NOTES FROM THE PLAYWRIGHT:

I once read that New Mexico had abolished the death penalty, but that the repeals do not apply retroactively, leaving inmates currently sentenced on death row. This play was inspired by my imagining how those inmates must feel, knowing they are the last unlucky few to be executed.

When the script feels fast, it should go fast. When the script feels slow, especially in the pauses and towards the end, it should be slow.  

It should take its time.




CHARACTERS:

CINDY– penitent(-ish), come-to-Jesus

ALICE– scared young’un, the newest arrival

LO– the Death Row pro, tired, resigned

FARRAH– fiery and pissed




They’re all scared.

Scene x.

 

Death row, female inmates. New Mexico.

Four women. Are they in one room? Are they in four rooms? Do walls matter to them at this point?

Alice
Have you heard?
Cindy
Did you hear?
Lo
Did you hear?
Farrah
Have you heard?
Cindy
It’s official.
Beat.

Alice

Go on!

Cindy

They have officially made a decision.

Farrah

Who?

Lo

The court.

Beat.

Farrah

Well, get the fuck on with it before I–

Alice

I’ll scream if you don’t tell me in a heartbeat!!

Cindy

(with gravitasse) The high courts of the American state of New Mexico, Nouveau Mexique to the French, Nuevo Mexico to the Spanish, Yooto Hahoodzo to the dirty Navajo–

Farrah

I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS

Cindy

Has made a motion to repeal. The death penalty as a criminal sentence has been hereby abolished!

Lo

That’s true.

A long silence.

Alice

So, we’re…? No more?

Farrah

Oh come on, Alice, look at you! Can’t you even take in good news? Dumb broad.  Like a dog begging for a soup bone, but don’t even chew it when he’s got it!

Cindy

The sins of the children have been forgiven by the Father.

Farrah

Cut the shit. So when do we get the hell out of here?

Lo

I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.

Alice

I guess we’ll still have to do some time.

Farrah

Yeah, but not a fucking lifetime.  
…right?

Cindy

Never can tell. I take my strength from the Lord.

Lo

And a whole lotta good that’s done us.

Alice

Lo, maybe it has! Maybe there is a God, and he cares about people like us, and he sent the words to the judge in the high court of New Mexico!

Lo

I’d rather he sent me some cigarettes.

Cindy

Ungrateful cur.

Farrah

You gonna get smitten, talkin like that. Stand back for lightning bolts, ladies.

They all pause, waiting for the Lord to smite Lo.
He doesn’t.

Cindy

Hm. Must be on lunch break.

Farrah

God don’t eat, idiot.

CIndy

Well, he’s praying then.

Farrah

To who??

Alice

I don’t care where God is, I love him with all my heart and soul!

CINDY

Praise the heavens!

Alice

It’s all over!

Lo

Yeah. For them.

Beat.

Farrah

Fuck.

Alice

What? What’s wrong?

Lo

Cindy, didn’t you read the whole article when the guard shown you?

Cindy

I didn’t need to. I got all the best part…

Farrah

You ain’t fuckin jerkin our chain, now, Lo. You don’t mean…?

Lo laughs.

Alice

Will someone please tell me what’s going on?!

Farrah

So much for God.

Alice

Cindy?

Cindy

Old sins cast long shadows.

Alice

Lo?

Lo

Cindy’s tellin you the truth, kid. “Death Sentence Repealed.” It’s across the top of every black-and-white paper in the city. Most likely in the whole state.  
Then right down in little tiny words below, it says “does not apply retroactively.”

Cindy

The Lord has made his choice.

Alice

But what does that mean?

Farrah

Means our asses are stuck.

Lo

Means you’re gonna die here. Like you always thought you would.

Beat.

Alice goes very quiet.

Alice

No.

Lo

Yep. Sorry, kid.
That’ll teach you to hope.

Cindy

Don’t be so negative, Lo.

Lo

What, because I’m not up on some cloud like an asshole all the time? Like your God?

Cindy

Any second now you’ll be smited, and then God will call you an asshole.

Farrah

I thought he was at lunch?
What does God eat?

Cindy

MANNA FROM HEAVEN

Farrah

…Will we get manna?

Cindy

You mean, when we’re…?

Farrah

Fucking dead.

Cindy

I don’t know.

Beat.

Lo

I want a cheeseburger.

Cindy

They do not. Have cheeseburgers. In Heaven.

Farrah

Why the fuck not?

Lo

I just decided. That’s what I want. A cheeseburger. For my last.  
I want the last thing I eat to be a greasy, cheesy, delicious-fucking burger that wouldn’t be allowed in heaven.

Cindy

You can have one in Hell.

Farrah

Shut up, Cindy.
I think a cheeseburger is perfect, Lo. It suits you.
Me, I’m gonna ask for 10,000 lollipops. Hopin the sugar rush fries my brain before they do.
…Alice? What are you gonna have?

Alice

….I don’t know.

Long pause.

Farrah

Any of y’all seen Shawshank?

Lo

Huh?

Farrah

Shawshank. The Redemption. Prison movie?

Cindy

The devil’s entertainment.

Farrah

What the fuck, Cindy.

Lo

She’s seen it. We’ve all seen it.

 

Farrah

Weeeellll.
?

Beat.

Lo

Well what, asshole?

Farrah

We’ll do it!

Cindy

Do what?

Farrah

We’ll break out. Dig a tunnel!

Cindy

Are you out of your mind?

Lo

I’m NOT digging a tunnel.  

Farrah

WE are!

Lo

Not with a fucking spoon. Not with these hands.

Farrah

Not even now?

Alice

I DON’T WANNA DIE.

Beat.
Alice starts to cry.

Cindy

I think I’m alright with it. I mean, I deserve it. We all deserve it.

Farrah

Shut the fuck up, Cindy.

Cindy

We’re all sinners. Every one of us deserves to die, it’s only the Lord who died trying to save us from our fate.  
If we didn’t appreciate that, then that’s our fault.
I mean, we all know why we’re here.
I killed my husband. Now, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I did. Since then, I’ve come to the Lord and repented my sins and because of that I have been saved in Heaven. But not on Earth.
The same with you, Farah. You were evil, too.
And Alice…
Well, we all know what Alice did.
She killed her own baby.

 

Alice

You shut up! You shut up right now, all of you! I can’t hear it, I can’t do it anymore!

Cindy

The guiltiest are always punished most harshly.

Alice

I’M NOT GUILTY

Farrah

What do you mean, Alice?

Lo

She’s lying. She admitted it in court.

Cindy

The devil has his hold on her.

ALICE

I’m not going to Hell.

Cindy

You ARE. We all are! Well, unless you repent like me–

ALICE

I’m not.

Lo

Suck it up, Alice. Damn. I know you’re young, but you gotta learn to adapt. Deal with your consequences.

 

Alice

I can’t die right now.

Lo

What are you fucking whining about. I’m up next week.

Beat.

Farrah

Shit.

Cindy

That soon, huh?

Alice

How can you yell at me?

Lo

I can do what I want.

Alice

You could have had a chance.

Lo

No. None of us never had a chance, alright?

Alice

How can you stand there and yell at me, AT ME for being upset? I don’t believe you weren’t hoping–

Lo

You better fucking believe it–

Alice

Hoping it would all change, go away, you’d be ok.

Lo

I am ok.

Alice

I can’t imagine what you must be feeling–

Lo

NO SHIT. You can’t fucking imagine shit. And you’re only a few weeks in.
Wait til you hit years. Then we can talk.

Cindy

By then you’ll be dead.

Beat.

Farrah

(to Alice) You’re going to be the last.

Alice

What?

Farrah

I mean, the very last one. Of all of us.

Cindy

Of all the state. The very last one sentenced.

Lo

The very last, last breath.

Alice

…I am?

Farrah

Sure as shit.

Alice

I guess I am.

Lo

That’s better than me.

Farrah

Me too.

Cindy

And me.

Lo

That’s...something.

Alice

I guess it is, isn’t it.

 

Farrah

I sure wish I was the last.

Cindy

You’re second-to-last. Now, don’t get greedy.

Lo

You know what you’ve gotta fuckin do, right, Alice?

Alice

No. What?

Lo

You’ve gotta laugh.

Alice

Laugh?

Lo

That’s right. You fuckin laugh.
From the very second they take Farrah away, you start giggling.
And you chuckle through your whole fuckin last meal.
Through every bite.
And when they come, you work it up, and you laugh harder than you’ve ever done.
Harder than the guards. Harder than God.
You get that last laugh.

Farrah

Yeah.

Cindy

I like that.

Alice

I’ll try.

Farrah

Just fuckin do it, alright?

Lo

At least say you will.

Cindy

For all of us?

Alice

…….Alright. I will.

Lo

Good.

Long pause.

FARRAH

I could really go for a fuckin lollipop right now.

Alice

Me too.

 


Lauren Jane Redmond is a playwright based in the Washington, DC area. She was named winner of the 2014 WomenWorks National Playwriting Competition, and her work has been read at the Kennedy Center and the nationally renowned Arena Stage. If you’re interested in her work, please visit www.lauren-jane-redmond.com