CASTA by Adrienne Dawes. translations by Jesus I. Valles

Transcription

1 CASTA by Adrienne Dawes translations by Jesus I. Valles Casta" is supported in part by the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Southwest Airlines, and the Surdna Foundation through a grant from the NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant Program. EXCERPT(10): May 2018 me@adriennedawes.com

2 CHARACTERS /NO TE ENTIENDO (20s/m or masculine person), an apprentice of unknown mixed race heritage. ENSEMBLE 6 + Latinx & mixed-race Latinx actors perform various roles including:, a criollo nobleman ESPAÑOL - PENINSULAR, Spanish nobleman born in Spain /TONANTZIN, an indigenous Zapotec woman MESTIZA CASTIZO, a musician ESPAÑOLA - PENINSULAR, Spanish noblewoman born in Spain ESPAÑOL - CRIOLLO, Spanish nobleman born in Mexico LA NEGRA\LA VIRGEN, a free African woman born in Mexico LA MACHO, Antonia Piedra, mulata MORISCA, an officer s mistress ALBINA, a merchant s wife TORNA ATRÁS ESPAÑOLA - CRIOLLO, Spanish noblewoman born in Mexico SERVANT TENTE EN EL AIRE... up... up... and... away CHINO CAMBUJO LOBA, a street vendor INDIO, a cobbler ALBARAZADA MESTIZO BARTENDER, a female pulque vendor BARCINO/A ZAMBAYGO/A, child obraje workers CHAMIZO ARTS PATRONS 1785, Mexico City. An artist s workshop. SETTING VENUE NOTE The play can be performed in a traditional theater venue OR an art gallery/museum space for a semi-immersive experience. Casta, 2

3 CASTA - CASTING Diverse Latinx identities/histories are present in this work, so the performers onstage must also represent that diversity. Casting outreach should include mixed race and Afro Latinx actors who do not speak Spanish. In the initial workshops of this play with Salvage Vanguard Theater, puppets performed most of the child characters. The rehearsal process included a puppetry performance workshop to help train ensemble members without that experience. Casta, 3

4 ARRIVAL 1785, Mexico City. An artist s workshop. Arrival music plays as a mixes various pigments with linseed oil to create a paint palette. As audience members arrive, they play a quick game of chance at the box office to receive paint swatch tickets (various skin tones represented). The audience space is divided into four Casta sections or rows. Ensemble members help audience members to their assigned seats. When all Casta seats have been claimed, Ensemble members pull out ornate, plush chairs for the Español audience in the front row (the last to arrive have the best seats). All available ensemble members tend to this very important audience, offering special wine and chocolate. At the start of show, sits before a huge, blank canvas. He carefully unrolls a large print reproduction of Our Lady of Guadalupe. notices the audience watching him. He stops and addresses them. Nican mopohua: This is the great marvel our Lord has made through the medium of the always virgin, Saint Mary. She appears among the rocks, four times she appears at the Hill of Tepeyac to Juan Diego. He is... nobody really. Un campesino indio. Everyone knows this story but we have to remember: the maiden appears before him. Not the bishop, not the vice royal, not the King! Mary appears before Juan Diego and she speaks Nahautl, she speaks the native language. She asks that a shrine be built in her honor. Juan doesn t believe his own eyes. He thinks he is dreaming. He goes to the archbishop two, no three times but the Virgin Mary keeps appearing, appearing, persistent No estoy yo aquí que soy tu madre? (pause; grins) We all know a mother and... this is the Holy Mother. You answer or... there is trouble! Still, Juan asks for some sign, something to prove this is real. The Virgin tells him to gather flowers from the top of Tepeyac. It s the 12th of December. There is no flower that grows in winter... But he goes and... he finds red roses growing there, Castilian roses in full bloom. The Virgin takes the Casta, 4

5 (CONT D) flowers and arranges them in his tilmatli. When he returns to the archbishop, Juan opens his cloak and the roses all fall to the ground. On the fabric remains the image of La Virgen. This image. He admires his reference print. This image I cannot paint. For the masters only. They may paint her again and again. She s everywhere: all the churches, the finest houses, offices of the vice-royal. Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her image persists. And do you see? He holds up a paint swatch with 4 different skin tones painted: a light brown, an olive brown, a medium brown, and a deeper, dark brown. He holds it up against the print reference. She s painted brown. They say morena but... I am much darker than she. He holds the paint swatch up to his face for the audience to see. He matches one of the darker brown shades. I am... but a lowly apprentice. I must be content that I am allowed to study in the royal academy at all. Only Español admitted, with 4 spots reserved, just 4 for Indios of the chief caciques. Pero no soy ni Español ni Indio... (pause) Every night and day, I am in this place... working and painting and I know... I m not supposed to be here. But it... it lights a kind of fire when you are the first. When you are the only one. I want to show that I am the most talented, most skilled artist in all of Mexico City. One day I will paint La Virgen de Guadalupe. One day, I will be a master painter. He pulls out another reference image: a casta series (in a single panel/grid). Casta, 5

6 (sighs) But today? Today, I paint whatever they ask. Don -, a criollo nobleman dressed in a European styled coat and powdered wig, makes a grand entrance with an ornate cane. Don Antonio Rafael de Aguilera y Orense, a wealthy merchant - He inspects the room carefully, with a frown. Of what, he never said - Don Antonio gestures to the reference print with a gloved hand. Provided here for you is the reference to paint. Each panel will be its own portrait. Sixteen paintings. Sixteen total? It is a series that depicts the castes of Nueva España, las castas. Very popular. All the Español have these. (quietly, to audience member) I don t know why... why you hang these in your home? I suppose it s calming? Casta, 6

7 Everything in specific order. Everyone confined in their little box with their appropriate title. Chino. Mulatto. Lobo. They are the names of animals. (at audience) In each panel, a family is represented. Father, Mother and Child. Africans at the bottom, always. In between, the Indian mixtures - - Español at the very top. (quietly, to audience) You might guess who designed this... (to Don Antonio) It would be an honor to create this for you - - Don Antonio turns to leave. Of course it would. Will they be exhibited here or perhaps in one of your homes overseas - -? (sharply) I do not have a home in the Old Spain, I live in the New - - Don Antonio turns back. Yes, of course - - You think only peninsulares can afford such things? Casta, 7

8 Oh no, I - - Are we criollos so uncultured, so unrefined we cannot commission our own art? No - - (to audience) In truth, I cannot tell the difference. I paint both portraits and Español peninsulares y criollos are posed the exact same way, same clothes, same face even - - Don Antonio gives a stern, sour expression. We are both Español. But criollos treated different. Inferior. Almost three centuries of paying tribute to the distant kingdom but do they reserve official posts solely for us - - Here is why he s upset. (to audience) No! But I m not upset, because unlike peninsulares, I have made myself very rich and powerful. He never says how - - (to audience) Whatever they pay you for commission, I can pay three times as much. In full. When the paintings are complete. Three? Three is quite a... three, yes. A very generous sum. Thank you, thank you Don - - He offers his hand. Produce an exact copy. Do not disappoint me. Don Antonio sniffs. He exits, with flourish. Casta, 8

9 (excitedly, to audience) I will not disappoint! No. Exact copy. The reference directly onto canvas. This I can do. He opens up the reference print again. He stares at the first panel. He turns back to the audience. (pause) Alright... OK... this is a small thing, but we can all agree, from an aesthetic perspective... the composition is flat. I m not wrong, am I? It would be more interesting, more dynamic if in the first panel, we cannot see the father s face. That s the truth, right... the father is often a mystery. If he is unknown to the child, let s make him unknown to the viewer as well... He begins to paint. Lights shift. Casta, 9

10 SCENE 1: ESPAÑOL Y PRODUCE MESTIZA Casta Portrait We see Español-Peninsular only in profile, dressed in a blue velvet waistcoast with ruffled cuffs. A tuft of dark hair peeks from under his white wig. He reaches one hand to India, who smiles at him. India s hand touches the top of her daughter s head, the other holds her arm. Mestiza looks up at Español, holding a slice of pineapple with a bite missing. Español y India produce Mestiza. Painter watches from the audience. Conosco a vos. Conosco vuestro rostro. Do you know me, señor? Nunca olvidaria un rostro tan esplendoroso. Decidme vuestro nombre una vez mas. You know my face but not my name? ESPAÑOL Vuestro nombre es Ana. Es Maria. Es Ana Maria? India shakes her head. No? No estoy cerca?! Tal vez algo mas exotico, algo indio como Centehua. The only one? (smirks) A caso eso significa? Entonces eso suena bien. Centehua. Solo una. La unica. Casta, 10

11 India smiles, shakes her head. Si gano vuestro pequeño juego... que premio ganare? Tengo una multitud de nombres que os podeis pertencer... Xochitl? Significa flor, ese nombre lo conosco. Mestiza slowly raises her slice of pineapple and takes a bite. Her eyes do not leave Español s face. He never looks down at her. You know a lot of Xochitls then? He removes his hat, adjusts his wig awkwardly. Conosco... la cantidad respetable. You are the only Juan Perez de Arteaga I know. India strokes her daughter s hair. Ah, conoceis mi nombre! Mereceis un premio! Que os comprare? Un brazalete de plata? Un collar de oro? Seis ya bastante adornada - - India touches the necklaces around her neck. Yes, well... when you left for Spain, I - - Un liston de terciopelo? Un abanico de papel? Seguramente hay algo que os puedo comprar. Algo codiciado por vuestro corazon?... I do not desire any thing more from you. Nada mas?! Nunca os e dado - - Casta, 11

12 And that is all the gift I need. Thank you. Señor. Mestiza offers her pineapple rind to Español. He does not see. India pulls her closer. Eh... no hay de que. (awkward pause) He starts to leave, then turns back. Es solo que - - vos seis tan conocida. No os dara vuestro nombre? Me encuentro bastante desconcertado... India smiles politely. Me entendereis... hay un cierto orden en la mente de uno mismo, un sistema con el cual arreglamos nuestra vista, nuestra memoria, nuestros sueños... y ahora es tan inquietante no poder reconocer a vos, no poder encontrar lugar- - My place is here. With my daughter. Solo deseba comprar a vos un obsequio. Sabeis que no hay daño en recibir la caridad. Is it charity? I am already quite adorned as you say. He tips his hat and awkwardly steps out of the portrait. India strokes her daughter s hair. Necahual. MESTIZA India leans down to kiss her. Necahual! Si! Si! You win a prize! (to Mestiza) Casta, 12

13 Necahual. It means left behind. It means... survivor. She hands her another slice of pineapple. Mestiza takes a bite. Español reenters. I know you. Painter prepares the next portrait. END OF EXCERPT For full script copy, please contact Adrienne Dawes me@adriennedawes.com Casta, 13