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Overview

Winner of the New York Drama Critics Circle Award

This powerful drama of prison life is set in a house of detention where a group of young convicts-predominantly black and Puerto Rican-taunt, fight, insult, and entertain one another in an attempt to preserve their sanity and to create a semblance of community. When a young white prisoner accused of child molesting is thrown into the cell block by a guard who says he belongs in Sing Sing because "the men up there know what to do with degenerates like you," the stage is set for an explosive series of events; for, among prisoners, this child molester called "short eyes" is the lowest of criminals.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781429952217
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date: 04/01/2011
Sold by: Macmillan
Format: eBook
Pages: 144
File size: 107 KB

About the Author

Miguel Pinero, once a burglar, mugger, shoplifter, and drug addict, began writing when serving a five-year sentence in Sing Sing for armed robbery. He was discovered and encouraged by Marvin Felix Camillo, who conducted a drama workshop at the prison. Camillo's workshop grew into an acting company of ex-convicts called "The Family," members of which made up most of the cast in Joseph Papp's premiere production of Short Eyes in 1974. Mr. Pinero died in 1988.

Read an Excerpt

Short Eyes


By Miguel Pinero

Hill and Wang

Copyright © 1975 Miguel Piñero
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4299-5221-7



CHAPTER 1

ACT ONE

Dayroom in the House of Detention. Upstage right is entrance gate. Upstage left is gate leading to shower room and slop sink. Upstage center is a toilet and drinking fountain. Above is a catwalk. Stage left is a table and chairs. Downstage right is a garbage can. Upstage right is a TV set on a stand. Early-morning lock-in after the morning meal.

Early-morning light.

INMATES' VOICES can be heard: various ad-libs, calling out to each other, asking questions, exchanging prison gossip, etc.


MORRISON

All right, listen up ... I said listen up. (Whistle)

When I call your names, give me your cell location. (Catcalls)

Off the fucking noise. Now if I have to call out your name more than once, pray — cause your soul may belong to God, but your ass is mine. (More catcalls. House lights go out)

Williams, D.

VOICE RESPONSE Upper D 14.

MORRISON Homer, J.

VOICE RESPONSE Lower D 7.

MORRISON Stone, F.

VOICE RESPONSE Lower D 5.

MORRISON Miller, G.

VOICE RESPONSE Upper D 3.

MORRISON Lockout for criminal court ... (Whistle)

"A" side dayroom. All right, already! ... knock it off. Supreme Court. (Whistle)

Johnson.

INMATE VOICE Who?

MORRISON Johnson.

TWO INMATE VOICES Who?

MORRISON Johnson.

A LOT OF VOICES Who? ... who? ... who? ... who? ...

MORRISON Aw, come on, fellas, give me a break.

INMATE VOICE Your brains may belong to the state, but your sanity belongs to me.

INMATE VOICE Aw, come on, fellas, give the fella a break.

INMATE VOICE Break ... (Bronx cheer)

MORRISON Johnson.

INMATE VOICE Upper D 15.

MORRISON Corree-a.

INMATE VOICE Can't you say my name right? (Giving proper pronunciation) Correa ... Correa ... Correa.

MORRISON You guys go to the "C" side dayroom (Whistle)

Sing Sing reception center. Gomez, A.

VOICE RESPONSE Lower D 9.

MORRISON Shit-can-do. (Catcalls)

VOICE RESPONSE Scicando ... Lower D 11.

MORRISON Bring all your personal belongings and go to the "B" side dayroom. (Catcalls)

All right, you guys want to play games, you guys don't let up that noise, you guys ain't locking out this morning.

INMATE VOICE You got it. (Ad-libs continue until OMAR speaks)

ICE Fuck you, sucker. (Silence. Sound of prison gate opening is heard)

MORRISON (Whistle — dayroom lights come on)

All right, on the lockout. (Enter OMAR, LONGSHOE, EL RAHEEM, PACO, and ICE. Each runs toward his respective position. Ad-libs.

Then JUAN walks slowly toward his position.

CUPCAKES is the last to come in. The MEN accompany him with simple scat singing to the tune of "The Stripper." Ad-libs)

JUAN Why don't you cut that loose? Man, don't you think that kid get tired of hearing that every morning?

PACO Oh, man, we just jiving.

ICE Hey, Cupcake, you ain't got no plexes behind that, do you?

CUPCAKES I mean ... like no ... but ...

PACO You see, Juan, Cupcake don't mind.

CUPCAKES No, really, Juan. Like I don't mind ... But that doesn't mean that I like to listen to it. I mean ... like ... hey ... I call you guys by your name. Why don't you call me by mine? My name ain't Cupcakes, it's Julio.

EL RAHEEM If you would acknowledge that you are God, your name wouldn't be Cupcake or Julio or anything else. You would be Dahoo.

LONGSHOE Already! Can't you spare us that shit early in the a.m.?

EL RAHEEM No ... one ... is ... talking ... to ... you ... Yacoub.

LONGSHOE The name is Longshoe Charlie Murphy ... Mister Murphy to you.

EL RAHEEM Yacoub ... maker and creator of the devil ... swine merchant. Your time is near at hand. Fuck around and your time will be now. Soon all devils' heads will roll and now rivers shall flow through the city — created by the blood of Whitey ... Devil ... beast.

OMAR Salaam Alaikum.

PACO Salami with bacons.

ICE Power to the people.

LONGSHOE Free the Watergate 500.

JUAN Pa'lante.

CUPCAKES Tippecanoe and Tyler too.

PACO (On table, overly feminine) A la lucha ... a la lucha ... que somo mucha ...

OMAR Hey! Hey ... you know the Panthers say "Power to the people."

MR. NETT On the gate.

OMAR (Strong voice)

Power to the people. And gay liberators say ... (High voice, limp wrist in fist)

Power to the people. (Enter NETT)

MR. NETT How about police power?

JUAN How about it? Oink, oink.

MR. NETT Wise guy. Paco, you got a counsel visit.

PACO Vaya.

OMAR Mr. Nett?

MR. NETT Yeah, what is it?

OMAR Mr. Nett, you know like I've been here over ten months — and I'd like to know why I can't get on the help. Like I've asked a dozen times ... and guys that just come in are shot over me ... and I get shot down ... Like why? Have I done something to you? Is there something about me that you don't like?

MR. NETT

Why, no. I don't have anything against you. But since you ask me I'll tell you. One is that when you first came in here you had the clap.

OMAR But I don't have it any more. That was ten months ago.

MR. NETT How many fights have you had since the first day you came on the floor?

OMAR But I haven't had a fight in a long time.

MR. NETT How many?

OMAR Seven.

MR. NETT Seven? Close to ten would be my estimation. No, if I put you on the help, there would be trouble in no time. Now if you give me your word that you won't fight and stay cool, I'll give it some deep consideration.

OMAR I can't give you my word on something like that. You know I don't stand for no lame coming out the side of his neck with me. Not my word ... My word is bond.

EL RAHEEM Bond is life.

OMAR That's why I can't give you my word. My word is my bond. Man in prison ain't got nothing but his word, and he's got to be careful who and how and for what he give it for. But I'll tell you this, I'll try to be cool.

MR. NETT Well, you're honest about it anyway. I'll think it over. (PACO and MR. NETT exit)

EL RAHEEM Try is a failure.

OMAR Fuck you.

EL RAHEEM Try is a failure. Do.

OMAR Fuck you.

EL RAHEEM Fuck yourself, it's cheaper.

CUPCAKES Hey, Mr. Nett — put on the power.

MR. NETT (From outside the gate) The power is on.

CUPCAKES The box ain't on.

MR. NETT Might be broken. I'll call the repairman.

JUAN Might as well listen to the radio.

ICE The radio ain't workin' either, Juan. I tried to get BLS a little while ago and got nothin' but static, Jack.

CUPCAKES Anyone wants to play Dirty Hearts? I ain't got no money, but I'll have cigarettes later on this week.

OMAR Money on the wood makes bettin' good.

ICE Right on. (LONGSHOE gives CUPCAKES cigarettes)

JUAN Hey, Julio. (Throws CUPCAKES cigarettes. BROWN appears outside entrance gate)

BROWN On the gate. (Gate opens and PACO enters. Gate closes and BROWN exits)

CUPCAKES Shit. That was a real fast visit.

PACO Not fast enough.

LONGSHOE What the man say about your case?

PACO The bitch wants me to cop out to a D — she must think my dick is made of sponge rubber. I told her to tell the D.A. to rub the offer on his chest. Not to come to court on my behalf — shit, the bitch must have made a deal with the D.A. on one of her paying customers. Man, if I wait I could get a misdemeanor by my motherfucking self. What the fuck I need with a Legal Aid? Guess who's on the bench?

ICE Who they got out there?

PACO Cop-out Levine.

ICE Wow! He give me a pound for a frown.

PACO First they give me a student, and now a double-crossin' bitch.

LONGSHOE We all got to make a living.

PACO On my expense? No fucking good.

EL RAHEEM You still expect the white man to give you a fair trial in his court? Don't you know what justice really means? Justice ... "just us" ... white folks.

PACO Look here, man. I don't expect nothing from nobody — especially the Yankees. Man, this ain't my first time before them people behind these walls, cause I ain't got the money for bail. And you can bet that it won't be my last time — not as long as I'm poor and Puerto Rican.

CUPCAKES Come on, let's play ... for push-ups.

JUAN How many?

CUPCAKES Ten if you got just one book, fifteen if you got two.

PACO I ain't playing for no goddamn push-ups.

ICE Hey — come on, don't be like that.

PACO Said ain't playing for no push-ups. Tell you what, let's play for coochie-coochies.

ICE What the hell is coochie-coochies?

JUAN It's a game they play in Puerto Rico. You ever see a flick about Hawaii? Them girls with the grass skirts moving their butts dancing? That's coochie-coochies.

ICE I thought that was the hula-jack.

PACO Put your shirt on your hips like this and move your ass. Coochie-coochie-coochie ...

CUPCAKES That's out.

PACO You got a plexes?

CUPCAKES Told you before that I don't have no complexes.

JUAN You got no plexes at all?

CUPCAKES No.

JUAN Then why not let me fuck you?

CUPCAKES That's definitely out.

JUAN People without complexes might as well turn stuff.

OMAR Thinking of joining the ranks? Cruising the tearooms?

EL RAHEEM What kind of black original man talk is that? Cupcakes puts the wisdom before the knowledge because that's his nature. He can't help that. But you are deliberately acting and thinking out of your nature ... thinking like the white devil, Yacoub. Your presence infects the minds of my people like a fever. You, Yacoub, are the bearer of three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine diseases ... corrupt ... evil ... pork-chop-eating brain ...

LONGSHOE Look.

EL RAHEEM Where?

LONGSHOE I'm sick and ...

EL RAHEEM See, brothers, he admits he is sick with corruption.

LONGSHOE Who?

EL RAHEEM You're not only the devil, you're also an owl?

LONGSHOE Why?

EL RAHEEM "Y" — why? Why is "Y" the twenty-fifth letter of the alphabet?

LONGSHOE You ... son of ...

EL RAHEEM You ... me ... they ... them. This ... those ... that ... "U" for the unknown.

LONGSHOE I ... I ...

EL RAHEEM Eye ... I ... Aye ... Aye ... Aiiii ... hi ...

LONGSHOE Games, huh?

EL RAHEEM The way of life is no game. Lame.

LONGSHOE G ... O ... D ... D ... O ... G ... God spelled backward is dog ... dog spelled backward is God ... If Allah is God, Allah is a dog.

EL RAHEEM Allah Akbar. (Screams, jumps on him)

Allah Akbar. (MR. NETT and BROWN appear outside entrance gate)

MR. NETT On the gate. (BROWN opens gate. MR. NETT and BROWN enter. MR. NETT breaks them apart)

MR. NETT What the hell is going on here?

OMAR Mr. Nett, let these two git it off, else we's gonna have mucho static around here.

ICE Yeah ... Mr. Nett ... they got a personality thing going on for weeks.

MR. NETT Fair fight, Murphy?

LONGSHOE That's what I want.

MR. NETT Johnson?

EL RAHEEM El Raheem. Johnson is a slave name. (Nods)

May your Christian God have mercy on your soul, Yacoub. (BROWN closes gate. EL RAHEEM and LONGSHOE square off and begin to fight ... boxing ... some wrestling.

LONGSHOE is knocked clean across the room)

LONGSHOE Guess you say that left hook is Whitey trickology?

EL RAHEEM No, honky, you knocked me down. My sister hits harder than that. She's only eight. (They wrestle until EL RAHEEM is on top. Then NETT breaks them apart)

OMAR Why didn't you break it up while Whitey was on top?

MR. NETT Listen, why don't you two guys call it quits — ain't none of you really gonna end up the winner ... Give it up ... be friends ... shake hands ... Come, break it up, you both got your shit off ... break it up. Go out and clean yourselves up. Make this the last time I see either of you fighting. On the gate. Next time I turn on the water. (BROWN and NETT exit, gate closes.

The RICANS go to their table and begin to play on the table as if it were bongos)

ICE You two got it together.

EL RAHEEM I am God ... master and ruler of my universe ... I am always together.

OMAR Let me ask you one question, God.

EL RAHEEM You have permission to ask two.

OMAR Thank you ... If you're God, why are you in jail? God can do anything, right? Melt these walls down, then create a stairway of light to the streets below ... God. If you're God, then you can do these things. If you can't, tell me why God can't do a simple thing like that.

EL RAHEEM I am God ... I am a poor righteous teacher of almighty Allah and by his will I am here to awaken the original lost in these prisons ... Black original man is asleep ... This is your school of self-awareness. Wake up, black man, melt these walls? You ask me, a tangible god, to do an intangible feat? Mysterious intangible gods do mysterious intangible deeds. There is nothing mysterious about me. Tangible gods do tangible deeds.

(PUERTO RICAN GROUP goes back to playing. "Toca, si, va, tocar")

CUPCAKES (On table, M.C.-style) That's right, ladies and gentlemen ... damas y caballeros ... every night is Latin night at the House of Detention. Tonight for the first time ... direct from his record-breaking counsel visit ... on congas is Paco Pasqual ... yeaaaaaa. With a all-star band ... for your listening enjoyment ... Juan Bobo Otero on timbales ... On mouth organ Charles Murphy ... To show you the latest dancing are Iceman, John Wicker ... and his equally talented partner, Omar Blinker ... yeaaaaaa. While tapping his toes for you all ... moving his head to the rhythm of the band is the mighty El Raheem, yeaaaaaaa. Boooooooo. Yes, brothers and sisters, especially you sisters, don't miss this musical extravaganza. I'll be there, too ... to say hello to all my friends ... So be there ... Don't be the one to say "Gee, I missed it" ... This is your cha-cha jockey, Julio ...

ALL Cupcakes ...

CUPCAKES Mercado ... Be sure to be there ... Catch this act ... this show of shows before they leave on a long extended touring engagement with state ... (PACO pinches CUPCAKES's ass) Keep your hands off my ass, man. (CUPCAKES moves stage left, sits pouting. Ad-libs)

PACO Hey, kid, do one of those prison toasts ... (They urge him on with various ad-libs)

CUPCAKES All right, dig ... You guys gotta give me background ... Clap your hands and say ... Mambo tu le pop ... It was the night before Christmas ... and all through the pad ... cocaine and heroin was all the cats had. One cat in the corner ... copping a nod ... Another scratching thought he was God ... I jumps on the phone ... and dial with care ... hoping my reefer ... would soon be there ... After a while ... crowding my style ... I ran to the door ... see what's the matter ... And to my surprise ... I saw five police badges ... staring ... glaring in my eyes ... A couple of studs ... starts to get tough, so I ran to the bathroom ... get rid of the stuff ... narc bang ... bang ... but they banged in vain ... cause you see ... what didn't go in my veins went down the drain ... Broke down the door ... knock me to the floor ... and took me away, that's the way I spent my last Christmas Day ... like a dirty dog ... in a dark and dingy cell ... But I didn't care cause I was high as hell ... But I was cool ... I was cool ... I was cool ... You people are the fools ... cream of the top ... cause I got you say something as stupid as Mambo tu le pop. (GROUP chases CUPCAKES around stage. BROWN and CLARK DAVIS appear outside entrance gate)

BROWN On the gate. (Gate opens and CLARK DAVIS enters, goes to stage center. BROWN closes gate and exits)

CUPCAKES Hey, Longshoe ... one of your kin ... look-a-like sin just walked in ...

EL RAHEEM Another devil.

LONGSHOE Hey ... hey, whatdayasay ... My name's Longshoe Charlie Murphy. Call me Longshoe. What's your name?

CLARK Davis ... Clark ... Ah ... Clark Davis ... Clark is my first name.

PACO Clark Kent.

CUPCAKES Mild-mannered, too.

OMAR No, no, Superman. (Other ad-libs: "Faster than a speeding bullet," etc.)

PACO Oye ... Shoe ... Está bueno ... Pa' rajalo ...

LONGSHOE Back ... back ... boy ... no está bueno ... anyway, no mucho ... como Cupcake.

PACO Vaya.

LONGSHOE Pay them no mind ... crazy spies ... where you locking?

CLARK Upper D 15.

LONGSHOE Siberia, huh? ... Tough.

CLARK First time in the joint.

LONGSHOE Yeah? Well, I better hip you to what's happening fast.

ICE Look out for your homey, Shoe.

OMAR Second.

LONGSHOE Look here, this is our section ... white ... dig? That's the Rican table, you can sit there if they give you permission ... Same goes with the black section.

ICE Say it loud.

OMAR I'm black and proud.

ICE Vaya!

LONGSHOE Most of the fellas are in court. I'm the Don Gee here. You know what that mean, right? Good ... Niggers and the spics don't give us honkies much trouble. We're cool half ass. This is a good floor. Dynamite hack on all shifts. Stay away from the black gods ... (NETT appears outside gate)

NETT On the gate.

LONGSHOE

You know them when you see them. (NETT opens gate and enters)

NETT On the chow.

ICE What we got, Mr. Nett?

NETT Baloney à la carte.

ICE Shit, welfare steaks again. (All exit except CLARK and LONGSHOE. Gate stays open. The men reenter with sandwiches and return to their respective places. NETT closes gate and exits)

LONGSHOE Black go on the front of the line, we stay in the back ... It's okay to rap with the blacks, but don't get too close with any of them. Ricans too. We're the minority here, so be cool. If you hate yams, keep it to yourself. Don't show it. But also don't let them run over you. Ricans are funny people. Took me a long time to figure them out, and you know something, I found out that I still have a lot to learn about them. I rap spic talk. They get a big-brother attitude about the whites in jail. But they also back the niggers to the T.


(Continues...)

Excerpted from Short Eyes by Miguel Pinero. Copyright © 1975 Miguel Piñero. Excerpted by permission of Hill and Wang.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Contents

Title Page,
INTRODUCTION,
ACT ONE,
ACT TWO,
EPILOGUE,
THE PEOPLE,
CAST - (in alphabetical order),
GLOSSARY OF SLANG,
Copyright Page,

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