Cast of Characters
GAYATRI PRAKASH, an Indian bartender and college student in her early twenties.
QUINTON CONNELLY, a handsome Irish college-aged art model in his early twenties with a thick accent.
CORAZÓN HERNANDEZ, a Cuban nubile college student and flamenco dancer in her early twenties.
TEFERE MESKEREM, an Ethiopian, HIV-positive art student and teacher in his late twenties who plays the kebero drum.
DOMENIC QUINTANILLA, a handsome Colombian businessman in his late twenties.
ED, a bar patron in his late forties.
PROFESSOR MILLER, an academic in his late thirties.
KRISHNA, the Hindu God, portrayed by an actor in his early thirties, with blue skin, who dances kathakali.
MAESTRO MORALES, a Spanish flamenco teacher in his late forties with a thick accent.
LARRY, a bar owner in his fifties.
TWO OTHER BAR PATRONS, one male, one female, in their forties.
TWO MALE BAR PATRONS, in their late forties.
THREE OTHER ART STUDENTS, in their early twenties.
The play takes place in New York City over the course of several months. It contains two acts and one intermission.
At RISE:
(Tenth Street Tavern. Late night. GAYATRI is behind the bar pouring tequila into two shot glasses. Upstairs, above the bar, visible to the audience, is a Hindu altar with incense, candles, Buddha statues, and statues of various Hindu Gods, including Krishna, Kali, Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, who is in the center of the altar. She hands the shots to TWO OTHER BAR PATRONS sitting at the bar on stage left, who pay her and then commiserate inaudibly. ED is sitting at the bar on stage right, trying to chat up with Gayatri while she begins cleaning glasses. She is ignoring him.)
ED
(drunk)
Say...uh...you...you...wanna...have some fun tonight?
GAYATRI
(sarcastic)
Us Hindus don't have fun. Too busy flying around on carpets and fixing people's cell phones.
ED
Come on. You can...do...that shit...with the tattoos.
GAYATRI
It's called mendhi. For the millionth time!
ED
Uh...yeah...sounds good. I got a Bollywood movie at home.
GAYATRI
No you don't.
ED
Okay...I don't. But I can...talk some Hindi.
GAYATRI
No you don't. And I don't speak Hindi. I speak Bengali.
ED
Whatever! Come on...come home with me.
GAYATRI
(putting the glasses down and glaring at Ed)
Go to hell.
(She puts down the glasses and turns to the other patrons. Ed laughs and finishes his drink.)
I'll be right back.
(They smile and nod to her, then continue talking inaudibly. Gayatri goes upstairs and sits at her altar. Beat.
She begins chanting, shaking, and crying simultaneously.)
Om bhoor bhuvah svaha. Tat savitur varenyam. Bhargo devasaya dhimahi. Dhiyo yo naha prachodayat. (“Oh God! You are the giver of life, remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness. O Creator of the Universe, may we receive the sin-destroying light. May you guide our intellect with right intention.”)
(DOMENIC, a new patron, enters the bar from stage right. Gayatri hears him and runs her hands down her face. Beat. She comes downstairs. She goes behind the bar and turns to Domenic. Beat. She takes a deep breath and smiles at him. He smiles back.)
Hi. I'm Gayatri. What'll it be?
DOMENIC
Domenic. Nice to meet you.
(They shake hands.)
Gayatri. Interesting name. What language is that?
GAYATRI
Sanskrit. My family's from India.
DOMENIC
Oh, okay. Delhi?
GAYATRI
Calcutta, actually. You've been?
DOMENIC
Yeah, on business once. Loved the food. People are great too. Real hospitable.
GAYATRI
(laughing)
Yeah, I was born there. My family moved to New York when I was seven. I miss it.
DOMENIC
I don't blame you.
(They both chuckle.)
GAYATRI
Uh, I don't think I've seen you before. You new here?
DOMENIC
Yeah. Just moved here from Austin. But my family's from Colombia.
GAYATRI
Oh, okay. Well...welcome to New York.
(They both laugh flirtatiously.)
So...what'll it be?
DOMENIC
Martini. Dirty.
(She begins preparing his martini.)
ED
And get me a shot of vodka, baby!
GAYATRI
No, you're totally hammered. And you're already at the bar limit.
(She gives Domenic his drink. Ed sits at the bar staring at the wall in a stupor.)
DOMENIC
You must have to deal with a lot.
GAYATRI
Yeah.
(She laughs flirtatiously.)
I'm also in school. And failing calculus.
(They both laugh again.)
I have to meet with my professor tomorrow.
(She breathes.)
Uh....I don't know why I just told you that.
DOMENIC
No worries. It's fine.
(They both laugh flirtatiously again. QUINTON and CORAZÓN enter the bar from stage right. They sit at the bar and Gayatri turns to greet them.)
GAYATRI
Hey guys!
(The three of them hug.)
Domenic, this is Quinton and Corazón. They're friends from school.
(The four of them shake hands. Domenic's cell phone rings.)
DOMENIC
Ah shit. Sorry. That's work. I hope you guys don't mind.
CORAZÓN
It's cool. Go ahead.
(Domenic sends emails through his cell phone while Gayatri, Corazón, and Quinton talk.)
QUINTON
I scored last night!
(Quinton holds up an aspirin bottle from his pocket.)
Motivators! They supply them in aspirin bottles, so nobody suspects anything.
(He puts the bottle back in his pocket.)
GAYATRI
(frustrated)
Oh, come on! Quinton, you know that stuff's gonna kill you!
QUINTON
Relax. I know the dealer. It's fine.
(Gayatri breathes in exasperation. She lets it go.)
GAYATRI
You guys hungry? I made burritos.
CORAZÓN
(excited)
Oh! The curried ones?
(Corazón's face elates.)
GAYATRI
Yeah.
QUINTON
Yeah. I'll have one.
(Corazón contemplates, then looks apprehensive.)
CORAZÓN
No...thanks. I gotta dance tomorrow.
GAYATRI
(worried)
Corazón, seriously, I can't recall the last time I saw you eat something!
CORAZÓN
I'm a dancer. I gotta watch my figure.
GAYATRI
No you don't. You look great.
CORAZÓN
You don't understand, Gayatri. It's flamenco. Everybody wants to see a gorgeous, nubile woman.
GAYATRI
(glaring at Corazón)
And who told you that? Maestro?
CORAZÓN
How do you know about him? I never told—
GAYATRI
(breathes in frustration)
Okay...I gotta say I'm worried about both of you. Quinton, you're on party drugs and Corazón, I don't know how you're sustaining yourself.
(Gayatri reaches underneath the bar and produces a Tupperware container of burritos and some plates. She gives one to herself, one to Quinton, and one to Domenic. Domenic looks up from his cell phone.)
DOMENIC
Oh. Thanks, Gayatri.
DOMENIC (cont'd)
(He bites into the burrito. He smiles at her.)
Delicious!
GAYATRI
Thanks. No worries.
(They exchange a flirtatious look. Gayatri goes back to her friends.)
QUINTON
I'm fine. Don't worry.
CORAZÓN
And Maestro says I need to lose weight.
GAYATRI
Well he's full of shit! And Quinton, I've been hearing bad things about these motivators. Someone from my psych class was rushed to the emergency room hemorrhaging over them just last week.
QUINTON
They help me study. And...they help me meet guys!
(Quinton laughs. Gayatri turns back to Domenic and breathes in humiliation. Domenic finishes his burrito.)
GAYATRI
I'm so sorry, Domenic. I didn't mean to put you in the middle...of...everything.
DOMENIC
Don't worry about it. I gotta go though. I got work tomorrow.
(He reaches into his pocket and puts some bills on the table. Gayatri looks at the money in disbelief.)
GAYATRI
Oh my god! Domenic...I can't take this! It's...it's too much.
DOMENIC
You deserve it. I'll be back.
(Domenic gets up.)
You, uh, working tomorrow night?
GAYATRI
Uh, yeah.
DOMENIC
See ya then!
(Domenic smiles at her again. Beat. He exits stage left. Gayatri turns back to her friends.)
GAYATRI
He left me a $20 tip!
QUINTON
What?
CORAZÓN
You know, Gayatri...he might like you.
GAYATRI
(blushing)
I don't think so.
(Beat.)
Really?
CORAZÓN
I saw the look in his eyes. So...do you...uh...return the favor?
GAYATRI
Uh...sure.
(She shrugs.)
Why not? He's cute. And...
(She fixates for a second on the money.)
He's got money.
(A bottle of gin falls off the shelf and shatters. Gayatri rolls her eyes.)
Oh shit!
QUINTON
How'd that happen?
GAYATRI
Not again!
(Gayatri bends down and cleans the glass.)
QUINTON
What do you mean? This happened before?
(Gayatri stands and faces her friends.)
GAYATRI
Are you kidding me? It's my whole life!
CORAZÓN
I don't follow.
(Gayatri breathes. Beat.)
GAYATRI
(apprehensive)
Okay. If I tell you guys something...confide...something to you...do you...do you promise not to tell anyone?
QUINTON
Of course.
GAYATRI
Okay.
(She turns to Ed and the other patrons.)
Bar's closed. Everybody out.
(Ed and the other patrons look confused, but then exit stage left. Gayatri turns back to her friends. She takes a deep breath. Beat.)
Okay...so...I've never...told...anyone this before.
(Beat.)
As far back as I can recollect...bizarre things have been happening around me. Things move independently...and sometimes...I hear things. Voices from people...when they...aren't speaking. And sometimes...when I chant...and do puja...I see colors...and designs that aren't there. And I know they're not really there. But I still see them.
QUINTON
And you say I take too many drugs!
GAYATRI
I don't do drugs. I just...I don't know. I see peculiar things...and hear peculiar things. And peculiar things...happen around me. And I don't know why.
CORAZÓN
Oh, Gayatri, I'm sure it's nothing. We all hear things and see things. I wouldn't worry about it.
GAYATRI
I know, but sometimes...
(She breathes and trails off.)
CORAZÓN
Sometimes what?
GAYATRI
Sometimes...sometimes I wonder if I'm...really...competent...or...stable...or...sane...or whatever. I mean...I sit in calculus class and I just have no clue what my professor's talking about because I'm zoning out and...hearing peoples' voices...and they're not even speaking! And sometimes I wonder if I'm even...human! Like I'm...an alien from the next galaxy.
(Beat.)
God. I don't know.
QUINTON
What? Because a bottle falls, you suddenly think you're inferior? It's not...it's not because you're Indian, is it?
GAYATRI
No, it's not that. It's me I'm not confident in. Because I'm not sure I'm even one of them...And by them...I mean...humanity. It's not...it's not racism. It's isolation...or something...And it just scares the shit out of me.
(Corazón takes Gayatri's hand. They glance at each other.)
CORAZÓN
Gayatri, of course you're human. But, hey, even if you're not, you're one of us. And that's all that matters.
(They all laugh.)
GAYATRI
Thanks, Corazón.
(She breathes and coos.)
Now have a burrito.
CORAZÓN
Well...okay.
(Gayatri serves her a burrito. She begins eating, nods, and smiles. Blackout and end of Scene 1.)
GAYATRI PRAKASH, an Indian bartender and college student in her early twenties.
QUINTON CONNELLY, a handsome Irish college-aged art model in his early twenties with a thick accent.
CORAZÓN HERNANDEZ, a Cuban nubile college student and flamenco dancer in her early twenties.
TEFERE MESKEREM, an Ethiopian, HIV-positive art student and teacher in his late twenties who plays the kebero drum.
DOMENIC QUINTANILLA, a handsome Colombian businessman in his late twenties.
ED, a bar patron in his late forties.
PROFESSOR MILLER, an academic in his late thirties.
KRISHNA, the Hindu God, portrayed by an actor in his early thirties, with blue skin, who dances kathakali.
MAESTRO MORALES, a Spanish flamenco teacher in his late forties with a thick accent.
LARRY, a bar owner in his fifties.
TWO OTHER BAR PATRONS, one male, one female, in their forties.
TWO MALE BAR PATRONS, in their late forties.
THREE OTHER ART STUDENTS, in their early twenties.
The play takes place in New York City over the course of several months. It contains two acts and one intermission.
At RISE:
(Tenth Street Tavern. Late night. GAYATRI is behind the bar pouring tequila into two shot glasses. Upstairs, above the bar, visible to the audience, is a Hindu altar with incense, candles, Buddha statues, and statues of various Hindu Gods, including Krishna, Kali, Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati, who is in the center of the altar. She hands the shots to TWO OTHER BAR PATRONS sitting at the bar on stage left, who pay her and then commiserate inaudibly. ED is sitting at the bar on stage right, trying to chat up with Gayatri while she begins cleaning glasses. She is ignoring him.)
ED
(drunk)
Say...uh...you...you...wanna...have some fun tonight?
GAYATRI
(sarcastic)
Us Hindus don't have fun. Too busy flying around on carpets and fixing people's cell phones.
ED
Come on. You can...do...that shit...with the tattoos.
GAYATRI
It's called mendhi. For the millionth time!
ED
Uh...yeah...sounds good. I got a Bollywood movie at home.
GAYATRI
No you don't.
ED
Okay...I don't. But I can...talk some Hindi.
GAYATRI
No you don't. And I don't speak Hindi. I speak Bengali.
ED
Whatever! Come on...come home with me.
GAYATRI
(putting the glasses down and glaring at Ed)
Go to hell.
(She puts down the glasses and turns to the other patrons. Ed laughs and finishes his drink.)
I'll be right back.
(They smile and nod to her, then continue talking inaudibly. Gayatri goes upstairs and sits at her altar. Beat.
She begins chanting, shaking, and crying simultaneously.)
Om bhoor bhuvah svaha. Tat savitur varenyam. Bhargo devasaya dhimahi. Dhiyo yo naha prachodayat. (“Oh God! You are the giver of life, remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness. O Creator of the Universe, may we receive the sin-destroying light. May you guide our intellect with right intention.”)
(DOMENIC, a new patron, enters the bar from stage right. Gayatri hears him and runs her hands down her face. Beat. She comes downstairs. She goes behind the bar and turns to Domenic. Beat. She takes a deep breath and smiles at him. He smiles back.)
Hi. I'm Gayatri. What'll it be?
DOMENIC
Domenic. Nice to meet you.
(They shake hands.)
Gayatri. Interesting name. What language is that?
GAYATRI
Sanskrit. My family's from India.
DOMENIC
Oh, okay. Delhi?
GAYATRI
Calcutta, actually. You've been?
DOMENIC
Yeah, on business once. Loved the food. People are great too. Real hospitable.
GAYATRI
(laughing)
Yeah, I was born there. My family moved to New York when I was seven. I miss it.
DOMENIC
I don't blame you.
(They both chuckle.)
GAYATRI
Uh, I don't think I've seen you before. You new here?
DOMENIC
Yeah. Just moved here from Austin. But my family's from Colombia.
GAYATRI
Oh, okay. Well...welcome to New York.
(They both laugh flirtatiously.)
So...what'll it be?
DOMENIC
Martini. Dirty.
(She begins preparing his martini.)
ED
And get me a shot of vodka, baby!
GAYATRI
No, you're totally hammered. And you're already at the bar limit.
(She gives Domenic his drink. Ed sits at the bar staring at the wall in a stupor.)
DOMENIC
You must have to deal with a lot.
GAYATRI
Yeah.
(She laughs flirtatiously.)
I'm also in school. And failing calculus.
(They both laugh again.)
I have to meet with my professor tomorrow.
(She breathes.)
Uh....I don't know why I just told you that.
DOMENIC
No worries. It's fine.
(They both laugh flirtatiously again. QUINTON and CORAZÓN enter the bar from stage right. They sit at the bar and Gayatri turns to greet them.)
GAYATRI
Hey guys!
(The three of them hug.)
Domenic, this is Quinton and Corazón. They're friends from school.
(The four of them shake hands. Domenic's cell phone rings.)
DOMENIC
Ah shit. Sorry. That's work. I hope you guys don't mind.
CORAZÓN
It's cool. Go ahead.
(Domenic sends emails through his cell phone while Gayatri, Corazón, and Quinton talk.)
QUINTON
I scored last night!
(Quinton holds up an aspirin bottle from his pocket.)
Motivators! They supply them in aspirin bottles, so nobody suspects anything.
(He puts the bottle back in his pocket.)
GAYATRI
(frustrated)
Oh, come on! Quinton, you know that stuff's gonna kill you!
QUINTON
Relax. I know the dealer. It's fine.
(Gayatri breathes in exasperation. She lets it go.)
GAYATRI
You guys hungry? I made burritos.
CORAZÓN
(excited)
Oh! The curried ones?
(Corazón's face elates.)
GAYATRI
Yeah.
QUINTON
Yeah. I'll have one.
(Corazón contemplates, then looks apprehensive.)
CORAZÓN
No...thanks. I gotta dance tomorrow.
GAYATRI
(worried)
Corazón, seriously, I can't recall the last time I saw you eat something!
CORAZÓN
I'm a dancer. I gotta watch my figure.
GAYATRI
No you don't. You look great.
CORAZÓN
You don't understand, Gayatri. It's flamenco. Everybody wants to see a gorgeous, nubile woman.
GAYATRI
(glaring at Corazón)
And who told you that? Maestro?
CORAZÓN
How do you know about him? I never told—
GAYATRI
(breathes in frustration)
Okay...I gotta say I'm worried about both of you. Quinton, you're on party drugs and Corazón, I don't know how you're sustaining yourself.
(Gayatri reaches underneath the bar and produces a Tupperware container of burritos and some plates. She gives one to herself, one to Quinton, and one to Domenic. Domenic looks up from his cell phone.)
DOMENIC
Oh. Thanks, Gayatri.
DOMENIC (cont'd)
(He bites into the burrito. He smiles at her.)
Delicious!
GAYATRI
Thanks. No worries.
(They exchange a flirtatious look. Gayatri goes back to her friends.)
QUINTON
I'm fine. Don't worry.
CORAZÓN
And Maestro says I need to lose weight.
GAYATRI
Well he's full of shit! And Quinton, I've been hearing bad things about these motivators. Someone from my psych class was rushed to the emergency room hemorrhaging over them just last week.
QUINTON
They help me study. And...they help me meet guys!
(Quinton laughs. Gayatri turns back to Domenic and breathes in humiliation. Domenic finishes his burrito.)
GAYATRI
I'm so sorry, Domenic. I didn't mean to put you in the middle...of...everything.
DOMENIC
Don't worry about it. I gotta go though. I got work tomorrow.
(He reaches into his pocket and puts some bills on the table. Gayatri looks at the money in disbelief.)
GAYATRI
Oh my god! Domenic...I can't take this! It's...it's too much.
DOMENIC
You deserve it. I'll be back.
(Domenic gets up.)
You, uh, working tomorrow night?
GAYATRI
Uh, yeah.
DOMENIC
See ya then!
(Domenic smiles at her again. Beat. He exits stage left. Gayatri turns back to her friends.)
GAYATRI
He left me a $20 tip!
QUINTON
What?
CORAZÓN
You know, Gayatri...he might like you.
GAYATRI
(blushing)
I don't think so.
(Beat.)
Really?
CORAZÓN
I saw the look in his eyes. So...do you...uh...return the favor?
GAYATRI
Uh...sure.
(She shrugs.)
Why not? He's cute. And...
(She fixates for a second on the money.)
He's got money.
(A bottle of gin falls off the shelf and shatters. Gayatri rolls her eyes.)
Oh shit!
QUINTON
How'd that happen?
GAYATRI
Not again!
(Gayatri bends down and cleans the glass.)
QUINTON
What do you mean? This happened before?
(Gayatri stands and faces her friends.)
GAYATRI
Are you kidding me? It's my whole life!
CORAZÓN
I don't follow.
(Gayatri breathes. Beat.)
GAYATRI
(apprehensive)
Okay. If I tell you guys something...confide...something to you...do you...do you promise not to tell anyone?
QUINTON
Of course.
GAYATRI
Okay.
(She turns to Ed and the other patrons.)
Bar's closed. Everybody out.
(Ed and the other patrons look confused, but then exit stage left. Gayatri turns back to her friends. She takes a deep breath. Beat.)
Okay...so...I've never...told...anyone this before.
(Beat.)
As far back as I can recollect...bizarre things have been happening around me. Things move independently...and sometimes...I hear things. Voices from people...when they...aren't speaking. And sometimes...when I chant...and do puja...I see colors...and designs that aren't there. And I know they're not really there. But I still see them.
QUINTON
And you say I take too many drugs!
GAYATRI
I don't do drugs. I just...I don't know. I see peculiar things...and hear peculiar things. And peculiar things...happen around me. And I don't know why.
CORAZÓN
Oh, Gayatri, I'm sure it's nothing. We all hear things and see things. I wouldn't worry about it.
GAYATRI
I know, but sometimes...
(She breathes and trails off.)
CORAZÓN
Sometimes what?
GAYATRI
Sometimes...sometimes I wonder if I'm...really...competent...or...stable...or...sane...or whatever. I mean...I sit in calculus class and I just have no clue what my professor's talking about because I'm zoning out and...hearing peoples' voices...and they're not even speaking! And sometimes I wonder if I'm even...human! Like I'm...an alien from the next galaxy.
(Beat.)
God. I don't know.
QUINTON
What? Because a bottle falls, you suddenly think you're inferior? It's not...it's not because you're Indian, is it?
GAYATRI
No, it's not that. It's me I'm not confident in. Because I'm not sure I'm even one of them...And by them...I mean...humanity. It's not...it's not racism. It's isolation...or something...And it just scares the shit out of me.
(Corazón takes Gayatri's hand. They glance at each other.)
CORAZÓN
Gayatri, of course you're human. But, hey, even if you're not, you're one of us. And that's all that matters.
(They all laugh.)
GAYATRI
Thanks, Corazón.
(She breathes and coos.)
Now have a burrito.
CORAZÓN
Well...okay.
(Gayatri serves her a burrito. She begins eating, nods, and smiles. Blackout and end of Scene 1.)
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