Also by Catherine Hernandez
Singkil
Kilt Pins © Copyright 2012 by Catherine Hernandez
Playwrights Canada Press
202-269 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, Canada M5V 1X1
phone 416.703.0013 • info@playwrightscanada.com • www.playwrightscanada.com
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Cover photograph of Diana Reyes and cover design by Leon Aureus
Book design by Blake Sproule
Author photo by Mark McNeilly
The Alegreya serif typeface used was designed by Juan Pablo del Peral. The typefaces is used under the SIL Open font license version 1.1.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Hernandez, Catherine, 1977-
Kilt pins / Catherine Hernandez.
A play.
Electronic monograph in multiple formats.
Issued also in print format.
ISBN 978-1-77091-097-3 (PDF).--ISBN 978-1-77091-098-0 (EPUB)
I. Title
PS8615.E75K54 2012 C812'.6 C2012-904514-4
We acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council (OAC)—an agency of the Government of Ontario, which last year funded 1,681 individual artists and 1,125 organizations in 216 communities across Ontario for a total of $52.8 million—the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund for our publishing activities.
Singkil was dedicated to mothers. Kilt Pins was written for two close friends.
To Dierdre who was always, always so much more than an example.
To my "little" sister, Charlaine, who was gracious enough to tell me her stories, many of which have given this play its breath.
Preface
In a recent sermon at the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto (MCCT), Reverend Brent Hawkes mentioned that Christianity is often described as judgmental, inflexible and archaic. His challenge to the world, he stated, was to change these concepts so that being CHRIStian means to be loving, in awe of the world, to be open to others no matter what their religion, ethnicity or beliefs.
As a young Catholic woman, I can honestly say that I grew up feeling the slow and sure ownership of the church over my own body. I was not to honour the blossoming voice of my body since I was told it was anathema to the voice of Jesus. I was not to honour the fact that I could be loving in a sexual way and still love God. I'm sad to say that this fear of the woman I was becoming made my faith dim to a dull glow as I became older.
The start of development for Kilt Pins in 2005 marked my growing understanding of faith and sexuality and how they can coincide and in fact complement each other in the most beautiful ways. Now having joined the mcct, which honours all sexual orientations, I have rediscovered my awe of the universe and of my own body and spirit. As Brent once told us in church, my body and spirit no longer live in a house divided.
My sincerest thanks to the people who invested their firm belief in this project: Toronto Arts Council, Ontario Arts Council, Andy McKim, Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Annie Gibson, Renna Reddie, Nadine Villasin, Nina Lee Aquino, fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre, Carlos Bulosan Theatre, Helen Walsh, Philip Adams, Diaspora Dialogues, Praxis Theatre, Caroline Mangosing, the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture, Cahoots Theatre Projects, Obsidian Theatre, Joseph Recinos, Morgan Norwich, Richie Guzman, Andrea Lui, Andrea Kwan, Anita Majumdar, Elizabeth Wilson, Falen Johnson, Darrel Gamotin, Christine Mangosing, Aura Carcueva, Dienye Waboso, Chrissi Chau, Leah-Simone Bowen, Karyl Agana, Nicole Marie McCafferty, Philip Mineque, Rong Fu, Bea Palanca, Keith Barker, Belinda Corpus, Charlaine Hernandez, Cecille Hernandez, Dierdre DeVillon Nelson and the numerous other actors who have read for me privately or in a festival setting.
Biggest thanks to Ruth Madoc-JONes, who inspires everyone around her and turns everything she touches into gold. She truly is a gem. Thank you for believing in this project since that snowy afternoon many years ago.
—Catherine Hernandez
Notes
This play takes place in current-day Scarborough, Ontario—specifically the Lawrence and Morningside area—but can be produced in any language, and, with the right adjustments, by any culture of teens in the world. Chronologically it starts two days before Ash Wednesday (which occurs forty days before Easter, and, depending on what date Easter falls on, can be as early as February 4 and as late as March 10).
Set
On either side of the stage are large panels resembling bathroom stalls. The surfaces of these stalls are blank at first but become marked with messages as the play progresses. They can also be used to draw the setting of a scene or as a chalkboard in a classroom. The board can be erased as well.
This show can work with a cast of five, with other characters played by the same actor who plays Asha. What you must know about Scarborough is that it is culturally diverse, and this has been reflected in the casting in each of the readings and in the final production. This can be reconfigured to reflect different urban neighbourhoods anywhere in the world.
The choral-like "rules" are meant to engage the audience as if they too are teenagers. As in, these are the rules we live by, this is how we roll, roll with us. If there is anything too dated that needs a good dose of collagen, by all means, change the fucker.
Most importantly, I need everyone who takes this project on, as a whole or in pieces, to approach all of the characters with the utmost respect. It's very easy for people to resort to caricatures, especially when dealing with teenaged characters. But teens are people who know how to love and feel, and it was in respect for their sexuality and emotions that this play was written.
Kilt Pins was produced by Sulong Theatre Company and the Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts and Culture in December 2011 with the following cast and artistic team:
DEE and LOLITA: Rong Fu
CHRIS: Joseph Recinos
ANNA: Nicole Marie McCafferty
TERESA and various characters: Chrissi Chau
ASHA and various characters: Leah-Simone Bowen
Director: Catherine Hernandez
Assistant director: Melannie Gayle
Dramaturge: Ruth Madoc-JONes
Stage manager: Karyl Agana
Characters
DEE: fifteen years old
CHRIS: sixteen years old
ANNA: fifteen years old
TERESA: fifteen years old
ASHA: fifteen years old
Various characters
Pre-show
As the lights go down, the sound of grinding dancehall music is heard.
Scene 1
Morningside Park at night. The sound of crickets. DEE and CHRIS are making out in the back seat of his car. In the cramped space, CHRIS lies on top of DEE, both of them looking longingly downwards at their crotches, breathing hard.
CHRIS
Can you feel that?
DEE
Yes.
CHRIS
Is this your panty?
DEE
Yes.
CHRIS
Do you like this?
Yes.
CHRIS
Move your leg a bit… just to—
DEE
Like this?
CHRIS
Yes.
Pause.
I can't stop.
DEE
Oh God.
CHRIS
Just once.
DEE
No. No.
CHRIS
This feels so good, right here.
He kisses her gently, slowly.
DEE
We can't. I don't have a—
CHRIS
We could go get one.
DEE
But if we have one then we'll—
CHRIS
Just once. I'll put it in and I'll pull it out. I promise.
DEE
We can't.
CHRIS
I just want to feel you.
DEE
You're feeling me now.
CHRIS
I want to be inside you.
DEE
Inside.
CHRIS
Inside you.
DEE
Oh God…
CHRIS
I just want to…
DEE
Yes—
CHRIS has fully penetrated before DEE can pronounce the "s" in "yes." They moan.
Silence. Blinding white light as they look at each other and cross the threshold. Lights change and among the audience are TERESA, ANNA and ASHA. They speak directly to the audience, making the crowd one of them, christening them with the following instructions:
TERESA, ANNA & ASHA
Rule #17:
ANNA
Everyone knows that if he pulls it out just before he blows, you can't get pregnant.
TERESA
This is more of a law than some dumb rule.
ASHA
A doctor said once, the first drop has more swimmers than any drop after that,
TERESA, ANNA & ASHA
but we know that's a lie.
ANNA
How can they all fit in one small drop?
TERESA, ANNA & ASHA
Rule #6:
TERESA
You are under complete control.
ASHA
Heavy petting does not have to lead to fucking.
ANNA
You can still get it on without putting it in.
TERESA
Just stay cool and everything will be fine.
ANNA
ASHA
In the back of a movie theatre.
TERESA
In the catwalk of the school auditorium.
ANNA
In the basement.
ASHA
At a party with the lights dim.
TERESA
Behind the bleachers.
ANNA
In the locker room.
ASHA
In the washroom stall.
TERESA
In the stairwell.
ANNA
In bed when your parents are away.
TERESA, ANNA & ASHA
But otherwise, you are under complete control. Rule #2:
DEE
There's no turning back.
Scene 2
CHRIS and DEE begin to move in slow motion backwards, rewinding yet looking at each other. The rest of the cast begin to dress DEE in a Catholic high-school uniform. She stands silent as she watches CHRIS leave the stage into darkness; her life flashing before her eyes but backwards.
The CHORUS sings while dressing DEE.
CHORUS
Like a sunflower that follows
Every moment of the sun,
So I turn towards You, to follow You my God.
In simplicity, charity I follow (2).
In simplicity, honesty I follow (2).
In simplicity, fidelity I follow (2).
Lights change.
A classroom at St. Cecilia Separate School, a month and a half prior. On the bathroom stalls, MR. RAWLINS, the co-op teacher, draws a large square. DEE is standing in front of several STUDENTS, hiding behind a large blue bristol board.
MR. RAWLINS
Very nice visuals, Dee.
DEE
(from behind board) Thank you.
MR. RAWLINS
Now, what do we have here?
DEE
These are pictures from—
MR. RAWLINS
Wait a sec. Why don't you put the board down over here so that you can show us yourself? We can barely see you.
DEE
Oh. Okay.
MR. RAWLINS
There you are. Whenever you're ready.
There is a long pause. Giggles from the classroom.
As in now, Dee.
DEE
My co-op placement was at the Textile Museum.
Giggles from the classroom.
MR. RAWLINS
Exciting!
DEE
And here is the desk that they put me in.
MR. RAWLINS
That's where everything starts. At a desk.
DEE
Well it's not actually a desk. It's a bookshelf. With my stuff on it. They gave me a pen.
MR. RAWLINS
What did you do there? I don't know about you guys but I'm pretty darned curious to know what makes a Textile Museum tick. It must have been fascinating to watch all the employees at work.
DEE
Well… I ummm… did a lot of things like, you know, stuff like helping out with putting stuff away.
MR. RAWLINS
Uh-huh. Well, you can't underestimate the importance of those tasks. A clean workspace is imperative to any organization.
DEE
And I got to put mailing labels on envelopes. I did that a lot.
MR. RAWLINS
Okay. Well. There's lots to learn through observation.
DEE
They didn't like me following them around so I didn't observe a whole lot.
MR. RAWLINS
Top-notch. And what is this picture here?
DEE
Oh. That's just the museum education girl on the phone.
MR. RAWLINS
Looks like she's saying something.
DEE
She didn't want her picture taken.
MR. RAWLINS
Oh.
CHRIS and ANNA enter, dishevelled and grinning. All STUDENTS turn their heads.
CHRIS
Hi.
MR. RAWLINS
Where were you?
CHRIS
I had to help my dad at the grocery store.
MR. RAWLINS
Didn't he know you had school?
CHRIS
Nope.
MR. RAWLINS
It's Monday.
CHRIS
Yeah I know but I couldn't get out of it.
MR. RAWLINS
(to ANNA) And where were you, young lady?
ANNA
I slept in.
MR. RAWLINS
It's 2:30.
ANNA
Sorry.
MR. RAWLINS
Don't say sorry to me. You're the two who will be missing out. This is co-op, people. This is about life. Life outside this school. And by not being here, in the class, you end up missing out on what it's like… to be outside… of here. Just come to class, all right? You'll learn a lot. Now sit down. Dee here, who has benefited greatly from her experience, was doing her presentation. (to DEE) Please continue.
Lights change.
Scene 3
A school mass. The STUDENTS erase the square
and begin drawing candles and an altar. ANNA writes "A+C" on the wall.
DEE enters in procession hiding behind a student-made felt banner with cut-outs of a loaf of bread, fish and a dove. DEE proceeds. Behind her, FATHER PETER approaches the altar. DEE places the banner on a stand and places herself with her back to the audience.
STUDENTS
(singing) One Bread, One Body
One Lord of all. One cup of blessing which we bless.
And we, though many, throughout the earth
We are one body in this one Lord.
A large shuffle is heard as the choir sings its last note and everyone is seated.
FATHER PETER
Ash Wednesday isn't just about standing in line and waiting for me to put some ashes on your forehead. It's about connecting to what I love to call pdl. Are you down with the pdl?
Silence. Maybe a couple of coughs.
It's about Penance. That's the "P."
CHRIS and ANNA enter, again grinning and dishevelled. They sit next to DEE who cowers next to them.
And Penance is about looking for forgiveness in the eyes of g.o.d. through your actions.
ANNA and CHRIS continue to look at the altar, their backs to the audience. ANNA removes her jacket and places it on CHRIS's lap. She places her hand secretively under the jacket.
"D" is for Death. Christ's death. He died for me. For you. For everyone. Even for Beyoncé Knowles. Maybe Madonna, if she'll listen.
DEE realizes what is happening beside her and she is burning with embarrassment.
And "L" is for life.
The lights begin to change, the mass disassembling. Nothing but redness and heat. Lights up on a mirror as the stage is transformed into her bedroom. DEE stares at CHRIS and ANNA's reflection. Moved by their affections, DEE begins to unbutton her blouse slowly, seductively.
Life is for living.
DEE
Living, breathing, watching my chest expand with every breath.
FATHER PETER
Experiencing everything around you. Well, not everything. There are evils.
DEE
A hand, his hand, reaching out into the air towards my breast until there is nothing between skin and skin.
FATHER PETER
And part of penance is staying away from those evils, especially during lent.