‘Who’s Afraid of Sojourner Truth?’ Pitch8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡexLtlarYvR 維尼
Dear Editor,8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡgV0tNMomwG 維尼
Enclosed in this document is a series of scenes that could be included in a new play entitled ‘Who’s Afraid for Sojourner Truth?’. I believe this shall make for a valuable examination of the human condition that will enthral audiences for many years. I request that you send me a reply with your thoughts on these scenes and any advice you have for the piece as a whole.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbHehnweDQ 維尼
Yours sincerely,8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡkiSplnVcw8 維尼
Anabelle Pierce340Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8a4t9O1TSY
8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9K7BeQpbb 維尼
Who's Afraid of Sojourner Truth Characters8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡKP9FSbiKd3 維尼
Margaret (Martha)- Named after Margaret Walkers[1]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dTUaomfvG 維尼
James (George)- Named after James Baldwin. A theology professor8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡsc2YJAWa5w 維尼
Harriet (Honey)- Named after Harriet Powers. Believed to be mulatto[2] (instead of slim-hipped)8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWxf92cWLZ 維尼
Norman (Nick)- Named after Norman Lewis. A biology professor8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcOmFKSphq 維尼
The scene is the living room of a house on the campus of a small Alabama college8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCobCNN6YB 維尼
Who's Afraid of Sojourner Truth[3] Possible Scenes8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZKVNdLOh1 維尼
Page 19 (Act 1)-8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmkuVvK46C 維尼
JAMES: Biology, huh?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5emMP6UZFQ 維尼
[NORMAN does not answer... nods... looks.]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcVkwBCjd8 維尼
I've read somewhere that folks like you are trying to make the Bible illegal. You're trying to prove something with your.... what are they called? Prokaries?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtlbo5SI4y 維尼
NORMAN: I believe you mean prokaryotes.[4]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtYLfCnY0l 維尼
JAMES: I know what I meant. Those strange cells. I saw some diagrams of them. Now how are you planning to make my job illegal with those tiny things? You didn't answer my question about Theology.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡBG0qQfmVH6 維尼
NORMAN: This prokaryotes business you're talking about...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡrbMzLDvhsP 維尼
JAMES: Oh, that. [Dismisses that with a wave of his hand]. That's very... very frightening... very... foreboding. But Theology is a great deal more... foreboding. I am in the Theology Department.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHrR2O9He2 維尼
NORMAN: Yes... you told me. I am old enough to have an adequate memory capacity.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSaBii8zwg 維尼
JAMES [Disparagingly]: Now, now. You and your wife have no memories to keep. Life must be too easy... for you to have memories. You know, memories are ultimately irrelevant unless they make your life miserable. But you wouldn't understand. You're probably from the SCLC[5] or something. I bet you have a lot of hope. If that's the case, you clearly have no memories. Be glad you don't run the Theology Department. There's a lot to memorise. Even I do not run the Theology Department.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uThFBmENS 維尼
NORMAN [Uncertain as to how to react]: Well, if it's any consolation, I do not run the Biology Department.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡCV5sStwOV9 維尼
JAMES: You're twenty-one!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUBRd2Bh4A 維尼
NORMAN: Twenty-eight.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡos8DKzYzlv 維尼
JAMES: Perhaps when you're forty-something and look fifty-five, you will run the Theology Department.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AtBNcAU58 維尼
NORMAN: ...Biology...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡSrAgZd0GhU 維尼
JAMES: ... the Biology Department. Personally it is my belief that you have to be old to be in the Theology Department. I almost ran the Theology Department, but... well... during the war I essentially ran it but I wasn't given a title or anything. I wonder what it's like to have a title. I guess I'll never know. I should be glad to be a teacher in the first place. Hm... Your wife doesn't have very dark skin... has she... is she?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BFtbNNjj7 維尼
NORMAN: What?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡW8dzvZhAUX 維尼
JAMES: I don't mean to suggest that I'm against that sort of color... I'm not one of those Deuteronomy[6] men. No-siree... not me. You've got to keep religion in moderation, though that may sound strange coming from me. I was implying that your wife is... pale-skinned.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡpiM3gijLwD 維尼
NORMAN: Yes... she is8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84kkEhxx8Q 維尼
JAMES [Looking up at the ceiling]: What are they doing up there? I don't see any point in them powdering their faces. Who's going to look?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj4ibANsHt 維尼
NORMAN [false heartiness]: You know women.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjxXpQJXS6 維尼
JAMES [gives NORMAN a long stare of feigned incredulity... then he turns away and mutters]: Not one single goddamn title. Everyone came back and I was replaced by Professor Shelton[7]. [bluntly] Have any kids?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6iHZ6qFz5 維尼
NORMAN: Uh... no... not yet. [Pause] You?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡEcGe7Fwcd3 維尼
JAMES [threateningly]: That's for me to know and you to find out. No kids, huh? I thought you'd... make them out of test tubes. You biologists. Does it feel good playing God? Maybe you'd be able to make them... History professors. [he smiles proudly. NORMAN laughs mildly in embarrassment] I would love to play God if I was in the Biology Department. But you are going to have kids.... anyway... in spite of... whether you can make them History professors.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lFcRC8YYz 維尼
NORMAN [unsure how to respond]: Yes... of course. We want to wait a little, until we're settled.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoULsf5ABd 維尼
JAMES: And this... [With a handsweep taking in not only the room, the house, but the entire town] this is your heart's content- Ciudad Blanca, Brahmapura, Hawaiki[8]... You think you're going to be happy here in Alabama, eh?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡVhrR5zN7qr 維尼
NORMAN [a little defensively]: I hope we'll stay here.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡoIn8qqirfW 維尼
JAMES: And every definition has its boundaries, eh? Well, it isn't a bad college. It isn't Spelman or Howard[9], but at least it's small enough to give us a little community. Then again, it would be nice to be as prestigious as those schools. Maybe then I'd have a shot of running the Theology Department.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMecbinFuR 維尼
NORMAN: I don't mean... forever.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ97wwOFWAdJ 維尼
JAMES: Well, don't let that get bandied about. The old man wouldn't... groove with that. Is that how you kids speak these days? When you're forty-six you'll be trembling with embarrassment at the memory of using words like that. Well, if I was twenty-one I would...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0tHEtkOAD 維尼
NORMAN: I said I'm twenty-eight.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡaj10EQeoPV 維尼
JAMES: Yes, yes. As I was saying, Margaret's father has... high expectations of us. We're supposed to stick together, our kind. Like we've got cement between us. We have to stay the same, talk to the same people. I don't remember the last time I looked a white working man in the face. Perhaps that's for the best. Look for too long and you get buried. One time a Latin professor looked a pretty.... lily girl[10]... in the face... [Closes his eyes as if shielding his memories. He opens them and changes the subject] ...So are you planning on using those... prokalytes...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQ8xg6SqN5 維尼
NORMAN: Prokaryotes...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡhr65oeLZ1X 維尼
JAMES: Prokaryotes... to prove that the Bible is wrong?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡsElX4FRS2G 維尼
NORMAN [a little testily]: I never thought about doing such a thing.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpm2YQwK3d 維尼
Page 94 (Act 2)8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnmASlLqqV 維尼
HARRIET [still with her dream]: I DON'T WANT TO BE... NO!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡABvbcXwo6s 維尼
JAMES: How wonderfully ignorant you are. If only I had your childish naivety. You have no idea what's going on, do you?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡoP1bDwqlRD 維尼
HARRIET: NO!... MY SKIN... [Begins to cry] I DON'T WANT... TO LOOK... BLACK... I don't... want... to look... black. I'm afraid! I don't want to be hurt anymore... PLEASE!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUqKnVnv9m 維尼
JAMES [nodding his head... speaks with a mix or rare compassion and amused disapproval]: I should have known.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡoMa5bY4eOD 維尼
HARRIET [snapping awake of her nightmare]: What! What?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡViwbiSngd9 維尼
JAMES: I should have known the whole business... the headaches[11]... the whining... the...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡROdYR3L8kd 維尼
HARRIET [terrified]: What are you talking about?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1g06su95Q4 維尼
JAMES [ugly]: Does he know about this? Did you start doing this to yourself before you met him?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡcahzWcOXrs 維尼
HARRIET: Doing what? Stay away from me!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡHMLHrRIgom 維尼
JAMES: Don't worry, snowflake... I wouldn't... Oh, my God, that would be a joke, wouldn't it? But don't worry, snowflake, HEY! How do you do it? Hunh? How do you distance yourself from the only people who give a damn about you, hunh? Pills? PILLS? You got a secret supply of pills? Or what? Poisonous cream? PRAYER?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8Y1u6BfMe 維尼
HARRIET: I feel sick.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡtYQWJC9zdd 維尼
JAMES: You going to throw up again? Curl up on the tile floor in the darkness?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lJ176omlD 維尼
HARRIET [panicked]: Where is he?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdOTQBnKzM 維尼
JAMES: Where's who? There's nobody here, snowflake.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8SbbP6SNO 維尼
HARRIET: I want my husband! I want a drink!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SzMoW2u2s 維尼
JAMES [stifling a laugh]: Do you need me to turn the rest of the lights on? [Harriet obliviously nods with a smile. From off-stage comes the sound of MARGARET's laughter and the crashing of dishes.]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡm5006LgpRm 維尼
[Yelling] That's right! Go at it!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡtk2QEvwM4n 維尼
Page 103 (Act 3)8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZzcffXtmS 維尼
MARGARET [shouting]: Answer it! [softer] You can be our little servant around here for a while, and you can serve us, the nicest, richest white family in America. Doesn't that sound fun? You can start being a servant right now.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ADd4gGE9u 維尼
NORMAN: Look, lady, I'm no flunky to you.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVsI30HpTd 維尼
MARGARET [cheerfully]: Sure you are! You're ambitious, aren't you? You're probably wishing for a better life as we speak.[12] You didn't chase me around the kitchen and up the goddamn stairs out of mad, driven passion, did you now? You were thinking a little about your career, weren't you? You young ones are always about your career. You hardly focus on what's important. [Lost in her imagination like a child playing dress-up] But since I'm from a white family I know what matters. A nice, big house with a white picket fence, and a happy marriage with at least one child. That's not too hard, is it?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0ZgaslUTr 維尼
NORMAN: You've gone off your rocker.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo4Ti1JgGK 維尼
[Door Chimes again]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHvBa6UKeg 維尼
MARGARET [calmly, surely]: No, baby, I haven't. Go answer the door, [NORMAN hesitates.] Look, boy, once you aspire to something higher, you get caught in the clouds and can't escape. I thought young men like yourself were good at learning things like that. Now, git!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8ShoBugxh 維尼
NORMAN: Aimless... wanton... pointless...8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYHEkPHDgK 維尼
MARGARET: Now, now, now; just do what you're told like a good boy. Show little old Margaret that there's something you can do. Hunh? Atta boy.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnGT4FYlJy 維尼
NORMAN [considers, gives in, moves towards the door. Chimes again]: I'm coming, for Christ's sake!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0FPAiONDf 維尼
MARGARET [tuts at his blasphemy, then clasps her hands]: HA HA! Wonderful; marvellous.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡDu9H3KnLJv 維尼
[NORMAN flings open the door, and a hand thrusts into the opening a great bunch of snapdragons; they stay there for a moment. NORMAN strains his eyes to see who is behind them.]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡEx6tfdtx8m 維尼
MARGARET: Oh, how lovely!8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ITQ8k2u2O 維尼
JAMES [appearing in the doorway, the snapdragons covering his face: speaks in a patently artificial deep voice]: Flowers; flowers for da butiful lady in dis house[13]. Flowers.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrOMySmBeK 維尼
NORMAN: [murderosuly] Very funny.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsySkrQn3A 維尼
Extra scene- Epilogue8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡYdjKFvYO53 維尼
[NORMAN and HARRIET exit. MARGARET and JAMES are momentarily silent in an atmosphere of quiet intensity.]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡW83J2lxtFj 維尼
MARGARET: We're never going to change, are we?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡylNia367Qm 維尼
JAMES: I wouldn't dream of it.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEdmbzFY9z 維尼
MARGARET [almost in tears but in a soft voice] And the boy?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlPnd5VRPb 維尼
JAMES: We can always have another one. [changing the subject to NORMAN and HARRIET] Young people are so fascinating, don't you think? They always seem to think they can rule the world, one pro... one little cell at a time.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡoQUfVWNXvi 維尼
MARGARET: What would happen if I... did change? If I... was like Norman or Harriet?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdiNEidkwf 維尼
JAMES: I'd divorce you. I don't need that attitude in my house. [his voice becoming almost gentle] Now get some sleep or your old man will yell at you.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9neQmTUMmJ 維尼
MARGARET: I want to read for a few minutes.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8KV0XZO0aL 維尼
JAMES: What in the world's name would you want to read? 'Narrative of Sojourner Truth'?8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0gwSvR01v 維尼
MARGARET: [a little testy] I meant light reading. I... I don't have the courage to read something like that right now.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡmT87fgLe2y 維尼
JAMES: Are you afraid of Sojourner Truth?[14]8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡX47Q9mirOR 維尼
MARGARET: I... am... James... I... am....8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡlONUzYrF2N 維尼
[1] JAMES and MARGARET are named after famous Black authors whereas NORMAN and HARRIET are named after Black visual artists. This emphasises the differences between the two couples.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjuBkudVvr 維尼
[2] A historical term for a biracial person8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ39D3qgn3S 維尼
[3] Sojourner Truth is a civil rights activist and author: http://www.biography.com/people/sojourner-truth-95112848964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJiYSNJ6tk 維尼
[4] Prokaryotes are single-cell organisms that evolved into more complex organisms: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9841/. JAMES is wary of the existence of these cells as they may prove that evolution is true and creationism is false.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡf7sF1vrskP 維尼
[5] SCLC stands for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and is an African-American civil rights organisation: http://kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_southern_christian_leadership_conference_sclc/. The fact that JAMES references this group is regards to youthful naivety highlights the contrasting personalities and beliefs between the two characters, which is also visible in the original play. JAMES has become accustomed to the racism surrounding life in the 1960s and, though he would prefer change, he does not believe such change is possible. NORMAN, on the other hand, is accused of believing he can make a better future. In the original play GEORGE and NICK represent opposing sides in the Cold War, so in this play JAMES and NORMAN represent different experiences for black people during this time.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡVClftKAdih 維尼
[6] Deuteronomy 7:3–4: 'You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. lThen the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.'8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiTXVPRpH2 維尼
[7] As a symbol of JAMES' defeat, Professor Shelton happens to share the same surname as Robert Shelton, who was a leading force in the United Klans of America (A group within the KKK): http://archive.adl.org/issue_combating_hate/uka/rise.html8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1gIx494LZ 維尼
[8] These are all mythological places in or created by countries that have been colonised. They reference the false dreams of the people who have colonised and those been had their land and freedom taken such as slaves from Africa. JAMES is making a joke about the futility of dreams of a better life, as he believes that the situation is always the same for people of colour whether they're in a foreign country or Alabama.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡjWJzFzqrJd 維尼
[9] These are historically black colleges: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/hbcu8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡmfPDlE7iLs 維尼
[10] A euphemism for a 'white girl', as lilies are known for being white.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6k5kyq6dfe 維尼
[11] Skin whitening pills have the side effect of headaches: https://www.illuminatural6i.com/info/skin-whitening-pills/8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ2RxtQT0bD 維尼
[12] This is a reference to how the American Dream has led to many people, including African-Americans, being willing to perform degrading and menial tasks serving white people. This shows how, despite their antagonistic attitudes towards each other, MARGARET and JAMES have similar beliefs about their situation as African-Americans are unavoidable, highlighting how similar Martha and George in the original play really are. The parallels between the latter couple can be seen in the original play when Martha admits that she loves George due to his ability to understand the nature of her games. The characters both in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' and 'Who's Afraid of Sojourner Truth' have stayed together because of their similarities.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlKnLG2ZUI 維尼
[13] JAMES, in keeping with the differences between him and NORMAN, is resigned to the racism that has affected his life. He is therefore playing up racist stereotypes for a joke.8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzQC9FJRp4 維尼
[14] MARGARET is showing that she, in contrast to the much younger NORMAN and HARRIET, fears changes- changes JAMES may make to the games they play and changes to her circumstances. Therefore someone as liberal as Sojourner Truth is a frightening figure. 8964 copyright protection336ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1bVLeju0gU 維尼
