We never post opportunities that require a submission fee. LEARN MORE.

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Women in the Age of Trump: MEDUSA

MEDUSA by William K Hugel is a semi-finalist for NYCPlaywrights project "Women in the Age of Trump."

WILLIAM K. HUGEL is a NYC based playwright whose ten minute play MEDUSA was first presented as part of the Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, Artistic Director) and will be featured in Between Us Productions' Take Ten Festival this April. He is dedicating this performance to Donald Trump and anyone else that thinks they can stop the inevitable rise of the Powerful Woman. www.williamhugel.com

Thanks to William K. Hugel for allowing NYCPlaywrights to publish this excerpt from his play MEDUSA.

   MEDUSA

Now don't start with that craziness again!

   (ELIZA smiles)

I'm warning you!

(MEDUSA becomes nervous and reaches for her book. ELIZA approaches her.)

Don't touch me!

   ELIZA

She's making me strong, Mother.

(ELIZA strokes MEDUSA'S head, as if she were the plant. MEDUSA tries to reach for the book but is paralyzed, half frozen.)

   MEDUSA

Eliza, don't!

   ELIZA

(Putting her hand on MEDUSA's stomach.)

Don't you remember, Mother, when they cut out your liver and your spleen? Don't you remember, Mother, when you were a queen?

   MEDUSA

   (As ELIZA lets go of her, tearfully)

It's too much! I don't want to hear about it!

   ELIZA

Why do you think father left?

   (She circles the stage, looking out at the audience.)

Why do you think all the men are leaving? Because they're afraid. Afraid of Her. In Africa they slash at Her bold clitoris. In India they defile Her in the streets. They are terrified of Her.

   (Approaches the plant)

Look how She's growing! They can't stop Her! She's rank with lust! Remember when you were rank with lust, Mother Rank and powerful?

(MEDUSA smiles faintly as ELIZA approaches her. This time when ELIZA strokes her her strength spreads to MEDUSA, who begins to move rhythmically in her chair.)

What they did to Her in Europe, that was most insidious. They changed Her language, so we couldn't recognize Her anymore. They piled bricks over your grave, Mother. They invented abstractions and they buried you. And they built on top a world they thought they could control. But the earth is shaking now Mother, it's trembling with Her lust, the bricks are beginning to fall! Don't you feel the earth, Mother, undulating through your liver and your spleen? Don't you remember, Mother, when you were a queen?

(ELIZA pulls off MEDUSA's hat, revealing a mass of wild hair. As MEDUSA stands ELIZA strips off her dress. Underneath MEDUSA is wearing garments made of animal hides, bone, etc. MEDUSA moves and stands center, proud and strong. ELIZA circles the outer stage addressing the audience.)

Prehistorical? Yes. All we have are myths and stories. Oh, that's right, you can't prove it. Nothing was written down, you say? Men write things down: This was before men ruled the world. The question is, can you feel it? Can you feel it in your liver and your spleen, that you too, once were a queen?

Blog Archive