Toronto, Mississippi
Page 7
Now the two of you can go drive to Jesus. Just like the good old days in Moosebone, Alberta.
MADDIE:
Jesus, Bill. I just spent half the night lecturing Jhana on running away when she’s pissed off –
JHANA:
(crouching down) I’m small now!
KING:
Maybe you didn’t hear me, Madelaine. He was all over Jhana when I came down.
BILL:
You don’t even know who Jhana is.
KING knocks BILL down to the floor.
JHANA:
(running to BILL) Bill! Up Bill! Get up!
BILL:
I can’t just yet.
MADDIE:
I’m sorry, Willy.
KING:
Ah Christ we’re all sorry. Get up.
JHANA:
He’s hurting. Take a blue pill, Bill. A football. In your stomach.
BILL:
Thanks a lot, Jhana.
MADDIE:
(to KING) Leave. Go pack your stuff.
KING:
What?
MADDIE:
You’re going to do it again anyway. Let’s just get it over with. I mean it, King.
KING:
I’m doing my best here, Maddie.
MADDIE:
It isn’t enough.
KING:
She’s my family.
MADDIE:
My family is down on the floor.
JHANA:
My Daddy say Dad.
KING:
You just stepped over the line, lady.
MADDIE:
I know.
KING exits.
JHANA:
(picks up the phone and dials 911) My name is Jhana Gladys Kelly. I am mentally handicapped. I live at three TWO nine Chisholm Avenue. I live in Toronto. Help me please nine one one. They are hurt.
EPILOGUE
Spotlight on KING, downstage at the microphone, costumed like Elvis, addressing the audience in the Memphis accent.
KING:
Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve been a wonderful audience. Before I go, I wanna tell you something nice about my kid. Lisa’s out back of the house playing with this ratty dog of her mother’s which I hate. She’s trying to make this dog sit and that. She’s being real bossy which sort of cracked me up because I mean she’s a real little kid. The dog’s antsy and being a dog. Finally it does settle down and you know what she does? She sings to him. She’s pretending she’s me. Even has the moves down right. I felt great. I mean someone pretending to be me but not to make fun and that. It’s nice. But what’s even better is that she’s my kid and I just … Lord. just a little. What I’m trying to say is she might love me.
KING walks off stage; the spot is still on the microphone. JHANA enters in her nightgown and Elvis cape, and speaks into the microphone.
JHANA:
Hello. HELLO MAPLE LEAF GARDENS! IT’S ME! JHANA! DO YOU LIKE ME? Bill says you can’t. C’mon. Try. Elvis is on the mouths of women all the time. She likes it. He sings “Loves ME, loves ME.” He is happy and I love him back. You know on the bus? The Woodbine Bus? The black hair is in front of you. Don’t touch it. You’re not allowed. Princie’s back is sunny and I’m laying my head there but not now. (She tries kissing her elbow.) See? She’s this far away. (shows the distance with her fingers) Trying and trying. Bill says you can’t. He kisses there for me. Steffie tries this too. No one will know and don’t tell. Right? But I am (arms out to the audience) kissing you. Now.
Blackout.
THE END
About the Playwright
Multiple Betty Mitchell, Chalmer’s, Dora and Governor General’s Award-winning author Joan MacLeod grew up in North Vancouver.
Now an internationally celebrated star of the world of the theatre, MacLeod developed her finely honed playwriting skills during seven seasons as playwright-in-residence at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, and turned her hand to opera with her libretto for The Secret Garden, which won a Dora Award.
In 1991, her play Amigo’s Blue Guitar won the Governor General’s Drama Award.
Also by Joan MacLeod
The Valley
Another Home Invasion
Homechild
The Shape of a Girl: Jewel
The Hope Slide / Little Sister
2000
Amigo's Blue Guitar
*All published by Talonbooks
About Talonbooks
Thank you for purchasing and reading Toronto, Mississippi.
If you came across this ebook by some other means, feel free to purchase it and support our hard work. It is available through most major online ebook retailers and on our website. The print edition is also available.
Talonbooks is a small, independent, Canadian book publishing company. We have been publishing works of the highest literary merit since the 1960s. With more than 500 books in print, we offer drama, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction by local playwrights, poets, and authors from the mainstream and margins of Canada’s three founding nations, as well as both visible and invisible minorities within Canada’s cultural mosaic.
Learn more about us and the author.
Copyright © 2008 Joan MacLeod
Talonbooks
278 East First Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V5T 1A6
www.talonbooks.com
First Printing: 2008
Electronic edition: February 2016
Cover design by Adam Swica
The publisher gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program; and the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit for our publishing activities.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from Access Copyright (The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency). For a copyright licence, visit accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.
Rights to produce Toronto, Mississippi in whole or in part, in any medium by any group, amateur or professional, are retained by the author. Interested persons are requested to apply to her agent: Pam Winter, Gary Goddard Agency, 10 St. Mary Street, Suite 305, Toronto, ON M4Y 1P9; tel.: (416) 928-0299; fax: (416) 924-9593.
Toronto, Mississippi was originally published by Playwrights Canada Press in 1987.
Cataloguing data available from Library and Archives Canada.
ISBN-13: 978-0-88922-583-1 (pbk.)
ISBN-13: 978-1-77201-056-5 (EPUB)
ISBN-13: 978-1-77201-057-2 (Kindle)
ISBN-13: 978-1-77201-058-9 (PDF)