Miguel Piñero - Short eyes: a play

Short eyes: a play — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work

Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "Short eyes: a play" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

1234567...19

Table of Contents

That evening. In dim light, NETT searches dayroom for remaining evidence, which he puts in shower. Closes shower curtain. Meanwhile, roll call is in progress. BROWN is on catwalk. As he calls out names, prisoners appear in their respective positions on the catwalk above.

BROWN

All right, listen up When I call out your name give me your cell location and your first name Come out of your cell Leave everything behind Keep your mouth shut eyes front hands over your head. Blinker.

OMAR

Omar, upper D 9.

BROWN

Johnson.

JOHNSON

El Raheem, William, lower D 4.

BROWN

Pasqual.

PACO

Paco Pasqual, lower D 2.

BROWN

Wicker.

ICE

John, lower D 5.

BROWN

Murphy.

LONGSHOE

Charles, lower D 7.

BROWN

Otero.

JUAN

Juan, upper D 3.

BROWN

Mercado.

CUPCAKES

Julio, upper D 2.

BROWN

Put on your clothes and report to the dayroom

(NETT remains. Enter ALLARD)

ALLARD

Get the lights on in here.

NETT

On the lights.

(Lights on in dayroom)

ALLARD

Get Merkaydo and Murphy.

NETT

Mercado, Murphy, in the dayroom.

BROWN

Mercado and Murphy.

(CUPCAKES and LONGSHOE leave cells offstage and cross catwalk, left to right, led by BROWN. They appear at entrance to dayroom)

BROWN

Which one first?

NETT

Mercado.

(CUPCAKES and BROWN enter dayroom and BROWN searches CUPCAKES. BROWN leaves dayroom, closes gate, but remains outside it)

ALLARD

Merkaydo, possession of drugs and sale of drugs.

CUPCAKES

Mi nombre es Mercado. Yo no hablo ingls.

ALLARD

You no what. Listen here, you little punk. I dont hear thisspeaka la english jazz. Im not here to play games with you. Thats why we give you recreation. The only game Im going to play with you is to break your little Puerto Rican ass and slam you in the bing until you leave this place. Is this clear? Now you speak English, dont you?

CUPCAKES

Yes, sir, perfeckly.

ALLARD

Now, thats sales and possession of drugs, right?

CUPCAKES

Like, man Marijuana aint no drug.

ALLARD

(Almost shouting)

My name is Captain Allard, my name is not man Do you understand that? Well, say so.

CUPCAKES

Yes, sir.

ALLARD

O.K. Lets see, your name is Merkaydo.

CUPCAKES

Mercado.

ALLARD

Jewleo.

CUPCAKES

Julio.

ALLARD

You are twenty-one years old and here for selling drugs. I wonder how many school kids you got hooked on this stuff.

CUPCAKES

I hooked no one onto anything, man.

ALLARD

What did you say?

CUPCAKES

I mean, sir.

ALLARD

You were in the dayroom when this happened, werent you?

CUPCAKES

Yes, sir, he borrowed my towel, sir.

ALLARD

He borrowed your towel, went into the shower, and cut his throat? Why did you lend him your towel?

CUPCAKES

To dry himself.

ALLARD

What were you doing while he was in the shower?

CUPCAKES

I was watching TV and rapping to the fellas.

ALLARD

What program were you watching?

CUPCAKES

The Dating Game.

ALLARD

Did you know what Clark Davis was here for?

CUPCAKES

No, sir, its none of my business.

ALLARD

Did he seem depressed, uptight?

CUPCAKES

I didnt notice.

ALLARD

Merkaydo, this is your first time up on criminal charges, isnt it?

CUPCAKES

Yes, sir.

ALLARD

Come here, Merkaydo, sit down.

CUPCAKES

No, thank you, Id rather stand. If you dont mind, Captain.

ALLARD

Well, I do mind I ask you to sit down I dont like looking up.

CUPCAKES

Yes, sir

ALLARD

Merkaydo I dont know if you are listening to any of these jailhouse lawyers. But you should take note that all the cooperation that is given to the Department is always taken into deep consideration by the courts. Why, Ive known men who didnt stand a chance in a million to walk right out into the streets, all because of a letter of recommendation from the Department. And you know, of course, this is kept in the strictest of confidence. And who knowsmaybe in the future, if you should ever get arrested again, it may go well with you. Now, think about this for a moment. Do you care to make a statement?

CUPCAKES

No, no statements

ALLARD

All right, go back to your cell Wait a minute, Merkaydo. Has anyone on this floor been hitting on you?

CUPCAKES

No, sir.

ALLARD

If anyone did approach you with a homosexual proposition, would you report it to the officer in charge, Mr. Nett?

CUPCAKES

No, sir, Im no rat, Im a man I take care of myself

ALLARD

O.K., mister Get back to your cell.

BROWN

On the gate.

(BROWN opens gate, CUPCAKES exits, BROWN closes gate. CUPCAKES crosses catwalk to his position above left. BROWN remains at entrance below, while ALLARD and NETT continue conversation)

ALLARD

Nett, how long has he been on your floor?

NETT

A little over a month, sir.

ALLARD

And no one has tried anything with him?

NETT

Not that I know of, sir.

ALLARD

Well, one things for sure, men aint what they used to be

NETT

Things have changed, sir.

ALLARD

Murphyhes been around awhile

NETT

Murphys been in and out of these places since the day one, sir.

ALLARD

Call him in.

NETT

Yes, sir. On the gate. Murphy in the dayroom.

BROWN

Put your hands down.

(BROWN opens gate , LONGSHOE enters, BROWN closes gate. During following dialogue, CUPCAKES, on catwalk above left, and JUAN, on catwalk above right, carry on a conversation in Spanish about the preceding interrogation )

ALLARD

Next page

1234567...19

Light

Font size:

↓

↑

Georgia Tahoma Arial Verdana

Reset

Interval:

↓

↑

Bookmark:

Make

Similar books «Short eyes: a play»

Look at similar books to Short eyes: a play. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.

Amy Yamada

Bedtime Eyes

Jodi Schorb

Reading Prisoners: Literature, Literacy, and the Transformation of American Punishment, 1700-1845

Iris Morales

Through the Eyes of Rebel Women: The Young Lords : 1969-1976

Monta Z. Briant

Sign, Sing, and Play!: Fun Signing Activities for You and Your Baby

Alfred Conyes

Fifty Years in Sing Sing: A Personal Account, 1879-1929

Miguel A. De La Torre

Burying White Privilege: Resurrecting a Badass Christianity

Deborah Tobola

Hummingbird in Underworld: Teaching in a Mens Prison, a Memoir

Morris

Sing a rhythm, dance a blues: education for the liberation of Black and Brown girls

Conover

Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing

Janine Nabers

Serial black face

Arabella B. Buckley

Eyes and No Eyes 4 Birds of the Air

Ted Conover

Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing

Discussion, reviews of the book Short eyes: a play and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.