Out of the Wings

You are here:

La negra (1999), Luis Miguel González Cruz

The Negress (2005), translated by Nuria Agulló

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 1

Edition

González Cruz, Luis Miguel. 2005. The Negress, trans. Nuria Agulló. Available on the Teatro del Astillero website at http://www.teatrodelastillero.es/pdf/the_negress.pdf [accessed May 2011]. Also available on the Proplay website at http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/negress.html [access May 2011] (Online Publication)

Context:
Captain is sleeping. Isabel, high on cocaine, flirts with Ray, taunting him for not being strong enough to take Captain’s throne.
Sample text
ISABEL:

Cut a few lines.

They separate. RAY takes out a paper and spreads the white powder on a dirty mirror. ISABEL walks up to the little back room and peers in. The groans of someone snoring. ISABEL opens a big knife and goes up to RAY.

ISABEL:

Cut it off!

RAY:

What did you say?

ISABEL:

You want to. I can see it in your eyes. It’s what you want to do. You’ve had it with him. Cut if off! Cut it off, Ray! Cut it off!

RAY:

You’re nuts, Isabel.

ISABEL:

I’m on to you, Ray. It’s what you want. Come on, cut off his dick!

ISABEL gives RAY the knife.

RAY:

What the fuck is up with you? You’re gone. You’re up to your ears in coke.

ISABEL:

If you had the balls you’d be the boss, and if you were the boss, I’d be with you. I’d let you fuck me and then leave me when you fall for another little wet princess. But you have to have balls, Ray. That’s the only way you can be the boss. You have to kill him. You have to have balls. Cut his throat! If you can’t do it, Ray, if you don’t have the balls … then you’re fucked. You’re fucked and you have to put up with it. You’ll keep on being a flunky, Ray. A fucking secretary. And I’m a whore, Ray. You know that. I’m a whore. The queen of the sluts. Come on! What are you waiting for?

RAY takes the knife. He gets up, walks towards the back room and peers inside. He looks at the knife and closes it. ISABEL laughs, takes the knife and starts cutting a line of cocaine.

RAY:

You’re a real bitch.

Someone knocks at the door. No one responds. RAY looks at ISABEL, but she continues cutting the line of cocaine. Another knock. No answer. The person knocks insistently, wearily, desperately. ISABEL rolls a paper and snorts the coke.

ISABEL:

Shit, Ray, can’t you hear? Open the fucking door!

RAY:

Hide the fucking coke.

ISABEL stashes the paper as RAY goes up to the door and opens it. ANA, a young woman, stands at the entrance. She is dressed casually but impeccably.

ANA:

Hi, Ray. Is the Captain in?

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Negress (2005) by Nuria Agulló is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 2

Edition

González Cruz, Luis Miguel. 2005. The Negress, trans. Nuria Agulló. Available on the Teatro del Astillero website at http://www.teatrodelastillero.es/pdf/the_negress.pdf [accessed May 2011]. Also available on the Proplay website at http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/negress.html [access May 2011] (Online Publication)

Context:
Captain has refused to give Ana a tattoo. Ana persists, and Ray promises to help her.
Sample text

On Ray’s motorbike, full speed. ANA holds onto RAY’s waist. He drinks.

ANA:

I want it, Ray ... I want it.

RAY:

I’ve already heard you. I’ve already heard you.

ANA:

You just get it. Just get it.

RAY:

It costs more than two hundred bucks. He drinks.

ANA:

With his signature ... His signature is what counts.

RAY:

I’ll do it ... You’ll have it.

ANA:

I want it, Ray ... I want it ...

ANA holds onto RAY more tightly.

RAY:

Your time’s come.

ANA:

What do you mean?

RAY:

You’ll have your tattoo, you’ll have a great tattoo, you’ll have the best tattoo in the western hemisphere. A tattoo like la negra.

ANA:

What do you mean?

RAY:

You’ll be my princess. It’ll be you now.

ANA:

What are you going to do, Ray?

RAY:

We’ve got to hurry. It’s all settled.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Negress (2005) by Nuria Agulló is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 3

Edition

González Cruz, Luis Miguel. 2005. The Negress, trans. Nuria Agulló. Available on the Teatro del Astillero website at http://www.teatrodelastillero.es/pdf/the_negress.pdf [accessed May 2011]. Also available on the Proplay website at http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/negress.html [access May 2011] (Online Publication)

Context:
Once again, Captain has refused to tattoo Ana. Ray tries to convince Captain that it is time for a new negra to be created. Captain talks about a dream he had about la negra.
Sample text
CAPTAIN:

How does she know? How does she know about her?

RAY:

Everyone knows. Everyone knows about la negra, though perhaps it’s just a made-up story. I’m not even sure what la negra business is all about.

CAPTAIN:

You don’t know?

RAY:

I know what everyone knows … what everyone says … That’s all.

CAPTAIN:

That’s it?

RAY:

That’s it. You’ve never spoken about her. You’ve never said anything.

[… ]

RAY:

Who is she?

CAPTAIN:

She?

RAY:

Yeah, who is she?

CAPTAIN:

La negra.

RAY:

La negra? So la negra exists?

CAPTAIN:

No. Not anymore.

RAY:

She was a real person.

CAPTAIN:

A real ... person.

RAY:

And what did she do in the dream?

CAPTAIN:

It wasn’t the right place. She was out of place ….That’s why the dream’s odd ...

RAY:

I see.

CAPTAIN:

She opened the door and I went in. It was dark inside. I went in but … the one that was looking on in my dream, the man that looks on in dreams … me … I stayed outside. The door closed, the captain entered, but I stayed outside …

RAY:

That’s odd.

CAPTAIN:

She went in. She entered my house ... my parents’ house. But my eyes stayed outside. That machine. That machine that films dreams stayed outside. The door closed, and the dream ended.

RAY:

La negra closed the door.

CAPTAIN:

Everything was dark.

RAY:

That’s odd.

CAPTAIN:

It’d been a while since that happened ... It’d been a while since I’d dreamt … about her …

RAY:

That’s what you have to do.

CAPTAIN:

What, Ray?

RAY:

That’s what you have to tattoo, what you have to tattoo on her. La negra. CAPTAIN: What do you mean, Ray?

RAY:

Enough with the simple lines and the little kiddy doodles.

CAPTAIN:

Kiddy doodles?

RAY:

You’re the best, and the best doesn’t do that crap. You have to do your masterpiece ... the captain’s masterpiece.

CAPTAIN:

A family of junkies is living off those doodles.

RAY:

Tattoo that. Her. Paint her. Another negra.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Negress (2005) by Nuria Agulló is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ONE-ACT PLAY, excerpt 4

Edition

González Cruz, Luis Miguel. 2005. The Negress, trans. Nuria Agulló. Available on the Teatro del Astillero website at http://www.teatrodelastillero.es/pdf/the_negress.pdf [accessed May 2011]. Also available on the Proplay website at http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/negress.html [access May 2011] (Online Publication)

Context:
This is Ana’s first tattooing session. There is no spoken dialogue, as we simply hear the sound of the tattooing gun and Ana’s groans. The pain she experiences will continue as the play progresses.
Sample text

First tattooing session. ANA lies on a plinth, naked, face up. The CAPTAIN goes up to her and turns on the tattooing gun. The mechanical sound of the weapon sounds ridiculous. The CAPTAIN sits astride the girl and begins to tattoo her. At first ANA grimaces in pain. Soon she is groaning and shaking her head from side to side. Her feet move and kick, but she is trapped under the Captain’s weight.

Finally, Ana is screaming. The Captain is sweating. Ana tries to break free and push the CAPTAIN, but he slaps her till she is almost unconscious.

ANA sighs plaintively.

The CAPTAIN turns off the weapon and ties up ANA. He turns on the tattooing gun again and continues tattooing.

ANA screams until she goes hoarse.

The CAPTAIN sweats.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Negress (2005) by Nuria Agulló is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Entry written by Gwynneth Dowling. Last updated on 22 May 2011.

Post a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment. Please log in or sign up for a free account.

  • King's College London Logo
  • Queen's University Belfast Logo
  • University of Oxford Logo
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council Logo