Race (9 page)

JACK
: And you knew that on Day One.

HENRY
: Her
thesis
, Jack, in
college
. Her college thesis was on . . .
(Takes a paper and reads)
“Structural Survivals of Racism in Supposedly Bias-free Transactions.” Quote. “The nexus of oppression is ineluctable. Even the consciousness of the oppressor, indeed, this consciousness least of all, is capable of expunging from his acts and utterances the dialectic of dominance.”
(Pause)
You think, Jacky, you are immune. Because you understand the problem. What you don't see, is, that, to her, you
are
the problem. And you're so fucking proud of yourself. For not making a pass at her, for “respecting” her as a “human being,” that you do
not
see, this ungrateful little girl, looking at me, and, in her eyes, “where is your
watermelon
.” While her privileged, Affirmative Action self is here on a pass, Jack, on a motherfucking pass. Which you gave her.
However
smart she is.
(Pause)
I would be mortified, to go through life, thinking that I'd received a dispensation because of my race. And I am ashamed of her that she is not.
(Pause)
And she sold us out. Because of the Race of our client. Who is innocent.
(Pause)
That's all.

JACK
: “She sold us out”?

HENRY
: She called the prosecution with the information on the dress, and I'll bet you a
fucking dollar
, that she called the college roommate.

JACK
: How would she get his name?

HENRY
(Holds up a piece of paper)
: . . . whose name appears on the “List of Sins” you had him write.
(Reads)
“I used to go ‘tomcatting' with my college friend, Bill . . .”

SUSAN
: Of course.

HENRY
: When our client came in, did you ask him for a check?

SUSAN
: That's right.

HENRY
: Why?

SUSAN
: You told me to keep him occupied.

JACK
(Simultaneous with “occupied”)
: But, we've had several clients before, whom you spoke to. Did you do that with them?
(Pause)
Did you?

SUSAN
: I was doing as I was asked.

JACK
: But you never did it before.

SUSAN
: I don't understand where you're going.

HENRY
: And you called the Court—to have us listed as Attorneys of Record.

SUSAN
: That's not why I called the court.

HENRY
: Why did you call the Court?

SUSAN
: Kelley was unavail . . . Why do you
think
I called the court?

HENRY
: Perhaps you
wanted
the client here.

SUSAN
: Of course I wanted him here. I believed
you
wanted him here.

HENRY
: Well—we were in the process of deciding when your act committed us. You believe he's guilty.

SUSAN
: I think it's irrelevant.

JACK
: But you believe he's guilty.

SUSAN
: In fact I do.

JACK
: You believe he is.

SUSAN
: I'm certain of it.

JACK
: When did you reach that conclusion?

SUSAN
: I, I don't know. I
read
, in his . . . you asked him to write a, to write a
confession
, of the things he'd done, I . . .

HENRY
(To Jack)
: . . . you
see
?

JACK
(To Susan)
: You said you thought he was guilty when you first saw him. Because I asked you what you thought. And you told me that he “looked” guilty.
(Pause)
But you say now, You always
knew
he was guilty.

SUSAN
: The evidence seems to indicate he is.

JACK
: Yes, but you thought so previous to the evidence.
(Pause)
You thought so when you first
saw
him.

SUSAN
: That's right.

JACK
: Why?

SUSAN
: We all have prejudices.

JACK
: Yes, that's right.

SUSAN
: But we try to
suspend
them.

JACK
: We do?

SUSAN
: In the interests of our client.

JACK
: And what were
your
prejudices?

SUSAN
: Women are taught.
(Pause)
To be wary of men.

JACK
: Anything else?

SUSAN
: He's
white
.

HENRY
: Thank you and is a white man entitled to legal representation?

JACK
: . . . and so you were
doubly
prejudiced against him.

SUSAN
: That's right.

JACK
: Because he was white.

SUSAN
: White men have traditionally exploited black women.

JACK
: And is that prejudice?

SUSAN
: Perhaps it is. And perhaps I was conscious of it. And strove to put it aside.

JACK
: But you thought he was guilty.

SUSAN
: No. I was sure he was guilty.

JACK
: And did you think he should be punished?

SUSAN
: I thought he
would
be punished.

JACK
: You thought he
should
be punished.

SUSAN
: That is correct.

JACK
: By
you
?

SUSAN
: Not by me, no.

JACK
: By whom?

SUSAN
: By the court.

JACK
:
That's the wrong answer. The
right
answer is, “What are you getting at?”
(Pause)
. . . that's the wrong answer . . .

HENRY: Did you sell us out?

SUSAN: When did you cease to trust me?

HENRY: Did you sell us out?

SUSAN: Did you trust me, when you hired me?

HENRY: Jack did. I didn't.

SUSAN: Why?

HENRY: Because you lied. On your employment form.

SUSAN:
Uh
-huh.

HENRY
: D'you call the prosecution? You call the roommate? Susan?

SUSAN
: . . . but your partner, took a chance on me.

HENRY: That's right.

SUSAN: Why?
(Pause. To Jack)
Why?

JACK: How the fuck do
I
know? Because you came up the hard way. 'Cause you're smart, 'cause you're black, 'cause you're young and pretty. Is it all a
crime
now? Is it all a crime?

SUSAN: You mistrust me, because I'm black.

JACK: Say I
do
. Did I have reason to?

SUSAN: Did you?

JACK: You lied on your employment form.

SUSAN: Is that something “black” people do?

JACK: Uh-huh.

SUSAN: If you mistrusted me why in the world did you
hire
me?

JACK: I mistrusted you but I
suppressed
it.

SUSAN: Why?

JACK: Because you are black . . .

SUSAN
: . . . because I'm black . . .

JACK: . . . and I thought. I
thought
you deserved a
chance
.
Alright?
And I gave you a chance and you betrayed me.

SUSAN: On what evidence?

HENRY:
Deny
it . . .

JACK: Just deny it Susan.
(Pause)
Tell me I'm wrong.
(Pause)
The man's innocent.

SUSAN:
Is
he? . . .

JACK: “
Is
he?” What the fuck does
that
mean? The man's our
client
. He's our
client
. . .

HENRY
(To phone)
: Yes, go ahead.

JACK: And an innocent man is going to have his life ruined. By
you
. You sold us out. You sold our
client
out. Didn't you?

SUSAN: “An innocent man.”

JACK
: Get out of my sight. Get out of my sight, you fucking ingrate.

SUSAN: You forgot to say “nigger.”

JACK: Get out of my sight.

HENRY
(To phone)
: Yes.
(Pause)
Thank you.
(He hangs up; to Jack)
That was the District Attorney.
(Pause)
The rookie, first responding officer.
(Pause)
Has just discovered and submitted, a page of his initial report. In which he describes the room “covered in sequins.” He left it in the pocket of his coat.
(Pause)
And our client. Has just confessed. To the rape.

JACK: Susan . . .

SUSAN: Do you want me to tell you about White People?
(Pause)
The silver spoon was missing and you fired the maid.
(Pause)
You cannot help yourselves. And you wonder how black people feel about you? As you said. We know. You will betray us. Every chance you get. Like children. Like sick children.
(To Henry)
Didn't this fool know that man raped that girl?
(Pause)
Didn't
you
know? . . .
You
knew—didn't you
care
? . . .

HENRY: You didn't send the information on the dress.

SUSAN: I've told you I did not.

HENRY: But you called the college roommate.

SUSAN: I don't know what you mean . . .

HENRY
: 'Cause, we can tell them, that man remembered that “slight” over thirty years. But you and I know it's untrue.

SUSAN: Is it untrue?

HENRY
: Man of that age? Shit he's had to eat? That fucking “slight” was
nothing
to him.

SUSAN: It was his college roommate.

HENRY: It was some
white
boy who he knew in college. He didn't even remember till you called him up.
You
called the roommate up. You ginned him up.
Didn't
you?

SUSAN: Is that what I did?

HENRY: And your act. Was a violation of the law.

SUSAN: As was yours, when you had me investigated.

JACK: Did you betray me?

SUSAN: In any event it would have had no bearing on the justice of the case.

JACK: You tell me why.

SUSAN: Because, White Man, he was guilty.

 

 

 

DAVID MAMET is the author of many plays, including
Glengarry Glen Ross
(Pulitzer Prize, 1984),
American Buffalo
,
The Cryptogram
,
A Life in the Theatre
,
November
,
Boston Marriage
and
The Woods
.

Race
is copyright © 2010 by David Mamet

 

Race
is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156

 

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