Trying to Find Chinatown: The Selected Plays of David Henry Hwang (20 page)

(Ama hits Di-gou with an electrical cord, using it like a whip.)

(Ama hits Di-gou.)

(Hit.)

(Hit.)

Sit beside God. He is praising her! Praise her for her work in China.

(Chester enters the tennis court; he looks into the sunroom and sees Ama hit Di-gou.)

She is watching you!

(Hit. Chester tries to get into the sunroom, but the glass door is locked. He bangs on it, but everyone inside is shocked at Ama’s ritual, and no one notices him. He exits off the tennis court, running.)

 

 

Praying for you! Want you to tell her story!

(Hit.)

We will keep you in float. Float for one second between life and death. Float until you lose will to hold to either—hold to anything at all.

 

(Ama quickly slips the electrical cord around Di-gou’s neck, begins pulling on it. Joanne and Hannah run to get Ama off Di-gou. Chester enters from the house with Jenny close behind him. He pulls Ama off of Di-gou.)

(Di-gou suddenly breaks out of his bonds and rises up on the table. He grabs Chester. The barbecue bursts into flames. Di-gou, holding onto Chester, begins speaking in tongues.)

(Everyone falls to their knees. As Di-gou’s babbling continues, Chester is suddenly filled with words, and begins interpreting Di-gou’s words.)

(Ama and Popo spring up.)

(Di-gou’s words slowly become English, first overlapping, then overtaking Chester’s translation. Chester becomes silent and exhausted, drops to the ground.)

(Di-gou breaks the last of his bonds, gets off the table.)

(Di-gou indicates his willingness to face Ama, and the two begin a ritualistic battle. Popo encourages Ama by speaking in tongues. Ama and Di-gou square off in seated positions, facing one another.)

 

 

We will begin. How many rooms in our house in Amoy?

(Silence.)

 

 

Do you know?

(Silence.)

 

 

Do you know? Your stories don’t know. It never happened.

(Silence.)

 

 

What year was she baptized?

(Silence.)

(Silence.)

(Popo’s voice becomes weaker; she starts to falter.)

(Popo collapses.)

(Ama rises from her chair.)

(Ama collapses back into her chair, closes her eyes. Silence.)

(Silence.)

 

 

Sisters!

(Jenny, Chester, Joanne, Hannah and Di-gou stare at the two inert forms.)

(Jenny goes to Chester’s side.)

(Hannah does not move.)

(Popo and Ama have died. Di-gou picks up his suitcase and the Chinese toys, heads for the door.)

(Jenny starts to break away from Chester, but he hangs onto her. Joanne turns, sees the figures of Ama and Popo.)

 

 

Wilbur! Wilbur, come here!

(Jenny runs out onto the tennis court and away. On her way, she passes Robert, who has entered onto the court. Robert walks into the sunroom. Silence.)

(Silence. Robert pulls up a chair next to Chester.)

 

 

Let’s chitchat, okay?

(Silence.)

 

 

How much they paying you in Boston?

 

(Silence.)

 

Got any newspaper clippings?

 

(Silence. Chester gets up, picks up his suitcase, walks onto the tennis court and shuts the glass doors. Joanne and Hannah stare at Ama and Popo. Robert sits, staring off into space.

Chester stands where Di-gou stood at the beginning of the play. He turns around and looks through the glass door onto the scene.

The lights begin to dim until there is one single spotlight on Chester’s face. The shape of Chester’s face begins to change.)

 

 

END OF PLAY