Did You Ever Go to P.S. 43? by Micheal Schulman SHE: Twice a week | come here after work and | have just one hour to calm myself before going to the shrink. All | want to do is read my book and relax so | can make a good appearance. And every goddamn time either some creep tries to pick me up with some stupid line or some nut comes over with some kind of bullshit trying to get a rise out of me. On Monday it was a big guy with a suitcase and a Texas accent who asks me if | want to see his large snake. I figured it’s just some creep who on his first day in town wants to give a city girl a thrill by pulling his pants down in front of her. But I’m not so lucky. No, this is a super creep who is not into euphemisms. This nut opens his suitcase, pulls out a boa constrictor, and puts it right down in my lap. Dolores is friendly, he says. She only wants to hug, he says. Crazies! Nuts! Oh and last Friday it was a baldheaded fag who wanted to show off his new dentures to me. This creep kept taking his teeth out of his mouth and snapping them in my face. In his mouth; in my face. Then this prunefaced queen asks me if | think the pretty young boys will like him better if he takes his teeth out of his mouth when he gives them...Ech! | don’t even want to think about it. Crazies! Creeps! They all come to the park, and they all come to my bench.ROSE: That's right. Life is life and no goddamn French- man ever made a movie about that! Sure, any old actress can make you feel sorry for her in a movie. Easy as pie!_And when she’s finished work, she can ‘go home to her big fat mansion and climb into her big fat bed that’s twice the size of my bedroom, for Chrissake! But the rest of us, when we get up in the morning... Silence. When I wake up in the morning, he’s lying there staring at me... Waiting. Every morning, [ open my eyes and there he is, waiting! Every night, I get into bed and there he is, waiting! He's always there, always after me, always hanging over me like a vulture. Goddamn sex! It's never that way in the movies, Oh no, in the movies it's always fun! Besides, who cares about a woman who's gotta spend her life with a pig just “cause she said yes to him once? Well, I'm telling you, no fucking movie was ever this sad. Because a movie don’t last a lifetime! Silence. Why did I ever do it? Why? I should have said no. I should have yelled it at the top of my lungs and been an old maid instead. At least I'd have had some peace. I was so ignorant in those days. Christ, I didn’t know what I was in for. All could think of was “the Holy State of Matrimony!” You gotta be stupid to bring up your kids like that, knowing nothing. You gotta be so stupid! I tell you one thing, My Carmen won't get caught like that, Because me, I've been telling her for years what men are really worth, She won't be able to say I didn’t war her! On the verge of tears. She won't end up like me, forty-four years old, with 4 two year old kid and another oné on the way, with a stupid slob of a husband who can't understand a thing, who demands his “rights” at least twice a day, three hundred and sixty-five days of the year. When you get to be forty and you realize you've got nothing behind you and nothing in front of you, it makes you want to dump the whole thing and start all over, But a woman can’t do that... A woman gets grabbed by the throat and she’s gotta stay that way right to the endA GIRL'S GUIDE TO CHAOS by Cynthia Heimel RITA I want a real man. Tall, broad, handsome, well-fixed, and horny. Do you know what it feels like to have a man say to you, "I want you to take your clothes off right now and fuck my brains out," and really mean it? It feels like becoming the first female major league pitcher. It feels like singing a duet with Aretha Franklin. Do. you know how long it's been since someone made a pass at me? Maybe two years. . Sure I have dates. Attractive, although skittish dates who are entertaining and charming and invariably fade into a taxi at the end of an evening. I thought maybe I was just putting out weird vibes, you know, intimidating these sweet and precious little New York heterosexuals. But everywhere I go I hear the same story from girls, the gist of which is, "Who do you have to know to get laid around here?" After all, we've all been smacked in the face by the eighties, everybody's concerned with status and money and being on the top of the heap. There is mass performance anxiety running amok in > the brains of men. They think they have to be the best. They think they have to write War and Peace with their dicks.ZARA SPOOK AND OTHER LURES by Joan Ackermann-Blount ‘Ramona - 30s - Southwest - Present ‘Ramona is Mel's estranged wife. Besides discussing her rather dangerous husband, her life's passion is fishing. While Participating in a fishing tournament, Ramona is bitten ty rattlesnake that she suspects was placed in her boat by Mel. ‘While waiting for help to arrive, she discusses Mel's inability to ‘express emotions. RAMONA: That's what I'm trying to tell you. ‘The man has good hands. If only he could have talked t me. I mean, I had ‘cryosurgery on my cervix afier a bad pap smear? And he couldn't ‘say one word to me about it, Not one related word. ‘He waited out in the parking lot, I got in the ear and the first thing he said afer ten minutes driving home was he didn’t know why everybody complained so much about the new Coca-Cola formula he lized it, (EVELYN: He likes the new Coca-Cola formula? RAMONA: He had a nephew Hardy, favorite nephew, loved him like a son, he died, drowned in less than two feet of water, drunk as 4 skunk, He was s0 busted up inside you could hear the pieces break apart. Think we could sit around and cry together, share memories, visit with Hardy's folks? “That man sat for two days in his truck, parked up on the mesa, wouldn't eat, wouldn't ‘alk, wouldn't go to the funeral or the cook-out. TEVELYN: Must have hurt something awful] RAMONA: TI slept out in the back of the truck, waiting for him to come and talk to me. Saw three UFOs. Neatly froze to death, He ‘ever came back, never said a word about it, Listen to this. I had an affair with someone, told him about it, he just stood there and Stared at me, stared like I wasn’t even there, like I'd evaporated. I ould see my reflection in his eyes. The opposite of tears, 6 ZORA NEALE HURSTON by Laurence Holder Zora Neale Hurston - 40s-60s - Bus Station, NY - 1950s Zora Neale Hurston introduces herself to the audience ‘outspoken black writer who has studied with Alain and collaborated with Langston Hughes. She has fallod on bed times, but doesn’t seem full of regret as she childhood and early education. ZORA: My Gawd! Look at this place. Sop old dumpy looking bus station, They calls this a waiting it they couldn't mean it. W's dreary, dirty. And to think, T i big time. ‘Books lining bookshelves high. But that was a long time Boca Raton. That's in Florida. 1 not looking forward to visitors ri been in it up to my elbows a people's inhumanity. How hhe knows all there is with that ticket clerk. ‘Now this man ¢ going to give me a hard time because he . Now I'm heading back to ld tell you where itis, but I'm in through here. Imean, Thave Tecan tell you a thing or two about a man look at someone and decide that person. Like just a moment ago can’t find where and/what time for the bus to Boca Raton. He's searching and ct and I sympathize with him, it being Christmas Eve and all, but even that isn't my fault, He's testy when he finally finds it in his bldck book, and shen he tells me it's $29.25. 1 only got 29 dollars,/ Period. He swears that I got to pay the whole fare or his ma and union's gonna come down here and declare ‘wat againstne. Mel Zora Neale Hurston, a woman who has never cowtailed fo anybody, anyplace, anywhere, T may look like a waif, but I hayé walked with kings and queens. I was the queen of the Har issance, Hato te hs tps cl that yicket. (Music—Flute) 1 was always the sassy girl from de muck, de basin, de nWOMAN FROM THE TOWN by Samm-Art Williams Laura - 47 - North Carolina - December 22-25, Present ‘Laura is 4 determined woman who has devoted her life to ‘Working the family farm. Her sister, Lila, has returned to the farm at Christmas for a visit and Laura reveals her resentment (Of Lila’s choice to live inthe city by reminding her that she has spent her life behind « plow and battling the banks with no thanks from her family. LAURA: My sister Lila's still got nerves made out of cast iron. Walking up the road like the conquering hero come home, Never thought she'd do it. Coming home with a bastard young'n, (She Grosses SR onto porch t0 SR porch railing and looks at the fieds.) Well, they won't find a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow, Just buckets of my sweat out there in them fields. Foot bs fll of my tears when they all started leaving and...dying out. (She crosses 10 ‘SL on porch.) So don't come back here bringing me no sympathy cards. (She throws the letter on the floor SL of porch steps.) Dist under my fingernails. Hands with rope marks on them...ffom plowing. “Combines taking over everything. Folks selling out. ‘Banks taking over what the big combines don’t want. (She crosses 40 rocker and sits.) Choking the small farmer, Turning us into farm hhouse dinosaurs. State Governor lies so bad I don’t know if it come natural or he tained for it. Governor made me destroy my television the other night. I threw a hammer through the screen ‘ying to hit him. Told us he wanted to help the ones in need. Soon as T heard the lie...I killed by television. But he kept right on talking. (Looking SL at Lila and Risa.) 1 didn’t piek you up from the bus station. “That ought to tell you how bad T want you back here. (She stands looking SL.) You waited too long, Lila. It's too year. The Wilson sisters. (She hums "Silent Night, Holy Nigh") Tt would take you to fuck up my . (Laura closes her eyes and rocks.) 72 WOMAN FROM THE TOWN by Samm-Art Williams Laura - 47 ~ North Carolina - December 22-25, Present Here, Laura mourns the loss of her femininity. Years of hard work on the farm have taken their toll on her body - but not on her spirit. LAURA: I wish I could love you, sister. But I spent too many days shelling peas, feeding hogs, chopping cotion, and plowing. Plowing and walking them long hot rows for so long that sometimes I thought Twas a mule. Just me and my boy. (Replaces picture on table.) Lila, she’s living the high life. I look at my hands sometimes and T want to just seream. Underneath these calluses are soft, warm hhands that need to be held. Scars and scratches on arms that need to embrace, There's a woman inside these overalls. (Rises,) A Woman-no, a lady, damn itl!_ (Works area.) Working! Chopping! Plowing! Pulling! Pulling! Gee to the left mule! Haw to the right! ‘New giddy-up! Giddy-up, I say. Got to stay straight between the tow. Dirt in my shoes. Hot sun burning and blistering skin that should be smooth as brown satin. Screams and screeches that should be soft blues notes played by my hands. Would you like to waltz, Laura? Certainly, Sir. (Picks up Lila’s scarf and dances a little.) My perfume? I'm glad you like it. Waiter, champagne for my lass. Hell, Ican dream, can't 1? Because there’s a lady underneath these overalls..a lady that I'l never find again,WEDDING RINGS HAVE TO BE SOLD Serious ‘Oh, what a beautiful morning, isn’t it? Now, let me see, they're right in here. 1 wrapped them in tissue paper. There! A wedding ‘band and an engagement ring. Aren't they beautiful? They're my mother's. She never wears them much anymore. Dad died ten years ago and she’s frightened of losing them, New? What do you ‘mean, new? How can yon tell a new diamond from an old onc? ‘Oh, you mean the settings look new. I can see you're an exper. ‘They are. Around five years old, Silly, isn’t it, my pretending they're my mother’s. T mean, why should you care who they belong to, you're only interested in the diamonds. You see— they're mine, as a matter of fact. I don’t know why I didn’t tcl you that in the fist place. I have some debts and need the money. T hate to part with them, My husband died a year ago and I need the ‘money to pay some bills. You know how they pile up—so—1 thought { would sell—these. I think you will find they are excellent diamonds, I'm afraid Jim spoiled me, Nothing was too much for me then. [remember when he bought me my engagement ring. It was—I think I'd better not talk about it. Oh, no, No. T do wan! to sell them, As I said, Tneed the money. I don’t need the money and you know it [sce that you are looking at my pearls and, [can tell ‘you know they are very expensive. You see—Jim gave me the pearson our first anniversary. But, of course, that doesn’t concern you, now does it? You're only interested in the quality of the Stones. And they are good, aren’t they? Jim was always a generous man. As I said, he gave me everything I wanted. As a matter of fact, he still does. Guilt, T suppose. Why he has to be guilty, 1 really don't know. It wasn't totally his fault, yet, T still can’t understand—(SITE laughs.) Do you know, this is worse than seeing a psychiatrist for the first time. As you can gather, my ‘husband is not dead. In fact, he's very much alive. I don’t know why I'm making up all these lies. 3 really very foolish of me. 2 ‘Why should you care ifthe rings are mine and that I don’t need the ‘money? Or if my husband is dead or alive? Or if I divorced him, or if be divorced me? Or even if we were happy—which we were. 1 know you're only interested in making some money, But—I can’t tell you how terrible itis for me to see you handle my rings in such a dispassionate way, calculating how much they are worth. And really—what are they worth? You can't tell me. Five years I wore them and I have such sweet memories of what we shared with each cther. I designed the wedding band myself. Jim was so proud of me. He had the jeweler copy my plans exactly. He kept bringing them back, telling him it wasn’t right. The poor man sighed with relief when it was all over. And the engagement ring, did you notice the setting? We argued about that for days. Jim was frightened that it was too fragile and that someday T would lose the stone. Well, he was right about that, wasn't he—in a way. Oh, yes, 'm quite certain I want to sell them, You see—I can't—bear—to ook at them anymore. So, what is it going to be? I want a good ‘price, How much are they worth? BSophistry Jonathan Mare Sherman Rom» young woman delving the vledcion speech at har commencement, 20 ‘eos: New England olege campus, 1850 "5 lin ae ore tat st ert yas san nde oO o oO Ros: When | was alte git 1 was so confident and certain, daydreaming in my suburban ilinois bedroom, all rice and safe and clean and fly. My ‘parents, who are here right now—wave tothe crows, folks. Points) That's them, They used to make me settle fights with my playmates. They'd call them debates; but don't let that fool you. They were fights. Beat) This. __ Schools administrators recently paid an enormous sum of money to settle, 7o keep a former professor from taking them to court to challenge a deci “sion they made. This doesn't fel like a figit, or a debate—not realy. This feels like-comptomise. This feels..very Hollow What is this supposed to ‘mean tous, as we're about to graduate from this place, with diplomas from ‘an institution that teling us to settle? (Beat, Iknow that eventually, when Understanding runs out, there is a need for judgment, but whois qualified to judge? And who is quaiied to judge who is qualified to judge? Who pick the judges? Who decides that is okay—to sete? (eat, Everybody in ‘my hometown was shocked when I chose this place, but they shouldn't have been, Martha Graham danced here. | used to envision myselt—secrety, of