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
Go on!
Cindy
They have officially made a decision.
Farrah
Who?
Lo
The court.
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.
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.
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.
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…?
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.
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.
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.
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.
?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Recent Comments