Hudes - Elliot, a Soldiers Fugue

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP NEW YORK 2012 A Soldiers FugueA Soldiers FugueElliot, A Soldiers Fugue is copyright 2012 by Quiara Alegra Hudes Elliot, A Soldiers Fugue is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc.,
520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156 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 this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors representative: John Buzzetti, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019, (212) 903-1166. Got Ur Self a Gun, Words and Music by Nasir Jones, Jake Black, Chester Burnett, Simon Edwards, Pier Marsh and Robert Spragg, copyright 2001 Universal Music Corp., Dors-D Music, Universal MusicZ Songs, Chrysalis Music and Arc Music Corporation.

All rights for Dors-D Music controlled and administered by Universal Music Corp. All rights for Chrysalis Music administered by Chrysalis Music Group, Inc., a BMG Chrysalis Company. All rights for Arc Music Corporation administered by BMG Rights Management (U.S.) LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.

The publication of Elliot, A Soldiers Fugue by Quiara Alegra Hudes, through TCGs Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA Hudes, Quiara Alegra. Elliot, a soldiers fugue / Quiara Alegra Hudes. p. eISBN 978-1-55936-723-3 I. Title. Title.

PS3608.U3234E552012 812.6dc232012028878 Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover design by Rodrigo Corral and Joan Wong First Edition, October 2012 For Elliot, Ginny and George BOOKS BY QUIARA ALEGRA HUDES
PUBLISHED BY TCG Elliot, A Soldiers FugueWater by the SpoonfulThe Happiest Song Plays Last
(forthcoming) PRODUCTION HISTORY An early version of Elliot, A Soldiers Fugue was produced at Miracle Theatre in Portland, Oregon, in September 2005. It was directed by Olga Sanchez. Elliot, A Soldiers Fugue received its world premiere at Page 73 Productions (Nicole Fix, Liz Jones, Asher Richelli and Daniel Shiffman, Artistic Directors) in New York at The Culture Project on January 28, 2006. It was directed by Davis McCallum; set design was by Sandra Goldmark, costume design was by Chloe Chapin, lighting design was by Joel Moritz, sound design was by Walter Trarbach and Gabe Wood, and music was composed by Michael Friedman. The cast was:

ELLIOT	Armando Riesco
POP	Triney Sandoval
GRANDPOP	Mateo Gmez
GINNY	Zabryna Guevara

CHARACTERS ELLIOT, serving in Iraq, 1st Marine Division, eighteennineteen. POP, Elliots father, served in Vietnam, 3rd Cavalry Division, various ages.

GRANDPOP, Elliots grandfather, served in Korea, 65th Infantry Regiment of Puerto Rico, various ages. GINNY, Elliots mother, served in Vietnam, Army Nurse Corps, various ages. SET The set has two playing areas. The empty space is minimal, it transforms into many locations. It is stark, sad. When light enters, it is like light through a jailhouse window or through the dusty stained glass of a decrepit chapel.

The garden space, by contrast, is teeming with life. It is a verdant sanctuary, green speckled with magenta and gold. Both spaces are holy in their own way. PRODUCTION NOTES Fugues In the Fugue scenes, people narrate each others actions and sometimes narrate their own. For instance: ELLIOT: A boy enters. (Elliot enters.) GRANDPOP: Clean, deodorized.

Some drops of water plummet from his nose and lips. The shower was ice cold. (Elliot shivers.) Elliots action should mirror what the narrator, Grandpop, says. The narrator steps in and out of the scene as necessary. Time within the Fugue scenes is fluid and overlaps. When Elliot steps into the Fugue scenes, hes in 2003 Iraq.

When Pop steps into the Fugue scenes, hes in late-1960s, Vietnam. When Grandpop steps into the Fugue scenes, hes in 1950 Korea. Often, these disparate time periods occur simultaneously. Additionally, time is not chronological between scenes. For instance, in one scene, Elliot may be in 2003 Iraq. The following scene may be 2004, after hes completed his first tour of duty.

Time ping-pongs back and forth between scenes, and stacks on top of itself within scenes. Pops Letters Pops letters are active and alive. They are not reflective, past-tense documents. They are immediate communication. Sometimes the letters are shared dialogue between Pop and Grandpop, but it should always be clear that it is Pops story being spoken. Music Flute.

Bach, danznes, jazz, etudes, scales, hip-hop beats. Overlapping lines. Other Please do not use actual barbed wire or vines in the wrapping scenes (10 and 13). The stage directions in these moments are an important part of the soul of the piece, but should not be staged literally.

The empty space, very empty. A pair of white underwear is on the ground.

Thats all we see. GINNY: A room made of cinderblock. A mattress lies on a cot containing thirty-six springs. If you lie on the mattress, you can feel each of the thirty-six springs. One at a time. As you close your eyes. And try to sleep the full four hours.

POP: A white sheet is on the mattress. The corners are folded and tucked under. Tight, like an envelope. GRANDPOP: Military code. The corner of the sheet is checked at 0600 hours, daily. No wrinkles or bumps allowed.

ELLIOT: A man enters. (Elliot enters in a towel. Its 2003. Hes eighteen.) GRANDPOP: Clean, deodorized. Some drops of water plummet from his nose and lips. (Elliot shivers. (Elliot shivers.

He picks up the underwear.) GINNY: He performs his own military-style inspection. (Elliot looks at the front and back of the underwear. No apparent stains. He sniffs them. Theyre clean.) ELLIOT: Nice. (Elliot puts them on under the towel, removes the towel.) POP: Theres little bumps of skin on his arm.

His pores tighten. His leg hair stands on end. Cold shower spray. (Elliot drops to the ground and does ten push-ups. He springs to his feet and seems invigorated.) ELLIOT: One two three four five six seven eight nine ten. (Elliot peers into the mirror: the audience.) GINNY: The chin. The teeth. The teeth.

Uppers and lowers. The molars. The one, lone filling. (He clenches his jaw, furrows his eyebrows. Holding this face, he curls a bicep, showing off a round muscle.) ELLIOT (To the mirror adversary): What? You want to step? Youre making Subway hoagies. Im a Marine.