nd ol bottle smash, ng agai tist teal
I his should be the ,,ct,,aI s,iilsliIiig of bottles and not tape sound. lie
keeps eli, ug and i,e, ii sig hot t Ic’, one alter another. ‘. I e stops for a
,eh,ie, breatitisig heai,b.- jro,;l exi,a,istion. Long silence as the others
scotch hint. sitiii approaches tentatively in SINCE’s direction, still livid’
isig ltIlD1 F\ S ,,oo,len leg.
SHEll
ItIier silence I Vi iice?
‘1
F. turns tosi’ard her, i’eers through screen.
vici: \\ ho? \\ha? Vince who? Who’s that in there?
I IN(E pushes his face against the screen from the porch and stares in at
eve flos,e.
000(l.
Wheres isis goddamn bottle!
4/hat? Who is that?
VINCC tlooking in at noni
noua: It’s me! Thur (randfather! l)on’t play stupid with me! Where’s mY
-
two [Nicks!
Thur two bucks?
IIALIE ,,,m’es au’fl’ jrou, DEWIS, upstage, peers oist at viNe, trying to
recognize hi,,,, I
uAltc Vincent? Is that ou, Vincent?
SIIEIlY stares at IIALIE then looks out at VINCE. j
Vincent who? What is this! Who are von people?
SINCE from porch I
11ev, s au a minute. Wait a minute! What’s going on?
SIIEIly to nAili: I
closer to polcil screen I \Ve thought you were a murderer or
HAtIE j snolin
something. Barging in through the door like that,
I am a murderer! I )on’t underestimate me Far a minute! Im the
VINCE
\lidnight Strangler! I devour shole families in a single gulp!
SINC. grabs atosi her bottle out smashes it on the porch. nutE backs
OHio. I
‘oil inein sou know SVh() he is?
suit ‘s approaching irsi ii
( )l course I know ssho he is! I hats more than I can say for von.
i-siii
Thu get ofF our Front porch von creel)! \ haire
iussI)lIs sitting lt oil solal
ou doing out there breaking bottles? \Vho are these Foreigners anvwa!
Vliere did I hey come 1mm?
S-l’i i
\Ia be I sliotild ‘s,ssse iii there and break them!
I)on’t vms dare! ‘vincent, what’s got into von!
ttsill. Imoting goisard porch I
V’, liv are von acting like this?
Ia he I shoti Id cume in there and usurp your territory!
VIN( i:
IIAIIE turns back totiard blASts and crosses to Iii;,,. I
h are von just standing around here hen
uuii: to tsiss tsf Father,
cvcrsthings Falling apart? Can’t soil rectify this situation?
v-cr:
DOt ; u Ia tights, cvi sghs.
I rn just a guest here, I lalic. I dont know what my position is e.sactl.
-l his is outside my parish anvsav.
IN(:i: starts thirott’ing more bottles as things continue.
It[i\i)iEY
II’ I had my leg I’d rectify it! I’d rectil’v him all nser the goddamn
highsav! I’d pull his ears mit if’ I could reach him!
1)ESS is
If)
SAM SHEPARL)
1146
sticks his Jst through the screening of the porch and reaches
grabbing at him and missing. VIN(’E jumps away from
flHADLEYs hand, I
,-eth! Our lint’s have been penetrated! Tentacled animals! Beasts
l75uE
from the deep!
hand huh a bottle. BRAI)i ex pulls hic
(E strikes ont at BIIADIr:y
5
hand back insole. I
Vince! Knock it nil ss ill va! I want to get out of’ here!
SIIELLY
siue pushes his lace against screen, looks in at slll’lLY.
viNce Ito 511111 Y I lave they got von prisoner in there, dear? Such a sweet
s.nung thiru too. \II her liFe ii front of her. Nipped in the l)ud.
Im coming (lilt there, \ met’! I’m cooling tiilt there and I want us to
sni•.a i i
get in the car and drive ass as Irom here Anywhere. Just away From here.
SIIEItY ounces toitard VINt Es saxophone case and overcoat. She sets
down the ti’oodcn leg, downstage left, and picks top the saxophone case
and overcoat. VIN F u’atches her through the screen.
Vvell base to negotiate. Make some kind of a deal. Pris
VINCE Ito SHELLY]
oner exchange or somet hung. A Few of theirs for one (IF ours. Small price to
pay IF you ask me.
SHELLY crosses toward stage right door with overcoat and case.
Just go and get the car! I’m coming out there now. We’re going to
SllEt,tY
leave.
VINCE
I)on’t come out here! l)on’t you dare come out here!
SIlLILY stops short of the door, stage right.
[nnAnicY
out for
VINCE,
‘
s
.
454
4)
51fF I .1 ‘1
37)
FlOW Conic?
srsm: ( )FF limits! \ erboten! [his is taboo territory. No man or woman has
ever crossed the line and used to tell the tale!
siii;tiv I’ll take my chances.
I MILL I_V moles to slagr’ right door and opeils it. vi.:i pulls out a big fold—
ins hunting knife cind pulls peou hit’ blade. I Ic jabs the bliule into the
screen tuutl starts cutting a hole big enough to chini, through. HI1ADIFY
couvrs in a corner of the sofa as Vl\(’F rips ot the screen.
l)on’t come nut here! i’rii warning you! \oull
s iNci. las he cuts screen
disintegrate!
1 the ann and pit 11 her tou’cird staircase.
DEWIS takes IIAIIF b
l)FWIS
[lalie, mashe we should go upstairs until this blows over.
I don’t understand it. I just don’t understand it. lie was the sweetest
lESLIE
little l)oy!
[I)EwIs drops the roses beside the wooden leg at the joot of the staircase
then escorts IJALIE quickly up the stairs. lESLIE keeps looking back at
VINCE as they climb the stairs. I
iixtim
There wasn’t a mean hone in his body. Everyone loved Vincent.
Everyone. [Ic was the perfect baby.
DEWIS
Hell he all right after a while. He’s just had a Few too many that’s all.
IIAIIE
He used to sing in his sleep. [led sing. In the middle of the night.
The sweetest voice. Like an angel. lShe stops for a moment.] I used to lie
3.
Forbidden! Cerman).
BURIED CHILD, ACT 3
awake listening to it, I used to lie awake thinking it was all right if I died.
Because Vincent was an angel. A guardian angel. He’d watch over us. He’d
watch over all of us.
newis takes her all the way up the stairs. They disappear above. viucv is
now climbing through the porch screen onto the sofr. BRADLEY crashes
off the soj?i, holding tight to his blanket, keeping it wrapped around him.
suELtv is outside on the porch. VINCE holds the knife in his teeth once he
gets the hole wide enough to climb through. BRADLEY starts crawling
sknvlv toward his wooden leg, reaching out for it.
DODGE Ito vINCE]
Go ahead! Take over the house! Take over the whole god
damn house! Yim can have it! It’s yours. It’s been a pain in the neck ever
450
since the very first mortgage. I’m gonna die any second now. Any second.
You won’t even notice. So I’ll settle my affairs once and for all,
[As DODGE proclaims his last will and testament, SINCE climbs into the
room, knife in mouth, and strides slowly around the space, inspecting his
inheritance, lie casually notices BRADLEY as he crawls toward his leg.
VINCE moves to the leg and keeps pushing it with his foot so that it5 out of
BRADLEYc reach, then goes on with his inspection. He picks up the roses
and carries them around smelling them, stivus can be seen outside on
the porch, moving slowly center and staring in at vINcE, SINCE ignores
her.
DODGE:
The house goes to my Grandson, Vincent. All the furnishings, ac
coutrements, and paraphernalia therein. Everything tacked to the walls
or otherwise resting under this roof. My tools—namely my band saw, my
us
4 my drill press, my chain saw, my lathe, my electric sander, all go
Skilsaw;
to my eldest son, Tilden. That is, if he ever shows up again. My shed and
gasoline-powered equipment, namely my tractor, my dozer,
5 my hand tiller
plus all the attachments and riggings for the above-mentioned machinery,
namely my spring-tooth harrow,
6 my deep plows, my disk plows, my auto
490
matic fertilizing equipment, my reaper, my swathe, my seeder, my John
Deere Harvester, my posthole tligger my jackhammer, my lathe—[Th him
self] Did I mention my lathe? I already mentioned my lathe—my Bennie
7 records, my harnesses, my bits, my halters, my brace, my rough
Goodman
rasp, my forge, my welding equipment, my shoeing nails, my levels and
bevels, my milking stool—no, not my milking stool—my hammers and
chisels, my hinges, my cattle gates, my barbed wire, self-tapping augers, my
horsehair ropes, and all related materials are to be pushed into a gigantic
heap and set ablaze in the very center of my fields. When the blaze is at its
highest, preferably on a cold, windless night, my body is to he pitched into
so,
the middle of it and burned till nothing remains hut ash.
[Pause. VINCE takes the knife out of his mouth and smells the roses. He
facing tmvard audience and doesn’t turn around to sHELLY. He folds up
knife and pockets it.]
s[IELLY [from porch I
I’m leaving, Vince. Whether you come or not, I’m leaving.
SINCE [smelling roses] Just put my horn on the couch there before you take
off.
475
saw (a brand name).
That is, bulldozer.
6. An implement, pulled by a tractor, that
breaks up soil and levels it before planting.
4. Circular
,
7. That is, Benny Goodman (1909—1986),
American jazz clarinetist, composer, and handleader.
1147
lit
SASI’stiiPARti
toward bole in screenl Youre not Corning?
downstae, turns and looks at her.
I just iiihi’riti’d a house.
‘otl suit to stay liere
sun i’u through bole, front ju,i’eIz I
I’se gottll carrs on tlue Irne.
s
oil!
5Dli
leg
pushes
Kit
0! reach I
i\i
be
\
as
ye gotta see lii it that things keep rolling.
[nuissniny looks up at bin, front floor, keeps pulling himself toward his
leg. Vi N n keeps muting it
\liat llilji))eiie(l Ii) SOLi \‘iii(e: \oii list disappeared.
Slit tlY
I was gonna run Lust night. I was gun na
S C5( 1 J pause. delivers spee(’Il front
run and keep right on running. I drove uIi night. (lear to the Iowa border.
I he old man’s two bucks sitting right on the seat heside me. It never
stopped raining the whole time. Never stopped once. I could see myseli in
the windshield, Mv lace. My eves. I studied my lace. Studied everything
about it. As though I was looking at another man .As though I could see his
ss hole race behind him. I ike nuunmvs hut’. I saw him dead and alive it
the same time. In the sanic breath. Iii the svincisiiield, watched him
breat lie ,is tliouh he ss is l’ro,en iii t iiiie. ‘mud evers breath marked ii ni.
Marked hini lures er ss itliiiiit liiiu kiiimw lug. ‘mud then his lace changed. I us
lace became his hither’s lace. Suuie hones. Same eves. Same nose. Same
breat Ii. And his lather’s lace changed to his ( randl’at hers lace. And it ss tnt
on like that. (hanging. (lear on hack to laces I’d never seen hel’ore hut
still recogni;(’(i. Still reciigniied the hones underneath, I he eves. I he
breath. I lie month. I hdluwe<l ins l’;iuniis clear into Iowa, I,verv last itlue,
Straight into tile ( orti belt and lnrther. Straight back as Far as they’d take
me. 1 lien it ill slissolscd. l’verthiiiig dissoled.
stares at iion jor a ulale tb’,, reaches tlu’ongli the bole ui the
screen mid sets the saxophoiie ease anti visen’s overcoat nit the soIi. She
looks at vici: agiun. I
Si itli ‘i
bye \ lice.
Slit’ ,‘siis ieI off tiut pmiish. S l’w I uaim’h,’s hei- go. illlDi II trues to noike
a lunge for his uu mnult’ii leg. u i ttuic’kb pu-ks it rip auiil mltun”ii’s it oier
ba’eps uoikuzg despeuatt’ grabs at the
I \ ‘s head like a carrot. ni uu i
1 stops haljii’ai; staruig at i\ i:
leg. in ssis comes dou’mi the staircase aiim
timid ititsunix. S vs( i looks up mit nuwis runl sunk’s, lie keeps moving btick
uards ii iii, the leg tousrd upstage k’fi as iluiSDluv craut’ls at ier Inn,.
)h, escuse me lather.
to DLWis as he cou,tinues torturing nit\Di tY
S esci
Just getting u’i(l iii’ some ol the sermiii iii the house, I his is its house uuw,
a’ kuiiiw? All mine. lserstliing. I’scept br the power tools and stiil’l’. liii
gun ia get all new euuiipuiuent uuivw iv. New plows, new tractor, eervt hi iig.
All hr;uidness. vi Nil teases 1111501 ii closer to the tip lelt corner of the
stage. I Start right oIl’ on the ground floor.
I ViN(F throu’s utnsl)Inys tL’OtolL’n leg jtim’ offstage (eli. BI1ADI,nYjollouts his
leg offstage, p nIb Hg Iii uiiself thong nit the gi’ou mid, oh i uiperimzg.
I
SItELLY tnoving
I \‘iNCi staic
s
‘,
‘
,mulls the lilmuihet off inut and tl,roii’s it ou’er Iris out’,t
us uiith the blanket anti siuu’lls hit’ roses.
i nw is to i lies to I lit’ hot tout of the stairs. I
‘ioud better go up und see our Grandmother.
tESS-IS
I looking up stairs, back to DiWis I My Grandmother? ‘I heres nobody
else in tills house. L’scel)t lor you. And you’re leaving aren’t von?
lit Sill it evits
shozulmler.
iS
iii’
NI L
crosses
toli’artl tess
1itRitF) ([IIt [).
AC 1
nEwts crosses toward stage right door. He turns back to visce.j
newts She’s going to need someone. I cant help her. I don’t know what to
do. I dont know what my position is. I just came in for some tea, I had no
idea there was any trouble, No idea at all.
just stares at him, I)EWIS goes out the door, (‘Tosses porch, and exits
I
tell. E5( listens to bun leaving, lie smelts roses, looks up the staircase,
then smells roses again, lie turns and looks upstage at DODGE. lie crosses
up to bins and bends over looking at DODGEs open eies. DoDGE i.s dead.
I us death should have come corn pletci unnoticed. ,nce lifts thu’ blanket,
then enters his head. lie sits on the sofri, smelling roses and staring at
DODGEs body Long pause. VINCE places the roses on DODGE’S chest, then
lays down on the sofa, arms folded behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
His body is in the same relationship to DODGEs. After a while ISSUE’S voice
is heard coIning from above the staircase. The lights start to dim almost
i.npercepiibh as nsvie speaks. viNce keeps staring at the ceiling.
I )odge: Is that ou i)odge? ‘I ilden ssas right about the corn
liSt ItS S OWE
you know. he nes er seen such corn. IIa sou taken a look at it lately? ‘[‘all
as a man alread, I his early in the year. (arrots too. R;tatoes. Peas. It’s like
out there, Dodge. \ou oughta’ take a look. A miracle. I’ve never
t
like
this. Maybe the rain did something. Maybe it was the rain.
seen it
As twu,te keeps talking offstage, 1 EDEN appears from stage left, dripping
with tnud from tile knees down, lbs arms and hands are covered with
,uud. In his hands he carries the corpse of a small child at chest level,
staring (lOH!ll at it. lhe corpse mainly consists of bones wrapped ii,
niiuhh, rotten cloth. I Ic motes slots’l’v downstage toward the staircase, ig—
(bring S liSt [. on the sofa. ‘I”JCE lWb’J)s staring til the’ ceiling as though
I IlI)FiS Has;, ‘t there. As I ISIIES VOICE conti;i;.es, lIIi)EN smith makes his
nay up the stairs, i us eses never leave the corpse of’ the child. the lights
keep fading.
ss usetE’s VOICE Good hard rain, Takes everything straight down deep to the
roots. The rest takes care of itself. You cant force a thing to grow. You can’t
interl’ere with it. It’s all hidden. It’s all unseen. ‘iou just gotta wait till it
pops tip out of the ground. Iinv little shoot. ‘l’inv little white shoot. All
hair and Irisgile. Strong hough. Strong enough to break the earth een.
It’s a miracle, l)odge. I’ve never seen a crop like this in my whole life.
Maybe it’s the sun Maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s the sun.
ji tIDEN disappears above. Silence. l,ights go to black.
‘
1110