In the midst of an America that is changing two seemingly simple Hispanic girls work hard at their job at the movie theatre. They share laughs with each other, as they clean are talk about the silent movie that has just gone off. Discussion how on one side words are not needed to properly understand a story and in the beginning of film making there were no words. While they speak they realize there is a theatre patron that has not left the theatre. The older Hispanic woman just sits there silently as the girls work, so they continue on. They begin to talk about a murder that happened at the theatre the week before, a Hispanic woman is beaten to death. Why can’t we accept people for who they are and not where they come from? What is America saying about those of us who are of color? The women discuss the circumstances of the murder when finally the woman in the theatre breaks her silence. She begins to talk to them about her sister, the woman who died the week before, who just wanted to sit in the theatre and watch a movie but that was taken form her because a racist woman questioned her presence in this country. This piece speaks to the present state of immigrants in this country right now, how tolerance has given way to the powerful hand of ignorance. In the end the three women sit and watch the movie that the older woman’s sister wanted to see understanding that sometimes just being present is enough and that silence while being a great teacher can also be a learning experience as well. (This piece could be done with different minority women but is written for two Hispanic women, but could be cut to any two women of color.)
Duo/Duet- Silent Story
$60.00Price
- (Gabriela and Adriana stand silent next to each other, they are both holding brooms. Adriana looks as though she is holding back tears while Gabriela looks absolutely uninterested in what they are watching. Gabriela tries to whisper to her.) Gabriela: (Whisper) This is supposed to be a happy ending- Adriana: Shhhhhhhh! Gabriela: (Whisper) Fine. Adriana: Shhh! (Adriana brushes her off as whatever they are watching comes to an end; she takes a few deep breaths to compose herself as they start to greet the other movie goers.) Adriana: Thank you for coming. Gabriela: Have a nice night. Adriana: What an amazing movie experience. (They both watch as the last person leaves the movie theatre.) Gabriela: What a crock of shit. Adriana: What? (The girls begin to clean the theatre as they continue.) Gabriela: This movie. It wasn’t even in English. Adriana: It was a foreign film with subtitles. You did notice the words going across the bottom of the screen right? Gabriela: (Mocking) You did notice the words going across the bottom of the screen right? (Laughs) Bullshit. Adriana: Great storytelling. You’re just mad that you can’t read. Gabriela: I can too read I just don’t read that fast. (They both laugh.) Adriana: You have no appreciation for the classics. Gabriela: Like the Bible? I appreciate that. Adriana: (Laughs) Kind of the Bible of the cinema. The old black and whites. Before we decided that we had to speak to be heard, yell to be understood. Back when the concept of “actions speak louder than words” was created. Classic cinema days. Gabriela: Like that dude in the top hat? (She does a terrible impersonation of Charlie Chaplin. Adriana laughs.)