Eno Will - Gnit : a fairly rough translation of Henrik Ibsens Peer Gynt

GNIT

BOOKS BY WILL ENO

AVAILABLE FROM TCG

The Flu Season and Other Plays

ALSO INCLUDES:

Intermission

Tragedy: a tragedy

Gnit

Middletown

The Realistic Joneses (forthcoming)

Thom Pain (based on nothing)

Gnit is copyright 2013 by Will Eno

Gnit 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: Mark Subias, United Talent Agency, 888 Seventh Avenue, Ninth Floor New York, NY 10106: 212.659.2600.

Gnit is published in arrangement with Oberon Books Ltd, 521 Caledonian Road, London, N7 9RH.

This publication 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.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holder and to obtain their permission for the use of the cover photograph. The publisher apologises and would be grateful if notified of the copyright holder and this will be incorporated in future reprints or editions of this book.

TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-1-55936-789-9 (ebook)

First Edition, June 2014

Contents

Double-cast roles are in parentheses. This suggested configuration will require a number of quick-changes, but these are certainly in the spirit of the play.

MOTHER (UNCLE JOE, BEGGAR)

PETER

STRANGER 1, MALE (STRANGER 3, MOYNIHAN, VOICE, HUNTER, ROBBER, (voice of) SPHINX, SHACKLETON, PALE MAN, REPORTER)

STRANGER 2, FEMALE (BRIDESMAID, BRIDE, GROUPIE, WOMAN IN GREEN, HELEN, CASE WORKER, ANITRA, PASTOR, BREMER, ANNA)

TOWN (THE GREEN FAMILY, INTERNATIONAL MAN, BEGRIFFIN)

SOLVAY (BARTENDER, DARK LADY, GRAVEDIGGER, AUCTIONEER)

Gnit was first performed on 15 March 2013 at the Actors Theatre of Louisville by special arrangement with Signature Theatre and United Talent Agency, with the following cast (in order of appearance):

Various locations, various times.

Director underwritten by Todd P. Lowe and Fran C. Ratterman; Bruce Merrick and Karen McCoy.

Gnit was developed at The Pershing Square Signature Center, with thanks to the JAW Festival, Portland Center Stage.

The GNIT home (pronounced Guh-nit). Lights up on MOTHER, alone, in bed, recovering from a hysterectomy. Any movements she makes, throughout the scene, are made with a little difficulty.

MOTHER: Never have children. Or, I dont know, have children. You end up talking to yourself, either way.

Pause. PETER enters, with a small box.

PETER: Hi, Mom.

MOTHER: Youre a liar.

PETER: Thats a nice welcome home.

MOTHER: No, it isnt.

PETER: God, Mom. I was trying to

MOTHER: (Interrupting.) Yes, Im sure you were. (Noticing the small box that PETER holds.) Is that for me?

PETER: What, this? Uh, yeah. You might not like it.

MOTHER: (She opens it. Its a mens tie, yellow-green.) You know, just because I cant have children anymore, because I dont have the organs for it anymore, doesnt mean I suddenly started goddamn wearing goddamn ties. Oh, but were in luck. Its your color.

PETER: If you dont want it, Ill give it a try. (Begins putting it on.)

MOTHER: How kind.

PETER: Hey, it fits.

MOTHER: Arent you even going to ask how I am?

PETER: How are you?

MOTHER: You promised youd be here. What a darling boy. You lied.

PETER: I said I was sorry.

MOTHER: No, in fact, you didnt.

PETER: Well, I am.

MOTHER: No, in fact, you arent.

PETER: Why dont you ever believe me?

MOTHER: Probably because youre always lying.

PETER: I was trying to tell you, if youd just let me

MOTHER: (Interrupting.) And because, when you begin sentences with I, Im not even sure you know who youre talking about. Because maybe I didnt hold you enough when you were little.

PETER: You held me a lot.

MOTHER: I held you all the time. I never let you go. You were very holdable. I held you and told you little stories to cover up the sound of your father piddling our futures away. (Pause.) I needed you, Peter. I was scared.

PETER: Im sorry, mom.

MOTHER: I know you are, sweetheart. You always were.

PETER: I was trying to get home and then the

MOTHER: (Interrupting.) Maybe if Id let you babble more when you were a baby, you wouldnt still be babbling now.