summer and smoke

8/18/2019 Summer and Smoke

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*Note to Actors. This advanced scene has a shorter edit below.*

SUMMER AND SMOKE

By Tennesee Williams

Part I, Prologue

ALMA, JOHN (as children This !lay, "hich ta#es !lace in a small southern to"n, re$ol$es around themeetings and !artings o% Alma and John& Alma is an e'tremely !ro!erministers daughter, "ho, )urdened "ith the care o% a mentally distur)edmother, %unctions as the "oman o% the house& Her u!)ringing, her intenseand sensiti$e nature, and her !remature res!onsi)ilities ha$e made hers!insterish and uncom%orta)le "ith other young !eo!le& Nonetheless sheis in lo$e "ith John, a dissolute young doctor "ho she has #no"n sincechildhood& Their relationshi! e%%ects dramatic changes in their res!ecti$e!hiloso!hies )ut *ate decrees that they al"ays cross each others li$es atthe "rong time and thus remain estranged %rom each other& The %ollo"ing scene, %rom the !rologue "hen Alma and John are children,%oreshado"s the characteri+ations and the mood o% the !lay& It is dus# on aMay e$ening shortly a%ter the turn o% the century& The setting is the %ountainin the !ar#& Alma, as a child o% ten enters& A%ter a %e" moments in thought

she )ends to drin# %rom the %ountain& John enters and shoots a !eashooter at her )ent )ac#& he utters a startled cry and "hirls a)out& John laughs& JOHN Hi, Preachers daughter& (he advances toward her.) I )een loo#ing%or you&A!MA (Hopefully.) -ou ha$e.JOHN Was it you that !ut them hand#erchie%s on mydes#. (ALMA smiles uncertainly. Ans"er u!/A!MA I !ut a )o' o% hand#erchie%s on your des#&JOHN I %igured it "as you& What "as the idea, Miss Priss.A!MA -ou needed them&JOHN Trying to ma#e a %ool o% me.A!MA Oh, no/JOHN Then "hat "as the idea.A!MA -ou ha$e a )ad cold and your nose has )een running all "ee#& Its!oils your a!!earance&


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JOHN -ou dont ha$e to loo# at me i% you dont li#e my a!!earance&A!MA I li#e your a!!earance&JOHN (Coming closer. Is that "hy you loo# at me all the time.A!MA I0dont/JOHN Oh, yeh, you do& -ou )een #ee!ing your eyes on me all thetime& 1$ery time I loo# around I see them cat eyes o% yours loo#ing atme& That "as the trou)le today "hen Miss Blanchard as#ed you "here theri$er Ama+on "as& he as#ed you t"ice and you still didnt ans"er)ecause you " loo#in at me& Whats the idea. What$eygot on y mindanyho". Ans"er u!.A!MA I "as only thin#ing ho" handsome youd )e i% your %ace "asntdirty& -ou #no" "hy your %ace is dirty. Because you dont use ahand#erchie% and you "i!e your nose on the slee$e o% that dirty olds"eater&

JOHN (Indignantly Hah/A!MA Thats "hy I !ut the hand#erchie%s on your des# and I "ra!!edthem u! so no)ody "ould #no" "hat they "ere& It isnt my %ault that youo!ened the )o' in %ront o% e$ery)ody&JOHN What did you thin# Id do "ith a strange )o' on my des#. Justlea$e it there till it e'!loded or something. ure I o!ened it u!& I didnte'!ect to %ind no0hand#erchie%s/0in it2A!MA (In a shy trembling voice) Im sorry that you "ere em)arrassed& Ihonestly am a"%ully sorry that you "ere em)arrassed& Because I "ouldntem)arrass you %or the "orld/JOHN 3ont %latter yoursel% that I "as em)arrassed& I dont em)arrassthat easily&A!MA It "as stu!id and cruel o% those girls to laugh&JOHN Hah/A!MA They should all reali+e that you dont ha$e a mother to ta#e care o% such things %or you& It "as a !leasure to me to )e a)le to do something %oryou, only I didnt "ant you to #no" it "as me "ho did it&JOHN Hee4ha"/ Ho4hum/ Ta#e 5em )ac#/ (He snatches out the box and thrusts it toward her.)

A!MA Please #ee! them&JOHN What do I "ant "ith them. (She stares at him helplessly. Hetosses the box to the ground and goes up to the fountain anddrins. Something in her face mollifies him and he sits down at the base of the fountain with a manner that does not preclude a more friendlyrelation. !he dus gathers deeper.)A!MA 3o you #no" the name o% the angel.


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JOHN 3oes she ha$e a name.A!MA -es, I %ound out she does& Its car$ed at the )ase, )ut its all "orna"ay so you cant ma#e it out "ith your eyes&JOHN Then ho" do you do it.A!MA -ou ha$e to read it "ith your %ingers& I did and it ga$e me coldshi$ers& "ou read it and see i% it doesnt gi$e you cold shi$ers/ 6oon/ 7ead it "ith your %ingers/JOHN Why dont you tell me and sa$e me the trou)le.A!MA Im not going to tell you&(JOHN grins indulgently and turns to the pediment# crouching before it andrunning his fingers along the worn inscription.JOHN 1.A!MA -es, 1 is the %irst letter/JOHN T.

A!MA -es/JOHN 1.A!MA 1/JOHN 8.A!MA No, no, not 8/07/ (He slowly straightens up.)JOHN 1ternity.A!MA $ternity%&3idnt it gi$e you the cold shi$ers.JOHN Nahh&A!MA Well, it did me/JOHN Because youre a !reachers daughter& 1ternity& What is eternity.A!MA (In a hushed wondering voice) Its something that goes on and on"hen li%e and death and time and e$erything else is all through "ith&JOHN Theres no such thing&A!MA There is& Its "hat !eo!les souls li$e in "hen they ha$e le%t their)odies& My name is Alma and Alma in !anish %or soul& 3id you #no"that.JOHN Hee4ha"/ Ho4hum/ Ha$e you e$er seen a dead !erson.

A!MA No&JOHN I ha$e& They made me go in the room "hen my mother "as dying

and she caught hold o% my hand and "ouldnt let me go0and so Iscreamed and hit her&A!MA Oh, you didnt do that&JOHN (Somberly) 9h4huh& he didnt loo# li#e my mother& Her %ace "asall ugly and yello" and terri)le0)ad smelling/ And so I hit her to ma#e herlet go o% my hand& They told me that I "as a de$il&A!MA -ou didnt #no" "hat you "ere doing&


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JOHN My dad is a doctor&A!MA I #no"&JOHN He "ants to send me to college to study to )e a doctor )ut I"ouldnt )e a doctor %or the "orld& And ha$e to go in a room and "atch!eo!le dying/&&&Jesus/A!MA -oull change your mind a)out that&JOHN Oh, no, I "ont& Id rather be a de$il, li#e they called me and go toouth America on a )oat/&&6i$e me one o% them hand#erchie%s& (Shebrings them eagerly and humbly to the fountain. He taes one out andwets it at the fountain and scrubs his face with it.) Is my %ace clean enoughto suit you.A!MA -es/0Beauti%ul/JOHN 'hat% A!MA I said :Beauti%ul;/

JOHN Well0lets0#iss each other& (ALMA turns away.)JOHN >>horter 1dited ?ersion %or class !ur!osesonly 44444444444444444444444444SUMMER AND SMOKE

By Tennesee Williams Part I, Prologue

ALMA, JOHN (as children This !lay, "hich ta#es !lace in a small southern to"n, re$ol$es around themeetings and !artings o% Alma and John& Alma is an e'tremely !ro!erministers daughter, "ho, )urdened "ith the care o% a mentally distur)edmother, %unctions as the "oman o% the house& Her u!)ringing, her intenseand sensiti$e nature, and her !remature res!onsi)ilities ha$e made hers!insterish and uncom%orta)le "ith other young !eo!le& Nonetheless she


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is in lo$e "ith John, a dissolute young doctor "ho she has #no"n sincechildhood& Their relationshi! e%%ects dramatic changes in their res!ecti$e!hiloso!hies )ut *ate decrees that they al"ays cross each others li$es atthe "rong time and thus remain estranged %rom each other& The %ollo"ing scene, %rom the !rologue "hen Alma and John are children,%oreshado"s the characteri+ations and the mood o% the !lay& It is dus# on aMay e$ening shortly a%ter the turn o% the century& The setting is the %ountainin the !ar#& Alma, as a child o% ten enters& A%ter a %e" moments in thoughtshe )ends to drin# %rom the %ountain& John enters and shoots a !eashooter at her )ent )ac#& he utters a startled cry and "hirls a)out& John laughs& JOHN Hi, Preachers daughter& (he advances toward her.) I )een loo#ing%or you&

A!MA (Hopefully.) -ou ha$e.JOHN Was it you that !ut them hand#erchie%s on mydes#. (ALMA smiles uncertainly. Ans"er u!/A!MA I !ut a )o' o% hand#erchie%s on your des#&JOHN I %igured it "as you& What "as the idea, Miss Priss.A!MA -ou ha$e a )ad cold and your nose has )een running all "ee#& Its!oils your a!!earance&JOHN -ou dont ha$e to loo# at me i% you dont li#e my a!!earance&A!MA I li#e your a!!earance&JOHN (Coming closer. Is that "hy you loo# at me all the time.A!MA I "as only thin#ing ho" handsome youd )e i% your %ace "asntdirty& -ou #no" "hy your %ace is dirty. Because you dont use ahand#erchie% and you "i!e your nose on the slee$e o% that dirty olds"eater&JOHN (Indignantly Hah/A!MA Thats "hy I !ut the hand#erchie%s on your des# and I "ra!!edthem u! so no)ody "ould #no" "hat they "ere& It isnt my %ault that youo!ened the )o' in %ront o% e$ery)ody&JOHN What did you thin# Id do "ith a strange )o' on my des#. Just

lea$e it there till it e'!loded or something.A!MA (In a shy trembling voice) Im sorry that you "ereem)arrassed& Because I "ouldnt em)arrass you %or the "orld/JOHN What do I "ant "ith them. (She stares at him helplessly. Hetosses the box to the ground and goes up to the fountain anddrins. Something in her face mollifies him and he sits down at the base of


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the fountain with a manner that does not preclude a more friendlyrelation. !he dus gathers deeper.)A!MA 3o you #no" the name o% the angel.JOHN 3oes she ha$e a name.A!MA -es, I %ound out she does& Its car$ed at the )ase, )ut its all "orna"ay so you cant ma#e it out "ith your eyes&JOHN Then ho" do you do it.A!MA -ou ha$e to read it "ith your %ingers& I did and it ga$e me coldshi$ers& 6o on/JOHN Why dont you tell me and sa$e me the trou)le.A!MA Im not going to tell you&(JOHN grins indulgently and turns to the pediment# crouching before it andrunning his fingers along the worn inscription.JOHN 1.

A!MA -es, 1 is the %irst letter/JOHN T.A!MA -es/JOHN 1.A!MA 1/JOHN 8.A!MA No, no, not 8/07/ (He slowly straightens up.)JOHN 1ternity.A!MA $ternity%&3idnt it gi$e you the cold shi$ers.JOHN Nahh&A!MA Well, it did me/JOHN Because youre a !reachers daughter& 1ternity& What is eternity.A!MA (In a hushed wondering voice) Its something that goes on and on"hen li%e and death and time and e$erything else is all through "ith&JOHN Theres no such thing&A!MA There is& Its "hat !eo!les souls li$e in "hen they ha$e le%t their)odies& My name is Alma and Alma in !anish %or soul& 3id you #no"that.JOHN Hee4ha"/ Ho4hum/ Ha$e you e$er seen a dead !erson.

A!MA No&JOHN I ha$e& They made me go in the room "hen my mother "as dyingand she caught hold o% my hand and "ouldnt let me go0and so Iscreamed and hit her&A!MA Oh, you didnt do that&


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JOHN (Somberly) 9h4huh& he didnt loo# li#e my mother& Her %ace "asall ugly and yello" and terri)le0)ad smelling/ And so I hit her to ma#e herlet go o% my hand& They told me that I "as a de$il&A!MA -ou didnt #no" "hat you "ere doing&JOHN My dad is a doctor&A!MA I #no"&JOHN He "ants to send me to college to study to )e a doctor )ut I"ouldnt )e a doctor %or the "orld& And ha$e to go in a room and "atch!eo!le dying/&&&Jesus/A!MA -oull change your mind a)out that&JOHN Oh, no, I "ont& Id rather be a de$il, li#e they called me and go toouth America on a )oat/&&6i$e me one o% them hand#erchie%s& (Shebrings them eagerly and humbly to the fountain. He taes one out andwets it at the fountain and scrubs his face with it.) Is my %ace clean enough

to suit you.A!MA -es/0Beauti%ul/JOHN Well0lets0#iss each other& (ALMA turns away.)JOHN

summer and smoke

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