TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

PLAYS 1937- 1955

HIGHTOWER LIBRAR'( GORDON COLLEGE 8arnesvllle, GA 30204 . . .

TilE LIIIRARY OF AMERICA P5 3Slf5 X53bs­ Volume compilation, notes, :1nd chronnlog)' CO(')'right 0 :ooo by MEL Gussow AND KENNETH HOLDITCH Litcr.try Cbssics of the United St;Ucs, Inc., Nc\V York, N.Y. A0 SELECTED THE CONTENTS AND WROTE THE NOTES All righrs rcS(:I'\'cd. FOR THIS VOLUME Q.voo No pm of this book ma}' he Kproduccd commc:rciall}· h)' offsct·lid10&r.t!'hic or cquivllcnt copying dC\'ices \\ilhout ~ ~ I the: permission of the publisher. Published by ;~mngemcnt with New Directions l'ublishing Cot·poT;~tion, New York, Publisher of the pl:1ys of Tennessee Willi~ms , ;~nd The Unh·e~t)' of 1hc Sou1h, cop)·right proprietor of 1he works of Tennessee Willi;~ms . For copyrighu, sec p~ge 1036.

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The: p~pcr used in this public:1tion meets the mimmum rrquircments of the: Amcticln N:~rional St:~ndard for Information Scienccs-Pc:rm:lnc:ncc: of Paper for Printed Ubr.sry Matcrbb, ANSI ZJ!MS-198-!-. Disrriburcd to the tr.1dc: m rhc United Sr.stcs b)' l'cnguin l'utn:lm Inc and in C;~nada by Penguin Boob C;~n:~•b Lrd. · I'"! n Pl r • 1 r. ·:::n~~~~ • .'f' n .~l' 'J ,.J l.inrai)i:bn.. w.gr~•fJog Number· oo-oJOI90 3 r):! .iJC.~ ~R~m:ltion , sec end ofNou:s J.DSO& At 1 ,elllvet~W,'illon-sti-s

Second Printing 11lc UbT;~ry of AmcriQ-119

~bnufmurcd in tht: United Stllc.\ of Amcric:1 . 0. I CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

and s:wagc hcarc on a tolfTera sleeve, commented \\Tyly on that kind of posthumous discourse among friends in these Jines: I died fill' ben,ty, but wa.r m1rce Adjusted ;, tbe mmb, Wbm o11e 11'1111 died for tnttb Jl'ns lni11 /11 lUI ndjnilliii!J roum. CHARACTERS OF THE PLAT He l)lltstiollcd soft~v wiJy I failed? MARGARET 'Pm· benttty,"' I replied. BRICK .rAud I for t1'11tf1,-tl;e two nrc 1me; MAE, sometimes called Sister Womnn We brctbrm nrc, Jt be snid. BIG MAMA A11d so, ns kimmell met n 11igbr, DfXIE, a little girl ffi talked bcn1•cm rile room; Umil tbc moss IJnd rcnebcd o11r lips, BIG DADDY A11d co1•tred ttp om· 11nmcs. REVEREND TOOKER GOOI'ER, sometimes called Brother Man Mcanwhilc!-1 want to go on talking to you as freely and in­ tim:ncly about wh:1t we live :1nd die for ns if I knew you bet­ DOCTOR BAUGH, pronounced "Baw" ter than anyone else whom you know. ~CEY, a Negro servant Tcmmscc Williams SOOKEY, another Another little girl and two small boys (The playing script of Act III also includes TRIXIE, another little: cirl, also DAISY, BRIGHTIE and SMALL, servants.) NOTES FOR THE DESIGNER. 881

NOTES FOR THE DESIGNER bimuion of radio-phonosraph (Hi-Fi \\ith d1rcc speakers) 1V sc:t and liquor cabinet, bearing and containing many glasses :md bottles, all in one piece:, which is a composition of muted The set is the bed-sitting-room of a plantation home in the silver tones, and the opalescent tones of reflecting glass, a Mississippi Dclt:l. h is along :10 upstairs galler}' which proba­ chromatic link, this thing, between the sepia (rawn}' gold) bl)' runs around the entire house; ir h:1s ~\'o pai~ of very \\ide tones of the interior and the cool (white and blue) tones of doors opening onto the gallery, sho\\1ng wh1te b:1lustradt:S the: g;1llc:ry and sky. This piece of furniture (?!), this monu­ against a f:1ir summer sky th:lt fudes into dusk and night dur­ ment, is a very comph:tc and compact little: shrine to virtually ing the course of the play, which occupies precisely the time all the: comforts and illusions behind which we hide from such of its pcrform:mcc, excepting, of course, the fifteen minutt:S things as the: characters in the play arc: fuccd with. . . . of intermission. The set should be far less realistic than I have so fur implied Perhaps the style of the room is not what you would expect in this description of it. I think the walls bdow the ceiling in the home of the Dcltl's biggest cotton·planter. It is should dissolve mysteriously imo air; the set should be roofed Victorian with :1 touch of the Far East. It hasn't changed by the sk)•; stars and moon suggested by traces of milky pal­ much since it w:1s occupied by the original owners of the lor, as if the}' were observed through a telescope lens out of place, Jack Straw and Peter Ochdlo, a pair of old bachelors focus. who sh:1red this room :1ll dtdr lives together. In other words, An}rthing else I can think of? Oh, yes, fanlights (transoms the room must e\•oke some ghosu; it is genU}' and poetically shaped like :m open glass fun) abo\'c: all the doors in the set, haunted by a relationship that must ha,•c im•oh•cd a tender· with panes of blue and amber, and abo\'e all, the designer ness which was uncommon. This m:t}' be irrell!v:mt or unncc· should rake as man)' pains to give the actors room to move essar}', but I once saw :1 reproduction of :1 fuded photograph about freely (to show their restlessness, their passion for of the verandah of Robert Louis Stc\'cnson 's home on that breaking out) as if it were a set for a ballet. Samoan Island where he spent his Jnst ye:1rs, nnd there was a An evening in summer. The action is continuous, with two quality of tender light on weatl1ered wood, such as porch fur· intermissions. niture made of bamboo and wicker, exposed to tropical suns :md tropical rains, which came to mind when l thought about the set for this play, bringing also to mind the grace and com­ fort of light, the rcassur~mce it gives, on a late and fuir after· noon in summer, the wa)' that no matter what, even dread of deatlt, is gently touched and soothed b)' it. For the se~ ~s the b:~ckground for a play that deals \\ith human extremmcs of emotion, :~nd it needs that softness behind it. The bathroom door, showing onl)' paJe·blue tile and sil\'er towel racks, is in one side wall; the hall door in the opposite wall. Two articles of furniture need mention: a big double bed which staging should m:~ke a functional parr of the set as often as suitable, the surface of which should be slightly raked to make figures on it seen mon: easily; and against the wall space between the rwo huge double doors upstage: a monu· mental monstrosity peculiar to our times, a b11gc console com· 880 1

ACT ONE At t/Je rise tiftbe ctll'tairt someollc is tnkii'.!J a sbm1•cr iu r/Jc bntb­ rtHJm, tiJc ducJI' of n•bic!J is IJnlf opm. A pretty ynr"'.!J "'"'"""• Jl'itb au:..:iom li11cs in lm·fnce, CltlCI-s tbc b.:drnom aud Cl'lltrts tn r!Jc batlJr·nom dtlllr.

.MARGARET (slm11ti11g nbo1•c rom· of Jl'atcr); One of those no­ neck monsters hit me with 3 hot buttered biscuit so I h3vc t' ch3nge! (Mm;gnrcr's l'Oice is botb mpid nud dran•liug. /u lm· loug spccciJcs sbe bas tbe J•ocnl tricks of n priest ddiJ•e~·iug n liwr­ gical cbnltt, tbe liucs nrc n/murt Illl'...lf, alll'ffJ'I co11tilmi1'.!J n little bC)·oud bcr bt·cnt/J Ill s!Jc bas to gasp for mzotlm: Sometimes sbc iutet'Spcrscs tile li11es Jllitb n little word/err sir'.!Jii'.!J, mciJ as trDn-dn-dnana!» (Water Ntl'11l offn11d Bt·ick en/Is o11t tnlm; but is still tm­ scm. A rmzc ufpolitely ftigned imercst, maski11g indiffemuc, or worse, is clmrnctcl'istic of IJis IpccciJ n•irb Mm;gnrct.)

BRICK: Wha'd you say, Maggie? W;ner was on s' loud I couldn't hearya .. .. MARGARET: Well, 1!-just remarked that!--one ofth' no-neck monsters messed up m' lovc:ly lace dress so I got r'­ ch3·3·3ngc....

(She opcm nud kicks slmt drnll'crs tiftbe drerrt~:)

BRICK: Wh}' d')'il c;sll Gooper's kiddies no-neck monsters? MARGARET: Because d1cy'\'e got no necks! Isn't th::tt 3 good enough reason? BRICK: Don't they hil\'e ilny necks? MARGARET: None visible!. Thdr fat linlc heads arc scr on their t3t little bodies \\id1out a bit of connection. BRICK: That's too bad. MARGARET: Yes, it's roo bad because you can•r wring their necks if thc)•'vc got no necks to wring! Isn't that right, hone}•? (She steps nttt nfbcr dr·crr, stands;, n slip tif i1•or-y snti11 mJd /nee.) 88-f. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 88j Yep, they're no-neck monsters, all no-neck people arc He bns tbc ndditionnl cbnrm of rlmt coul nir of detnclmtmr monsters .. . tbnt people hnl'e n•IJU bm•cgiven 11p tbe stTti.!J.!Jie. Rut 11on• n11d ( CIJi/d rm s!Jrh·k d flll'mtn irs.) tb.m, ~··11m d!rtm·bed, ~tltllctbii'.!J flashes bciJind tt, like ligbt­ '"''.!J 111 n fntr rky, tr/Jtcb sboll's tbnt nt sume deeper lc1•el be is Hear them? Hear them screaming? I don't know where fm· fi·om peaceful. Perbnps ;, a strfii'.!Jer lig!Jt be II'OIIId shun• their voice · boxes arc located since titer don't have: necks. J some signs of ddiqt~escmcc, but tbc fndii'.!J, rtill u•m·m, light tell you I got so nervous at that table: tonight I thought I from tbc gallery trrnts IJim gently.) would throw back my head and utter a scrc:am you could hear across the Arkansas border an' parts of Louisiana :m' MARGARET: I'll tell you what dtey'rc up to, boy of minc:! ­ Tennessee. I said to your charming sister-in-law, Mac, They'rc: up to cutting you out of your father's c:statc, and- honey, couldn't }'OU feed those precious Jiuh: things at a ( SIJe freezes mumcutnrily befol'& IJcr 11cxt rcmnrk. Her ttoice separate table with an oilcloth cover? The)' make such a dr?p~ n.r if it n•c1·c somd1o11• n pcr.rtmnl{v cmbm·msri•'.!J nd- mess an' the lace cloth looks so pretty! She made enormous 71HSII011. ) c)'c:s at me and said, "Ohhh, noooooo! On Big Daddy's birthd3}'? Why, he would never forgive me:!" Wdl, I wam - Now we know that Big Dadd)•'s dyin' of- cmtccr. ... you to know, Big 03ddy hadn't been at the: table two min­ ( 11Jct'& m-e t•fliccs 011 tbc In II'II beloll': loug·drn11•11 en/Is nct·oss utes with those five no-neck monsters slobbi:ring :md distn11cc. Margaret raises !Jer lorcly bnre nrms n11d pon•dcrs drooling over their food before he threw down his fork :m' !Jer m,11pirs ll'it!J n light sigiJ. shouted, "Fo' God's sake, Goopc:r, why don't you put (She ndjttm the twglc ofn mng11ift.i•'.!J mirror ru strnig!Jtcn them pigs at a trough in th' kitchcn?"-Well, 1 swear, I n11 cyclmb, tbm ,.;s,I ~tfttlly sayii'.!J:) simply could have di·iccd! There's so much light in tltc room it- Titink of it, Brick, tltc)''Vc got live of them and number BRICK (soft(v but sllnrply): Do we? six is coming. They've: brought the whole: bunch down here MARGAR.ET: Do we what? like animals to displa}' at a county fair. Why, they have those BRlCK: Know Big Daddr's dyin' of cancer? children doin' tricks all the time! "Junior, show Big Daddy MARGARET: Got me report [Oda}'· how }'OU do this, show Big Daddy how you do that, say BIUCK: Oh ... your little piece fo' Big Daddy, Sister. Show your dimples, MARGARET (/ettir'.!J doll'll bnmbflu bli11ds II'IJic!J enst IU1'.!J, gold· Sugar. Brother, show Big Dadd)' how you stand on your fretted slmdo1rs over tbc rflom): Yep, got m' report just hc:ad!"-lt goes on all me time, along wim constant little now . . . it didn't surprise me, Baby. . . . remarks and innuendos about the: f.act th:~t you and I have not produced an}' children, :uc totally childless and there· (Her t•oice bas mrtgc, mtd mmic; sometimes it dr,ps Inn• ns n fore totally usdcss!-Of course: it's comical but it's also dis· buy's n11d youlmt•c n suddm imngc ofbcr plnyii'.!J buv'sgnmes gusting since it's so obvious wh:u they're up to! ns n child.) • BRICK ( Jl'it/Juut imcrcst): What arc they up to, Maggie:? I rc:c~gnil~d. ~1c symptoms soon's we got here last spring .MARGARET: Why, you know what they're: up to! and I m wdhn to bet you that Brother Man and his wife BRICK (nppcnring): No, I don't know what mcy're up to. were pretty sure of it, too. That more than likely explains (He rtnndr rbcn: ;, the bntbrotllll doorll'nJ drying bir lmir why their usual summer migration to the coolness of me n•itb a ton•cl a11d bai'.!Ji".!l 1mtu tbc tflll'el mck bccmuc tme Great Smokies was passed up this summer in fuvor of­ ankle ir bmkm, plnstcrcd n11d bo11nd. He is rti/1 slim and finn hustlin' down here cv'ry whipstitch with their whole ns n boy. Hir liq11ur lmm't nnrted tcnrir~g bim do11111 outside. scrcamin' tribe! And why so many :1llusions ha\'c been 886 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 887 made to !Uinbow Hill latd)'· You know what Rainbow Hill ence thar a woman ought to experience full)'!-in order to is? Place: that's famous lor trc:arin' alcoholics an' dope fiends full)' ;~ppreciatc the wonder and beauty of it! HAH! in the mo\'ics! Sllt!J BJUCK: I'm not in the movies. ( 17Jis ilmd "HAH!J.t is nccompnuicd by n 1•iolmt actiou MARGAR£T: No, and you don't take dope. Otherwise you're a as sln11mti11._q n drnn•cr s!J11t.) perfect candid:ue for IUinbow Hill, B:tb)•, and that's where -and how she made Brother Man come in an' stand be· thc:v aim to ship you-0\•cr m}' dead body! Yep, over my side: her in tltc dcliverl' room so he would nor miss out on dca'd bod)• they'll ship )'OU there, but nothing would please the "wonder and beautyn of it cither!-producin' those no­ them better. Then Brother M:m could get a-hold of the neck monsters. . . . purse: strings and dole out rcmittances to us, ma}'be get power-of-attorney and sign checks for us and cut off our (A speecb oftiJis ki11d 1vmtld be autipatbctic fi·om a/mort mty­ credit wherever, whenever he wanted! Son-of-a-bitch!­ budy but Margm·er; s!Jc makes tt odd~v fmmy, bemuse IJe~· cycs How'd you like that, Daby?-Wcll, you've been doin' just ttlllftm1tly twiuk/c nud IJer t•flice slmkcs witb lnugbtcr wbiciJ is about e\''rything in your power to bring it about, you'\•e basicnlly indtt(gcut.) just been doin' c\''rything you can think of to aid and abet -Big Daddy shares my attitude toward those two! As for them in this scheme of theirs! Quitrin' work, devoting me, wcll-1 gh·e him a laugh now and then and he toler­ yourself to me occupation of drinkin'!-Breakin' your ates me. In fuct!-1 sometimes suspect that Dig Daddy har­ ankle last night on the high school athletic field: doin' bors a little: unconscious "lcch" fo' me.... what? Jumpin' hurdles? At two or three in the morning? BRICK: What makes you tl1ink that Big Daddy has a lcch for Just funtastid Got in dte paper. Clarksdale R.c._qitter c:1rricd you, Maggie? :1 nice little item about it, human interest stor)' about a MARGARET: Way he alw:t)'S drops his eyes down my body well-known former athlete stagin' a one-man track meet on when I'm t:11lon' to him, drops his C:)'CS to my boobs an' the Glorious Hill High School athletic field last night, licks his old chops! Ha ha! but was slightly our of condition and didn't dear chc first BRICK: That kind of talk is disgusting. hurdle! Brother Man Gooper claims he exercised his inOu· MARGARET: Did anrone ever tell you that you're an ass· encc t' keep it !Tom goin' out over Al' or UP or every aching Puritan, Brick? god dam .. r." I think it's mighty fine that that ole fellow, on the But, Brick? You still ha\'e one big ad\•antagc! doorstep of death, still takes in m}' shape \\ith what I tltink ( Dtll'iii!J tiJc abm•e n••ift flond uf u•m'lfs, Brick lms n:cli11ed is deserved ::appreciation! with cnntrnptmtnl /eis11rc 1111 the nwn•y surface of the bed n11d And you wanta know somcching else? Big Dad d)• didn't bas t'tJ/led tll'et· cm·cfitl(v 011 his side ,. b,:l~v.) know how many little Maes and Goopers had been pro· duced! "How m:tn)' kids have you got?" he asked at the BRICK ( ll'ry(v): Did you say sometlting, Maggie:? table, just like Brotlter Man and his wife were new ::ac­ MARGARET: Big Daddy dotes on you, hone}'· And he can't quaimanccs to him! Big Mama said he: was jokin', but that stand Brother Man and Brother Man's wife, that monster ole boy wasn't jok.in', Lord, no! offcrtility, Mac; she's downright odious to him! Know how And when the)' infawmc:d him tl1at they had fh•c already I know? By little expressions that flicker over his face when and were turning our number six!-thc news seemed to that woman is holding fo'th on one of her choice topics come as a sort of unpleasant surprise . such as-how she refused twilight slecp!-whcn the t\\ins were ddivcrcd! Because she feels motherhood's an expcri- ( CIJildrCII yell bcltm•.) 888 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 889 Screnm, ttumstc1·s! Y'know your brother Goopcr still cherishes the illusion he took a gianr step up on the social ladder when he married ( Tums to Brick ll'itb n s11ddm, ga_lj c/mrmiug smile whic/1 Miss Mac Flynn of the Memphis Flynns. fades as she 11otices tbnt he is lltlt lookill.!J at her lmt iuto fad­ ;,l.!J gold spncr: ll'itb n tmubled cxpressicm. ( Afm;garet IIWJlcs abcmt tht• rmmt as siJC talks, sttJps bejo1·c the (It is co11stallt rejecti01z that makes be~· btmw1· •bitcb_v. _, mi1·rm; IIIIII'CS 1111.)

Yes, you should of been at that supper-table, Bab~·· But I ha\'e a piece of Spanish news tor Gooper. The Flynns never had a thing in this world but money and they lost ( WbmeJ1e1· she calls bim ''baby"' the ll'lll'd is 11 soft cnreH.) that, they were nothing at all but f.1irlv successtitl climtlers. Of course, M;le Flynn came out in Me~1phis eight years be­ \''know, Big Daddy, bless his ole sweet soul, he's the de.u fore I m;ldc my debut in Nashville, but I had friends at est ole thing in the world, but he doc~ hundt O\'Cr his lt1od Ward-Belmont who came from Memphis and they used to as if he preferred not to notice anything cl~c. Well, Mac an' come to sec me and I used to go to sec them for Christmas Goopcr were side b~· side ar the table, dircckl~ · across from and spring v;tcuions, .md so I know who rates an' who Big Daddy, watch in' his face like hawks whtle they jawed doesn't rate in Memphis society. Why, y'know ole Papa an' jabbered about the cuteness .m' hrillance of th' no-neck Flynn, he barely escaped doing time in the Federal pen for monsters! shady manipuhuions on th' stcxk market when his chain (Sbe llt'l!flcs tl'itb 11 /mud jlutterin..IJ nt her tlmmt nud l11:r swres crashed, and .1s lor Mac ha\'ing been a cotton car· lm:nst n11d her loug tlmmt m·ched. ni,•al queen, as they remind us so otten, lest we forget, (She comes dmt•11st11l1e a ud recrea res tiJe suuc Jllitb t•tJiu well, that's one honor that I don't cnw her tor!- Sit on a ud ..IJcsture. ) a brass throne on a tacky float an' ride down Main Street, smilin', bowin', and hlowin' kisses to ,Ill the trash on the And the no-neck monsters were ranged .tround the table, street- some in high chairs and some on th' JltJoks of K11otl'lcdl1C, all in f.1ncy litde paper caps in honor of Big Daddy's birthday, (She picks 1111t a pair of jeweled stmdnls and •·usbes to the and all through dinner, well, I want you to know th.tt d•·miug·tnble.) Brother Man an' his partner nc\'cr once, for one moment, Why, year before !.1st, when Susan McPheeters was singled stopped exchanging pokes an' pinches an' kicks an' sign-; out fo' that honor, y'know what happened to her? Y'know an' signals!-Why, they were like a couple of cardsharps what happened ro poor little Susie McPheeters? fleecing a suckcr.-Evcn Big Mama, bless her ole sweet BRICK (a/Jsemly): No. What happened to little Susie soul, she isn't th' quickest an' brightest thing in the world, McPheeters? she finally noticed, at last, an' said to Gooper, "Goopcr, MARGARET: Somebody !>pit tob.tcco juice in her tacc. what arc you an' Mac makin' all these signs at each other BRICK (dreamily}: Somebody spit tobacco juice in her face? about?"-1 swear t' goodness, I nearly choked on my MARGARET: That's right, some old drunk leaned out of a win· chicken! dow in the Hotel Gayoso and )'died, "Hey, Queen, hey, ( MallJtU·et, back at tbe dressiug-table, still docm 't sec R1·ick. hey, there, Queenie!" Poor Susie looked up and flashed He is wntcbi11g bc1· ll'itb n /oak that is not quire defiunblc.­ him a radiant smile .md he shot out '' squirt of tobacco Ammed? shocked? ccmtcmptttotts?-part of those nud pa rt ll/ juice right in poor Susie's f.1ce. sm11ctbi ug else.) BRICK: Well, what d'you know ,1bout that. CAT ON A HOT Tl N ROOF ACT ONE

MARGARET (gaily): What do l know about it? I was there, I MARGARET: U\ing with someone you Jove can be lonclicr­ th:m li\'ing entirely alouc.'-if the one th:u y' love doesn't saw it! BRICK ( abscmly): Must have been kind of funny. Jove you .. . . MARGARET: Susie didn't think so. Had hysterics. Screamed ( 111~rc is a pn11se. Brick lmbblu dllll'11stagc nud nsks, witbn11t like a banshee:. They h:~d to stop th' par:ldc: an' remove: her Jooki•'.!J nt her:) from her throne: an' go on with- BRICK: Would you like to live alone, Maggie? ( She cntdm sigiJt of him ;, tiJe mil'l'Or, gasps sligiJtly, wiJte/s about to fnce bim. Cormt tm.) ( A11ot/Jer pause: thew-afte~· sbc lms cnught n l)lliek, lmrt brcntiJ:) -Why arc you looking at me like that? BRICK ( wllistli1'.!J softly, "oJP): Like: what, Maggie? MARGARET: Nt~!-Gnd!-llrnu/d7J,t! MARGARET (intemcly, ftnrfully): The way y' were lookin' at (Amuhcronspiii.!J br-cntb. She ji1rcibly co11trt1ls II'!Jnt mt1st bm•c me just now, befo' I caught your eye in the mirror and you bem n11 impulse to cry o11t. We sec IJer dclibcrntcly, ''"'Y started t' whisdc! I don't know how t' describe it but it furcib(v, goii'.!J nil t/Jc u•ay back tu the world i11 which you cmr froze my blood!-I'vc caut;ht you Jookin' :lt me like that so talk nbnllt nrdiunry matters.) often l:ltC:ly. What :u-c: you thinkin1 of when you look ;u me: like th:~t? Did you have :1 nice shower? 1 BRICK: I wasn't conscious of lookin at you, Maggie. BRICK: Uh-huh. MARGARET: Well, I was conscious of it! Wh;n were you MARGARET: Was the water cool? thinkin'? BRICK: No. BRICK: I don't remember thinking of anything, Maggie. MARGARET: But it made y' feel fresh, huh? MARGARET: Don't you think I know that-? Don't you-? BRJCK: Fresher. . . . - Think I know th;n-? MARGARET: I know something would make y' feel '"'"'' BRICK ( cnu/(v): Know wbnt, Maggie? fresher! MARGARET (strii.!J!1Ii".!J for c.'l:prcJSion): That I've gone through BRICK: What? this-!Jidcor~s!-trn nsformn tioJJ, become-bard! Frnmic! MARGARET: An alcohol rub. Or cologne, a rub with cologne! BRICK: That's good after a workout but l h:l\'en 't been ( 11Je11 she ndds, almost te,derly:) workin' out, Maggie. - cruel!! MARGARF.T: You',•e kept in good shape, though. That's what you've been observing in me lately. How BRICK (iudiffircut(v): You think so, Maggie? could y' help but observe it? That's, all rig.ht. l_'m not­ MARGARET: I always thought drinkin • men lost their looks, thin-skinned any more:, can't afford t be then-skinned any but I was plainly mistaken. more. BRICK ( ll'r.v(v}: Wit)', thanks, Maggie. MARGARET: You're the only drinkin' man I know that it never (Sbc is r~oll' ~co1•~ri1'.!J he~· pnll'cr.) seems t' put fut on. - But Brick? Brick? BRJCK: I'm gcuin' softer, Maggie. BRICK: Did you say something? MARGARET: Well, sooner or later it's bound to soften you up. MARGARET: I was goi11' t' say something: that I get-lonely. It was just beginning to soften up Skipper whc:n- Very! BRICK: Ev'rybody gets that . (Sbc nnps sbort.) 1

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE I'm sorr)'· I never could keep my fingers off a sore-I wish Just staying on it, I guess, as long as she can. you n•tmld lose your looks. If ~·ou did it would make the martyrdom of Saint Maggie a little more bearable. But no (More CI'O(jiiCt IOIIIIdS.) such goddam luck. I actually believe you've gotten better looking since you've gone: on the: bottle. Yeah, a person Later ~onight I'm going to tell you I love you an' maybe by who didn't know you would think you'd never had a tense that tame )'Ou'll be drunk enough to believe me. Yes th ' I . , nerve: in your body or a strained muscle. ey rc: p aymg croquet.... Big Daddy is dying of cancc:r.... ( T7Jcrc m·e sotmds of croqt~et 011 tbc lan111 below: tbc click of W~at were you dlinking of when I caught you looking ar mallets, l(11bt voices, uem· tmd distnllt.) me hkc that? Were you thinking of Skipper? Of course, you always had th:.n detached quality as if you (Brick takes 11p bis Cl'ttUb, rises.) were playing a game without much concern over whether rou won or lost, and now that you 'vc lost the game, not Oh, excuse me, forgive me, bur laws of silence don't work! lost bur just quit playing, you h:tve that rare sort of charm No, l:lws of silence don't work .... that usually only happens in very old or hopelessly sick peo­ (Bt·ick ~rosscs ttl rbc bm; takes a quick drink, and rubs his ple, the charm of the dcfcatcd.-You look so cool, so cool, IJcad ll'ltb a tun•d.) so cnviabl)' cool. Laws of silence don't work.... (Music is beard.) . Wl_tcn. something is. festering in your memory or your They're pla~~ng croquet. The moon has appeared :and it's 1?tagmauon, laws of s1lence don't work, it's just like shut· white, just beginning to turn a little bit yellow.... ong. a door and locking it on a house on fire in hope of for­ You were a wonderful lover. . . . gcttmg that the house is burning. Bur not fucing a fire Such a wonderful person to go ro bed with, and [ think doesn't put it out. Silence about a thing just magnifies it. Ir grows and festers in silence, becomes m:1lignant. mostl~· because you were really indifferent to it. Isn't that Get drc:sscd, Brick. right? Never had any anx.icry about it, did it naturally, easily, slowly, with absolmc: confidence and perfect calm, more like: (He drops bis Cl'tt reb.) opening :1 door for a lady or seating her at a table than giv­ ing expression to any longing for her. Your indifference made BIUCK: l'\'c dropped my crutch. you wonderful at lovcmaking-strm~e?-bm true. . .. (He bas stopped rubbil~ his bnir dr;r but still stn11ds bn11gj11.!J You know, if I thought you would nc,•er, never, 7fCPer o11to tbe tou•c/ rack i11 n wbite toll'el-clorb rube.) make love to me ag;1in-I would go downstairs to the: MARGARET: Lean on me. kilchc:n and pick our the: longest and sharpest knife: I could find and stick it straight into my heart, I swear that I BRICK: No, just give: me my crutch. would! MARGARET: Lean on my shoulder. But one thing I don't have: is the charm of the dc:fe:ued, BRICK: 1 don~r ll'aut tu lt:n11 u11 your s1Jouldc1; I Jllmlt m.v crtttcb! my hat is still in the ring, and I am determined to win! ( 17Jere is the smmd tif croquet mallets /Jitti,g croq11et balls.) ( 17Jis is spukm like suddm Jigbt11i11g.)

-What is the victor~· of a cat on a hot tin roof?-I wish 1 Arc you going to give me m}' crutch or do I have to get knew.... down on my knees on the floor and- t.lARGARET: Hetc, bcr·e, take it, tnke it! CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 89S (SIJe !Jns tlmtst r!Je ert~rc!J at !Jim.) ( 17Jc tcmio11 betwcc11 them is bt~ilding agni11 tile voices bc- comillg shrill nucc more.) ' BRICK (!Jobb/iug out): Thanks ... MARGARET: We: musrn't scream at each other, the walls in this BRICK: I didn't get him a present. house have cars. . . . MARGARET: I got one for you. BRICK: {He bobbles directly ru liqu11r cnbi11ct to get a IICIJ' dri11k.) All right. You write: the card, then. MARGARET: And h:~vc him know you didn't rc:mcmbi:r his -but that's the first time l've he:1rd you raise )'OUr voice in birthd:t)•? a long time, Brick. A crack in the wall:-Of composure:? BRICK: I didn't remember his birt:hday. -I think that's a good sign .... MARGARET: You don't have to prove you didn't! A sign of nerves in a player on the defensive! BRICK: I don't want to fool him about ir. (Brick tllrns and smiles at !Jer cuo/(y tll'cr !Jii.frtJIJ dri11k.) MARGARET: Just write "Love, Brick!" for God's­ JIRICK: No. BRIC~: It just h:tSn't happened yet, Maggie. MARGARET: You 'vc got to! MARGARET: What? BRICK: I don't have to do anything I don't want to do. You BlUCK: The click I get in m)' head when l'\•e had enough of keep forgetting t:he conditions on which I agreed ro stay on this stuff to make me peaceful. . . . living \vith you. Will you do me a f.wor? MARGARET (ottt before she klloll's it): I'm not living \vid1 you. MARGARET: Maybe I will. What f.tvor? We occupy the: same cage:. BlUCK: Just, just keep your voice down! BRICK: You've got to remember the conditions agreed on. MARGARET ( ;,J n !Jom"Sc wbispcr): I'll do you t:hat fa,·or, l'U MARGARET: They're: impossible conditions! speak in a whisper, if not shut up complctcl}', if _Ytm will do BRICK: Then why don't you-? me a f.tvor and make that drink your l:tSt one till after tbc: MARGARET: HUSH! Who is out there? Js somebody at the parcy. door~ RRICK: What party~ ( 17m·e nrc foorsrepr in/mil.) MARGARET: Dig Daddy's birthday part)'. BlUCK: Is mis Big Daddy's birthday! MAE (mmidc): M:t)' I enter a moment? MARGARET: You know mis is Big Daddy's birthday! MARGARET: Oh, JOII! Sure. Come in, Mac. RlUCK: No, I don't, I forgot it. MARGARET: Well, I remembered it for you.... ( Mnc mters bcnriug aloft tiJc bo11• ofa yotmg Jad_vlsnrciJcrysct.) ( 17Jey nrc b11tb speaking as brcntblm/y ns n pnir of kids ajttr AtAE: Brick, is this thing yours? a fig!Jt, drnuriug deep c.\:lmmrcd brcntiJs tllld Jooki11g nt ench MARGARET: Why, Sister Woman-that's my Diana Trophy. 11tiJer with fnrnurny eyes, slmking n11d pn11ti11g tngctbet· ns if Won it at the intercollegi:ue archery contest on the Ole tiJc.Y bnd broken npm·t from n ••iole11t ltrll.fJ!Jie.) Miss C3mpus. MAE: It's 3 mighty dangerous thing to leave exposed round a BRICK: Good for )'OU, Maggie. house full of nawmal rid·bloodcd children attracted t' MARGARET: You just have to scribble a few lines on this card. weapons. BRICK: You scribble something, Maggie. MARGARET: "Nawm:l.! rid·blooded children attr.Jcted t' MARGARET: It's got to be your handwriting; it's your present, weapons" ought t' be taught to kc:c:p their hands off things I've gj\'cn him my present; it's got to be your handwriting! th3t don't belong to them. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE

MAE: Maggie, honey, if you had children of your own you'd ( Someu11~ duJI'IIttnirs calls fur bcr. aHey, MacJ»-SIJc rusiJes r11 know how funny that is. Will you pkase lock this up :md dOUij SflJIII.!J:) put the key out of reach? MARGARET: Sister Woman, nobod)' is plotting the destruction Intermission is over! of your kiddies.-Brick and I still ha\'C our special archc:rs' MARGARET ( ns Mne dtJscr dnor): I wonder what Dixie's rc:tl n:1me is? license. We're gain' deer·huntin' on Moon L3kc 35 soon 35 the sc3son starts. I )O\'C to run with dogs through chilly BRICK: M:tggic, being cauy doesn't hdp things any ... woods, run, run leap O\'Cr obstructions- MARGARET:. I know! WHT.'-Am I so catty?-Causc I'm con· s~med wtth envy a?' eaten up with longing?- Brick, J'\'C (Sbcgncs i11t11 the dusct cn,.,yi11.!J the bow.) laad out your bc:tuuful Shantung silk suit from Rome and MAE: How's the injured ankle, Brick? ~nc ~f }:our monogrammed silk shirts. I'll put }'our cuff. In BRICK: Doesn't hurt. Just itches. hnks It, those lovcly st:tr s:1pphircs I get you to wear 50 MAE: Oh, my! Brick-Brick, rou should'\'c been downstairs rarely. . .. after supper! Kiddies put on a show. Poll)• pl:l)'cd the piano, BRIC~: I C3n't get trousers on over this pl:tster cast. Buster :m' Sonny drums, an' then the)' turned our the lights MARGARET: Yes, )'ou can, I'll hc:lp you. an' Dixie an' Trixie puhfuwmcd a toe dance in fuiry costume BRICK: I'm no_t goin~ to get dressed, M:tggie. with spn1Jkl11bs! Big D3ddy just be3med! He just beamed! MARGARET: Wall you JUSt put on a pair of white silk pajamas? MARGARET (from tile closet Jllit/J n sbm'P laugh): Oh, I bct. It BRlCK: Yes, I'll do tl1at, Maggie. breaks my heart that we missed it! MARGARET: T/Jn11k you, thank }'OU so lllttcb! BRICK: Don't mention it. (She ll:CIIters.) MARG~REr: OIJ, B1·icH How long docs it h:lVc t' go on? This But M:te? Wll)' did y'gh·c d:twgs' names to all your k.iddics? pumshment? !"f:t\'cn'r I done time enough, haven't I served MAE: D1!!JI1 names? ffi}' tcrm, c:~n t I :tpply for 3-pardon? RRlC~: Maggie, y~u'rc spoiling m}' liquor. Lately }'our voice (Mn1Jiaret bas made this nbm·patitm as siJe g11cs 111 raise the always sounds hkc you'd been running upstairs to warn bnmbu11 blinds, since tiJe sw1sct glare IJns dimiuislmf. b1 cross· somebody that the house was on fire! iii.!J sbc wi11ks at Brick.) MA.RGARE!: Well, no wonder, no wonder. Y'know what r feel MARGARET (.n••cct~v): Dixie, Trixie, Buster, Sonny, Poll)•!• hkc, Bnck? Sounds like four dogs and a parrot . . . animal :tct in a circus! ( ChildrmJs n11d grUJVIIups' J•oiccs nrc ble11dcd bdmr ;, n ltmd but llll&errnill reudititm of Wild Iris/; MAE: Maggie? ~My Rt~sc. i

( Mnrgm·cr rurm ll'it/J n m1il&.) I feel all tb~ time like n car tm n IJIJt tt'11 ru 11J! BRICK: Then JUmp off the roof, jump offit, ~:tts can jump otT Wh)' arc you so c:ttt)'? roofs :tnd land on their four fcer uninjured! MARGARET: C:tuse I'm a cat! But why can't .vtm take a joke, MARGARET: Oh, yes! Sister Wom:m? DRJCK: Do ir!-fo' God's s:tkc, do it ... MAE: Nothin' plca.'ies me more than a joke that's funny. You MARGARET: Do what? know the real names of our kiddics. Buster's real name is BRICK: Take a lover! Robert. Sonny's real name is S:1unders. Trixie's real name is MARGARET:_ I can't sec a man bur you! E\'en with my eyes Marlene and Dixic's- closed, I JUSt sec you! Why don't you get ugl~·. Brick, why CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 899 don 'r you please get fut or ugly or something so I could ( Sbc mttles tbe I: nob.) stand it? -What's this door doin',lockcd, fuw? You 311 think there's ( SIJc rmbu ttl bn/1 dom; ope11s it, listem.) robbers in the houc;c? MARGARET: Big Mam3, Brick is drcssin', he's not dressed yer. The concert is still going on! Bravo, no-necks, bravo! BIG MAMA: That's all right, it won't be the first time I've seen (Sbc sln111S n11d locks dtwr jit~·cely.) Brick not dressed. Come on, open this door! BRICK: What did you lock the door for? (Mar;gnrct, tvitb n g1·imncc, goa to tmlock nud 11pc11 tbe /mil MARGAllET: To give us a lirtlc privacy for 3 while. door, ns Brick lmbblcs mpidly ttl tbe bntb1·oom n11d kicks rbe BRICK: You know better, Maggie. dm,. shut. Big Mnmn hns disappeared frtml the /Jn/1.) MARGARET: No, I don't know better.. .. MARGARET: Big Mama? ( Sbc riiiim til galltl')' doors, dmii'I the rose-silk drapes ncrosr (}Jig Mnma nppcm·s tlmmgb tbe tJPPtlsite ._qn/Jery dmJN bclliud tl1cm.) Mm:garet, /mf.fill._/1 a11d puffiii.!Jiikc nu old bulldti.!J. Sbc is a BRICK: Don't make a fool of yourself. short, sttmt tl'tllllnll; bcr si:o:ty years n11d 170 pmmds lmJ•c left MARGARET: I don't mind m:tkin' a fool of myself over you! be~· somcwbnt b1·entblcn must of tbe time; sbc's alwnys teused BRICK: J mind, Maggie. I feel embarrassed for you. liken bn:o:cr, m· rntbcr, n ]apn11csc wrestler. Her «Jnmily" wns MARGAilET: Feel embarrassed! But don't continue my ronurc. ma_vbe n little mpcriol' tu Big Dndd.v's, but 1111t tmub. Sbc I can't live on and on under these circumstances. wcnrs n black or silr•tl' /nee drm n11d nt lenst IJnlf n millitm ;, BIUCK: You agreed to- jlnsb.r gcmt. Sbc is 1•cry Iim:crc.) MARGARET: I know but- DIG MAMA (ltmd(l', srm·tliti.!J Mm;gn,.et): Here-[ come through RIUCK: -Accept that condition! Gooper's and M:tc's gall'r)' door. Where's Brick? Brici."­ MARGAilET: I CAN'T! CAN'T! CAN'T! Hurry on out of there, son, I just h3ve a second and want (She scir.a bis sboulde~:) to give you the news :tbout Big D3ddy.-1 h:ttc locked doors in 3 house. . . . BRJCK: Let go! MARGARET ( ll'itb afftctcd ligbmcss): I've noticed you do, Big (He brcnl:s mMy fi·um be~· nml seizes tbc smnll bu11doir l'vl3ma, but people h;l\'c got to have s11me moments of pri· clmir n11d rnisu it Jil:c n Jiou-tnmcr fntiug n big &ircm cnt. vacy, don't they? ( Co1111t ji1•t. She stares at bim n•itb bcr fist pressed to ller lUG MAMA: No, ma'am, not in my house. ( Witbu11t pn11sc) mtmt!J, t!Jm b11rsts i11to s!Jri/1, almost bystericn/ lau.. qbter. He Wh01ch:1 took ofT you' dress faw? I thought that liulc lace rcmni11s grave fiw a mum cut, tbCII.!JI'ills a11d puts t!Je cbnir dress was so sweet on yuh, honey. dtJJI'II , MARGARET: 1 thought ir looked sweet on me, too, but one of (Big Mnmn en/Is tbro11gll closed door.) m' cure little table-partners usc:d ir for a napkin so-! DIG MAMA (picki11.!J up SltiCkiugs nil jltlOI'); What? BIG MAMA: Son? Son? Son? MARGARET: You know, Dig Mama, Mac and Goopcr's so BRJCK: What is it, Big Mam:t? touch)• about those children-thanks, Big Mama . . . BIG MAMA (mwide): Oh, son! We got the most wonderful news about Big D3ddy. 1 just had t' run up an' tell you (Jl[q Mnmn lms tlmrst tiJe picked-up st11ckiugs iu Mm:_qnrct's right this- brmd witiJ n .!JI'UIIt.) 900 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE -mat you just don't dare to suggest there's any room for much of a load that news rook off his mind, but didn't fool improvement in mcir- me. H~ was mighty dose: to crying about it himself! BIG MAMA: Brick, hurry out!-Shoot, Maggie, you just don't ( Gnodbyes nre shomed donmttnirs, nnd sl1c rmbes to door. ) like children. MARGARET: I do SO like children! Adore mem!-wc:ll Hold tiJose people doll'" the~-r:, dou't let tiJcm go!-Now, git brought up! dressed, we're aU comin' up ro mis room fo' Big Dadd)•'s BIG MAMA (gmtle-ltll'illg): Well, why don't you have some: birthday party because of your ankle.-How's his ankle, and bring them up well, men, instead of all me rime pidtin' Maggie? on Goopc:r's an' Mac's? MARGARET: Well, he broke it, Big Mama. GOOPER (slm11ti11.!J 11p tile ttnirs): Hey, hey, Big Mama, Betsy BIG MAMA: I know he: broke it. an' Hugh got to go, waitin' t' tell yuh g'by! (A pbrme is l'ingiug in ball. A Negro Jllliec IIIIS11 1trJ: rrMittllb BIG MAMA: Tell 'em to hold their hawscs, I'll be right down Polly's m'tfmu., in a jiffy! 1 mean docs it hurr him much still. (S11e t11ms tn the bntbroom door n11d calls ottt.) MARGARET: I'm :tfraid I can't give you that information, Big Son? Can you hc:~r me in there? Mama. You'll have to ask Brick if it hurrs much still or not. SOOKEY ( iu the lm/1): It's Memphis, Mizz Polly, it's Miss S:tlly ( 17m-r: is n mttfJltd n11snrer.) in Memphis. We just got the full report from the bbomory at the BIG MAMA: Awright, Sookcy. Ochsner Clinic, compktd)' ncg:~ti\•c, son, ev'rything nega­ (Big Mnmn a·mlm i11to tbe lm/1 nnd is beard sbtmtiii.!J mJ tbe tive, right on down me line! Nothin' a-tall's wrong with piJrme:) him bur some little function:~! thing c:~lled :1 spastic colon. Can )'OU hear me, son? Hello, Miss SaJiy. How arc you, Miss Sally?-Yes, well, I MARGARET: He c:~n he:~r you, Big Mama. was just gonna call you about it. SIJtJot.'- BIG MAMA: Then why don't he say something? God Almighty, (S!Je raises ller ••oice ton be/loll'.) :1 piece of news like tl1:1t should m:lkc him shout. It m:~de me shout, I c:1n tell you. I shouted and sobbed and fell Min Sn/(y? Dou't ever en// me frum tile Gnyuro Lobby, too right down on m)' knees!-Look! mmh talk gots u11 ;, tbat hotel lt~bby, "" li'DIIder ycm cnu't ( S!Je p11lls 11p her ski1·t.) bcnr me! Now listen, Miss Sally. Thcy's nothin' serious wrong \\itll Big Daddy. We got me report just now, tltcy's Sec me bruises where I hit my kneecaps? Took both doc· nothin' wrong but a thing called a-spastic! SPASTIC!­ tors to haul me back on my fccr! colon ...

(She lnttgbs-s!Je nlll'nyr lnt~gbs like hell at bene/f.) (She nppcnrs nt tbe fm/1 don1•111td cnlls to Mm:onrct.) Big D:tdd}' was furious witlt me! But ain't that wonderful - Maggie, come out here and talk to that fool on tile news? phone:. I'm shouted breathless! MARGARET (goes 0111 nnd is beard m•cetly nt pbo11c): Miss Sally? ( Fnei11g bntiJroum ngnbt, siJ~ comimta:) This is Brick's wife, Maggie. So nice to hcotr your voice. After :tJI the anxiety we been dtrough to git a report like Can you hc:ar mint? Well, good!-Big Mama jusr wanted that on Big Daddy's birthdJy? Big Daddy tried to hid~ how you to know mat thcy'\'e got me report from the Ochsnc:r CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 903

Clinic and what Dig Daddy has is a spastic colon. Yes. BIG MAMA: Don't laugh about it!-Somc sinsle men stop Spastic colon, Miss S:Uiy. That's right, spastic colon. GJbyt, drinkin' when they git married and odtcrs start! Brick never Miss Snlly, lmpe P/1 sec ycm IY:nl smm! touched liquor before he-! .MARGARET (cryi11g o11t): THATJS NOT FAIR! (Hn11gs 11p n little before Miss Snllyll'ns probably ready toter­ BIG MAMA: Fair or nor fuir l want to ask you a question, one: millntc t!Jc talk. S!Jc rcttmtJ tlmmgb tile /mil do11r.) question: D'you make Brick happy in bed? She heard me perfccd)'· I've discovered with d..:af people MARGARET: Why don't you ask if he makes me h3pp)' in bed? the: thing to do is not shout at dlcm but just enunciate BIG MAMA: Because I know that- clearly. My rich old Aunt Cornelia was deaf as the dead but MARGARET: It Jllclrks btlt/J ll'fiYJ! 1 could make her hear me just by sayin' each word slowly, BIG MAMA: Something's n~t right! You're childless and my distincdy, dose to her car. I read her the Cummereinl son drinks! Appeal ev'ry night, read her the dassificd ads in it, even, (Sumeo11c !Jns en/led he1· dmt•ustnirs nud she IJns rmbcd to the she: never missed a word of it. Uut was she a mc:an ole dom· 011 t/Jc liuc nbm•c. S/Jc films nt t/Je d11m· nnd p11i11ts nr thing! Know what I got when she died? Her u~xpircd tile bed.) subscriptions to five magazines and the Book·of·the-Month Club and n LIBRARY full of C:\''ry dull book ever written! -When a marriage socs on the rocks, the rocks arc t!JCt·c, All else went to her hellcat of 3 sister . . . meaner than she right there! was, C\'en! MARGARET: 11mt1s- (Big Mama lms bec11 straig!Jtmiti.!J tiJiugs up ;, the room (Big Mnmn hns m•cpt om oft/Je room nud slammed the door.) d11riti.!J tiJir speeeiJ.) -not-fnir .. . BIG MA~L\ (closiug elcJJet door 011 dismrded clutlm): Miss Sally ( MmlJnrcr is nlune, complctt{v nlom, n11d she ftelr it. SIJe mrc is n case! Big Daddy says she's :1lways got her h3nd out dmn•s i11, lnmchcs her s!Jonlde~·s, rniJes her nrms ll'ith fists fo' somcdting. He's not mistaken. That poor ole thing :tJ. clmc!Jcd, sh11ts !Jer eyes tigiJr ns a child nbtmt to be stabbed ways has her hand out fo' somethin'. I don't think Big 1rit!J n J•ncci11nticm tucd/c. W!Jm she opem /Jcr c_'VCS n!Jniu, Daddr gives her 3s much as he should. 1rlmt s!Je sees is tbc lo1tg OJ•nl mj,·rnr nud s!Jc l'tiSIIcs strnigbt 111 ( Somebod_y s/Jortts fiw IJe~· don'llstnii"S nud 1l1e shams:) it, stares iuto it ll'it!J a grimace n11d sn.vs: ~~'Wim nrc ,Yott?"- 11Jcll she eroucbcs n little mtd nunrrti'S IJersdf i11 n diffcrcllt I'm comin'! 11 t•11icc ll'hiciJ is high, thi111 muclti11.!J: ~~'[ nm Ma.!l!Jie the Cnt! - (She Itm·tr om. At the /m/1 door, tttr11s nud jcl'lu n fol'eflll.!Jetj Stmigbtclls f}llicltly ns bntbrocmt doo1· opms n little mtd Brick first ttlll'nrd the batfmiiJm dum; then toll'n rd the lil]tiUr cnbiuet, cn/lr uut to !Jer.) mcnlliug: «Has Brick bcm drit~kiti.!J?" Margaret pretmds tiDt BRICK: Has Big Mama gone? to tmderitnud, cocks her bend nud miscs /Jer brou•s ns if the MARGARET: She's gone. pnutomimic perfiwmnnce ll'ns cumplctc{v mystift.iti.!J 111 be~: (Big Mnmn ,.,s/m bnck ttl Mnrgm·ct:} (He opcm tbt bntiJroom do11r nud hobbles ont, n•itb IJiJ liquor glass IJOII' empty, straight to tbc liqtwr cnbitzet. He is Shoot! Stop pln_YiiiJ 111 dttmb!-I mean has he been drinkin1 u•histliii.!J softly. Mm:oan:t's bend pif'ots ou bcr loii.!J, s/cudcr that stuff much yet? thront to ll'ntcb bim. MARGARET ( ll'ir!J a little ln11giJ): Oh! I think he had a highball ( SIJc raises n hnud rmccrtniuly to the bnsc ofbe,. tiJront, ns after supper. ifit n•as difficult fur be~· to m•nllcm•, before sbe speaks:) CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 905

You know, our sex life didn't just peter out in the usual BRICK: I sec no reason to lock him out of a powder room in way, it was cut off short, long before the narur:d time for it mat case. to, and it's going to re\i\'e again, just as sudden as that. I'm MARGARET: And have someone catch me at it? I'm not that confident of it. That's what I'm keeping myself aumctivc stupid. Oh, I miglu sometime cheat on you widt someone, for. For me: time: when }'OU 'II sec: me: again like other men since you're so insultingly eager to have me do it!-But if I sec me. Yes, like other men sec me. The}' still sec me, Brick, do, you can be damned sure it \\ill be: in a place and a time and they like what they sec. Uh-huh. Some of them would where no one but me and the man could possibly know. gh•c their- Because I'm not going to gi\•e you any excuse to divorce Look, Brick! me for being unfuithful or anything else. . . . nrucK: Maggie, I wouldn't divorce you for being unf.limful (She stn11ds bifm-c tbc: lrmg ul'nl ,;,.,·m~ tollcbt•s her breast twd or an}•thing else. Don't you know that? Hell. I'd be re­ tbm bc1· hip! n•itb ber two lm nds.) lic\'ed to know that you'd found yourself :1 lover. How high my bod}' stays on mc!-Nothing has fullc:n on MARGARET: Wdl, I'm takins no chances. No, l'd rather stay me-not a fraction. . . . on dtis hot tin roof. BRICK: A hot tin roof's 'n uncomfo'tablc: place t' stay (He,. ••nice is suft nnd tmubli11g: n plcndi11g c/Jild,s. At this mo­ on .. . . mmt as /J,; tllms togltmcc nt bc,-a lrwk n•bic!J is liken player pns.ring n ball 111 anntbcr plnyc1; third dun•11 n11d gun/to ao­ (He starts ttJ wbistle .rnft~v.) sbe bns til cnptm·e tbc rmdic11cc i11 n g1ip 111 tigbt tlmt sbc cmz MARGARET ( tbmttgb !Jis ll'bistle): Yeah, but I can sta}' on it just IJold it till tbe jil'st ilttcrmissirm ll'itbout n11y lnpse nfnrtmtion.) as long as I have to. Od1er men still want me. M}' f.lce look.o; strained, some­ BRICK: You could lc:avc me, M:~ggie . times, but I've kept m}' figure as well as }'OU \•c kept yours, ( Ht rcmmcs ll'llistlc. Sbc wlm:ls nbrmr tu glare at !Jim.) :md men admire it. I still turn heads on me street. Why, last week in Memphis e\'crywhcre that I went men's C:}'C:s MARGARET: Dott't ll'nllt to n11d N'illllot! Besides if I did, you burned holes in my clothes, at the country club and in don't have a cenr to p:~y lor it but what you get from Big restaurants and department stores, there wasn't a m:m 1 Daddr and he's dring of cancer! met or walked by that didn't just car me up with his eyes and turn around when I passed him and look back at me. ( Fo,. tbe first time n rca/t::;ntion uf Rig Dndd;v's duom seems tu Wh}', at Alice's party for her New York cousins, the best pmctJ'fltt tu RritPs cnmcimm~tss, 1'inb(r, n11d be lor1ks nt Jookin' man in dte crowd-followed me upstairs and tried Mm:nnrct.) to force his way in the powder room with me, followed me RRICK: Big Mama just said he n1nm't, that the report was to the door and tried to force his war in! Oka}'· BIUCK: Why didn't you let him, Maggie? MARGARET: That's what she thinks because: she got the same MARGARET: Because l'm not that common, for one thing. story that they ga\'c Big Daddy. And was just as taken in b}' Not that I wasn't almost tempted to. You like to know who it as he was, poor ole things. . . . it was? It was Sonny Boy Maxwell, that's who! But tonight they're going to tell her the trum about it. BRICK: Oh, yeah, Sonnr Boy Ma~"vell, he was a good end­ When Big Daddy goes to bed, the}''rc going to tell her that runner but had a litde injurr to his back and had to quit. he is dying of cancer. MARGARET: He has no injury now and has no ,,;rc and still has a Jcch for me! (She slnms tbc dresser drnn•c1:) 906 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 907

-lr's malignant and it's terminal. Ochdlo place. But he got hold of it an' built it into th' BRICK: Docs Big Daddy know it? biggest an' finest plantation in the Dclta.-I'vc always liked MARGARET: !"fell, do they CJ'tr know it? Nobody s:ays, Big Daddy...... You're dymg." You ha\•e to fool them. They have to fool (She cr11sst1lu the pr·osccr1i11m.) tiJcmsell•cs. BRICK: Why! Well, this is Dig Daddy's last birthday. I'm sorry about it. MARGARET: W/J_y? Because human beings drc:tm of life ever­ But I'm facing the facts. It takes mone)' to take care of lasting, that's the reason! But most of them want it on a drinker and that's the office that I've been elected to earth and not in heaven. lately. (He gi1•t1 n short, /Jnrd ln11giJ nt ber tuuciJ of lmm01:} BRICK: You don't have to rake care of me. MARGARET: Yes, I do. Two people in the same boat have got Well .... (Sbe tuuclm 11p ber mnscnrn.) That's how it is, to rake care of each other. At least you want money to buy anyhow.... (S!Je look! about.} Where did I put down my more Echo Spring when this supply is exhausted, or will cigarette? Don't want to burn up the home-place, at least you be satisfied with a ten-cent beer? not with M:te and Gooper and their five monsters in it! Mac an' Goopcr arc plannin' to freeze us out of Big D:1ddy's est:lte because you drink and I'm childless. But we (SIJc lms fiJtmd it n11d melts nt it orudily. Blmrs out smoke can defeat that pl:m. We're goi11g to defeat that plan! n11d cuntimtts:} Brick, _Y'Imou~ Fl•c bcm Ill God dn11111 diS.!JIIstiri.!JIY pt~or nil So this is Big Daddy's last bird1day. And M:tc and Goopc:r, my lift!- That's the trttth, Brick! they know it, oh, tbey know it, all right. They got the first BRICK: I'm not sayin' it isn't. information from the Ochsner Clinic. Th:tt's why they MARGARET: AJways had to suck up to people I couldn't stand rushed down here wid1 their no-neck monsters. Because. because they had money and I was poor as Job's turkey. Do you know something? Big Daddy's made no will? Big You don't know what th;tr's like. Well, I'll tell you, it's like Daddy's never m:tde our any will in his life:, and so this you would feel a thousand miles away from Echo Spring!­ campaign's afoot to impress him, forcibly a.~ possible, with And had to get back to it on that broken ankle ... with· the fact that )'OU drink and I've borne no children! out a crutch! TI1at's hm\ it feels to be as poor as Job's turke)' and have (He cuntimtts to stare nt lm·" mummt, t!Jm mutters some· to suck up to rc:latives thor you hated because they had t/Jiug slmrp b11t 11ot audible n11d IJt~bblcs rnt!Jcr rnpidly o"t moncr and all you had was a bunch of hand-me-down o11to tbc lo'I.!J .!Jnllery iu tbc [ndi11g, 11111cll fndcd, gold light.) clothes and a few old moldy three per cent government MARGARET ( co11ti1111iri.!J IJt~· limrgicn/ ciJnm): Y'know, I'm bonds. My dadd)' loved his liquor, he fell in love with his folld of Big D:~ddy, I am genuincl)' fond of that old man, I liquor the way you 1\'e fallen in love with Echo Spring!­ really n m, you know. . . . And mr poor Mama, having to maint:~in some semblance BRICK (fnilltly, J•ngucly): Yes, I know you arc:. . . . of social position, to keep appearances up, on an income of MARGARET: I've always sort of admired him in spite of his one: hundred and tift}• dollars a month on those old gov­ coarseness, his four-letter words and so forth. Because Big ernment bonds! D:~ddy is what he is, and he: makes no bones about it. He When I came our, the year that I m:~dc my debut, I had hasn't turned gentleman farmer, he's still a .Mississippi red just two evening dresses! One Mother made me from a pat­ neck, as much of a red neck as he must have been when he tern in l1og11e, d1e od1er a hand-me-down from a snotty rich was just overseer here on the old Jack Str.l\\' and Peter cousin I hated! 908 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 909

-The dress that I married you in was m}' grandmother's MARGARET: This time: I'm going co finish what I have: to say wcddin' gown.... to you. Skipper and I made love, if lm•e you could call it, So that's wh}' I'm like a cat on a hot tin roof! because it made both of us fed a little bit closer to you. You sec:, you son of a bitch, you asked too much of people, (Briel: is still 011 the gnl/ery. Sumenne belort• en/Is 11p tn !Jim ;, a tl'nrm Neg1·n 1•uiec, aHiyn, Mistu!J Briel:, 1Jo11• yuh fte/i,J?» of me, of him, of all the unlucky poor damned sons of B1·ick rnises bis liq11o1· glass ns iftlmt nllsll'crcd the q11crtio1J.) bitches that happen to love you, and there was a whole pack of them, yes, there was a pack of them besides me MARGARET: You can be young without money but you c;m'r :md Skipper, you asked too goddam much of people th:lt be old without it. You've got to be old fl'it/J mom:y because: loved you, you-superior crcature!-you godlike: being!­ to be old without it is just roo :1wful, you've got to be one And so we made love to each otltc:r to dream it was you, or the other, either _l'OIW.._IT or rritiJ mo11cy, you can't be old both of us! Yc:s, yes, }'CS! Truth, truth! Whot's so awful and withottt it.-Th:1t's the trutiJ, Brick. about it? I like it, 1 think the truth is-ycoh! 1 shouldn't (Briel: ll'bistles soft(v, l'ngudy.) have told you .••. BRICK (IJo/di11g IJis bead mmnt11rn/Jy still m1d rtptiltcd n bit}: It Well, now I'm dressed, I'm :111 dressed, there's nothing else was Skipper that told me about it. Not you, Maggie. for me to do. ttlARGARET: I told you! (Forloni(Y, n/murt ftarfitl(v.) BRICK: After he told me! MARGARET: What docs it matter who-? I'm dressed, all dressed, nothing dsc for me to do. (Brick t11r11t mddm~y out upn11 tbc gallery n11d en/Is:) (SIJe 111111•es about 1"estlm(v, nimlcssly, n11d speaks, ns if to lm-sdf.) BRICK: Little girl! Hey, little girl! LllTLE GIRL (nt n distn11cc}: What, Uncle Brick? 1 know when I mode m}' mist:lke.-What :1m I-? Oh!-my BRICK: Tdl the folks to come up!-llring everybody upsrnirs! bracelets .. . . .MARGARJIT: 1 can't stop myself! I'd go on telling you this in (She starts ll'orl:i11g n cul/utitm of bracelets m•u· her lm11ds front of them all, if I had to! BRICK: Little girt! Go on, go on, will you? Do what I told tmto her nrrirtt, about sis 1111 cnc!J, ns sbe tnlks.) you, call them! I've thought a whole lot about it and now l know when I MARGARET: Because it's got to be told and you, you!-you made m}' mistake. Yes, I made my misrakc when I told you never lc:t me! the truth about that thing with Skipper. Ne\'cr should h:1vc: (SIJc sobs, tbtll cn11truls bt~·se/f, n11d Ctmtimus n/mult tnlm(v.} confessed it, a futal error, rellin' }'OU about that thing with Skipper. It was one of tltosc beautiful, ideal things they tell about BRICK: Maggie, shut up about Skipper. I mean it, Maggie; in dte Greek lc:gends, it couldn't be anything else, you be· you got to shut up about Skipper. ing you, ;md mat's what made it so sad, that's what made MARGARET: You ought to understand that Skipper and I­ it so awful, because it was Jove that never could be car· BRICK: You don't think I'm serious, Maggie? You're fooled ried through to anything satisfying or even talked about by the fuct that I am sa}ing this quiet? Look, Maggie. What pl:1inly. Brick, I tell you, you got to believe me, Brick, 1 d11 you're: doing is a dangerous thing to do. You'rc:-you'rc­ undcrsrand all about id 1-1 tl1ink it was-11oblc! Can't }'OU 'rc:-foolin' with something that-nobody ought to you tdl I'm sincere when I say I respect it? My only fool with. point, the only point tl1at I'm making, is life has got to be 9!0 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT ONE 9ff

:~llowcd to continue even :~frer the drtnm of life is-aU­ you got a spinal injury-couldn't play the Th;mksgivin' over.... game: in Chicago, watched it on 1V from a traction bed in Toledo. I joined Skipper. The Dixie= Stars lost because poor (Brick is ll'itlllmt bis crlltdJ. Ltnlliii.!JUII Jitmittlrc, be crossts Slcippcr was drunk. We drank together that night all night in to pick it up ns she comimus ns if ptJ!S(.SScd by n n•i/1 011tside IJcrsc/f:) the bar of the Blackstone and when cold day W:lS comin' up over the: Lake an' we wcrc comin' out drunk to rake a Why I remember when we double-dated at college:, Gladys dizzy look at it, I said, "SKIPPER! STOP LOVIN' MY Fitzgerald and I and you :~nd Skipper. it W:lS more like a HUSBAND OR TELL HIM HE'S GOT TO LET YOU date bc:r:wcen )'OU and Skipper. Gl:~d)•s :md I were just sorr ADMIT IT TO HIM!"-onc way or another! of tagging :~long as if it W:lS necessary ro chaperone: you!­ HE SLAPPED ME HARD ON THE MOUTH!-dtcn to make :1 good public impression- rurned and ran without stopping once, l am sure, all the: BRICK ( mrm to fncc her, IJnlf liftilrg /Jis cmtc/J): Maggie, you way back into his room at the Blackstone. . . . want ntc to hit }'OU with this crutch? Don't you know I -When I came: to his room that night, with :1 little could kill you \\ith this crutch? scratch like ash)' little mouse at his door, he made that piti­ MARGARET: Good Lord, man, d' you think I'd care if you did? ful, ineffectual litde atrempt to prove th;lt what I had said BRICK: One man has one great good true thing in his life. W:lSn 't true. . . . One gre:tc good thing which is true!-! had friendship with (Bn.ck strikes nt /Jcr n•it/1 cl"tltcb, n bloll' tbnr slllltm-s the gem­ Skippcr.-You arc naming it dirty! like lnmp otJ tile rnblc.) MARGARET: I'm not naming it dirty! I am naming it clean. BRICK: Not Jove with you, Maggie, but fiiendship with Skipper -In this way, I destroyed him, by telling him truth that he was that one great true thing, and you arc naming it dircy! and his world which he was born and raised in, yours and MARGARET: Then you haven't been Jistenin ', nor understood his world, had told him could not be told? what I'm sa)ing! I'm naming it so damn dean that it kiUed -From then on Skipper w:lS nothing at all but :1 recep­ poor Skipper!-You two had something that had to be kept tacle for liquor and drugs. . . . on icc, yes, incorruptible, ycs!-;md de:nh W:lS the only ice­ - Wl1o silot cock-J·obi,? I with my- box where you could keep it. . . . (S!Jc tbmws back IJcr !Jend with tight slmt eyes.) JIIUCK: I married you, M:~ggic. Why would I marT)' you, Maggie, if I w:ts-? -mcrcift~l arrow! MARGARET: Brick, don't: brain me ycr,ler me finish!-l know, (Brirk strikes nt her; misses.) believe me I know, that it was only Skipper that harbored e\·cn any tmcomcirms desire for anything not perfectly pure Missed mc!-Sorry,-l'm not tryin' to whitc:\V:lsh my be· between you two!-Now let me skip a little. You married me havior, Christ, no! Brick, I'm not good. I don't know why carl)' dt:lt summer we graduated out of Ole Miss, :md we pcople have to pretend to be good, nobody's good. The were happ)', wcren 'r we, we were blissful, yes, hit heaven to· rich or the well-to-do can afford to respect mor;1l p:mc:rns, gcthcr c\"r)' time th:tt we loved! Bur that fuJI you an' Skipper conventional moral patterns, but I could never afford to, turned down wonderful offers of jobs in order to keep on yeah, but- l'm honest! Give me: credit fur just th;u, 'viii bcin' football heroes-pro-football heroes. You organized \'OU plcnsc?- Born poor, raised poor, c:xpc:ct to die poor un­ the Dixie Srars dtat fall, so you could keep on bcin' team­ icss I manage: to gc:r us something out of what Big Daddy mates forc,•cr! But somcdtin' W:lS not right with it!-Mc in· leaves whc:n he: dies ofcancer! But Brick?!-Skipper is dtnd! cludcd!-bc:tween you. Skipper began hinin' dtc bottle ... I'm alive! Maggie the cat is- 9f2 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 913 (Brick bopr mrkll'nrd(v forwm·d and strikes nt her again with (She stich o11t ller to11guc at MmJJnret as sbc snslm.vr past her hir crutch.) Jllit/J bcr stomncb stuck out, to the gallery. Mnt;gnret slnmr the -aliJ•c! I am nliJ•c. nli1•c! lam . . . gnllcr·.v dom'I nud lcnus pnutiug ngniust tiJcm. T11ert is n pnttsc. Brick lms rep/need his spilt driuk n11d sits, fnrniJiay, 011 (He burls tl1c cr~~tciJ at ber, ncrosr tbc bed she took refi~,ge be­ the grcnt flmr-purter bed.) !Ji,d, m1d pitches foru•nrd 1111 the jloor as s/Jc completes IJ&r rpccch.) MARGARET: You scc?-thcy gloat over us bc:ing childh:ss, e\•en in front of their five little no·ncck monsters! -nlil•c! (Pnttsc. Voices nppl'lmc/J o11 tiJe rtnin) (A little girl, Di:(ie, burnr iuto tile rUIIIII, II'CIIrillg nn Brick?-l've been to a doctor in Memphis, :1-::1 gync· l11ditm 11'111' btmw:t n11d firillg n cap pistol at MmlJnret n11d sbouting: 11Bnng, lmng, bang! .. cologist.... ( Ln ugiJm· dmv1utnirr jlonts tbruug!J the open /mil door. l'\•c been completely cx::~mincd, and there is no reason Mmom·ct bad eroucbed gnspiug to bed at ebild's emrm~ee. why we: can't have a child whenc\•cr we want one. And d1is She 11011• rises n11d says IJ'itb etml fmy:) is my time by d1e c::~lcndar to conceive. Arc you listening to me? Arc )'OU? Arc you LISTENING TO ME! Little girl, )'our mother or someone should tcotch you­ BRJCK: Yes. I hear )'OU, Maggie. ( Gnsping)-to knock at 01 door before you come into a room: Otherwise people might think that you-lotck-good (His ntttlllitm returns to her i11jlnmcd fncc.) brccdmg.... -Dur how in hell on earth do you imagine-tltat you'rc DIXIE: Yanh, }'anh, yanh, wh:tt is Uncle Drick doin' on th' going to lta\'C a child by a man that can't stotnd rou? floor? MARGARET: That's a problem thott I will have to work out. PRICK: I tried to kill rour Aunt Maggie, but I fuiled-:md I fell. Little girl, give me my crutch so I cotn get up off th' (S/Jc n•IJCcls nbo11t to fncc the /mil door.) floor. Here tiJey come! MARGARET: Yes, gi\•c )'OUr uncle: his crutch, he's a cripple, hone}', he broke his ankle last night jumping hurdles on me ( 'DJe JigiJtr dim.) high school athletic field! DIXIE: What were you jumping hurdles for, Uncle Dric~ Curtain RRJCK: Dccausc I used to jump dtcm, and people like to do what they used to do, C\'Cn after thc)",•c stopped being :~blc to do it.... MARGARET: Titat's right, that's your answer, now go :JW:J~ ACT TWO little girl. ' 'DJerc is 110 lapse of time. Mm;gnrct nud Bt·ick nrc i11 t/Jc snmc (Di:l:ic firer cap pist11/ nt Mnr:!Jnret t/ny:c times.) posititms they IJCid at the c11d ofAct I. Stop, _'YOit stop tllat, mmme~·! You little 11U·Izcek momter! l'tlARGARET (nt d11ur): Here tllc_v cumc! ( S!Jc sci=cs tile cnp pirtn/ n11d burls it tlmmgiJ gnllery doors.) (Big Dndtf_v nppem'I fi'·rt, n tnll mall ll'ith n fierce, nu....:ionr DIXIE ( u•itb n prcet~eiotts i11sti11ct for tbc e~·,clcst t!Jit~g): You're look, mo1•i11g cm-cfitl(v 11ot to betm.v bis IJ'cnkw:ss "'"'' or cspc­ jcnltmr!-You're just jealous because you can't have babies! cinl(v, 111 bimsclf.) 9J+ CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 91S

BIG DADDY: Well, Brick. .MARGARET (tJilerlnppiug n bit): Turn on dlt: Hi-Fi, Brick! BRICK; Hello, Big Daddy.-Congratulations! Let's have some music t' starr ofT d1' party with! BIG DADDY: -Crap.... ( 11Jc tnlk bcct~mcs so gr:ucml tbnt the rnm11 smmds li!·c n .!J1'Cn t (Sume oft/Jc peuplc nrc npprunc/JiugtlmmgiJ the !Jn/1, others m•inry uf dmttc1·iug b1rds. Oul] Brick rcmnius tmmgngcd, nluug the gnllcr]: J•11ices frum botb dircctitms. Gm1pcr n11d lcn11it1JJ upmt tbc liqmw cnbiucr witb bisfnrnwn] smile, mt icc Re~•ercnd Tooker becume J•zSible outside gnllcr] dom-s, mzd cube ;, 11 paper unpkiu with wbicb be uow nud tbcn l'ttbs ltis tbei1· 1•oices cume ;, c/enrlv. forcbcnd. He doem't rcspmtd to Mnt;gm·ct's comma11d. She ( 11JC] pnusc outside ns Gtlllpcr Jig/Jrs 11 cigar.) b01mds foriMrd mzd stoops IJllcr tiJc i111trument pn11cl of rbc como/c.) REVEREND TOOKER ( l•iMcitnul]): Oh, but St. Paul's in Grenada has three memorial windows, and the latest one: is GOOI'ER: We gave 't:m that thing for a third :mni\'crsar)' pres­ a Tiff.my stained-glass window that cost twenty-five: hun­ ent, got three speakers in it. dred dollars, :1 picture of Christ the Good Shepherd with a Lamb in His arms. ( 111e room is suddCIII] blnstcd fry t!Je climn:t: tif n Wngrzerinn ooorER: Who give th;u window, Preach? opcm urn Bcct!JoJ•cll S]lllpbtmy.) REVEREND TOOKER: Clyde Fletcher's \\idow. AJso prcsc:ntcd BIG DADDY: Ttll'll tiJnt dn11m tltiltff off! St. Paul's with a b3ptismal font. GOOI'ER: Y'kno\\' what somebody ought t' give your church (AI11Mst iustnut silcucc, alm11st iustnm(v brt~kcll b] tile s/Jmtt· is a cooliu' system, Preach. btg cbargc of Big Mnmn, emcriug tbrnt~gll lm/1 dum· like a REVEREND TOOKER: Yes, sirce, Bob! And }''know what Gus chm;git1JJ ,·!Ji1111.) Hamma 's famil}' gave in his memory to d1c church at Two BIG MAMA: W!Jn's Ill] Brick, ll'lm's ma/J prccintt$ bn(ry!! Rivers? A complete new stone parish-house with a basket· BIG DADDY: Sorry! Tlmz it bnck 011! ball court in d1e basement and a- BIG DADDY ( urw·iiiJJ n l11ud bnrking lnugb ll'bidJ ir fm· from ( El'CI'JOIIe lnttg/t$ 1'&1') loud. Big Dndd.v is fnmous for his ti'Jtl] mi1·tll{ul): Hey, Preach! What's 011! this talk about ;okes nt Rig Mamn's e.\:pmse, 1111d uobod.v lnttgiJs louder nt mcmori01ls, Prt:ach? Y' d1ink somebodr's about t' kick ofT tllesc jokes tlm11 Big Mnmn bcrsclf, thougiJ somctimcr tbC]'rc around here? 'S d1at it~ pr'ttty cruel nud Big Mnmn bns 111 pick up or fiw wit/J some· tlliii.!J to c•wcr tile burt tlmt riJe loud lnttgll docm't quite co1•et: (Startled b.v this iute1jecrio11, RCI•crmd Ttmker decida to ( Ou this nccnsiou, n Jmpp] uccnsimz bccnt1sc the d1·ead iu Iter lrwgb nt the qtusti1111 a/must ns lot1d ns he cn11. bcnrt bnr nl$tl hem lifted b_v the fnlrc repflrt ,, Big Dndd]'s ( Hnw be II'OIIId annr•cr the lfiiCstiorz we'll lltl'cr knon~ ns couditio11, she .!ltlf!Jiet, .!JI'Otcsquc~v, ct~v('v, hz Big Dnddy's direr· be's spm·cd tiJnt cmbnrrnssmcllt b_v tbc 1•oicc uf Goopcr'r n•ift, tio11 ntzd bca,·s dtlll'll uptm Brick, all J•cr] IJIIitk n11d ali1•c.) Mnc, l'iriug high aud clcnr nr sbc appcnrs n•ith lEDuc» Baugll, the fnmily doctor, tlmniJJb riJc lm/1 door.) BIG MAMA: Here he is, here's my precious bab)•! What's that )'OU'\'C got in rour hand? You put that liquor down, son, MAE (nlmost rcligiuus~v): -Let's sec now, thcy'vc hlld their your hand was rnllde fo' holdin' somcd1in' better than ~phoid shots, :md mcir tetanus shots, their diphmc:ria shots and d1c:ir hepatitis shots 01nd thc:ir polio shots, they dlat! GOOI'ER: Look at Brick put it down! got tbosc shots ever}' monm from May through September, 01nd-Goopcr? Hey! Goopcr!-What :tlt have the kiddies (Brick hns obeyed Big Mnmn by drni11i11JJ tbt,!11nsr nud /Jnrzd· bet:n shot fuw? iug it to her. Agai11 et•ery•o11c la~tghs, sumc !Jigb, some /on•.) 916 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 917

JUG M.ML\: Oh, you bad boy, you, you're my bad litdc boy. nm11sed. He docnzJt tmderstnnd li'IJy, ;, spite of tbc iufinite Give Big Mama a kiss, you bad boy, you!-Look at him shy mcmnl relief IICJs rectiJ•ed from tbc doctor's report) be still bas away, \\ill you? Brick never liked bcin' kissed or made a fuss these snme old fox teeth in /Jis .!JiltS. '71Jts spastic tiJiug mrc is m•cr, I guess because he's always had too much ofir! sometbiti.!J, 31 be says to himself. lmt nlo11d IJe J'unrs nt Bi,g Son, you turn that dting off! Mnmn:) (B1·ick has m•itt!Jed 1m tiJe 11' set.) BJG DADDY: BIG MAMA, WILL YOU QUIT HORSINJ?­ I can't stand 1V, r:~dio was b:td enough but 1V has gone it You'rc too old an' too fat fo' that sort of crazy kid stuff an' one better, J mean-( Plops rrhce~ii'!J i11 c/mh·)-onc worse, besides a woman with your blood-pressure-she had rwo ha ha! Now wh:tt'm 1 sittin' down here fuw? I want t' sit hundred last spring!-is riskin' a stroke when you mess next to my sweetheart on the sofu, hold hands with him :1round like that. . . . and lm•c him up a little! BIG MAMA: Here tttmes Bi,g Daddy's birtiJday! (Big Mnmn lms 011 n b/ntl: tmd Jrhite jig11rtd c/Jiffoll. 1J1e ( NcgroCI iu JII!Jitc jackets enter ll'it!J tm uwrmom birthday lmlJc irreg11/n r pntterm, like the mnrkiii.!JS uf some massive cnke nblnze ll'ith tnlldles aud cnn-yi11g buckets uf clmmpng11e n11imnl, the luster of her grent dinmomfs nud mn11y pcnrls, n•itb snti11 ribbn11s nbo11t tbc bottle uuks. tbc brillinms set ;, the siiJ•er frn mcs of IJCJ· glasses, !Jer rioto11s (Mac nud Guuper strike up SDI'!J, n11d eJ•erybody, iuc/udiug t•tticc, buomi".!J ln11gb, !Jn1•c dumi11ntcd the ruum si11ce siJe en­ tbe NC.!Jrnes n11d Cbildrm, j11ins in. Q,/y B1·ick rcmaius tered. B(q Daddy lms bec11 l'e.!JIU'diug her with n steady gri­ alnnf) mnce of eiJI'oiJic nmw_va11cc.) EVERYONE: BIG MAMA (stilllulldcl'): Preacher, Preacher, hey, Preach! Give: Happy birthd:1y to you. me you' hand an' help me: up from this chair! Happy birthday to you. REVEREND TOOKER: None: of }'OUr tricks, Big Mama! Happy birthday, Big Daddy- BIG M.UL\: What tricks? You give me you' h:md so I can gc:t (Some si,g: ~Dem; Big Daddy!, up an'- Happy birthday to you. ( Re~•crc11d Tooker e...:tcnds her bis /mud. SfJt grabs it m~d pt~lls !Jim i11t11 her lnp JritfJ n siJrilllnllg!J rbnt spnns nu ottm•e b1 (Some RII.!J: «Holl' old nl'c yot1 ?, tll'fl IIOUS.) (Mnc bns eume d01r11 cmtcr a11d is myn11i:;i11g bt~· cbildl'm Ever seen a preacher in :1 fut l:ldy's lap? Hey, he}', folks! Ever like /J dJOI'II!. Sbc giJ•ts tbcm (J bm·cly audible: aonc, twu, seen a preacher in :1 fur lady's lap? tiJI·ccfl' nud tbe_v m·e off;, tbe 11e11• trme.) (Bi,g Mnmn is notorium tlmmgfmttt tbe Delta fur this sort of CHILDREN: iuelegnllt burscplny. Mmynret lutlks 011 n•iriJ i11d11/gcnt lmmor, Skinamarinka-dinka-dink sippi''!! Dubmmet .roll tbe l'ocks" n ud wntcbiti.!J Brick, b11t Skinamarinka-do Mne n11d Gt1oper e.wlmuge s(qus tif IIIIIIIUI'Its:s tm.>:iety Oller We love you. tbtse nmics, the su1·t tif bebm•io1· nrbicb Mne tbillkr mny nc­ Skinamarinka-dink01-dink cmmt fiw tbeir failure to quire get ;, n•it/J tbc n11nrtest young Skinamarinka-do. mnrried set;, Mempbis, despite all. 011c oftbc Negroes, lAcey (All tt'.!}et!Jer, tbcy t11r11 tu Big Dnddy.) m· Sookey, pecks i11, cnckli11g. 17Jey m·e Jlllf iti11.!J for n sitpl to briug in tilt cake aud clmmpngne. But Big Daddy's not Big Daddy, you! 9IH CAT ON A HOT TIN llOOF ACT TWO 919

(17Jey t,,., bnckjhmt, like a musical comedy cbr.rus.) BIG MAMA: The fun of presents is nor knowing what d1c:y arc till you open the package. Open your present, Big We love you in the morning; Daddy. We love rou in the night. BIG DADDY: Open it you'self. I want to ask Brick somethin! Wt: love you when we're with you, Come here, Brick. And we love }'OU out of sight. MARGARET: Big Daddy's callin' you, Brick. Skinamarink:l-dinka-dink Skinamarinka-do. (SIJc is npcuhi!J the pnckngc.)

(Mne tums tu Big Mnmn.) BRJCK: Tell Big Daddy I'm crippled. Big Mama, roo! lUG DADDY: I sec you're crippled. I want to know how you got crippled. (Big Mnmn bursts imn tcnrr. 17Jc Nr.grocs lt:nr,e.) MARGARET ( mnki11g diJ•CJ·simJIJry tnctiCJ): OIJ, look, ob, look, BIG DADDY: Now Ida, what d1e hdl is the matter with you? 11'/J_v, it's n cnslmiCI'C robe! MAE: She's just so happr. ( Sbc holds rbc 1·obc up fi•r nil to sec.) BIG MAMA: I'm just so happy, Big Daddy, I h:wc to cry or something. MAE: You sound surprised, Maggie. MARGARET: I never saw one before. ( Sttddcu nud luud i11 t/Jc lmsiJ:) MAE: That's funn)•.-Hnb! Brick, do you know the wonderful news that Doc Baugh MARGARET (tm·niii.!J 011 bt~· fie~·ccly, u•itb n brilliant smile): got from the clinic about Big Daddy? Big Daddy's one Wh}' is it funny? All my family ever had was famil)•-and hundred per cent! luxuries such as cashmere robes still surprise: me:! MARGARET: lsn 't that wonderful? BIG DADDY (omiiiOttsiJ•); Quiet! lUG .MAMA: He's just one hundred per cent. Passed the exam­ MAE (!Jccdlcn ;, bcr fm"J): I don't sec how you could be so ination with flying colors. Now that we: know there's noth­ surprised when you bought ir yourself at Locwensrc:in's in ing wrong with Big Daddr but a spastic colon, I can tell Memphis Jasr Saturday. You know how I know? you something. I was worried sick, half out of my mind, for BIG DADDY: I said, Quiet! fear that Big Daddy might have a thing like- MAE: -I know bccotuse the salesgirl d1at sold it to you W3itcd on me and said, Oh, Mrs. Pollitt, your sistcr·in-l3w just ( Mm:grm:t t11ts t!JrougiJ tiJis spccciJ, jumpi".!T 11p m1d c.:~c/nim­ iug s!JriiiJ:) bought a cashmere robe for your husband's fud1er! MARGARET: Sister Woman! Your talents arc wasted as a house· MARGARET: Brick, hone)', aren't you going to give: Big Daddy wife: and mother, you really ought to be wid1 the FBI or­ his birthday present? BIG DADDY: QUIET!

( Pnssiii.!J by IJim, sbc sunttlm his lii)IIDI' ..11lnss from /Jim. ( R.e~•cl'r:lld Tuoke~·'s n:jlc.-.:cs nrc slou•cr tbmJ the tltllcl's'. He jill­ ( Sbc piclu 11p n fnucily n•rnppcd pnckngc.) isbcs n smtmce nftcr tiJc bcllrm•.) Hcl'c it is, Big Dndd_v, tiJis is from B1·ick! REVEREND TOOKEil (til Doc Bn11g!J): -the Srork and the JUG MAMA: This is the biggest birthday Big Daddy's ever had, Reaper arc running neck and neck! :t hundred prcsc:nts and bushels of telegrams from- MAE (nt snmc time): What is ir, Brick? (He stnrtr tu lnttgll gnily n•I1C11 be uoticcs tile silence nnd Big GOOl'ER: I bet soo to so that Urick don't k11on• what iris. Dnddy'sglnre. His lattg/J dies fnlsclJ•.) 920 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 9~1

RIG DADDY: Preacher, I hope I'm not butting in on more talk BIG MAMA: -11nstv in front of Preacher and- :tbout memori;d stained-glass windows, :Jm 1, Preacher? DIG DADDY: QUiET!-I :1St you, Brick, if you W35 cuttin' you'sc:lf a piece: o' poon·t:tng last night on d1at dndcr (Rc1•emzd Toaker lnug!Js ftcb(\', tben ctmgbs d1~v(v i11 tbe em­ track? I thought maybe you were chasin' poon-t:mg on mat fmrrnsscd silmcc.) track an' tripped over somcd1ing in the heat of the ch:1Sc:­ Preacher? 'sdlat it? BIG MAMA: NO\v, Big D:tdd)', don't )'OU pick on Preacher! ( Guoper /mtghs, la11d mzd false, others 11ei'I'OUSly folloll'iug l!lG DADDY (miring bis l'tlice): You C\'Cr hear that expression all mit. Big Mamn rtamps bcr Joflt, m1d pm'Scs her lips, cr·t~sri,g hawk and no spit? You bring th

BIG MAMA: You don't mean that! BIG MAAlA: I never seen you act like dtis before and I can't BIG DADDY: What makes you think J don't mettn it? think what's got in you! BJG DADDY: I went through all that laboratorr and operation ( Mentlll•bi/c l'nrious discreet si.gun/s bm•e bcm e.xdmugctl anti and all just so 1 would know if rou or me was boss herr:! Got~pet· lms a/stJgunc uut 011 tbe gallery.) Well, now it turns out that I am and you ain't-and that's BIG MAMA: I just know you don't mean it. m}' birthday present-and my cake and champagnc:!-be­ BIG DADDY: You don't know a goddam thing :md you cause for three: years now you been graduall}' taking over. never did! Bossing. Talking. Sashaying your f.u old bod}• around d1c BIG MAMA: Big Daddy, }'OU don't mean that. place I made:! I made this place! I was overseer on it! I w:1s BIG DADDY: Oh, yes, 1 do, oh, yes, I do, I mean it! I put up d1e o\'erscc:r on the old Str.lw and Ochc:llo plantation. I wid1 :1 whole lot of crap around here because I thought r quit school at ten! I quir school at ten years old and went was dying. And you dtought I WttS dying ttnd you started to work like: a nigger in the fields. And I rose to be overseer taking over, well, you can stop t:tking m•cr now, Ida, be­ of the Straw and Ochello plantanon. And old Straw died cause: I'm not gonna die, }'OU can jusr stop now this busi­ and I was Ochdlo's potrtncr and the place got bigger and ness of taking over because: you're not taking over because: bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger! I did all that my· I'm nor dying, I wc:m through the laboratory and the god· self with no goddam help from you, and now you think dam exploratory operation and there's nothing wrong with }'ou're just about to take over. Well, I am just about m tell me but a spastic colon. And I'm not dying of cancer which you that you arc: nor just about to take over, you arc not you thought I was dying ot: Ain't that so? Didn't you think jusr about to take over a God damn thing. Is th:lt clear to that I was dying of cancer, Ida? you, Ida? Is that very plain to you, now? Is that understood completely? I been through the: laboratory from A to Z. (Almost &l'CI']budy is llttt un tile gallery but tbe two uld peo­ I've: had the goddam exploratory operation, and nothing is ple glaring nt enc!J ntiJcr ncrost t!Jc b/n:;ii'.!J cnkc. wrong with me but a spMtic colon-made spastic, I guess, (Big Mnmn's c/mt bcnl•es n11tl sl1c prcsscs n fnt for to IJer b}' diS.!Just! Dy all the goddam lic:s and liars that I have had llllltltiJ. to put up with, and aJI the goddam hypocrisy that I lived (Big Daddy comimm, /Joam(v:) with all these forty years that we been livin' together! Ain't that so, Ida? Didn't you have an idea I was dying of He}'! Ida! Blow out the candles on the birthday cake! cancer and now you could take: control of this place and Purse up your lips and draw a deep breath and blow om the e\•c:rything on it? I got that impression, I seemed to gc:t goddam candles on the cake! th:u impression. Your loud voice cvc:rrwhcrc:, your fut old biG MAAlA: Oh, Big Dadd}', oh, oh, oh, Big Daddy! body butting in here and there! BIG DADDY: What's the matter \\~th you? BIG ALUlA: Hush! The Preacher! BIG MAMA: I11 n/1 these years .vtm "fl'ct· btlie~•td that I lm•ed BIG DADDY: Rut the goddam preacher! yutt?? BIG DADDY: Huh? ( Bi.g Mama gasps loudly nud sits du11•11 ou the sofa wllic/J is Rl­ RJG MAMA: Anti I did, 1 did su "mc/J, I ditl/m•e yott!-I c\•cn most ttm small for IJer.) loved your hate and your hardness, Big Dadd}•! Did you hear what I said1 I said rut the goddam preacher! ( Sbe sobs a11d rmbcs nll'knrard(v tmt u11tt1 tile ...11allcry.)

(Somebody closes tbc ._qallcry duurs from otltsitlc j111t ns then is BIG DADDY {to IJimsclf): Wrmldt~'t it be fiumy if rbnt n•ns n h11rft offiren•nrks aud c.-.:citcd crir:s fi·um t/Jc c!Jildmt.) trtiC• ••• CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO (A pnttsc is follllll't:d by n b11r1t nfl{qbt ill tbe sky from tbc fire­ mined to knock off a bigger piece of it than the: omer ll'orks.) whc:nc\'c:r you let it go. BIG DADDY: I got a surprise for those women. I'm not gonna BRICK! HEY, BRICK! let it go for a long time yet if that's what tllC:)''rc waiting for. (He stn11ds llf't:r bis blnzi11g bb·tbdny cnkc. BRICK: That's right, Big Doddy. You just sit tight and let them scratch each other's eyes out. . . . (After some momcuts, B1·ick babbles i11 u11 bis crutch, bold­ ing bis g/nss. BIG DADDY: You bet your life I'm going to sit tight on it ::md let those sons of bitches scratch tl1cir eyes out, ha ha (Mnr;gnret folloiJ's him witb n bright, nn:~in11s smile.) ha . . . . I didn't call you, Maggie. I called Brick. But Goopc:r's wife's a good breeder, you got to admit MARGARET: I'm just delivering him to you. she's fertile:. Hell, at supper tonight she hod them aJI at the: table and mcy had to put a couple of extra lc:afs in me table (Sbc killer B1·id: 1111 tbc muntb 11'/Jicb be immediately u•iper to m3kc room for them, she's got five: head of them, now, witb the bnck uf his lm11d. Sbc flies gMisiJiy bnck tmt. Brick and anomer one's comin'. n11d /Jis fntbcr nn: nln11e.) BRICK: Yep, number six is comin' . . . . BIG DADDY: Why did you do tJtat? BIG DADDY: Brick, you know, I swear to God, I don't know BRICK: Do what, Big Daddy? the way it happens? DIG DADDY: Wipe her kiss off your mourn like she'd spit BRICK: The: way wh:lt happens, Big Daddy? on you. BIG DADDY: You git you :1 piece of land, by hook or crook, BRICK: I don't know. I wasn't conscious ofir. an' t11ings start growin' on it, things accumulate on it, and BIG DADDY: That woman of yours has a better shape on her me first thing you know it's completely out of bond, com· than Goopcr's but somehow or other they got the same plc:tc:ly out of hand! look about them. BRICK: Well, they sa)' nature: hates a vacuum, Big Daddy. BIUCK: What sort of look is th:lt, Big Daddy? BIG DADDY: That's what they say, but sometimes I tltink that BIG DADDY: I don't know how to describe it but it's the same a \'aCUUm is a hell of a lot better man some of the Stuff that look. nature replaces it with. BRICK: They don't look peaceful, do they? Is someone out there by that door? BIG DADDY: No, they sure in hell don't. BRICK: Yep. BRICK: They look ncr\'ous as c;~ts? BIG DADDY: Who? BIG DADDY: That's right, they look nervous as cats. (He hnslull'crcd IJis t•oice.) BRICK: Nervous as a couple of c:lts on a hot tin roof? BIG DADDY: Th:u's right, bo}', they look like a couple of catS BRICK: Someone int'rcstcd in what we: S:l)' to each other. on :1 hot tin roof. It's funn}' that }'OU and Gooper being so BIG DADDY: Goopc:r?--GOOPER.! ditTcrent would pick out the same type of woman. (Aftc•· n discreet pnmc, Mnc nppcnn iu t!Jcgnllery donr.) BRICK: Both of us married into society, Big Daddy. BIG DADDY: Crap ... I wonder what gives them both that MAE: Did you call Goopc:r, Big Daddy? look? RIG DADDY: Aw, it was you. BRICK: Well. They're sittin' in the middle of a big piece: of MAE: Do you wane Goopcr, Big Daddy? land, Dig Daddy, twenty-eight thousand acres is a pretty big BIG DADDY: No, and I don't want you. I want some privacy piece of land and so they're squaring ofT on it, each deter· here, while I'm having a confidential talk wim my son 926 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO

Brick. Now it's too hot in here to close them doors, but if BIG DADDY: Is that why you quit sports·3nnouncing, because I ha\'C to close those runen doors in order to have a private of this liquor problem? talk with my son Brick, just let me know and I'll dose 'c:m. BRICK: Yes, sir, yes, sir, I guc:s.~ so. Because I hate eavesdroppers, I don't like any kind of (He smiles vngucly nud nminbly nt !Jis fa tim· acrnn lm r& · sncak.in' an' spyin'. plmisiJcd driuk.) MAE: Why, Big Daddy- RIG DADDY: You stood on tJ1c wrong side of the moon, it BIG DADDY: Son, don't guess about it, it's too impornnt. threw your shadow! BRICK ( I'IJ.!JIIcly): Yes, sir. MAE: I was just- BIG DADDY: And listen to me, don't look at the damn JUG DADDY: You w:ts just nothing hut spyi11' an' you knoll' it! ch3ndclicr. . . . MAE (begim to miff n11d sob): Oh, Big Daddy, you're so un· ( Pnttsc. Big Dnddy's 1•nicc irlmsky.) kind for some rc:lSOn to those that really lo\'C }'OU! BIG DADDY: Shut up, shut up, shm up! I'm going to move - Somethin' dsc we: picked up :lt th' big fire sale: in you and Goopcr out of that room next to this! It's none Europe:. of your goddam business what goes on in here at night (A1wtber pnwc. ) between Brick an' Maggie. You listen at night like a cou· pic of ruttcn peek· hole spies and go and givc: a rcpon on Life is important. There's nothing else to hold onto. A man tJ1at drinks is throwing his life: awa}'· Don't do it, hold onto what you he:1r to Big M:1m:1 an' she comes to me and says they say such and such and so :1nd so :1bout wh3t they your life. There's nothing else to hold onto. . . . heard goin' on between Brick an' Maggie, and Jesus, it Sit down over here so we don't have to raise our voices, makes me sick. I'm goin' to move you an' Goopcr out of tJte walls have ears in this place:. that room, I can't stand sncakin' an' spyin', it makes me: RRICK (hobbling m•cr to sit tm t!Jc sufn beside IJim): All right, sick . .. . Dig Daddy. DIG DADDY: Quir!-how'd mat come aboud Some: disap· (Mac tlmm•s bnck 1Jc1' bend nud I'IIIII her cvu 1Jem•e1111'nrd n11d pointmcnt? t:.'l:tcnds her m·ms ns if im•oking God's pity jo1· tbis tmj11st RRICK: I don't know. Do you? mnrtyt"dmu; tbm sbc prtssrs n !Jnndkcrcbief ttl bcr uose n11d RIG DADDY: I'm askin' you, God damn it! How in hdl would }lies fi·m, tbc ,.,,, u•itb n luud Jll'is!J 11/ skirts.) I know if you don't? BRICK: I just got out there and found that I hild a mouth full KRICK ( IIIJII' nt tiJc liiJIIOI" cnbi11et): Tile}' listen, do they? of cotton. I was alwa)'S two or rhrc:c: beats be: hind what was BIG DADDY: Yeah. They listen and gi"e reports to Big Mama on what goes on in here bcrween you and Maggie. They goin' on on d11.: field and so I- BIG DADDY: Quit! 53)' mar- BRICK (amiably): Yes, quit. ( He stnps ns if cmbm-rasscd.) BIG DADDY: Son? - You won't sleep with her, that you sleep on the sof.l. Is BRICK: Huh? that true or not true? If you don't like Maggie, get rid of BIG DADDY ( i11lmlcs ltmd~y n11d deeply from bis cignr; tbm Maggie!- What arc you doin' there now? bmds s11ddmly n little fm·n•nJ·d, c.'l:lmli".!J loud{v a11d rnisi11g n lm11d to bis forcbcnd): -Whew!- ha ha!- 1 rook in roo BRICK: Fresh'nin' up m}' drink. much smoke:, it made: me a little: light headed. BIG DADDY: Son, you know you got a real liquor problem? BRICK: Yes, sir, yes, I kno\\'. ( 'fl1c mnutel clock cbimcs.) 928 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 919

WJJ.v is it so dnm11 hard for people to tnlk? Close on ten million in cash an' blue chip stocks, outside, BRICK: Yeah . .. . mind you, of rwenty·cight thousand acres of the richest land this side of the valley Nile! ( 'fl1c clock goa tm sweet/.Y eiJimin.g till it lms completed the m·oke often.) (A puff n11d cmckle nnd tbc ,igbt sky blumus ll'itb R11 eerie gremisiJ glu11~ Cbi/drcu siJrick u11 the JJnlle~·y.) -Nice pcaccful-soundin' clock, I like to hear it all night.. . . But a m:~n can't buy his life with it, he can't buy back his life with ir when his life: has been spent, that's one thing not (He slides low nr~d comfortable tm t!Jc sofn; Big Dndd.v sits 11p offered in the Europe lire·s:tlc or in the Americ:m markets strnig/Jt twd ri.gid wit/J sumc 11mpokcr~ nu:..:iety. Alibis ges­ or an}' markets on earth, a man can't buy his life with it, he wrrs nrc temc nud jerky ns /Je talks. He 11•/Jcer;cs aud pnms can't buy back his life when his life: is finished .... twd miffs tlmmgb IJis 11en•umspece1J, JJinlleiii.!JIJIIitkly, sltyly, That's a sobering thought, a very sobering thought, and fi·om time ttl time, ar bis stm.) that's a thought th;tt I was turning o\'cr in my head, o\'cr and over and over- until todav. . . . BIG DADDY: We: got that clock the summer we wint to I'm wiser and s:1ddcr, Brick; for this experience which I Europe, me an' Big Mama on that damn Cook's Tour, just gone through. They's one thing else that I remember ne\•cr had such an awful time in m)' life, I'm rellin' you, in Europe. son, those gook.'i over there, they gouge your c:yeb:!.lls our RIUCJ(; What is that, Dig Daddy? in their grand hotels. And Dig Mama bought more stuff BIG DADDY: The hills :1round Barcelona in the countr}' of than you could haul in 3 couple of boxcars, that's no crap. Spain and the children running over those bare hills in E\•er)•where she wim on this whirlwind tour, she bought, their bare skins beggin' like stanin' dogs with howls and bought, bought. Why, half that stuff she bought is still scn:eches, and how fat the priests arc on the streets of crated up in the cellar, under water last spring! Barcelona, so many of them and so fut and so pleasant, ha ( He lnt1J1hs.) ha!-Y'know I could teed that country? I got money enough to feed that goddam country, but the human ani· That Europe is nothin' on earth but a great big auction, mal is a selfish beast and I don't reckon the money I that's all it is, that bunch of old worn-out places, it's just a passed out there to those howling children in the hills big fire sale, the whole rum:n thing, an' Dig Mama wim around Barcelona would more than upholster one of the \\ild in it, why, you couldn't hold that woman with :1 chairs in this room, I mean pa)' to put a new cover on this mule's harness! Douglu, bought, bought!-lucky I'm a rich chair! man, yes sircc, Bob, an' half that stuff is mildcwin' in th' Hell, I threw them mone}' like you'd sc;mcr feed corn for basement. lr's lucky I'm a rich man, it sure is luck)', well, chickens, I threw money at them just to get rid of dtem long I'm a rich man, Brick, yep, I'm a mighty rich man. enough to climb b:~ck into dt' car and-drive awa}'· . .. And then in Morocco, them Arabs, why, prostitution be· (His e.ycsligbt up ji1r a moment.) gins at four or five, that's no cxJggeration, why, I rcmcm· Y'know how much I'm worth? Guess, Brick! Guess how bcr one dJ)' in Marrakech, thJt old walled Ar:lb city, 1 set much I'm worth! on a brokcn·down w:dl to ha\'e a cigar, it was fearful hot there and this Arab woman stood in the road and looked (Brick smilcr l'ti.!JIIeJ.v m•cr bis d1·ink.) at me till I was embarrassed, she stood stock still in the 930 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 931

dusty hot road and looked at me till I was embarrassed. Bur on my mind but tonight that load was took off me. That's listen to this. She had a naked child with her, a little naked why I'm talking.-Thc sk}' looks ditT'rcnt to me. girl with her, barely able to toddle, and :tfrer a while she set aRlCK: You know what I like to hear most? this child on the ground and give her 3 push and whispered BIG DADDY: What? something to her. &lUCK: Solid quiet. Perfect unbroken quiet. This child come toward me, barely able t' walk, come: BIG DADDY: Why? toddling up to me and- BRICK: Because: it's more peaceful. Jesus, it makes you sick t' remember a thing like this! It BIG DADDY: Man, you'll hear 3 lor of that in the grave. stuck out its hand llnd tried to unbutton my trousers! (He dmcklcs ngrcenb~v. ) Thllt child was not yet fh•d Can you believe me? Or do you think that I am making this up1 I wint back to the ho­ BRICK! Arc you through t3lkin' to me? tel and said to Big Mama, Git packed! We're dearing out of BIG DADDY: Why arc you so anxious to shut me up? this countr)'· . . . BRICK: Well, sir, ever so often you say to me, Brick, I want to BRICK: Big Dadd)•, you're on a t3lkin' jag tonight. h:t\'e a talk with you, bur when we t;tlk, it nc,•er material· BIG DADDY ( ig11ori11g tbir remark): Yes, sir, that's how it is izcs. Nod1ing is said. You sit in a chair and gas about this the human animal is a beast that dies but the fact that he'~ and thott and I look like I listen. I try ro look like I listen, dying don't give him pity for others, no, sir, it- but I don't listen, not much. Communication is-awful -Did you S3}' something? hard between people: an '-somehow between you and me, BRICK: Yes. 1t just don't- BIG DADDY: What? BIG DADDY: Ha\'e you cl'er been scared? I mcotn have you ever BRICK: Hand me: over th:lt crutch so I can get up. felt downright terror of something? BIG DADDY: Where you gain'? ( He gets ttp. ) BRICK: I'm takin' :1 little short trip to Echo Spring. BIG DADDY: To whcrd Just one moment. I'm going ro close these doors. BRICK: Uquor cabinet. . . . (He cl11ses dmws tm gn/lc,·y ns rf be ll'tl·c ~qt1i11g ttt ttl/ "'' im· BIG DADDY: Yes, sir, boy- purtnllt secret.) (He !Jn11ds B1·ick tbc ,,.,tell.) BRICK: What? -the human animal is a bcasr that dies and if he's got BIG DADDY: Brick? money he buys and buys llnd bU)'S and I think the reason BRICK: Huh? he buys everything he can buy is that in the bade of his BIG DADDY: Son, I thought I had it! mind he: has the crnzy hope th:u one of his purchases will BRICK: Had what? Had what, Big Daddy? be life everlasting!-Which it never can be. . . . The hu­ BIG DADDY: Cancer! man animal is a beast that- BRICK! Oh ... BtuCK (nt tbc liquor cnbi11ct): Big Daddy, you sure are BIG DADDY: I thought the old man made our of bones had shootin • th • breeze: here ronight. laid his cold and hca\'y hand on my shoulder! BIUCK: Well, Big Dadd)•, you kept a tight mouth about it. ( 'flJcrc it n paltSC lllld J•DiUI m·c !Jcnrd Ulltnde.) BIG DADDY: A pig squeals. A man keeps a tight mourh about BIG DADDY: I been quiet here lard}•, spoke: not a word, just it, in spite of 3 man not having a pig's advant3gc:. sat and stared into space. I h:1d something heavy weighing aruc.-: What ad\';mt3gc is that? CAT ON A HOT TIN R.OOF ACT TWO 933

BIG DADDY: Ignorance-of mort.tlity-is :1 comfort. A man BR.JCK: Admirable, Big Daddy. don't have: that comfort, he's the only living thing that BIG DADDY: You're damn right It 1s, remarkable and ad­ conceives of death, that knows what it is. The: others go mirable both. I realize: now rh:tt I never had me: enough. I without knowing which is the way lh;u anything living let man}' chances slip by because of scruples about it, scru­ should go, go wilhout knowing, without any knowledge: of ples, com•cntion-crap. . . . AJI that stuff is bull, bull, ir, :md }'C:t :1 pig squeals, but :1 m:tn sometimes, he can keep bull!-It took the shadow of de:uh to make: me sec ir. Now a tight mouth about ir. Sometimes he- th:tt shadow's lifted, I'm going to cut loose and have, wh:tt is it they call it, have me a-ball! ( 17Jcre is n deep, smo/d,·riug ftrucity i11 tiJc old mnu.) BRICK: A ball, huh? -c:m keep a tight mouth about it. I wonder if- BIG DADDY: That's right, :1 ball, a ball! Hcll!-1 slept with Big BRICK: What, Big Daddy? M:tma till, let's sec, five years :tgo, till 1 was sixty and she BIG DADDY: A whiskey highball would injure this spastic was fifry-c:ight, and never even liked her, ne\•er did! condition? (Tile phouc lms been ,.;,I!Jillg doll' II tbc /Jn/1. Big Mama cmc:rs, BRICK: No, sir, it might do it good. e:~clnimui!J:) BIG DADDY (1J1·i11s mddculy, wolfoiJ~v): ]csttS, I cnt~'t ttl/ you! T11c sk.v is opm! C!Jrist, irs opc11 ngaiu! It's opm, boy, i~s BIG ALUlA: Don't you men hear that phone ring? 1 heard it opc11! w:ty out on the gall'r}'· BIG DADDY: There's five rooms off this front gall'ry th:tr you (Brick ltJt~ks dunm at his dri,k.) could go dnough. Why do you go through this one? BRICK: You feel better, Big Daddy? (Big Mama mni:CI n pla.vful fncc ns s/Jc bt~stles out tbc lm/1 BIG DADDY: Better? Hell! I can brc:athc:!-AJI of my life I duo1:) been like a doubled up fist. Hunh!-Why, when Big M:tma goes out of a room, I (He pmm a driuk.) can't remember what that woman looks like, but when Big -Poundin', smashin', drivin'!-now I'm going to loosen Mama comes b:1ck into the: room, boy, then I sec what she these doubled up hands and touch things tnl] with looks like, and I wish I didn't! them . .. . ( Bmds over lattgiJill.!J nt this j'ol:c till it IJurts bis !JIIIS a11d (He spreads bis /muds as if camsi11g tiJc air.) be straig/Jtcm witb a grimace. T11c Jnug/J mbsidcs to a c/mcklc as IJe puts the liq11or glass n lirt/c distmstful~v dmv11 You know what I'm contc:mplating? 011 the table. nR.JcK ( l'n!JIItly): No, sir. What are you contc:mpl:tting? (Brick /Jns rism m1d l1nbblcd ttt tiJc gaJ/cry doors.) lUG DADDY: Ha ha!-P/cnsure!-plc:asure with 11•umm! (Brick's smile fades a lirtlc brtt /iugc,.s.) Hey! Where you goin'? BR.JCK: Out for a breather. Brick, this stuff burns mc:!- BtG DADDY: Not yet you :1in't. St.t}' here till d1is talk is fin· -Yc:s, boy. I'll tdl you something that you might not ishcd, young fellow. guess. I still ha\'C desire for women and lhis is my sixty-fifth BR.JCK: I thought it was fin ished, Big D:tddy. birthday. BIG DADDY: It :tin't C\'Cn begun. BRICK: I think that's mighty remarkable, Big D:tddy. DR.JCK: My misrnkc:. Excuse: me. I just wanted to feel that river BIG DADDY: Remarkable? breeze. 9H CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 93S

BIG DADDY: Turn on d1e ceiling fun and set back down in that should of wasted so much of it on her. . They say you chair. got just so man)' and each one is numbered. Well, I got a few left in me, a few, and I'm going to pick me: a good one (Big Mnmn~s 1111icc •·iscs, m•.,:vi11g dun•u r!Je /mil.) to spend 'em on! I'm going to pick me a choice one, I BIG MAMA: Miss Sally, you're a case! You're: a caution, Miss don't care hm\' much she costs, I'll smodtcr her in- minks! Sally. Whr didn't you give me a chance to explain it to you? Ha ha! I'll strip her naked and smother her in minks ilnd BIG DADDY: Jesus, she's talking to my old maid sister again. choke her with diamonds! Ha ha! I'll strip her naked and BIG MAMA: Well, goodbye, now, Miss Sally. You come down choke her \\~th diamonds and smomcr her with minks and real soon, Big Daddy's dying to sec you! Ya.isss, goodbye, hump her from hdl to bre:tkfast. Hn nlm lm IJn lm! Miss Sally. . . . MAE (pnily nt dou1·): Who's d1at laughin' in there? GOOI'ER: Is Big Daddy laughin' in there? (Sbe bnugs up nud bcllmr•s n•itb mirr!J. Big Daddy gron11s BIG DADDY: Crap!-cllt:m two-dr·ips. . . . n11d cur•ti'S !Jis em·s ns sbe nppruncbcs. ( B1mt;,~,g i11:) (He goes m•cr n11d toucbcs Rr·jck's sbuulder.) Big Oadd}', that was Miss Sally callin' from Memphis again! Yc:s, son. Drick, boy.-I'm-lmppy! I'm happy, son, I'm You know what she done, Big Daddy? She: called her doc­ happy! tor in Memphis to git him to cell her what that spastic dling (He ebnkcs a lirtle a11d bits his rmdcr lip, prrssi11,g his bend is! Ha-HAAAA!-And called back to tell me how relieved l)llick(v, siJ.vly ngni11st IJis stm~s bend nud tiJm, co~tgllir~,g 1ritb she was that- Hc:y! Let me in! embnrrnmrmu,goes tmeertni11ly bnek to the table tPIJerr be set (Big Dndd_v bas bw1 lmldiii.!Jibe duor bnlfclosed ngai11rr her.) do11111 tile plnss. He dr·i11ks 1111d makes a grimnee ns it burm bis gms. Brick sig/11 n11d rises n•itb c.ffort.) JUG DADDY: Naw I ain't. I told you not ro come and go through this room. You just back out and go through tho~ What makes you so resdcss? Hotvc you got ants in your five: other rooms. bntchcs? RIG MAMA: Big Daddy? Big Daddy? Oh, big Daddy!-You BRlCK: Yes, sir . . . didn't mean those things you said to me, did you? RIG DADDY: Why? BRlCK: -somcrhing-h:lSn't-happcned. (He IIJttts door· firm(v ngniust bt~· b11t sbc sri// calls.) RIG DADDY: Yeoth? What is that! Swcedlcart? Sweed1eart? Big Daddy} You didn't mean BRICK (snd/y): -the dick... . those: otwful things you silid ro me?-I know you didn't. I BIG DADDY; Did you say d ick? know you didn't mean those things in your ht.':trt. . . . BRICK: Yes, click. BIG DADDY: What click? ( 17Jc cbildlike r•uicc fades witiJ a s11b nrui IJer btnl'J flJUtstcps re· BRICI': A click that I get in my hc:otd that makes me peaceful. trent dllll'll tiJe !Jn/1. lkick lms r·iscu u11cc mun: uu IJis cmtches aud starts flw the gallery ngniu.) BIG DADDY: I sure in hdl don't kno\\' what )'OU'rc: taJJcjng about, but it disturbs me. DIG DADDY: AJI I ao;k of d1ar wom;m is dtar she leave me BRICK: It's just a mechanical thing. alone:. Dur she can't admit to herself mar she makes me BIG DADDY: What is a mc:ch:mical thing? sick. That comes of having slept with her too m:my yc:Jrs. BRICK: This click that I gc:t in my head that makes me peace­ Should of quit much sooner bur d1at old woman she: never ful. 1 got to drink till I get it. It's just a mechanical thing, got enough of it-and I was good in bed . . . I nc:\'Cr something like a-like a-like a- CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 937

DIG DADDY: Like a- BIG DADO\': All right, then let it be painful, but don't you BRICK: Switch clicking off in my head, turning me hot light move from that chair!-I'm going to remove th:u off and the cool night on and- crutch ....

( He looks 11p, smi1i1'.!} snd~v.) (He sei::.cs tbe trlltcll nlld tusscs it nc1·nss ruom.) -all of a sudden there's-peace! BRJCK: I can hop on one foot, and if I full, I can crawl! BIG DADDY ( li'IJistks /tmg n11d soft wit!J nstolliPIIIICIItj IJc goes BIG DADDY: If you ain't careful you're gonna crawl off this bnck to Brick n11d dnsps bu so11,1 two sbouldcrr): Jesus! I planration :and men, by Jesus, you'll have: to hustle: your didn't know it had gotten that bad \\~th you. Why, boy, drinks along Skid Row! )'OU 'rc-n/coiJufic! BRICK: That'll come, Big Daddy. BRICK: That's the: rrudt, Big Daddy. I'm alcoholic. BIG DADDY: Naw, it won't. You're my son and I'm going to BIG DADDY: This shows how 1-let things go! straighten you out; now tltat I'm straightened our, I'm BRICK: I have ro hear that little click in m~· head that makes going to straighten out you! me peaceful. Usually I hear it sooner than this, sometimes RRlCK: Yeah? as carl}' as-noon, bur- BIG DADDY: Toda}' the: report come in from Ochsner Clinic. - Today it's-dilatory. . . . Y'know what they told me? -1 just h:l\'cn 't got the right level of alcohol in my ( His fncc glo!l•s tritb tri~tmpll.) bloodstream )'Ct! The only thing that tltc}' could detect with all tltc instru­ ( 17Jis lnst stnrcmmt ir mndc ll'it!J "'.:r..tT..Y ns be fi-rslmtr hu ments of science in th:u great hospital is a little spastic con· dri11k.) dition of the colon! And nerves torn to pieces by all mat BIG DADDY: Uh-huh. Expecting death made me blind. I worry about it. didn't ha\'e no idea that a son of mine was turning inro a (A little girl l111rsts imu mum Jl'itb n spnddct· clttttbcd ill drunkard under m\' nose. tnch fist, bops n11d sbricks like n mtmkcy go11c mnd nud rmhcs BRICK (gcmly): Well: now you do, Dig Daddy, the news has bnck uttt ngni11 ns Big Dndd_v strikes nt !JCJ: pcnctr.ltcd. (Silmc.:. TI1e 111'/J """stare nt encb tJt!JCJ: A ll'llmmt lnt'.!}hs lUG DADDY: UH huh, )'CS, now I do, the news has-pene- gnily orttsidc.) trated... . BRICK: And so ifyou'll excuse me­ I want you to know I breathed a sigh of relief almost as BIG DADDY: No, I won't excuse you. powerful as the Vicksburg tornado! BRJCK: - I'd better sit b)• myself till I hear that click in my BRICK: You wcrcn 't ready to go? head, it's just a mechanical thing but it don't happen ex­ BIG DADDY: GO WHERE~-crap . .. cept when I'm alone or talking to no one. . . . -When you arc gone from here, bo}', you arc long gone BIG DADDY: You got a long, long time: to sit still, bo}•, 3lld and no where:! The human machine is not no different talk to no one, but now }'Ou'rc: taJkin' to me:. At least I'm from the animal machine or the fish machine: or the bird talking to you. And you set there and listen until I tdl you machine or the reptile machine or the insect machine! It's the com•ersation is over! just a whole God damn lot more complicated and conse· KlUCK: But this talk is like all the others we've ever had to­ quc:ntly more trouble to keep together. Yep. I t11ought l gether in our lives! It's nowhere, nowherc!-it's-it's had it. The earth shook under my foot, the sky come down pnitiflll, Big Oadd)'· . . . like the black lid of n kettle and I couldn 'r breathe!- CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 939

Today!!-that lid was lifted, I drew my first free breath in­ (SIJc mslm bnck tmt, subbi11g.) how many years?-God!-t/Jru. . . . BRICK (suft(v, sadly): Christ. ... ( 11Jcrc is laughter omsidc, rmmiug fuotstcpr, t!Jc soft, plusi.IJ' DIG DADDY (jicru(v): Yeah! Chrisr!-is right . so1111d a11d light of cxplodiug rockets. (Brick breaks louse and bubb/(S mwnrd tiJcgn~lct~l'. {Brick stares at !Jim soberly for n loug mommt; thcu makes ( B€9 Daddy jerks his cr11tch from m~d~r Bnck so be st~ps a sort ofstartled smmd ;, his IIOSN·ils a11d spri11gs up 011 om JJ•ttb tbe i11j11rcd ankle. He llttCI'S a lmsmg cry of mJgut'sb, foot a11d bops across t/Jc ,.oom to pmb /Jis crutciJ, sll'iugi''.!! ~~~ cluuhcs a dmir n11d pulls it or•er· tm top ofhim tm tbt jloor.) the fumitllrc for support. He gets the cmtciJ 1md flees as if m !Jo•·ro•· for tiJc gallery. His fatbcr seizes !Jim by tiJc s/ccr•c of IJis Son of a-rub of-hog f.u. . . . Jllbite silk pajamas.) BRICK: Big Daddy! Gh•c me my crutch. Stay here, you son of a bitch!-till I say go! (Big Daddy throws tbc crutch o11t tif rrncb. ) BRICK; I can't. Give me that crutch, Big Dadd)'. BIG DADDY: You sure in hell will, God damn it. RIG DADDY: Why do you drink? BRICK: No, I can't. We talk, you talk, in-circles! We get no BRICK: Don't know, gj\'c me my crutch! where:, no where! It's alwa)'S the same, you say you want to BIG DADDY: You better think why you drink or give: up talk to me and don't h:wc a ruttin' thing lO say ro me! drinking! BIG DADDY: Nothin' to 53)' when I'm tetlin' you I'm going to BRJCK; Will you please give me my crutch so I can get up otT live when I thought I was d}ring?! this floor? BRICK: Qb-t/mt!-ls th:Jt wh:Jt )'OU h:we to S:l}' ro me? RIG DADDY: First )'OU :mswcr my question. Why do you JUG DADDY: Why, you son of a bitch! Ain't that, ain't that- drink? Why :~rc you throwing your life away, boy, like: some­ importaut?! thin' disgusting you picked up on the street? BRICK: Well, you said that, that's said, and now I­ KRICK (gctti11g umo bis lmccs): Big Daddy, I'm in pain, I BIG DADDY: Now you set back down. stepped on that foot. . BRICK: You're all balled up, you- BIG DADDY: Good! I'm glad you're not too numb With the BIG DADDY: I ain't balled up! liquor in you to fed some pain! BRICK; You arc, you're all balled up! BRICK: You-spilled my-drink ... BJG DADDY: Don't tell me what I am, you drunken whelp! IHG DADDY: 1'11 make a b;ug:~in with you. You tell me why I'm going to tear dtis coat sleeve otT if you don't set you drink and I'll hand you one. I'll pour you the liquor down! myself and h:~nd it to you. BRICK: Big D:~dd}'- BRICK: Why do I drink? RJG DADDY: Do wh:~t I tell you! I'm the boss here, now! I DIG DADDY: Ye:t! Wll)'? w:1nt you to know I'm b:~ck in the driver's scat now! BRICK: Gh•c me 3 drink and I'll tell you. (B€9 Mnma rmbcs ;,, clutthi,g bcr.!Jrtnt htm•ing bosom.) BIG DADDY: Tell me first! DRJCK: I'll tell you in one word. What in hell do you want in here, Big Mam:1? BIG DADDY: What word? BIG MAMA: Oh, Big Daddy! Why arc you shouting like: lhar? BRICK: DISGUST! 1 just cain't stniummmwd-it. ... BIG DADDY (rnisii'!J the back ofbis hand abor•e his bend): GIT! ( 11Jc clf/ck cbimcs softly, nPet·tly. B€9 Daddy gil1ts it n sbm·t, -outa here. o11tmgcd gla11cc.) 940 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO Now how about that drink? BIG DADDY: Who's been lying to you, has Margaret bccn BIG DADDY: What arc rou disgusted with? You got to tdl me lying to you, has your wife been lying to you about some­ that, first. Othcnvisc being disgusted don't make no sense' thing, Brick? BRICK: Gi\'c mc my crutch. · BRICK: Not her. That wouldn't mancr. BIG DADDY: You heard me, you got to tell me what I asked BIG DADDY: Then who's been lying ro you, and what about~ you first. BRICK: No one single: person and no one lie. . . . BRICK: I told you, I said to kill my disgust! BIG DADDY: Then what, what then, for Christ's s:~kd BIG DADDY: DISGUST WITH WHAT! BRICK: -The whole, the whole-tiling.... BRICK: You strike a hard bargain. BIG DADDY: Why arc: )'OU rubbing your head? You got a BIG DADDY: What arc you disgusted wim?-an' I'll pass you headache? the liquor. BRICK: No, I'm rryin' to-- BJUCK: I can hop on one foot, and if I fall, I can crawl. BIG DADDY: -Concentrate, but you can't because your BIG DADDY: You want liquor that bad? brain's :til soaked with liquor, is that the trouble? Wet BRICK ( drall!.Ji'I.!J bimself up, cliti.!Jii'.!J to bedstead): Yeah, I brain! wam it that bad. (He suntclm thcglnssfi·om Brick's bn11d.) BIG DADDY: If I gi\'C you a drink, will you tdl me what it is you're disgusted with, Brick? What do you know abouc tl1is mendacity thing? Hell! I BRICK: Yes, sir, I nill tr)' to. could write a book on it! Don't you know that? I could write a book on it and still nor cover the subject? Well, I . ( 17Jc u/d mau pours bim n dr·iuk aud su/crrmly pnss~s it to could, I could write a goddam book on it and still not bu11. cover the: subject anywhere ncar enough!!-Think of all the ( 17Jcrc is siiCIIcc as Brick driuks.) lies I got to put up with!-Pretenses! Ain't that mendacity? Have you ever heard the word "mendacity"? Having to pretend stuff you don't think or feel or h:1Vc any BIG DADDY: Sure. Mendacity is one of them five: dollar idea of? H:l\ing for instance to act like I care for Big words that chc:ap politicians throw back and forth at each Mama!-1 haven't been able to stand the sight, sound, or other. smell of that woman for forty years now!-c:vcn when 1 BRICK: You know what it means? lnid hcr!-regular as a piston. . . . BIG DADDY: Don't it mean lying and liars? Pretend to lo\•c that son of a birch of a Gooper and his BRICK: Yes, sir, lying and liars. wife Mac and those five s:~me screechers out there like par­ JUG DADDY: Has someone been lying to you? rots in a jungle:? Jesus! Can't stand to look at 'em! CHILDREN (clmmitw i11 cbortts offstn.!Jc): Church!-it bores the Dejc:sus out of me but I go!-1 go We wane Dig Dad-dec! an' sir there and listcn to the fool preacher! We want Dig Dad-dec! Clubs!-Elks! Masons! Rofilr)•!-crnp! ( Gt1Upcr nppcnrs ill tbc .!Jal/c,.y door.) (A spnsm ofpniu mnkcs !Jim cl11tcb bis belly. He Ji11ks i11to a GOOl'ER: Big Daddy, the kiddics arc shouting for you out chair n11d his 1•oicc is suftcr n11d hunrscr:) there. Tim I do like for some reason, did always have some kind of lUG DADDY (jicrcc{v): Kccp out, Goopcr! real feeling for-afTcction-respcct-yc:s, always. . . . GOOI'ER.: 'Scusc me! You and being a success as :1 planter is all I evc:r had any (B(g Dnddy s/nmJ tbc dnnrs after Gnopcr.) devotion to in my whole lifc!-:md that's the truth. . . . CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 943

I don't know why, but it is! BRICK (rising): No, sir, I know you're not kidding. l't•e lived with mendacicy!-Why can't ytm live with i~ urG DADDY: But you don't care-? Hell, you gut to live with it, there's nothing dse to lit•e with BRICK (/Jobbliug ton•nrd tile gallery doo1·): No, sir, I don't except mend:tcity, is there? care .... DRlCK: Yes, sir. Yes, sir there is something else: that you can Now how about taking a look at your birthday fireworks li\•e with! and getting some of that cool breeze off the river? DIG DADDY: What? (He stn11dr ;, the gnl/cry dourJIIny nsthc 11ig!Jr sky rm·m piuk BRlCK ( liftiug bisglnss): This!-Liquor. aud grcm n1Jd gold witb sucetstiJ•c flns/Jcs oflight.) BIG DADDY: That's not living, that's dodging away from life:. BRlCJ\:: I want to dodge awa)' from it. BIG DADDY: WAJT!-Brick. . . . BIG DADDY: Then why don't you kill yourself, m:tn? (His J•oicc drops. Suddc11ly there is somct!Jiug shy, nlmnst tm· BRICK: I like to drink. . . . dcr, ;, IJis l'cstmiuillggcsturc.) BIG DADDY: Oh, God, I can't talk to you . . .. BRICK: I'm SOfT)', Big D:tddy. Don't let's-leave it like this, like them other talks we've: BIG DADDY: Not as sorr)' as I am. I'll tell you something. A had, wc\•c always-talked around things, we've-just talked little while b:tck when I thought my number W3S up- around things for some rurten reason, I don't know what, it's always like something was left not spoken, something ( T111's speech s/Jn11/d hm•c tllrrcutinl pncc nud fm-y.} avoided because neither of us was honest enough with the -before I found out it was just this-spastic~olon. J -other.... thought about you. Should [ or should I not, if the jig was BRICK: I ne\'cr lied to you, Big Daddy. up, give you this place when I go-since I hate Goopcr an' BIG DADDY: Did I ever to yort? Mac an' know that they hate me, and since all five same BRJCK: No, sir. . . . monkeys :m: little Macs an' Goopcrs.-And I thought, BIG DADDY: Then there is at lc:ast two people that never lied No!-Thcn I thought, Yes!-1 couldn't make up my mind. to each other. I hate Goopcr and his five s3mc monkeys and that bitch BRlCK: But we've: never tnlkcd to each other. Mac! Wh)' should I turn over twenty-eight thousand acres BIG DADDY: We can uun•. of the richest land this side of the valley Nile to not my srucK: Big Daddy, there don't seem to be anything much Jund?-Bur why in hell, on the other hand, Brick-should to say. I subsidize a godd:tm fool on the bott!d-Likcd or not BIG DADDY: You say that you drink to kill your disgust with liked, well, maybe cvcn-/m•cd!-Why should I do that?­ lying. Subsidize worthless behavior? Rot? Corruption? BRICK: You said to give you a reason. 8RlCK (smili11g): I understand. BIG DADDY: Js liquor the only thing that'll kill this disgust? RIG DADDY: Well, if you do, you're smarter than I am, God BRICK: Now. Yes. damn it, because I don't understand. And this 1 will tell BIG DADDY: But not once, huh? }'OU fr:tnkl}'· I didn 'r make up my mind at all on dt3t quc:s· BRlCK: Not when I was still young an' believing. A drinking rion and still to this da~· I ain't made out no wiii!-Well, man's someone who wants to forget he isn't still young an' now I don't !Jm•c to. The pressure is gone. I can just wait bdic\ring. and sec if rou pull }'oursdf together or if you don't. DIG DADDY: Believing what? DRlCK: That's right, Big Dadd}'· BRICK: Believing. . . . DfG DADDY: You sound like rou thought I was kidding. DIG DADDY: Dclie\ring wiJnt?

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 9~9

-casu3Jl}•!-about a-thing like th3t . . . to be norm:tl. Oh, once in a while he put his hand on my -Don't you know how people ftc/ 3bout things like shoulder or I'd put mine on his, oh, maybe even, when th:u? How, how dif!}llsttd they ilrc: by things like that? Why, we wc:rc touring the countr}' in pro-footb:tll an' shared 3t Ole Miss when it was discovc:rc:d a pledge to our fuuer­ hotel-rooms we'd rc:tch across the space between the two niry, Skipper's ilnd mine, did a, attempted to do a, unn:n­ beds and shake hands to say goodnight, yc:ah, one or two Ur.ll thing with- times we- We not onl}' dropped him like a hot rock!-Wc told him BIG DADDY: Brick, nobody thinks that that's not normal! to git off the campus, and he did, he: got!-AII the way BRICK: Well, they're: mistaken, it was! It was a pure an' true: to-- thing an' th;u's not normal. (He halts, b•·eatiJ/css.) ( 17Jty both rtnre rtrnig/Jt at enc/J utber filr a /oug moment. 17Jc tcmitm breaks a11d bnt/J tm·u tJ!!'nJ ns aftir·cd.) BIG DADDY: -Wherd BIUCK: -North Africa, last I heard! BIG DADDY: Yeah, it's-hard t'-talk. . . . BIG DADDY: Well, I h:we come: back from further away than BRICK: All right, then, let's-let it go. . . . th:u, I hot\•e just now returned from the other side of the BIG DADDY: Why did Skipper crack up? Why have you? moon, death 's country, son, and I'm not easy to shock by anything here. (Brick looks bncl: at bis fntiJcr ngniu. He lms nlrcnd_v decided, without kuuwiug tlmt be !Jar mnde this decisiou, tbnt be is gu· (He cumes donmstn~qc nud faces out.) i1Jgto tell !Jis fntber· tbat he is dying ofemuc1: Ou(v tbis ctmld Always, :myhow, Ji\'cd with too much space around me to tJ•m t!Jc score bctll'etll them: m~e iuadmi!Jib/e tbiii.!J i11 n:tur~~ be infected by ideas of other people:. One thing you can fm· nuotiJcr.) grow on a big place more imporcant than cotton!-is toler· BRICK (omiunmly): All right. You're asking for it, Big 03dd}'· nrrce!-1 grown it. We're finally going to have the rc::tl true talk you wanrc:d. {He rctm·m ttlll'al'd Brick.) It's too late to stop it, now, we got to carry it through and co\'cr e\'ery subject. BRICK: Wit}' can't exceptional friendship, •·en/, real, deep, deep frimdsbip! between two men be respected :ts something (He bubbles bnck to the liquor cabiuct.) dean and decent without bdng thought of as- Uh-huh. BIG DADDY: It can, it is, for God's sake. BRICK: -Fntries. ... (He opem tbc icc bucket a11d picks up the sil1•cr tllti!JS witb slow ndmirntiou oftheir frvrty brigl1t11tss.) ( !11 !Jis ttttermue tJf tiJt's wor·d, we gn11gc the ll•idc n11d pro· fmmd rrncb nf tbe eom•emimm/ mon:s he got from t/Je u•orld Maggie declares that Skipper and I went into pro·foorball that crull'rred /Jim witb enr(v Inure/.) after we left "Ole Miss" because we were scared to grow up ... DIG DADDY: I told Mac an' Gooper- BRICK: Frig Mac: and Goopc:r, frig all dirty lies :md liars!­ {He moves dowustnge wit/J the slmfflc a tad clop ofn cripple 011 Skippcr and me h3d a clean, true thing between us!-had a 11 cnltch. As Margaret did 11'be11 her specc/1 became arecita· clean friendship, pr.1ctically :til our lh•es, till Maggie got the til•e, »lit looks o11t imo tile bouse, co11mtn11di'I!J its attc11tio11 by idea you're talking about. Normal? No!- It was too rare to !Jis direct, co11te11trnted gaze-a brokc11, ((tragically clcgn11r' 11 be normal, any true thing between two people is too rare figure tclli11g simp(v as "''"" ns !Jc k11oll'.r of atile Trutb : ) 950 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 951 -Wanted to- keep on tossing-those long, long!-high, rotten stick-nobody ever turned so fust to a lush-or died high!-passcs that-couldn't be intercepted except b~· time, of it so quick. . . . the aerial :mack that made us fumous! And so we did, we - Now :tre you satisfied? did, we kept it up for one sc::lSOn, that ;~erial :1nack, we held (Big Dnddy bns listeucd to tbis stm-y, di1•idi11g tbe grni11 frllm it high!-Yc:ah, but- t!Je ciJn.ff. Non• he Iouks nt lm so11. ) -that summer, Maggie, she laid the law down to me, said, Now or never, and so I mo:~rricd Maggie. BIG DADDY: Arc you satisfied? BIG DADDY: How was Maggie in bed? BRICK: With what? BRICK ( w1:vly): Great! the greatest! BIG DADDY: That half-ass story! BRICK: What's half·ass about it? (Big Daddy uods ns ifbe tbou._qbt so.) BIG DADDY: Something's left out of that story. What did you She went on the ro:~d that fall with the Dixh: Stars. Oh, she leave out? m:tdc a great show of being thc world's best sport. She ( T11c pbo11e lms stm·ted riugiug iu tbe lm/1. As it remi11ded wore a-wore a-tall bearskin cap! A shilko, they c:tll it, a if /Jim of sometbiti.!J, Brick glnuees mddm(v tUJvm·d the suuud d)•ed moleskin coat, a moleskin COilt dyed red!- Cut up ntrd rnys:) crazy! Rcnt«:d hotel ballrooms for victory cdebrations, wouldn't cancel them when it-turned out- defeat. BRICK: Ycs!- 1 left out 3 long·distance call which I had from MAGGIE THE CAT! Ha ha! Skipper, in which he made a drunken confession to me: and on which I hung up!- last time we spoke: to each othcr in (Big Dndd_v uods.) our lives . . . . - But Skipper, he had some fe\•er which came back on him (Muted riug stops ns sm11eotre nmwers pbouc ;, n soft, iudis· which doctors couldn't explain and I got that injury­ tiuct 1•oicc ;, /m/1.} turned out to be just a shadow on the X·ray platc.:- and a wuch of bursitis. . . . BIG DADDY; You hung up? I Ia)• in a hospital bed, watched our games on TV, saw BRICK: Huns up. Jesus! Well- Maggie on the bench next m Skipper when he was hnulcd BIG DADDY: Anyhow nmv!- wc ha\'c: tr.:Jckcd down the lie out of n game for stumbles, fumbles!-Burned me up the: with which you 'rc disgusted and which you ar«: drinking to W:l)' she hung on his arm!-Y'know, I think that Maggie kill your disgust with, Brick. You been passing the: buck. had nlways felt sort of left out becaus«: slu: and me nc:\'er This disgust with mendacity is disgust \\id1 yourself. got any closer together than nvo people just get in bed, 7im.'--dug the: gra\'c of your friend and kicked him in it! which is not much closer than nvo cats on a-fence -before you'd fucc truth with him! humping.... BRICK: His truth, not miue! So! She took d1is time to work on poor dumb Skipper. lUG DADDY: His truth, ok:l}•! But you wouldn't fucc it with He was a less than a\'erage smdent at Ole Miss, you know him! that, don't you?!-Pourcd in his mind the dirty, fulsc idea BRICK: Who can face truth? Can you? that what WI! were, him and me, was a frustrated case of IHG DADDY: Now don't start passin' the ronen buck %rain, that ole pair of sisters d1at lived in d1is room, Jack Straw boy! and Peter Ochello!- He, poor Skipper, went to bed with BRICK: Holl' nbuut tbcsc bil·t!Jdny ctmgmm/nriom, tbese mn11y, Maggie to prove it wasn't true, :md when it didn't work mn11y bappy 1·etunrs ofthe day, w!Jm c1•'rybody but you/moll's out, he thought it Jvns truc!-Skippcr broke in n\'0 like: a there n•o11't be IJ1l,v! 9P· CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TWO 953 ( WIJoCl•el·lms nnn1•ercd t!Je lm/1 piJOJit lets ottt n IJi.g/1, shrill BRICK: Sure. Man)' happy returns. Now let's go watch the laug/J; t/Je Jmiee becomes audible snyi11g: «uo, 11o, _vou got it afl fireworks, come on, let's- 11'1"011,9! Upside doll'n! Arc yo11 &J'a~v? 11 BIG DADDY: Lying, ha\"C tl1cy been lying? About tl1c report (Brick suddm/y cntdm his breath ns IJe n:nli:ed tlmt be IJns from th'-dink? Did the)', did they-find somc:thing?­ mnde n s!Jockitl!J dise/usm"C. He IJobblcs n ft11' paces, then Ctmw: Maybe? .frcc:es, nud wit!Jout lnokh~g nt his fnt!Jcr'J shocked fnec, sn.vs:) BRICK: Mendacity is a system that we live in. Liquor is one way out an' death's the other. . . . Let's, let's-so out, now, and- (He takes the Cl'lltcb from Big Daddy's louse grip nud (Bi.g Daddy mo1•ts mddc11/y forll'nrd n11d gmbs bold of t!Je m•itl!JS out 1111 tbe gnl/cr_v lcm•i1~g tbc doors opc11. boy's crutc!J like it wns n ll'tnpou for ll'bitb thc.v WCI"C jig!Jtiii!J (A JOII!J, ~Pick n Bale rifCIItttm/' is hem·d.) for pos.ressimJ.) MAE ( nppcnriug ;, dour): Ob, Big Daddy, tile ficld·IJtmds nn: BIG DADDY: Oh, no, no! No one's going out! What did you siugiu' fo' yon! start to say? BIG DADDY (siJuutiug bom"JczY): BIUCK! BlUCK! BRICK: I don't remember. MAE: He's outside drinkin', BiG Daddy. BIG DADDY: "Man)' happy returns when they know there BIG DADDY: BRICK! won't be any"? (Mnc rr:tl'&nts, awed by tbc passio11 of bis 1•oiec. Cl1ildml BRICK: Aw, hell, Big Daddy, forger it. Come on out on the call B1·ick i11 tones mocki11g Big Daddy. His fncc crumbles like gallery and look at the fireworks they're shooting ofT for brol:c11 yc/lon• plaster about to fall ill ttl d11st. your birthday.. . . (TI1crc is a glon• ;, tbc sky. Brick tll'it~gs back tlmmgb tbc BIG DADDY: First you finish that remark you were makin' be­ dom'!, sloll'{'t grm•dy, quite st~bcr(l'.) fore you cut off. "Many happ)' returns when they know 1 there won't be any"?-Ain't that what you just said? BRICK; I'm sorry, Big Daddr. My head don't work :ln)' more BRICK: Look, now. I can get around without that crutch if I and it's hard for me to understand how :1nybody could care have to but it would be a lot t.-asier on the furniture an' if he li\'cd or died or was dying or cared about nn)'thing bur glassware if I didn' have to go swinging along like Tarzan whcd1cr or not dtcrc: was liquor left in the bottle and so I ofth'- said wh:1t I said withour thinking. In some ways I'm no BIG DADDY: FINISH! WHAT YOU WAS SAYIN'! better than the others, in some ways worse because I'm less alive. Maybe it's being ali\'1! that makes them lie, and being (An eerie g•·m1 glrm• sbrm•s ;, st-y bcbind !Jim.) almost unt ali\'c makes me sort of accidcntalt)' trudtful- 1 BRICK (mckill!J tbc ice i11 bis glass, spcctb bccomiug thick): don't know but- an)'W:l)'-Wc've been friends ... Lc01vc th• place to Goopcr and Mac an' their five little same - And beinG friends is telling each other the truth. little monkc)'S. All I want is- ( TIJcre is a pn usc.) BIG DADDY: "LEAVE TH' PLACE," did you say? RRJCK ( Jla~quc(r): All twc:nt)•-eight thousand acres of the rich­ You told me! I told you! est land this side of the: valley Nile. {A child l'ttsbcs iuto tbc room nnd grabs n .fistfuluffirccmck ­ BIG DADDY: Who said I was .. leaving the place" to Goopc:r or CJ'! and runs out n_qni11. ) anybody? This is my sixt)•-fitih birtlld:l)'! I got fifteen years or twenty years left in me! I'll outlive yn11! I'll bury you an' CHILD (scrcnmit~g): Bang, bang, bang, bang, ban[;, bang, have to pay tor your cotlin! b:mg, bang, bang! 954 CAT ON A HOT TIN llOOF ACT THREE 95S

BIG DADDY (slowly m1d pnmo11nttly): CHlUST-DAMN­ GOOI'ER: Well, then, now we can talk. ALL-LYING SONS OF-LYING BITCHES! BIG MAMA: What is this talk, whnt talk?

(He srrnigiJtms nt /art n11d e~·osscs to the i11side dflnr. At the (MmJiarct appmrs tmgnllcl:l', tnlkill...fl ttl D1: BnugiJ.} door be wnu nud looks bnck ns if be hnd stJJm: desperate IJIICS­ MARGARET ( 11111sical{'1'): My f.tmil)' freed their sla\'es ten years tioll he cou/d,~t put imn IJ'ords. T11m be 11ods n:flectiJ•cly n11d b«:fore abolition, my great-great grandfather g;t\'c his sl:t\'es says ;,, n honr·se 1•oicc:) their freedom five years before the war between the States Yt:s, all liars, all liars, all lying dying liars! started! MAE: Oh, for God's sake! Maggie's climbed back up in her ( T11is is snid slowly, slmrly, with n fit:~ ·cc rCJ•11mo11. He gots famil)' tree! till Ollt.) MARGARET (.sweet~\'): What, Mac?-Oh, whcre's Big Daddy?! -Lying! Dying! Liars! (11Je pncc must lie I'CIJ' quick. G1·cnt Stmtbcm nuimnt;,m.) (His ••nice dies o11t. 17m-c is the so1111d of n child bciug DIG MAMA (nddrcsring them n/1): I think Big Daddy was just slapped. It rmhts, hidcot1s~v bmrlillg, thi'OII!)IJ roum m1d out worn our. He loves his family, he lo\'cs to have them the lm/1 dour. around him, but it's a strain on his nerves. He wasn't him­ (Brick 1-cmailu motio11/ciS ns the lights dim om n11d the self tonight, Big Daddy wasn'r himself, I could tell he was c11rtni11 fn/1!.) all worked up. REVEREND TOOKER: 1 think he's remarkable. Cttrtaill DIG MAMA: Yaisss! Just remarkable. Did you all notice the food he ate at that table? Did ~·ou all notice the supper he put aw:1y? Wh)', he ate like a hawss! ACT THREE GoorER: I hope he doesn't regret it. IHG MML\: Why, that man-ate a huge piece of cawn-bread 11Jel'e is 110 lapse flj time. with molasses on it! Helped himself twice ro hoppin' john. Mne elltCI'S 111ith Re1•ermd Tnoke1~ MARGARET: Big Daddy lo\'es hoppin' john.-Wc had a real countr)' dinner. MAE: Where: is Big Daddy! Big Daddy? DIG MMlA (UJ•erlnppi•'.!J Mm;gnrct): Yais, he simply adores it! BIG MAMA (cntcrill!)): Too much smcJI of burnt fireworks An' candied y.tms? That man put away enough food at that makes me feel a little: bit sick at m)' sromach.-Where is Big table to stuff a nigger field-hand! Daddr? GOOI'ER ( wir!J grim relish): I hope he don't ha\'e to pay for it MAE: That's what 1 want to know, where has Big Daddy later on.... gone? DJG MAMA (fic•·cdy): What's tlmt, Gooper? BIG MAMA: He must have turned in, I reckon he went to MAE: Gooper sa~·s he hopes Big Daddy doesn't suffer tonight. baid . ... BlG MAMA: Oh, shoot, Goopcr says, Gooper says! Why should Big Daddy sutler for satisf)ing a normal appetite? There's ( Gooper mte~·s.) nothin' wrong with that man bur ner\'Cs, he's sound as a GOOI'ER.! Where is Big Daddy? dollar! And now he knows he is an' that's wh)' he ate such MAE: We don't know where he is! a supper. He had a big load otThis mind, knowin' he wasn't BIG MAMA: I reckon he's gone to baid. doomed t'-what he thought he was doomed ro. . . . CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT TH llEE 957

MARGARET (sadly twd swcct(v): Bless his old sweet soul. R£VEREND TOOKER: I sure will, Big Mama. BIG MAMA ( 1•ngm:(v): Yais, bless his heart, whcr's Brick? MAE: I just didn't think we ought t' t:1kc any chance: of Big MAE: Outside. Daddy heann• a word of this discussion. GOOrER: -Drinkin' . BIG MAMA: I Sll'trll! Nothing's going to be said in Big Daddy's BIG MAMA: I know he's drinkin'. You all don't have to keep house that he cain 't hear if he wants to! tcllin' me Brick is drinkin'. Cain't I sec he's drinkin' with· GoorER: Well, Big Mama, it•s- ouc you continually tellin' me that boy's drinkin'? ( Mae gi1•cs /Jim a quick, bm·d puke to slmt him up. He glar·cs MARGARET: Good for you, Big Mama! at IJcr fiercely as siJe circles before bim like a burlesque bnlle­ (S/Jc applauds.) rilln, misin.g !Jer skimJy bare m·mr oa•er 1Je1· bend, jangli11g !Jcr bracelets, cxclaimi11g:) BIG MAMA: Other people d1·iuk and bm•t drunk an' will dri11k, as long as they make that stuff an' put it in botdcs. MAE: A breeze! A breeze! MARGA1l£T: That's the trudt. I never trusted a man that REVEREND TOOKER: I think this house is the coolest house in didn't drink. the Dclta.- Did you all know that Halsey Banks' widow MAE: Goopcr ne\•cr drinks. Don't you trust Goopcr: put ~r· condirioning units in the church and rccmry at MARGARET: Why, Goopcr, don't you drink? If I'd known you Friar's Point in memory of Halsey? didn't drink, I wouldn't of made that remark- ( Gmernl com,crsntirm !Jns r·csJmtcd; CJ•crybody is clmttiii.!J so BIG MAMA: B1·ick? tlmt tbc stage sormds like a big bird·cagc.) MARGARET: -at least not in }'Our presence. GOOPER.: Too bad nobody cools your church off for you. I ( S/Je In ugbs nl•tct(l'.) bet }'Ou swcat in that puJpit these hor Sundays, Rc\'crcnd BIG MAMA: Brick! Tooker. l'olARGAilET: He's still on the gall'ry. I'll go bring him in so we: REVEREND TOOKER: Yes, my vestments arc drenched. on talk. MAE (nt tbe snme time to D1: Baugb}: You d1ink d10sc \'it:l­ BIG MAMA (worriedly): I don't know what this mysterious min Bu injections arc what they're cracked up t' be, Doc fumily conference is about. Baugh? (Awk!l'nrd silmcc. Big Mnmn looks from face to face, thm DOCTOR BAUGH: Wdl, if you wanr to be stuck wid1 some· d1ing I guess thcr'rc as good to be: stuck with as :tn)'thing bt:/dJcs sligbtly and mutters, rrE~wsc me. . . . ,;, SIJc opcus n11 omnmcutnl fall suspended nbout 1Jt1· tflront, a blncl: /nee fn7J c:lsc. to go n•it/J bcr black ltJCt gowu n11d Jam bcr ll'iltiug corsage, BIG AtM.lA (nt gnllci:Y dtmr): Ma.!l!Jic, Ma.!l!Jic, m·c,Jt you comi11J with Brick? sniffing 11erJ•om/y aud lookir~g fi·om face to fncc ;, tile tm· MAE (ntddmly a11d ltmdly, cr·errtii'!J n silcucc) : I bm•c n Itrntwe comfortable silmce ns Margaret calls ItBrick?» rrud B1·ick siugs to tbe mmm ou t/Jc gallery.) ftcling, llm1•e a pcculinrftcli1Jg! RIG l'otM.tA ( turniii.!J from gallery): What feeling? 1 don't know what's wrong here:, you all have such long MAE: That Brick said somcthin' he shouldn't of said t' Big fucc:s! Open that door on the hall and let some air circulate Daddy. through here, will you please, Goopcr? BIG MAAtA: Now what on earth could Brick of said t' Rig .MAE: I think we'd better leave: that door closed, Big Mama, Daddy that he shouldn't say? till aftc r the talk. GOOI'ER: Big Mama, there's somcthin'­ BIG MAMA: Rcvcren' Tooker, will yort please open d1at door?! MAE: NOW, WAIT! CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE 959

( Sbe msbcs ttp 111 Big Mamn mtd gi••cs btr n l)tlick lm.. 11 ami appeared. One by o11e he drops icc mbes ;, hisglnss, then ntd­ kiss. Big Mama puslm !Jer impatimt(l' tiff as ~/Je Re~•c•·eud dmly, but uot IJIIickly, loulu bnck oJ•ct·IJis sl11mldcr with n wry, 1imke~·'s 1•11ict rises scrmc~r ;, a little pocket •if stlcllce:) clmrmiii.!J smile, nud snys:) REVEREND TOOKER: Yes, last Sunday the gold in my chasuble BRICK: I'm sorry! Anyone: c:lsd faded into th' purple. . . . BIG MAMA (sadly): No, son. I wish you wouldn't! GOOI'ER: Rc\'eren' you must of been preachin' hell's fire last BRICK: I wish I didn't have to, Big Mama, but I'm still wait- Sunday! ing for th;a click in m)' hc:ad which makes it all smooth out! BIG MAMA: Aw, Brick, you-BREAK MY HEART! (He guffnws nt this U'itticism but tbc Rcl'trr:ud is 11111 siu­ MARGARET (at tile snmc time): Brick, go sit wit/J Big Mnmn! ccrcf,, amused. At tbc snmc time Big .Mnmn bns tl'llsstd lll'tr 111 BtG MAMA: I just cain't stniiiiiiiii-mmmrd- it. Dr. Bnugb nud is snyiii.!J tu him:) ( Sbe sobs.) BIG MAMA (/Jcr bt'catblm •••lice risiug bi,_qb-pitcbcd nblll•e tbc ut!Jcrs): In my d:ty they h:td what the}' (all the Keeley cure MAE: Now that wc:'rc all assemblcd­ for hea\'\' drinkers. But now I understand tltC)' just take GOOl'ER: We kin talk. . . . some ki~d of tablets, the)' call them "Annk Dust" tablets. BIG MAMA: Breaks my heart. . . . But Brick don't need to take twt!Jiu'. MARGARET: Sit with Dig Mama, Brick, and hold her hand. (Brick appcm·s ;, gn/lr:t·y dt11J1'S witiJ MmJJnrct bcbi11d /Jim.) (Big Mnma miffs ••cry lo~tdly tiJI·tc rimes, nlmost like three dr11m bents;, tbe pocket ofsile~ICc.) BIG MAMA ( mtnwarc tif bis pr·escrrcc bc!Ji11d bcr): That boy is just broken up m•er Skipper's death. You know how poor BRICK: You do that, Maggie. I'm a restless cripple. I got ro Skipper died. They ga\'e him a big, big dose of that sodium stay on my crutch. amytal stutT at his home and then they called the ambu­ (Brick IJobbltt to the gnllery door; len11s tiJCr'C ns if Jl'nitill.!]. lance and give him another big, big dose of it at the hospi­ (Mae sits beside Big Mama, while Gooper moves iu fi·ut~t tal and that and all of the alcohol in his system fo' months n11d sits 011 the md of the cn11cb, fnciii.!J ber. Rcr•crcud Tu11ker an' months an' months just prm·ed roo much for his mo11ti 11ervously i11to tbc spncc betwcm tbcm; ou tbc ut/Jer side, heart . ..• I'm scared of needles! I'm more scared of a Dr. Bnugb stmtds lo11ki11.!] at 11ot!Jiug ;, pnrtimlnr a11d lig!Jts ne!!dle than tit!! knife. . . . I think more people haw been a ci.gar. Mm:pnrcr tttrlls n111ny.) needled out of this world th:m- BIG MAMA: Why'rc: you 311 n11'1'01111din, me-like rhis~ Why're (Sbc st11ps short attd w/Jeels nl}(mt.) you all st:1rin' at me like this m' m:lkin' signs at each otltc:r~ OH!-here's llrick! My prc:cious baby- (Rt1 1CI'CIId Tuokcr steps bnck startled.) (S/Jc wrm uptm Brick with siJort,fntm·ms cxtmdcd, ar the MAE: Calm yourself, Big Mama. snm( time tttter-i11_q n l11ttd, sht~rtsob, whic!J is b11th comic n11d BIG MAMA: Calm you'sc:lf, you'sclf, Sister Woman. How could ttmebiug. I calm myself with C\'cryonc starin' at me as if big drops of (B•·ick smiles n11d b11U's sligiJt(Y, mnkiug n bttrlrsqm:gcstli7"C blood had broken out on m 'face? What's this all about, tifgnllaun:v fiw MnJJ!Jie 111 pnss bcfin·e /Jim iut11 tbc rmm1. 17mr Annh! What? he h11bb/es nubis crrttch dir·cetl)' m r!Jc liquor cnbiuct n11d t/Jtrt ( Gooper tut1.!Jits nud takes a wltcr pusitio11. ) is nbsn/utc silmcc, witb ct•erybmfy /ookiug nt Brick ns cret-y­ blldy lJns nlwnys ltmL·cd nt Br·iek when he sp11kc m· IIIIIJitd or GOOI'ER: Now, Doc Baugh. 960 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE 961

MAE: Doc Baugh? GOOrEil: It's one of the best in the country. BRICK (s11ddcllly): SHHH!- MAE: lc's THE best in the country-bar 11om:! ( 17Jm be grim n11d clmcl:lts nnd slmJ:cs IJis bend rcgl·ctfu/Jy.) (For some renso11 siJe giJ•cs Goopet· n ••io/.:11t poke ns she goes pntt bim. He slnps nt bcr bn11d ll'it/Juut rcmtn•iug bis eyes fnmt -Naw!-that \\'a.'in't th' click. bis mother~ fnce.) GOOI'ER: Brick, shut up or sray our there on the gallery with your liquor! We got to talk about a serious matter. Big DOCTOR BAUGH: Of course thc:y were ninety-nine: and nine:· Mama wanrs to know d1c complete trmh about the report tenths pc:rcc:nt sure: before they c:ven startc:d. we: got toda)' from the Ochsner Clinic. BJG MAMA: Sure of what, sure of what, sure of-wbnt?­ MAE (cngcr{v): -on llig D;1ddy's condition! fl'bnt! GOOPER: Yais, on Big Daddy's condition, we got to f.lce it. (Sbe cntc/Jcs IJcr brcnt/J ;,, n stnrtled mb. Mnc kisses her DOCTOR BAUGH: Well .... l)llid:ly. SIJc tlmt!ts Mnc fiercely 111M,\' from bcr, stari11g at tbc BIG MAMA (ttrrifitd, t·isi11g): Is there? Something? Something dtiCIDr.) th:u I? Don't-Know? MAE: Mommy, be a bra\'e girl! ( /11 tiJuc fill' ll'nrds, this startled, 1•cry soft, IJIUstinll, Big RRICK (i11 the doorway, softly): Mnmn I'Cl'ien•s tbc history of her forty-jil•e years Jllitb Big

-Sm11cbndy 111111t be ~Yill'!-1 Jl'flllt to kmm•! DOCTOR BAUGH: Yes, that's what we told Big Daddy. Bur MAE: Sit down, Big .Mama, sit down on d1is sof.l. we had this bit of tissue run through the laboratory and MARGARET (quick{v): Brick, go sit \\ith Big Mama. I'm sorry to sa~· the test \\';'IS positive on it. It•s-well• BIG MAMA: Wbnt is it, ll'hnt is it? malignant. DOCTOR BAUGH: I never have seen a more thorough c:xami· (Pnmc.) nation than Big Daddy Pollitt was gh•cn in all my cxpcri· cncc with the Ochsner Clinic. BIG MAMA: -Cancer?! Cancer?! CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE

(Dr. Bafi!Jb uods grm•ely. . MAE (m•cer/y ami md~v): Yes, Doctor Tooker, you go. (Big Mamn gi1•es a lmrg gaspurg cr_v.) REVEREND TOOKER (discreetl_v): Goodnight, goodnight, every­ body, and God bless you all . . . on this place. . . . MAE and GOOI'ER: Now, now, now, Big Mam:l, you had to (He slips om.) know.... HIM~ BtG MAMA: WHY DIDNYf THEY CUT IT OUT OF . DOCTOR BAUGH: Th3t m:m is a good man but lacking in tact. HANH?HANH? Talking about people giving memorial windows- if he DOCJ'OR BAUGH: [n\'ol\'ed too much, Big Mama, too m:tny mentioned one memorial window, he must have spoke of 3 organs affected. . dozen, and 53}'ing how awful it was when somebody died MAE: Big M:tma, the liver's afTectc:d and so's the kidneys, intestate, the legal wrangles, and so forth. both! It's gone way p3St what they call a- (Mnc cultflbs, a11d pt,iurs nt Big Mnmn.) GOOt'ER: A surgical risk. MAE: -Uh-huh. . . . DOCTOR. BAUGH: Welt, Dig Mama. . .. (Big Mama draws a breath liken dyi11g gasp.) {He sighs.) REVEREND TOOKER: Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch! JUG MAMA: It's all a mistake, I know it's just a bad dream. DOCTOR 1\AUGH: Yes, it's gone past the knife:. DOCTOR BAUGH: We're gonna keep Big Daddy as comfort­ MAE: That's why he's turned yellow, Mommy! able :IS we can. DJG MAMA: Git away from me, git :tway from me, Mac:! BIG MA.MA: Yc:s, it's just :1 bad dream, that's all it is, it's just an awful dream. (She rises nbrupt{v.) GOOI'ER: In my opinion Big Daddy is ha\'ing some pain but I u•a11t Brick! W!Jere's Brick? Where is my 1111/y sou? won't admit that he h:ts it. MAE: Mama! Did she say .. uu(v son"? BIG MAMA: Just a dream, a bad dream. GOOt'ER: What docs that m01ke me? . DOCTOR BAUGH: That's what lots of them do, they think if MAE: A sober responsible: man with five precious chtldrcn!- they don't admit tlte~·'rc having dte p3in they can sort of si:.:! escape the fuct of it. BIG MAMA: I \V3nt Brick to tell me! Brick! Brick! . GOOI'ER. ( wit/J relisiJ): Yes, they get sly about it, they get real MARGARET ( ris;,rg from llcr rejlcctio11s iu a corue~·): Bnck w:1s sly about lt. so upset he went back our. MAE: Goopc:r and I think- lUG MAMA: Bl'ick! GOOl'ER: Shut up, Mac!-Big Daddy ought to be started on MARGARET: Mama, let me tell you! morphine. lUG MAMA: No, no, le:t\'e me alone, you're not my blood! BIG MAMA: Nobody's going to gi\'e Big Daddy morphine.

GOOl'£R· Mnma 1 Pm vum· sou! Listen to me! DocroR. BAUGH: Now, Big Mama, when that pain strikes it's • • fi bo I MAE: Gooper's your son, Mama, he's your rst· rn. going to strike mighcy hard and Big Daddy's going to need BIG MAMA: Goopcr never liked Daddy. the needle to bear it. MAE (ns ifttl-ribly shocked): 17mt's 110t TRUE! BIG MAMA: I tell you, nobody's going to gh•c him morphine. ( T7Jerc is a pnme. 17Je mi11i1te~ · collj]IJJ n"d rises.) MAE: Big Mama, you don't want to sec Big Daddy suffer, you know ~·ou - REVEREND TOOKER ( ru Mne): l think I'd better slip away at this point. ( Guoper 1ta11diug beside her gil'tS her a snl'ngc puke.) CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE nocroR BAUGH (placit'.!J n package Ull the tnblc): I'm h:aving MAE: I guess you must have needed a lot of it in your famil)', this stuff here, so if dtcre's a sudden attack you all won't Maggie, with your father's liquor problem and now )'ou'vc: have ro send out for it. got Brick with his! MAE: I know how to give a hypo. MARGARET: Brick docs not h:lVc a liquor problem at all. Brick GOOI'ER: Mac took a course in nursing during the war. is dc:vorcd to Big D:1ddy. This thing is a terrible strain MARGARET: Somehow I don't think Big Dadd)' would want on him. Mac to give him a hypo. BIG MAMA: Brick is Big Daddy's boy, but he drinks too much MAE: You dtink he'd w:tnt you to do it? and it worries me and Big Daddy, and, Marg:1rc:t, you've got to cooperate with us, you've got to cooperate with Big (Dr. BmrgiJ rises.) Daddy and me in getting Brick str.ligluened out. BeC:lusc it GOOI'ER: Docror Baugh is goin'. . \viii break Big D:1ddy's heart if Brick don't pull himsc:lf to· oocroR BAUGH: Yes, I got to be goin'. Well, keep your chm gcthc:r and rake hold of things. up, Big Mama. MAE: Take hold of n•lmt things, Big Mam:t? GOOI'ER ( n•itll jr~mlnrity): She's gonna keep both chins up, BIG MAMA: The pl:lCC. arcn 't you Big Mama? ( 17JCt'C ii n quick J•iolmt look bctwccu Mnc tmd G11opc1:) (Big Mnmn snbs.) GOOI'ER: Big, Mama, you've had a shock. Now stop that, Big M:tma. MAE: Yais, we've all h:td a shock, but . . . MAE: Sit down with me, Big M:tma. GOOI'ER: Let's be: realistic- GOOI'ER (nt dom· 11•itiJ D1: Bnug/1): Well, Doc~ we sure do ~p­ MAE: -Big Daddy would never, would tiCt•cr, be foolish prcciatc all you done:. I'm telling you, we re surd)' oblig- enough to- ated to rou for- GOOI'ER: -put this place in irresponsible: hands! BIG MAMA: Big O:lddy ain't going ro leave tl1c place: in any­ ( Dr: Rnt'.!Jit lmi!JOIIC t1t1t n•itiJuut n glnrrcc nt him.) bod}''s hands; Big Daddy is tiUt going to die:. I want you to Gool'ER: -I guess that doctor has got a lot on his mind but get iliat in your heads, all of you! it wouldn't hurt him to act a little more human . . . . MAE: Momm}', Momm}'• Big Mama, we're just as hopeful an' optimistic as you arc about Big Daddy's prospects, we (Big Mama subs. ) have faith in prnyt:~'-but nevertheless there: arc certain Now be a brave girl, Mommy. m:tttcrs that have to be: discussed an' dealt wiili, bc:C:lusc BIG MAMA: It's not true, I know dtat it's just not true! otherwisc- GOOI'ER; Mama, dmse tests arc inf:llliblc:! GOOI'ER; Eventualities have: to be: considered and now's the BIG MAMA: Wh)' arc: you so dctermim:d to sec your fad1c:r dmc:. . . . Mac:, will you please gc:t ffi}' briefcase out of our daid? room? MAE: Big Mam:l! MAE: Yes, honey. MARGARET (gmt(v): I know what Big Mama means. ( SIJc r·isCl n ud gtJCI otrt tiJroug/1 tilt /mil dum:) MAE (fiercely): Oh, do you? MARGARET ( quict(v n11d l'CI:v snd(v): Yes, 1 think I do. GOOI'Eil (standing twcr Big Mnmn): Now Big Mom. What MAE: For a newcomer in the f.1mily you sure do show a lot of you said just now was not at all true and you know it. I've understanding. alw:1ys loved Big Daddy in my own quiet way. I never m:~dc MARGARET: Understanding is needed on this place. a show of it, :tnd I know that Big D:tdd)' has always been CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE

fond of me in a quiet way, roo, and he never made a show GOOl'ER: l'\'c got a right to discuss my brothcr with other of it nc:ithc:r. members of MY OWN fumily which don•t include yott. (Mac rcllmu n•it/J Gt1upcr'r bricftnsc.) Why don't you go out there and drink with Brick? MARGARET: I've never seen such malice toward a brother. MAE: Here's your briefcase, Gooper, hone)'. GOOl'ER: How about his for me? Why, he: can't stand to be in GOOPER (!Jnudiug tile bricftme bnck ru her): Thank you. dtc same room with me:! Of ca'usc:, my relationship with Dig Daddy is different MARGARET: This is a deliberate camp:tign of vilification for the from Brick's. most disgusting and sordid reason on canh, and I know j• MAE: You're dght years older'n Brick an' always had t'carry what it is! It's m•nricc, m•m'icc, grtcd, greed! i a bigger load of th' responsibilities th:m Brick ever had BIG MAMA: OIJ, I'll scream! I J!ti/1 sm:nm ;, n mommt tmlcss I t'carr)'· He never carried a thing in his life but a football or r!Jir stops! a highball. ( Goopcr lmr stalked up to Mm:gnret JJ•it!J cle~~cbtd .fots at bis GOOfiER: Mac, will y' let me r:tlk, please? as agnilf irlto MAE: Yes, hone}'· sides if be li'OIIId strike bcr. Mne dt'stnrts IJCt·fncc n !Jidcotlsgrimncc bcbi11d Mm:gnrc~s bnck.) GOOPER: Now, a twcnty·cight thousand acre plantation's a mighty big thing t'run. MARGARET: We: only remain on the plncc bc:c:tuse of Big Mom MAE: Almost singlehanded. :1nd Big Daddr. If it is true what they say about Big Daddy we arc going to leave here just as soon :tS it•s over. Not a (MmlJnr·et bas gtmc 11ut Oil to rbe gai/CJ-y, aud cn11 be beard moment later. cnlli11g softly to Brick.) BIG MAMA (subs): M:1rgarct. Child, Come here. Sit nexc to Big BIG MAMA: You never had to run this place! Wh:u arc you Mama. ralking about? A.c; if Big Daddy was dead and in his grave, MARGARET: Precious Mommy. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I-t you had to run it? Wh}', you just helped him out with a few business derails and had }'our law practice at the same time: ( S!Je bc11ds berluttg graccfllllleck to prcrr !Jtr forc!Jcnd to Big j· in Memphis! Mnma's bu(gi11g sbottldcr 1111dcr· itr blnck cbif]im.) I MAE: Oh, Mommy, Mommy, Big Mommy! Let's be fair! Why, GOOl'ER: How beautiful, how touching, this display of de­ Goopc:r has gi\'en himself bod}' and soul to keeping this votion! place up for the past fh•c: years since Big Daddy's health MAE: Do you know why she's childless? She's childless be:· started failing. Goopc:r won't sar it, Gooper ne\'er thought cause that big beautiful athlete: husband ofhc:rs won't go to of it as 3 dUly, he just did it. And what did Brick do? Brick bed with her! kept living in his past glory at college! Still a football player GOOI'ER: You jest won't let me do this in a nice way, \viii yah? at rwenty·seven! Aw right-Mac and I have five kids with another one com­ MARGARET ( rerumiug nlo11e): Who arc you talking about, ing! I don't give a godd:1m if Big Daddy likes me or don't now? Brick? A football player? He isn •r a football player and like me or did or never did or will or \viii nc:vc:r! I'm jusr: ap· you know it. Brick is a sports announcer on 1V and one of pealing to a sense: of common decency and fair play. I'll tell the best-known ones in the country! you the truth. I've resented Big Daddy's pi1rti3lit}• to Brick MAE: I'm talking about what he was. c.:vcr since Brick was born, and the way I've been treated I. MARGARET: Well, I wish you would just stop talking about m~· like I was just b:trdy good enough to spit on and some­ husband. times not even good enough for that. nig Dadd)• is d}ring CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE

of cancer, and it's spread all through him and it's 3Uacked (Brick's smile bnsgronru both hri.!Jbtcrnlld lrn.!Jtm: As be pre­ all his vital org:ms including the kidneys and right now he: parts n dri11k, be sings softly:) is sinking into uremia, and you all know what uremia is, it's BRICK: poisoning of the whole system due to the failure of the S/Jnw me the wny to .!J" IJume, bod}' to eliminate: irs poisons. Jlm tired nud I ll'nntngu tu bed. MARGARET (to IJerself, dnnourtnge, lnssii'.!Jly): Pnisuur, pois01u! I bnd n little dri11k nbo11t n11 /Jnm· ngo- Vc11omom tiJnugiJts mtd II'OI·ds! In IJem·ts mtd miuds!-1Jmt's GOOI'ER (nt the smut time): Big Mama, you know it's neccs· PtliSOIIS! sary for me t'go back to Memphis in th' mornin' t'represem GOOPER (twe~·lnppi".!J !JcJ•): I am asking for a square deal, and the Parker estate in a lawsuit. 1 expect ro get one. Bur ifl don't get one, if there's any pe­ (Mnc sits uJJ t/Jc bed nud nrrmi!JCS papers sllc hns tnkm frum culiar shenanigans going on around here behind my back, the briefcase.) or before me, well, I'm nm a corporation la\\1'er for noth­ ing, I know how to protect m}' own interests.-OH! A lntc BRICK (coutirutrii.!J tilt SUI'.!J); nrril'nl! WIJern•er I mny ronm, Ou lnrtd or sen orjimm. (Bt·ick en ten from tiJe gnller;~ u•itiJ n tl'n111JIIil, blm·red smile} BIG MAMA: Is it, Goopcr? &nn']ing nn empty glass noitb bim.) M.AE: Yaiss. GOOPER: That's why I'm forced to-to bring up a problem MAE: Behold the conquering hero comes! that- GOOI'ER: The fabulous Brick Pollitt! Remember him?-Who MAE: Somethin' that's too important t' be put ofT! could forget him! ooorEil: If Brick was sober, he ought to be in on this. MAE: He looks like he's been injured in a g;~me! MARGARET: Brick is present; we're here. GOOI'ER: Yep, I'm afraid you'll ha\'C to warm the bench 3t the GOOI'ER: Well, good. I will now give you this outline my Sugar Bowl this )'e:lt, Brick! partner, Tom Bullitt, an' me ha\'c drnwn up-a sort of ( Mnc lnttgbs sbt·il(v.) dummy-trusteeship. MARGARET: Oh, that's it! You'll be in charge an' dole out rc· Or was it the Rose Bowl that he m:1de that famous run in? mimnces, will you? MAE: The punch bowl, honey. h was in the punch bowl, dle GOOI'Eil: This we did as soon as WI! got the report on Big cut·glass pun~h bowl! Daddy from th' Ochsner L:lbor.uories. We did this thing, I GOOPER: Oh, that's right, I'm getting the bowls mixed up! me:tn we drew up this dummy outline with the: advice and MARGARET: Why don't you stop \'enting )'OUr malice :tnd CO\')' assistance of the Chairm:m of the Boa 'd of Dirc:ctors of th' on a sick bov? Southern Plantahs Dank and Trust Comp:tn}' in Mc:mphis, BIG M.AMA: No·,, Y"" two lmsiJ, I menu it, lmsll, niL ofytm, lmsl1! C. C. Ddlowcs, a man who handles estates for all th' GOOI'ER: All right, Big Mama. A fumily t:risis brings out the prominent fum'lics in West Tennessee and th' Delta. best :md d1c worst in ever}' member of it. BIG MAMA: Goopcr? MAE: 1Jmt's the truth. GOOI'ER (cruttchii'.!J i11 frout ofBig Mnmn): Now this is not­ MARGARET: Amm! not final, or anything like it. This is just a prdiminar}' out· BIG MAMA: I said, lmsiJ! I won't tolerate an)' more catty talk line. Bur it does provide :1 b:lSis-a design-a-possible, in my house. fc:asiblc-p/n11! ( Mne gi1•es Gtmpcr n sig11 indicntiug brieftnsc. .MARGARET: Yes, I'll bet. 970 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE 971

MAE: It's a plan to protect the biggest estate in the Delta from DIG MAMA ( comimtii1JJ): Time goes by so fast. Nothin' can out­ irresponsibility an'- run it. Oc:lth commences too early-almost before you're lUG MAMA: Now you listen to me, all of you, you listen here! half-acquainted with lifc-rou mcc:t with the other. . . . They's not gain' to be any more catty talk in my house! Oh, you know we just got to love each other an' stay to­ And Goopcr, you put that away before I grab it out of your gc:thc:r, all of us, just as close as we can, especially now that hand and tear it right up! I don't know what the hell's in sUI:h a blnck thing has come and mowd into this place it, and I don't want to know what the hell's in it. I'm without invitation. t:1lkin' in Big Daddy's l:mguage now; I'm his n•ift, not his Jllidow, I'm still his Jrift! And I'm talkin' to you in his lan­ (Awkll'nrd(\• embrnciii.!J Brick, sbc pn:ssu ber bend t11 his gu:~ge an'- sbou/dr:1: GOOI'ER: Big Mam:1, what I ha\'c here is­ ( Go11pcr bns bcm t'Ctl,nziug pnpcrs ttl Mnc ll'llo bns rcnun:d MAE: Goopc:r explained that it's just a plan .... tbcm tn bricftnsc n•itb n11 air ufsCJ•crc(v tried pntimcc.) BIG MAMA: I don't care what you got there. Just put it back GOOrER: Big M:.tma? Big Mama? where it c:1mc from, an • don't let me sec it agrun, not even the outside of the cn\'dopc: of it! Is that understood? Basis! (He nn11ds bcbi11d bcr, tcllsc u•irb siblillJJ '"''~) Pl:ln! Prdimin:.try! Design! I say-what is it Big Daddy al­ JHG MAMA (nbliJ•iottr rif Gtlnpcr): Brick, you hc:.tr me, don't ways s:1ys when he's disgusted? you? RIUCK (from tbe bnr): Big Daddy s:~ys ..crap" when he's MARGARET: Brick hears )'OU, Big Mama, he understands what disgusted. you're s:.tying. BIG MAMA ( 1'isi11g): That's right-CRAP! I say too, CRAP BIG MAMA: Oh, Brick, son of Big Dadd}•! Big Dadd}' docs so like Big Daddy! love you! Y'know what would be his fondest dream come MAE: Co:.trse langu:.tgc: docsn't seem called for in this- true? If before he passed on, if Big Daddy has ro p:.tss on, GOOPER: Somcthin' in me: is deeply tmtmged by hearin' you you gave him a child of yours, n grandson as much like his r:1lk like: this. son as his son is like Big Daddr! BIG MAMA: Nobody'sgui11' ttl tnke llot!Jiii'.L_tiJI Big D:.tddy lets MAE (zipping bricftnse slmt: nn iii&OII.!JriWIII smmd): Suc!J n go of it, and maybe:, just possibly, not-not e\•en then! No, pity t/Jnt Mnll!Jic: nu' Brick cnn't ubligc! not even then! MARGARET (mddculy twd l)tlict(v but forccjitll)'): E\'erybody BIUCK: lisrcn. You uw nln•nys IJenr me si11gi11' this sn11g, SIJIIII' me the 1rny to go hm11e. ( Sbc et'tJtscs to tile cc:mc:r 11j tiJ& rtlom, lmlding!Jcr lm11ds rigidly BIG MAMA: Tonight Brick looks like he used to look wht!n he togctlm:) was a little boy, just like he did when he played wild games and used to come home all sweaty and pink-checked :md MAE: Listen to wh:.tt, Maggie? sleepy, with his-red curls shining.... MARGARET: I ha\'c an announcement to make. GOOPER: A sports announcement, M:.tggic? (S!Je comes over to /Jim nud t•tms bcr fnr slmky /Jn11d tiJ1·mi.!JI1 MARGARET: Brick :.tnd I arc going to-/Jm•c n child! bi.J bnir. He dmll'S aside ns he docs fi·nm n/1 pi1Jsicnl colltnct n11d comimtcs tile smi.!J ;, n n•/Jispcr, opmiug tbe ire bucket (Big Mnmn cntclm ber brcnt/J in n lmtd .,qnsp.) nud druppii'.!J ;, r!Je ire wbes ouc by ouc ns ifiJe were mi.·.:irw (Pause. Bi._q Mnmn 1·iscs.) some impnrtnut ciJcmicnl fimuuln.) JHG MAMA: Maggie! Orick! This is roo good to bclicw! 972 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE 973

MAE: That's right, too good to believe. GoorER; The doctor didn't. Doc Baugh didn't. BIG MAMA: Oh, my, my! This is Big 001dd}•'s drt.":lm, his .MARGARET: I haven't gone to Doc Baugh. drcilm come true! I'm going to tell him right now before GOOl'ER: Then who'd you go to, Maggie? he- MARGARET: One of the best gynecologists in the South. MARGARET: We'll tell him in the morning. Don't disrurb him GOOPER: Uh huh, uh huh!-1 sec. . now. (He tnkcnmt pmcil n11d rrotcbook.) BIG MAMA: I want to tell him before he goes to sleep, I'm go­ ing to tell him his dream's come true this minute! And - Mil)' we h:IVe his n01me, plt!asc? Brick! A child will make you pull yourself together ;md quit MARGARET: No, you may not, Mister Prosecuting Attorney! this drinking! MAE: He doesn't have :my name, he doesn't exist! MARGARET: Oh, he exists all right, and so docs my child, (Sbe seius t!Jc gltw fi·om /Jis !Jn11d.) Brick's baby! The responsibilities of a father will- MAE: You can'r conceh•e a child b)' a m:m that won't sleep with you unless you think you 'rc- ( Hcrfncc tDIIttwts n11d s!Jc makes n11 c.:titcd gest11rc; bttrstiii.!J i11to sobs, s/Jc msbcs out, Cl)'iug.) ( Brick bns mmed 011 the pbollo.!Jmp!J. A sent suu.. 11 cr111 Mnc's spceciJ.) Pm going tu tell Big Dnddy rigbt this minute! GOOl'ER: TurrJ tbat tiff! ( Hel' t•oicc fndcs out dtmm t!Jc /m/1. MAE: We know it's a lie because we hear you in here:; he: won't (Brick sfmtgs s/igbt~v nud drops nu icc cube into n11ot!Jer sleep with you, we: hear you! So don't imagine }'ou'rc go­ glnss. Mnrgnrct crosses qttick(v ttl /Jis side, snying somctbiti.!J ing to put a trick o\'c:r on us, to fool a dying man with :1- tmdcr·!Jcr b1·ent!J, nml sbc puurs tbc liqtwr for !Jim, stnl"ing up nlmost fiercely i11to /Jis fnce.) (A lmt.!J drnn•11 cr.v of n.ooll_"t' aud rn.. qc fills the JJumc. Mat:tJnrct mnu p!JoJJII.!JrnpiJ dawu to n trbispcr. RIUCK (coo/~v}: Thank you, Maggie, that's a nice big shot. ( 11u: ,,.y is repeated.) (Mnc bns joi1tcd Guoper· nud siJc git•cs IJim n fierce poke, mnk· MAE (ntl'cd): Did you he01r tJtilt, Goopcr, did )'OU hear that? iug n lou• bissiti.!J smwd nud n .orimncc offi•ry.) GoorER; Sounds like the pain hilS struck. GoorER (p11sbittg bcr nsidc): Brick, could you possibly spare MAE: Go sec, Goopcr! me one small shot of thilt liquor? GOOI'.ER: Come aJong and leave these: love birds together in BIUCK: Why, help )'OUrsc:lf, Gooper bo}'. their OeS[! GOOPER: 1 will. (He .!Jiles o"t firsr. Mne follon•1 b"t tt1r11s nt tile dtwr, co11tort· MAE (s!Jril~'ll): Of course: we know th:n this is­ i11g /Jcrfnce ntJd bisriug nt Mnrgm·ct.) GOOPER; Be still, Mnc! MAE: I won't be still! 1 know she's made this up! MAE: Linr! GOOPER: God damn it, I said to shut up! (Sbc slnms tbc door. MARGARET: Gracious! 1 didn't know that my little announce· (Margaret c:dm/cs Jl'itb relief n11d mu1•cs n lirt/e ttmtcadily ment WilS going to provoke such a storm! to cntciJ bold r~f B1·iek's an11.) MAE: 17mt woman isn't prcgunut! GOOI'ER: Who said she was? MARGARET: Thank you for-keeping still . MAE: She did. BRICK: OK, Maggie. 97+ CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF ACT THREE 975 MARGARET: It was b>otllanr of you to sa\'C m}' f.tcc! bad, but now I'm stronger than you and I can love you BRJCK: -It hasn't happened yet. more: truly! MARGARET: What? Don't move thnt pillow. I'll move it right back if you do! BRJCK: The dick. . . . -Brick? MARGARET: -the click in your head that makes you peaceful, honey? ( SIJC lllnts uttt nil the lnmps b11t a si1zg/c rose-silk·sbndcd utte BRJCK: Uh-huh. It hasn't happened .... 1'\'c gor to make it b_v the bed.) happen before I can sleep . ... I really have been to a doctor and I know what to do and­ MARGAIUIT: -1-know what }'ou-me:m. . . . Brick?-this is m}' time by the calendar to conceh•c! RRICK: Gi\'C me that pillow in the big chair, Maggie. BRICK: Yes, I understand, Masgie. But how arc you going to MARGAIUIT: I'll put it on the bed for you. conceive a child by a mnn in love with his liquor? BRJCK: No, put it on the sofu, where I sleep. MARGARET: By locking his liquor up and making him satisfY MARGAIUIT: Not tonight, Brick. my desire before: I unlock it! BRICK: I want it on the sofu. That's where 1 sleep. BRICK: Is that what you've done, Maggie? (He /Jm bubbled to tbe JiqttuJ' cabinet. He lltlll' ptmrs doll'u MAJlGAR.ET: Look ;md sec. That cabinet's might)• empty com­ tbrcc slmts i11 IJIIick mcusrim1 nud stn11ds JJ•niting, sil&11t. All pared to before! nt once be tm·m with n smile nnd sn.vs:} BRICK: Well, I'll be a son of a- 17m·c! ( He rcncbcs for his crutcb bllt sbc bcatt !Jim to it a11d msbes MARGARET: What~ utll 011 the gn/lcry, lm rls tbc cr~ttc/J o11er the rail n11d em11es BRICK: The click. . back itt, pn111i1zg. ( 17m·c an: rmmi•zg fuotsteps. Big Mnmn btmts i111o tiJc ( Hisgmtitudc sw11s a/must iufiuitc ns be bubbles uut u11 tbc room, llt:~'fncc all n1r1-y,gaspiug, stnmmcritzg.) gn/Je~~v with a drink. We bear his crutcb as be S11'iu... qs um uf sight. 17JCII, at stmiC distn11ec, be begi11s singi11g ru himself a BIG IIIAMA: Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God, where is it? peaceful su11g. MAJlGARET: Is this what you want, Big Mama? ( .Mm;garet bulds tbc big pi/10111 fitrlflrn(v ns if it JJ•erc bcr (MmlJnrct bn11ds ber tbe package left by the dnctur.) tm(v et~mpnuitm, fiw a ftn• IIIIIIJICIIts, tbe11 tln·uws it 011 the bed. Sbc rwbcs tn tbe li1J"'"' cnbi11cfj gatbCI"S n/1 tbc bnttlts in her BIG MAMA: I can't bear it, oh, God! Oh, Brick! Brick, baby! ai'IIJS, t11,.,1s abtmt tmdccided(l', tbm runs 11111 tif tbe ru11m (SIJc mslm at /Jim. He m•ertsbis face from bcr subbi11g kisses. ll'ith tbcm, lcm•ilzg the dom· njar 011 the dim .1'clltlll' lm/1. Brick Mnroaret ll'au/Jes witb n ti.,.qbt smile.) is bcm·d IH1bblittf1 back nlrmg tbc gnlle~·.v, si11.!Jiii.!J his peaceful smzg. He CIIIIIL'S back i11, sees the pi/lou• o11 tbc bed, ln11g/Js My son, Big Daddy's bo}•! Little Father! ligbt~v, sad(v, picks it 11p. He lms it tmdct· his m·m ns (17Jcgruauiii.!J cry is !Jcard ngni11. Sllc rum out, sobbbzg.} Mm;garct rcttlnu 111 the rnnm. Mn1:gm·cr stiftly sb11ts t/Jc duur n11d lcnm agnimt it, smilittg suft(l' at Brick.) MAJlGARET: And so tonight we're: going to make the lie true, and when that's done, I'll bring the liquor back here and MARGAIUIT: Brick, I used to think that you were stronger than we'll get drunk together, here, tonight, in this place: th;lt me and I didn't want robe m•crpowcrcd hr you. But now, dcatlt hns come into .. since rou'vc tnkcn to liquor- }'OU know what?- 1 guess it's -What do you say? 976 CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF BRICK: 1 don't say anything. 1 guess there's nothing ro say. NOTE OF EXPLANATION .MARGARET: Oh, you weak people, you weak, beautiful pc:oplc! -who give up.-Wh:u you want is someone to- SoME DAY when time permits I would like 10 write a piece: {S/Jc t1m1s out t/Jc ''usc-silk lamp.) about the influence, its dangers and its values, of a powc:rfitl -take hold of you.-Gently, gently, with love! And­ and highly imaginative director upon tlte dc\'clopmem of a play, before and during production. It docs have dangers, but ( 17Jc c11rtaiu bcgim to fall sluii'{V.) it has them onl}• if the playwright is cxcessivcl)• maJic:1blc: or I do lm•e you, Brick, I do! submissh•c, or the director is excessively insistent on idc:1s or BRJCK (smi/i,rg n•it!J cllnmzi11g snd11m): Wouldn't it be funny imerpret:ltions of his own. Eli a Kazan and I have enjoyed tlte if that was true? :ld\•antages and avoided rhc dangers of this highly explosive relationship because of the: deepest mutual respect for each TI1c Cm·tniu Comes Dun•" other's creative function: we have worked together three times with a phcnomcnaJ absence of fiiction between us and THE END each occ:~sion has increased the trust. If you don't want a director's influence on your play, there arc two \\'ilys to avoid it, and ncitltcr is good. One wa)' is to :~rrive at an absolutely final draft of your play before you let your director sec it, then h:1nd it to him saying, Here it is, take it or lca\'e it! The other way is to select a director who is comcnt to put your play on tltc stage precisely as you con· cdved it with no ideas of his own. I s:1id neither is a good way, and I meant it. No lh•ing playwright, that 1 can think of, hasn't something valuable to Jearn :1bout his own work from a director so keenly perceptive as Elia Kazan. It so happened that in tile case of Streetcar, Kolzan was gi'•en a script that was completely finished. In the Cilsc of Cnt, he was shown the first typed version of the play, and he was excited by it, but he had definite rcscr\'ations :~bout it which were concentrated in the third act. The gist of his resenrations can be listed as three points: one, he felt that Big Daddy was too vivid :~nd impor· tant a character to disappear from the pia}' except as an ofT­ stage cry after the second act curtain; two, he felt that the character of Brick should undergo some apparent mutation as a result of the \'irrual l'il'iscction that he undergoes in his in­ terview with his father in Act Two. Three, he felt that the character of Margaret, while he understood that I sympa­ thized with her and liked her myself, should be, if possible, more clearly sympathetic to an audience. It was only the third of tltese suggestions that I embraced 977