Fish Dancing by Keefe Healy
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This Play is the copyright of the Author and must not be Performed, Copied or Sold without the Author's prior consentLights rise.
Nata dances around a bucket collecting water dripping from the
ceiling.
The room looks as thought it's been built from shipwrecks. A broken
ships figurehead of a woman hangs upstage.
The back wall consists of pieces of old sails that acts as a scrim.
In the corner hangs a old ships window
ROE enters. He stands upstage watching her. Finally she sees him and
stops.
ROE: I'm sorry, I would have knocked.
NATA: Why didn't you?
ROE: There was… no door.
NATA: So you just came in because there was no door?
ROE: I….yes…I didn't mean to startle you.
NATA: You don't say anything, you just walk in?
ROE: I didn't know if anyone lived here.
NATA: There are lights on.
ROE: I'm sorry. Your right I should have said something.
NATA: You did see the lights didn't you?
ROE: Yes I did.
NATA: So you did know someone was here.
ROE: I suspected, and I apologize I…was just…not thinking I
guess. I was coming from down the valley…
NATA: You're all wet.
ROE: Its raining.
NATA: I know.
ROE: Actually that's why I'm here…...
NATA: We don't want anything.
ROE: Excuse me.
NATA: We don't want to buy anything.
ROE: I'm not selling anything.
NATA: We can't hire you to do anything, we don't have any
work for you.
ROE: I'm not looking for work.
NATA: Are you here to buy something?
ROE: No. What would you be selling?
NATA: Well if your looking for doors we're all out.
ROE: You sold your door?
NATA: Well we didn't give it away.
ROE: Why would you sell your door?
NATA: I didn't.
ROE: You said you did.
NATA: Father did.
ROE: Why?
NATA: Because someone was willing to buy it. We didn't need
it.
ROE:You don't need a door?
NATA: Why would we?
ROE: Keep the rain out.
NATA: We have a roof.
ROE: That's leaking.
NATA: Are you a carpenter?
ROE: No.
NATA: Then why do you care about my roof or our door.
ROE: I don't but if you had one I would have knocked on it.
NATA: You could have yelled.
ROE: Your right. It's just that ..actually I'm here because….
NATA: And I like it, I like to feel the breeze through the house.
I like the rain coming in. I don't want a door and I don't want
you to patch the roof.
ROE: I'm not here to patch the roof.
NATA: I would actually rather have the hole bigger, open
wider so I could see the stars through it at night. Maybe even
the moon, I could stand in different spots and watch the moon
go over the house. If you want to widen the hole you can do
that.
ROE: It's raining too hard.
NATA: Well when the rain stops.
ROE: There won't be time.
NATA: Your in a hurry.
ROE: Yes, there's a ......
NATA: You weren't in a hurry before when you were just
standing there watching me.
ROE: I was….
NATA: You were what? How long did you stand there?
ROE: Not long.
NATA: But you did stand there.
ROE: Yes.
NATA: Watching me.
ROE: I didn't expect to see you…..or anyone….well
NATA: Well that's what you get for just letting yourself into
places, I didn't expect that I would turn around and there
would be a man standing in my house.
ROE: I'm sure you didn't.
NATA: But there you were.
ROE: I….
NATA: Just standing there watching me this sort of strange
look on your face….
ROE: I wasn't…...
NATA: Why was that?
ROE: I came here…...
NATA: Why did you have that look on your face, do you know
what I'm talking about?
ROE: There is a…..
NATA: It looks like that, just like that, that look your giving me
now, what is that?
ROE: It's…. I came to tell…..
NATA: Are you in pain?
ROE: No.
NATA: Is there something…...
ROE: The rivers have crested. They're…
NATA: They've what?
ROE: Crested, jumped the banks, they're flooding and
they're expecting….
NATA: Flooding?
ROE: Expecting a storm surge to hit at any time.
NATA: I don't know what your saying.
ROE: A storm surge. A storm coming in off the ocean, there's
a wave coming, a wave traveling up the rivers….
NATA: The rivers that have overflowed.
ROE: That's right. This valley, is filling with water, it's
becoming a lake almost, and when the surge hits it'll come up
through the valley.
NATA: Where we are.
ROE: Yes where we are right now. That's why we have to…..
NATA: The rain….
ROE: Yes the rain and the wind…..
NATA: There's salt water in the rain.
ROE: Yes there is…..
NATA: Upper level winds carrying ocean water inland.
ROE: That's right.
NATA: A storm picking up ocean water and carrying it through
the air and dropping it here.
ROE: This could be the worst storm in…..
NATA: Twenty years.
ROE: Yes, you know about that one.
NATA: I have heard stories.
ROE: Then you realize how serious this is.
NATA: Yes.
ROE: We are in danger here.
NATA: Danger?
ROE: We have to get you out of here.
NATA: We?
ROE: I…
NATA: Get us out of here.
ROE: Get you out of here…...
NATA: You want to take me out of here?
ROE: Yes.
NATA: To where?
ROE: To safety.
NATA: Where's that?
ROE: I don't know. But it's not here.
NATA: You want to go out there?
ROE: Yes.
NATA: It's raining out there that's where the water is.
ROE: The water is going to be everywhere!
NATA: Your making that face again.
ROE: I'm trying to make you understand…..
NATA: Oh I'm sorry its the clothes isn't it, your soaking wet,
I'm sorry, give me your coat.
ROE: No, no it's not the clothes.
NATA: Give me your coat I'll hang it up. And shirt I'll find you
another we have some of my fathers things.
She pulls the coat off him.
ROE: Really there isn't the…..
NATA: Your shoes, give me the shoes. Everything is covered
in salt, your skin must be rubbed raw by it.
ROE: Its' not.
NATA: It is, socks, give me your socks.
ROE: Please just listen to me.
NATA: You listen to me, salt water is not good for your skin.
You give me those socks, shoes that coat and shirt right
now….
ROE: There isn't….
NATA:Now!
He starts to take them off.
NATA: You want to stand there wet, soaking till your cured like a
fish. Have you ever seen a fish packed in salt? That's what you'll
look like. I'll leave these here to dry.
ROE: Dry. You said you had something for me to wear.
NATA: I do..well my father does, they're his, but it'd be better
to let your things dry out than bother him.
ROE: There's not the time to let things dry, there is a storm….
NATA: Storm surge yes you said that, but at the same time
what am I going to tell my father when I go down to ask him
for clothes for you? Father there's a half dressed man upstairs can he
borrow a shirt?
ROE: Tell him the truth.
NATA: I don't think that's a good idea.
ROE: Why not, he's in as much danger as you or I.
NATA: Well not me so much as you. But if you want to tell him
go ahead.
ROE: What do you mean?
NATA: He…well I don't know how to say it. But I wouldn't tell him
there's a flood coming.
ROE: I have to. Your not understanding me there is wall of water
forming and its going to be coming this way.
NATA: When?
ROE: It could be any time.
NATA: Well then wait until you know before you tell him.
ROE: There is no way to know!
NATA: Well then don't say anything.
ROE: He has a right to know.
NATA: Don't start a fire unless your sure there is something
on its way to put it out.
ROE: I still don't understand.
NATA: He's got salt in his veins. He's a cured fish, let him
alone. He's had dry skin for twenty years, not so much a drop
of salt water on his skin or in his lungs.
ROE: There is no time for this.
NATA: Keep your voice down.
ROE: I need clothes.
NATA: They are not dry.
ROE: I don't care. Don't make me take them.
NATA: Hold your voice.
ROE: Clothes now!
LOCKE: (Offstage.) Nata?
NATA: You don't listen very well do you.
Enter Locke.
LOCKE: Nata?
NATA: Yes Father.
LOCKE: I heard footsteps.
NATA: Yes father. This man came in.
LOCKE: Came in.
ROE: I would have knocked.
LOCKE: On what?
ROE: I'm sorry.
LOCKE: What do you want?
ROE: I…..
LOCKE: Nata what does he want?
NATA: He was looking at the window.
LOCKE: Not for sale.
NATA: I know that's what I told him.
LOCKE: You can't have our window!
ROE: I'm not trying to buy a window.
LOCKE: Your god damn right you aren't. I'd sell every stick of
this place before I sold those. You want the steps out there I'll
sell you the steps.
ROE: I don't want your steps.
LOCKE: Cheap.
ROE: No, I don't have any money.
LOCKE: You came here with no money, you just want us to
give you the god damn window? Who the hell are you.
ROE: My name is Roe.
LOCKE: Where are your shoes? Why aren't you wearing
shoes?
ROE: She has them.
LOCKE: She does? You gave her your shoes?
ROE: She asked for them.
LOCKE: You gave your shoes, your standing in my house in
an undershirt with no shoes trying to buy my window.
ROE: I don't want your window, I didn't just give her them, she
wanted them, she wanted to dry them.
LOCKE: This is not a laundry!
ROE: I know.
LOCKE: She is not a laundry woman.
ROE: She asked for them!
LOCKE: She has her own clothes!
ROE: They were wet she said she wanted to dry them, I'm
sorry. I'm just here….
LOCKE: Yes.
ROE: I came because…
NATA: The window father. I told him what it meant to you.
LOCKE: Not for sale. Tell you what you want the stairs, you
take the stairs. You take anything out there, don't need it. But
keep your god damn hands off this window!
Looks out the window.
LOCKE: Rain?
ROE: Yes. That's why my clothes are wet.
LOCKE: Nata why didn't you tell me? How long has it been
raining?
ROE: Three days.
LOCKE: Three days and you didn't tell me.
NATA: It's nothing Father, don't worry about it. It'll stop soon.
LOCKE: Is that right is that what they're saying.
ROE: No, actually…..
NATA: Actually they say later today father, that's what Roe
said, isn't it Roe.
LOCKE: Roe?
ROE: Well…sir…
LOCKE: Don't call me sir answer the God damn question!
ROE: Yes, it should let up anytime.
NATA: He can wait till it stops to take the stairs right Father.
LOCKE: He can wait outside.
NATA: Its raining outside, he can wait inside.
LOCKE: I don't know him.
NATA: Of course you do. This is Roe.
LOCKE: Its familiar yes, but I can't place him.
NATA: It's all right father.
LOCKE: Your sure I know you?
ROE: I don't know, maybe we've met.
LOCKE: All right, wait inside, but it stops you take the stairs and
get the hell out of here, you want anything else you bring money you
understand.
ROE: Yes.
LOCKE: Nata, make sure he doesn't touch anything else.
NATA: No Father, I'll get him something to drink and he can
just wait right there.
LOCKE: No god damn drinks! We don't serve drinks here you
want drinks you go to a tavern you want your shirt dry you go
to a laundry. You put your cloths back on , you take the god
damn stairs and you get the hell out of here.
NATA: After he has a little drink.
LOCKE: A small drink, just water.
NATA: That's all there is. You can go back downstairs if you
want.
LOCKE: Tell me when the rain stops.
NATA: I will, I'm sure its not going to be long Father.
LOCKE: You let me know.
NATA: I will.
LOCKE: You take just the stairs.
ROE: All right.
Exit Locke.
[end of extract]
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