LAST STOP RANCHERA Script-in-Progress by Latina Theater Lab For a Staged Concert Reading at: The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts February 12, 1999 Dramaturg, Cherríe Moraga. Working version: February 9, 1999 ACT 1 PROLOGUE: (Excerpt from) “Prodigal Hija and The Last Stop Cantina” by Mónica Sánchez Sound cue of heart beating and panting. Lights fade up. PRODIGAL HIJA: I am running And I can't stop Estoy corriendo To the Last Stop Last Stop Ranchera Where all roads lead For those in search of a truth like me MUSICA: Mariachi music to "La Negra". Ends with sound montage of Ranchera endings. This is my quest. This ubiquitous "tan-tan" leaves me no rest. Like a reccurring waking dream, like a ringing echo in my ear, like an audio pebble in my shoe, this musical punctuation hammers at my core, consumes me desde el corazón al patín. I have to get to root of the matter, I have to know: Why? Why, "TAN-TAN"? What is the Genesis of the Finale, "TAN-TAN". Y como el viento que corre, I run: past Banda MUSICA past Cumbia MUSICA past Bolero MUSICA past Corrido MUSICA past Salsa y Son MUSICA until at last, the distant sounds of mariachi and the smell of tequila lead me to my ranchera revelation. In true Ranchera form, I follow my heart, which in this case means to follow my feet, hasta llegar al fondo, straight to the caballo's mouth, to the end of the line, to the last stop ranchera. “Opera en la Misión” by Marlène Ramírez-Cancio MUSICA: Yma Sumac MARLENE: Then the music came in. We all could hear it, but nobody said a thing. SELENA: Nobody said a thing because we could not understand such a thing was possible. JAIME: Opera in the mission, low, almost inaudible, ALL: but there, SELENA: there at six in the morning, there to walk us home after a long night. MARLENE: The woman singing had a voice like a needle-piercing-flesh, JAIME: it was dangerous, that voice, SELENA: black nailpolish MARLENE: wide open eyes JAIME: purple dress, ALL: dangerous, MARLENE: made you feel like playing with knives, SELENA: made you feel like playing with fire, JAIME: made you feel like cutting skin in cold blood, SELENA: it was six a.m. on Mission Street and we couldn't keep walking, JAIME: we gradually stopped and sat on the sidewalk, MARLENE: this must be what sirens did to the sailors, this must be what makes you get stuck on an island, SELENA: this voice on the street, this voice coming from nowhere, MARLENE: there we were, three kids too cool for anything but ALL: hip hop, JAIME: sitting on the sidewalk not saying a word, MARLENE: watching the day get lighter, JAIME: a car or two pass by, SELENA: just breathing... (MUSIC IS HEARD) MARLENE: then the needle voice turned into a bone voice, JAIME: a deep thing, SELENA: anchored, MARLENE: a straight pull down to ALL: the center of the earth, MARLENE: and our silence grew thicker, M + J: thicker, ALL: thicker, MARLENE: and then it started to rain. MUSICA (Transition) : “Barracuda” (Hart) “Treasure Chest” by Jaime Lujan [LA CHULA enters through the doorway. She is 14 Years old, wears yellow tube top and cut off jean shorts, and is barefoot. She carries a red plastic Panasonic cassette player with big headphones on her head. She uses the cassette player as her air guitar. She is singing BARRACUDA by HART (including guitar riffs)] LA CHULA: (singing, guitar riffs, etc) So this ain’t the end, I saw you again. Today, I had to turn my heart away. Smile like the sun, kisses for everyone. And tales that never fade. You’re lying so low in the weeds, I bet you’re gonna ambush me. You got me down, down, down on my knees. Now wouldn’t ya. Barracuda. Ohh Yea! (Beat) Oh, man!! Fucking batteries! [A Ranchera is heard on a radio offstage.] LA CHULA: (mimicking Ranchera) “Daba, duba, naaaaa” Ahh, Grandma... turn off the radio! I hate that Mexican stuff! Grandma: (offstage) Ya, finish cleaning that closet. (Radio is turned off.) [LA CHULA goes to the closet, pulls out an old antique chest. As she opens it a ranchera is heard] LA CHULA: Grandmaaaaa please turn it off. [Ranchera continues. She gets up to go to the other room. As she walks upstage, the chest closes. The music stops.] LA CHULA: Thank you. [She turns back down to the chest and opens it again. Again a ranchera is heard. She shuts the chest, gets ready to go into the other room but notices that the musc stopped as she closed the chest. She repeats this action several times in disbelief. Finally she leaves the chest open. A song is heard. She removes some old clothing from the chest. She puts on a leather vest and sombrero, and walks to the mirror. ] LA CHULA: I am El Hombre (she strikes a pose). I am El Hombre Macho. (tries a grito several times). Hola Señorita. You are looking very bonita tonight. (She switches hats and wraps a rebozo around her head). Gracias señor. Would you like to dance? No señor. I do not dance. Well how about a short stroll in the moonlight? Sí señor. (Walking around) You know, señor, they say that if a man serenades a woman by moonlight her heart will be his forever. (Fumbling for words) Oh. Well, ah, really... well... You eyes are like the twinkling stars above. Sí... Ah, well... The moonlight caresses your skin with a glow... Sí... (he sings) “Hay unos ojos que si me miran Hacen que mi alma tiemble de amor.” GRANDMA: (offstage) Acabaste ya? LA CHULA: Sí, acabé ya...yeah, I’m done. Is this Grandpa’s stuff? GRANDMA: No, it was your great-grandfather’s. LA CHULA (to herself): It’s bien cool. (Opens & closes the chest. TAN-TAN.) “Romancing La Revolución” by Jaime Lujan I. EL BAÑO [Only the silhouette of a woman (LA SEÑORA) sitting in a black wood rocking chair is seen. As she rocks back and forth, the chair creaks. She is reading from her Bible. As she turns the page, a photo falls to the ground. She picks it up. On another part of the stage, EL HOMBRE and LA INDIA are making love.] MUSICA LA SEÑORA: (song) Cuando lo estaba queriendo When I was loving him Cuando lo estaba sintiendo When I was feeling he was all mine Todito mío lo vi partir I saw him leave Me juro que regresaba He swore he would return to me Pero todo era mentira But it was all a lie Porque ya el alma no era de mí. Because his soul was not mine LA INDIA: I’ve missed you. [EL HOMBRE kisses her. She caresses his body as if she were drawing a intricate map. She looks into his eyes.] EL HOMBRE: Qué miras? What are you looking at with those eyes? I can see my reflection in those dark coals. (He kisses her) I need to wash. [LA INDIA gets up and brings a wash basin full of water. EL HOMBRE watches her. She starts to bathe him] EL HOMBRE: Qué haces mujer? LA INDIA: Cálmate! I'm bathing you. Esta barba has got to go. EL HOMBRE: You gonna shave me? LA INDIA: Sí Señor, with an ax. EL HOMBRE: You're giving me the ax already? LA INDIA: Not 'til the wood’s chopped. (Begins singing) “Indita, Indita, Indita, Indita de Cochití....” [ She starts to wash a starburst of a bullet scar on his side. He restrains her hand.] EL HOMBRE: Allí no! LA INDIA: What is it? EL HOMBRE: Nada. [She removes his hand and gently washes the scar.] LA INDIA: The war. EL HOMBRE: You never see the real scars. I took the bullet that was meant para El General. We were taking the hill outside the city. LA INDIA: Monterrey. EL HOMBRE: Sí. LA INDIA: You should have let that bullet find him. EL HOMBRE: Por qué? Villa lives and continues the revolution while I take a bath. LA INDIA: La revolución. EL HOMBRE: It’s for you, you know, this war. Es para tu gente. LA INDIA: Am I more Indian than you? EL HOMBRE: Yes. But not more mexicano. LA INDIA: How long is your leave? EL HOMBRE: Not long. LA INDIA: I want to go with you. EL HOMBRE: No. LA INDIA: Then stay. EL HOMBRE: I can't. [She continues washing him silently] LA INDIA: You're going to see her. EL HOMBRE: She’s my wife. LA INDIA: Leave her. EL HOMBRE: I can't. LA INDIA: Leave her. [EL Hombre dresses] MUSICA LA INDIA: (Sings) En la noche silenciosa In the silence of the night Nos miramos We looked at each other Frente a frente, sin hablar Face to face, without speaking Cuando me dijo de pronto When suddenly he told me Que olvidara su cariño To forget his affection Que no me quería engañar Because he didn't want to deceive me. II. HOME [LA SEÑORA is sweeping. EL HOMBRE enters. She stops looks at him. Then she runs to him and leaps into his arms kissing him passionately. She stops abruptly and sniffs him. Behind his ears, chest, arms down to his legs. She walks away.] EL HOMBRE: I'm hungry. What's to eat? LA SEÑORA: Nada EL HOMBRE: Well, make something. LA SEÑORA: What, doesn't she know how to cook? EL HOMBRE: No empieces con eso.