THE CONDUCT OF LIFE The Conduct of Life (1985), called Fornés's “most terrifying play, ‘was developed in a workshop setting in Padua Hills. It was sketched out first at the California Institute of the Arts in an outdoor production that sibling, ‘intensely visual,’ and ‘spatially immense.” Later, when, ~ Fornés brought the play inside, the staging was altezed profoundly and, mich Of thé dialogue revised. zi i Fotnés said the play came out of an exercise she uséd in the class * room, “What came was mostly an image. I saw. a mulatto, girl — wearing a little pink slip and a’ soldier who was wearing’ai' ‘dershirt, military breeches and boots.” Her vision of these two fig ‘was it hotel room after the gitl’s boyfriend had been arrested. The had seduced the soldier iti order to help fee her boyfriend. The intensity. ‘of the image helped Fornés develop it into a play. > ‘The Conduct of Life deals with torture and interrogation, which obvi- ously corrupts the spirit of those who inflice it. Orlando's drive for power ‘and his commitment to the “ideal” of maximum power is stated baldly at the beginning of the play. He clairis that his sexuality must be repressed f he is to achieve his goals. Leticia’s relationship to her husband Orlando is somewhat shalgy as the play opens. Orlando warns her that she is not in his will; he informs the audience that when he retires from the military hhe may macry again for power and shove Leticia aside. Meanwhile, her concerns for life and for innocence are revealed in her dislike of hunting and in her willingness to place herself between the hunter and the dees. Nena, a prisoner in the basement of their house, is an embodiment of that hypothetical: det —a mete child. When Orlando visits her, he rapes her viciously; but sex is only one expression of his twisted nature: He is a sadist, Leticia tries not to face the reality of Nena’s situation, but eventually the truth comes out. The pacing and stricture of the play are wrenching. At first the con- versation seems to center on conventional issues, ordinary moments of life. The servant Olimpia and Neria are innocent in their way, living sim- ple lives. Nena has come from the streets, where her grandfather stil s, She'ls povrerless. Leticia seers in some ways unfocused, unsure of ‘herself, a iyuation, ‘As the play, progresses, things b of sceties 18 purposefully uncertain, their dis- llel mental ‘disjunction. Orlando acts as if he imsell against chiatges that he behaved too ctu leqth‘of a nian he interrogated. These charges resulted in prota 0 isp AThe Conduct of. Life in Performance BORNES* THE CONDUCT OF LIFE 1485, cious, and violent. His opéiinis-attitude toward Leticia ‘is bad enough, telling the audience how hi: will pushcher-isidey but is-seaual assaalt'of ‘Nena is sadistically brutal. Orlando becomes, mote and more destavell by his work, and the'wark Becdmés more ahd idre frighteniB Bodies are left in the streets tofn, bleedin disfigured soias ta. frighten, the, pea; ple. The “ideals” that Orlando speaks about in the opening scene are re- alized in a most horrifying fashion. ‘The Conduct of Life was originally developed in workshop form, in California. The California: production was expansive — very different from the printed version. The play was then moved to New York's The- ater for a New City in February of 1985; this production’ was directed by the playwright. The set utilized two levels, and thie transition from Scene. to scene. was accomplished by lighting. that faded. slowly like “punctuation marks.” The reviews expressed some uncertainties about the nature of the play and its form, although the central issues of torture and violence in Latin America came through clearly. The Conduct of Life, directed by Francesca Joseph, was produced in London at the Gate Theatre in 1988, The London reviews recognized the seriousness of thé play's subject and the intensity and importance of the play-as-a-work of art. Sabine Durrant in the Independent called it “a brave and powerful show,” but Helen Rose in Time Out complained ‘of missing plot links, as if she epected the play. to, be: conventionally ‘tuctured.. Nicholas de Jongh in the Guardian’ said; “We are left, after Vatching Richard Lintern’s chilling performance as° Orlando and finabelle Lanyon’s pitiful, quaking, assaulted young gitl,to try to relate he political and the personal world,” ‘Ts Julian Bak? in Memery of bis oregon life ORLANDO, ar arity Hewtenant at thé stat ofthe play 7 ‘A lieutenant commander soot after Gees etic, bis wife, ton years his elder ALsjo, a lieutenant commander. The friend. (The floor is divided in four horizontal planes, Down- Nona, a destitute gil of twelve. stage isthe living rooms, which is about ten fect deep. OLMMA, @ middleaged, somewhat retarded servant. Julian Beck: Wit Juin Malina, Beck developed The Livi ‘Time and Place: The present. A Latin American cown- | ‘Theatee, an influcal experimental group flourishing off te Broadway inthe 1960s and 1970s.1486. FORNES © THE CONDUCT OF LIFE Center stag, eighteen inches high, is the dining roons, which is about ten fect deep. Further upstage, eigh= teen inches high, is a hallvay which is about four feet deep. At each end of the hallway thers is 4 door, The: ‘one to the right leads to the seruants" quarters, the one to the left to the cellar, Upstage, three feet lower. than the hallway (the same level as the living room), is the cellar, whichis twenty feet wide and sixteen fect deep. Most of the cellar is occupied by nvo platforms, twhich are eight feck wide, eight feet deep, aria three feet high. There is « space for feet wide around eich. lator. Upstae of the ella ae tps laa up| Stairs. Approximately tem feet above the tell isa other level, extending. fromthe extreme eftto the extrem right, which represents a warehouses The 4 door on the left of the warehouse. Oni the the right of the living room there are’ arcbioays, that lead to hallways or antecharibevs. The NOCH 0] ese hallways are the same level as the dining Foon2OR the left and the right of the dining roomy ther ond set of archways that lead to hallways ‘ait chambers, the floors of which are the same level asthe hallicays. All along the eilge-of each level step that leads t0 the next-level, All floors did ste are black marble. In the living room thete aré:iwo chairs: One is to the left, next to.a table with a tel phone on it. The other isto the right. Inthe dining room there are a large green marble table and three chairs On the right cellar platform thee i-a-mat: tress, on the loft cellar platforns there isa chair In the warehouse ther i @ table and a chair to the left, and 4 chair and some crates and boxes to the right) SCENE 1 (Before the lights come upj one hears Orlando doing jumping-jacks. He is in the upper left corner of the dining room. A light slowly comes up on him. He wears military breeches held by suspenders, and rid- ing boots, He continues doing jumping-jacks as long 4s the actor can endure it. When he stops, the lights ‘come sp on the center area. There is a chair upstage lof the table. There is a linen towel on the lef side of the table, Orlando dries his face with the towel and sits as he puts the towel around bis neck.) ‘OncaNbo: Thirty-three and Pm still a lieutenant. In ‘two years I'll eceive a promotion or I'll leave the military. I promise I will not spend time feeling sorry for myself. — Instead I will study the situa tion and draw an effective plan of action. I must eliminate all obstacles, — Iwill make the acqus tance of people in high power. IF I cannot achieve this on my own merit, Iwill marry a woman in high circles. Leticia must not be an obstacle, Man must have an ideal, mine isto achieve maxi- rut power. That is my destiny. — No ofherinter- est will deter me from this. —My sexal drive is detrimental to my ideals, I must no longer be over- whelmed by sexual passion or I will be degraded beyorid hope of recovery. ight fade to black) “SCENE 2” (Alejo sits othe’ right of the dining-room table. Or- "Slando stands to Alejo's left. He is now a lieutenant K-\" commander. He socars am army tunic breeches, and soots. Leticia stands to the left. She wears a dress that suggests 1940s fashion.) LETiGtA: What! Me go hunting? Do you think I'm go- ing to shoot a deer, the most beautifal animal in the world? Do you think I'm going to destroy a leer? On the contrary, I would run in the feld and seream and wave my arms like a mad woman and “ try to seare them away so the hunters could not reach them. Td cui je front of the bullets and let the mad hunters kill me — stand in the way of che bulless — sop the bullets with my body. I don't see how anyone can shoot a deer. OntANDO (to Alejo}: Do you understand that? You, who are her friend, can you understand that? You don’t think that is madness? She's mad. Tell her that—she'll think ies you who's mad. (To Let cia.) Hunting is a sport! A skill! Don’t talk about something you know nothing about. Must you have an opinion about every:damn thing! Can’: you keep your mouth shut when you don't know ‘what you're talking about? He evits right.) Lemicia: He told me that he didn’ love me, and ehat his sole relationship to me was simply s macital ‘one, What he means is that Iai to keep this house, and he is to provide for it. That's what he sai ‘That explains why he treats me the way he treats ime. T never understood why he did, but now it’ clear, He doesn't love me. 1 thought’ he loved. me and that he stayed with me because he loved sie and that’ why I dich understand his behavior But: now I know, because he told me that he sees me a8 a person who runs the house. I never understood that because [-would have never— if he had said, “ “Would you macry me to run my house even if don't love you 1 would have never—1 would have never believed what 1 was hearing. 1 would have never believed thar these words were co ‘out of his mouth, Because I loved him.i scenes (Orlando has reentered. Leticia sees bith and exits lefts Orlando sits center) ORLANDO: I didn’t say any ofthat told bet that she's ‘not my heir. That's what I said, [told her that sbe's ry will, and she will not receive a penny of my money if dic. That's what I said. I didn't say anything about running the house. I said she will not inherit a penny from me because I would be humiliated by how she'd put it to-use. She is capa ble of foolishness beyond belief. Ask her what she ‘would do if she were rich and could do anything she wants with her money. (Leticia reenters) Lerici: I would distribute it among the poor, ORLANDO: She has no respect for money. That is not true IFT had money I would give it to those who need it. I know what money is, what money can do, It an feed people, it can put a roof over theis heads. Money ean do that. [aa clothe them. What do you know sbout money? ‘What does it mean to you? What éo you do with money? Buy rifles? To shoot deee? ‘OntaNpo: You're foolish! — You're fooiskt You're a foolish woman! (He exits. His voice becomes aint he walks into the distance.) Foolish! Fooli Fo Lemicin! Hie has no respect for me, He is insensitive, He doesnt listen. You cannot reach him. He is deal. He is an animal. Nothing touches, him except sens He responds to food, to the flesh, To Sometime it roman. T the moon, He i r- Inantic but he is not aware of what you ate feeling, can’t change him. —Pil tell you why asked you to come. Because I want soinething from you, —T vant you to eee me, I want fo sud. Fano study so [am not an ignorant person, want t0 go to the university. I want to be knowledgeable. Im tired of being ignored. I want to study political si ‘ence. Is political science what diplomats study? Is that what it is? You have to ceach me elemental things because I never finished grammar school. 1 ‘would have to study a great deal A great deal so I could enter the university. T would have t0 x0 through all the subjects I woud kobe a woman who speaks in a group and have others listen. Auyjo: Why do you want to worry about any of that? What’ the use? Do you think you ean change anything? Do you think anyone can change anything? Lenicia: “Why not? (Pause.) Do you thinke I'm crazy? —He cant help it. —Do you think Tm crazy? — Because [ love him? (He looks away. Lights fade to black.) FORNES* THE CONDUCT OF LIKE 1487 SCENE 3 (Orlando enters the warehouse holding Nena close to him: She tears a gray ovelarge uniform. Shes bora. {foot She resists him. Shei tearful and frightened. Soe pulls away and runs to the right wall. He follows ber.) ORLANDO (softly); You called me a snake. Nay (No; Ts (a (He: tris 10° reach her. She pushes his hands away ‘her) ‘was kidding, —1 swear T was kidding. (He:grabs ber and-pushés her against the twall.. He usbes bis pelvis against hen. He moves to,the chair dragging her with birn, She gets away from hirh and cravols to the left. He goes after her. She goes behind the table. He goes after her. She goes under the table, He giabs her foot and pulls ber out toward the down siage’ side. He opens his fly and pushes his pelvis ‘against her. She screams, Lights fade to black.) SCENE 4 = (Glinibia is wiping crumbs off the dining-roeni table, ~ Sieweor lin res worm, [ie she of the table facing front. She wears a dressing gown. She writes in a notebook. There le some stereo the table. Olimpia has a speech defect.) Lemicu: Let's do this, Outvera: Okay. (She continues wiping the Lircia (still writing): What are you doing: ‘Oumpla: I'm doing what I alivays di OIMTIA (in mucble}: As scons T Finish dente ‘You can't just ask me co do. what You Wank meto ddo, and interrupt what Inv doing. 1 don't sop. from the time I wake up in the’ morning to’ the ‘ime I go to sleep. You can't interrupt me wher fever you wan not if you want me-to-get-to the — ced of my work. wake up at 5:30. F wash. I put fon my clothes and make my. bed, I go:to the kitchen. I get the milk and the bread from outside and I put them on the counter. I open the icebox. 1 put one bottle in and take the butter out. Tleave the other bottle on the counter. I shue the refeiger- ator door. [take the pan that I use for water and put water init. I know how much, I put the paat » on the stove, light the stove, cover i | take the top off the milk and pour i in the milk pan except for a litle. (Indicating with her finger) Like this. For the cat. I put the pan on the stove, light the stove. I pat coffee in the thing. I know how much.1488 FORNES «THE CONDUCT OF LE 1 light the oven and put bread in it. I come here, set the tablecloth ane I lay it on the table. I shout “Breakfast.” I get the napkins. I take the cups, the saucers, andthe silver out and set the table. I go to the kitchen. I put the tray on the counter, put the butter on te tray, The water and the milk are get~ ting hot. I pick up the eat’s dish, I wash it, I pour the milk I lef in the bottle in the milk dish, { put ‘on the floor for the eat. I shout “Breakfast.” ‘The water boils. I pour it in the thing. When the milk boils I turn off the gas and cover the milk. 1 ‘get the bread from the oven. I slice it down the riddle and butter it. Then I cut it in pieces (indi- cating) this big. Lset a piece aside for me. I put the rest of the bread in the bread dish and. shout “Breakfast.” 1 pour. the coffee in the coffee. pot and the milk in the milk pitches, except I leave (in- dicating) this much for me. I put them on the tray and bring them here. If you're not in the. room I cal again. “Breakfast.” I goto the kitchen, Lill the milk pen with water and let it soak, 1 sour my coffee, sit at the counter and eat my Breakfast. 1-go upstairs to make your bed and clean your bathroom. T come down hece to meet you and figure out what you want for lunch ‘and inner: And try to get you to think quickly s0 T ‘can run to the market and get it bought before all the fresh stuff is bought up. Then, I start che day. Lacan: So? Ouimin: So I need a steam pot. Lamicta: What is a steam pot? Oueta: A pressure cooker, Lxricra: And you want a steam pot? Dor’ you have enough pots? Oumets: No. Boat Leticia: Why do you want a steam pot? Otamran: It cooks faster Leticia: How much is it? = Ouumria: Expensive. ‘Lavicta: How much? Ours: Twenty. LLeticth: Too expensive (Olimpia throws the silver on the floor. Let ther eyes uf to the ceiling.) Why do you want one more pot? ‘Ouinseta: Edon’e have a steam pot. LLemicia: A pressure cooker. ‘Ouinart: A pressure cooker Leticia: You have too many pots. (Olimpia goes to the kitchen and retivs with an alu- ‘mins pan. She shows it to Leticia.) ‘Oumita: Look'at this. (Leticia looks at it) Lencia: What? (Olimpia hits the pan against the back of a chair, breaking off a piece of i.) ‘Otimaera: It’s no good. emits All ight! (She takes money from har pocket ‘What are dnd gives it 10 Olimpia.) Hece. Bay il = vwe having for lunch? Oumeia: Fish. TLericta: I don’ like fish, — What else?” ‘Ouimpia: Boiled plantains. = > Leniaia: Make something I like: ‘Oumia: Avocados, (Leticia looks at Olimpia with resentiient.) = Lericia: Why con't you maké soinething’T| Ouimia: Avocados, = a Lricta: Something that needs cooking, Bread pudding Oui: Avocado. Lericia: Again, (Olimpia looks at Leticia.) Lricts Not again. — Tomatoes, (Olimpia mumble) Whats weong with tomatoes besides that you don't like them? (Olimpia mumbles.) Get some. (Olimpia mumbles.) What does that mean? (Olimpia doesn't ‘ansiver) Buy tomatoes. — What else? ‘Ouiniia: ‘Thar’ all. Lencia: We feed « green. ‘Oui: Watercress Lericia: What else, ‘Ontnia: Nothing. Lemcta: For dessert. ‘Otiniid: Bread pudding, Lencia: Again, Ouiniria: Why not? Lericia: Make a fa Outer: No flan. LemciA: Why not? No good. LimciA: Why no good? — Buy some fruit then. ‘What kind? Lemcia: Pineapple. (Olimpia shakes ber head.) Why ‘not? (Olimpia shakes her head.) Mango. ‘Oumsiria: No mango. emai: Buy some’ fasd That all, Dont forge read,