DAVID RICE - Play

Here is an interview about SHE FLIES with Mike D. Garcia (playwright) and David Rice (Author).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkXDc5Y-UC4&t=14s

"She Flies”

based on David Rice’s short story “She Flies”

*Selected scene by permission, from Raul Castillo’s “Bad Blood”

set pieces lighting cues sound cues stage directions/text

Play begins with lights up center stage. We are in Milagros’ home. Milagros begins scene with a sense of urgency, she is trying to get ready for school and is running out of time. Set pieces include kitchen table and chair.

Mil Mom

No answer

Mil Mom!….mom! at this point Milagros is screaming MOM!

Mom Quietly yes?

Mil Where’s my faded blue jeans? Rummaging through a laundry basket.

Mom In the dryer

Mil They weren’t dirty

Mom They were on the floor

Mil Ay, mom!

Mom Come eat your cereal. Your corn flakes are getting all soggy.

Mil Thanks, I’ll be there in a second…

Mom goes over to the kitchen table humming and picks up the newspaper. Starts to read.

Mom Nope…ugly…too short…too fat…too hairy…Y esta, que perra…

Mil What are you talking about? Walks over to the table

Mom The pageant.

Mil Oh, the Miss Grapefruit or is it Miss Watermelon? I forget.

Mom No, it’s the Miss Citrus. You know when I was young…

Mil I know mom. You’ve told me a million times. You were Miss Citrus Queen runner- up. Let it go. That was a thousand years ago.

Mom Milagros, I was pushed out. There is no justice in our society.

Mil Mom, it’s too early for pageant talk, please.

Mom Milagros, are your pants wet?

Mil Milagros quickly gets up from the table Gotta go…

Mom Did you get those from the dryer?

Mil They’re my favorite, they’ll be dry by the time I get to school.

Mom Ay mija, no tienes verguenza. Your pompis are going to freeze, then you’re going to catch a cold and die of pneumonia.

Mil Bye, mom. I love you, too.

Mom Hurry up Milagros before you miss the bus! Sound cue of bus horn and into beat for the next scene.

Milagros walks off wet and waddling. Lights fade. Quick change. Cast hits their marks quickly.

Bus driver music

…Lights up. Bus driver enters stage left. Begins addressing the audience. Cast enters on their cue. Driver is dressed in bus driver digs.

Bus driver: Get on the bus, ya’ll. We’re going to school! Beat drops in right here and continues throughout rest of scene. To school you about things you may not know, or things you might not care to know. About things, things of consequence and things consequently concretely creative. I’m talking about you. You samauri warrior, you braniac, you sporty. You I’m too shy to talk to you don’t look at me. I’m talking about you. My people. We. Us. Nosotros. The home team. My peeps. My homegirls and boys. Im talking about you. Respect. Look up when I’m talking to you, look in my eye, don’t bow down to anyone. You. Respect. Respect education. Go where few have gone. To the inner parts of the brain. Use it. Think. Be creative. Don’t let time slip away. Life is like a box of chocolates!! Im talking about you. Im talking about you. Im talking about you!!!…get on the bus ya’ll. We’re going to school…We going to school.

Sound cue: music fades out. Cast makes their way off stage. Lights out

Bus driver music fades. Pause. Monologue music begins

Lights up. Milagros does entire scene down center. (Older Milagros) From book.

Pre-recorded music throughout scene. Brian note: sound cues: party voices, kids laughing, parakeets fluttering their wings. Mariachi’s in the background. Setting up party. As scene escalates so does the energy of the sound track.

Milagros, with this monologue, needs to bring the audience into her world. Paint these images.

Milagros -

“One of my earliest memories is of setting free more than 300 parakeets. It was my fifth birthday, and my parents had thrown me a party at Tia Mana Garza’s house. Tia Mana had made me a dress and bought me matching shoes and a hat. sound cue: kids laughing, light mariachi She had decorated her backyard with ribbons tied to the trees and her two birdcages. One cage was filled with hundreds of parakeets. Sound cue: few bird sounds It was eight feet high and ten feet across, covered in chicken wire with holes so small that I could barely fit my little finger through them. The other cage held Tia’s favorite possession: a green and red parrot named Pajaro. Sound cue: Pajaro saying “milagros, que bonita” Pajaro wore an ankle band attached to kite string so he wouldn’t escape. Whenever Tia let him out of his cage, he walked to the top and stretched his wings. Sometimes he’d flutter them and then fly straight up at full speed, but the string would snap him down. During my birthday party I walked up to the big parakeet cage with a cookie. I thought maybe I’d push the cookie under the cage door and see if the parakeets would eat it. Tia Mana had more colors in her big birdcage than there were in my biggest box of crayons. Some of the parakeets would fly back and forth really fast, sound cue: fluttering of wings hitting the cage with their bodies. Others would clutch the walls with their claws, and with their beaks they’d bite the cage wire. To me they looked as if they were trying to tear out of the cage. I think I felt sorry for them. Whenever I walked up to their cage, they turned their little heads and stared at me, fluttering their wings hard against the cage. I turned around and looked at Tia Mana, who was watering her azaleas. She smiled at me but said nothing. I tried to push the cookie through the slit under the cage door, but it was too narrow. As I lifted the latch of the door, I heard my parents in the distance, telling me to stop. But I didn’t want to stop. I pulled the door open, and the sound of hundreds of singing birds swept away the shouts of my parents. voice over from offstage: “Milagros, No!” The parakeets flew out, and I felt as if I were floating sound cue: wisp of wind in a rainbow. They swirled around me, their feathers grazing my face, chest, shoulders, and arms. I wanted to float away with them. I could hear them whispering to me as they darted by. I lifted my arms and stood on the tips of my toes, wondering if I was about to fly. The birds swooped into the trees of Tia’s backyard, singing happily. Pajaro, on his kite string, sang too. And Tia Mana dropped the water hose and put her arms up, as if she were trying to embrace the flying colors. She was laughing, and her laugh was the same pitch as that of the singing birds.

Sound cue: fainting bird sounds

My father ran to me and slammed the caged door, sound cue: cage door closing but only a few birds still remained. He started yelling at me, but I couldn’t understand him. He jabbed his finger inches from my face. I didn’t know what he was so mad about. To me the parakeets wanted to be free, and Tia looked very happy watching them spread their tiny wings. I remember Dad saying, voice over: “Milagros, what are you thinking? The birds are escaping!!!” Escaping. It was the only word I heard, over and over.

Soundtrack fades

Then I felt Tia Mana’s hands on my stomach. I looked up and she was standing behind me. She pulled me to her, and I could feel her warmth on my back.

“Milagros has done the right thing,” she said. I’ve had those birds too long. They should be free.”

Lights go to black.

Sound cue: hallway noise

Monologue music fades into sounds of hallway.

4

Lights up on Milagros, Leila and Raul. They are seated at their desks. Raul has his head down trying get a few last moments of sleep before school begins. The women are removing their books from their bags, getting ready for class. Leila is looking at her compact mirror making sure she’s looking satisfactory. Set: 3-4 desks.

Mil You look fine, Leila.

Leila You can’t be too sure, what if Enrique Iglesias walked in?

Mil Or Brad Pitt.

Leila Ooh he’s gross! Besides, he probably doesn’t like Valley girls.

Mil Neither does Enrique.

Raul Would you all please shut up!! No one likes the both of you! I’m trying to sleep.

Leila taunting Raul What. Are you afraid of girls? Winking at him

Raul I’m not afraid of girls, I’m afraid of brujas! I’ve seen you fly around town on broomstick.

Mil Watch out, she’ll put a spell on you.

Raul looks at the girls, smirks, then puts his head back down.

Leila mimes to Milagros that Raul is loco. They laugh.

Leila Did you study for the quiz? Wait, of course you did, you always study.

Mil I was bored last night so I read, what you didn’t?

Raul Brujas can’t read.

Leila Shut up Raul!

Sound cue: Bell rings

Principal- (voice over) done live

Good morning Raiders. This is your principal speaking. It’s such a great day in the Rio Grande Valley. Today’s menu is as follows: Carne Guisada, rice, vegetable delight and pineapple bits. Never quite figured out what was in that. Anyway please come out to the pep rally at 7:45 am tomorrow morning. We really need to get behind the football team and show them our support. Maybe they’ll win a game. All seniors interested in information about colleges in the Northeast, there will be a regional representative on campus for seniors today. Have a great day. Thank you.

Teacher Good morning, class. I’m sorry I’m running a little late, I had to e-mail the quiz to

a student who’s not feeling well today. Is everyone here? Someone please wake up Raul. Leila could you…

Raul I’m not sleeping.

Teacher Good. I’m glad you’re with us. Yesterday, we had to stop our poetry readings because of a fire drill.

Let’s finish the poems today and then take the quiz over (insert some piece of literature). Leila I think you were next.

Leila Sir, I finished my poem right when the fire bell rang. Raul’s next.

Raul Shut up Leila!

Leila You shut up.

Teacher Leila please try and calm down.

Leila Me? what about him?

Raul looks at Leila and smirks because she got in trouble.

Teacher Raul? Are you ready to read?

Raul doesn’t reply he slowly gets up and goes to the front of the room. Begins reading his poem.

Raul-

Corporate Caca. Milagros and Leila shocked that he said caca.

Shoving your theology down my throat at a million bytes per second.

You’re in good hands…

Our elected leaders sporting Nike shoes between exfoliations and law alterations.

Lies. It’s what’s for dinner.

Holding the cure to all known diseases.

Fading the numbers on their calculators

Teaching the masses to live beyond their means.

Diamonds are forever…Because so much is riding on your tires.

Live in your world, play in ours.

Corporate Caca.

Wipe!

Raul goes back to his seat.

Teacher Well that was interesting Raul. It’s always good for the class to hear their peer’s views of the corporate model in this country. One based on capitalism and greed.

Mil Mr. Flores!!

Teacher I mean that’s what Raul’s poem was trying to explain, I think. Anyway, let’s get ready for the quiz, everything off your desk except for a pen.

All Come on sir!

Lights out.

Sound: gym noises, fades out halfway through scene.

Lights up. Scene begins in aisle if space allows. Leila and Milagros start in aisle and make their way on stage and have a seat on a bench that is already on stage. They are holding their P.E. clothes, very obviously. We can see their sneaks, shorts, etc.. As scene progresses we slowly hear sounds of shoes streaking on basketball court

Leila Did you understand it?

Mil What?

Leila Raul’s poem.

Mil obviously thinking about something else huh?

Leila forcefully Raul’s poem. You’re heads in the clouds today. Pause. Well, did you like it?

Mil yeah. It was really good.

Leila My cousin Debbie told me that Raul was an artist. That he could the Tasmanian Devil and Cantinflas.

Mil I’ve seen him draw in class, he’s really talented. He’s just a little angry.

Pause.

Leila I don’t know why we have to take P.E. it’s such a waste of time.

Mil what you don’t like these outfits.

Beat.

Mil We finally begin to see what Milagros has been thinking about Did you hear the announcements?

Leila I know carne guisada. Every Thursday, carne guisada.

Mil No, the college representative.

Leila Yeah, what about it?

Mil I don’t know I was thinking about going to talk to him.

Leila In that outfit? Pointing at her p.e. clothes

Mil No, seriously. I think it would be fun to go away to college.

Leila Go away from what? Home?

Mil Well maybe not forever, but to go see what’s out there.

Leila You want to know what’s out there? Milagros reacts thinking Leila is going to offer some insight into “what’s out there” People that don’t understand us.

Mil I’ll make them understand me. changing the subject did you see the new stadium?

Leila How could I miss it

Mil They get everything.

Leila New uniforms every season.

Mil A jumbo tron.

Leila It’s amazing how much money schools spend on that kind of stuff.

Leila and Milagros become more and more animated.

Mil What about things for the other students? Not everyone plays sports.

Leila They should spend the same amount of money on other stuff, like a movie night or field trips to the beach.

Mil No, they should start a film program where we could learn how to make movies.

Leila yeah, that would be cool, we could have our own production company!

Mil yeah! Chihuahua productions!

Both making fun of themselves stooooopid!

Leila we could make telenovelas and movies about puppies. They laugh

Beat

Mil You know, I think that’s why a lot of students don’t finish school. What for?

There’s no incentive. Athletes can get scholarships and popularity,

what do kids who study hard get? They get made fun of.

Leila There you go again Milagros wanting to save the world.

Mil Not save the world Leila, just myself.

Pause.

Leila Well let me know what the college rep says.

Mil Really?

Leila Hey, you’re not the only one who wants to go to college. I want to go too.

Mil Well, I’ll let you know.

Lights bench removed

Musical interlude, then ends with sounds of laughter.

Lights up. Scene begins with laughter (sound cue) Tia Mana voiced over in this scene from offstage.

Teacher addresses audience as the class.

Teach That was very good Gavino. You’re hero is your dog. I have to say

that’s a first. Milagros you’re next. Okay class, lets all pay attention. Our

hero’s are very important to us.

Milagros goes to the front of the classroom. She begins reading her essay.

Mil Land owner. Caregiver. A woman of respect in an age where men’s only need

for women was to get the morning paper. My hero. My tia Mana. A lifelong friend

to all who are lucky enough to make her acquaintance. She is more than a century

old and boasts not one but two appearances on the Today show (well, her picture). She has a parrot, named Pajaro, who only speaks Spanish.

All my life my Tia Mana has helped me and my family with anything we have ever needed. Ever since I can

remember Tia Mana has encouraged me to be myself and look for the beauty in life. My Tia Mana used to baby sit me when I was small. Tia let me crawl anywhere I wanted. My other tia’s worried that I’d fall down the stairs or get stuck under a bed. But Tia Mana told them”…

Mana If my peacocks, ducks and chickens can walk anywhere they want, so can Milagros.

and if little Milagros had wings I would let her fly.

Mil All my other tias just laughed. she was so funny that way. On my tenth birthday, tia made me a bright dress and a cake with the same colors.

My uncles played happy birthday on their accordions and everyone sang as I stood in front of my cake. Tia Mana leaned toward me and asked…

Mana What are you going to wish for?

Mil I don’t know, What do you think I should wish for?

Mana A plane ticket to anywhere you want to go. You should fly far away mija. To all

the places that you’ve read about.

Mil I couldn’t believe it. She got the tickets for me and my mom. That was the kind of stuff my tia used to do for me all the time. Things that made me feel important.

She is truly a lady. I know I must be the luckiest person in the world to have her in my life. So that’s my hero, my tia mana.

Sounds of clapping Thank you.

Lights.

Sounds of clapping into the bell ringing into principal’s announcements.

Rep walks on stage during announcement, he is lost, looking at a school map trying to get to the library.

Principal pauses throughout scene because of the carne g in his stomach. Very gassy.

Voice Over Principal: Can I have your attention, this is your principal speaking,

a reminder that all seniors interested in talking to the representative from college,

he will be in the library for the remainder of the

afternoon, thank you, oh yes, one more thing has been brought to

my attention, apparently the carne guisada was not very good a some students have been getting sick.

So if you had the carne guisada and aren’t feeling well feel free to come to the nurses office,

just get a pass from your teacher. Thank you.

Lights up. Raul walking on stage with a backpack. Rep walking the opposite way, toward Raul.

Rep Excuse me young man, but could you tell me where the library is? I’m the college

representative. I seem to be lost.

Raul Just keep going down the uhh!!!! Raul grips his stomach in pain.

Rep Are you okay?

Raul I think it’s the carne guisada,

Rep The what?

Raul I’m gonna puke Raul runs off stage making loud puking

noises, the noises continue for a few moments after the exchange is over.

Milagros and Leila enter.

Milagros is nervous throughout scene because she will soon talk to the college representative.

Leila What are you doing afterschool?

Mil I'm going to tia mana’s.

Leila What for?

Mil Oh just to say hi, I haven’t seen her all week, she’s been busy.

Leila That woman is so active, I hope I have her energy when I reach her age.

Mil I just hope I reach her age.

Leila So, are you gonna talk to the rep?

Mil Yeah, im fixing to go right now, im just nervous,

Raul Enters wiping off his mouth you’re wasting your time.

Leila Ready to fight and defend her friend, valley style. shut up raul, what do you know?

Raul I know enough not to ever want to go to a place that corrupts the mind.

Mil what are you talking about.

Raul Colleges weren’t made for us. They were invented for the privileged. For the rich Just look at the test to get in them.

Standardized testing. Or if you don’t know what some fancy word like “reticent” means to can't go to their schools.

Leila Reti- what?

Raul We don’t belong there. We belong in the fields where they want us. That’s why we were built close to the ground. To pick the pretty flowers that go on their tables.

Leila you’ve been sniffing some of that paint.

Raul You don’t have to accept it. You can play along and pretend that it’s not true.

Mil You’re smart, you can go to college.

Raul I am smart, that’s why I’m not going to college. Why go to college?

Mil To get an education.

Raul And then what?

Mil …Well, get a job.

Raul I can get a job and make more money at H E B than most people make right out of college and get benefits.

So why would I want to throw away good money on college when I’m going to have to get a job when I get out anyway.

Leila completely missing the point I didn’t know that H E B paid so well.

Mil Leila stop. It’s about pride Raul. How many people from the valley go to college and come back and make a difference in their communities? We need to control our history. You don’t think that’s important?!

Raul Backing off. why you trippin’ girl?

Mil Rally feeling her own power it’s not important if you go to some university you can’t pronounce, it’s just important that you go.

Leila You’re right milagros.

Raul You’ll never see me in any of those prisons.

pause

Leila What’s that?

Mil What?

Leila You smell it?

Mil What?

Leila It smells like rotten carne guisada.

Raul I don’t smell anything…

Leila It’s Raul!

They both make smelling sounds and slowly look at raul.

Raul what? I didn’t do it. Raul embarrassed, runs off

Ladies laugh

lights

transition music

Set: a desk and a chair. Lights up. Milagros nervously walks in.

Mil excuse me are you the college rep.?

Rep Have a seat. What’s your name?

Mil milagros Valdez.

Rep let me see begins looking in his files for her information.

Mil what is yours.

Rep surprised im sorry?

Mil your name. You know mine.

Rep of course. Charles. Charles Macintyre.

Mil where are you from?

Rep Boston, well originally from Brighton, it’s right outside the city.

Mil the meatpacking part of town

Rep yeah…how did you know?

Mil it’s amazing what you can learn at the library.

Rep amazing. Milagros, right? that’s an interesting name. What does it mean?

Mil miracles.

Rep really?

Mil My tia mana, aunt mana, named me that because my mother was forty-five

years old and wasn’t suppose to have any more children. My mother told me that

my aunt walked to St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and lit a vela, a candle, for me

every day from the time she learned my mother was pregnant until I was born. So

I guess I’m a miracle.

Rep I guess you are. Well back to the task at hand. So, Milagros are you interested inattending college?

Mil yes I am, I think it’s important for Mexican Americans to go to college so they can come back educated and contribute to their communities.

Rep that’s very progressive.

Mil I like to think so.

Rep well have you taken the SAT’s?

Mil twice

Rep good. well let me pull your file…begins looking at her file very impressive. SAT scores are high, GPA looks good, NHS, Student Council and community outreach.

Tell me Milagros, have you considered applying to an out of state school?

Mil you mean, where rich kids go?

Rep well yes, there are wealthy kids who attend those schools, sure. But they do boast a large number of minority students and foreigners.

Mil I’m no foreigner.

Rep of course not, my point is that these schools take the best. No matter what your socio-economic background may be.

Mil pause are you telling me that I can go to Harvard?

Rep well you have to apply first, but I think so

Mil are you telling me Milagros Valdez can go to Princeton?

Rep yes!

Mil are you telling me this Latina from the Valley can go to Yale?

Rep yes! Yes!

Mil goes down center Tia mana will be so proud, What will Mom and Dad say? beat Big trees and buildings.

Birds singing songs I’ve never heard. The coast, subways, trains, snow!!!…like a dream…

Rep MILAGROS!!!

Mil yes!! Realizing she’s been talking to herself oh im sorry! Trying to calm down…

Rep it’s quite alright.

Mil it’s like a dream Mr. Macintyre.

Rep it’s pretty exciting isn’t it?

Mil Well how much would it cost?

Rep Including meals, books, and housing... about 35 thousand a year. Sound cue begins.

Milagros’ mouth hits the floor, she’s crushed and slowly walks off stage as if she’s just been hit by a train.

Rep milagros, wait! I haven’t talked to you about scholarships or financial aid, wait!

Milagros, wait!

Lights somberly fade

Somber music continues and ends with phone ringing…

dim Lights up. We see Milagros walking on stage in the same way she left the last scene. She is looking around, searching, trying to recover from the whirlwind in the library. She is in this state of mind for about ½ minute until she finally screams (remaining lights up)

Mil “TIA MANA!!” music stops at same time as line

Sound cue Phone rings.

Mana walks on stage with a phone in hand. (I know very realistic)

Mana Hola mija, why are you calling me you’re suppose to be in school.

Mil I’m still in school tia,

Mana good, school is important, don’t forget that, I know you’re a senior and you want

to spend time with your friends but…

Mil no tia, I just wanted to call and tell you hi

Mana well…

Mil well what?

Mana well tell me hi

Mil hi

Mana okay gotta go, pajaro needs to be fed. Sound cue: pajaro squawk

Mil no, no, don’t’ go tia.

Mana what is it Milagros? I know you too well. Are you going to tell me or am I going

to have to walk over to your school and get it from you.

Mil frazzled okay, okay. I talked to this rep from college and we talked about snow and it’s gonna cost too much money, I don’t know what to do and he said he thought I could go but I don’t know I just left him there and then I called you!

Mana Milagros you’re not making any sense. Now slow down and tell me what happened.

Mil The college representative said I could go to a big university.

Mana well I knew that. You’ve studied very hard mija.

Mil but then he told me how much it was going to cost.

Mana Milagros, I have always told you that I will help you with college.

Mil I know but I just don’t know what to do. It’s just so much money.

Mana follow your dreams milagros.

Milagros is beginning to relax but still nervous about her parents.

Mil my dreams seem to be very expensive tia.

Mana “Mija, fly as far as your wings will take you.”

Mil I’m worried about what dad is going to say.

Mana Let me deal with him, you just relax, and get back to class!

Mil okay tia…

Milagros holds on stage for a moment contemplating. She is feeling confident again.

Lights

Transition music

Milagros’ home. Kitchen table and chairs.

Afterschool. Milagros a little tentative, she’s about to drop some bombs about her future. Lights up.

Mom hey mija, how was your day? mine was terrible. The air condition broke at

work, all the ladies in the office were all sweaty, we were busy.

Mil that’s awful mom.

Mom whatever you do mija, please go to college and get a good job so you won’t

have to work hard like me.

Mil well, that’s what I kinda want to talk to you about. I have some good news mom.

Mom what is it?

Mil I talked to a college representative today and he said that I had a good chance to

go to an out of state school.

Mom oh mija, I’m so proud of you. You really deserve it Milagros.

They embrace and share a sweet moment. Dad walks in,

Dad what’s going on? Are you sick? Why are you crying? Que te paso?

Mom helping milagros wipe her tears no she’s fine David, she just had a good day at school.

Dad I don’t understand you females. When I have a good day you never see me crying.

Mom I’ve never seen you cry. Well, except that time the [insert current event] lost.

Dad don’t bring that up, you know that’s still a very sensitive subject. So, what happened today Milagros?

Mil I talked to a college representative…

Dad good

Mil and he said I had an opportunity…

Dad of course, you have many opportunities

Mil to go away to college.

Dad away?!! Away where? There are plenty of colleges here in Texas Milagros.

Mil I know, but how many people from the valley get this chance.

Dad Whose going to pay for this? You know we can’t afford that Milagros.

We’re barely making ends meet.

Mom he’s right milagros, we can’t afford it.

Mil hurt that her mom changed her opinion MOM!... well, tia mana said she would help me.

Dad she can’t help you, she needs that money for the nursing home.

Mil what nursing home? You can’t put tia in a nursing home!

Dad well, who’s going to take care of her? If you’re far away at school, you can’t do it,

and your mother and me have jobs.

Mil but there’s nothing wrong with her. She’s never even been sick. She does

everything herself.

Mom si, pero she’s like a thousand years old and she’s been on the today show a hundred times. You think she’s going to live forever?

Mil she has the tias, they’ll take care of her.

Dad they can’t even take care of themselves, they’re in their eighties. Look, Milagros

it’s up to you if you want to go, but if you’re going to leave your home, the place where you grew up, the only place in this world where people love you, don’t be

surprised to come home and find all your tias in a nursing home.

Mom David!!…

Milagros runs off stage whimpering. She can’t believe her dad just pulled that crap. Men!!

Lights out.

Stage: remove kitchen table and place chairs for tia mana’s house. 3 chairs

No music

11a

Mil-

All night I imagined my tia in a nursing home and pajaro in a cage with no one to talk to, all because I wanted to go to some distant college where it snowed in the winter. I couldn’t stop worrying. That afternoon I sat outside the balcony with my tia. I watched tia, looking for any signs that she was slowing down.

Raul’s music

*Note: [opening monologue: taken from Raul C.astillo’s BAD BLOOD]

Raul is tagging a wall when the scene begins.. Lights up.

Raul’s present canvas. A brick wall with the beginnings of his latest bombing, which is a painting of his abuelo.

Raul-

Bombing. *Your name adorns the walls, the doors, the buses, the libraries, bathrooms, billboards, every telephone booth, every school, every court. Spreading your identity to the eyes of a thousand viewers. Innocent bystanders. That will carve into their minds the image which you have created. They will know that you are out there. That you exist. And that you resist. Rep walks in and sees Raul painting. Turning their sanctuaries, their clean slates into canvases for you to desecrate. Inflicting their innocence with so much fervor, so much shock. And then you got them right by their spirit. Holding it in your hand. Caressing it.

Rep accidentally drops his briefcase. Raul is startled.

Rep I’m sorry. Rep picks up the briefcase.

Raul aggressively you need something?

Rep do I need something? no.

Raul you a cop?

Rep no.

Raul well, what do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy.

Rep Is this your art?

Raul Yeah, what of it.

Rep Very Impressive

Raul what are you a critic?

Rep I know a few.

Raul look I would love to chit chat about…whatever it is you people like

to chit chat about, but I don’t like to leave my work unfinished.

Rep that’s what I want to talk to you about.

Raul what?

Rep your art. Its phenomenal.

Raul You want to play games there’s a mortal

combat game in the bakery around the corner.

Rep I’m serious.

Raul so am I. You need change?

Rep look I’d like to help. I represent colleges in the northeast.

Raul and I represent the southside vato, what’s your point?

Rep My point is that you have talent. Beat No ones ever told you that before, have they?

Why don’t you tell me about your art.

Raul this is my abuelo, he died, this is him. I have his eyes and the lines in his face will be my lines years from now.

Rep beat Have you ever thought about art school?

Raul like college?

Rep well sort of, it’s a conservatory, a place where you can continue doing your art.

Raul they have those? Rep nods. Hey you’re that college rep guy…

Rep Yes… that’s my job. Match up schools for with the best students.

Raul The best? You’re in the wrong neighborhood yankee doodle. I’m not even in the top 30 percent.

Rep That’s just a number. There’s also talent, which tests can’t measure. You have a portfolio?

Raul A what?

Rep A portfolio, you know, a collection of your work.

Raul I have a few pictures that I took with my little sister’s camera.

Rep You do? That’s great. Tell you what. I’ll give you the addresses of some art schools you can send your photos to, and see what they say.

Raul but hey, aren’t those schools expensive?

Rep of course, but those schools want the best and they’re willing to pay for it. If you’re serious about your art.

Raul I take my work very seriously.

Rep Well then, I’ll give you the info.

Raul Orale, sir! Beat Art school.

Lights fade.

Quick sound byte to finish scene, then crickets to set up tia mana’s

get bench on stage.

Milagros and Mana are seated. Lights up.

Lights up on mil and mana sitting on her balcony.

Mil trying to be discreet How are you feeling today, Tia Mana?

Mana Every day is another day. Beat. Mijita I have known you all your life, and I know

when you are troubled. Bueno, dime. What’s wrong?

Mil Ay, Tia. It’s just that Mom and Dad said I shouldn’t go far away to college. They

think I should stay here and take care of you.

Mana laughing Take care of me? I can take care of myself.

Mil Si tia, but they say you are getting old, y que…trying to find the word…

Mana Estoy vieja. Laughs Mira, I can take care of myself. I always have. They don’t want

you to go away because they never went anywhere.

Mil But if you do get to a point where you can’t take care of yourself, they’ll put you in a

nursing home. Y tia, I would feel terrible if that happened. And what would

happen to pajaro?

Sound of a diesel truck. Sound of the truck door closing. Mana pauses.

Mana Is that your father’s truck?

Mil nods

Dad joins them

Dad Hola, tia (tries to give her a kiss)

Mana (doesn’t let him get close) Sit down, please…Andale!

Beat

Mana How are you?

Dad Good. Pause How are you tia?

Mana Not good. Sarcastically I’m getting so old.

Dad looks at milagros

Mana Doesn’t pajaro have pretty feathers?

Dad oh, yes, beautiful feathers. Milagros surprised, she’s never heard her dad talk like that.

Mana y sabes que? Pajaro can fly. Pero I always tie a string around his ankle because I’m

afraid of him flying away and never coming back. But if you have beautiful wings

you were meant to fly, no?

dad keeps silent

mana Diosito gives everyone gifts, and it’s a sin not to use them. Y tambien, it’s a sin not

to let people use the gifts Diosito blessed them with.

Dad looks at mana and she looks at him waiting for a response.

Dad Si, tia it’s a sin.

Mana I love pajaro more than most anything else. The bird has brought me so much

happiness. I’ve had him for more than seventy years, and he knows all about our

family. He watched you get married and has seen the birth of all your kids. Si, I

love this bird, pero I have kept him in a cage all this time. Eso no es amor. No,

love does not cage. Love sets free. I love only one person more than I love this

bird. I love Milagros, pero I want her to be happy. To be free. Mija open Pajaro’s

cage. Beat Go ahead mija open it.

Mana/dad freeze as Milagros describes what happens.

Mil-

I opened the cage door wide, and Pajaro blinked at me, confused. I reached in and took off his ankle bracelet, and stepped back. Pajaro jumped from his mesquite branch to the edge of the birdcage and fluttered his wings. My dad stood up. I could hear him saying close the door, but he sounded far away. My tia looked blissful. Pajaro squawked, and said, “Milagros, que bonita and started to sing. He flew toward me, and I could feel the brush of feathers—hundreds and hundreds of feathers as parakeets, singing, and Tia Mana on the tips of her toes throwing her arms up calling to us, sound cue of birds flapping, building…

Mana Fly, fly, fly!!!

Milagros and her tia grab hands and move in a circle looking up to the sky, happy.

Rep hello. Hello. Am I interrupting anything?

Mil mr. Macintyre? That’s the man I told you’ll about.

Rep Hello Milagros. Mil walk over and shakes his hand.

Mil what are you doing here, I thought you’d be in an airplane by now.

Rep Well actually I am running a little bit late, but I wanted to come by and give you some good news.

Mil well this is my father and my tia mana.

Rep Very nice to meet you Mr. Valdez and very nice to meet you too, mam. You’ll must

be very proud of Milagros. I have to tell you that I was very impressed when I met her today. I was so impressed that I called the dean of admissions at

M IT, I informed them of Milagros’ grades and hard work…and they would like to offer Milagros a substantial scholarship.

Mil really? Excited then quickly withdraws emotion and looks at her tia mana for strength and then

slowly turns to her dad and says, Dad?

A heavy moment passes. Dad looks at his daughter. And then turns his attention to the rep.

Dad Not so fast Mr. M I T. Not until we talk to Harvard first. Dad’s beaming

Milagros, tia mana and dad all hug then they reach out and hug the rep, all is well.

Lights

Epilogue music

Bus Driver

Well it’s the end of the road. A road far traveled yet you never left your seat. Your caboose stayed in one place. Immovable objects. Like Stonehenge. Glued to the cushions, like paint. Yes, my people, we, us, nosotros, my homegirls and boys. My peeps. Beat So you finished this journey. It’s complete for the moment. but life goes on whether you get on the bus or not. Whether you’re willing to play the game or not. Yes, a game. Of biblical proportions. Come get your portion vato! What are you waiting for? An invitation? You got yours. You were born into this crazy beautiful world. It’s up to you. Beat So what happened? Eh? To Milagros, Leila, Raul… Well Raul’s going to art school in Boston, thinking he’s a big deal. He’s painting pictures of the Rio Grande Valley for those Yankees. Leila? She’s working really hard. I saw her the other day. She works at H.E.B. during the day and goes to college at night so she can become a nurse. Y Milagros, well what can I say, the homegirl did it, she’s at MIT showing those people up there what’s up. And Tia Mana, she was on the Today show for the third time, que bonita, a real woman. And me, well I’m still driving this bus… Now I only have one thing to say to you before this show is over… Get off my bus, ya’ll, it’s time to go home! Get off! The show is over…Get off the bus!!!!

Lights out

Epilogue music ends. Pause. Curtain music begins.

Lights up.

Curtain Call.

Actors take their bows.

1. lights out

2. curtain music fades

3. house lights up

4. pre/post show music begins.