ee MARIE AND BRUCE Characters Mani awTorNe, D> ‘The action of ts play iscontiuous. ‘hore should be no pauses at aly except where indicated, despite the fact that the setting changes (As the play opens, Marie is wearing a flwvery dress. Bruce 4s asleep, in hs pajamas, Marie has just goten up It is morning) MARIE (0 audience) ‘Let me tell you something. find my husband so God damned irritating that T'm planning to leave him. And thav’s a face (o Bruce) Yest Tm sick af you! Do you got 4? You're driving me insazel Teen's stand living with you for one more minute! Tm sick of it T hase itt I ate my life with you! Do you hear me?—T hate it Oh—nello dling, Is i time to get up? MARTE Not Not Tt is ar time to get upt For God's sake, go back to sleep—plesse! ‘Well don't be iitable, dasting— ‘rsitable? Irritable? You call me irtable? God denn you, Te had about enough of your disgusting inal, you God damned cheap God damned idiot pig, you shld! Now go ‘back to sleep aRuce Well—all right, dasling—(Hle retums to seep) MARIE (jo audience again) ‘Lets begin atthe beginning. Yesterday moming this fack- ing pig woke me wp from & good night’s sleep to ask mo —to as me where his God damned horrible piece-of hit twochundred-yetrold typovter was. T threw your type-wattacn suawe / 68 ‘writer ou, you God damned fucking incredible pig! I threw ‘tour because it makes to much nose! Get yourself another typewriter chat doesn't make any nase, tld him, you God damned son of e bitch, you idiot, you shia. Do you get W? Get yourself another typewriter that doesn't make any noise, “But now darling, afer all, T nova my litle typewsier"—you pathetic pig, you piece of shit, you idiot! You need your litle typewrite? Pear little man needs his tiny ite whasi?—God dazan you, you pigt "Well acing, really—" Well daring, daring—Vou God damned worth- Tess piece of filthy shit, you idiot, you asshole, you God damned filthy coek-wieking turd! (0 audience) TU tell you frankly Pm fed up with ths God damned fucking incredible pig T¥e adit with him, Tve had it up to hereand Pia going to fuckin’ well eave him and see how he kes i DRUCE (waking, hlfaleep) Darling, don't be angry. I'm a nice guy—T am—T'm not so bed. Allright, I'm worthless, Pz nothing-—TI know that. ‘But why eau’t you accept me? Tm only « person, (On, really? Ts that it? You mean you're only a person? Well, then pardon my mistake. You're only a person? Well, par ddon my mistake—I jst thought you were a shit, you filthy cock-sucking turd—Now do you have to ie there in that Aisgusing heap? T mean i you're going to get up and start, ‘wrecking my whole fucking day, then please get out of that bed and ger some of that Sith out of the sink and snake ime some breakfast! Now Now! Now! I said, now! Ob—you want some breakfast, darling? 1 said I want some breakfast. Wold you lke me to repeat Ii? T want some breakfast, I want some breakfast. Now do you think that might be posible? Or maybe i justin Marie and Brace 69 quite posible today. Or do you think it just might be pos ‘ble? Bh, “honey”? A tle coffee and a oll? Oris that to much to ask? A litle bit too much, “darling”? A lice bit too muh to ask? Well that’s great! That's great! Tl just ‘lean up the whole focking thing myself, you fucking pig, you lany shit ‘Wall, could heat up the coffee—er—darling—really— ‘Oh you could, could you? You mean you could actually ‘walk over to the stove and actually turn the heat under the coffee? Do you realy mean it? Ob no—oh no, ob 0, fh mo, thats not posible—you just meant that you might bbe able Yo do tT mean you might be able to do it bat ly you ust can, isn't ti, you shit? an that what you mean anvce (Ob no—T ean easily do it, darling —Seo, 1 just get it on Ihero—and then those rolls over there— And would you mind puting on your litle bathrobe so T ‘don’: have to ook at those Sty, flthy, disgusting pajamas? (Oris that really now too muse to ask? I mean, T Uhink it might be nie. 7 thal so, realy. J rally do think 0, T ‘mean, don you, "darling"? Or do you disagree? Ob well Tm so sorry; T sce you just don't ageee—Well thats fine, ‘hav fine, {don't mind looking a your pajamas, but jst lose them up tightly! Tightly! You sickening turd, you filthy liede shit—"Ves, a horble episode happened to day. A disgusting, nauseating animal was sen wandering round ina poron’s apartment, A revolting dick protruding from his open pajemas revealed the Slthy beast to be a ‘male shit ofthe most disgusting variety. The intruding fh ‘ras immediately chopped into bits, and his revolting mer-WALLACE SHAWN / 70 ber was thrown into the stove where it was roasted. A neighbor's baby, coming upon the member and tasting & bite of i, became fatally il and vomited his gus out.” anucK Wall, davling, I think TU just lip om my clothe, actually He exits) “Think 1 just slip on my clothes, actuilly"—how exte, what a exte lide fllow—"T think TI just slip on my clothes, actually"—"T think TU. just slip on my clothes, sctully”—"T think I just slip 08 my clothes, aetually"— Tewasa miserable sommer. Ie was hot, We didn’t have jobs We were running out of money, We dida't have anything to ead that was god, it was all worthless sit had te athe whole dime—I was sick, Twas weak I felt dinay— (Bruce returns, drewsed.) You God damned fucking son ofa bitch, you pig, you shit, you revolting tard— paver, Nowe darling i thie really — Shut up! I said shut up! Shut upt Well—all right, darling —I was only— MARIE You God damned Sithy son ofa bith, you inedible sit, you nauseating curd — Bruce Wal, here are the rolls — MARIE Oh boy, that's great. That's great, Just great. Realy great ‘You're realy quite a guy. A real man. A real man, Wath cut—oh boy, here he comes! Marie and Bruce J 7 ‘Well —ah-—dasling—now you take this one—oh my, they fare rather ty, now, aren't they, darting? (Silence. They eat) Great Just great, 80 wat happens now? Eh, “honey”? ‘There were— Bh, “honey"? So what happens now? Eh, “honey”? Kh, "honey"? Well sctually, darling, Pa been planning to go out rather catty today—Vou see, Roger and I thought we might have 1 quick lunch somewhere together — Ob, Roger, ek? Well how fassinating—wow! The world’s mot interesting person! Boy, wish T could be around for ‘hate, Vl tell youT mean, lunch with Roger—wow' gosh Do yor think le might tell you some of those great ideas he fas about the hirtory of urine and feces in the nineteenth century? Roger! Oh boy, what a brain! T just Jove to listo to Roger wien he really gets going, T mean when he really gets inte his groove, do you know what I ‘mean? I mean, i just so enriching just to hear his ideas come crawling right out of his very own mouth just right ‘while you're sitting there next to him at the very same table, Ts really pleasure, its really great. And do you know what's best about Roger? Tes the fact that he's so boring that he even gets bored himself, so you ean watsh ‘those litle bits of droal just come creeping from the cor- ‘ners of his mouth—and do you know thet litle erinkly red look that he gets around the comers of his eve?wannsce smaws / 72 Woll eharr when you know that he's going to stop talk Ing, because he's just run out of boring things to say, x0 then you have to talk for a moment while he tries to think up a few more boring things to say—Oh God— Roger—o, he's relly great. OF course T'm a lle bit jealous now, you know, because, aftr all, I mean, to ‘think that you'll be siting there hearing Roger’s ideas bout feces and urine, and Til be missing them—L ‘mean—to think that you just selfishly made your plans to go out with my favorite person just all by yourself, jst leaving me at home to just sit here and think about fll che ile things that Y might be mising—But well— T forgive you—T know you men need time to your selves, just to suck eech other off in your own litle ways ‘But daring, Y rally think T'd beter get ready to meet Roger. I mean, you won't mind, will you, my love, if ust shave abit and brush my teeth now? Did you need to we the bathroom? Am T getting in your way? Why, not Not at all! Getting in my way? You get in my. vway?—aha ha ha he! What a funny idea! Asif that could Inappen! Ob—God—you really are fanmy— ne then, darling, Pl see you in a moment. (Fle exits) MARIS (0 audience) AA right, so what happened then, after T dhrew out the typewriter? Tt was two hundred years old, it was & wreck, i was filtiy—he went downstairs, ito che trash, and he looked and he looked, bu he could ot find his ity litle ‘machine. So he eame upstairs in his torn litle sweeter, and the put his head on my chest, and he cried. And he ered all Maris ond Broce 75 and he cried and he cried and he cried, and 1 finally thought, Well, really have to leave you. I mean, you're a fine litle ma, you're not a bd litde man, but, T mean, T really have to leave you, an I really have to leave you, fad there's really just nothing else to say. And that's when T decid that It to leave bie, (Bruce enters) Hi, darting. Hh, Bruce Do you think we should throw out this ene? Or keep it ‘ne more day? (On, T don't know, Bruce, What would you say about it? Lets hear your opinion. Keep it for a day?—or just tos it ‘Well why dont I make a fresh pot right now—just 30 you'll have some? Why Broce, how thoughtfull 1 didn’t know you were fa saint—shats rally just terrife—you make a perfect (Oh well—thask you—er—darling—TML just do. this ‘quickly —(He warts to make the coffee Silence.) TBruce—darling—I think you smell of urine, sweetheart. (Grce heeps working on the coffee) Tsay, sweetheart, I believe your ‘routers have urine on ‘then, dear, Do you think you should change them?WALLACE SHAWN / 74 Darling, I'm tying to concentrate on making this coffee. Ts that allright with you, sweetheart? Please don't distust But darting—your trousers have urine on them today, ‘dearest T think they should be cbanged—don’t you? mn doing my best, dling, T'm doing my best. Simply the host that I ean, Simply my best. Simply the best that Ica. [Now these arent the wousere 'm planning to wear. Tm planning 10 change them. But I need my concentration, I need to pay atention to the thing that Tim doing. Do you follow me, darling? ‘Yes Bruce, Fhink I do, der. Think T do, dearest Bruce exits) (to auionce) We had arranged to goto Frank’ for dinner, for « party. Frank was a friend, L wanted to stay home, 1 had to talk to Bruce, (Bruce immediately returns in new trousers) You know, Bruce, sweetheart, do you zelly think we need to go to Frank's tonight, daring? Why don't we just stay hhome for the evening? Tneed to talk to you, wostheart— 1s been so long since we've talked, And I really have to talk to you about various things pRuce ‘Well darling, I know we hven't had such ofa talk for very long while, and that would be s0 nice, but you know, really don't see how we cat. avoid going aver o Frank's at this point— ManiE But Bruce, do we really need to go there? Marie and Brucs | 75 snuce Well daring, b's invited us, and as a mattr of fact I eally don’: feel like going there at all, but I think we just have to, I mean, he did invite us and we said weld go there— and T mean, we ssid we sould go, so I just dont really see how we ean avoid going over there now, you se, at this point, really—But the thing is, daving, we can just say briefly and then go along and have dinner somewhere pleasant and tall all we like. Nove doesn't that sound nice? ‘Yes, all right, Bruce, Whatever you want. Shall T meet you at Frank's, then? ‘Wel yes, why don’t you, daring? Why don't you just meet ‘me there? And then we'll go out afterward to someplace tnlee aid ave a bite to eat and just talk all we like. Now in that allright, dasling? (Silence) I lve you, sweetheart. (Thay ise) Goovibye, dating, The eoee's almost ready. Gooiye, Bruce. Goodbye, daring, He exits Silence) 1 was tired. I was sick. The apartment was filthy, The dishes wore filthy. The bed war Slthy. Thad thrown out his typewriter, And now T planned to leave him, As soon she lef, I grabbed the sheets off the bed and hurled them fonto the flor. The bed was stripped—but then T couldn't pt on the new ones, I stood by the window. The heat was ‘overpowering, What to do. T decided T would get very runt atthe party at Frank's. The was something ta Took forward to, st lest. Then Td finally ell Bruce I waswaLtace smawy / 76 planning to leave irs. As forthe set of the day, I spent tos of fe going ready to go out. T showered couple of times I put on my flowery dress I put om lots of take up. By the end of the day, I realy looked grest. don't think anyone would ave had hard time if they'd ad to Took at me. Evenually T grew hungry, and a aig sand- wich, sulfed wich vogeables and met and some rather Aavorul exotic hot sauce, tok x gre ig bite out of my raging appetite. Strangely, st wes not yet time to go t0 ranks, s0T decided 1 walk here by am inditet route, I went out nto the mroet and was abocked to find an at trative dog, bumping at my legs. When T reached down to pet he, his lage tongue bege lapping at my and in 1 pleasing manner. He bad a thin nose and gold and white fur anda face like a peron. I was delighte. He fllowed 1me clang until we reached site gate that wemed to open nc an enormous garden. As my watch sil old me 1 had plenty of time, and as the gute wae elesly unlocked, I talked though it happily, followed by my rm an ln der and companionable dog. Insie, the flowers were huge. ‘They grew toa grat height, and their petals were gigantic and robust There were purples and reds and couilest Shades of peach. The perme of thee flowers was thick and poten, and a dasie to sit down among thet and see how they would tower over my heed bean irresistible. 1 Ahvew my raincoat onto the grist and proceeded 10 st dows—it was rather @ long way to the ground, and T Jnnded with « bump. The air was overwhelmingly humid, and T could feel the swest begining to form ster my tums and lide down my sides. im going to ruin my dre, 1 though, T'm extremely likely to he stinking rather sa, ‘bur dha quickly tmed out to be the lest of my worries as beary-headed drowsiness seemed to cloud my brain and pull me down farther toward the ground. The noise of Marie and Bruce {17 the insets was abnormally load. My dog was running in great cicles and sweepe at a distance—it seemed a great Alistnce—and in fact every disance seemed a very great distance. I had no pillow—I put my hand under my bead. ‘The earth was hard, and T oould feel the presence all zound me ofthe ants ad centipedes and spiders ust wait- {ng to crawl up my dress and even inside my face if T should dare to fall asleep. I closed my eye, thinking sleep ‘vas impossible, and within ane moment I was fast asleep. (Pause) Not long pasted before a strange sensation woke me up. It was my dog at my back, bumping me gently, ver and over. A powerful impulse to have intercourse with the dog, a male, made any heart pound vapdly and my face ‘lush hotly with blood, but he, the poor beast, ra away quite suddenly and continued to chase around in cies ‘The unsatshed impalae left me quite mesvous. 1 stood up; T felt eold; {drew my raincoat closely around me and walked very fast, with the dog ronning before me, ill we Teached the gate and shut it behind us. Twilight was fall- ing, I looked in the windows of shops at dresses Looked fat women’s shoes as they passed me on the strct.A great ‘wind blew up sudenly—perhaps it would storm. The pavement thronged with huge, big-faced men in suits pass ng all around me. The sounds of the wa were incredibly loud. I walked faster and faster, and finally 1 found myself fav the building where Fronk lived. [left the dog wandering inthe gutter, Tented the building. Inside Frans apart rent, there were alzeady several people there, but Bruce ‘wasn’ there yer Everyane was fing. I stared to drink ‘The evening went on for quite a litle while. was sil feeling nervous, More people Kept arriving. There were Steve and Helen and Randy and Dana and Trini A really great group. [ was feeling rather restless. I was feling father sick, Bruce finally showed up.—"Oh—Amn I late?WaLtacn suawn / 78 (Ob, Pn sory, davling—" He looked like prince. He was handsome, He looked like a god. Hl talked with several other women, Then he talked with me. He hizself began drinking Very delicious I think Il get plowed. Ten really enjoying this party—the people here are great—realy fantestio— really delightful— Janet, in partionlar—eb, darling? — Janet? Jane? What? Are you joking? Alba ha ba hal Aba he ha hal Janet? Jane® Well darling, Janet's an until woman-—I mean, do you kxow, she's acally a danoert But really, darling— ‘Well, she's very atractve ‘Wall yes, T know, well yes, yes she is, but not to me, you sec, daring! Not to me, darling! Alte overheated, though, by her, sweethoatt?—I mean, you seein over— Whar? Whar? Overowhat? Darling, what in the world are you saying? MantE You stem a He Ek? What? You must be crackers! Absolutely crackers, dar- Ting! Tm as sound as a bell, if you get my meaning — Whoops—ergh— Spilled the drink? —er?—darling?— Marie and Bruce / 75 Hey—wow! Got to watch the angle of those fucking — hose fucking arling—you seem a bit tight—e bit high— Lisen—are you Kidding? You're in very good hands tonight, darling, believe me, Believe me, Tim in very ‘good shape. Tm really in very good shape. And youre hot in such bad shape yourself, you know, darling. 1 ‘mean, fuck Ianet, youre looking very attractive, Very very ssractve, daring, Tm really not kidding. I mean, you re ally look great Your bait, daring, and that marvelous Broce MARIE No darling, relly. Im relly being serious. The people at this pary are very excited by you, darling. I've been wateh ing the way that they're looking you over. T mean, these people would really lke wo have you, darling They'd really Tike to have you. They really want you, if you get my mamting Well—Brace— You see, Tm being very serious now, daring. I mean, 1 ‘wast you to know-—you have an incredible power over all of shee people— Well—Bruce— Listen—have some of my drink here, daring, I can see that you're thirty-—No really —take t—WALLACE SHAWN / 80 Darling, T think you're a lite bit insane tonight, dear, « Tle dey» Tie bt maven Daring your hands ae afl hy i tha? T really don’t know. wees ‘Bac why are your hand coy ating? Ae you ek? Are you? ‘don't think so, Bruce. a Linen me, darting. You do ik i pouble— ‘What? What? “ome _— sauce ‘Am I sick? Cancer? What? Bruce? Some serious illness? Do ‘you think Hoa ba ha—No, darling, Twas refering to the But 1 ‘mean I'm sure you're allright, you jst looked abit peaked. Bur nov you just sit here quietly and TM get you a drink you need another drink now, desing. what) (Bruce exits) (eo audience) He van offi the diretion of the bar. Twas feeling quite hot, quite fushed. There were people who ‘wore talking quite near me. I could hear them HERD (to Enid and Bettina) Well you see, Ive worked my ass off, mean I've really ‘worked my sss off for the guy, I mean for three whole Mari and Bruce J 8 yeas, with no credit for myself, with no respect being pid to myself, and Te just sat there quietly and listened t0 people tlk about him, and praise him, and say how great he is—"Oh yes ent he great, what a marvelous man, he's s0 extraordinary, e's so remarkable—" and T've just been Sitting there day after day just taking it all in—and that’s fine, that’s wonderful, but the problems happens to be that ‘the guy is relly driving me benanas—I mean, the guy is insane, he's just fucking dane, 1 mean he keeps coming ‘nto my office and just poking at my desc and sort of say- ing, Well, Her how are thing? moan, the guy is insane, is just realy imposible, and Te done what T ean for the {goy, T meat T've helped him, Pvo worked very hard for the guy for three whole years T mean T've worked my ass off, but he just cant leave me alone, and its rally just ‘riving me bananas tothe point where T realy don't know ‘wat to do—Do you see what I'm saying? ‘Yeah—eure— HENRY Go Antoine) Excuse me, Escute me, Let me get ohis part straight in my ‘head before we go any farther, Allright? Imean, you em ‘to be saying that children don't need to Tearn to read. T ‘mea it that really your poin?—because the point that you'te making is that reading is really just completely out fof date—I mean, is just not necestary today—we just ont require it—Ien't thse whet you're saying? ANTOINE No. (Op, Pmsony. 1 thought that's what you jus finished sying— BRUCE. (reurning) ‘Wall, here you go, daring. Here's that drink. And here's ‘one for me. Good Chris, Tike these. But are you allrightwatuace sawn / Ba darling? Are you feeling a bit beter? T mean, you look just, ‘great. You look grea, darling. Jur: great. Great. So why doit you tell me—be frank with me, darling. mes re ally; let’s really be serious Let's be absolutely true to what ‘we feel! mean, really, darling, do you eare for me at all Tea, les talk frankly. Do you actully like me? What o you feel? Why not realy tell me. Do you love me, Carling? Do you actully love ae? ‘Well Bruce, reslly—I find you very tractive, if that's ‘what you mean. You're a very besutifl man, Bruce. You're 1 very beautiful man. You have a very, very beautiful body, actually, ‘Well darling, darling—do you realy find me handsome? You're a very handsome man, Bruce. Youle a very, very ‘That’s very exciting. tke that, darling, I really do tke it —Only—aha hs—you should fick me more often then, darling, if you find me so handsome. (Oh Brice—relly— No, relly—I mean it—you should fuck me mare often— mean, because you ean be sort of a cunt at certain times, darling, when you refuse to fuck me—I mean, I'm just saying that you realy shosld fuck me more often— T hear you, Bevo ‘Well ofcourse Tim being an asshole—I know tha, dating T mean sometimes that's just my way, T mean T seem to Marie and Bruce J 83 bee en asshole, Lmean, some people arent, but Ijust happen to be one somchow-—an asshole, I mean—I mean, you now me, darling— Bruce, rally — But T need another drink, I mean, I realy do ke these drinks here toight—they'te just extremely decently pre pared! Shall Tget you one, sweetheart? 1 bot you'd lke fone as well, now wouldn't you? I'l ber you would. (Fle exits) He left me quickly, He didn't return with the drink. ¥ sat fon the sofa~-the mest comfortable in the soom, For a Tong while no ane otme near me. T sit by myself and Aid nothing, I siared at the fabric Uhat covered the sofa "Then T notioed a book that was sitting right by me on a table, I started looking atthe pictures. There were sees fof waterfalls and rivers and nudes of both sexes and children, Tying on the grass in the sunlight. Then peo- ple came nearer they were siting right next to me, talking ANTOINE (@ Henry) [Noy I really didnt aay that children don't need to lear to read, you see, | wast talking abost that. [just said that there will soon be machines on the market that will be capable of reading books aloud — ‘Yes—so prople wos't need to read them to themselves— cevactly —tha’s just great. Yes i ems to me we're talking About a world without any books a all, aren't we? I meat, books will just be out—T mean really-—just—no more books!—no more books of any kind—Beeause they really ‘won't be need, will they? So why should anyone learn towattace smawn / 84 read? Why should they? I mean, n't that what the whole imation comes to, really? Well, why sty there won't be any books? ‘There may very swell be books, But machines could read them out loud, or ‘le some boaks might appear on certain forms of tape that ‘a machine cosld more easly read Yes, Tee, HERD Go Rnid and Betina) [And then, T know thie is funny, but actually the most dt fieale pare of the whole thing for me is that I just can’t help Uking the guy in & way, I mean he's not e bad guy, he's really all right, Pm actually quite fond of him as @ ‘person, you se, but i's just so hard to dea with a guy Like that on » day-to-day basis, because you're always thinking, Wel, I don't want to hurt him, his footings might be hurt and it ean actually become almost manipslative, ally, be ‘suse you don't want to hurt the guy's feelings, but on the other hand you really want todo certain dhings that would probably really hurt him, and you really should do them, ‘out you just don't want 1o— ‘Yeah—yeah— ‘But you know—T mean—I understand what you'e saying, boat I'mean ist it posible for people just to sometimes tot feel what they setually do feel? What? they may setully feel a cartsin thing, but they "really fou that they do, because in thir own con Marie and Brace {85 cious minds they're vo neredibly involved in what they think that they fel tat they really don't fel she thing at llle—do yo ow what T meas? I mean sometimes a per fon can have some fesling that they think is & fooling of liking some person, but it may aczally be some other kind fof feeling, bt they think tha they aug o be Feeling some Ind of affection for that person, and ao they think that they feel it, when actally what they fee is something Completely different—1 mean they might fel resentment fr even anget toward that person, but they think that they fought to feel affection, so they dink that they do, but 2c tally they don’. — You meas— 1 mean Tike for exaunple very common example is when 1 person is supposed to feel pleasod by something—T mean like when someate gives you & present, and you're sup- owed to fel pleased, but actslly you don't, because the {hing is something thet actually you hate or yow actually vay have the thing. Well then, you're nat supposed to fay, Well I really hate this, you'e supposed to say, Oh boy, that's great, I really Uke it T mean, thats not really on Couample of when ou think you feel something but you really don't feel i but it shows how somesimes you can ezually be feeling two completly different feelings, at (no, because onthe one hand yow den' Tike the thing that {you got, buton the other hand you don't want to hurt the person's felings,pariclaly if they're someone you lke nd they tied to get you something you'd enjoy, but ac- thlly ite something tat you haze or you already have— Ten, there's sometimes a difference, because sometimes a person is actually giving you something that wncon-“Ee wattace smawy / 86 sciously they know that you'll ete, but sometimes they just really think that youl like it but for some parti- cular reason it just happens to tum out that you actually don, T really don’t know what you mean, Bettina BRUCE (returning) Well here's that drink now, my love ‘Thanleyou, Brive. I really feel sik, Well you just rest right here, darling. Yon ean even fall asleep, No one's going to disturb you. (He exits) ‘lay back against the sofa I closed my eyes and listened to everyone talking, ‘Then I fell asleep. [dreamed of pleas- ‘uable excursion, & wip w the beach. Broce and I seemed to find a word in which every person was somehow ex- teemly complex and interesting, but at the same time ter- ribly relaxed. These people in the dream each had thelr town way of living, their own tastes. We wore always going tver for diner t their houses. One person served # kind of soft fied noodles, with pea-pods and ps. TRAN (to Tin) ‘You can see these things from different points of view, you sce, Tim. You oan see them a Lite bit differently from the ‘vay you see them, Some people don't havea lot of money, you know. Wel Jean, Tknow that Some people can't afford to bny a piano. Did you ever think of that? Some people can't afford to buy & guitar. They can't have musical soirber. They ean’ sing madrigals in the Marie and Bruce / 87 evening and put on performances—did you ever think of that? Maybe they're just a Le bit too tired, from work ing, Maybe theyze just «Title bit too hungry, if W's not too embarrassing to say that—"Ob, now she's really ex: aggerating—ioo hungry—how absurd—" Well it may not ‘be so absurd aa antar of fae. Te may not beso ineredibly absurd PRED (io La) ‘And obviously Vin not saying that Tkmow the whole story: Tm not saying that I know more than you do, Pve been there, of course, but Ive never really lived there. T don't really know about the way things work there. I've read contain articles You've written —? say Tve read certain artcles—Ive read oertain articles, Te talked to some of the people who know more than T ‘do-—And the fact happens to be hat T just Agppened wo be there at & very ad moment, and I happened to be there ‘when some of the things that ve read about just happened to be occuring — BEAN (o Tim) Listen, there are babies ont there who are dying becanse they were brought up om milk that was intentionally mis- labeled —T rasan, milk that was mized with water— But Jean— “There are old men and old yomen—I mean these people could have been our parents—and they ean’ afford to buy tundercear—T mea, these ate poople with pride, it makes them actually ashamed, but they need all the money that they have just to survive and pay the rent—WaLtace sHawe / 88 Tie T mean, maybe they'd lke to sing madrigals. Maybe they'd like to sing madrigals But they don't have anything to sweat! ‘Then T dreamt we had s house with chickens and makes on the grass outside, and broken oggsbells, and I dreamt ve wont toa restaurant, with besutiful tablecloths and nap- kins, and Bruce ois holding my hand at the table, and then it wae a long summer night, and we were making love over and over again. FRED lo ha) 1 mean, I sow that man being pressed beteeen eo panes of glass—and it was hotible, Horible—I mean, you just fan't imagine—the way his tongue was hanging to one side—he looked just bike a slaughtered beast— But why ave you telling me this? 1 said that ehese are the articles —Theve people are—Don't you sce’—dhat¥ what Iwas tying to explain to your brother— Well don’t bring Am into this— Don’t whaed— ‘Don’ bring— But he's already init. Hes already ivi. He é involved in this, He i involved. He's sn the Held sev discussing. Don't tell me ot to Bring him int i, He i in i Marie and Bruce / 89 1 realy don’t fel ike talking about this. really don'twant to, HENRY (o Antoine) So fs that why you think that children should listen to popular music in school? Because when you have these machines? Well, youre sally distorting my— Well, what am I distorting? T mean, isn't that jst what yom said? ‘That children should listen to popular music in eho? Dida't you say that? Or maybe T didn't quite fallow ys, somehow, ‘Well youre drawing a eonnection between two such com pletely different things, T mean, the fact that these ma: ‘ines have been invented really doesn't have much 10 do ‘with my opinions abont popular music Well, are you trying 10 get away from what you said? T roan, fst you std that they didn't need to Tear how to ead, and then you talked about stoning to popular music. "That's what understood. 1 mean, didn't you talk about Tistening to popular music! That eildren would be listen: ing to popular music in school? Well, T mentioned certain forms of musi, yes. But—er— zeally—why are you so upset by the thought of popular ‘ruse? I mean, why do you think it bothers you so much? Te doomn't bother me abit. ‘Well, don’t you think there's anything to be learned from listening toi, then?wantace SHAWN / 90 Tm not saying there isn. Well then what are you saying? mn just saying—Well—ha! aha hat—I just happen vo Ihave these very odd opinions, Tm afraid—you see, I just happen to believe in certain values—Well—To me, you see, when you see that children are living in a certain ‘way—T mean, let's not be absurd—T moan, really—let's face it—how can I describe if?—when you see that chil Gren are eating when they like, sleeping when they like— ‘Well, you misunderstand me if you think T'm encouraging some form of er—ehaos— Well, I see, T se—s0 that goes to far even for you, does ig Basing when they like? Sleeping when they lke? That's ‘ory interesting. Pm very interested in your reaction to that— BRUCE (io audience) Well, Thad another drinks atthe bar, and then T bumped fingo 4 gil named Susie, and we talked for a while, and then she moved along, and then I just sat by myself just, thinking about may day, Td bad quite a day! First, lunch ‘with Roger. That was enjoyable as always. And then I had some shopping to do, and T went on 2 big expedition to the farthest end of the cixy—you can get some incredible ‘bargains out there—and when Ti finished my shopping, I cided to walk more or less in the direction of Frank's through some unkown sections of town, And I just walked though all sorts of sections. T even found a place where thore were fishermen mending their boats, and litle fish ‘wees flopping all about, and sails were lapping, and you Marie ant Brice / 91 could actually smell water and seaweed, And then there twas another place not far along from that ane—it wes a ‘marvelous park, with sff pointed trees just dumped all togetlier and very davk green, and I wandered around init for an hour ot 8, And then finally T got thirsty, and T looked for this wonderful café that T been to years bare wwltere they made this drink made of freshly squeezed or: tnge juice and soda. And after quite alot of looking, T finaly found i, and I went inside and sat down at the counter. I wat sipping my drink when a tanned young ‘woman etme in wearing shorts and a light-colored, light weight shirt, without a brassiere, If you looked at her lovey, her nipples could actully be son through the shirt ‘She sat down right next to me and ordered some fod, and then she started reading this big sheet of newspaper that she'd carved in with her. Her hands weren't clean, and the ‘eper looked ripped, as if she ton it from some olé pile ‘of trash, And then the material i the paper—T could ensity read twas af a kind that really could have been of no ncrest at sll o this gil, but she seemed to be reading it ‘vi total absorption as if nothing else mattred, Then the waitress brought along a glass of water and placed i beside ther, Stl reading the paper, che gel put her hand out and ‘tied to reach forthe gla, but she missed. Then she loked ‘up and ever so genly tok the glass with both hands and lifted it to her lips and drank from it slowly and carefully, 4s if it were valuable wine. "Good," I thought to myself, aut. A maniac. My type of gi.” T could easly pick her up. I could easily get Ber, I thought. T was leaning way over, sirtining so hard 10 see the nipples through her shirt—forget i, T dhought, those nipples can wait, ifm ‘ctuily going to fuck her, T ean look at any part of her T like. T mean, if Im going so be fucking this gin, se isn't going to be wearing her elothest Just then, the waitress+ call wattace suawe / 92 brought her food. I stared at her plate, Suddenly she speared an enormous pieee of meat on her fork and was About to stick it in her mouth, “Wait! Isa “That mest is hot!” She looked at me, amazed, She tok « small bite ‘of the meat, We ant there next to each other, neither of speaking; ‘Then she tured away from me and addresed herself totaly to her mea. My face felt hot. She was eating incredibly slowly, making vory strange movements with har lips. I looked at ber legs. They were heavy. If fucked thie gn, she might go mad while being forked—after al, she was insane! I decided to marturbate instead. I walked toa hotel, checked in, and went upstairs to @ room. Yim- rmedintely locked out the window to se if there were win- doves across the way. There were. In one of them, 2 woman, ‘seemed to be cleaning her apartment, Isat down in a chair near the window. I forgot about masturbating, and 1 ‘watched the woman, hoping that something would happen. She was pretty good-looking, she was tll and thin. After ‘ifleen minutes, impulsively, she polled off her shirt, and hhor breass wore totaly revealed. I couldn't believe what Inad happened, My head fele light. I was eembling. She stood in the window for a moment, as if wondering what tw do, Then she left the room, I sat frozen in my chair, My fees held on to the window like a carpenter's vise holding (on to a big piace of wood, but nothing seemed to happen After an interval that seemed like about an hour or an hour ‘and a half, finally shifted my position in my chair, and a little after that, the woman came back She was wearing ‘bathrobe, She sat down on a sofa, I watched her while sh sat there and read. A long time passed, and then she stood up, and she pulled down the shade, There was a tiny ‘race between the shade and the all I could see a bit of her bathrobe; her hands were sntying the card. Then she Marie and Bruce / 93, Setar use? mae eee on eee MARI (00 audience) 7 te ya ry Ihe am bjs fling water. Wan 1 ee eterswattace SHAWN / 96 ple reappearance of one of these containers would be sufficient in itself to lead the patint into another ft af vomiting. (Pause) Bruce—aid you sap me while I was sleeping? pnvee Why—of course no, darling! What do you mesa? Are you amy? 1 don't feel normal ing—you don't chink you might he mentally ill now, do you? T mean, dasling, you don think you might be crazy, do you? T mea, do you think you might actually bbe crazy now? God, darling, I really hope not— Broce—help me— Tve had this terrible feeling lately that something. wat bout to happen to you, darling— Just talk to me, Bruce. Help me. Hold me. God, let me see. Do T have anything to tell you? Wel, Roger and I hal a marvelous luneh—prawns with peas— it was absolutely great! Darling —T'm sick — nRuct [Er—and then—oh, yes! Glovia and T were just having the ‘most fascinating conversation. You know, we were talking about the whole question of people having sersentt—have ‘you ever thought about that? T mean, it's just such a fs Marie ond Bruct 95 ‘inating subject—and I was sort of saying that it really seems to me sort of a shame thet the whole tradition of people having servants has just gone out of style, because really the whole point of having servants wa actully that servants were prope who could be counted on to care about {your welfare, and even sort of respect you, whether you ‘deserved it ot not and I veally Tike that, I just think it's fc a nice thing. And T mean T was even soying that personally I wouldn't particularly have minded being a ser ‘vant myself I mean, it wasn't such « bad occupation! I mean, it must have been rather nice to work in & home rather than an office or «factory, and the food must have ‘been preity good as well mean, you euld eat whatever the family ate, or else you could go into the kitchen and ‘ix whatever you liked for yourseli—Oh, but dasling, T've ‘Bored you! Oh darting, Im sory! Oh really, how dread- fl Bruce— Ob God, Pm so auf Un just 40 auf, darting, What a boring person— Bruce— [No realy, Tim sory. Tom just daing you no good at al. Anyway, [im ging to go over by the bar agnin now, darling. 1 get you another drink, and meanwhile you can just keep resting, [ve got to have a word with Grace over there With who, Bruce? You remember her, davling-—that friend of Chusk?—that brunete?—the one who went fing in her panties—?—Li wannace sHawe / 96 Wha? Ha—actually—ha ha—I spent the night with her once about eleven years ago. tell you, she was really amazing. TM never forget—ha—pardon me, darling, but her vagina was just incredibly tight, you know? It wa jut like being tripped by a hand. T mean, T remember, by the time we ‘were finished, my penis was absolutely bright red—I mean, looked jut like a raw piece of mest, or fsh—and T just felt absolutely drained—I mean, my testicles were really just as dey as bones—they ached for a week—Oh God, it va great—it ras rally something — Darling Pm sick— Darling, why is it that whenever we have & converstion you always feel sick? You ask me to talk to you, and then, ‘when I do you feel sick. Have you ever really noticed that, Aarling? Ie really a pattern with you, T's sort of upsetting And it actually gives me a pain in the ass if you really want to know. Al Fight, Bruce, And T mean, really davling, the expressions you got on your face sometimes—I mean, these people are going to chink youre an absolute nut— 1 anid allright, Bruce, Allright. Al ight (Bruce exits) | went to Frank's bedroom to get my raincoat. A woman named Selena was Bving with Franks hie bedroom was rammed with all of her things. There were botles and Marie and Bruce / 97 creams and combs and lotions, The tables held vases that Tpeld white fowers. The only light was from a litle toy lamp that was sitting by the phone. I sat by the lamp in 4 litle toy cliir, oathing my breath after searching through the elose, through her clothes and nis clothes, til T found my ooat, A powerful smell of urine seeped through the window. It passed over my lips. It mingled twith the smell of perfuine in the zoom. My hand was playing with & huge fur coat on the bed. Then the tele DDhone rang, [got up to answer it.I thought it could be a murderer who was coming to ill me, T thought it could be thick poison gas pauring into my mouth over the phone. Bot no—it was just fiend of Frank named Willy T heard his tiny voioe through the receiver. I went 9 find Frank, I went to find Brice. I was feeling very sick. ‘We left the party, and we waked to a restaurant I picked fy I ike it, T used to go there all the time when Twas single, T sed to go there by myself T ued to eat there by rmytelf was down at the end of a street near a ier. Tt swat a prety long walk, but I felt Uke walking. Tt was lmost raining. Unbelievably attractive men kept passing tus and smiling. We ate dinner in silence, The restaurant was cold. (ang silence. Three or fur pots of expresso coffe anu extra cups are on the table in front of Marie. Bruce is eating ‘Marie sigs coffe. The Waiter approaches them, bringing an- other pot of coffee) Well—er—here's your coffee. Shall T clear away these other eupe and pots?—ebeh— ‘Yes, why don't you? Thank you. (Pery long silence. The Waiter clears aay the cups and pos and exits Brace eats, Marie sps coffee)wattace same / 98 Ee—Darling, you seem to be drinking & lot of coffee, sweetheart—do you think Ua’ wise? (Silence, She sips coffee) 1 mean—I—er—wonder, derling—Gilence) T mean, sometimes it makes you a bit nervous—er-—don't you think so? Wha? What Ave you telling me something? Well, you kno, darling, Iwas realy just talking. I mean, you Kiow me, daviing—sometimes I say things—(Silene ) No—I mean, darling, I was only saying that sometimes— T meas, you seem a Tite bit nervous already tonight, arting—T mean, I soem to detect this—and I sometimes notice that sometimes when setually you already are fel Ing nervous, you seem: to like to dvink ooffe, but some. times that can actually have the effet of actually making {you more nervous than you already were before—so thats really all Twas tying to say, actually, darling, Thats al ‘Tm sozzy. I didn't mean to upaet yoo, Gileme) Do you know that I never loved you, Brace? I never loved you. I never loved you, ab. Yer— You soe, I newer loved you. Tha’ really the truth. I never loved you. I pretended to you—sometimes I pretended to myself, usually I didn't. lence) You see—T don't even ike you. Nomnot at all T don't like you. E don't respect ‘you. You're nothing but shit a far a8 T'm concerned, Gilenee) Marie and Bruce / 99 Darling, do you think we should just have our dinner for the moment? I nean, perhaps we should go into all this ‘when we've finished our meal don't enjoy your company, I don't enjoy being with you. You're pitiful, you're pathetic, and you'e actally one of the least intresting people Ive ever met in my life. pRucE, ‘Yer—well—my darling, what do you think?—are we go- ing to have our meal here oF not? I meaay this was the restaurant that you wanted t gota, and personally T would tather have hed something cheep, and thie is mar my fa- ‘orite kind af food, bu if we're going tobe here, it seems Gomewhat absurd if all we're going to do is just have an ‘unpleasant conversation. MARIE Bruce bruce mean, Thad thought we would have a nice evening to gether. [know you're unhappy. But we could discuss your Tnhoppiness and ail have a very nie evening together. ‘nate you, Brice, Tha's why I have to leave you. 'm very, very sory (Dery long silence. They move slightly in their chairs ‘Silence) ‘Yes, you know the amazing thing, darling? —T relly think homosexuals do Aave special skill fr dealing with certain swkoward situations. (Slencg) T mean, really you know, take Jack for example. He's fabulous fellow. A marvelous person, T mean, he's just terbly agreeable, he's nice in ‘other words, I mean, he nows how to make people relax,RES WALLACE SHAWN / 100 feel good—(Pause)}—Now Balwina was extremely upset, {or example, He calmed her right down, I meas, somchow, he has some abiliy that mort of us just lack he knows how to make people relax! (Pause) Well, dating, you ‘know I won't disturd you. T won't keep talking, 1 know you'd rather have me be quiet, Lkuow iow you feel I was ‘uying to talk, but T can see that i's etter to be quiet. I's allright, darling. P'm just going to sit here, and well just be quiet, and we can finish our meal, (Silence. Bert and Kal enter and stat the next table Bruce and Marie try to eat at Bert and Ea talk They can hear Bert and Ba’ conversation) BERT (io Ed) 1k was an extraordinary thing—bocause I'd bees feeling ‘worse and worse for several days. I mean, I'd fel just fine, and then I'd eat, and Tad have this sensation that somehow the food was just rotting in my stomach, I mean, something ‘wasn't happening eorrectly in there. And then T'd suddenly get these sharp, shooting pains, ike a sort of a flash, like lightning, through the entire Iengeh of my asshole some Ihow—you know? And then by Friday afternoon there was this whole new sensation—my stomach started. giving these litle lenps—these Turches—ke vhis—bip bipl— and T would feel like going to the bathrooms really badly, ‘bat then in about two seconds the sensation would go away, and Td feo! all sight again, Well finally, it got to be eve ‘ing, and all of a sudden I felt another one of these lurches, ‘but instead of going aveay, i just sort of took a hold on ‘iy gut—it just sot of stayed there, and so T york of really ‘ished into the bathroom and sat down ot the toilet, Wel, Twas faint, dizey, 1 fle ike throwing up, and T sort of ‘begun to see spots in front of my eyee—my vision got louiy— Marie and Bruce 101 Ob my Goa— ‘There was & kind of burning sensition in my whole rectal area, 40 it was pninfl to shit, bur the homnible thing was that T could help just sitting and shitting! I couldn't contrl it Bruce has approached thom) Excuse me, Tin sony, Br—eveuse me—you se—er— we're esting our meal— You what? 1 say, we'ze eating our meal, and your—conversation. ‘couldn't lp hearing— punt What? Wha? We can't —er—we'e eating—argh— BERT (io Bd) 1s this guy trying to tell me I'm talking too loudly? Well Sir—er— ED (o Bruce) Pardon me, Can I make a siggeston? Would you mind? Tf like you to return to your table, That way we won't have any kind of trouble (Ob—t see—yes. Oh yes, well i that’s the way you feel, ‘well dhen yer-T see—uh-huh—all sight. Fine. Pine, Well all ight—yer—oh yes-—al-huls— (He returns o his place. Pause)eT WaLiAcE HAWN / 109 ‘You eat shit, Bruce. You've a worthless turd Yea-—well—oky, okay— MARIE Tm sony I met you. Pm soery I knew you, OF all the men Tever knew, you tum out to he the worst, And the incred- ible thing is hat I never loved you. Well—I thought you did ‘But you see, you were wrang. I's very, very std. Our dinner is spoiled, and my life was spiled, because I met you. I swish Thad, I wish I hada’. BRUCE Yeah—it's a shame— Mani You horrible shit— Yeah—thar's right— ‘You hoible shit. Would you like to go now, darling? I dou’ imagine youl be wanting dessert—er— No? paves, Wall, didn — Wall fuck you, Bruce. Maybe Pa ke some, On well, great. That's great. Let's have some—yes! Ab— sir? Maris and Brace} 103 warren (entering) Yeo [Welt have thn hing withthe ear sight ow, esl Oh—all right wees ‘Yes, that would be at ‘aie exe) Yen cha would be greet? Dating, nag ack? Well, Bruce, Tm afraid I ean’ help i, You're jut so mock: able. You'e my mockable boy. (Long silence) But Brace, veally—do you actually not care at all that T'm leaving you? Oh —are you leaving me, darling? ‘Yes, Bruce, I'm planning to leave you. ‘Well darling —you know you shouldn't Ieave me, I mean, you know you shouldn't leave me— ‘Well Bruce, im planning to leave you, ‘Oh, Well Well darling, it's a Lite fanny just to tell me this is'r i? I mean, what brings this up just atthe mo: sent, you se0—T mean, what have I done? We've jase gone ‘to a certain restaurant for dinner, and understood it to bbe one that you liked. And as far at Ica tlt’ lived up to expectation at ieast one hundred percent, T would saya Watuace SHAWN / 104 Ob Bruce—you'ze funny, You really are. (Pause) So you don’t actually ente that Tm leaving you, thes? Well, you're really not “easing me, darling, T mean, you fel you would Ze to, but you really aren't atwally teow Ing if you see what I mean. Yous don’t think T'm leaving? Well—are you? MAnIE Yer am, Bruce, veally am. ‘Well darling, I_mean, you know you can't leave me. 1 ‘mean, don't you know that T love you, darling? T mean, really, after all—er— “Love” me? You “love” me? Bruce—you don't even know the meaning of the word. You don't know the meaning of the word, Brice. Oh—reslly? T always thought I did. How very, very eng MARTE Bruce—dow't you know that you'e not a living persan? (ilence,) anuck Tm sorry, daring. I thought I was one. (Silence The Waiter bring the dessert and exits) ‘But what am I, then? Ian around like a living person. 1 sy things, T talk to people, I even have certain feelings, belive it oF not. Marie and Bruce 105 Bee F ean on a well Tay to be deoent— wae soem we Ten, T 97 vey bud ee Pen, Bru, Please be guint Pls beaut, towaig Gene) You see, you've nor human, youre not @ person, you hae no connection to me, orto any ether person, and you never will have one and you never ean have one, and thats why to me you are nothing but a filthy piece of shit that is stacked to me physically, but now I am cutting you off of me, you see, Tam eating you off of me, Tam cutting you auray from me anvee Mavie— No—you see, Bruce, you se, Bruce, you're nat alive. You're rot a perron Tam telling you the trath sow, Brave, and Tm selling you that you are dead. You're dead. You're a hareible des piece of meat Matie— Nomshut upt Shut upt Tam calling you dead, I am pre: rouning you dead, As far at Tm concerned, you are nowae Wattace suawn / 108 dead, You are now nothing. Your face is nothing. Yow face is not a face. Your expressions are not expresions Sv it moans nothing to me to leave you, because you are 10 nothing. I don't know anything about you, Bruce, been yous are meat, You are oly meat. God. help me—T lawn ‘what it means to be siting with nothing, You may sy things, but T don’t have to listen, because you are deal You are filth, You are only filth (Silence) pnuce Darling? Wha? Darling—do you know what I did today? I bought a new typewriter for myself, And you know —it rally wasn't ex pensive, T mean, T got it on ale, and it was incredibly ‘heap. I tried it ost in the store, and it worked ikea charm T mean —TI rally loved itt And they were even willing 9 deliver it for free. Theyre bringing it tomorrow. (Pause) Will you mi ‘Well you know, I really don't think so. Gilence,) MARIE (io audience) We sat at the table We finished our dessert And then T took him home. By the time we lef the restaurant, he was ‘drank once again, He was tted, he was aoopy. We got into ‘taxi, As we rode, he hugged me tightly. He hugged me fe me went around the comers, He hugged me when the taxi went fester, We got home, and the apartment was cool there was a breeze, I took the clean sheets out ofthe closet Marie and Brace 107 ‘made some hot milk, We satin our cies and we drank "Then I put him to bed. I stayed up fora while, T drank more milk. Tread a maugasine, a paper. Thon I went ‘bed myself, Te was warm under the sheet. T watched the dows moving on the celling. I Uistened tothe ears rash- Ing by outside the window, Then it started to ran. Then rained and rained. Ie began very gently, very lightly; then tho sound ofthe rain grew stronger and heavier, and I sane floven farther into he darkness of my pillow, and my Face ‘went down into ehe pillow, and my mouth opened wide, tind I érooled into the pillow, and I sank down father inte 44, and farther, and farther, and T slept