Letts - Killer Joe

KILLER JOE BOOKS BY TRACY LETTS AVAILABLE FROM TCG August: Osage County Killer Joe Superior Donuts KILLER JOE TRACY LETTS THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP NEW YORK 2014 Killer Joe is copyright 2014 by Tracy Letts Killer Joe 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: Ron Gwiazda, Abrams Artists Agency, 275 Seventh Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10001, (646) 461-9325. The publication of Killer Joe by Tracy Letts, 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 Letts, Tracy, 1965- Killer Joe / Tracy Letts. pages cm ISBN 978-1-55936-758-5 (ebook) 1. Dysfunctional familiesDrama. 2. I. Title. Title.

PS3612.E887K55 2014 812.6dc23 2014011245 Book design and composition by Lisa Govan Cover design by John Gall Cover Photo by Xomiele First Edition, June 2014 Killer Joe is dedicated to the memory and spirit of Holly Wantuch, my partner, my conscience, my love. DEBTS ACTING: Fairuza Balk, Scott Glenn, Jan Leslie Harding, Sarah Paulson (!), Lori Petty, Amanda Plummer, Seth Ullian, Michelle Williams AGENTING: Danielle Ausrotas, Jason Fogelson ARTISTIC DIRECTING: Ian Brown, Dexter Bullard, Dominic Dromgoole, Harriet Spizziri BELIEVING, WITH MONEY: Gary and Teddi Cole, Kelly Curtis, Steve Martin CASTING: Kris Nicolau CRITICIZING: Richard Christiansen DESIGNING: Tim Fletcher, Luke Grimm, One Dream, Chris Peterson, Bob Smith, Jana Stauffer, George Xenos POTATO PEELER DESIGNING: Tim Reinhart FAMILIARIZING: M & P, S & S, D &D, G & G, G & G FIGHTING: David Brimmer, Chuck Coyl PRODUCING: Michael Codron, Darren Lee Cole, Laura Cunningham, Scott Morfee PUBLICIZING: Shirley Herz STAGE MANAGING: Siofra Campbell, Richard Hodge, Justin Holmes, Adrian Pagan UNDERSTUDYING: Christine Ashe, Allen Burroughs, Mim Drew, Mary Hammett BIGGER DEBTS Paul Dillon, Shawna Franks, Marc Nelson, Mike Shannon, Holly Wantuch, Eric Winzenried and especially Wilson Milam: the six actors and director who helped create this play. Without their work, talent, faith and love, Killer Joe would not exist. KILLER JOE CONTENTS Killer Joe received its world premiere at the Next Lab in Evanston, Illinois, on August 3, 1993. It was directed by Wilson Milam; the set and lighting designs were by Robert G. Smith, the costume design was by Laura Cunningham, the sound design was by Chris Peterson; the fight choreographer was Chuck Coyl and the stage manager was Justin Holmes.

The cast was:

It was directed by Wilson Milam; the set design was by George Xenos, the lighting design was by Greg MacPherson, the costume design was by Jana Stauffer, the sound design was by Hired Gun/One Dream; the fight choreographer was J. David Brimmer and the production stage manager was Richard A. Hodge. The cast was:

The living room occupies two-thirds of the set, the kitchen occupies one-third. There is no separation between the rooms, unless it is a small counter extending from the wall. The playing area should be quite small and cramped. A low ceiling is helpful. The furnishings and decorations in the trailer are seedy and cheap; walls covered with ugly wood paneling; tattered, smoke-stained plastic shades covering the windows; kitchen filled with dirty, mismatched cups and utensils, many of them fast-food giveaways; a hide-a-bed, stained, torn, burned with cigarettes; a coffee table covered with fast-food debris, empty beer cans and filled ashtrays; grimy refrigerator, filled almost solely with beer; a monstrous television, topped by a snarled and intricate antenna made of coat hangers and tin foil; Taco Bell refrigerator magnets, Dallas Cowboy cheerleader calendar, ZZ Top poster and other detritus of the poor. No pre-show music.

Only static from the TV. No incidental or atmosphere music within the scenes. All music and sound should be sourced, with the exception of intermission, curtain call and the scene changes (see below). Blackouts between the scenes should be covered by the sound of the following scene. For example: Act Two, Scene 1 ends, blackout, sound of evangelist on house speakers; once scene change is completed, lights rise on Scene 2 and evangelist cross-fades from house speakers to onstage radio. Scene changes should be as quick and quiet as possible.

Lighting should appear to be sourced. The final dinner is wholly improvised, and may take as long as two or three minutes. As written, the final fight is a map of the dynamics of the scene. Directors and fight choreographers worth their salt will change it as necessary to meet their staging needs. The published edition of