Three Plays Read Online Free Page A
Author: Tennessee Williams
house?
MARGARET : Big Mama, Brick is dressin', he's not dressed yet.
BIG MAMA : That's all right, it won't be the first time I've seen Brick not dressed. Come on, open this door!
[Margaret, with a grimace, goes to unlock and open the hall door, as Brick hobbles rapidly to the bathroom and kicks the door shut. Big Mama has disappeared from the hall.]
MARGARET : Big Mama?
[Big Mama appears through the opposite gallery doors behind Margaret, huffing and puffing like an old bulldog. She is a short, stout woman; her sixty years and 170 pounds have left her somewhat breathless most of the time; she's always tensed like a boxer, or rather, a Japanese wrestler. Her 'family' was maybe a little superior to Big Daddy's, but not much. She wears a black or silver lace dress and at least half a million in flashy gems. She is very sincere.]
BIG MAMA [loudly, startling Margaret] : Here—I come through Gooper's and Mae's gall'ry door. Where's Brick? Brick —Hurry on out of there, son. I just have a second and want to give you the news about Big Daddy.—I hate locked doors in a house....
MARGARET [with affected lightness] : I've noticed you do, Big Mama, but people have got to have some moments of privacy, don't they?
BIG MAMA : No, ma'am, not in my house. [Without pause] Whacha took off you' dress faw? I thought that little lace dress was so sweet on yuh, honey.
MARGARET : I thought it looked sweet on me, too, but one of m' cute little table-partners used it for a napkin so!
BIG MAMA [picking up stockings on floor] : What?
MARGARET : You know, Big Mama, Mae and Gooper's so touchy about those children—thanks, Big Mama...
[Big Mama has thrust the picked-up stockings in Margaret's hand with a grunt.]
— that you just don't dare to suggest there's any room for improvement in their—
BIG MAMA : Brick, hurry out!—Shoot, Maggie, you just don't like children.
MARGARET : I do SO like children! Adore them!—well brought up!
BIG MAMA [gentle—loving] : Well, why don't you have some and bring them up well, then, instead of all the time pickin' on Gooper's an' Mae's?
GOOPER [shouting up the stairs] : Hey, hey, Big Mama, Betsy an' Hugh got to go, waitin' t' tell yuh g'by!
BIG MAMA : Tell 'em to hold their hawses, I'll be right down in a jiffy!
[She turns to the bathroom door and calls out.]
Son? Can you hear me in there?
[There is a muffled answer.]
We just got the full report from the laboratory at the Ochsner Clinic, completely negative, son, ev'rything negative, right on down the line! Nothin' a-tall's wrong with him but some little functional thing called a spastic colon. Can you hear me, son?
MARGARET : He can hear you, Big Mama.
BIG MAMA : Then why don't he say something? God Almighty, a piece of news like that should make him shout. It made me shout, I can tell you. I shouted and sobbed and fell right down on my knees!—Look!
[She pulls up her skirt.]
See the bruises where I hit my kneecaps? Took both doctors to haul me back on my feet!
[She laughs—she always laughs like hell at herself]
Big Daddy was furious with me! But ain't that wonderful news?
[Facing bathroom again, she continues:]
After all the anxiety we been through to git a report like that on Big Daddy's birthday? Big Daddy tried to hide how much of a load that news took off his mind, but didn't fool me . He was mighty close to crying about it himself!
[Goodbyes are shouted downstairs, and she rushes to door.]
Hold those people down there, don't let them go! —Now, git dressed, we're all comin' up to this room fo' Big Daddy's birthday party because of your ankle.—How's his ankle, Maggie?
MARGARET : Well, he broke it, Big Mama.
BIG MAMA : I know he broke it.
[A phone is ringing in hall. A Negro voice answers: 'Mistuh Polly's res'dence.']
I mean does it hurt him much still.
MARGARET : I'm afraid I can't give you that information, Big Mama. You'll have to
MARGARET : Big Mama, Brick is dressin', he's not dressed yet.
BIG MAMA : That's all right, it won't be the first time I've seen Brick not dressed. Come on, open this door!
[Margaret, with a grimace, goes to unlock and open the hall door, as Brick hobbles rapidly to the bathroom and kicks the door shut. Big Mama has disappeared from the hall.]
MARGARET : Big Mama?
[Big Mama appears through the opposite gallery doors behind Margaret, huffing and puffing like an old bulldog. She is a short, stout woman; her sixty years and 170 pounds have left her somewhat breathless most of the time; she's always tensed like a boxer, or rather, a Japanese wrestler. Her 'family' was maybe a little superior to Big Daddy's, but not much. She wears a black or silver lace dress and at least half a million in flashy gems. She is very sincere.]
BIG MAMA [loudly, startling Margaret] : Here—I come through Gooper's and Mae's gall'ry door. Where's Brick? Brick —Hurry on out of there, son. I just have a second and want to give you the news about Big Daddy.—I hate locked doors in a house....
MARGARET [with affected lightness] : I've noticed you do, Big Mama, but people have got to have some moments of privacy, don't they?
BIG MAMA : No, ma'am, not in my house. [Without pause] Whacha took off you' dress faw? I thought that little lace dress was so sweet on yuh, honey.
MARGARET : I thought it looked sweet on me, too, but one of m' cute little table-partners used it for a napkin so!
BIG MAMA [picking up stockings on floor] : What?
MARGARET : You know, Big Mama, Mae and Gooper's so touchy about those children—thanks, Big Mama...
[Big Mama has thrust the picked-up stockings in Margaret's hand with a grunt.]
— that you just don't dare to suggest there's any room for improvement in their—
BIG MAMA : Brick, hurry out!—Shoot, Maggie, you just don't like children.
MARGARET : I do SO like children! Adore them!—well brought up!
BIG MAMA [gentle—loving] : Well, why don't you have some and bring them up well, then, instead of all the time pickin' on Gooper's an' Mae's?
GOOPER [shouting up the stairs] : Hey, hey, Big Mama, Betsy an' Hugh got to go, waitin' t' tell yuh g'by!
BIG MAMA : Tell 'em to hold their hawses, I'll be right down in a jiffy!
[She turns to the bathroom door and calls out.]
Son? Can you hear me in there?
[There is a muffled answer.]
We just got the full report from the laboratory at the Ochsner Clinic, completely negative, son, ev'rything negative, right on down the line! Nothin' a-tall's wrong with him but some little functional thing called a spastic colon. Can you hear me, son?
MARGARET : He can hear you, Big Mama.
BIG MAMA : Then why don't he say something? God Almighty, a piece of news like that should make him shout. It made me shout, I can tell you. I shouted and sobbed and fell right down on my knees!—Look!
[She pulls up her skirt.]
See the bruises where I hit my kneecaps? Took both doctors to haul me back on my feet!
[She laughs—she always laughs like hell at herself]
Big Daddy was furious with me! But ain't that wonderful news?
[Facing bathroom again, she continues:]
After all the anxiety we been through to git a report like that on Big Daddy's birthday? Big Daddy tried to hide how much of a load that news took off his mind, but didn't fool me . He was mighty close to crying about it himself!
[Goodbyes are shouted downstairs, and she rushes to door.]
Hold those people down there, don't let them go! —Now, git dressed, we're all comin' up to this room fo' Big Daddy's birthday party because of your ankle.—How's his ankle, Maggie?
MARGARET : Well, he broke it, Big Mama.
BIG MAMA : I know he broke it.
[A phone is ringing in hall. A Negro voice answers: 'Mistuh Polly's res'dence.']
I mean does it hurt him much still.
MARGARET : I'm afraid I can't give you that information, Big Mama. You'll have to
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