The CTR Anthology

by Alan Filewod

  (M.4 wheels off the stage, and remains visible, standing stage right. M.1 enters and walks up to the laundry line, hangs up a white sheet, talking to Anna)

  M.1: You’re a good helper, Anna. When I was a little girl, I used to help my mother. My special job was to be a messenger. Not everyone had a phone in those days so people would send each other notes. I used to pretend that the war was still on and I was on a secret mission, and I had to sneak through the alleys and hide behind garbage cans. And every other day my mother would send me down to the pub with a note for my dad along with a fresh pack of cigarettes – and he’d let me try his beer and give me money for the jukebox so I could play our favourite songs. And I’d play a game of crazy eights with his friends and then we’d go home and I’d get to stay outside and play until after dark, while my mom and dad had a private talk. They were always having a private talk. And the yard was just like this one, Anna, (M.3 enters) with old tires and all kinds of interesting stuff, (stays at the line)

  (M.3 enters by placing her shoes on stage, then stepping into them. Marianne tired and hungover, talking to her current man.)

  M.3: I’m still tired. … What time is it? Look, it’s already dark outside. Did you make any coffee? … Why not? … (Stretches and yawns) What are you looking at? Are you looking at me? Is there something wrong with me? You’re not so hot, baby. … Look at this mess! (She kicks some clothing into the suitcase) … Why don’t you clean up sometimes, help out now and then. … All I want is a little security for me and for Anna, and believe me, buddy, you’re not it. (Crosses up to fridge, casting a hostile glance at the man.)

  (M.2 enters, carrying her shoes in her hand and a teddy bear. Marianne leaving Ralph in the middle of the night.)

  M.2: Ssssh. Now we’ve got to be very very quiet Anna. … (Goes to pack suitcase.) If Ralph wakes up, I’ll be very upset … pick out all your favourite dresses. And all your sweaters, it’s cold out tonight. This is our little game, Anna. … It’s like hide and seek … Ralph is going to wake up and we’ll be gone, and then he’ll come look for us, but he’s not going to find us, not if I can help it. … No, Anna, we can’t take the sofa!

  (M.3 jerks the fridge door open.)

  M.2: Ssssh. Anna, Anna … you won’t have to go to school tomorrow. We’ll go far, far away, and I’ll tell you lots and lots of stories. Now … let’s pack your fluffy bear. (She kisses the bear and packs it, shuts the suitcase.) Sssh.

  (M.3 slams the fridge door. All Mariannes turn their heads stage right.)

  All: Anna?

  M.1 and M.4: Did you hurt yourself?

  (M.3 takes Anna’s photo and poses with it. The slide projector light comes on. As the slide projector clicks ahead. M.3 pose five times with the photo. The other Mariannes turn their heads as in mug shot.)

  M.2: Anna …

  M.1, M.3 and M.4: No interviews! (the slide light goes out.)

  M.2: Did you hurt yourself? Come here, and I’ll kiss the hurt and blow it away. See – it’s flying up there – see – there it goes. Watch – ah – the window’s open and – oh – it flew out the window! And it’s going to fly far, far away – maybe all the way to China. But we won’t go to China, Anna, we’ll go to India.

  (M.2 exits with the suitcase. M.3 sits down in stage left chair next to fridge, reads newspaper. M.1 takes a newspaper and talks to the audience, walking downstage.)

  M.1: It says here I left the court without a flicker of emotion. What did they expect? All I could think of was Anna. Did they want a picture of me crying and tearing out my hair? I’m not that type.

  M.4: (sitting up on stage right) I never have been.

  M.3: “She left the court without a flicker of emotion.” “He wrapped the little girl up like a parcel.”

  M.1: This is me after. This picture has been all around the world. I get fan mail from everywhere. Mostly mothers. This one’s my favourite. It’s from a woman in Mainz. “Dear Marianne. My daughter’s name is Anna. We hope your trial goes well. You are a true mother. My God bless you and protect you.” You should have seen the handwriting.

  M.3: It’s a really pretty picture.

  M.2: (crossing up to fridge) They got me to pose with a picture of Anna.

  M.4: (crossing up to laundry line) It’s true Anna wasn’t my only child but I had to give up the first one.

  M.1: (crossing to stage right downstage chair) We lived in fifteen cities in two months.

  M.2: (indicating Ann’s photo) She’s only four here. It’s in Ibiza, Spain. She’d never seen the ocean. And she’s just like me – once she gets an idea in her head … In three days she was swimming. She takes to the water like a fish.

  M.3: (to M.1, who is also reading the paper) Do you have the entertainment section?

  M.2: (angrily) OK, Anna, you want a story, I’ll give you a story. Once upon a time a little girl was born and made her mother miserable. (Turns her hack to the audience.)

  M.4: (having taken down the sheet and packed it in the hamper) The first time I was pregnant, I tried all the things you hear about. You know, diet pills, hot baths, all that. Nothing worked. Herman’s parents wouldn’t let us get married and I was out to here – here. But that didn’t mean I was going to miss my graduation. I had top marks. You should have seen their faces when I went up to get my diploma. (Promenades proudly over to M.1.) My Math teacher said to me, “Marianne, you look like an Amazon.” I never flinched.

  (M.1 and M.3 fold up their newspapers.)

  M.3: I didn’t talk to anyone for four weeks after it happened. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Then the interviews started and they offered me the cover of Stem magazine. I thought, it’s the least I can do for Anna. I thought, I want the whole world to know about this. (She puts away the paper.)

  (M.1 and M.4 transform into Marianne and her friend)

  M.1: Thanks for coming. (The friend touches her shoulder and holds her hand, a gesture repeated by M.2 and M.3 by the fridge)

  Friend: You don’t have to thank me. I’m your best friend. (Goes to sit upstage left, behind M.1) Did you get some sleep?

  M.1: How could I? All I could think of was Anna … and the trial tomorrow. I keep thinking I’m going to have to look him in the face.

  Friend: Have you seen the letters?

  M.1: They’re hard to miss. They’re piling up all over the place. What did you think?

  Friend: I loved the ones from all the guys who want to marry you and take care of you for the rest of your life.

  M.1: How about the one from the eighty-year-old woman who says she’d like to chop him up into little bits?

  Friend: Or that man who wants to soak him in gasoline and set his clothes on fire.

  M.1: There’s hundreds of them that say he should be hung.

  Friend: What about the one from the chartered accountant who says …

  M.1: Stop.

  Friend: Can I ask you something?

  M.1: Sure.

  Friend: How do you feel when you read those letters?

  M.1: I feel sick. And I just wish Anna wasn’t dead.

  (M.3 gets up and opens the fridge. Everyone on stage is Marianne. M.3 takes the glass of milk. When she shuts the fridge, everyone paces. M.2 lights a cigarette.)

  M.3: No, Anna – you’re not sick. (Pacing) Anna, the teacher isn’t sick. The school didn’t burn down, Anna. (Angrily) Anna! (All other Mariannes turn their heads. She returns the milk to the fridge. Crouching) No, Anna, I’m not mad at you.

  (The other Mariannes continue pacing until they speak.)

  M.2: No, Anna, I’m not mad. I love you. (Crouches) I love you, Chris loves you, sofa loves you, chair loves you, vacuum cleaner loves you, carpet loves you, lamp loves you, everybody loves you.

  M.1: (crouching) Anna, you could be whatever you want to be. Maybe you could be a teacher … or a doctor … or a computer scientist … (She continues quietly under the others, improvising.)

  M.4: (crouching) Anna – did you know I used to work in a champagne bar? The other Mariann
es stand up. M.2 stands stage left of fridge, M.3 poses at fridge with back to audience.) We drank pink champagne all the time.

  M.3: Carlsberg!

  M.4: (stands) That was a real low point for me.

  M.3: We’re not open yet.

  M.4: When I told my friend Henry I felt worthless – I was asking him for advice –

  M.3: We’re not open yet.

  M.4: – he said, “So what? Instead, you are the fairest in all the land. Take it easy, chérie.”

  M.2: Mother always said, beauty is your downfall.

  M.1: Or maybe you could be a – zebra, Anna! Or you could be – a mountain climber – or (continues sotto voce)

  M.3: (sitting dawn in the chair stage right of fridge) It’s funny how you remember your first job. It was in Hanover, I was working at a switchboard and I finally had some money of my own. I spent it all on clothes and makeup.

  M.3, M.2 and M.4: I had a great time!

  (M.4 exits.)

  M.1: Or maybe you could be a movie star. Anna, you can be whatever you want to be.

  M.2: I could have been a model, you know. I could have gone to India.

  M.1: All right Anna, once upon a time there was a little girl who pulled the covers over her head and went to sleep.

  M.2: A girl I went to school with is a model now. She makes a lot of money and she wasn’t even that pretty. You don’t know what money is, Anna, but money is good. (She exits.)

  M.1: I’m sorry, Anna. Look, tomorrow, we’ll go for a walk and see that restaurant with the fish tank in the window. The fish are so big, they look like sharks.

  M.3: Okay, Anna, wanna story?

  (The story she tells is largely improvised, hut an outline is given. While the story is told the other actors set up for the next scene, but they also respond to the more scary bits.)

  M.3: Once upon a time there was a little girl just like you, Anna – how many fingers, that’s right – five! And one day when she came home from school, there in the yard was her mommy and her daddy and her sister and her brother and a great big alligator called Herman, Anna! Oh, the alligator he looked so mean! And the little girl, she reached into her pocket and she pulled out – a candy, Anna, a piece of candy! And she gave it to the alligator, and he was real happy, and she tied a pink ribbon around his mouth. They they all went into the house, her mommy and daddy and sister and brother and Herman the alligator – and … it was her birthday, Anna, and she had a beautiful cake with pink and blue icing and everybody sat down when suddenly! THE LIGHTS WENT OUT! OK, Anna, the lights didn’t go out, they didn’t go out, they didn’t go out … everybody was very happy and singing Happy Birthday to you, when all of a sudden! there was a knock on the door. And everybody froze. And only the little girl she got up and walked up to the door and – Oh, Anna, I’m sorry. OK, I’ll tell you a different story. It won’t be scary this time. I’ll tell you a beautiful story. The story of Lucretia.

  THE STORY OF LUCRETIA

  (The scene assembles to the strains of “Carmen.” Each actor stands with back to audience in front of her chair and slowly dresses. Four women: Arabella in gold shawl, with gold rose in hair, holding a tea cup – also at her place, a small book and another gold rose; Amaranta in floppy black hat, wearing one white glove and holding a small gold purse; Allegra in black hat with veil, wearing one white glove – also at her place, a small basket filled with chocolates wrapped in gold foil; Alicia in gold jacket, with white handkerchief, holding a tea cup – also at her place, a bouquet of gold roses. It is like some delicate tea party. The line-up is, from stage left, Arabella, Amaranta, Allegra, and Alicia. Each turns on her first line and sits.)

  Arabella: (sits down, stirs tea cup, sighs) Amour.

  Allegra: (turns) Enchantée!

  Amaranta: (sings a scale, sighs.)

  Alicia: (stirs tea cup) I love him.. I love him not …

  Allegra: Chocolate!

  Amaranta: (sings a scale.)

  Allegra: (pulls a hatpin from her hat. The others move suddenly with small sharp gestures at designated places.) I am certain that there are plenty of beautiful women who are virtuous / and chaste / and who know how to protect / themselves well / from the entrapments of deceitful men.

  Amaranta: (hums the first two phrases of “La donna è mobile”)

  Arabella: (starts passing gold rose down line to Alicia as all say “Lucretia is dead.”)

  (Silence. All simultaneously improvise something about Lucretia; out of it emerges Arabella’s voice.)

  Arabella: Lucretia was an example to all women. She always knew the right thing to do.

  Alicia: It’s my favourite Roman legend. 180 A.D.

  Arabella: She was so in love.

  Alicia: She was radiant.

  Arabella: Her husband built her a jewelled palace and she was the most gracious hostess in Rome.

  Alicia: Cicero quotes her in his table talk.

  Allegra and Amaranta: It’s very hot.

  (All sigh.)

  Arabella: The most frequent guest was Prince Tarquin.

  Alicia: She was polite to him, even when the rumours began to spread and the gossips curled up like smoke in the corners of her salon.

  Arabella: He was her husband’s best friend.

  Alicia: That was a ruse.

  Allegra: What is a woman’s most precious jewel?

  Amaranta: Her emerald eyes?

  Allegra: No.

  Amaranta: Her ruby lips?

  Allegra: No, it is her virtue (Arabella begins), which she wears upon her aspect like the most precious pearls.

  Arabella: Was it a ruse, or was he invited? I can’t remember. Lots of men liked Lucretia.

  Alicia: It’s debatable.

  Arabella: Hmmmmmm.

  Alicia: It’s debatable. He broke her heart, she killed herself.

  Arabella: Not because of him, because she was raped.

  Alicia: Oh, come on!

  Amaranta: Bonjour monsieur.

  Allegra: Comment ça va? Non, je suis seule, mon mari n’est pas ici.

  (Amaranta and Allegra mime welcoming a gentleman and repulsing his caresses.)

  Amaranta: Qu’est-ce que tu fais? Monsieur? Monsieur? Excusez-moi! Alicia: It’s very hot.

  (All the ladies sigh.)

  Arabella: it’s true!

  Alicia: She accepted all his gifts.

  Arabella: Oh, the gifts, I forgot the gifts! There was the box of chocolates wrapped in gold foil, and the book of poetry with the red silk cover …

  Alicia: How dare he!

  Arabella: And there was something else … He knew so many jokes. He was a prince. He was her husband’s best friend.

  Alicia: The three of them were inseparable. She accepted all his gifts.

  Allegra: And, unwittingly, tormented him with fine words.

  Amaranta: Poetry? I’d love to …

  (As the music of Debussy plays, this sequence is an improvised illustration of the gifts and the “torment.” Amaranta pulls out bits of poetry from her purse, Alicia compliments him on his piano playing and offers him tea, Arabella pulls out a small book and recites French words for love, Allegra enjoys his chocolates and giggles.)

  Amaranta: Her husband was away. Prince Tarquin came to call. She greeted him as usual, but he forced himself upon her. She said, “I’d rather die than consent.” And so be blackmailed her. And so she endured the outrage. You see, her reputation was most important.

  Alicia: (jumps to her feet) But the next day, Lucretia surprised Prince Tarquin in his sleep, and poked out his eyes!

  Arabella: (jumps up) No, no, she killed herself.

  Alicia: I don’t feel well.

  Arabella: Want another story?

  Alicia: No. Let’s finish this one.

  (Silence.)

  Arabella: It’s stifling. Could you open a window please?

  (Silence.)

  Allegra: My stomach doth turn against kissing extremely. There was an old judge laid me over the face last night, and did so squeeze
his grisly bristles through my lips, I’d as lief as kissed a row of pins with the points turned to me. And yet I was forced to take it, take it with a curtsy, too!

  Amaranta: I’d as lief they should belch in my face. And yet I like kissing, too, if I may choose my man and place.

  Allegra: Fie, fie, if anyone should hear ye.

  Amaranta: Well, I’d rather be a wanton than a fool.

  Alicia: Let me see – where was her husband?

  (Schmaltzy music from Ben Hur.)

  Arabella: (melodramatic, on her knees) On that day, her husband was not at home. Entertaining no thoughts of treachery to come, he had left Lucretia, his most prized possession, in the safety of their bejewelled palace. Trapped within her own bedchamber, Lucretia struggled to preserve her virtue. Prince Tarquin fell into a passion, drew his sword, and cried, “You will not escape me!” And Lucretia replied, “Kill me then, for I would rather die than consent.”

  Allegra: What is better than an eye for an eye?

  Amaranta: A tooth for a tooth.

  Allegra: Yes.

  Alicia: She had no choice. She had to give in when he threatened to spread his filthy lies. Once rumours have started … After all, he was the prince. Everyone would believe him.

  Arabella: He concocted a great malice, saying he would publicly declare that he had found her with one of his sergeants.

  Alicia: She was so scared that she suffered his rape. What else could she do?

  Allegra: (getting up) Last night, I had a dream. It was midnight. He was waiting for me at the airport. And when he saw me, he said, “Darling!

  What’s wrong? You look as if you’d like to kill me!” And I said, “Oh no. I’d rather kill myself.” BANG!