DRAMA PLOT: Romance in Black and White - drama plot based on the Apartheid theme by Alessandra Cestaro

Romance in Black and White.

Frozen scene (table and chairs already set up and characters already in) : Ale+Ale stand up and speak (whilst lights are still down).

Ale C.:

Romance in Black

Aondio:

and White

(left light on (on Morten) )

Scene 1:

Morten: (on the left of the stage)

It’s 1976, in South Africa. (writing: 1976, Johannesburg) The Apartheid system is on. South African blacks have been deprived of all of their rights from the government and fought to get them back again. We are going to act about how they fought for their RIGHT TO LOVE.

[Morten sits down , 2 seconds and Daniel starts speaking while Sara and Ale are eating]

(Ale holds her head down, Sara worries about what is wrong with her daughter)

Daniel:

‘I can’t believe how these dirty blacks do not really understand that they cannot access my same public facilities because it’s just the way it has to be, and today once again I saw a couple of them on the WHITES ONLY BEACH. I was astonished, don’t they understand? Besides, they were a couple… and I thought to myself ‘Blacks are not able of loving and especially there is NO WAY you can love someone who is black.

Ale:

I really don’t understand why you say that… (low tone of voice to herself)

Sara:

(looks at Ale) ‘shhhh’.

Daniel:

‘Would you get a move on John!’

Ale:

‘His name is not John, father.’

Daniel:

‘Why should I care? And… all blacks are named John, they are all the same, he won’t care either.’

[Aondio enters with the food and serves Sara first, Ale next]

[Aondio+Cestaro hands meet, freeze:]

Martina:

Ella’s and Georges’ hands meet while he, being the servant, serves the white family the meal. Ella’s father notices and can’t resist being disgusted of that minimal gesture. One look is enough for Ella and George to unconsciously understand that they are in love one with the other. There are no differences between them to their eyes, unlike what many thought at the time. However, their love will be difficult, almost impossible because of Apartheid and the Immorality Act which prohibited relations between different ethnic group members.

[The scene continues, out of freeze, Aondio serves meal to Daniel next and drops the food]

Daniel:
’You useless Blackman! What did you just do? Did you see that?!’

Aondio:
I am extremely sorry sir, I didn’t mean to stain your clothes. Sorry, sorry!”

Daniel:
”I am not listening to any of your filthy excuses. Clean up quickly or you will force me to beat you up AGAIN!

Aondio:

“No no sir, please be kind, I will clean up immediately.”

[Aondio cleans up extremely quickly and leaves.]

Ale:

Father you cannot speak to him that way!

Daniel:

Sure I can, he is black!

Ale:

What does that mean? You shouldn’t loose respect for someone just because his colour of skin is different from your own!

Daniel:

What are you saying Ella? Are you crazy!? Obviously I can! I beg your pardon, I must loose every type of respect for a Blackman, he deserves none! What’s up with you and that Blackman? I hope you have nothing to do with him!

Sara:

What are you saying ?Obviously Ella would never mix up with that kind of person…

Ale:

I am sorry, I lost my appetite.

[Ale leaves for ‘her room’ but goes to the kitchen to go back to Aondio]

[Meanwhile Sara and Daniel are still in the back, they move their chairs and themselves more towards the sides, so that Ale and Aondio are forwards at centre stage in the middle, but Sara and Daniel are not blocked however.]

[light in the middle on Alessandra and Alessandro.]

[Ale comes and hugs Aondio from the back]

Ale:

‘Listen I am extremely sorry for what happened beforehand, my father is just like that…it is just the way he is. I do not think the same way however, I hope you know that.’

Aondio:

‘Your father is just right. I am black, I am inferior and I deserve no respect from someone like him. No respect at all.’

Ale:

It’s absurd you think that! You shouldn’t do, you have to fight! Or else, you will get nowhere! There is no difference if you are black or white…DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS?!

[hits plates because mad, the plates fall…]

[left light goes on, Daniel rushes in followed by Elizabeth]

Sara:

What is happening dear?

Daniel:

What are you doing here with HIM?

Ale:

‘Why can’t I stay with him? Why do we have to maintain the rules of that horrible system in our house as well? WHY IS APARTHEID HAPPENING? WHY SHOULD SOMETHING SO ATROCIOUS BE RIGHT?

Sara:

Ella, stop it…come with me NOW. [quite calm but showing signs she is worried in fact]

[Ale runs crying on Saras’ shoulder]

Daniel fires Aondio:

Daniel:

I have no intention to keep paying you, you can keep this money but STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER. She has got nothing to do with you, nothing at all and for the sake of every person, stay away from anyone who is not as disgusting as YOU ARE. (slow pace and clear: I DO NOT WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN ANYWHERE NEAR MY HOUSE AND MY DAUGHTER!) IS THAT CLEAR? (screaming kicks him and beats him a couple of times).

[Aondio is leaving…]

Daniel shouts as if Aondio was quite far: ‘You belong in chains!’.

[Blackout…]

(lights back on: only middle light on Aondio)

Scene 2: Ale’s Monologue: Ale is on the streets. Ale will then meet him and they will stay together the night.

[Aondio is kneeling to the floor looking up, beating fists against the floor, – some water on his face- seems as if he was crying] and almost lying on the  floor:

“They’ll start surrounding me at night. I am afraid to fall asleep, although thanks to the colour of my skin I am well hidden in the darkness of the night…. And then some of my friends will be caught by stray bullets. I will be caught without my passbook and I will be kicked out of Johannesburg. Oh yes, I will be kicked , once again, I will be beaten up. But, I don’t care, they can rip this BLACK SKIN Off me…I don’t care, the only thing I do not want, and that I will not be kicked out because of…is because I must stay here in Johannesburg..I must see Ella again, I love that woman, I wish to give my life to show her all of my love. To spare some of the hate of this country from her by giving her my love. But what I have to hope for, is for me to have a life…I cannot call THIS …A LIFE…but at least..  I   AM ALIVE.. (look around as if to see dead bodies)..unlike them…”

(my life be like… ) or (dear mr. President). (piece only obviously)

Morten:

It is night. The police is alert. Numerous homeless black people die on the streets. Starvation, the hot temperature… George Rosesbagina is one of them..and Ella is looking for him, escaped in the night from her house…

Martina:

Ella cannot resist going to look for George. She cannot suffocate her love.

Ale:

[walking on the streets]

“I pass people who sit in the dust and beg for work that will buy them bread. And on the other side I see people who are living in gold and glass (looking around with her head) and whose rubbish bins are loaded with food for a thousand mouths.”

[If Dear mr. President still on as background and stops NOW.]

(ale stands up and starts walking opposite. Back towards ale)

Aondio:

‘I see families from apart, I see…”

Morten and Martina (takes over Aondios’ thinking):

“ mothers without sons, children without fathers, and wives who have no men..and I see

Aondio:

‘myself without the woman..

Ale:

“ myself without the man…

Ale+Ale:

I love..”

[love will find a way..music..try to cut chorus or piece I need]

(walking back to back they meet…turn around and hug..)

Scene 3:

Martina+Morten:

‘I do not care about the police, I do not care about this system. APARTHEID MEANS NOTHING IF I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU)

[Ale+Ale hugging].. turn around.. (almost kiss…lips near)..

[blackout]

[Ale lying on Ales’ lap at centre stage]

[middle light on]

Aondio:

‘I am frightened of …

Morten (takes over thought):

‘…everything..Me, you, them..’

Ale:

No vestige of a beginning and no prospect of an end.

Aondio:

My adultery? And yours?..

Morten: (takes over):

..’ If that’s true of me because of you and my wife, then just as much for you because of me and your white skin..”

Ale + Ale (one line each):

What if they find us?

“They put on the light.

They take the picture.

They take our names.

And they take you.

And they take your belt and your tie and your shoe laces.

They beat you up.

They will ask us questions.

They will try us.

And then at the end as at the beginning, they will find us again.

Guilty.

Martina:

“If they take away your eyes, you can’t see.

If they take away your tongue you can’t taste.

If they take away your hands you can’t feel.

If they take away your nose you can’t smell.

If they take away your ears you can’t hear.

Ale:

I can see.

I can tase.

I can fell

I can smell

I can hear.

Ale+Ale:

I CAN’T LOVE.

Morten:

“If they take away my legs I can’t walk. If they take away my arms I can’t work. If they take away my head I can’t think…

Aondio:

I can walk

I can work

I can think

Ale+Ale:

I can’t love.

Martina:

When you are hungry you eat.

When you are thirsty you drink.

When you are tired you sleep.

Ale:

I will eat

I will drink

I will sleep

[Daniel and Sara  with white masks hold these phrases  (or hold up only Blacks can’t love/Blacks can’t be loved/ Immorality Act/Apartheid alternated)..(at the two sides…holding the things up in turn). – be careful of them being in the light anyway (although if not on stage)]

Ale+Ale:

I won’t love.

[always in background love will find a way, very soft . very very soft.]

Ale:

..If they take your soul, you can’t go to heaven.

Aondio:

I can go to heaven…

[Blackout] – music kept on low… (stop music when lights go back on)

Scene 4 (last): police, gunshot.

[Morten and Martina grab hats and white masks]

[lights on..ALL LIGHTS ON] – music stops…

Martina+ Morten (policemen):

..BUT YOU CAN’T LOVE…!

Morten:

You are under arrest because of the Immorality Act stating that there must not be any kind of relationship between blacks and whites!

Martina:

Girl, you should feel ashamed and you make us feel ALL ashamed!

[Ale and Ale obviously react by shouting… Ale C. cries.. Aondio: let me go, leave me,…]

Morten:

‘Hold the girl. Tight!’

[Morten grabs Aondio. Stops his hands. ‘Bangs his head to the floor’.Points gun at his head standing behind him..aondio is kneeling .head down..]

[Martina holds Ale down on the right side of the stage. Both of the women are looking at the scene.]

Morten:

Your time is over, say goodbye to your chick now…Bye bye…wave your black hand…

Aondio:

I loved you….I love YOUU…

Ale:

NOOOOOOOOOO (shrieks, crying…)

[Blackout and shotgun (track 27- high volume pero’…]

Scene 5: Last phrase, Conclusion all together.

[music starts again.. ]

[music starts again…Morten and Martina take hats of policemen off and guns away but keep masks on. Daniel and Sara take masks off…]

[WE ALL LINE UP. HOLDING HANDS]..

Ale:

Remember this, remember the victims that were…

Aondio:

Remember the love that was not able to be…

Martina:

Remember , help not to forget…

Morten:

Remember not to make it happen again..

Sara:

Remember we are all different, but it is not the colour of our skin…

Daniel:

That makes us unequal …different …

[People with masks lift masks, people with paint take paint off…all from the same side]

All together:

Because remember.. INSIDE…WE ARE ALL THE SAME.

(everyone very little bow)