Lincoln
Im not laughing at you, bro, Im just laughing.
Booth chuckles with him.
Lincoln holds the knife high, ready to cut the stocking.
Lincoln
Turn yr head. You may not wanna look.
Booth turns away slightly. They both continue laughing.
Lincoln brings the knife down to cut the stocking.
Booth
I popped her.
Lincoln
Huh?
Booth
Grace. I popped her. Grace.
(Rest)
Who thuh fuck she think she is doing me like she done? Telling me I dont got nothing going on. I showed her what
I got going on. Popped her good. Twice. 3 times. Whatever.
(Rest)
She aint dead.
(Rest)
She werent wearing my ring I gived her. Said it was too small. Fuck that. Said it hurt her. Fuck that. Said she was into bigger things. Fuck that. Shes alive not to worry, she aint going out that easy, shes alive shes shes—.
Lincoln
Dead. Shes—
Booth
Dead.
Lincoln
Ima give you back yr stocking, man. Here, bro—
Booth
Only so long I can stand that little brother shit. Can only take it so long. Im telling you—
Lincoln
Take it back, man—
Booth
That little bro shit had to go—
Lincoln
Cool—
Booth
Like Booth went—
Lincoln
Here, 3-Card—
Booth
That Booth shit is over. 3-Cards thuh man now—
Lincoln
Ima give you yr stocking back, 3-Card—
Booth
Who thuh man now, huh? Who thuh man now?! Think you can fuck with me, motherfucker think again motherfucker think again! Think you can take me like Im just some chump some two lefthanded pussy dickbreath chump who you can take and then go laugh at. Aint laughing at me you was just laughing bunch uh bullshit and you know it.
Lincoln
Here. Take it.
Booth
I aint gonna be needing it. Go on. You won it you open it.
Lincoln
No thanks.
Booth
Open it open it open it open it. OPEN IT!!!
(Rest)
Open it up, bro.
Lincoln
Booth
Lincoln brings the knife down to cut the stocking.
In a flash, Booth grabs Lincoln from behind.
He pulls his gun and thrusts it into the left side of Lincolns neck.
They stop there poised.
Lincoln
Dont.
Booth shoots Lincoln.
Lincoln slumps forward, falling out of his chair and onto the floor. He lies there dead.
Booth paces back and forth, like a panther in a cage, holding his gun.
Booth
Think you can take my shit? My shit. That shit was mines.
I kept it. Saved it. All this while. Through thick and through thin. Through fucking thick and through fucking thin, motherfucker. And you just gonna come up in here and mock my shit and call me two lefthanded talking bout how she coulda been jiving me then go steal from me? My inheritance. You stole my inheritance, man. That aint right. That aint right and you know it. You had yr own. And you blew it. You blew it, motherfucker! I saved mines and you blew yrs. Thinking you all that and blew yr shit. And I saved mines.
(Rest)
You aint gonna be needing yr fucking money-roll no more, dead motherfucker, so I will pocket it thank you.
(Rest)
Watch me close watch me close now: Ima go out there and make a name for myself that dont have nothing to do with you. And 3-Cards gonna be in everybodys head and in everybodys mouth like Link was.
(Rest)
Ima take back my inheritance too. It was mines anyhow. Even when you stole it from me it was still mines cause she gave it to me. She didnt give it to you. And I been saving it all this while.
He bends to pick up the money-filled stocking.
Then he just crumples. As he sits beside Lincolns body, the money-stocking falls away.
Booth holds Lincolns body, hugging him close. He sobs.
Booth
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
End of Play
Topdog/Underdog is copyright © 1999, 2001, 2002 by Suzan-Lori Parks
Topdog/Underdog is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156.
All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights including, but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the author’s representative: George P. Lane, Creative Artists Agency, 162 Fifth Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010; (212) 277-9000.
This publication is made possible in part with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parks, Suzan-Lori.
eISBN : 978-1-559-36624-3
1. Brothers—Drama. 2. Sibling rivalry—Drama.
I. Title: Topdog/underdog. II Title.
PS3566.A736 T66 2001
812’.54—dc21 2001027316
Text design and composition by Lisa Govan
Topdog / Underdog Page 9