UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Casagemas A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance (Playwriting) by Sharif Abu-Hamdeh Committee in charge: Professor Naomi Iizuka, Chair Professor Alan Havis Professor Adele Shank Professor Manuel Rotenberg 2013 The thesis of Sharif Abu-Hamdeh is approved and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Chair University of California, San Diego 2013 iii DEDICATION To my family, without whom I would have never have found my spark. All my love. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature page………………………………………………………………….. iii Dedication……………………………………………………………………… iv Table of Contents………………………………………………………………. v Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………….. vi Abstract of the Thesis…………………………………………………….......... vii Casagemas……………………………………………………………………… 1 v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely grateful to everyone I have had the great opportunity to work with during my graduate studies. The dedication, hard work, and passion will continue to inspire me long after graduation. And, a special thanks to the playwrights that I have met here and am proud to call friends: Krista Knight Lauren Yee David Myers Jeff Augustin David Jacobi Kristin Idazak vi ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Casagemas by Sharif Abu-Hamdeh Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance (Playwriting) University of California, San Diego, 2013 Professor Naomi Iizuka, Chair Casagemas is a journey through Pablo Picasso's imagination as he relives memories of his best friend, Carles Casagemas. Inseparable from the time they first meet in Barcelona, the two painters travel to Paris when Picasso is invited to participate in the Universal Exhibition of 1900. There, the young men immerse themselves in a world of sex, drugs, and painting, which culminates in a moment that forever changes the course of Art. vii Casagemas 1 2 Characters Carles Casagemas – 20 years old. A tall and slender man with intense eyes and dark hair. Pablo Picasso – 19 years old. Stocky, and rambunctious. Germaine – 26 years old. Voluptuous and sensual. Art lover. Odette – 20 years old. Wild and free spirit with a pile of hair and flawless skin. Malouf – Mature. Art dealer. Jasmine – 24 years old. Catalan artist. Clestina - Old and blind in one eye Beggar - Poor 3 Prologue - Germaine’s Apartment - Paris - 1901 PICASSO works on "Casagemas's Death Portrait" in the studio in GERMAINE’s apartment. There is a form lying on the bed covered in a sheet. PICASSO takes a sip of wine and then goes back to work. Throughout the overture, he continues to work on the painting. An old man leans up against the building on the sidewalk below. He is playing a guitar under the light of a streetlamp. Lights slowly fade on PICASSO. The old man’s song transitions into the music being played at the Four Cats. 4 Scene 1 – Four Cats Bar – Barcelona - 1899 JASMINE and PICASSO are standing in a lit corner of the Four Cats. CASAGEMAS is at the other end of the room. JASMINE is looking at PICASSO, waiting for him to speak. PICASSO is transfixed by CASAGEMAS. PICASSO Who is that? JASMINE What? Silence. PICASSO I’m sorry. What were we talking about? JASMINE Nothing important, apparently. PICASSO Oh, come on. [beat] I remember! I was telling you about my cave! JASMINE No! I asked what you thought of the art scene here in Barcelona. PICASSO Oh. It’s great! I love how much passion is in the work. I can feel it vibrating off of the canvases. JASMINE I’m happy you appreciate what we are doing. PICASSO I see so many movements that are reacting to the invention of the camera. I’m already getting tired of it. JASMINE 5 Painters used to make a visual history of the world. They would travel to far off lands and bring back images of what they saw. But, now the camera is here and it keeps getting faster, cheaper and more accurate. PICASSO Yeah, I know.JASMINE Painting it is undergoing a crisis of necessity. I think that’s something worth discussing. PICASSO But, it’s already happened! There’s no turning back. We’ve been thrust into the future and must adapt. That is what I like about this city, and the work that you all are doing here. It’s less about the mechanics and more about feeling. [beat] I wish I were Gaudi. JASMINE Yes! To live inside that man’s imagination would be a dream. PICASSO He’s a visionary. JASMINE La Sagrada Familia will be a wonder once it’s finished. PICASSO No doubt. But, it’ll take hundreds of years to build! I love architects! They’re completely mad.JASMINE It’s a gift to the new century we are about to enter. PICASSO More like a gift to the century after that. Gaudi himself will be long dead before it’s ever completed. Generations of people will never see its full glory. Once again, PICASSO notices CASAGEMAS from across the room. He watches him talking to a group of people. JASMINE Isn’t that part of the point. To do something on such a grand scale that it… JASMINE finally sees the object of PICASSO’s attention. JASMINE Would you like to meet Carles? 6 PICASSO What? JASMINE He’s the guy you keep staring at. PICASSO I wasn’t staring. [beat] That’s Carles Casagemas? I’ve seen his paintings. They’re very, very good. JASMINE Would you like me to introduce you? PICASSO He won’t know me. I don’t think we should interrupt their conversation. JASMINE Are you scared of meeting him? PICASSO I’m not scared. I’m busy flirting with you. JASMINE Oh, god. Come with me. JASMINE takes PICASSO by the hand and leads him over to CASAGEMAS. She taps CASAGEMAS on the shoulder. He turns away from his conversation. CASAGEMAS Jasmine! So good to see you! They hug. PICASSO watches awkwardly. CASAGEMAS holds JASMINE in an embrace as he talks, looking deeply into her eyes. CASAGEMAS You look lovely this evening. JASMINE Thank you. They look into each other’s eyes. It has grown more uncomfortable than PICASSO can bear. He starts to walk away. JASMINE notices and calls after him. 7 JASMINE Pablo! Pablo! Get back here. PICASSO comes back as CASAGEMAS releases JASMINE and steps forward to greet PICASSO with his hand extended. CASAGEMAS You’re Ruiz-Picasso! From Malaga! I’m Carles Casagemas. The two shake hands. CASAGEMAS It’s a pleasure! Pillares has been talking about you non-stop since you both got back from his parent’s farm. PICASSO Thank you. Silence. CASAGEMAS [to JASMINE] Is he always this quiet? JASMINE Never. He’s quite taken with you. PICASSO I’m sorry. I’m not used to people knowing who I am before I’ve met them. CASAGEMAS Well, you’d better get used to it, my friend. PICASSO You think so? JASMINE begins to leave. CASAGEMAS Jasmine. Where are you running off to? JASMINE I thought I’d leave you to stroke each other’s egos in private. 8 CASAGEMAS Isn’t she the best!? PICASSO I think I’m in love with her. CASAGEMAS I hate to tell you this, Pablo, but you’ve got some pretty stiff competition. PICASSO Stiff! Hah! JASMINE It’s time for me to leave you boys. PICASSO Oh. CASAGEMAS If you must go, then go. But, don’t stray too far. I need to have some private time with you before the evening is through. JASMINE Hmm. You need to see me? CASAGEMAS It’s a powerful need, dear Jasmine. JASMINE Well, I would be remiss if I were to deprive you of such a necessity. JASMINE leaves with a flourish. The men wave goodbye. PICASSO That was… You’re so good with the females. CASAGEMAS shrugs. CASAGEMAS It’s a gift. PICASSO I think there’s a lot I can learn from you. 9 CASAGEMAS You need help getting yourself a lady? PICASSO No, it’s nothing like that. I never know what to do- Or, what I’m supposed to do. CASAGEMAS You know what you want, but you don’t know how to get it. PICASSO Exactly. CASAGEMAS I can help with that. PICASSO Really? CASAGEMAS It’s just like painting. All you have to do if focus all of your attention on the lady. Study her face, her eyes. Let her see you looking at her, and when she asks what you’re doing, inform her that you must paint her. And, then tell her why. PICASSO I must paint you. CASAGEMAS Oh, no. That’s not what I was- PICASSO It’s your energy. You have a great deal of strength. I can feel it coming from your body. I must capture it on canvas. CASAGEMAS thinks for a momet. CASAGEMAS It, it would be an honor. PICASSO Really? CASAGEMAS 10 Pillares showed me some of your paintings of the farmlands surrounding his home. They’re fantastic. They remind me of Cezanne. PICASSO I was copying his style. CASAGEMAS Copying? You are not giving yourself enough credit. PICASSO My father says the only way to learn how to paint is through replicating the works of the great masters. Only after making thousands of copies can a man call himself a painter. CASAGEMAS So, a painter is a machine. That comes as a surprise to me. PICASSO That’s not what I’m saying. CASAGEMAS You’re not saying anything. You’re repeating what your father told you. Silence. CASAGEMAS All I’m saying is that I would find it impossible to keep my passion alive if I were forced to be in such a rigid system.