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Actors:
One White Man
One White Woman
One Black Man
One Black Woman
Another White Man
The
men wear black long sleeve T-shirts and black cuffed pants. The
women wear white long sleeve T-shirts and white cuffed pants.
All are barefooted.
SCENE:
GENESIS
The
stage is bare except for two short metal step ladders, turned
with the steps facing the audience, about two meters apart. At
rise lights with red gels are dim rear stage as the actors come
in and sit cross-legged in a line in front of the ladders. The
Black man sits in front of the ladder stage right, the Black
woman sits next to him, the White woman next to her, and the
White man sits in front of the ladder stage left. Before the
white lights come up, the Black woman softly announces the title
of the scene. The lights come up, the two men have their heads
lowered, the women look straight ahead.
After a few seconds, the men raise their heads, look at the women,
then slowly inch their way up their respective ladders, still
looking at the women, finally sitting on top of the ladders,
arms folded. The men look down at the women. The women turn to
their sides, looking for their men, then look up at their partners.
The White man looks across the way at the Black man, then stands
on top of his ladder, folding his arms again. The Black man slowly
looks up at the White man. The Black woman turns to see what
he is looking at, and looks at the White man. All look up to
the White man. Lights up full, then fade. Red gels on dim as
before. Performers exit stage left, men carrying the ladders
off stage.
SCENE:
TRANSITION I
Red
gels remain on as the performers come on stage to set the next
scene.
The White man enters from stage left and stands in the center
of the stage facing toward the audience. He looks off stage left
and points his right arm and index finger to stage right. The
White woman enters from stage left, carrying one of the step
ladders and places it stage right and deep, steps facing the
audience.
The Black man enters from stage left and stands down stage and
stage left of the White man, facing the audience. He looks off
stage left and points his right arm and index finger down in
front of him. The Black woman enters from stage left, carrying
the other step ladder and places it in front of the Black man.
She sits down on the stage, a couple of meters away from the
ladder, and to the right of it. The Black man sits on the ladder
as he did before.
The White couple exits stage left.
SCENE:
THE PEDESTAL
Black
woman announces the scene title. Lights up. The step ladders
are at opposite sides of the stage. The Black couple is at stage
left, with the Black man sitting on the ladder as before, arms
crossed, and the Black woman sitting cross legged on the floor
in front of him to the right. Her arms are folded as well. She
looks angrily ahead, he looks smugly down at her.
The White couple enters from stage left, the man carrying the
woman in his arms like a precious jewel. They cross the stage
to the other ladder, the White woman gracefully embracing the
White man. They circle the ladder, walk back towards center stage,
then twirl back to their ladder, he places her on top of it,
and bends down on his knees as in prayer. The White woman strokes
her hair like a glamour queen.
The Black couple watches this. The Black man gets off his ladder,
looks at the White couple, then looks at his partner, then the
ladder. The Black woman is still on the floor with her arms crossed,
and looks back at him. He starts towards her, their eyes lock
and he hesitates. He turns around, walks over to the white couple,
and bends down on his knees behind the White man, praying with
him, but behind him. The Black woman watches this, then turns
her look straight ahead again, full of rage. Lights fade. Red
gels on dim.
SCENE:
TRANSITION II
Red
gels on dim. Performers hold position. Then the White woman gets
off her ladder and then points to center stage and holds her
pose. The men fight to obey her and the White man wins, leaving
the Black man sitting on the floor, disappointed. The White man
takes the ladder and places it center stage, steps facing the
audience. He turns and looks down on the Black man, and folds
his arms in superiority.
The Black man looks across stage to the other step ladder, gets
up and carries it to center stage and slams it down next to the
other ladder, stage left, steps facing the back of the stage.
He folds his arms. Both men stare at each other.
The White woman exits stage left and the White man follows her.
The Black man watches them leave, turns stage left and walks
over to stage right side of the Black woman and looks down on
her. She continues looking ahead. He exits stage right. The Black
woman gets up and looks stage right, then exits stage right.
SCENE:
HIERARCHY
Black
woman announces scene title. Lights up. The two step ladders
are centered on the stage. The one on stage right has its steps
facing the audience, the other is exactly the opposite of it.
They are about a meter apart.
The Black woman enters from stage right, and sits cross legged
between the ladders with her hands underneath the top steps,
as if holding them up.
The White woman enters from stage left, and stands behind the
Black woman, between the ladders. She places her hands on top
of them, as if pushing herself up above the Black woman.
The Black man enters from stage right, and climbs onto the first
step of his ladder so that he is above the two women and his
back to the audience. He looks up above him and starts grabbing
at the air with his right hand.
The White man enters from stage left, climbs onto the second
step of his ladder, so he is above everyone and faces the audience.
He also looks up above him and starts grabbing at the air with
his right hand. After a few seconds of this, he stops, stands
on top of his ladder, grabs the Black man's right arm, holding
him still, and lakes his own left hand and grabs the air, holding
his fist above his head, and looks violently right at the Black
man. Lights fade. Red gels dim. Performers exit stage right.
SCENE:
TRANSITION III
Red
gels dim. The Another White man enters from stage left and moves
the ladders so they arc parallel to each other and the steps
are facing stage right. There is a meter gap between the ladders.
Another White man exits stage left, and re-enters carrying a
small chalkboard. He places it on one of the ladders and exits
stage left.
SCENE:
THE JOB INTERVIEW
Black
woman announces scene title. Lights up. The ladders are centered,
but turned with their steps toward stage right, so all we see
are the sides in parallel. There is a gap between the, so they
are like a passageway. A small chalkboard sits on top of one.
The two couples stand in a line stage right of the ladders, White
man first, White woman, Black man, Black woman last. They all
hold briefcases in their right hands, and stand at attention.
Another White man stands stage left of the ladders, wearing the
same clothes as the other men, but doesn't hold a briefcase.
Another White man walks through the ladders to the White man,
holds out his hand and shakes hands with the White man like a
good friend. The White man with the briefcase crosses through
the ladders and exits.
Another White man approaches the White woman. She extends her
hand aggressively, and they shake hands. She passes through the
ladders and exits, while the Another White man follows her butt
with his eyes.
Another White man approaches the Black man, hesitates, and looks
beyond to the Black woman. The Another White man grabs the chalkboard
from the ladder, and holds it up next to the Black man's face,
then holds it up next to the Black woman's face. He shakes his
head disapprovingly and returns the chalkboard to the ladder.
He walks back to the couple and grabs a double thick Hershey's
chocolate bar from his pants pocket, unwraps it, holds it up
next to the Black man's face, then the Black woman's face. He
turns away shaking his head again. Suddenly he turns back and
extends his hand to the Black woman. They shake hands. She crosses
through the ladders and exits, while Another White man follows
her butt with his eyes, as he did the White woman. He then looks
back at the Black man, and takes a snapping bite of the chocolate
bar, turns and crosses through the ladders and exits. The Black
man turns, facing the audience with a plain look on his face.
Lights fade. Red gels dim.
Performers
exit stage right.
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