dips HIS finger in the water, and tastes. Beat.
RENE
What does it taste like?
TINDAL
Have you ever licked an ice cube covered in pop rocks?
RENE
Really? That's what it taste like?
TINDAL
No. It tastes like water. While I was contemplating on the utter failure of this experiment, I was pondering over what I might each for my luncheon tomorrow. On with the next experiment!
TINDAL walks over to the lamp and turns it on.
SFX: Same rock music as from before, in mid song.
The black figures scoot out to headbang to the music. TINDAL slaps the side of the lamp, and the music goes off. The black figures run offstage.
TINDAL
Honestly, I have no idea how I created such a musical experiment. On with the show!
TINDAL puts a red gel over the lamp, and the whole stage goes red.
RENE
What does this experiment--
TINDAL
Never interrupt me when I'm working!
RENE
I...I'm sorry.
TINDAL
Ohhhhhh, you're sorry, are you? I should take this film and bash you over the head with it--
TINDAL takes off the gel, the room returns to normal, and TINDAL calms down.
TINDAL
Oh, I'm sorry to yell at you, but it was an excellent example of the emotional influence a color can have over the human psyche. Tell me, how did you feel just then?
RENE
Confused?
A LEMONADE SALESMAN walks out. HE writes on a notepad as TINDAL speaks.
The LEMONADE SALESMAN is a pretty normal guy, though HE takes lemons very seriously.
TINDAL
The subject feels confused.
LEMONADE SALESMAN
Gotcha.
The LEMONADE SALESMAN exits.
RENE
Who is he?
TINDAL
A lemonade salesman, of course.
RENE
Ohhhhh.
Beat.
TINDAL
What about this one?!
TINDAL puts a blue gel over the lamp.
TINDAL
What do you feel now?
RENE
I'm not sure. I guess I feel--
TINDAL
(sobbing) Why do I even try to make you happy? I'm so useless! My experiments all fail, and I can't even break beyond my own conception of the individual to accept the ever-encompassing reality of shared existence.
RENE
No, that's not true...I assume.
TINDAL bawls loudly.
RENE
I...I...I...don't know what to do. I...I can do this.
RENE pulls the gel off, and the stage returns to normal lighting. TINDAL goes back to normal.
RENE
Did that help?
TINDAL
And what did you feel that time? Hmm?
RENE
Still pretty confused.
The LEMONADE SALESMAN re-enters.
TINDAL
The patient continues to feel confused.
LEMONADE SALESMAN
She's still confused?
TINDAL
I know. I don't understand it either.
RENE
Maybe...Maybe if you tried another one.
Beat.
TINDAL
It's worth a shot.
LEMONADE SALESMAN
Good call.
TINDAL
Thank you. (to RENE) And now, the color...Yellow!
TINDAL places a yellow gel on the lamp, and the stage goes yellow.
Beat.
RENE
I guess I feel--
TINDAL burst out laughing. The LEMONADE SALESMAN joins HIM, and the two laugh so hard that THEY have to wipe the tears from their eyes. After awhile, RENE begins to laugh too. THEY ALL laugh together whole heartedly.
TINDAL
What-what do you feel...what do you feel now?
RENE
I...feel...happy.
LEMONADE SALESMAN
She said she feels happy!
TINDAL
I know. I was here when she said it!
LEMONADE SALESMAN
You just said "I know. I was here when she said it."
TINDAL
I know. I was here when-when-when I said it!
RENE
I heard it, too!
THEY laugh as if THEY've just heard the funniest joke in the world.
TINDAL
I think...I think it's time to try this experiment elsewhere. Miss, would you accomp--acoo--accomp...(to LEMONADE SALESMAN)...Stop laughing!
LEMONADE SALESMAN
I...I can't help it.
TINDAL
(to RENE) Acc...Accompsh...Come with us?
RENE
I don't think so, but thank you anyway.
TINDAL
Fair is fair. Come, Lemonade Salesman.
TINDAL and the LEMONADE SALESMAN walk away.
LEMONADE SALESMAN
You tried to say accompany!
TINDAL
I did! I did! I made an utter fool of myself, I did!
TINDAL and the LEMONADE SALESMAN exit, still laughing. RENE is still giggling too.
RENE
Those guys are funny.
COGITO enters from the opposite side of the stage unwatched by RENE.
RENE
I wonder if they knew where I'm supposed to go--
COGITO touches HER on the shoulder. The Noh Theatre music returns briefly, and COGITO and RENE stand utterly still.
Beat.
The Noh Theatre music goes silent. The TV turns on and the channels are of a feminist, pagan nature: the women's dances of an isolated tribe in Africa, a pregnant mother holding her stomach, bras burning in a fire, a coven of witches around a boiling cauldron, etc. The black figures take away all the scientific items and replace them with tropical plants, large leather-bound drums and drumsticks, and a wooden idol of the pagan Venus resting upon a tree trunk.
COGITO lets go of RENE, releasing HER from stillness, and IT exits. The TV turns off, and the stage lights change to simulate the setting sun in Africa. Tribal, African music begins to play at a very fast pace. (I suggest going to Youtube.com and typing the words "African Women Djembefola" for the exact type of music I have in mind. If not, then "Alhaja Sikira Adunni" by Kollington Ayinia" will suffice.). The black figures go upstage and form a single file line, and they stomp their feet and clap their hands along with the beat of the music. Soon, the single file line moves downstage, and they move their single file line into a circle that they face towards the inside.
They shake their hands in the air and bend over, and when they stand back up, ZSUZSANNA appears from the center of the circle and roars loudly. The black figures are deathly afraid of HER and exit.
ZSUZSANNA is wearing a tanned leather two-piece dress, unusual symbols are painted all over HER body, SHE's wearing tribal beadwork necklaces and bracelets, and HER hair is wild and long.
ZSUZSANNA is the tigress in the reeds, ready to allow HERSELF be consumed in rage if it means a good hunt will commence that day. SHE is woman, and HER roar will be heard.
The music fades away after the black figures run away. ZSUZSANNA stares at RENE with feral eyes and moves like a predator hunting a gazelle.
RENE
Hello, I'm--
ZSUZSANNA growls at RENE, who in turn screams in fear. RENE runs away, but ZSUZSANNA chases RENE around the stage. Eventually, ZSUZSANNA pushes RENE down on the ground and stands above HER. RENE screams, and ZSUZSANNA holds HER down to the ground.
RENE
Please, let me go!
ZSUZSANNA
What are you?!
RENE
My name's Rene! Rene D'Cart!
ZSUZSANNA
Not who you are. What are you?!
RENE<
br />
I'm...I'm a person?
ZSUZSANNA
Closer. (growls)
RENE
I'm a person?
ZSUZSANNA growls louder.
RENE
I'm a woman!
ZSUZSANNA
Yes!
ZSUZSANNA stands up and yells to the sky in a way that almost sounds like singing. RENE scoots away on HER back, but ZSUZSANNA pulls HER up by the arm.
ZSUZSANNA
Sister, do not run away from me. My name is Zsuzsanna, and I am more woman than you can imagine.
RENE
I can see that.
ZSUZSANNA
Come! Eat with me! Eat the fruit of Mother Earth and drink her holy milk. Let us taste the day and be happy with our bodies, bodies shaped by the Greatest Woman of them all!
ZSUZSANNA yells/sings to offstage, the African music returns, and the black figures dance out in single file, each with a fruit in hand. When they stop, so does the music. ZSUZSANNA takes a banana, bites it in half, and squeezes the banana out of the peel as SHE eats it.
ZSUZSANNA
Eat!
RENE takes a banana and starts to carefully peel it. ZSUZSANNA slaps the banana out of RENE's hand.
ZSUZSANNA
That is not how a daughter of Mother Earth eats.
RENE
It isn't?
ZSUZSANNA
No! Peeling and carving and cleaning, that is the way of Man. You are woman. Be woman! Not man! Men can never know of women. They are afraid of us.
RENE
Of women?
ZSUZSANNA
Yes! They fear us, because we birth life. We are goddesses, and goddesses are to be feared. (to black figures) FEAR ME!
The music starts again, the black figures hurriedly dance and exit, and the music turns off again. ZSUZSANNA laughs.
RENE
That wasn't nice.
ZSUZSANNA
What do you mean? Nice?! I am woman. I give life when I want. I can take life when I want. It is my right. It is my right to make them fear me.
RENE
By why would you want to make people fear you?
Half-beat. ZSUZSANNA grabs RENE by the hair and smells HER.
RENE
Hey! Let go!
ZSUZSANNA
Your spirit is weak. It wears the collar of man. You must make it strong again.
ZSUZSANNA releases RENE, who checks to make sure SHE has not lost any hair.
RENE
That really hurt!
ZSUZSANNA
Pain is life! Birth is pain! Nursing is pain! The moon's cycle is pain! Everything is pain! We are pain!
RENE
Why does everything have to be painful?
ZSUZSANNA
What?!
RENE
I don't get it. Why does pain have to be everything? I don't like pain. If I stub my toe, it hurts, and I don't like it.
ZSUZSANNA
You don't like pain. You need it!
RENE
Why do I need it?
ZSUZSANNA
The more pain you feel, the more alive you are. Understand?
RENE
Why don't I check my pulse?
ZSUZSANNA
I...you...I will wake the animal in you! Then, you will know. You will know all.
ZSUZSANNA picks up the drum sticks and bangs the drums for awhile, then stops.
ZSUZSANNA
Make music. Like me.
RENE
Oooookay. (sings) Oh! Say can you see by dawn's early light--
ZSUZSANNA
NO!
ZSUZSANNA hits the drums, runs over to RENE, and forces RENE to hold the drum sticks.