Kennedy Adrienne - Sleep deprivation chamber: a theatre piece

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CHAMBER

Copyright 1996 by Adam P. Kennedy and Adrienne Kennedy

Sleep Deprivation Chamber is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 355 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10017-0217.

All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights including, but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of these plays by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors ' representative: Joyce Ketay, The Joyce Ketay Agency, 1501 Broadway, Suite 1908, New York, NY 10036, (212) 354-6825.

Kennedy, Adam (Adam P.)

Sleep deprivation chamber / by Adam and Adrienne Kennedy.

eISBN 978-1559367226

1. Afro-American menVirginiaDrama. 2. Mothers and sons

VirginiaDrama. 3. Police brutalityVirginiaDrama.

4. Suburban lifeVirginiaDrama.

I. Kennedy, Adrienne. II. Title.

PS3561. E42518S58 1996

812 ' .54dc20 9635079

CIP

Cover art by Susan Johann

Cover design by Susan Mitchell

Book design by Lisa Govan

First Edition, November 1996

To all the people who believed in me and supported the Kennedy familythank you. All the incredible letters on my behalf made me realize how truly blessed I am. They provided me with a great deal of strength and power during a very difficult time.

Sometimes in the midst of great tragedy one realizes the enormous amount of love and faith that surrounds them. My mom and dad, the greatest parents in the world, guided me with their strength, support, courage, determination and great dignityI couldnt have made it without them. To Roger Adelman and Tom Foltz, two great lawyers who outsmarted the police and the district attorneys office at every turn. To Duane Griermy brother in spirit who endured with me, to my brother Joe, Aunt Mary, Harriet Jones, Claire Hunkin, Sam Peabody, Marty and Gus Trowbridge, Stephen Trow bridge, Jean Stein and my grandmothers, Etta Hawkins and Jessie Hunkin.

A very special thanks to Michael Kahn for his brilliant vision and the whole cast, especially Kevin Carroll. To Renee and my daughter Dorihopefully by the time she reaches adulthood our society will have come to grips with, and defeated, the evils of racism in America.

And finally, I would like to dedicate this book to all the black American men who shared with me their own horrible experiences with the policeit is a sobering reality that my experience is such a common one.

Adam P. Kennedy

For friends who wrote the letters... and those who did more... Mary K. Carter, Sam Peabody, Jean Stein, Marty and Gus Trowbridge, Charles Robbs office staff and my son, Joe, who gave me advice on serenity.... And for Michael Kahn and his breathtaking directing.

Adrienne Kennedy

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CHAMBER

The world premiere of Sleep Deprivation Chamber was presented FebruaryMarch 1996 by Signature Theatre Company in New York City and was performed on the stage of the Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. The production was directed by Michael Kahn, with sets by E. David Cosier, lights by Jeffrey S. Koger, sound by Jim van Bergen and costumes by Teresa Snider-Stein and Jonathan Green. The cast was as follows:

PLACE

Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio

Ohio Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio

Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Courtroom in Virginia

TIME

Two years ago

CHARACTERS

(Cast of ten to twelve actors)

SUZANNE ALEXANDER, Teddys mother, a writer

TEDDY, a senior at Antioch College

MARCH ALEXANDER, Teddys uncle

DAVID ALEXANDER, Teddys father, head of Africa/USA

The police, lawyers, Patrice, David Jr., the cousin, the student cast of a play, etc., are all played interchangeably by the same actors.

Winter. Antioch College Theatre Department. Backstage with a view of the rehearsal hall and stage. In the rehearsal hall is a long table. The Student Cast sits with scripts and books, their voices are muted. The rehearsal hall and backstage are almost dark.

Suzanne sits at a dressing table writing.

STUDENT CAST: Ophelia, betrayal, disillusionment.

(Suzanne looks toward doorway at the end of the rehearsal hall, shes an African-American writer, mid-fifties. She wears winter coat, scarf.)

STUDENT CAST: Ophelia, betrayal, disillusionment.

(Through the door at the end of the rehearsal hall comes Teddy, Suzannes son. He is a slight young man, twenty-one, sallow skin like his mothers, black hair already thinning, glasses, wearing rehearsal clothes. He joins Student Cast at table. He is the director.)

STUDENT CAST: The murder of the sleeping king.

(Suzanne puts her head down on the dressing table.)

STUDENT CAST: Asleep at the moment of his murder.

(Suzanne falls asleep. Her voice narrates dream sequence. All dream sequences have fragments of the dream acted out onstage. These fragments are identified here by DREAM SCENE.)

SUZANNE: Teddy was accused of murdering a French king again. And while he was in jail in Virginia (after being condemned) Teddys right hand was cut off. And his body was drawn in sunder and dismembered by five horses and his carcass and quarters cast into a fire and consumed to ashes and the ashes scattered to the wind while I yelled at the killers.