The Basement at the Bottom at the End of the World by Nadine Graham is play faces the issue head on: Black and White racial eonfict, one- \, between two characters trapped in a room with no way out. Can teach mutual understanding? Or will their backgrounds and lence doom them to incessant struggle, with the death of one or them the only resolution? Is there some common grou jor and share? Some peaceful form of coexistence, ‘able compromise for each of thern? Or will their cultural biases keep forever at each other’s throats, as the world they know hurtles toits, tion because of cataclysmic forces beyond the characters’ control? haps the play's basie situation ~ the earth suddenly leaving its 10 crash into the sun — supplies a metaphor for racial struggle todsy. ‘are many Who feel that racial conflict is no longer “manageable” in society, that it’s beyond anyone's ability to prevent. Like the two wlers here, feeling themselves caught in the grip of forees beyond control, they struggle to retain whatever shreds of belief from jor days might still give them meaningful choices and responses. Jui perhaps thats just the playwrights point, Farmer valios, alder jural attitudes and social relationships are no longer useful. New onses are now called for. Daneen and Paul have to first trash their stereotypes and then begin all over again if they're to discover some of living together, of surviving together without killing each other. they do: they find it in love. What makes the play most interesting, however, is that the love each acter finds for the other is not at all based on sexual attraction. The wright instead focuses upon each character's need for the other in ‘basic ways: the need for companionship, for sympathy, for help in ising oneself and feeding oneself and understanding oneself and Jing with one’s private regrets and dreams and guilt. And of course, ‘easing each other's death. Very basic needs indeed. And the poignancy he dramas final moments can resonate long after the audience leaves theatre. Considered in these terms, the play forces its audiences to ask: Does it ‘ situation this extreme to bring our culturally diverse society vther? To end racial conflict and force us all to work together for the Ion good, the common need? Nadine Graham wrote this play as a very young author, when she was 9H enrolled at Tisch Schoo! of the Arts in a playwriting elass. In October ‘The Basement at the Bottom At the End of the World won the ng Playwright’s Festival in New York City, and received its first iiiction at the Publie Theatre. 229‘The Basement atthe Botton) al the End ofthe Worat SCENE ONE \ basement, once neat and orderly, that now looks like someone picked it up, Uirew it on its side and then put it back. Tabies and lunxe pieces of furniture are knocked over. In one corner some olit (ows have fallen out ofa toy chest. Cans of paint have fallen out of shelves, books out of boxes, dresses out of drawers, that sort af (ung. It looks like an earthquake hit it, which it has, There are stairs leading up to a top floor we never see and a trapdoor set into Jhw ceiling, DANEEN, a seventeemish black girl, comes down those stairs. She is gripping # white reg doll. She looks around \urtily. her eves wide and her body tense, Her clothes are ragged und ripped up. Her hair is ina ponytail in some etfort to tame it hut huge wisps keep on breaking free. She slowly starts down the steps. A rustle. She stops. DANEEN: Hello? (Sifence) Hello? Yo, is anybody down here? Ifyou down tere Just tell me and we'll teave, (SHerice) Alright, we're coming in. You sure you not down there? (Beat) OK, (Sw walks, a Tittle quicker but still carefully. When she reaches the bottom, she looks around once more to make sure no one is searching frantically. She finds empty can of cherries. She sticks her finger inside to see if she san scrounge up some leftover sauce. Suddenly, the door swings 's in. He is holding un in both hands and pointing it nt DANEEN, His clothes are Hwre, When she is sure, she sta spen. PAUL, a nineteen ish white guy, com unit as ragged as hers and he looks dirty.) WAU: Freeze! (DANBEN instantly drops the hands up, holding her doll in one.) HAUL Who the bell are you and what are you doing house? What are you, a looter? EEN: didn't know it was your house! | thought it was empty and puts her yn 231Muttcoitural Theatre It 32 The Basement al the Botton at the End of the Would PAUL: So? Can't a person leave his house for a few without hay about looters? (He picke can.) Look at this. You were eating my cl PAUL That's not the t 1 to wo PANEEN: Yeah, that is. So look, you wanta let us go? I ean pay: 1 the bank is, we could go in and get some money. Or if you want we can do it, mean PN do it, but my sister can’t see or hear anything. We were just trying to, Hind some food ~ know whet cherries! DANEEN: | didn’t eat those PAUL: I'm supposed to believe that? Look you, just xet the floor until the police get here. I ealled then on their way: DANEEN: What do you mean you called them? PAUL! I mean I called them! { picked up the phone and ou. DANEEN: The phones don't work. PAUL: Shut up! (He finds a chair and sits in it The gun bl ‘on DANEEN’s back.) This is my house you's Not nobody else’s. Mine, You try to take MY s house, this is what you get. Att v VAL: Your sister? OANEBN: Yea, my sister, OL: Where is she? NREN: Right there. PUL: Where? WANKEN: Here, There. Cat W\ULoThat’s 9 dol, 1 you see? (She motions to te doll) U\NEEN: Yea, she is, isn't she? Don’t you get any ideas, she only three. WEL That's a white doll PANFEN: She's light skinned. (She gets up.) HAULS Hey, 1 diairt say you could get up. WANEEN: You want to hold her? (She offers him the doll, He shies away from 1 and she takes it back. He starts pacing.) WEL: You're crazy. WANKEN: So al three month 1 back, after three months of trekking across this Kod ¥y by foot, this is what 1 come back to £ gorddanin black bitch looting my house. Taking MY Eating MY cherries! It's bad enough out there, b house, sanity rules. got on the phone, called th and they're gonna take vou, and give you a trial, and ‘e gonna put you in jail. they do, That's what's sane. DANEEN: ¥¢ PAUL: What did you call me? coun vou Weren't you out there? Didn't you see the adies of all those people who killed themseh them? Feel the HACE Its not that hot DANKE you guilty, and they Smell Hear that? Do you (teat, Under breath) God damn erazy Oh ye that’s why you're sweating like that and why DANEEN: Goddamn erazy! ‘There are no police, there Gucewestas ere: ss. the voting ‘shut down months ago! In December, you asshole! ipped off. phon PAUL: At least don't have a doll for a sister! wn out of thi EN: Leave bh PAU! DANEI ius PAUL: No. DANEEN: We are all gonna die, And there's nothing the p can do about it What do you mean? PAUL: Thave a gun here, F could blow you into next goddamn faven’t you noticed that it’s hot? That it’s hotter’ w ek if T wanted to, L could sn dolls j FF out your Fife and your jv is in Ap st like that! People are supposed to I when you have a gun, IUs the rule, it's a law, What the hell's the matter with you? Why aren't you seared? (She gets up.) ten to yourMulticattural Theatre 1 20 a 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 st 32 33 Mt The basement atthe Bottom at the End ofthe DANEEN: You can’t shoot me. (She starts heading for Neh PAUL: Where are you going?! Get back here! DANEEN; Bye. Have a nice fife, what's left of it, bottom of the stairs.) PAUL: I swear to God, if you don't get back here Ut shoot. EEN: God doesn't live here anymore. Didn't you fl earth’s orbit is out of whack. We're crashing into| (She is near the top.) PAUL: Muck, He stares at it for awhile. Then he walks over to a cabinet on ityside, Hinds a Pirst Aid kit, and starts to wrap the wound. He's sinost done when DANEEN regains consciousness. He stops.) WANEEN: What are you doing? PAUL: Nothing, ANEEN: What happened? PAUL: I don’t know. (DANEEN sees the blood on her shoulder) DANEEN: You shot me FAUs There was some earthquake or voleano or something. WANEEN: You shot me! (Piuse) Are we stuck in here? (PAUL bangs door) PAUL: There's som DAN et back down here Now Dr PU shoot, 1 swear (0 (She reaches the top. She i about to open the do BLACKOUT. We hear: 1. The loud sound of the gun goin 2, The room start to shake. The noise builds up from w Il to something like an earthquake. It is unbearably loud, are heard. The audience should feel their seats moving vibrations, It almost sounds like the rest of the house ts them. Which is exactly what it is, Note: the BLACKOUT a suggestion. In the YPF production, flashes and drop D Something's collapsed...1. think the house...But Lean get it HANEEN: Where's my daughter PAUL: Your daughter? OANEEN: My daughter. Gianna, FAUT: Do you mean the doit” HANEEN: 1 mean my daughter, (PAUL hands her the doll and oes to try the door again, this time with a stick.) FAUT: Calm downt fv used.) \: If we can’t get out we're gonna die in hi stories of people getting trapped. I don't ws hevel I don't wanna die basement, I don’ PAUL: Calm down! There must be some wi hove. SCENE TWO. some strange white boy's (Lights come up. The basement is even more of a shal thi 1 Bookcase fect. DANEEN is on the steps, on her stomach. They ’s at all possible, PAUL is lying on his back y of getting out of unconsefous, PAUL slowly regains consciousness.) WANKEN: Its not just me who's gonna diet It's you too, and Cian 1 wanta live! I wanna for my daughter! PAUL: Ubnh, (He struggles with the bookcase. He gets It tries to walk, He falls down.) Hey, Hey, where are FAUL: Before she was your sister. If Ido have to die, I don't wanna die here, with yout T 1c to die out there. | have to see the sun and T have to ‘you didn’t get me!” (Dizzy) So far. (She collapses. He sits her down.) crawls forward on his arms to where DANEEN ts. shake hor awake.) Hey, hey, get up. (He turns her over, There is a bloody wound on her # AU Him getting us out of here. (He walks away, and ries the 234 235ase see Anus, 04 wiosy un oy) oO) 0} 89} puw 4a punyag dn sy Seapuarpoun) | «St ‘1OVa 804 stopuyy deoypawy 4044 1nq ‘Jo¥aNq # 404 9400] NAANVE nok JH “MOU JF Wok Joos PmOYs 1 CHOP PE SusTnva) UMOP NS 'sH MOK UMN IW EE : 1 PLO oF BuyyoULs pase TVINVE {tong “ory nos ‘op NOK wu SALHLL, “PH NOK ‘NATNVA Zs igiuoy os nox Supyr ‘aay any euUOs y,useM [MONO IAVA 1S SABUAL (OUND aJoyss ax WHY UO UNF ‘sMoNOY NAINVA “poyamoy werssnyl fo auref waoy dn nox Znok ae OF, yoeq 211101 S008 971) FONE AHL UL OF “49EC >UETIN HO :NAINVGE. quays 2 PIO NOK “mou BRL “woosKeg & pase E'sTEMY “101 Jou,00, 2uny dors nod pAWes HONLL “UNH A INSANE 62 “yay stoqing azow Aus aaviy .usoop UNF WALL ZTAVE Be (dors TVed) iAVOMS T 2% Fc 0 2718 aug asOH anf UY 9]OH W-MOE HAO “OLE fou ants (uni au syayoa) “ue> WOK aus} “UR: ; nof oy Suytnisus op 1uv9 TeIAVa FZ aqua w Syuo s9us z49N49 08 94 NOK UM MOH NAANYE 67 “royum pure pooy pod a 24 > se (adn xpi oy wsop spud Vz souyy aay wou ay Supin xooy amg uo Auras OF INVa “yo 99%) w 0} auto? pur APTI e UL PuNoIW GT ses rv) mou EA MIO (a10U aUI0$ So0Kd US fia eave SURETY NOP OM oy ably w sayeUE IS) RE uoouteg east oM™paae aN “1M ppeg 104, or a0 ajoysse nos MoU THRE sr 90d awoms F nok PLT “spury, AUL Uy JJ0 JAM UNS ayJ, OA JOYS OF URDUE J.UPIP 1 “aw upooys oq uuLUppoD (19Y soss_y) “KiIOM j,uOp “MOLE YING. §,hULON (ep a) a4 Pa & 8 Z ‘umop 112g 9804 9 ids pynoa nox Aes y pra jdm NYS =NIAN juoaUOs yous auODUIOS ‘UMop []>J ASHOY AKL PUL ¢ ® £ z 1 ‘sou 9.00 140 jyoUs suoaU0g (oy! Fuos Aus “yWw2Iq sp) ‘NAANV wap aU LUO q)o8 wa, -uUMOP [e) Jou Py asnoy ou, “dN NS AVE ‘oavo YORU T 9°11] ON “ate PaTTPT aa,pyno9 NO; [snow oui pur asfo auoaUIOS x Sine (rado j,10%8 118 1 -urWie 2007 row ou 30 pug au twowog ou ve wrowiasen LL, aivebar BilMulticultural Theatre W 20 23 24 32 38, 34 38 6 PAUL: You know I don “The Basement at the Bottom at the Bnd of the World struggle, It clicks on an empty chamber: DANE: DANEEN: Daneen. looks at it in amazement.) PAUL: Daneen? EEN: What's yours? PAUL: Shit. (Click) I was right. (Click) It was empty! ( PAUL: Paul. the gun again, only this time it goes off. The bull NEEN: That's a really..plain name, off the walls and they both take cover: A tremor PAUL: We all can't be Naneens or Janines or whatever you are, basement, When itis over, DANEEN slowly gets U NEN: I's Daneen. It happens to be a black name, OK? Have icing place, her eyes livid with rage, PAUL pl respect. andl empties it, One bullet is left) Look, one bul PAUL: Ob, what? Fora name? DANKBEN: Aarrgghhh! NEN: Yes for a name. We happen to put a lot in our names. with her doll) PAUL: Really? ‘thought you weren't tallding to me. DANFEN: Yeah. ‘There's a lol of black names out there. There's DANEEN: Did 1 say that? No. You are the embodim me, Daneen, and Janine ~ Well, Janine’s not really so luck, r much black — and Keisha, and ‘Tisha and Miaya — Tisha PAUL: Really? (He fingers the gun.) What if put this. and Miaya are twins — and Azurdee and Shanta and into this gun, walked over there, and shot Dahila and Sewana and, and then they're the boys, have the bad luck then, eh? Daavon and Jamal and Tupac and Mikel and Nashawn and DANEEN: Go ahead. (Lights out.) USL. JUSL.JUSE a whole Duneh of people. PAUL: OK. DANEEN: So my name isn’t so strange. (She stalks off, sits in a cort SCENE THREE IAUL: OK, (Pause) It just seems funny that all of them rhyme. NEEN: We're a rhyming buneh of people, (PAUL is applying hydrogen peroxide to DANFEN's YAUE: Well, I know a black guy named Robert and a gir! named Sho winces.) ‘Tiffany. How do you explain them? NEEN: They're deviants. Anyway, I bet you they say their ‘even know your name. Whe names differently than white people do. We ean do that Won't be able to give you a proper burial. You! MAUL: Do what? the Crazy Black Girl who looted my house, got DANEEN: Make things ours."Take things that used to he yoursandd the basement and died.” ‘The Crazy Black Git change them to be ours. We'te more imaginative that way. CBG for short. Yea, that’s it, PM put CBE PAUL: What do you mean, more imaginative? tombstone and bury you in that toy chest overt DANEEN: It takes no imagination to come up with a name like and your doll Paul, Sounds like Bob, and Bob’S the plainest name 1 DANEEN; Is that some kind of pitiful attempt to get to know. (She pronounces “Bob” scathingly, drawing out the name? , “o.") All your names sound like Bob. Billy. Bob. Paul. Bob. PAUL: Yeah. Richard. Bob — 238 239Muttieittaral Theatre I 19 20 § her voice, adding whoops and dips where she feols PAUL: How does Richard sound like Bob?! And what's 40 ne? Thad a friend named Bob, It's plain, It's that kind of whtt name, “Oh, it’s Bob again.” People named Bob dot foticed. And all your names sound like Bob! (Mt think I'm gonna change your name. PAUL: What the hell are you talking about? DANE! k we're gonna call you Mikel. Oh, n0y Nashawnt I knew a guy named Nashawn PAUL: No. Yor ’s my name, DANEEN: Might as well just call PAUL: Well there you go. Call me Bob. DANEEN: I don't want to call you Bob. { something to be boring? You want plalnt! Vil be that! Call me Bob. DANEEN: No. PAUL: Call me Bob. DANEEN: J don’t want to. (PAUL walks away i anger, We him rumbling around in the back.) What're you doing) gonna call me Paul. Thi PAUL: Nothing? (DANEEN sits for awhile, then picks up her dot! and starts ai “swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” quictly at tirst, but qu crescendoing to almost the top of her lungs. She's playint Melodrama drips tram every note, She Labelletpe viff when PAUL comes out. Note DANE! hice enough to listen to but nothing to write home about, starting on @ F don't EN ty have a great voice, It should be extremely med she sees her atter she changes to “Papa was a Rolling Stone”) apts are vielding less than their desired DANEEN: he named his son Paul Bob pa was a rolling stone named Bob! “And his mom’s nam ‘The Basement atthe Bottorn at the Bod oF the Wi 1d Bob,” “AI those hy ite people named Bob.” (PAUL, behi starts glowering as DANEEN dees a little cance arou itn with the doll.) “Papa was a volling stone" (Ad libbed 9 the oltbeat:) That's why Paul don’t got one, “Whoever spread their legs was his home," “And when he died, he didn’t...answer the phone.” WAU: Shut up! VANEEN: Aww, did [hurt the poor little baby? I you! Don’t you dare speak a my father! Don't you ever open your filthy mouth and say PAU: Do you want me to yout his name again! (Silence fora beat) DANBEN: (Quieter) L didn PAUL: That doesn’t matter! {don't want you thinking abeut him. Your thought sul VANBEN: (A little put oft) What was so great about your fal PAUL: My father went through Korea and Vietnam, fifteen years spent in the defense of this country, My father ied another soldier half «smi say his name. through « steaming rain forest, in the rain, lost the use of both. Still managed to father was a wonderful, beautiful ma pport both me and my sist My father hy to touch the hero, And the likes of you ave not wor ground he walked on, And you are definitely not worthy to slande} Was he is name like that, (Silence for a beat) DANBE yamed Bob? PAUL: No, he was not named Bob! He was named Conrad, DANBEN: Conrad? ‘That's worse than your name? DANBEN: Te PAUL: No. DANBEN: Oh, come on. With who else do you have to share the tales of his wonderful exploits? (PAUL looks at her, considering: He seems hesitant.) They'll die with me. (She crosses her heart and smiles.) Cross my heart. HAUL: What do you want to know DANEEN: { don't know, Tell me about that whole tripping || me more about Conrad. The brave warrior.Multicuiteral Preare I 33 a4 35 through the rain forest bil PAUL: You mean when he had to cai through the steaming rain forest DANEEN; Yeah, that whole thing. (He stops, thinking D Jooks at him.) Well? PAUL: Fm remembering! OK. It was the middle of the ni father’s troop was lying In wait for the Viet Cong. Ho noises of the jungle, the crawling insects, the ra snakes, the laughing hyenas. Got if? (DANBEN just hima look.) OK. Now, there’s one guy, Pete, Pete wae 4, veal green, real nervous. Dad took him unt wing, kinda, That's set up. OK. So the Viet Cong down the road and my father’s troop attacks! It was! to hand, face to face mortal combat, Dad whips thy his wounded the enemy like a one mu excitement, makes motions.) Bang! But in the © fone man armor truck can't beat the odds, D order a retreat. As he's retreating, ne (rips, and Pete, the green one, under his feet, dying from a woul big, huge gash on his leg. And Dad, without even thi picks up Pete, throws him over his shoulders, and Fifteen miles to the base he runs, singing “My Wild Rose,” Pete sometimes came to and sav " him. OK, Finally, they ean see the base, Dad's ab sa gunsh Viet Cong followed then) all the way! ‘There's no tH seream with relief and jey when he he lose. He runs and runs and is almost (o the base BOOM! He gets shot in the leg! Well, that’s it, you t right, right? No. Because,as he was falling, Dad threw] sade and info a trench! Pete was saved) over a bat the other men DANEEN: The other men PAUL: The ones who were left behind, they get some geet blow up the Viet Cong, drag Dad into the trench and For help. And it was raining, Did I tell you it was ral armor truck, (PAUL, Ii The Basonient at the Botiom at the {silence for a beat) DANEEN: You forgot the land mines. FE mines. PAUL: You don't believe me? DAN! f you're gonna lie, at least make it somewhat plausible! PAUL: That was the truth! I's a matter of military recor’ DANBEN: Have you ever seen thi VAUL: Are you saying my father lied to me?! DANEBN: He was either lying to you, or he had a horrible memory. Maybe he was going senile and substituted what really happened with what he had wished happened. Maybe the was a little bit erazy. OMT his rocker. Bats in the belfry PAUL: You're saying he was crazy! You! 'm supposed to believe WANEED PAUL: He wasn't tying. (The lights dim.) ery good war has land record? Believe what you want. NCENE FOUR, iy the dark) HUI: Lenew Uknew it, [knew it, Hsnew itt (Lights up, AYE has found a wapdoor set into the ground. DANEEN is looking over his shoulder) See, 1 knew ight. father hid all this. There's water down here, everything (He reaches into the trapdoor and brings up cans of food. DANEEN looks on.) DANREN: He didn’t tell you where it was? Twas MAUL: If the Russians invaded, they wouldn't be able to squeeze the information out of me. (DANEEN gives him a look.) HAUL: Let's see what we got here, (Picks up a can.) Beets ANEEN: Carrots. PAUL: Can of corn!Muiticuitorad The re 13 4 15 16 7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 a1 32. 33. 34 5 “The Basement wt the Bottom atthe. ofthe Worle (112 Pl go look for the ean opener: (PAUL goes back to looking for the opener: Sile \NBEN: (Paiting the doll’s head) You know, I think Cianna needs a new dress. She'll be going to schoo! pretty soon and she can't just wear the same old ratty dress every day. She also needs some new shoes. You ever heard of a little girl going, to school without shoes? She'll get calluses and her feet will bleed. Then she won't be able to wear shoes ‘eause she’ bleed all over them. She'll bleed in the classroom and probably stick to the ground after awhile! And she'll have infections. Her feet will turn into big white puss balls that pop when you poke them. (Pause) Are you listening to me? DANBEN: Paul PAUL: Yeah. DANBEN: If we don't eat any of this stuff soon I'm your arm off. PAUL: OK, what we need for this is... can opener, DANEEN: Don't tell me we don’t have a can opencty PAUL: (Searching frantically) We do. Shut up, allt food and we're gonna have a can ope DANEEN: (Vindictively) Why dow't you just shoot 1 (PAUL pauses in his search.) PAUL: I didn't mean to shoot you. DANEEN: You coulda fooled me. (PAUL ignores continues with his seareb,) PAUL: No. DANEEN: Tell me something? Why DANEEN: Then how did you know I asked you a question? question, How? I know why. JAUL: Whenever something gets to you, you go to that doll. PAUL: Listen you, will you shut up about DANEEN: So” She is not a doll, she's my niee; shoot somebody if I needed to. Ican! And 1 did PAUL: Wasn't she just your daughter you, [finally started something and I finished 1) DANEN: Who keeps tack of these tings? of it, OK? Leave it alone, it’s done, PAUL: T wish you would stop making up these wild DANEEN: It is not done! It'll be done when I bleed to speculations about her life! She's not reall be done when my life is over because you finally DANEEN: What makes you so goddamn sure? You think you're sce for awhile) finish something in yours! Well you have real? You and your goddamn gun and your pitiful food. something. You've finished me, She's realer than you! PAUL: You're not dead yet. (U1: Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not real. Maybe I did DANEEN: Oh I'm not? What do you call this? (She poi really come into this basement and really didn't shoot shoulder:) OF this basement? Or the Sun? We are you, Maybe that gunshot wound isn't real. (He pokes it) 18 No hope is left. It's not even a case of “we're that real, huh? Is that veal? anymore, it's & ease of “Stick the dirt on them bet DANEEN: AHHH! You bastard! rol." We're running around with our heads eut off, (UL: (Pokes her repeatedly.) Huh? Is that real? Is that real to realize that the knife came down. That the fart DANEEN: Stop it! I'm gonna kill you! Get away from met (She is and went for us, Now all he has to do is wait for us) kicking and screaming. She manages to kick him in the still like proper chickens so he can cook our bodies, groin, He doubles over in pain.) —* PAUL: Daneen. PAUL: AMHHIGH! (They both lie in their respective positions, DANEEN: Give me my doll, (ife hands it to her: She et panting. PAUL glances at the ground, picking it up in wonderment.) A can opener: (BLACKOUT) with her good arm.) 244 245,Multicuttural Theatre It eeyvousune 20 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 a 32 33 34 35 “The basement at the Hottom at the End of the World SCENE FIVE \Ul: Why should I know it? Everyone I know grew up on that song. ot know that song? -¥, Tdlon’t know the song. : You don't know the song...Did you pick her up in a DANEEN: I would have been getting ready for the timo? Kevin, I knew my dress too. (Pause) God, look at UL: Yeah, even know why I'm thinking about the prom NEEN: What kind? gonna be no prom for me, boy. I wanted that p) know. Limos 'R Us or something. PAUL: It’s not anything. ore than likely it was a Lincoln. That's wh: DANEEN: Why? You went? 4 Lincoln, Did you give her a corsage? PAUL: Yeah, I went, We all got dressed up and 3} money for two hours and that was it. No big tht DANEEN: No big thing! God, you are so stupid! PAUL: I guess Melinda had a good time, (They are sitting ata table, Empty cans are discarded, are lying back, full. They look around, then at each Did they announce your names when you came in? : Did you get your picture taken? OF course she hud a youd Lime, He was the Ut: Yes. NEN: Did you dance a lot? To slow songs? Did you hold her like the ni in her e: PAUL: You don’t know her, DANEEN: Who needs to know her? It would have bee! jit would never end, and whisper “I love you” rand mean it with all your heart? of my life, Was there a band? 4 UL: Uh, yeah, 1 guess. PAUL: Yeah. NEN: Were you King and Queen, and did you dance with a DANEEN: What did they play? spotlight on only the two of you, like you were the only PAUL: I don’t know. Songs, two people in the world, to “Always and Forever,", and did DANEEN: You're hopeless. (He shrugs.) You know wl you sing it to her off-key but lovingly? ‘wanted at my prom? q : No, of course not! PAUL: I'm sure you're gonna tell me. DANERN: Always and Forever, PAUL: What's t DANEEN: A song. You don’t know “Always and Foret PAUL: Should I DANEEN; (Singing) Always and Forever, this moment is just like a dream to me, that someho don’t know it? 246 247Mutticintieal Theatre I The Basement at the Bottom 9t the End of the Wo! enters.) ‘Think about how pale «roast is when it first goes 1 the oven, and then it turns browner, and browner, and the meat starts to cook. And it gets plumper: Are we gonna, get plumper, Paul? Are we gonna pop out of ou Daneen, stop it, DANEEN: Oh, come on, say it once, Just # little word, harm is it gonna do? Just a little itty bitty word = PAUL: Yes. DANEEN: No, it doesn’t feel the same. Shattered. You killed it. skins e dream aul PAUL: Sorry, DANERN: It has to happen. DANEEN: One little thing you couldn't do for me. OI VAUL: Stop it! (Pause) L don’t feet good. thing. DANEEN: I'm seared. PAUL: Will you stop picking on it? I was feeling good PAUL: What am I supposed to do about that? started. DANEEN: It’s really gonna happen, PAUL: But do we have to kill each other before that anyway. DANEEN: How?! There's only one bullet left VAUL: Lwasn't serioust DANEEN: Well, maybe we should, VAUL: What, Kill ourselves? Commit suicide?! Why not? We're gonna die anyway! pink about it ove than likely we'll DANEEN: I just wanted to have a little fantasy, dream dream, is that wrong? | just wanted to remember ‘1 so fucked up. But you couldn't out. It was just a stupid little word. YES, three ett syllable, but you couldn't do it, (PAUL rolls his Sticks his tongue out at her: She looks at him in sh slicks hevs out too, She makes a luce. In the course of a new one PAUL starts to retch, VANEEIN'S eyes open vm.) The bucket, the bucket! (PAUL runs to Uh where the bucket is and gets down on his knees, h the audience, We hear him vomiting. DANEEN gook some water) 1 knew we shouldn't have eaten Hike knew it PAUL: Please don't give me the runs, please don't give runs, (DANEEN's eyes widen again.) DANEEN: Oh my God. (PAUL gets up and runs behind a put up ina corner) ¢ damn four walls and that door that doesn’t go anywhere! Up there, you knew where your death was, approximately when it would get to you, and you could face up to it, Down here we're just hiding, wailing for the thing to sneak up to us. I don’ PAUL: It's a mortal sin to Kill yourself, DANEER n God! (PAUL doesn’t say anything.) Wheve is He? If God exists, why didn’t He save want to wait. You don't still believe INTERLUDE #1 .? Where was He when the riots started, when my father got shot, huh? Where was He? PAUL: don’t know! (Pause) I'm sorry, Yeah, well - y father got shot too. And my sister. 9h. (Pause) Sorry. (Pause. Neither of them know want to say.) So. How'd yours happen? (DANEEN w Jks over and sits on the steps.) DANEEN: I wonder what it’s like out there still. (Pause) gonna die in here. And we can’t do anything al We're gonna bake to death. I mean, think about ity 248 249Multicultural Theatre HE ‘The Basement af the Hottom at the Rnd! of the World 4 PAUL: (He looks at her, deciding.) February 22. After SCENE SIX 2 made the last announcement, After TV stopped) 3 before radio did. Tt was still cool, We were living WWANEEN is dealing out cards. They are sitting at a table playing 4 house, even though everyone else in the neigh poker with cans of food as playing chips. PAUL is losing. badly) 5 lett, A band of looters were on their way. My fathi 6 weren't gonna leave because he had worked (oo DANEEN: My sister was ten years older than me. Bitch! Ten 7 this house and he wasn't gonna let it go that easy, years older than me, ten years of bitch, She had 8 came. They ... shot my father point blanc in the supposedly “found God" but all she found was a 9 ny sister as she was running away. And me, Toll justification to be more bitchy. Really. 10 there. 1 was across the street. Under..und VAUL: You really don’t believe in God, do you? 4" neighbor's porch. 4 DANEBN: Lused to. 12 gN: You were hiding? While they shot — VAULT did. Do. (Beat) Maybe. 13 had a plan! I was gonna shoot them when they DANEEN: You had better decide quickly. Judgment Day's a gas tanks so that thelr ears would coming up. (She looks at hercards, takes a small can of food 15 Only they didn't come in ears, they came on Di and places it in the middle.) 16 there were so many of them...so many — PAUL: I see your one and raise you five, (Throws small anit medium sized cans.) ane 17. DANEEN: Did you shoot any? At all? 18. PAUL: I stopped them from raping my siste 19 ‘sick bastard’s face off, I got maybe ten of the 20 sealtered. 21 DANEEN: Oh God, Paul. 22 PAUL: I got on a bike and I rode away, I went..south. 23 pike, 1 think it was in Delaware. So walked back, 24 DANEEN: You came back here to 25 Jo — 1 — No! Yes. But not fo Kill myself, To be 26 27 : Your dead fa 28. PAUL: Oh God, shut up. 29 DANKE! 30. PAUL: No! No, shut upt (She takes him, puts his head in aL and rocks him.) 32. DANEEN: You want to die, So do 1. (Lights fade to black.) IN: Tse yonr five nd raise you ten. (Throws medium ant large cans. They both drop cards and pick up new ones.) AUL: 1 Hole DANEEN: Haht PAUL: Two paitst DANEEN: You're a very bad plaves PAUL: Shut up, OK? Shut up! DANEEN: Your food's disappearing. | 1e gathers the cans in and displays her cards.) Paul | PAUL: Deal! (She deals again.) DANBEN: My mothe) 1 don't remember that much about her. She had long hair, VAUL: How'd she die? DANBEN: PAUL: Oh. Sorry. DANEEN: That's OK. 1 don't really remembi paul. much. (Pause) 4 Funny how we're always saying sorry to each other, x PAUL: Yeah, well, life sucks. What about your father? 2 DANEEN: Daddy? Well he...he...he was...he worked in an office, 250 251Mutticuttnsal Thewtee ‘The Basement atthe Bottom a the Ee! oF the Wark PAUL: Ob, Wh 2 DANEEN: Normal. Plain, normal guy, 3 PAUL: What was his last name? mean, what's you 4 DANEEN: Brown. 5 PAUL: Brown? What was his first name, Bob? (DANEEN « 6 say anything) 7 8 9 i was he like? paul Jaybe he did lie « little DANBEN: A little? PAUL: OK, so maybe he lied a lot DANBEN: Maybe you lied. PAUL: Mayhe so DANEEN: Why?) PAUL: Because ne did PAUL: It was?! (Still nothing.) Twas? DANEEN; Yeah, But don't (Peul starts laughing.) PAUL: You a Vhat's like Joli 10 DANEEN: That's right, laugh. Idon't care. 11 PAUL: You hate people named Bob because your father's 2 was Bob? What did he ever do 13. DANEEN: Nothing. That's the whole problem. He was bo 14 PAUL: You hate white people named Bob ‘cause your falhef 15 boring? 16 DANEEN: No. Yes. Wait — No, Idon’t hate white people 1 med Bob, And all white you were...you were talking about him! :N: I cam'l talk about people You were making fun of him. You shouldn't have made fun of him, Ns Was uch a hypocrite! Bob Brown really in the army? you? Really in the army, ily had medals, really lost a leg, Real —ayshole, But [coulda let you make fun of him, (He looks at her, kind of tightls:) You're such a bitch, (DANEEN blows hin) a kiss.) Bob Brown, Geez, (He smiles.) Buster Brown, Baby, Brown, Brown Bob. DANBEN: Shut up, PAUL: No. You know, I'm tived of all the black people [know saying snide things under the and then refusing 7 Bob. I hate people 18 hames sound like Bob. 19 PAUL: What kind of twisted logs DANEEN: It's not twisted, It Noo the worst possible thing you can do to your child. P named Bob are like sandpaper, He was a cipher. Sh) 23 and he canceled himself out he never even noticed Twas t PAUL: Maybe he couldn't get over his grief. DANBEN: What do you know about it, 27 important father man saving thousands of lives — 28 PAUL: He didn’t save thot 29 DANEEN: We don’t know how many he saved, do we? For 30 Viet Cong guy he killed eff in those lethal hand to 31 face-to face mortal combats he had, he might have 82 an entire village 33 PAUL: Don't be cute. 34 DANEEN: Ob, 1 would 35, Father man's son. breath about white people own up to them, VANERN: What? What snide things? PAUL: We have no rhythm, DANEEN: You don’t PAUL: We do too, DANE 30 to work, come ho to. work, come ho N: No you don't. None of you do. Even when you don’t. The best of you look funny, Happy? PAUL: No! How about when you patronize us? Pat hhead and say ery about it, you're white, DANBEN: When have I ever done that to you? FAUL: Don it's something you haves DANEEN: OF course it is, but not to you : But you've done it, a you four and your wom on the ands. More like # couple, there are certain ethnic things that only black people know, You can not know th ‘side your realm of experience, Inside my skin and {dare be cute to wonderful impor n now oF ever: They 258Multicoteral Peatee 1 not coming out any 1 2 PAUL 3. DANEEN: Ya think? Forget about it. (Pause) 4. PAUL: You ever wonder about us? 5 DANBEN: 6 PAUL: Why not? 7 a ing evasive. DANBEN: Television PAUL: What are the Dozens? 9 DANEEN: No. No, no. no. 10 PAUL: Come on, Who else are you gonna tell? 11 DANEEN: Fine. The Dozens are jokes. 12. PAUL: And — 13, DANBEN: That's it. 14 PAUL: Tell some. 16 PAUL: I wanna hear yours. 17. DANEEN: Fine, Your mama's so stupid instead of riding ( 18 tain 19 so poor she can’t pay att ne rode the 2 trains Wwice, (PAUL stiles.) You sighs. She! this.) Your mama's so stupid she put M&Ms order, You're so ugly, when you were born, the dd slapped your mama. (He doesn't fike this one.) Yout so fat itt i her back. Your mama's like an elevator: push the buttons, she'll go down on you. (PAUL laughs.) Do one f0F' 26 PAUL: Uh ... Your mama's so poor she can’t pay al (DANEEN gives him a look) DANEEN: White! White! You ave so inexcusably white! PAUL: What? J said the stupid joke! DANEEN: You said it wrong PAUL: What do you mean I said it wrong?! DANE! again! PAUL: What did I do? (She wom't speak to bit stupid jokes. Ly gave her ay tell You just did! 1 swear, Pm nes 1g you any! ine, keep Tive Basement atthe Bottom al the Bint oF Workd DANER} ‘ PAUL: Yeah, well That's right, 1 ne. Jokes me and mine understand, vauise) God, I hate you! ' ' } DANEEN: All you white people! All you ever do is investigate \ your little noses where they don’t belong. Invade, keep » what you like and dismantle the rest! We were over in , Africa, we had and what did you do? Invade, dismantle and leave, And here we are again. 1 » you a taste of the dozens and what do you do? You Wand dismantle, You can’t leave or else you would, Hi P\uEs At doesn’t matter anymore, does it? PP DANEEN: I swear, all you the girl at school, She had a bhues mus ade pite people know how to do is suck oul af something til i's as bland as you. Like this Is. Do you know what dreads mea We UAUL: None of this iy pan Paul? Do you? Ni They represent a chosen way of life, ‘That wh gil had ma idea what he had in hy ads ave a black thing. Only we ca How «lave she tr PAUL: None of this shit matters anymore. The Sun, the world’s answer to racism, worl peace, cancer, dreads, AIDS and all the other great ills, Les just get off it, O1? DANEEN: Fine. (Pause. She starts, lightly, snapping ber fingers.) PAUL: Will you stop that? DANEEN: (Doing it louder) No. (He PAUL: Stop, that’s annoying! DANEEN: (Chanting) No justic (She gets up. still chanting. He tings bn fling her head. Ny do it. Tony looks to be met ight on our hair getting visibly annoyect) 0 peace! No jus nod doll at her) Don't ¢ that! You might hurt ber head! HAUL: And of course we all know we can't hurt the goddamn DANEEN: Oh shut up! You don't know: you're talking talking about! PAUL: And of course you know everything, right? about! You wer know whall youMuttcranaeat Theatre TE 9 10 " 12 13 4 15 16 v 18 19 20 21 22 23. 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. aL 32 33 a ‘The Basement atthe Hotton at the E Jot the Wort {+ AL least I can tell @ real child when see ome and fi fling her around like she was a rag do! PAUL: What the hells th DANEEN: What the hell’s the matte! You! You! (DANE and so doesn’t see.) Pau. PAUL: What2! (She faints.) PAUL: Other than hol. } DANEEN: Sick, Why, what happened? PAUL: You fainted, DANEEN: [know that. PAUL: I think you DANEEN;: Infected? You mean I'm finally gonna die? PAUL: I don DANEE! pawns DANE AUL: We have - (DAN! DANEEN: Lean't believe Lwas wrong. ) PAUL: What? DANEEN: (Amused) You shot me, You hoi ) PAUL: DANEEN: You shot met (She és now laughing herd.) | can't believe — I was wrong! Pim matter with yout! shot is infected. has.a faint spell, Pau has his buck 1) know: N: Isn't that n Want to eat? 1c? Silene for a while. BLACKOUT Now PEN starts to chuckle to herself;) What? SCENE SEVED est to God shot me. (DANEEN is now asleep on a table. She lias pillows and la PAUL Is trying to comfort her. Yeah, well didn't mean to — ear Hi os overlap.) ver wrong! But you shot » gonna dic because of you. This ie your PAUL: Daneen, Daneen. stop! DANEEN: No! No! didn’ twant to do, I had to, Ceouldn’t F it was the only way, | know, F know, Fm sorry. ht ij PAUL, and elit PAUL: Shh. Shh. [had a dream about you, We were 0 fault, (She starts to cough. PAUL comes back over and her down. She looks at him.) How? L know people, People ike you don't shoot people. 1 had shoot. pauls WANBE wakes up in shi sorry, fim sorry, fm sorry! feeling you wouldn't the sheet, wary) nme and you. We were in these fittle pea pod t on our backs, with our feet dangling over the sl wind was blowing us apart. [tried to reach you touched your hand once, but the stupid pods woul ime stand up and J kept tilting every time T tried (0) ‘you. The closer we got the farther we got blown apa js asleep.) And then, when I couldn't see you anya pod turned over...and 1 woke up. (Lights dim. Ct How could you — I guess you're the first person F've ever been wrong about. And now Pm gonna die. Thats funny. I would get stuck ina basement with someone can't read. Do you think you'll care? (PAUL is siteni,) That means you won't. That's sad, Lywould like to have someone eave when I die, VAL: (Quickly handing it to hee} Here's your doll. ne DANEEN: (Pure terror? up on PAUL watching heras she wakes up.) Daneen? DANER! PAUL: DANEBN: Hot 10! No, no, that’s OK, | don't need her! ‘Take her away! HU: But it’s your dott How do you feel? }\NEEN: I don’t want it anymore! Put her away, throw her out MOL: OK, OK, What's the matter with you? 256) 2Mutticuitaret Theatre 1 26 27 28 29 30 st 32 33. a 35, DANEEN: Nothing. PAUL: Dane DANBEN; I'm tived. I'm going back to sleep, No, no, ummm...vou need to eat. (He gets a ca soup and shoves it in her face.) Come on, eat it. Us green, : Oh come on. 11's cold PAUL: Split pea soup, DANEEN: ILL! PAUL: You weren't so picky before: DANEEN; Like 1 knew what Lwas eating. Anyway, (hts U4 What do you dream about? hard and green. What is pea soup. PAUL: You've eaten everything else? DANEEN: This iy cold split pea soup! PAUL: Daneen, drink it, {'s warm enough. ‘The temperature warmed it, See? (He places his hand the ean.) Warm, Drink. (DANEEN Iooks at nun (Or @ while) DANEEN: Paul, why don't you just kill me? PAUL: Look, Pil drink some. (Makes motions.) DAN! PAUL: So am 1. You need to dr DANEEN: I don’t want to ¢ you. PAUL: Then speak sense. ni speaking sense. Th asking here. 1 PAUL: We are not talking abou DANEEN gonna die anyway. Wouldn't it be D my own Innes? You owe this to me, PAUL: Lowe you me Lowe somebody somethi DANE! get out! You! You, you, you, ¥ Paul, I'm serious, Ke some soup. Here ~ ink any damin soup! want (0 gonna die anyway this. istent 1 such thing! How the hell are you Ko like this! .N: You shot me! You caved the house in so we ¢ all you! 258 The Basement atthe Bottom at the Bad of the World You PAUL: Ne not making me do thi you to get me to do this? DANEEN: (Trying to calm him) Paul, Paul, Paul PAUL: (Overlapping) No, L won't do it, not DANEEN: You already have! (Beat) DANEEN: (Quieter) at her) PAUL: Finish what you st There is no way for cold blood h what you started. (PAUL turns to look ted? You know who vou sound like? You sound like my father. “Always finish what you start, What — does he want me to kill you? I don't think so. Hthink he meant for me to nurse you back to health. And now you decide you want to die, Well, you're not going to. I'm gonna do what he wanted. I'm gonna make you well again, HANBEN: I'm not gonna live. HAUL: You will livet Yo ¥e to Kill you, so T ean be tapped down here with your dead body, You want me te go and get Dad and Cass too? You can all have a big dend body fest. Pl just want bingo. (Pause) You want mo te kill you, do you Dancen? VANREN: 18d be easier, WAUL: Rasier, You to shoot someone, you see how easy it is! You are all so stupid, Why the hell are you so quick to die: My father, he could have lived, but said he had his pride, He didn’t have pride, he had a death wish! 11's his fault, he wanted us all to die! How the hell can you eall that pride? WANEEN: I don’t know. PAL: That wy PANERD n't pride! : Fm sorry. (He walks off. 5 hands, She starts speaking almost unconsciou quietly, 1 dream — 1 dream about real, like she always Is, only, starting doll, Cianna. She's ~ she’s dripping £ her eye. She ‘ays “Why did you do it, mommy? Why did you do it” s hates me, Because I killed her, With a hanger. But I had to, 1 couldn't have her here just to di She hates blood and she has a hanger sticking out 259Mitcentnat Theat I 30 a 2 33. 4 35 Tine Basement atthe Botton at the dint of the Wild “Why did you do it, mommy? Why?" And 1 answer her, my answers all sound like excuses, all PAUL: F made you a surprise. (He puts up « sign with the words DANEEN'S PROM” written on it, He has made paper roses and paper crowns, Everything looks pitiful: the worse. th better) DANEEN:? It's hot, PAUL: [t's what you want most in the world, Look at you excuses, like [could have had her if 1 wanted to, couldn't, F know Teouldn't, And it was nasty, and blo and Ebled for days, it was like my soul was leaking 0 ime, but what else was [ supposed to do? No one else there. It was the only way. L didn’t know what else (0 1 couldn't have vou, |eouldn't, I couldn't, 1 Tim sorry, Fm sorty, Fin so sorry —! (She starts scream PAUL tries to restrain her: Lights dit.) prise! DANBEN: Surprise? AUL: Look! But you have to stay. can't go anywhere, you have to stay with me, understand? DANEEN: I'm tired, Paul PALL: No, you have to stay mp. DANE! SCENE EIGHT Tim tired. he falls asleep.) PAUL: Emade you a prom, like you wanted. [couldn't get you a band 0 but 1 could get you some roses. Hl We'll King and Queen, like you wanted. (She won't respond. He Siarts to stitke: her, She will nut wake up.) Noy Daneen, Net Daneen, wake up! Wake up! (He shakes her sone (hights np, PAUL is staring at the sleepinyy DANEEN with gut hand. He takes the gui fu: one hand and points it at her: Itstat shake, so he uses both of his hands. He stands there for a DANEEN opens her eves. and sees the gin. She doesnt say « \eoln or a ple re, He takes them out.) Lmade us crow! wore, but Pau ints dim.) Daneen. Hean't.1 = ( she does not respond. He stops shukingg ber, stares at her und, slowly, kisses her clids. He then kisses her, lightly, on the mouth.) Don't go. Daneen, come on? You wouldn't NINE Teave me alone, would you? (Delirious and in a panic. her) Look, look, your dali your dollt (4e lakes the doll and places it in the crook of her arm, He looks at her pleadingle: His eves wander to the dol. He tooks.t it, then back to DANEEN.) The doll, Daneen. Th doll, Daneen, the doll,.7o the doll) Daneen? (PAUL takes out from under her arm and holds it up, still staring at it, as picks up hey doll and pushes it (is sleeping on the table. PAUL is looking at wakes up.) DANBEN: Pant... (PAUL gets up quickly and hides the sign) PAUL: You've awake, How do you feel? DANEEN: Paul, \y only friend, you know that? Only ‘curtain talls.) PAUL: Daneen. DANEEN: After everything fell apart, everyone went a You PAUL: Daneen, DANEEN fe the only person who stayed, UND OF PLAY m tired, 260