D O W N

A B O V E

by JUANLUIS MIRA

TRANSLATION: JOHN D. SANDERSON

DOWN ABOVE

CHARACTERS

PIT is well over thirty, but his mental clock stopped far earlier and left some naivety in

his face. He has trouble looking into somebody else’s eyes. He talks with difficulty, but

can read aloud fluently. When he is not worried there is half a smile in his mouth, like a

nervous twitch.

THERESA is not thirty yet. Actress.

MÁŃEZ is fifty, but looks older.

VIDAL is an old prompter. He knows the theatre underworld as nobody else does.

A MAN IN A DARK COAT.

... and legs, calves, shoes, voices of actresses and actors who are performing THREE

TOP HATS on the stage of Theatre Princesa.

STAGE

Three separate levels which are connected.

UP on the roof of a building in the city centre.

DOWN in a small, old cellar which, under the stage of the theatre, is a hideout for the

prompter as well as a store-room.

THE HIGHEST, the prompting shell where the prompter does his job in the Theatre

Princesa. Next to it we can only see a small part of that imaginary space beyond the

battery of footlights.

A cyclorama closes and brings together these three spaces. Over it we will see some

images through binoculars and the telescopic sight of the shotgun.

We are in Valencia, 1954.

2

1 UP ONE PICTURE, TWO SHOTS

Dead of night. Up there, standing in front of the audience, dressed in a long coat, a cap,

gloves, somebody is putting together pieces of a shotgun with a knowing routine. The

scarce light, some of it intermittent, is a reflection from the outside.

The sniper sometimes has a fit of cough, so he stops and pops a sweet into his mouth.

He looks through his binoculars at the stalls.

We hear far away a train arriving at a station.

Voices, a whistle, footsteps in a hurry.

He puts the binoculars down and finishes putting the shotgun together.

Secures it to his shoulder. Firm pulse.

Aims down thoroughly, moves up slowly, with precision, a few centimetres.

Spits out the sweet. Takes a deep breath. Waits.

Noise of footsteps get louder till they suddenly stop.

Silence.

He shoots once.

Again. Routine.

Silence.

Train starts off on its journey to nowhere.

Dark.

3

2 DOWN THE BOTTOM (ARSE) OF THE THEATRE

Only a tiny part of the stage is lit, where we can see striking shoes, lovely

legs in panties almost to the limit of what an audience should be allowed

to see. Male trousers perfectly ironed, everything fashionable of the mad

1920`s . Happy voices, movements and steps of characters playing the

end of the first act of Three Top-Hats.

DYONISOS No. I’m sorry. Actually I’ve made a mistake. He is no idiot. He is

black...so he’s got a temper. But it’s not his fault. He, what could he do

once he had fallen off the bicycle? It would have been far worse if he had

lost an arm. And this lady has told him... and, well, he’s really

mad...What else...?

Little by little the prompter’s cellar is lit; we see the long coat, cap,a

scarf on a hanger. Pit is in the prompter’s shell with his libretto,

following the scene. Once in a while he coughs and even laughs at the

comedy above. He can’t help it. When Paula – Theresa’s voice – speaks,

he stops reading the texts and looks at the stage, whispering her lines by

heart.

DYONISOS No, I’ve just finished...

FANNY You are both always the same... You are stupid, Paula.

BUBY So much the better if I am!

PAULA-THERESA exits. PIT follows her with his gaze, and the text with

the corner of his eye. A door is slammed on stage. The comedy goes on

with PIT watching and not realizing PAULA is coming down the spiral

staircase.

BUBY And if I am rude, so much the better!

4

Another door is slammed on stage, just like the first one. THERESA

approaches PIT behind him and puts her hands on his eyes. PIT

suddenly turns round, frightened, and starts coughing.

PIT (With an affected voice) ¡Theresa!

THERESA What a face you’re making!

PIT Shhhh! Don’t… speak so loud!

THERESA (With an affected voice as well, imitating him.) It’s allright! I have

frightened you, haven’t I? As if I was a phantom!

PIT (Can’t help smiling). The actors can…not be here.

THERESA What about the actresses?

PIT Don‘t be silly. You know they can’t. I need to…go on with…

THERESA Don’t worry. They do know it. It would be ludicrous if after two months

we still made bloopers.

( PIT and THERESA look at each other and smile. A voice from stage

demands ‘prompt’. PIT breaks the spell and looks awkwardly for the

line. He reads it aloud, very professional.)

PIT. Do you have a match, sir? Do you have a match, sir?

FANNY’S VOICE Do you have a match, sir?

(The scene goes on, opposite the prompt shell.)

THERESA I forgot that big Claramunt has the memory of a goldfish.

PIT (Smiling). One never knows.

THERESA But she has pretty legs, don’t you think? (Pause. Pit follows the text.)

Do you like them?

PIT What?

THERESA From up the on stage I had never imagined what a smashing view you

have from down here.

( PIT goes on with his prompting.) You surely satiate yourself seeing the

girls so young and pretty, don’t you?

( PIT avoids answering. He smiles.)

And my legs, do you like them?

( PIT turns round a second and tries to look into her eyes but cannot.

Still smiling, he looks back at the stage.)

PIT If I don’t cue now it will cost me a leg.

5

THERESA See? We show you our legs, soon you will have to give us yours!

( PIT smiles innocently, once again he tries to concentrate on the text.)

I’m sorry, Pit, I just wanted…well, I just wanted to see you and…

PIT And...

THERESA And ... see your hideout, if you like.

(THERESA looks around. PIT checks her out while still following the

text. THERESA turns on the desk lamp. Some angles of the basement are

lit up. She feels the sofa’s softness. Sees a briefcase, under the table.)

PIT (Still with the text). Shouldn’t you be up there by now?

THERESA There are still seven pages.

PIT Six pages.

THERESA And then comes the interval.

PIT But…you have eight lines before that..

THERESA So many?

PIT Yes.

THERESA There I go.

PAUSE.

( Pit goes through the dialogue between Fanny and Dyonysos.)

FANNY But do they applaud him?

DYONYSOS Not much. Not really… Everything is so expensive.

(A phone rings very loudly. Theresa stands up stunned. Then she realises

it is on stage. She smiles and sits down again.)

THERESA The truth is it was okay for me to escape. From Mańez, you know. He’s

becoming tedious now. Look. (She shows him a ring she is wearing. PIT

does not look back.) I’m sorry. I think I’d better go now.

PIT (Still looking at the stage.) Stay! I… was listening to you. The…ring.

THERESA You didn’t even look.

PIT Of course I did. It really suits you.

PAUSE. The crazy ‘BALLET GIRLS OF BUDDY BARTON’ have just

come on stage. Pit smiles, still looking at the text.

THERESA Young tender calves.

PIT The girl… that plays Carmela…is new.

THERESA Let me see.

6

Goes up the steps that lead to the prompt shell. Gets as close as she can

to PIT to have a better view and looks around.

She is a young girl! And she has hardly rehearsed. Skunk will do

anything just to save a penny.

PIT Feels very well close to Theresa. Looks at the back of her neck and

forgets the text for a few seconds.

Sss…skunk?

THERESA She realises Carmela needs prompting, and helps her

…And he has even fallen in love with me...! (Not loud enough.)

PIT Louder

... And he has even fallen in love with me!

CARMELLA And he has even fallen in love with me!

Show goes on.

THERESA You’re stunning at what you do

PIT feels flattered. THERESA goes down the steps and sits on the chair.

You’ll see, you’re going to end up learning every role. It must be

difficult. (Imitates the actress) And he has even fallen in love with me!

PIT Who?

THERESA ¿Who? Oh, Skunk, I assume.

PIT ¿Skunk?

THERESA Well,that’s what he says, but what I know is that the only thing he has on

his mind is to grope me and whenever he fancies it he leaves some gift or

another on the table in my dressing room while I’m on stage. Take this

one it must have cost him a fortune. And that’s what I find really

strange - knowing his penny-pinching ways.

She shows ring as proof.

PIT It does…shine.

Show goes on above, with entering and exiting, doors opening and

closing, music playing on a gramophone, absurd dialogue.

Who is…Skunk?

THERESA (Laughs.) Don’t tell me that at this point you still have no idea of who we

all call Skunk!

PIT looks at the stage and helps Carmela with her final lines.

7

Oh yes, how would you know, down here. This place is worse than a

sewer!

PIT (Laughs). Vidal calls it the bottom (arse) of the theatre.

THERESA Vidal has always been so accurate, even more nowadays. It is a great

place to hide, though. What’s there at the back? Another room?

PIT does not answer

And I’m sure there are rats.

PIT nods in agreement.

So what? They’re upstairs too. Everytime I put make up on in my

dressing room a tiny one comes out to visit me. I think she wants to learn

how to look pretty. But what am I saying? These rats must be far more

intelligent than us. I’m sure they don’t need to put make up on their puss

to get their mice, don’t you think?

PIT seems to be focusing exclusively on stage.

Skunk Mańez. Who else could we be talking about? He is a dirty rat! Is

there anyone that smells worse than he does? Everytime he enters my

dressing room I have to ask Claramunt for some perfume to spray it all

over the room, otherwise you simply can’t stand the smell. And not

mentioning...eh...you know what. Pit…?!

PIT Mmm...

THERESA She sounds uneasy.

The truth is that I have a special favour to ask you, this is why I came

here; however, I don’t think this is the time, with all the fuss…

PIT Madame Olga, Madame Olga is on stage. The prompter wants you… up

there!

THERESA Ok, I’m on my way. You do love your job…Man, you’re crazy about it.

She stands up grudgingly postponing her request. Reads aloud the title of

the book on the table.‘Hunter tales’...Starts going up the spiral staircase.

PIT Theresa...

THERESA Yes.

PIT . I like the ring. I… really do.

THERESA I don’t, I mean, I don’t like it because it’s him who gave it to me, well, I

assume it was him - I don’t know any other man who could spend money

8

so lavishly. But it’s pretty, I must say. It doesn’t smell good though, you

understand.

PIT So why do you wear it?

THERESA I have my reasons. However, I won’t wear it for a long time. Perhaps I

will sell it. These are bad times for jewellery and, besides, there are

people in need.

She says this before going upstairs.

PIT What was it… that.. you wanted to ask me for?

THERESA Maybe some other time, yes, some other time will be better.

PIT As Dyonysos puts it (Imitates his voice ) ˇGood! (Smiles) ...Listen...

(Coughs.)

THERESA Yes...

Stops coughing.

PIT Thank you…

THERESA What for?

PIT For the visit.

THERESA smiles back, a farewell, then hurries up; she is on. PIT

concentrates on the text. A phone rings several times on stage. Somebody

answers it., PAULA/ THERESA enters and chats with Dyonysos, the final

lines of the first act which PIT listens to with great pleasure. He says her

final lines by heart, simultaneously.

PAULA/PIT Please, come in…I’m asking you to…Be nice, please. Buby is here and

Buby annoys me. If you come in, it will change, sir... I’ll be pleased if

you are here, sir... I’ll be pleased with you, sir! Would you like some?

DYONYSOS Good.

PIT imitates Good! Phone rings again, insistently „Good!“Repeating,

somewhere between parody and game. Curtain starts coming down, first

applause from audience.

9

3. UP: A BIRD’S EYE VIEW

Theatre applause fuses with a more distant bullfight applause.

Afternoon into evening. PIT sees through his binoculars how the crowd

leaves the bullring, way down. Shotgun ready, looks for his target,

regulates lens, moves binoculars away. Final sun rays emphasise his

silhouette and should help him track down his chosen human lump.

Suddenly, he hears footsteps nearby, takes his shotgun and aims at where

the unexpected visitor will turn up.

MÁÑEZ walks in, tired of so many steps. Pit puts down the shotgun.

MÁÑEZ False alarm, the bird has flown.

PIT Has he already left? I saw … you alone, so …

MÁÑEZ He has not even come, someone must have tipped him off, dammit. What

I wouldn’t give to find out who the hell it was. I don’t understand … a

mole … it must have been a mole, I’m sure of that … but who? And

where? (He has trouble breathing, either because he is angry or tired)

Damn. Do you even know what a mole is?

PIT I have never … hunted one.

MÁÑEZ That’s all I needed today I don’t mean that kind of mole. I’m talking

about someone who found out about our plan and warned our bird. (He

breathes his fatigue heavily, sits on the edge of the roof)

PIT You could … have taken … the elevator. (He dismantles the gun.)

MÁÑEZ No elevators, I’ve already told you for no one. I don’t trust all that

modern junk.

PIT Me … neither. I’m … afraid of them.

MÁÑEZ The more discreet we are, the better. Listen to me you are in no danger,

we’ll see who has the guts to report us … you … but we either do it well

1

or we don’t do it at all. There is a reason why we earned the reputation

for being the best organization in the country. They even talk about us

abroad. Do you know how they call us in Madrid? The Raid brigade.(He

imitates the spraying sound.) The Raid brigade we are as discreet as we

are effective. No one escapes. Do you follow me?

PIT No. (Mañez stares at him)

MÁÑEZ Of course you don’t. (Puts the half-smoked cigar back into his mouth and

lights it again) Maybe the bastard knows a thing or two about

bullfighting and therefore knew what was going to happen. Smelt a rat

(That reminds PIT of something, and he starts sniffing blatantly next to

MAÑEZ) What a boring bullfight that was! Outrageous If the great

Dominguín had to face a real bull he would shit his pants! Not one brave

pass. Didn’t you hear the booing from up here?

PIT Yes. (He goes on sniffing.)

MÁÑEZ What the fuck are you doing, boy?!

PIT Smelling.

MÁÑEZ You’re not going to tell me that the smell of cigars bothers you, are you?

PIT No.

MÁÑEZ What is it then? ( PIT does not answer; he can’t help smelling and

realises THERESA was right). You’re even worse than I thought …

PIT Yes.

MÃÑEZ Go ahead, smell all you want. I know I have a special smell. Some

women say I give off a distinctive, strong smell, typical of machos. I

suppose. They like it, that’s for sure. Wait a minute, you’re not … are

you?

PIT What?

1

MÁÑEZ You like women, don’t you, just like everybody else?

PIT Not … all of them.

MAÑEZ finally laughs. He feels great laughing at fools. PIT smiles with

him, but is not sure why. Mañez mutters as well, without being concerned

whether PIT can hear him.

MÁÑEZ Asshole! (Pause)

PIT And the … applause?

MÁÑEZ What applause?

PIT There was a loud applause … at the end. You could hear it from here.

MÁÑEZ How should I know? I suppose because the whole thing was over and,

for a beginner, he handled himself quite well; As for the rest what a load

of rubbish! (Looks below.) Good thing I have a Government pass, if I had

to pay … Well, they’d have it with me. People are still coming out of the

arena. (Looks around at the different places you can see from the roof).

You can’t complain.

PIT What?

MÁÑEZ The view, you won’t find it anywhere else in the city. From here you

control everything, the station, the bullring, the hotel, the park … the

movie theater … Don’t you feel just a bit … how shall I put this … a bit,

I hope He will forgive me for saying this, like God?

PIT No.

MÃÑEZ The dream of every hunter every prey in its place.

PIT I … prefer … hunting grounds.

MÁÑEZ I mean this, the urban landscape. It wasn’t easy to find, you know. I spent

almost a month looking for a place like this. And what’s more, a few

stories below, on the fifth floor, the Department of Information and

1

Tourism has just moved in, what a cover up!. And on top of it, on this

side of the roof, a little stairway, like American apartments have, in case

you have to rush off. These modern buildings are equipped for anything.

Everything close at hand. But I still think it’s a bit high to …

PIT No, it’s … okay. I used to shoot from much further … in my village.

MÁÑEZ And did you always hit the mark?

PIT Almost always.

MÁÑEZ Almost is not good enough here, you know that now you always have to

hit the target.

PIT But there I used to shoot … bareback (without any help).

MÁÑEZ Bareback? You mean without telescopic sight?

PIT Yes … bang … bareback.

MÁÑEZ The rifle and that’s it.

PIT Not rifle …, shotgun …

MÁÑEZ What difference does it make?

PIT Without … this.

MÁÑEZ Telescopic sight …

PIT What for … A partridge. … Bang.

MÁÑEZ But you have to make sure you don’t miss these belong to another class.

We hunt big game.

PIT Okay.

MÁÑEZ Those bastards are sucking the life out of Spain. Here.

(He hands him an envelope.)

PIT But if …

1

MÁÑEZ It’s your job. You have been here for over two hours. You’ll see that it’s

not the full amount, it’s less. When you are through with the job you’ll

get another one. Another envelope I mean. In any case, there are fewer

and fewer of them left, which is good for everyone. And partly thanks to

you, to your shooting. ( PIT puts away the envelope.) One day, when

your get older, you’ll think about all this and heave a sigh of pride, like

this (he inhales and exhales from his cigar). You’ll tell your

grandchildren I purged the motherland of vermin.

PIT I … have to go, there’s … a show on.

MÁÑEZ Calm down, you still have time. You have my permission to arrive a few

minutes late.

PIT It’s just that … there are a lot of people down there. It’s going to take me

some time … to cross the street to … the theater and … they won’t start

until I … arrive.

MÁÑEZ You are what you are, but nobody can beat you at being professional …

PIT I … like to be there a bit early … you know … to get everything ready.

MÁÑEZ And what do you spend the money on? Whores?

PIT No.

MÚÑEZ God knows what you do with it. Do you send it to the village?

PIT I’ve been doing that … now for …

MÁÑEZ Pardon, for how long?

PIT Almost … a year.

MÁÑEZ I see. ( Pit does not answer; he wants to leave). I don’t care what you do,

as long as you, as el Generalísimo says … You know who I’m talking

about, don’t you?

1

PIT I think … I do … well, more or less … People talk a lot about … him.

That … short man with his moustache … who likes reservoirs…

Mañez smiles

MÁÑEZ Him, yes, follow the orders of that little but great man el Generalísimo.

You should do what he does: not get involved in politics. If we just

followed his advice these things wouldn’t be happening and you and I

wouldn’t be talking here, on this roof, hunting down undesirable

elements. Listen to me, we still have a long way to go if we want to re-

build this nation that a few wanted to sink in poverty. There’s more to it

than just purging it of vultures, as some think, but together, and with your

help … What do you call this (the shotgun), I always forget?

PIT Sarasqueta.

MÁÑEZ That sounds Basque.

PIT I don’t know … It … was a gift from my uncle … a long time ago.

MÁÑEZ With the help of your Sarasqueta we’ll get there.

PIT (Imitating Dionysus, again) Okay! (He is going to leave.)

MÁÑEZ Just one more thing don’t think we’ll just forget about this bird he is a

big shot, smarter that the rest, that’s why he is one their leaders. Doesn’t

make any difference to me, he won’t escape us, I bet my balls he won’t.

Be ready! All right? As soon as I know something we’ll meet where we

always do and I’ll inform you. ( PIT agrees.) So you like my smell...

well, well.

PIT smiles; he knows a smile always pleases everyone. He leaves with

his briefcase. Máñez stares at him, puffs at his cigar and looks at his

favourite landscape: everything at his feet, under control.

1

4 DOWN: THE BOTTOM (ARSE) OF THE WORLD’S BOTTOM

Vidal, an old prompter, has switched on the table lamp and is browsing

through the book which is on the table. Next to him, he has put a small

packet. The performance has not started yet, the stage curtain is down.

The audience can be heard, starting to fill the stalls.

Theresa is going down the spiral staircase, already dressed as Paula.

She is carrying a bunch of daisies put in a small vase. She is taking the

steps in a rush, thinking that she is going to meet with Pit.

THERESA Vidal!

VIDAL Come, come, my sweet muse. What a surprise!

He stands up. They embrace each other warmly.

Regarding the flowers

Are they for me?

Theresa places them next to the book.

THERESA If I had known you were here, I would have brought some more. I just

wanted to see if they could bring a bit of happiness to this dump…

anyway… which way did you come in? I haven’t seen you passing

through the dressing room.

VIDAL My sweet Theresa… There are no secrets for me in this theatre.

THERESA Don’t tell me there are some secret doors leading to this place…

VIDAL …and secret passages, and a very handsome phantom who is longing for

actresses who are old enough to...

THERESA Don’t be silly…Listen, you look terrific, I still find you so young.

VIDAL How well can actresses lie… You are beautiful as always, slightly

slimmer, I still find you so gorgeous.

THERESA Honestly, I think you look really well, it is obvious, when you lead a

healthy life and do not even condescend to visit us once in a while…

VIDAL Don’t think that I didn’t want to… I have told you many times that

theatre is bad for health. Well…for some of us, we can’t help it...

THERESA Then why you haven’t dropped by since the season has started… you’re

such a bad friend… if you only knew how some of us have missed you…

VIDAL I was in the village, because of Wizner. Since I hadn’t been able to say

goodbye while he was alive, I did it by bringing him some things to his

1

grave. I owed him a proper visit. … And would you believe it… I did the

whole season there… until the cold started breaking my bones. Talking

of Wizner… Where the hell is Pit hiding?

THERESA That is what I would like to know. I came here to see him as well.

VIDAL How is he?

THERESA As usual. When I saw him for the last time, he still had this heart of gold.

And he is still so good.

VIDAL What is it that makes him so good?

THERESA What do you have on your dirty mind, you naughty boy! He is like a kid.

VIDAL A kid with a man’s body, don’t you forget it.

THERESA You know I was referring to everything that you have taught him. He is

almost as good a prompter as you are. You know how hard he finds it to

speak; however, he goes up and leans out of the box and his voice won’t

even quiver a little.

VIDAL (He is showing her a book). Do you see this book?

THERESA I discovered it a few days ago.

VIDAL You might find it difficult to believe, but this is the only one he has read

in his whole life. He knows it from cover to cover. Wizner told me he

taught Pit how to read with it. Obviously it is about hunting, the stories

of the hunters of the Russian steppe, nothing else. Every day his uncle

would make him read a few pages aloud. All his training comes from this

book. Nothing more is needed. That’s why I have no doubts that he will

be a good prompter.

THERESA He had the best teacher.

VIDAL I taught him four things. When good, old Wizner told me that he was

going to pass away and I should give his nephew a hand, I thought that a

storm was coming over me. When I saw Pit for the first time, I wondered

what the hell I could do with him. I know my village very well: it has

only given birth to simple and ignorant beasts. But Pit, because of what

he’s been through… The thing is that, at first, he might look dumb, but it

is misleading. He is a brain box, better than the two of us together.

THERESA And with such a good heart...

VIDAL He takes after his uncle in that…May he rest in peace.

THERESA I think I should go up and call the prompter in the wings.

1

VIDAL Something must have kept him busy. Don’t worry, he knows he needs to

be here half an hour before…

THERESA And he always is. Before make-up he is already down here to prepare his

things. I’ll go up there for a moment and be with you in a second. I don’t

go on stage until page ten.

VIDAL Don’t say anything. They won’t notice, and then he’ll skip the fat man’s

screams. What are you doing tonight?

THERESA You haven’t seen it at the entrance?

VIDAL No.

THERESA Well… how did you get in?

VIDAL Through the backstage. How would I otherwise…?

THERESA Liar, I would have seen you. (The elder man smiles). Three Top-Hats, but

you know the Skunk, we have taken four more plays of repertory and

alternate them. That’s when we don’t have to stay to rehearse in the

evening.

VIDAL That’s great. Don’t you ever forget that repertory is the prompter’s daily

bread. The day it ends, the cue card (prompter) will be the first on the

street, and our trade will have come to an end. So the more repertory, the

more work.

THERESA I am not complaining about it, Vidal, but you might know what kind of

repertory we are dealing with…

VIDAL Don Juan…

THERESA Can you imagine…

VIDAL For sure A Saint in the Hurry.

THERESA And the rest is more less the same, just to tell you that we withdrew

Passion Flower because the censors pulled a long face the day they saw

it in rehearsal. We’ll be on this diet for many years.

VIDAL What can we do about it?.

THERESA Put up with it. (She looks around and notices how squalid it all is). This

is the second time I’ve visited your ‘bottom’s bottom’. You chose a good

name for it.

VIDAL The bottom (arse) of the bottom’s end, yes my lady. Theatre is already

the world’s bottom, so this… You can imagine.

THERESA And for sure you made up Pit’s name as well .

1

VIDAL Nobody has made it up. Pit is his name .

THERESA Isn’t it a nickname?

VIDAL No, his uncle gave him that name when he rescued him from that damn

black cesspit. Hasn’t he told you about it?

THERESA You know that he doesn’t talk that much.

VIDAL Pit couldn’t be more than three years old. His mother must have left him

there, one of those shallow pits you see a lot of in the countryside. And

good, old Wizner, he told me this himself, one night, when he was

coming back from hunting, he heard something like a groan. He said it

seemed more like a meowing of a crying cat. And there was this kid,

frozen to death, with hardly any breath left to cry. Since Wizner has

always lived like a lone wolf; he took the kid to his house, looked after

him and, among other things, found him a name: Pit. Creativity was

never his forte. Thanks goodness he didn’t find him in a toilet, he might

have called him John. Who knows how long that poor kid had been lying

there. He could not speak for the following two years. He does really

well, considering the circumstances.

THERESA So… his uncle Wizner is not his real uncle.

VIDAL Winzer has been his uncle, his father, his teacher and his mother who

gave birth to him. The soil is for those who work it, don’t you agree?

THERESA Certainly. Now I understand why he feels so comfortable in this lion’s

den.

VIDAL It’s as good a place as any other. You get used to it after a while.

THERESA I hope he will like the daisies. (Pause). So, till Pit gets back, Princesa

theatre proudly presents his precious replacement, the best prompter in

Valencia! The best in Spain!

VIDAL Whose eyesight gets worse by the day, but I will manage. (Theresa gives

him a kiss on his forehead). And you, do you still see red?

THERESA In my own way…

VIDAL There are few of you left.

THERESA Still enough.

VIDAL Be careful, it is getting more and more dangerous.

THERESA I know Vidal, I know, but it is always better to do something than to sit

on our hands and do nothing.

1

VIDAL There isn’t much to do. This is more like a bad play still being staged

without anybody knowing why. So many of us would like to change it,

but the theatre manager doesn’t want to, and you end up giving it all up.

And it may reach a thousand performances or more.

THERESA God forbid it.

VIDAL No, the worst thing is that He is on his side.

THERESA And what is left from this old scatterbrained anarchist who turned my

head?

VIDAL The same that is left for everybody else: resignation, and dreams. I have

fought enough. Everything I loved has died on me or has been killed,

what am I going to tell you, you know it all, even a son. Now I believe

only in miracles.

THERESA You? Miracles?

VIDAL A miracle, there is an earthquake and… I don’t know why the hell, it

only swallows the fascists who live on the face of the Earth, and the rest

is left as if nothing has happened. Call it a dream if you want. I already

know that it is not going to happen but I need something to keep me

alive.

(Pause.)

THERESA Don’t think that I do that much, either, but I can always lend a hand.

(Pause. They smile and look at each other).

VIDAL The next staging…

THERESA A conference, the fifth I believe, but don’t take me too seriously, they

won’t let me get into any troubles, and might be even better if you don’t

know either. They’ve shrouded it in mystery, they are making

preparations. They say it’s better not to know a lot, in case they catch

you. The secret police are artists at making you squeal.. .

VIDAL Yeah, they could make you squeal La Traviata...

THERESA The most I manage to do is to pass information, if there is a chance to.

VIDAL That is good enough. And how do you get it?

THERESA Putting up with smells, among other things.

VIDAL Yeah. The Skunk.

THERESA You already know who eats the stage; he is like a termite. Just when you

left the Brigade paid him a visit. Now, we don’t have any more doubts,

2

he is one of them and uses theatre to do his wheeling and dealing. And

here I come in, you men loosen your tongues in bed. As you just said;

what can we do? We women have dynamite between our legs. (A bell

rings twice) Three minutes left.

VIDAL Well, I will start preparing myself.

(He is looking for a libretto of Three Top-Hats).

THERESA Then, is it true that there are secret passages here and…?

VIDAL A few. Do you really want to know about them?

THERESA Yes.

VIDAL You need to speak to him about it.

Pit has suddenly appeared, like a ghost. He has gotten rid of thebriefcase

and coat he had in the previous scene. He seems to have been running

the marathon. He coughs twice.

THERESA (After the fright.) Pit! I haven’t seen you coming down…! This time it

was you who scared me…!

PIT Was it the last call?

VIDAL You arrive on time, fellow; the first has just rung.

PIT Thank God…Hello…Theresa. Hello, Vidal… how are you?

VIDAL I’m fine. I’m fine, and you?

PIT Sweating…because of…the running around. (He does not know what to

do. He feels like hugging him. Vidal stands up and, after a brief gesture,

they hug.) Where…have you been?

VIDAL In the village, visiting your uncle.

PIT Are there any flowers?

Vic. All the time.

PIT Gertrude. I told her to go there every week…to put them.

VIDAL Smell! (Shows him the parcel of pastry on the table).

PIT Winds!

VIDAL From the chapel’s oven.

PIT Can’t find this pastry in Valencia

[He looks at Theresa. Sees the flowers]

THERESA I have brought you these flowers.

PIT They are…very nice.

2

VIDAL I will go upstairs. Got a lot of people to say hello to. I’ll be back in a

moment.

PIT In the interval. And we shall eat all the winds.

VIDAL kisses THERESA. He wants to go upstairs but stops after looking

at her. He tells PIT...

VIDAL Theresa is reliable. And I am too old for this stuff.

(He leaves through a side door, we hear the sound of a door opening,

door which is concealed among heaps in the basement)

THERESA This basement is quite something. (PIT smiles.)

PIT Nobody knows about it... practically.

[A long ring. The last call. Show is about to begin. Pit takes the libretto]

Thirteen pages.

THERESA Enough for us to have a little chat.

PIT I have to…follow the text.

(In the corner of the stage that we can see, the curtain goes up and light

comes through. We hear some applause from the audience when the

actors playing Mr. Rosary and Dionysos enter.)

MR. ROSARY'S VOICE Come in, Dionysos. We have put your luggage in this

room here.

DIONYSOS' VOICE Well, it is a very nice room, Mr. Rosary.

(Dialogue continues. Pit is hidden under the shell, following the text.

Theresa, by the stairs, whispers...)

THERESA These two never mess it up.

PIT Just in case. Don Manuel may forget, he is…very old.

THERESA Definitely not. I’ve known him for quite a long time

PIT And Tony?

THERESA That bighead? He has the brains of a toad but the memory of an elephant.

[Pause] I have to talk to you. Now. I’m sorry.

(Pit looks at Theresa and realises she’s going through bad times. He

goes down a couple of steps to get closer to her. He wants to follow the

performance and look into her eyes. Impossible.) I need you.

PIT Me?

THERESA Yes. I need you to do me a favour, a really big one.

PIT What favour?

2

THERESA That you hide a friend.

PIT A friend…

THERESA Yes.

PIT Your boyfriend.

THERESA No.

PIT You…like him a lot.

THERESA Yes.

PIT But he is not your boyfriend.

THERESA No!

PIT Your…brother…

THERESA I said he’s a friend, a very special one. Don’t you ask me any questions,

please!

[Pause]

PIT Hide him?

THERESA Yes.

PIT He can come to the hostel…with me… As for Mrs. Remedy…

probably…she won’t mind.

THERESA No, I don’t mean that type of hiding-place. It would be a suicide for

everyone, and I don’t want this to affect you, either. What I want is, that

you hide him here. For sure there must be a corner for him to stay. This is

full of twists and turns.

PIT Of what?

THERESA Of places where he could spend some days while...

PIT What?

THERESA If we don’t hide him now, he won’t be able to hide ever again, I think.

PIT And why does he want to hide? Has he done anything wrong?

THERESA No! Quite the contrary.

PIT …

THERESA He is a good guy and is fighting for freedom, for all of us…

PIT For me?

THERESA For you as well.

PIT But I am…free.

THERESA There are many kinds of freedom, Pit. One day you will understand.

[Pause]

2

PIT All right.

THERESA I knew I could count on you.(As PIT is looking at the stage she kisses him

slightly in the back of his neck)

PIT When?

THERESA Tomorrow, or the day after. Right now he is going here and there, trying

to cover his tracks. They are dogging his heels.

PIT Who?

THERESA Please, don’t make it any harder for me. You are better off not knowing,

okay?

PIT Okay.

THERESA I will let you know

PIT You will…let me know. I will look for a...twist and turn for him…there

in the back.

THERESA You are such a sweatheart! […She shows him a scarf before leaving]

Look. (Pit turns round and sees it. She puts it round her neck) I found it

on my dressing table a while ago. The latest gift from Skunk, I suppose:

it suddenly appeared. If he goes on that way, he’ll go bankrupt. It is made

of Chinese silk.

PIT You are…very beautiful.

THERESA You think so?

PIT Without the scarf…you are…also…very beautiful.

THERESA That is how you see me, as a good friend that you are.

PIT Yes. (She smiles at Pit’s innocence. PIT smiles back. He goes back up the

two steps. She is about to leave.)

THERESA You are lovable, Pit. Very much so.

(He pretends not to be listening, but a shiver goes up his spine. On stage,

Mr. Rosary is still looking after his customer. Some laughs can be heard

from the audience. THERESA goes up the spiral staircase. She stops for

a few seconds to open the trap-door that closes the basement. PIT turns

round and looks at her lovely calves magically lit by two beams coming

from above. The prompter tries to concentrate on the text. It is getting

darker in the basement. Last thing to disappear are Theresa’s legs.

Action continues on stage, light is getting brighter. Dialogues mix with

cheerful music coming from the gramophone because we are now in the

2

ball, way into the party opening the second act. We see Theresa’s calves

again, now dancing on stage, now moving away, leaving room for the

actress playing Fanny.)

FANNY'S VOICE Come on , you stupid fool.

AGED SOLDIER'S VOICE Oh, how funny, how graceful you are, pretty Miss.

(Military boots come very close to the high heels dancing charleston. The

old soldier treads on a dead rabbit the hunter has just left there.

Playwright’s originality. The soldier kicks the rabbit. The basement is lit

again. VIDAL is next to PIT. They watch the party. Pit holds the libretto

with one hand and nibbles the pastry he has in the other one. Vidal and

Pit are also having a party)

VIDAL We shall know them by their calves. The book of Adam, first versicle,

final chapter. Calves are the women’s thermometer. Bear that in mind.

Consider this. Look. [Calves of the actresses pass by in front of them]

The Claramount: nothing special. Look a bit further up the heel. What do

you see?

PIT Some little holes.

VIDAL Weakness. Too bony, no class, ungraceful. What else do you see?

PIT I…don’t know.

VIDAL Colour.

PIT White.

VIDAL There are a lot of types of white: they can be pale white, purple white,

cinnamon white or…even…like snow. Did you know that Eskimos can

tell apart I don’t know how many types of colour in the snow?

PIT In the Negral woods there are as well lots of colours in the soil, and

foreigners can’t see them.

VIDAL So, you have to learn to recognise the colours of your actresses’ calves.

That’s quite important. Like snow, or the ochre of the Negral woods.

Then…which white?

PIT White…white

2

VIDAL Fine. That means bad tempered and fussy. Run away. Don’t trust her.

Danger. She looks as if butter would not melt in her mouth but she’ll end

up sucking your blood.. Get away. Let’s go to another. That one:

PIT Madame Olga. Felicity Espuch.

VIDAL I will start: athletic and mature.

PIT And they’ve got blue dots.

VIDAL That’s right, you are learning. Actually, they have lost a bit of their

lushness, but still she is the same female. Look how perfectly they

contrast with the instep, as it should be. If I told you half the story: she

has had the whole company; male, that is. I was first. Those calves, still

full of life; no matter how many varicose veins they have.The best

merchandise; kind and generous all in one. Reliable. The Espuch! (It’s

Teresa's turn now) Teresa, Teresa my dear. Let’s see.

PIT: ...Beautiful.

VIDAL: Obviously. They are like an open book.

PIT: You, Vidal, you …you know… something’s happening to me.. I don’t

know how to..

VIDAL: You feel a tickling rising from the stomach. When I was young this

happened to me as well.

PIT: And also down here. Here.

Vidal looks at Pit's crotch and bursts out laughing, and then puts his

hand over his mouth so that they won't hear him upstairs. Pit swallows

up the piece of 'wind' he had left, and puts his now free hand over his

crotch

VIDAL: That’s wild, son. That’s already another story. Step on the break, boy,

cool down.

PIT: This … only happens … with Teresa's calves..

VIDAL: And when a slut comes on stage without her knickers on?

PIT: Without her knickers on?

2

VIDAL: Don’t you tell me you haven’t noticed?

PIT: Not me ...no. I don’t look above the …knee…

VIDAL: Look above, son, look above. It’s worth it. What a great show you’ll see!

But, of course they are doing it for us. They know that we’re the only ones who have

access to their hidden… treasures. And, as well, that’s their way of saying they want

some butter.

PIT: Butter?

VIDAL: In a figurative sense.

PIT: Oh yeah...! I understood it right… butter. (He makes a pubic movement

innocently. Vidal smiles)

VIDAL: The problem is when two of them leave their knickers in the dressing-

room at the same time. Or three. Then a choice has to be made. And you have to pay

attention to the text, don’t forget that either. And they say we don't work hard. You'll

find out.

PIT: In my case...it only happens with… Teresa.

VIDAL: It has struck you hard, hmmm? It will go away.

PIT: No. (He still tries to cover his crotch with his hand.)

VIDAL: You don’t have to be ashamed. Some kind of privilege we as prompters

should have, don’t you think?

PIT: Tell me about… her calves. I… like it. Teach me.

VIDAL: Rosy, tight, rising curve… you can't even imagine what that means…

PIT What?

VIDAL Her tits stick out. They are not hanging down. Did you get to meet

Fuensanta in our village? (Pit nods affirmatively) That woman could read

2

the lines of your palms like no one else. I read women's calves. Believe

me. I don’t make mistakes.

PIT: I want you to teach me.

VIDAL: Time will teach you.

PIT: Go on.

VIDAL: Where were we?

PIT: With her...

VIDAL: Right, exactly, that they don’t hang down, you bet!

PIT: More.

VIDAL: She’s intelligent and sensitive, even though she’s a little stubborn.

Passionate, very passionate. (Pit is so absorbed that he does not realise

that someone on stage is asking for a prompt. Vidal helps and the scene

continues. Pit takes the libretto and tries to follow the text.) Now you

have to tell me something about Teresa's calves. It’s your turn, tell me

something, the first thing that comes to your mind. And so we get to the

end with this lesson.

PIT: (Still looking at the libretto.) Marzipan.

VIDAL: It’s true; they are edible. Tell me more.

PIT: One morning hunting.. in springtime…my dog Chufa by my side… and

the sun rising slowly… through the wickerwork.

VIDAL: Not bad, not bad at all. Boy, you’re a hunter with balls.

PIT: Yes.

VIDAL: When I was in the casino in our village, I saw a photo of you with your

dog and Wizner… the day they gave you the prize. You weren’t more

than 15 years old and already a first-rate hunter. You look like Buffalo

2

Bill after having killed a hundred buffalos. I imagine you miss that... the

hunting, I mean. In Valencia there are good hunters as well… you could

go out with one of them one day.

PIT: I… I’m already doing that, Vidal, I am.

VIDAL: And where do you go to?

PIT: I don’t know, high, real high.

(Pause. The second act continues. Vidal takes out a silver necklace and

wants to give it to Pit.)

VIDAL I’d forgotten this. A woman I met by chance at the graveyard gave it to

me to hand it over to you when I saw you again.

PIT: What was she like?

VIDAL: Tall… mourning for someone.. and she never looked into your eyes, just

like you.

PIT: Keep it. I… I don’t want it.

VIDAL: Do you know her?

PIT: Slightly.

VIDAL: She could be your mother..

PIT: My… mother was called… Wizner.

(Vidal puts the necklace back into his pocket. Pit goes on to the next

page. He looks serious now. It is getting dark in the box. Voices and

noise decrease gradually. Dionysos is ending his monologue.)

DIONYSOS’ VOICE: …I want somebody to tell me why this black man is

sleeping in my bed! I don’t know why this black man or this bearded

woman have come in here…!

PAULA’S VOICE: Dionysos! Toninii! What are you doing?

2

DIONYSOS’ VOICE: I’ve been talking to this fiend of mine. I’m not Tonini, and

I’m not this dead kid… I don’t know you… I don’t know anybody…

Bye… good night…

(The audience applauds, not very enthusiastically, when Dionysos leaves

the stage, and you can hardly hear Paula/Theresa's voice trying to stop

him. The gramophone plays music again, which dissolves with the final

applause as the lights go out on the stage of the Theatre Princesa. This

darkness coincides with the lighting of the box below. Mañez is standing,

has just switched on the light, and looks at Pit sleeping on the sofa. The

prompter opens his eyes. Mañez is wiping off some lipstick marks and a

couple of slightly bleeding scratches with the scarf Theresa showed him

earlier.)

MAÑEZ: I knew I’d find you here.

PIT: What... happened to you?

MAÑEZ: You see, you can’t trust pussy cats. First they are flattering and cuddly

and at the slightest neglect, zap, they stick out their claws...

PIT: (He stands up.) I... have fallen asleep.

MAÑEZ: The show finished two hours ago. There’s nobody left upstairs. (He can

see leftovers of ‘winds’ strewn on the table.) this place looks more and

more like a pigsty. (Pit starts tidying up.) Business: Tomorrow. At about

10pm. The wise guy is apparently more stupid than I believed.

PIT: But… at 10… there’s a performance.

MAÑEZ: Forget it. I’ve been talking to Vidal and he’ll replace you. First things

first.

PIT: You know.. I've never missed a…

3

MAÑEZ: Damn, Pit, it’s almost two o'clock and I’m not in a mood for silly jokes.

I’m talking to you about something that has to do with the security of the

state and you worry about a fucking show… Tell me what the heck do I

have to do so that you’ll understand. (Pause.) – Tomorrow – Bang. And

let’s move on, with one asshole less getting on our nerves. The same guy

who was joking about us will bite the dust this evening, crushed like a

rat. There are still some who refuse to accept defeat, as if they couldn’t

admit the success of our glorious uprising. Well, they have been asking

for it. (Pause.) I’m just asking you to shoot the way you always do,

nothing else. (Pit looks dumbly.) All right?

PIT: All… right. (Pause.) There is… still some blood on… your face.

(Máñez touches his lip with his index finger and then puts it in his mouth.

He tastes it.)

MAÑEZ: Tastes great mixed with lipstick. (Throws the scarf on the floor.) And

now you’ve got to listen well: Don’t take your eyes off the Hotel

Metropol. You already know where the exit is, right? (Pit nods.) We do it

like we always do. I come out first and light a cigar. And then – let’s say

fifteen seconds, no more: -the prey. This time we can’t let him escape.

You’re too good a hunter to let such a lousy prey escape. (Pit nods.)

Good boy. Even though you don’t understand anything you are doing a

great service to your country son. There are heroes in History books with

capital letters: Franco, El Cid,… but for other people like you and me

there are only footnotes; however, Destiny, God and, in one word, the

History of this crusade in capital letters will appreciate it. Do you get the

picture?

3

PIT: No.

MAÑEZ: Action speaks louder than words.

PIT: This... I do understand... I guess.

MAÑEZ: Then you do understand everything. (Pit leaves through where Vidal has

left earlier.) At 10. Piece of cake. Moles to Mañez, ha, let them come!

Afterwards return to the theatre, real cool. Easy man, no need to rush.

Surely you’ll be back before the show’s over. And if you wish, you can

take over from the old guy and that's it.

PIT: (Pit is back with his briefcase. He smiles.) I’ll be back... at the end of the

second act.

MAÑEZ: Of course, dude, of course. That’s the way I like it. (A couple of taps on

his shoulder.) Any further questions? (Pit nods `no') You won’t let me

down now, right? (Pit insists: ‘no’) I’ve always trusted you. (Pause.)

You lock the doors. I’m dead tired. (Mañez puts into his mouth half a

‘wind’ that was left on the table.) Fuck, they taste good these...

PIT: Winds… they… are called.. winds.

MAÑEZ: Winds? My god – you village people, are strange? See you tomorrow.

(Pit sees him leave through the false door. He picks up Theresa's scarf

and smells it.)

3

5 ABOVE: ONE OWL, TWO SHOTS

A very similar picture to the beginning, being composed gradually as the Town Hall

clock strikes ten. Bright and cold night. Pit is above, facing the audience, shotgun is

fixed, left leaning on the edge of the rooftop. Focuses binoculars on a specific point

towards the door of the restaurant and waits for a few seconds. He coughs. We

hardly hear any city sounds: a car, a lost voice, people entering or leaving the

station… He looks at the clock: on the dot. He blows steam towards the stars as if it

were Mañez smoking. He pretends to be smoking a cigar. More steam. Cough.

Something draws his attention: the time has come. He leaves the binoculars and

takes the shotgun. Regulates the telescopic sight and does ‘bang!’ with his mouth.

He smiles.

He does it again: ‘bang, bang!’

He unfastens the safety catch. He is serious now, stone-faced. He waits for ten

seconds. He breathes deeply, balances his shoulder, presses the shot gun suitably

against it. He starts pointing down and raises it a few centimetres.

He shoots once.

Again.

He leaves his shotgun and picks up his binoculars to check that he hit his target.

More steam, he sees it go up to the stars and realises he must hurry if he wants to be

on time.

He starts dismantling his Sarasqueta very skilfully and putting all its pieces in his

briefcase. Below we here a distant rumour: surprise for a death that will never

reach the newspapers.

It gets dark while Pit finishes fitting the pieces of his puzzle. It is a puzzle.

3

6DOWN: DOWN BELOW

The second act is over. In the interval, Vidal is snoozing in one corner of

the sofa, hugging the libretto. Pit arrives, coming in through the hidden

door, and he has time to put away the briefcase, put still has his coat, cap

and gloves on. Very carefully he takes the libretto from Vidal’s hands

and goes towards his working post. He is looking for the page where they

have stopped. Vidal wakes up.

VIDAL You could have gone straight to the hostel. (Pit hangs his clothes on the

hanger.) You must be tired. I did not even have to mutter a thing.

PIT And the new one?

VIDAL Terrible, but she knows the text (Pause.) And work?

PIT Fine.

VIDAL The boss told me he had taken you on.

PIT Yes.

VIDAL Extra money, isn’t it?

PIT Extra…money.

VIDAL They haven’t called from above yet, we still have a couple of minutes.

But leave that libretto and look into my eyes. Some day you will have to

start looking face to face.

PIT It is… difficult for me. (He tries helplessly to look into Vidal’s eyes.)

VIDAL I am not that boar…

PIT He told you.

VIDAL Nothing you should be ashamed of. I asked him if he knew why you were

always with your head down. That’s no good, Pit, no good, you know

how much I like you. That’s how cowards look at you, or people who

have something to hide. You are not one of those. And he told me. He

told me that animal would have killed you if he hadn’t been by your side.

You couldn’t shoot at it, and it was coming straight towards you. Wizner

kept on screaming ‘shoot, shoot!’. And you didn’t.

PIT That animal was looking straight into my eyes… and it hurt.

VIDAL What hurt?

PIT Death. It was written all over it.

3

(In its eyes. In the boar’s. Pit raises his head to show him, but lowers it

again.)

VIDAL Well, if your uncle had not pulled the trigger, you would not be here

now, telling me about it.

PIT Yes.

VIDAL Some of us haven’t got death written in our eyes, son.

PIT I… know. (Pit looks restless.)

VIDAL All right. All right. Cool off, look at what you wish, as far as I’m

concerned. I suppose what you do is normal. I also did it.

PIT (Surprised.) You did?

VIDAL Of course. How do you expect to survive with the shit they pay here to do

this. How could I have fed my family otherwise? We all earn a living

where we can or are allowed to.

PIT Where… we can.

VIDAL I was always with the odd job here and there. In the theatre: helping with

the stage, giving the attrezzo people a hand, in the booking office,

wherever. In the end you learn a bit of everything, you know, in the

theatre, jack of all trades. Don’t let that happen to you, Pit, don’t let them

push you around. If he wants to, he can make you work, but he must pay

for it. Otherwise, you’ll be his fool most of the time. We are artists.

Remember lesson number one.

PIT Yes. At… the door of…

VIDAL That’s it, I took you there. You were trembling when we got to that door

and I told you to read:

PIT ‘Artists’

VIDAL And I told you…

(It’s like a memory game. Pit enjoys it.)

PIT ‘Go in’.

VIDAL Those of us who go through that door are all the same, whether it is the

usherette, the director, the first lady or the stage hand.

PIT Everybody?

VIDAL Even us.

PIT The prompters.

VIDAL At that moment the Skunk was walking by and then…

3

PIT Also Mañez?

VIDAL The exception to prove the rule, son. I don’t think you understood that.

PIT Now… I do

VIDAL That’s it. You are an artist. And don’t let him push you around.

PIT He pays me well.

VIDAL The Skunk pays you well?

PIT Yes.

VIDAL That’s strange. To do the odd job?

PIT We go out… hunting.

VIDAL At night.

PIT It depends… also during the day… or in the evening.

VIDAL If one feels peckish at any time of the day…

PIT Yes.

VIDAL Here. (He is going to give him some money.) They gave me this for the

bracelet. I was not going to throw it into the dustbin…

PIT I don’t want it, keep it.

VIDAL I need the money; you can’t imagine how little I get from the union’s

pension… artists union… what the fuck… If they knew what a union is,

and what an artist is. So don’t tell me twice…

PIT Keep it, keep it… (He smiles.) I said it… twice.

(The old man smiles as well and keeps the money. Pause. The third act is

going to begin. Pit is getting ready. Vidal remembers something

important.)

VIDAL Bloody memory. Teresa has been here. She must be the only one who

knew about the replacement. She had to talk to you right away, she was

very nervous with all her business. I told her you might come back for

the final act, and she told me that if you got here before it started, you

should walk up to the shell while it was still dark.

(Pit goes up the step. There is no light yet on stage. In the darkness we

see Teresa leaning on the shell and whispering.)

THERESA Vidal! Has Pit arrived?

PIT I am here, Teresa. What are you…doing there? We are going to… start

now!

3

THERESA I’ve told the stage hands to give me a minute. I have no time to spare, Pit,

listen, it is very important. Tonight, once the show is over. At the artists

door.

VIDAL Wow!

THERESA What?

VIDAL A private joke of ours.

THERESA He has a beard and will be carrying a small bag. Here is a photograph of

him; it is a bit blurred, though. Attention to the coat: he’ll be wearing the

same one. (She shows the photograph to him. He takes it.) Hide it well.

In a few days I’ll visit you. God, be very careful, Pit. They are looking

for him everywhere.(Theresa crawls back and hides under a bed. From

there she raises her voice high enough so that Pit can hear her.) Pit!

PIT What?

The gramophone starts playing on stage.

THERESA I like you a lot!

Music plays louder and light comes in. The angle of vision of the stage

allows us to go on seeing Teresa's body, who is now Paula, once

Dionysos tries to hide her under his bed away from Buby's pressure.

Theresa sends Pit a kiss with her hand.

Mr. Rosary screams off stage.

MR. ROSARY'S VOICE Dionysos! Dionysos! Open, it's me! I am Mr. Rosary! I am

Mr. Rosary!

DIONYSOS' VOICE I am coming.

Theresa smiles from her hiding place while the dialogue between

Dionysos and his future father-in-law takes place. Pit follows the text. He

has trouble keeping his eyes away from the girl. Vidal comes close.

VIDAL Has Mañez told you about the tour?

PIT What tour?

VIDAL The tour. You're going on tour.

PIT Where?

VIDAL Don't know; north, I think. Your first tour, the best.

PIT When?

VIDAL After this weekend. I envy you.

PIT Why?

3

VIDAL Because for a prompter there's nothing better. In that moment they can't

do without us. You're going with a repertoire: in the afternoon you do one

play, and in the evening you might do another one. Day after day. And

that's when their memory starts going, and we come in. They know they

are lost without us. You'll tell the difference.

PIT How?

VIDAL They look at you in a different way. You stop being the last shit; now

you are valuable. Bloody well think so. And there's the odd allowance. And

the hostels.

PIT The... hostels.

VIDAL At night, after the show. Not always, because sometimes you'll be

travelling, or you'll spend the night at the station and you won't have time

for a stop; but when you do stop, you stop well. And however mucky the

hostel may be, there's always time for... For...

PIT Yes... butter. In a figurative sense.

VIDAL That's it, butter. You'll have more than you ever dreamt of. Keep an eye

on the knickers. On those who don't wear them, I mean. And remember

what I told you.

PIT I... don't...

VIDAL Who knows, Pit, who knows.

Pit looks at Theresa and then at the photograph for the first time. It

reminds him of something. On the cyclorama, inside the circle, we see

the tail end of a coat. Theresa looks at Pit and sometimes plays jokes on

him making faces underneath. The space between both prompters goes

dark. We then see Theresa's face, which looks doubtful. She doesn't know

why she feels so sad. The picture disappears and the dialogue continues

after it goes completely dark.

3

7 DOWN FIRST AND FINAL ACT

Without hardly any pause the telephone rings on stage, which is being

progressively lit. We are back at the end of act one, in the performance of

the following day.

VOICE OF DIONYSUS It’s Margaret!

PAULA/ THERESA Do you want to come in?

VOICE OF DIONYSUS No.

There’s an untimely pause, silence that should not be there. Theresa’s

voice has no brightness, she somehow feigns the fact that she can no

longer be funny Paula.

PAULA/ THERESA Come in, we are inviting you, we’ll have a pleasant time.

VOICE OF DIONYSUS I’m tired…No.

More silence, Paula cannot follow the pace of the dialogue. The prompt

box is lit and we see pit prompting, trying to help Theresa. He is wearing

a different shirt from the last scene, and his coat has vanished from the

hanger.

PIT Anyway, anyway we’re not going to let you sleep! Anyway!

Still more silence mixed with a buzz from the disapproving audience.

Vidal turns up with a small bag with groceries. He approaches Pit, too

worried about what is happening on stage. Paula finally gets started.

PAULA/ THERESA Anyway, we’re not going to let you sleep!

Pit sighs with relief. he coughs, closes the booklet and follows Theresa’s

dialogue by heart

VIDAL What a nice projection, I always said you were going to be one of the

finest prompters. And the stressing, perfect. I’ve come to say goodbye.

Tomorrow you’re closing down, right?

Pit keeps on looking worried at the stage.

VOICE OF DIONYSUS I’m tired.

PAULA/ THERESA Come in, I am asking you to... Be nice, please.

Pit says every one of Paula’s words and Theresa follows his lead

hypnotically

3

PIT/ THERESA Buby is here, Buby annoys me. If you come in it will be

different with you. I’ll be pleased , I’ll always be pleased with you!

Would you like to?

VOICE OF DIONYSUS Fine, alright.

A door closes on stage, we hear a phone ringing, some scarce applause

while the curtain comes down.

VIDAL You know this by heart, don’t you?

PIT Only…Theresa’s lines.

VIDAL All of her repertoire? (Pit nods. he has not changed his position, still

looking at the stage.) I have come to say goodbye. I’ve brought some

biscuits, my wife made them for you. They’ll keep fresh during the tour.

(Pit hardly pays any attention to him.) Damn it, Pit, would you stop that

for a second?

PIT Something’s wrong…with her, something’s wrong with her.

VIDAL There’s nothing wrong with her, she is just looking forward to being on

tour, just like everybody else.

PIT The tailor… upstairs ….at the entrance …. told me that…they are taking

her to Madrid. They say that…that….that she is going to play an

important role at the Teatro Circo.

VIDAL That’s a big thing.

PIT Young dame.

VIDAL With the Ladrón de Guevara lady?

PIT I think so.

VIDAL Well then, don’t go on. That’s what’s wrong with her, no need to be

worried.

PIT It’s like…it is the first time I have had to... prompt her.

VIDAL And the guy?

PIT Who?

VIDAL You hid him over there between the jelly and the lamps…No one could

ever find him, that’s for sure. (He searches for him there.)

PIT You mean Theresa’s friend? He is not here.

VIDAL Has he already left?

PIT No.

4

Theresa walks down the stairs, she looks very affected. She embraces

Vidal.

VIDAL Congratulations, baby. Are you going to Madrid?

THERESA (She is about to cry.) It seems as if everybody knows but me. Skunk has

been telling everyone and the only thing I know is that he has already

found a substitute for me but he never said a single word to me.

VIDAL It must be true then, little Theresa. You’ll see; he’ll be waiting till

today’s performance is over to tell you.

THERESA But I don’t want that pig to talk to me ever again.

VIDAL That’s life in show business. You’re very talented and I’m sure that

fascist pinches his commission percentage. But there is no need to get in

a state either, you don’t have to be afraid, sooner or later you’ll get to the

top. Madrid, get ready to find out what a great actress she is!

THERESA Vidal, that’s not why I am feeling that way…

(She cannot stand it any longer. She starts crying)

VIDAL Darling, you should be jumping up and down in delight …is there

anything we can do for you?

THERESA Not any more. You know? Maybe you’re right and there is nothing that

can be done now, but I think I’ll keep on trying. I’m sorry, would you

leave me alone with Pit, please?

VIDAL Sure, no problem. No need to apologise. (To Pit.) There you have the

cookies. Pit, I’m going upstairs for a moment.

He leaves. Pit gives Theresa a scarf, the same one Mañez dropped.

THERESA Thanks. (She recognises the scarf) Where did you get the scarf from?

PIT I found it…on the floor. It no longer has any blood on it.

He helps her wipe her tears.

THERESA Did you have to wait for a long time?

PIT Till dawn. (He coughs again)

THERESA It was very cold last night.

PIT A…a little.

THERESA Bloody damp. (Pause.) You don’t have to go back to wait for him.

PIT But…we are leaving…the day after tomorrow…Tonight I can still…

THERESA Not tonight, not any other time. (Pause. Theresa, with her watery eyes,

looks at Pit who, for the first time, looks up at her and keeps on staring.

4

Theresa notices this and smiles with relief.) A few morons, such as us,

are still dreaming, but they abruptly wake us up on time. However, I’ve

come down to thank you, I know I could count on you and I know that

wherever I am I’m going to miss you. I swear I would love to go on tour

with you…

PIT So, it’s true then…that you are leaving?

THERESA I’ll go some place, I guess. Though I have thought of sending everything

packing and just quit this god damned job for good, this could be my big

chance right now as well. I know it’s not going to happen. Like Vidal

says, theatre is dangerous for one’s health, but some of us just can’t live

without it. And that is why I have to put up with the Skunk….

otherwise…

PIT I am not going to…see you any more.

THERESA If that’s what you think…you’re not going to lose sight of me that easily.

If Madrid does work out, I imagine it will only be for a season and then

I’ll be back . They say that Amparo Ribelles has left for Mexico, maybe I

have to replace her for a few months. I’m really drawn to this place and

sooner than you think you’ll be back prompting for me as the Princesa

like today. Thank you, Pit. If it had not been for you, I would never have

known how to get over this. I went blank. (Pause)

PIT You…loved him.

THERESA Yes. Many of us loved him, that’s why...

PIT What?

THERESA They got rid of him. Two shots, right in the center. (A bell rings.) I need

to get back upstairs to put some make-up on, I must look like shit.

PIT No. You’re…like always.

THERESA Take it. (She gives him the scarf back.)

PIT No…it’s yours.

THERESA I don’t want anything from that nutcase.

PIT Keep it, please…do it…for me.

He notices she is wearing the ring

THERESA I didn’t have time to sell it.

PIT No, don’t sell it… it suits you…

4

THERESA I’ll think about it, something tells me I shouldn’t get rid of it, but I don’t

know why. And don’t worry about the prompting. (She is going to leave,

she kisses him in the cheek.) Thanks a lot, Pit. (Vidal walks in.) You’re

the best in this theatre.

VIDAL Do you feel any better?

THERESA Yes, far better.

VIDAL The stage manager is searching for you high and low.

THERESA I’m going. See you tomorrow…

(Pause)

PIT Tomorrow is… our… last performance

She goes up the stairs, with the hurry of someone who doesn’t want to

say one’s goodbyes.

VIDAL With those calves, Madrid will bow down at her feet. Hey, Pit…

Pit doesn’t say a word; he can’t get the image of Theresa out of his mind.

VIDAL You know what I’ve just realized?

PIT What?

VIDAL That you’re an idiot! If you look in Theresa’s eyes…

PIT Yes?

But Vidal doesn’t answer, he looks down and, at the same time, the

gramophone begins to play. On stage, the audience applauds the

beginning of the second act. It’s getting dark in the prompt box. Dark for

hardly two seconds; the stage is lit again, with a darker atmosphere. Pit

comes back in his place, in the prompt box.

Meanwhile, Vidal, sitting at the table, is reading a segment of the book

and eating a cookie. The performance is coming to an end.

MR. ROSARY’S VOICE Go out, quickly, Dionysos.

DIONYSOS’ VOICE Yes! I’m going now…

MR. ROSARY’S VOICE No, no, in front of me… I’m staying behind you, waving

the flag with one hand and blowing the trumpet.

DIONYSOS’ VOICE It’s just that… I want to say farewell, you know…

MR. ROSARY’S VOICE To say farewell to the room? Don’t worry! In hotels,

rooms are always the same. They never leave memories.

Let’s go, let’s go Dionysos

4

DIONYSOS’ VOICE It’s that… Farewell.

MR. ROSARY’S VOICE Glory to love and flowers, lily bud!

We can see mr. Rosary’s and Dioniso’s feet coming in front of pit, and

then they disappear in the background of the stage. One second later, we

see Paula’s legs going in the same direction, but then, they come back.

Far away, mr. Rosary’s trumpet is heard, playing a military march.

Paula/Theresa leans down enough to let us see that, improvising, she has

taken a top hat and she throws it at the sounding-board, as if she were

aiming at a big basket. At the same time she makes a spectacular

‘alehoop’ to the audience, with a wink for Pit whom, despite the fact that

the action was unexpected, had been able to catch the hat in flight.

The curtain falls. The theatre is full of applause.

The company comes back for an encore.

In front of the prompt box, a row of legs stand in front of the enthusiastic

audience.

Pit shows the hat to Vidal but he is too focused on his book to see it, so

pit goes to him and put the hat on his head.

VIDAL And, this?

PIT A gift… from Theresa…

VIDAL That girl is making up new things every day! Poor girl… she doesn’t

know that her fight is already lost. Damned stubbornness.

Pause. The applause continues.

VIDAL It seems that, after all, people did like the performance.

He takes off the hat and hangs it on the hat stand.

PIT Then… it was… like always.

VIDAL You know, I was reading the book, here, chapter 12, where they

explain…

PIT The three rules of a good hunter…

VIDAL That’s right

Remembering the text, he declaims without hesitating.

PIT First To feel your prey’s move and to share her time.

Second To breathe so deeply that you can feel her heartbeat.

4

And third The important thing is not to shoot but to aim, to aim as if you

could travel far away in one second till you’re in your prey.

VIDAL (PAUSE). You understand?

PIT What?

VIDAL They are the same rules as the prompter’s… The same rules I taught you

the first day… That Russian must have worked in a theatre before

becoming a hunter. Maybe it’s why you learned so fast, don’t you think,

scoundrel?

PIT It might be.

At this moment, Máñez is coming down the spiral staircase really slowly.

VIDAL The sooner I talk about him… I’d better go. I won’t come tomorrow,

I’ll have lots of things to do and I don’t want to disturb you…

PIT You don’t… disturb. (He takes the book and gives it to him.) Vidal, I

want you to… do me a favour… Before you leave… give it to Theresa,

leave it on table of… her dressing room, when she’s not there…

VIDAL Your book?

PIT Yes

(PAUSE)

VIDAL That is a gift…

It’s… the last…

Máñez is already next to them.

MÁÑEZ You, Vidal, once again here? I see you miss us!

VIDAL Not everybody, Mister Máñez, not everybody, but yes, as you know, this

place…, I do like it!

MÁÑEZ And you know that here, it will always be your home. How is the family

doing? All right?

VIDAL Yes, thank you very much. And work? I see that it is also all right!

MÁÑEZ I can’t complain here –I mean, out of the theatre – there is more work

than people think. You just have to search for it.

VIDAL Sure. I’m going now, I was here to say goodbye, for the tour.

MÁÑEZ Only for a few months.

He looks at Pit

4

VIDAL Take care of yourself, kid. And remember me when… the hidden

treasures… And don’t bother if they serve you butter for dinner! It suits

the body very well!

Pit laughs about their complicity. They hug.

VIDAL I’ll see you when you come back.

Vidal makes a slight sign of solidarity to Máñez and, as he does, leaves

coming up the stairway.

MÁÑEZ I see you are not so glad, son. It’s true you will have to work hard but

you will have a great time and you will learn a lot. I would gladly go

with you, but I have to stay here, ready to get down to the job. (He

smiles.) By the way, perfect. (He gives an envelope with money to him.

Pit takes it and puts it away). The other day, what can I say, it was, like

always! Chapeau, as the frogs say. Those above congratulated me, so it

means that I have to congratulate you. We’re a team. Spain is our club,

remember it. Just like Valencia. You’ve heard that they have won the

Generalissimo Cup! (Pit hasn’t understood, of course.) You live in

another world, son, in another world. You already know that I keep

thinking it’s less risky to aim at the head but, that’s ok, you should know

why you’re doing it like that.

PIT The face… no. I’ve never aim at… the face…

MÁÑEZ I’ve always thought that’s how the best do it, straight through the skull!

PIT I… aim… down... and I go up little by little… up till…

MÁÑEZ As you see, each genius has his way, as long as you keep working, with

the same dexterity, go ahead!

Pit begins to tidy up. The audience is already gone. He drags the

briefcase where he keeps the weapon from under the table and gives it to

Máñez.

PIT Take it. I don’t need it anymore.

MÁÑEZ Wait, son. It is just what I wanted to tell you about.

PIT Tomorrow… It’s our last performance…

MÁÑEZ There is time to do what I’m going to ask you to.

PIT No, there’s not…

MÁÑEZ Wait, Pit, wait. I am the one who gives orders here!

PIT It’s just that, I only want to prompt, here, at the theatre.

4

MÁÑEZ Sometimes I wonder if you’re really stupid or if you act as if you were!

PAUSE

Do you believe that what interests me is your gift for prompting? If you

weren’t that good with your rifle…

PIT …shotgun…

MÁÑEZ …you would still work here, as a prompter? Look at me, look at my

face… Damn, look at my face…(Pit doesn’t look at his face). Do you

think I’m interested in so much bullshit of theatre and all that load of

crap? I snap my fingers and I’ve got a lot of lazy men ready to go on

stage or to come here if I need it, like you. Can’t you see it? I can

replace the first actress from one day to another. And nothing. You’re

all replaceable. The last shit of the last mangy dog. You’re waste. Do

you understand that word? Twig it. I can replace you in the prompt box

whenever I want to. Tomorrow, if I’m in the mood. But you know,

upstairs, in the terrace, it’s there where you don’t have a replacement, fix

it in your mind. And thank God there is something above all this that

makes it putting up with all that shit. Do you know what it is? The

fatherland. Listen to that word and put it in your head for once.

Fatherland. And if the fatherland wants you to do something, you shut

up and do it, get it?

PIT I… it’s that… I don’t…

Máñez is losing his patience

MÁÑEZ Ok, it will be the last time, word of honour. Tomorrow. And you won’t

miss the last performance. You’ll be on time, I swear. Maybe you will

miss a small part, practically nothing. The performance of tomorrow will

be very special, and you already know that last performances come

always with lots of surprises.

PIT Surprises?

(He smiles)

MÁÑEZ Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Obey, period. (PAUSE) Or maybe

you’d rather forget all about it forever, I’ll put you on a train and send

you back to your village. And there, it will be over, for real.

PAUSE

PIT What… I want… is… to keep working at the theatre…

4

MÁÑEZ And you can!

PIT The last time, the last. Promise it.

MÁÑEZ You offend me if you don’t trust my word of honour.

PIT And after that, it’s over, no more… hunting… upstairs…

MÁÑEZ No more manhunt. This is just putting an end to it. We have already

broken their backs. Let’s say this time it’s more... personal.

PIT Personal…

MÁÑEZ And, if you want, when you come back from the tour, I promise you I

will go with you to the hunting reserve of a good friend of mine and there

you will have your partridges again, the true ones, the ones that fly.

(Pause) So you’re ok? You’re ok? (Pit sits down) At dusk. Of course, as

always. An easy job. This time it will be at the cinema exit. I’ll be there,

next to the prey. We will stand there, as if we were waiting for someone.

What he won’t be aware of is that we’ll be waiting for you. I will light a

cigar, as always. And I’ll go some meters away, as always. You count

up to 5 and bang! As always. You have to finish him off, bang, bang.

There may be more people than usual, it’s Sunday night. And sorry to

insist, I know you often do it, but, I repeat, sorry to insist: aim straight,

for God’s sake, aim as if there were no tomorrow. Any more questions?

PIT No (Pause.) And then, I`ll come back to the theatre.

MÁÑEZ And you go on and on... You’ll have plenty of time to get back… as long

as you do your best, that you certainly will: no mistakes. You can’t fail in

your farewell… what would they do without you at the princesa? Pit

gives up; takes the briefcase again. Good boy, pit, good boy.

It is getting dark while we can hear in the distance the sound of people

walking, a horn blowing: the sounds of a Sunday evening which takes us

to…

8UP: TWO PICTURES, ONE SHOT

4

It is possibly a far too beautiful evening, even to go out hunting. That is

what Pit thinks; he sees how the sun sets behind the buildings on the

right.

In one hand he holds the gun, all fixed up, and in the other he holds the

binoculars with which he is looking around where Mañez had told him.

Once in a while he looks back at the sun, shining on one of his sides.

The moment arrives. He puts down the binoculars and concentrates on

the gun, regulating its telescopic sight.

He breathes deeply.

He repeats the ritual: fits in the butt, unlocks the safety catch, aims

downwards and then slowly goes up.

But just when he starts moving upwards, even before he starts caressing

the trigger, there is something that makes him stop. He could never have

imagined what he is seeing.

We can see the cause of his surprise projected on the cyclorama. The

circle of the sight shows a pair of high-heeled shoes.

He focuses the sight far more thoroughly, if possible. He raises the gun a

few centimetres. The picture on the cyclorama shows Theresa’s beautiful

calves.

He drops the gun down. He smiles. Now he understands “this is

personal”. His eyes sparkle.

He takes the gun with determination. He tries to hold his breath, he

lowers the gun and raises it again.

4

But this time he abruptly pans towards the left and, suddenly, he stops.

He points the gun.

He feels his prey’s heartbeat, he remembers how he stinks.

He shoots once, no more shots needed.

The sudden screaming of people reaches us.

Pit takes his binoculars to confirm the target; he leaves them next to the

weapon on the roof and is about to leave when he hears something;

obviously he cannot escape through that door. He locks it, and searches

along the sides of the terrace till he finds a small emergency staircase.

He goes down and disappears behind the wall.

In the meantime, a mixture of sounds: a police car alarm, or an

ambulance, together with violent knocks on the door. That dissolve with

the applause of the audience who are watching the final performance of

Three Top-Hats.

9

BELOW: DOWN ABOVE

5

The laughter of the audience watching the play is mixed now with the

music from the gramophone. The stage is now lit and we can see a

limited part of it, only Dionysos' legs while he is sitting on his bed.

DIONYSOS' VOICE Well…

The prompt box is lit as well. Pit arrives, breathing heavily, sweating, he

hangs his coat on the hanger; the top hat is no longer there. He imitates:.

PIT Well…

He smiles. Suddenly, he anticipates something. Paula/Theresa’s is taking

too long to start speaking. Tense silence. He breathes more heavily. He

looks up. Finally:

PAULA/THERESA No. Always. We’ll talk to each other closely,

always! It’s better that way. The bad thing is…

Pit is smiling again. We can see Theresa’s legs on the bed. Then she sits.

Theresa and Pit say simultaneously:

PAULA/PIT The bad thing is that you will no longer be with us

when you stop working here... and everyone one of us will go our own

way.

Something else draws Pit’s attention. On the table there is a book, his

latest present. Somebody has left it there again. He goes towards it while

Theresa goes on with the text.

PAULA/THERESA It’s foolish to separate so soon, isn’t it? Unless you

needed a partenaire for your number.

Pit is sitting at the table, open the book and finds a daisy in it. He joins

Paula’s text, without projecting his voice, like a whisper.

5

PAULA/PIT We could spend more time together then. I could learn to

juggle, couldn’t I?

Theresa has left the scarf next to the flower. He smells it deeply.

PAULA/PIT And juggle with three top hats!

Someone starts coming down the stairs. Pit is unperturbed, as if he were

expecting it. He comes down silently. On stage we can hear the sound of

the rattle Dionysos is playing with. It does not work.

DIONYSOS' VOICE It has broken down.

Paula/Theresa takes it and tries to repair it. The man is on the last step.

He is wearing a dark coat. He reaches for a gun in one of his pockets, fits

on a silencer, pausing, like an executioner who can feel his victim

surrendering.

Pit stands up. He was waiting for him.

Theresa/Paula manages to repair the rattle. It makes a hellish noise. At

the same time, the shooter aims at Pit, he shoots, once, at his chest.

He then leaves up the stairs.

PAULA/THERESA It’s a pity you don’t need a partenaire for your

number. it doesn’t matter. these days we’ll enjoy ourselves, you know?

Look…come on, look…look at the ring, you gave it to me. How didn’t I

guess that it was you who filled up my dressing-room with presents?

Pit knows these sentences do not belong to the text. Wounded, he crawls

to the prompt box, holding the bloody scarf in his hands. He looks at the

stage. We can see Theresa sitting on the floor next to the bed and

5

showing him the ring. She has finally understood why she could not take

it off. They smile. They say the text together, Theresa’s brightness with

Pit’s loving whisper.

PAULA/PIT Tomorrow we’ll go for a walk, to the beach…by the sea.

the two of us alone! Like two kids, right?

Pit is quiet. Theresa delivers her text on her own, but not to the audience.

She is looking at the prompt box, as a present to her prompter.

She raises her voice emotionally.

You are not like the rest of the men! There is no performance tonight!

We have the night for ourselves!

Pit’s final breath is a smile and a dimmed insistence.

PIT I love you… I love you… I love you…

Theresa smiles. She does not know Pit is hardly a shadow in his prompt

box, and she goes on with Paula’s text about crabs and beaches and

castles and volcanoes, while Pit prompts for a last time an “I love you”

which is not in the text either before finally closing his eyes.

C U R T A I N

.

5

THE BELLY

FOR ALL THE ACTRESS IN THE WORLD,AND ESPECIALLY FOR BEGOÑA,WHO ASKED ME A QUESTIONAND FOR MARISOL, VERO, CARMEN, MILA, INMA, VERO,WHO INAUGURATED THE DAM OF DREAMS

“In the beginning we were islands,Now we are urgent archipelagos.”Mario Benedetti

ACTING AREA

The womb of an actressHer wombThe actress is pregnantShe should be actually pregnantI know it is too much to ask forShe needn’t get pregnant for the performanceThat’s to say: she should be already pregnantBecause there are pregnant women who are also actressesTherefore they are pregnant and unemployedWell in this case this play...

A five month pregnant belly, at least So her pregnancy is evidentAn obvious bump The most magical theatre you may imagineAnd she can show itJust like someone who can have the world, the life, a dreamHanging under her armNear her heart, just two or three beats away

THE AUDIENCE

Twenty, thirty girls, boys, little kidsNot many moreSat on the floorAround the magicAll accompanying adults, on looking teachers, should refrain from coming.

THE ACTRESS

5

An actressHer hands, her hands, her eyes like a travelling circusHer best smile like that of a comedy actress

THE SOUND

The sea, a guitar, a piano, the waves and also an elephantRod Steward, Mendelssohn, Yan Tiersenn, for instance.

THE LIGHTED SPACE

A bellySlightly litPerhaps some dolphins projected onto itWaves, clouds, birds and even an ice-skating rink where a raindrop could skateAnd the rest is not silenceOr darknessThere are faces, without make-up, curly locks, islandsThe fresh, unpredictable faceOf a premiere performance The ACTRESS smilesBarefootedNaughtyAs if she were to start an impossible magic trickAs if she had the most beautiful story and she wanted to share it

She wears a colourful blouseVery specialLoose trousers with big pocketsShe always talks softly without raising her voice

One

Your attention, please.(Drums)I have the pleasure of introducing you to...

(Juggling musicShe opens her blouse in the middle Below her breastAs if she were drawing the two drapes of an entr’acte curtainallowing an open view of her bellyHer trousers close up just above her pubis)

My belly!I like to call it so

5

Wow! How big it is growing...Some people call it wombIt sounds more elegantBut now I like to call it bellyCome on, say bellyNot shoutingBE-LLYCome on, say itSlowlyLike thisBelllllyIt sounds like a bell ringing at a doorAnd you do not know who’s going to answer itIt sounds like “hello, are you there?”What’s up, whipper-snapper?BellySounds like a little thingLike a bug that yawns, stretches its little arms and says ahhh!It sounds goodSounds funnySay bellyVery softlyLike thisBeeeellllyyyyIf I press my belly buttonLike this(She presses it with her forefingerand a bell rings)Can you hear?It sounds inside rrrrringOr(She presses againand sounds ding-dong)Ding dongMore modernI like rrrrring betterLike old telephonesBut now I do not want to ring any moreI do not want to wake anyone Not yetLater we’ll see.

Two

You have also got a bellyAlthough not as big as mineYou haven’t got this little line which comes up hereCan you see it?It is called white line or linea alba Alba is a girl name

5

And a name for the sunriseThe dawnThis dawn line has come upLittle by littleI didn’t have it beforeIt’s beautiful I like itIt reminds me of a line of tiny antsWalking in the fieldsAll the family togetherOn a Sunday morningWhen I was a little girl I was like you and like youI also had a tiny bellyLike yoursOr like yoursOr even tinierSo tiny that I seemed not to have a bellyI was a very skinny girlI didn’t like spinachUgh! Revolting!Or fishUgh! I’m a big girl nowAnd I like spinach and fishYummy, yummy! How nice!But I do not like liver, noNo way

For some years I have wished to have a huge bellyLike this oneBecause I wanted a babyAnd now my belly is big and roundAnd I’m happy, very happy and I want you to know itAnd there is a personWho is not here nowBut who is always with me and covers me with kissesAnd sleeps, dreams and thinks close to meAnd touches my belly like thisSoftlyAnd feels as happy as I am.

three

My belly is very bigAnd bigger it will becomeA friend of mine has told meShe looks after my bellyShe is a gynaecologistI call her LolaShe always has two tubes hanging from her earsThe tubes end in a suction pad

5

Which is like a shell when she holds it on my skin

(She takes out a shellAnd listens to itThe sound of the sea can be heard)

She LolaDoesn’t hear the seaShe hears other thingsAnd she places her shell hereAnd calls knock, knock, like this very carefullyCan I come in?And listensShe can hear inside of me(Some beats sound very far in the distance)She says my baby is fineIt movesAnd I smileAs I’m doing nowI feel a tickle insideAnd my little thing smiles tooIt movesIt tells me I’m so cosy here insideAnd I do not know why but my belly is hungrier and hungrierWell In fact I do knowBut Lola says I shouldn’t get too fatOnly a little But not too much

cuatro

I also was in a belly like this years and years agoBut of course I can’t rememberAnd you were also inside a bellyPerhaps some of you can rememberBecause it wasn’t so long ago

Can any of you remember?Come on, raise your handIt was warm, wasn’t itAnd some of you girls will have a big belly like mine some day.No, not the boysOnly the girlsAlthough all of you boys and girlsBefore you were born you were in big belliesSome animals also travel in bellies before coming here.Dogs for exampleI’ve got a golden dogShe’s a nice loving dog

5

Her name is Pecas

(She may show a photo of PECAS)She likes watching the waves on the beachFar away(Sound of wavesThe waves may be even seenThey involve the atmosphere with their going up and down) *She stands like thisWith her ears pricked up As if she could hear themShe twitches her nose because she can smell the saltShe wags her tailWhich looks like a brushSweeping the sandSwish, swishAnd she stands watching the sea for long minutesFor hoursLike a silly-billyThen the time stops in her eyesFor so longThat in the endHer eyesWhich are honey colouredTurn bluePecas also came from a bellyWe call her “Freckles” because her face was full of frecklesCan you see them?Just like youWhen she came out of her mum’s belly and was born she was darkShe had a sad lookAnd fitted in the palm of my handI remember as if it was yesterdayNow she is as big as thisShe is cinnamon colouredAnd she is always happyExcept when I go on a tripShe is a very clever dogAnd sweet(She keeps the photo)Well the thing is that PecasWho likes doing exactly the same I doHas got pregnantWhich is another way of sayingShe’s expecting puppiesPregnantHas an e and an a(She draws an a on her bellyAnd rubs it out)And also an e

5

(She draws an eAnd rubs it out)PregnantThe letter a is a vowel with a big belly.My belly is a letter a(She stands and shows her profile)Don’t you think so(She draws an a againas if it were a bellyeven with its belly-button)A pregnant letterA mummy’s tummyThe word mamma has only a’sMam-ma(She rubs out the letter a)Well then (/all right)Pecas lies down on her side close to meAnd touches her belly like this(She strokes her belly SoftlyUp and down)Like I doVery softlyWhile she waitsShe waits for her belly to deflate like a balloonAnd four five six puppies are bornGood heavens!I only have a baby in my bellyLola told meI don’t know if it is a boy or a girlI don’t want to know I want it to be a surpriseWhat does it matter?Whatever it is I’m going to love it a lotAnd when the baby is born and say Here I amWell as the baby won’t be able to speak it won’t say soIt will only say Waa!Which will be its way of saying I love you mummyI’m hungryAnd I‘ll breastfeed him or herA breast is a baby bottle we mums haveHere and hereAnd it is nicer That those they sell in chemists’ shops

Now for exampleThe baby has hiccupsIt’s just got themHipcupsI can feel it

6

And when it makes a hip soundI can feel a little jump in my bellyHipHip(...)It is finished nowDogs and cats and elephants before becoming babiesThey were also in a bellyBefore starting to bark(a bark)or to miaow(a miaow)or make baraag with their trunks(Elephant trumpetingThat’s to say playing the trumpet solo)Not hensNor lettuceOr flowers

cinco

There are people who talk a lotIt is said they talk off the tops of their headsWhat means they talk very muchWell I like talking off my bellyTalking with my bellyTalking to my bellyAnd to the little thing moving in my bellyIn a few years he or she will stare at me with wide open eyesLike you are doing nowWhile I tell him or her that he or she lived here for nine monthsCurling upWarmLike you or meAnd that she or he had friends like youWaiting outside the doorSat on the floorJust like you are nowWhile I talked and talked through the top of my headThrough my bellyAnd told them stories things wordsLike these ones.

six

Taaachin!(roll of drums)This is my right hand(She shows her hand without opening her fingers completely)

6

Her name is PepaI gave it the nameIt goes everywhere with its(She spreads out her fingers)Five kidsLittle finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb(/Sammy Small, Ruby Ring, Tony Tall, Peter Pointer and Tommy Thumb)Thumb is the fatty onePeople like to call it thumbI call it Tommy ThumbFingers have two facesOne and twoThey know how to look caress touchWith both facesThus and thusAnd play the guitar(She plays arpeggios on her wombA guitar sounds)Or the piano(She plays imaginary keys on her wombA piano sounds)Or they play flamenco(She dances flamencoA heel tapping can be heard)Or skate(She skatesThe sound of skates can be heard)And five thousand or three thousand more things.This face is called fingertipIt is soft and if you prick it with a pinYou see starsThat ‘s to say you do not actually see starsSometimes we say things without meaning themSuch as to talk off the top of the headOr for example When I say or your father, your grandma or your teacher saysI see redBut I don’t see red they don’t see redWe simply meanThat I am we are nervous or very angryI say if I prick my finger I see starsAlthough I do not really see starsIn any case a tiny drop of blood comes outIt’s very tinyIt is as if my finger criesA small red tearBut it stops very quicklyYou sayI’m starving to deathBut you do not actually die

6

It’s terrible. Words that are meaningful and meaningless at the same timeYou’ll get used to it

My mother says I’m going to give birthThat’s to say I’m going to have a babyAnd when she says thatI look at my womb And feel like a genius

Let’s go onWhere was I?Ah the two faces of fingersI’ve already introduced this face to youIt’s called fingertipBut I still have another oneThisIt’s called nailNote that it is like a pink looking-glassA mirror you have to cut a little bitOn the topFrom time to timeBecause it grows very quicklyIf you don’t cut it you may scratchThere are people who paint their nails red or violetOur fingers have also a bellySome people say they are knuckles You can see them if you fold your fingers like thisThen you can see the finger’s belly on the nail side (She shows it)Each finger in your hand has three partsThe top oneThe middle oneAnd the bottom oneSee them?These parts have strange namesI don’t know themYou’ll learn them when you grow upPepa and her five kids like dreamingHaving friendsAnd sleeping on my bellyAs if they were sunbathingLike thisSometimes they even snore(Loud snoring)Like thisWhen they snore all togetherThere is a terrible hullabaloo

AndTaachin!

6

(Roll of drums) My left handWants also say HelloIts name is PapeAnd its five fingersThat are like Pepa’s But the other side roundAre also called little finger, ring finger, middle finger, index finger and thumb

Both hands Pape and PepaAre similar but not equalEach one of them is the refection of the otherThey are face to faceLike thisThey get closerThey seem equalBut they are notAll all all of usAre a bit equal and a bit differentYou and you and you and you and me and all the babies who are now being bornWe all are a bit equal and a bit differentEven hands are equal and different at the same timeAnd this is wonderfulIf we all were equal equalLife would be boringWe all would like the same foodThe same songsThe same moviesAnd what would we talk about?And who would we play with?With ourselves?No funPepa and Pape look at each other Face to facePalm to palmAnd what can they see?A big letter on their bellyHands have also bellies and a big letter on themCan you see?(She draws an mFollowing the lines on her hand)These are the lines on my handMy grandma looks at my hand and reads it and saysYou are going to be happyYou’ll travel all around the worldAnd when you get very old as I am nowSays my grandmaYou’ll have two grandsons and two grand daughters and a swing in the backyard.And my mother says My grandma is always right

6

For example when she sees a big belly like mineShe says girlOr boyAnd she is always rightI don’t know how she does itBut this time I told herGranny don’t tell me if it is a boy or a girlI don’t want to know And she looked at the palm of my handSpent a few seconds thinkingAnd said nothingAlthough I know she knows

A big m(She looks at the drawn m)A capital M, this is its nameCapitalIt looks like two mountain peaks that kiss each otherSee them?It’s funnyThe m on my right hand And the a on my belly(She puts her hand on her belly)They come together to say maAnd the m on my left handAnd the a on my bellyCome together to say ma againMam- maWe have the letters of the word mamma written on our skinJust like on a school chalkboard

Notice that The mountains on Pepa are not the same as the ones on Pape(She shows both handsAnd compares them)They are very alikeBut they are not the sameBecause we are all similarI know I insist too much but I like repeating itWe are a bit similarBut we are a bit different on the same time.

Pape’s family is naughtySee them?They can be calmThey would spend all their time playingAnd jumpingLike thisAnd waking Pepa upAnd the sleeping belly

6

Pepa likes being always peacefulPape always wants to playHen and chicksOr hide and seek(She hides her left hand)- Where am I?- Behind the belly?- And now?- Behind the head.- Silence Be quiet for a moment And come here Close to me(Both handsOpenOne next to the otherOn the belly) Can’t you hear?- What?- Shhh the belly is dreaming.- Dreaming?- Bellies dream- I know I also dream Why shouldn’t a belly dream?- I know you dream But the thing is that if you press your palm firmly on it You’ll hear the dreams As if someone would dream behind the wall And wanted to tell you- It’s true But, does it dream with closed eyes?- No Pape says Pepa- Real dreams are dreamt with wide open eyes.

Six (bis)

(Both hands are still extendedThe actress opens wide eyesLooking at the dream)

There is an ocean(The sea soundsIts reflex invades everything)An ocean is a very big seaInside my bellyAn ocean full of stars and cloudsAnd colourful fishAnd huge trees that grow downwards

6

And rain that never stopsAnd worms that know how to dive(Sound of bubbles)SwimAn ocean that feels happy because it is very big and very small at the same timeThe biggest and the smallest of all the oceans.This ocean has a nameIt’s called ALike the letter AIt is called this as it is the beginning of everythingIt’s the beginning of the ABCThose are the lettersLetters form words and thoughtsThe beginning of lifeAnd also the beginning of the air and the forests.AMy friend the oceanACan see through two windowsThe eyes My eyes

A Like usSleeps with its eyes closed(She closes her eyesThe sound of the sea and the bubbles stops)And when it wakes upIt opens them(She opens her eyes And the sound of the sea comes back)It raises its shutter, which is its eyelidAnd dreamsAnd doesn’t get tired of lookingThrough its two open windows.

But it can only see islands lately

(She steps forwardStares at the childrenMoves them apartTo create a space between them)

It can only see islandsAlthough it wants to see seagulls and miceIt can only see islandsAlthough it wants to see children and mums and slidesAnd TV announcers and cartoons and trainsIt can only see islandsAlthough it wants to see giraffes and mice and moons

6

No It can only see islands only sad islandsSad islands so sadAn island is something very isolated because the sea is all around itThe sea is around And behind the sea there are other islandsAll of them surrounded by the seaAnd they are always too far away one from the othersThis is why islands are always lonelyAnd they are or they seem to be sad

Although it wants to be horses in the prairieBoats sleeping on the sandFlying turtlesIt sees islandsOnly islandsYour heads are now like small islandsCan you notice?If you stayLike you are nowCan you see?SeparateThe ocean AIs sadAnd this what my belly dreamsUntil Suddenly!(A roll of drums)The baby inside meMoves a littleAlmost nothingFrom one side to the otherOr simply sighs softlyAnd then then thenI don’t know howBut it makes the islands join very slowly(She pushes the children closerJoins them as much as she can)

And the islands that my belly can seeTurn into Archipelagos!Which is a very long wordAr-chi-pe-la-go!What a wordArchipelagoIt is like learning to sayAbracadabraThe phrase magicians say when they do their tricks

6

Abracadabra or alehoopAnd they take a rabbit from a top hatWell instead you can learn to sayArrrrchipeeelago!

They are islands which are close togetherThere is some sea between themAs there is some air between your headsBut the sea the air Do not separate the islands anymoreOn the contraryIt joins themIt makes them feel one near the othersSo that they won’t feel lonely and won’t be sad any more

And this is why my ocean called AHas got happyBecause every morning my baby makes the ocean in my bellyStop seeing sad islandsAnd start seeing a lot of isles like youNear one anotherWith faces full of smiles

seven

Then I know it is time for a little musicNow that my belly is skin-deep sleepyWell wake upIt is time for musicTime for a bath with musical soapAnd I play a CD and it sounds like this(A very sweet violin soundsMendelssohn perhaps)My little thing inside me likes musicAll kinds of musicI can feel it is dancing inside.This is why after dreaming I gave it a shower of music.

First a violin like thisIt’s beautifulYou can also dream of musicThen I play this song(The sound of a popular tuneA broken and harmonious voiceWhat about Rod Stewart and his What a wonderful world)

(...)I have always liked this songAnd I dance with my belly

6

Like this

(...)And then I play this song(A song of Yan Tiersennlike a crystal melodyin a music box)

And do you know what I like to do?(She takes out a small bottle from her pocketShe unscrews the dropperShe lets a drop descend Down her bellyWinding like a skier)It’s a drop of waterLook how it falls downAnotherCan you see it?The drop seems to be skatingOr going down the slide of my bellyI have filled this little bottle with raindropsI’ve stood under the rainLike thisUntil it was fullThey are transparent little bellies And this raindrop is skating now full of music(Hip hop music can be heard)And to finishMy belly also likes funAnd moves like thisAnd Pape and Pepa do this with their hands(She separates her fingersLike a DJPlaying discs)Like some modern musicians do (...)Because it likes musicAll kinds of musicAll music when it sounds good is beautifulAll kinds of music are equal and all of them are differentLittle sips of happinessWhich move it insideAt the rhythm of a violin or of hip hopAnd I feel that my belly follows the music(Different kinds of music are heardWe change the dial All the music we hear is beautiful)

And Sarah or Manuel or Joseluis or MarinaI keep his or her name as a secret

7

The person who says Good Night to me before going to bedNear meKnows that my belly is also a little him or herFeels he or she is a part of this musicAnd sometimes dances with meand eight

And I think that if all the bellies in the world were filled up with musicThe world would be a chocolate cake(The dreaming violin sounds again)

You’ve already met my bellyIt likes dreaming having its eyes wide openAnd checking that every bellyIs a universe full of starsAnd noticing grandmothers’ belliesThose that have filled up the universe with universesI like my grandma’s bellyYears ago it was big and plainNow it is small and wrinkled Never mindI love itI know there was a belly in thereAnd from that belly another belly came outIAnd from my belly someone will come outWho knows if it will be a girlAnd perhaps one dayShe will have a belly like this one.

But, do you know what my belly likes best?I’ll finish by telling you My belly likesTo feelTo feel all the handsBig or smallLike clouds that settle on itDovesIslands that do not want to be isles any moreUntil they get togetherAll the bellies in the worldLearnHow to fly

(A flapping of wings sounds over a violinThe actress walks towards the boys and girlsTakes their handsOne by oneShe puts their little hands on her wombHer belly

7

With all the tenderness of lifeThey cover all the possible spacesAs if the tiny hands of the youngest spectatorsWere islandsWhich becomeOn her wombUrgent archipelagos)

7

Juan Luis Mira Candel

www.cervantesvirtual.com/portal/AAT/Mira/

Orihuela (Alicante) 1955.

Catedrático de Lengua y Literatura I.E.S. Jaime II

de Alicante.

Director del Aula de Teatro de la Universidad de

Alicante desde 1987.

Director y fundador de la compañía JÁCARA TEATRO,

colectivo profesional que acaba de cumplir 25 años.

Desde hace treinta años dirige el AULA DE TEATRO en el

I.E.S. JAIME II, en la que ha realizado más de

cincuenta montajes y en la que se han formado algunos

de los más relevantes profesionales de la escena

valenciana: ACTORES (como MANUEL OCHOA, TONI MISÓ,

LUIS MIGUEL SEGUÍ, GLORIA SIRVENT...), COREÓGRAFOS

(PEDRO DEL REY, INMA ORTEGA), DIRECTORES/AUTORES (PACO

SANGUINO, ANGEL HONRADO, RAFA GONZÁLEZ, PASCUAL

CARBONELL), PRODUCTORAS (MARISOL LIMIÑANA, VERÓNICA

ESPUCH), GESTORES Y TÉCNICOS (JOSE A. GARCÍA,

PAPASSETI SIRVENT), PRODUCTORES (JOSE A.NGEL GARCÍA).

DISEÑADORES DE VESTUARIO (ROBERTO MENARGUES), MÚSICOS

(PIERRE LEON, JUAN A. JUÁREZ) PROFESORES DE TEATRO

(MILA GARCÍA, PURI MOYA...)

Ha impartido cursos, seminarios, conferencias en :

UNIVERSIDAD DEL PAIS VASCO. Seminario: HOMENAJE A

ARRABAL.

CONGRESO I. HISPANISTAS, ACAPULCO (México)

MUESTRA NUEVO TEATRO ESPAÑOL, BREMEN (Alemania)

UNIVERSIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE MADRID. Muestra Internacional

de Teatro Universitario.

7

UNIVERSIDAD DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA. Circuito

Nacional de Teatro Universitario.

UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA. Teatro y Pedagogía.

UNIVERSIDAD DE MURCIA. “El TRICICLO de Arrabal”.

UNIVERSIDAD MIGUEL HERNANDEZ de ELX. “Metodología

teatral aplicada a la pedagogía Universitaria.”

Técnica actoral aplicada a la danza contemporánea”.

(Cuatrimestre.)

UNIVERSIDAD DE ALICANTE. Teatro y Educación.

UNIVERSIDAD DE VERANO DE ALTEA. “El teatro musical en

España”. Nuevas dramaturgias”. “El teatro español en

el s.XXI”.

Coordina el CURSO DE FORMACION TEATRAL, que se

imparte en la Universidad de Alicante desde 2004.

Imparte el CURSO DE INTERPRETACIÓN en la NUEVA

UNIVERSIDAD DE CINE DE LA CIUDAD DE LA LUZ (Alicante)

( julio 2007).

Los temas sobre los que giran habitualmente sus

conferencias, cursos y talleres están relacionados con

el ámbito teatral:

EL TEATRO ESPAÑOL DEL S.XXI

EL PRIMER TEATRO DE FERNANDO ARRABAL.

LAS NUEVAS DRAMATURGIAS DEL TEATRO ESPAÑOL.

LA GENERACIÓN BRADOMÍN EN EL TEATRO ESPAÑOL.

TEATRO Y PEDAGOGÍA TEATRAL.

EL TEATRO MUSICAL EN ESPAÑA.

ESCRIBIR TEATRO EN ESPAÑA.

LA GENERACION TEATRAL DE LOS OCHENTA EN ESPAÑA.

TEATRO UNIVERSITARIO EN ESPAÑA.

Ha publicado numerosos artículos en diversas revistas

de ámbito nacional e internacional, entre ellas:

PRIMER ACTO, ADE ( la revista de la Asociación de

7

Autores de España), y CUADERNOS DE DRAMATURGIA

( vinculada a la Muestra de Teatro Español de Autores

Contemporáneos.)

Desde 1993, pertenece al equipo organizador de la

MUESTRA DE TEATRO ESPAÑOL DE AUTORES CONTEMPORANEOS.

Coordina el LABORATORIO DE DRAMATURGIA de NUEVOS

AUTORES, organizado por el INSTITUTO DE CULTURA JUAN

GIL ALBERT/ MUESTRA DE TEATRO ESPAÑOL DE AUTORES

CONTEMPORÁNEOS.

Es autor de más de cuarenta textos teatrales, de los que destacan:

- A RAS DEL CIELO (Premio Arniches 2001, ed. Muestra de

Teatro de Autores); estrenado en la X MUESTRA DE

TEATRO ESPAÑOL DE AUTORES CONTEMPORÁNEOS.

Esta obra ha sido FINALISTA del PREMIO NACIONAL DE

LITERATURA DRAMATICA 2003. Asimismo fue finalista del

PREMIO MAX AUB de TEATRES DE LA GENERALITAT al mejor

texto de la temporada y del PREMIO IBEROAMERICANO DE

TEATRO TIRSO DE MOLINA. Ha sido traducida al alemán –

presentada en el Teatro Municipal de Bremen- y al

rumano, actualmente está siendo traducida al inglés,

italiano y polaco.

- BARRIGA, (Premio SGAE de teatro infantil y juvenil

2006), actualmente en proceso de edición por ANAYA.

Traducida al inglés, catalán y polaco.

- MAQUILLANDO CADÁVERES (Premio Escalante, Ayto de

Valencia, 2004, Ed. Ayto de Valencia.

- MALSUEÑO (Premio Rojas Zorrilla, 1996, editado por el

Ayto. Toledo), estrenado en la MUESTRA DE TEATRO

ESPAÑOL DE AUTORES CONTEMPORÁNEOS. Representada por

7

varios colectivos profesionales en Madrid y en Murcia

–actualmente en gira-.

- DE LOPE ( Premio Jovellanos 2000, ed. por el Ayto de

Gijón). Estrenado en el Teatro Jovellanos de Madrid el

11 de abril de 2003, por la compañía TRAMA.

- “MAR DE ALMENDROS” (Premio KUTXA-CIUDAD DE SAN

SEBASTIÁN 2001. Ediciones Kutxa). Lectura dramatizada

en Valencia(sede SGAE) y San Sebastián. Traducida al

rumano y representada por el Centro Dramático de Iasi

(Rumanía).

- EVARISTO I POQUELIN QUE ESTEU AL CEL (Premio Evaristo

García 2001); estrenado en el Teatro Arniches de

Alicante. (Publicado por la Dip. Provincial de

Alicante.

- UBU, DIRECTOR GENERAL (Ed. Universidad de Alicante).

Estrenado por el Aula de Teatro de la Universidad de

Alicante.

- EL SILENCIO DE LOS ÁCAROS (Ed. Universidad de Murcia,

en proceso de edición.)

- CALDERILLA (estrenado en el Gran Teatro Falla,

inaugurando el Festival Internacional de Teatro de

Cádiz, F.I.T.)

- CUANDO JACK EL DESTRIPADOR BAILABA CLAQUÉ (musical

representado en el Palenque de la EXPO-92).

- A SALTO DE CAMA , premio POR HUMOR AL ARTE 2003,

TRICICLE, actualmente en proceso de publicación por la

editora ÑAQUE/ LA AVISPA

- EL RAYO VERNE (mención Especial del Jurado, Premio

SGAE 2004. En proceso de publicación por ANAYA.)

- FEMENINO PLURAL, editado por la Fundación Alfonso el

Magnánimo, Diputación Provincial de Valencia, 2007

- SARAH Y NORA TOMAN EL TÉ DE LAS CINCO, Premio

Internacional de Teatro Breve Barahona de Soto 2007,

editado por el Ayto de Lucena.

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- OJOS DE LLUVIA, Premio Barahona de Soto 2007 de teatro

infantil, editado por el Ayto de Lucena.

Otros títulos estrenados:

- EME, Aula de Teatro de la Universidad de Alicante.

- PASARELA OTOÑO-INFIERNO, Jácara

- LOS FELICES AÑOS VEINTE, Aula de Teatro de la

Universidad de LA LAGUNA, Aula de Teatro de la

Universidad de Alicante.

- BROADGUAY!!!- en co-autoría con Manuel Ochoa-, Jácara

–más de 130 representaciones-.

- MAN-IKÍ, teatro-danza para escaparates, Jácara.

- PASARELA OTOÑO-INFIERNO, Jácara.

- NOCHE DE PERROS Y GIRASOLES, representada por YORICK

TEATRE.

- UBÚ, versión libre del texto de Alfred Jarry, estrenado

en la NAU DE SAGUNT, en co-producción de Teatres de la

Generalitat y BAMBALINA/JÁCARA/PACO BASCUÑAN, como

clausura de SANGUNT A ESCENA 2005.

Ha escrito también teatro para niños y jóvenes:

- @LICIA.COM (Premio Ayuntamiento de Pamplona/Escuela

Navarra de Teatro TEXTOS INFANTILES), estrenado en

Pamplona por la Escuela Navarra de Teatro., traducido al

rumano y estrenado por la Compañía municipal de Iasi

(Rumanía)

- EL QUINTO MOSQUETERO, estrenado por JÁCARA en el

TEATRO ESCALANTE de Valencia, con más de 150

representaciones realizadas.

- VIOLETA Y PANTAGRUEL –en co-autoría con Joan Miquel

Reig, actualmente representándose, con más de 200

funciones realizadas.

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- COSAS, presentada en el TEATRO NACIONAL DE SANTO

DOMINGO, dentro de la campaña auspiciada por la UNESCO

“ Nuevos Públicos”.

- COR DE MEL, actualmente en exhibición, presentada en

el FETEN de Gijón,2001. Lleva ya más de 120

representaciones.

- LITRONA, en co-autoría con Ignacio del Moral,

estrenada por TEATRO K.O.

- BUS, teatro para jóvenes, estrenada por TEATRO K.O.

Ha publicado varias obras de teatro breve, entre

ellas:

-DERBI, MUESTRA DE TEATRO ESPAÑOL DE AUTORES

CONTEMPORÁNEOS en el volumen titulado AL BORDE DEL

AREA

-ALGUNOS PAISAJES DE LUCÍA B., publicada por la

revista ART TEATRAL..

Y diversos textos publicados por la ASOCIACION DE

AUTORES DE ESPAÑA.

Como director, con la Compañía JACARA, ha dirigido más de treinta montajes, entre ellos destacamos:

- LA BALADA DEL CALLEJÓN, basada en el texto de John

Gay.

- ABRE EL OJO, de Rojas Zorrilla.

- ELVIS, de Sanguino y González.

- M.H. BLUES, dramaturgia a partir de textos de Miguel

Hernández

- CUANDO JACK EL DESTRIPADOR BAILA CLAQUÉ, de Juanluis

Mira

- CALDERILLA, junto a Guillermo Heras, de Juanluis Mira.

- EL TRICICLO, de Arrabal.

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Ha participado en los más relevantes festivales de

ámbito latinoamericano: MANIZALES, BOGOTA, MEDELLIN

(Colombia), LONDRINA, SAO PAULO (Brasil), LA HABANA (CUBA),

SANTO DOMINGO (República Dominicana), ALMADA (Portugal)...

En esta última ciudad la Compañía recibe el Premio de Honor

del Festival Internacional, otorgado conjuntamente por la

crítica y el público. En el año 2003 inaugura el Festival

Internacional de la Habana con la representación en el

TEATRO NACIONAL de la obra EL TRICICLO. Dirige la Ceremonia

de Inauguración del Campeonato del Mundo de Gimnasia

Rítmica (1995), el espectáculo multimedia de la

presentación de la Ruta Quetzal (1998) y la ceremonia de

entrega de los Premios de Teatres de la Generalitat (2000).

Nominado a los Premios Max 2007 por DUTY FREE, en el

apartado del MEJOR ESPECTÁCULO DE TEATRO MUSICAL.

Dirige con las Compañías YORICK Y SAINETERS el montaje

FUGA, de Jordi Galcerán, dentro de la XV Muestra de Teatro

Español de Autores Contemporáneos, espectáculo que sirvió

como homenaje nacional a su autor.

Con el AULA DE TEATRO DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE

ALICANTE ha estrenado veinte montajes con una trayectoria

marcada especialmente por la revisión de los clásicos y

propuestas dirigidas al público joven, destacamos:

VOLPONE, de Ben Jonson

ABRE EL OJO, de Rojas Zorrilla

EL MERCADER DE VENECIA, de W. Shakespeare

MUCHO RUIDO Y POCAS NUECES, de W. Shakespeare

ROMEO Y JULIETA, de W. Shakespeare

EL TRICICLO, de F. Arrabal.

MINIM,MAL SHOW de Sergi Belbel y Miquel Gòrriz

Te invito a cenar... HAMLET, de W. Shakespeare.

MALETAS, (Homenaje a S. BECKETT), con dramaturgia de

Juanluis Mira.

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EL BLUES DE MACKY NAVAJA, de Juan Luis Mira.

Dirige el MARATÓN DE CAFÉ TEATRO “SÓL@ ANTE EL

PELIGRO”, en colaboración con CLAN CABARET, desde el año

2000.

Ha intervenido en los festivales de teatro

universitario más representativos del Estado Español:

Santiago, Barcelona, Cádiz, Zaragoza, Madrid, Murcia,

Valencia, Orense... En la Muestra Internacional de Teatro

Universitario (MITEU) de esta ciudad obtiene el PREMIO DEL

JURADO por su montaje MUCHO RUIDO Y POCAS NUECES y el

PREMIO DEL PÚBLICO por EL BLUES DE MACKY NAVAJA.. Obtiene

asímismo el PREMIO DE HONOR DEL FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE

TEATRO UNIVERSITARIO DE BEIRA DO NORTE (Covilhà, PORTUGAL)

y clausura el FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE TEATRO

UNIVERSIATRIO DE LISBOA (F.A.T.A.L.).Ha participado en la

última edición del Festival Internacional de Teatro Clásico

de Almagro.

Representa a España en el RECONTRE INTERNACIONAL DE

TEATRE DE LIÈGE (Bélgica) y en el SHAKESPEARE’S WORLD

CONGRESS, celebrado en Valencia, y el FESTIVAL

INTERNACIONAL DE TEATRO DE BUCAREST. Asimismo ha

representado en Kingston y Bristol, invitado por el

Departamento de Drama de estas universidades inglesas.

Ha publicado hasta hoy dos colecciones de cuentos: LAS

BRUJAS Y LO DEMÁS SON CUENTOS CHINOS y DOCE CUENTOS Y MEDIO

UN POCO IMPOSIBLES, ambos en la editorial GIL ALBERT. Ha

recibido el Premio de cuentos SEMANA DEL MAR, de Cartagena;

el CERTAMEN NACIONAL DE CUENTOS ALLER-2000 (Asturias),

EPIFANÍA EN LAS ONDAS( R.N.E.). Finalista del Premio

Internacional de relatos PARADORES DE ESPAÑA.

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Ha compuesto la mayoría de las bandas sonoras de sus

trabajos teatrales. En su faceta musical hay que reseñar

más de una treintena de temas recogidos en los C.D.s

CANCIÓN ULTIMA, EN LA CARRETERA, JACARA QUINCE AÑOS y

GLORIA: CANCIONES DE NOCHE, editado por la discográfica

valenciana CONTRASEÑA RECORDS. Compone los temas de DUTY

FREE, espectáculo nominado a los PREMIOS MAX .

Recibe el Premio IMPORTANTE del diario INFORMACIÓN por

su trayectoria teatral y el PREMIO GINER DE LOS RÍOS de la

GENERALITAT VALENCIANA por su labor al frente del Aula de

Teatro de la Universidad de Alicante.

Ha participado en numerosos coloquios sobre el teatro

español e impartido conferencias y seminarios en Madrid,

Bilbao, Santiago de Compostela, Cádiz, Granada, Valencia,

Murcia, Lisboa, La Habana, Manizales, Sofía, Barcelona...

Tiene una página web en la Biblioteca Virtual Miguel

de Cervantes, donde se puede consultar parte de su

producción teatral.

JUANLUIS MIRA CANDEL

C/Camino Colonia Romana, 6; 4º A. Ed. VENALMAR

03016 ALICANTE.

tfno. 659274224- 965161557 jlmira1@vodafone .es

juanluis@jacara.info

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