three girls (ana, alice, and abi) are lying on the ground./ they are in bathing suits./ one of them (ana) is drumming on the ground.
at night by the river in the middle of daytime
characters
ana, 15.
alice, 15. works at the grocery store.
abi, 13. on a different axis. alice’s little sister.
ava, 5. ana’s daughter.
river. the river.
notes
sound is sacred. the ground is sacred. human beings are not.
dialogue that is in parenthesis like this (character :: dialogue) or (dialogue :: character) is not meant to be spoken, that dialogue can either be felt through gesture or other sounds or projected. i don’t think it’s projected, but it could be. if you’re reading through the play with no gestures or staging, you can read them silently.
summer
by the river
three girls (ana, alice, and abi) are lying on the ground.
they are in bathing suits.
one of them (ana) is drumming on the ground.
it’s subtle and quiet at first, and then she starts to drum on the ground harder.
she presses her ear to it.
she keeps drumming.
her drumbeats echo.
she listens to the echo.
the echo spreads.
the echo spreads so much.
it is loud. and blaring.
she starts to laugh.
she starts to laugh so loudly.
her laugh mixes with the echo from her hand.
they are one.
she turns and starts to drum on alice’s stomach.
alice laughs, and
ALICE
stop it i’m ticklish
ANA
oh yeah??
ALICE
yeah, yeah i am
alice keeps laughing
her laughter mixes with the echo and ana’s laughter
(ana :: come on then)
alice starts to drum on the ground
it’s a different beat, in a-rhythm
it mixes well
it starts to echo
there is a cacophony of sound
in the cacophony,
ana gets up. reaches out to alice.
alice takes her hand. they start to slow dance.
(alice :: i missed you)
(ana :: i missed you too)
in a room, a week later
abi and ana are in a bedroom. it is purple. it is young. it feels young. it is probably in an attic, or at least it looks like it is. it looks like it’s not supposed to be a bedroom.
ana is in the closet.
ANA
should i come out?
ABI
if you want
ANA
i don’t know
i don’t think i look good
ABI
come out
lemme see
ANA
wait no
no
it’s okay
i wanna wait for your sister
if that’s alright
ABI
yeah
yeah that’s fine
there is silence
there is waiting
and waiting in silence
ABI
i’m sure you look great
ANA
i don’t know
i’m nervous
ABI
don’t be, we’re just your, i mean it’s just a few friends—um. yeah.
yep.
you know what, maybe i can play some music. i will. i will play some music.
ANA
no
no music
i’d rather the silence
i don’t want to waste the sound
ABI
oh
okay
that’s fine
ANA
thank you
there is more waiting
there is more silence
there is more waiting in silence
ANA
you know what maybe this is dumb
maybe i should change i don’t think—
Alice runs in, carrying a cheesecloth tied into a bag
ALICE
hi! hi! i’m here. what did i miss? what’s going on? where is she?
ABI
she’s in the closet
we were waiting for you
ALICE
oh
okay
i brought oranges from work if you
if you want them
they’re a little expired but it was all we had left
busy day today
ABI
how bad is it?
ALICE
it’s bad.
ANA
hi al
ALICE, peeking through the slats in the closet
hi there
you gonna come out or am i gonna have to come in?
ANA
i look stupid
ALICE
oh come on
ABI
couldn’t you suffocate in there?
couldn’t you suffocate in there and die?
(Alice :: are you serious???)
ALICE
we wanna see it!
we really really do!!
ANA
i’m telling you
i look stupid
i look so stupid
i’ve never looked stupider
in my whole life
ALICE
i’m sure that’s not true
ANA
it is
ABI
well how will we know if we can’t see you to agree with you
ANA
,
(Alice :: what the fuck abi)
ABI
it’s a valid point
ANA
yeah i know it is that’s why i’m trying to come up with a valid retort
(Abi :: told ya)
ALICE
look
um
if you don’t come out then we’re going to eat these oranges without you
and we don’t know when we’ll get oranges back again
they have to circulate to allllll the other stores first
and then back to us
and i did bring three…
you know what, stay in there
you don’t need this ripe, juicy, fruity, fleshy, gorgeous, magnificent orange do you?
you’ll be fine if abi and I
ANA
WAIT ugh fine fine fine fine fine fine fine fine fine
Ana stumbles out of the closet.
she is wearing a wedding gown.
she is wearing a wedding gown so beautiful it hurts.
it looks like it was from a long time ago.
so it’s a little yellow.
but just the right shade.
it’s all lace and buttons up the back.
long sleeves.
she looks like a bride.
she looks like exactly what a bride should look like.
she is beautiful, if just for a moment, she is so strikingly beautiful.
and there is silence.
true silence.
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
,
ANA
well?
ALICE
i
Alice starts to cry
ALICE
i
ANA
oh no no no
stop that no
ALICE
it’s fine
it’s okay
ABI
you look really beautiful, ana
ANA
thank you
ALICE
yeah
yeah what she said
ANA
stop crying! gosh
you’re embarrassing me
they both fall quiet.
it is like none of them know what to do
or say
or
ALICE
can i touch you
in that dress
it looks like you’re made of
i don’t know
like you’re made of porcelain
like one fingerprint would ruin you
like one touch and you’d just
you’d crumble
ANA
not from you
any touch from you is
it’s
it’s
they are so close to touching that they are practically one body, one being, one
ABI
are you excited ana?
they stumble apart
ANA
what?
ABI
are you excited to get married?
ANA
oh um, yes
yes
sure
i am excited
of course i am
ALICE
of course you are
why wouldn’t you be
by the river, two weeks later
ana and alice sit by the river.
it’s the middle of the day.
ana is in her underwear, her wedding dress is laying on the ground next to her.
alice has a sharpie and is drawing on ana’s arms.
ANA
i’m telling you that i don’t think i’m allowed to play that game anymore
it’s just different now
ALICE
what? because you’re married? come on
ANA
come on nothing!
it’s weird
ALICE
just try
just one time
one . . . round
ANA
fine
okay
yes fine
ALICE
YAYYYY ok.
the girl from chemistry with the nose ring
the chem tea-cher
and
some sorta super hero
ANA
um marry the superhero, fuck nose ring girl, kill the chem teacher
ALICE
see, that wasn’t so bad was it?
ANA
it’s weird
saying you’ll marry someone when you’re already married
ALICE
but you did it. painless.
ANA
i guess so
ALICE
and how funny is it to think about marrying a superhero
ANA
i guess funny
ALICE
maybe you’re already married to one
maybe spencer’s already a superhero and you just don’t know it
maybe he’s the one that’s gonna save us all
Ana laughs awkwardly.
Alice stops drawing.
ALICE
i’m sorry
ANA
it’s okay
ALICE
you give me one now?
ANA
ugh. i don’t want. i hate the creative parts of these games. it’s like
like no one ever asks what they actually want to ask
like everyone’s essentially just lying
when they play these dumb games
like truth or dare?
we all wanna fuck but no one’s gonna say i dare you to fuck me because that’s a dickish thing to do.
ALICE
okayyyyyy then well i will just give you another one
if you want
ANA
sure
ALICE
okay ummmm
Mr. McCauley, David’s mom, and a piece of pie
ANA
ew ew ew. um kill Mr. McCauley and David’s mom, and fuck and marry a piece of pie
ALICE
hey that’s not how this works missy
ANA
well it is now
if you want me to play then we’re gonna play by myyyy rules
ALICE
fine
if you wanna play dirty then
spencer, abi, and me.
ANA
stop it
ALICE
spencer, abi, and me.
ANA
that’s not funny
ALICE
oh come on yes it is
ANA
no it’s not
ALICE
okay, then don’t fucking answer it
ANA
you know the answer, Al.
ALICE
,
ANA
you. know. the. answer. you don’t have to ask.
ALICE
sure so you’d marry spencer, fuck ab
ANA
you know the answer.
in a real world
in a real world
that wasn’t this one?
you know the fucking answer.
ALICE
i was just trying to ask the question i want the answer to
ANA
but you know
ALICE
no i don’t
ANA
isn’t it obvious
isn’t it so fucking clear
because
to me, at least
it feels so fucking clear what the answer to that question is
ALICE
well it doesn’t to me okay
Ana leans over and kisses Alice.
Alice kisses her back.
ALICE
okay but is that marry or fuck though?
Ana laughs. Grabs Abi by her waist and pulls her closer.
She rolls them on top of her wedding dress, still on the ground.
They have sex on top of it.
It grows caked in mud.
It burrows itself into the ground.
It plants itself there.
(Ana :: it’s marry, you dumb idiot)
when they’re done, they run to the riverbank
they lay down, just wetting their hair
they let the ends drip onto their dirt covered backs.
they let their backs turn to mud.
they breathe their love into the earth.
abi by the river, the next day
abi is alone by the river.
she lays on its bank.
a car drives by above her.
another car.
that will be all of the cars for today.
she listens to the birds.
she starts to laugh,
her laugh does not mix with the birds so she stops.
she turns over.
she’s trying to tan.
she grunts.
she rolls over again.
she can’t get comfortable.
she knocks on the ground.
it doesn’t echo.
she walks up to the bridge.
she leans over
to get a better look
she falls into the river
she doesn’t come out
at the grocery store, three weeks later
alice is at work, checkout counter.
ana is shopping.
she’s looking for zucchini, but there isn’t any.
there aren’t any vegetables, actually.
there’s a broken tv in the corner of the grocery store playing a rerun of a soap opera.
it’s a wedding scene.
the bride and the groom are greeting their guests.
ana looks around a little longer for the zucchini
she can’t find one because there aren’t any
duh.
she looks around for someone she can ask
there is only alice
ANA
hi
do you happen to know
if you have any zucchini in
ALICE
we don’t
ANA
any other fresh vegetables?
maybe in the back or
ALICE
no
ANA
none.
at all.
ALICE
no
ANA
okay
thank you
ALICE
yep
ana keeps looking around the store.
she comes back.
ANA
are you sure?
ALICE
yes. i’m sure.
we haven’t had fresh vegetables since
ANA
since when
ALICE
since abi
ANA
oh
ALICE
yep
no fresh veg
no fresh fruit
just the frozen stuff, but we’re starting to run out of that too so i’d hurry
ANA
okay
thanks for the tip
ALICE
trucks come on thursdays.
ANA
okay
thanks
there is silence.
there is nothing in ana’s basket.
no reason for her to stay
but she does
ANA
look, al,
alice flinches
ANA
alice.
, i’m sorry
ALICE
yep
ANA
about abi
ALICE
yep
ANA
how are, are you—how are you
how are you doing.
ALICE
i’m fine
ANA
is your mom
ALICE
she’s fine
we’re all fine
ANA
okay, yeah
cool then, i guess
well if you need anything
ALICE
spencer not come out with you today?
ANA
oh, um
no
,
he’s at home
ALICE
with the baby?
ANA
yeah.
yeah with the baby.
ALICE
crazy how fast that thing grew, huh?
ANA
yeah
yeah it was
she was a miracle
ALICE
i mean
you would’ve had to have been pregnant all the way back in
back in when, again?
ANA
um
december of last year, they say
ALICE
right. crazy how that works, huh?
ANA
uh huh
ALICE
crazy how no one noticed
no one ever even thought
not even
ANA
look, alice i wanted to
ALICE
did you know?
ANA
what?
ALICE
when we were by the river
did you know that you were pregnant.
there is silence.
ANA
yeah. yeah i did.
ALICE
and you didn’t tell me?
ANA
i. um
i didn’t want to mess anything up
between
i didn’t want you to think
ALICE
think what?
ANA
that he meant more to me than you do
alice laughs
ANA
i’m serious.
ALICE
sure.
ana is quiet.
there is nothing more to say.
ALICE
if you’re not gonna buy anything i’m gonna have to ask you to leave
we have other customers.
the river song, five years later
RIVER
i get really very lonely sometimes.
people don’t really come to visit
as much as they used to
and i’m having trouble moving
in the right way
things get so heavy
things get so much heavier the longer you carry them
,
i watched them
the whole summer
coming and going
and then
one day it just stopped
i can’t say i know what happened
maybe they just grew up
and the nevers and maybes just became nevers
and the hopes and the dreams
started to fade
and
it didn’t feel so good anymore
to sit there
we could all feel it in the wind
once abi
i don’t think you can really poison the earth
but i do feel
i do feel like maybe
um—never
i mean,
,
things are hard
yeah
things are heavy
i don’t know how to tell them that i miss them
i don’t know how to tell them that it will be okay
i don’t know how to tell them that even though the air feels different and the sun feels cold that it will all be so, so fine
and we will all be so, so fine
because we have to be, right?
the water is still moving
even if it’s just a little slower than we thought
or than we want
it’s still moving
i don’t know how to tell them that
,
they were so young
and that’s how things are when you’re young, right?
things are only a lot to handle when you’re young
it’s supposed to slow down
it’s supposed to calm down
once you get older
but then there you are
you’re older
and now there’s a kid there
and all of a sudden you’re right back where you were
at fifteen
by the bank of a river
trying to tan and failing
going into the water and never coming out
and dancing to the sound of your laughter mixed with the echos the earth is giving to you
and you kiss your best friend and try to forget about the new one growing in your stomach
and you do all of the things you want just because you can
and you never thought there would be a life where you couldn’t
,
i don’t know how to tell them that it might all crumble
it might all go
right out from underneath them
i don’t know how to tell them that
i feel the earth rumble beneath me more than i ever have before
i don’t hear it play as much as i want to
i don’t hear the drumbeat
there’s no one to bring it back
ana was so good at
she was so good at it.
,
i think i must remind myself that i am a river.
a child starts to laugh.
ANA
slow down, baby girl
a child runs in. ava. five.
ana runs after her. She sees the river. she stops.
ANA
alright, that’s far enough.
come on back now.
AVA
but i wanna go down
ANA
maybe when you’re older
AVA
i am big
ANA
you are so so big
but the river can be very dangerous, okay?
AVA
okay . . .
ANA
i will tell you when you are old enough, okay?
AVA
okay . . .
ANA
okay
Ava and Ana turn and walk away holding hands.
RIVER
i must remind myself that i am a river.
and that it will all be so fine.
that one day the sun will be warm again
and the girl who was born into me will come
and maybe the other girl i carry will get lighter
and then maybe the vegetables will grow
and maybe it will all be okay.
maybe it will all go back to normal.
not to how it was
but back to normal
Ava laughs.
RIVER
yes. yes.
it will all be okay.
