Same As Me - Angela Theresa Egic (best ereader for graphic novels txt) 📗

SCENE ONE

(TWO HISPANIC MEN sit on stage on a box or bench. They are sitting back to back with their knees pulled up to their chest. Both men can be similar height and weight, although, any variation is acceptable.

V FREDY, age 35-45 means “voice”. D FREDY, can be any adult, male or female who either, preferably 1) Deaf or 2) fluent in American Sign Language [referred to as: ASL].

Spanish music plays as the lights come up. Both men stir and stand, in a fright, and stare at one another.

V Fredy begins dancing to the music. D Fredy observes him, curiously. The music slowly fades and V Fredy dances less and less until the music stops and he stops and plops on the bench, looking up, sad.

D Fredy comes up behind him and puts a comforting hand on his shoulder. V Fredy looks up at D Fredy and observes him.

D Fredy convinces V Fredy to stand and come with him. D Fredy dances to no music for a moment or two. V Fredy watches him and notices the beauty in his silent movement.)

V FREDY: Very good! Where is your music?

(D Fredy smiles kindly, and with his face shows he does not understand. He signs).

D FREDY
in ASL): Deaf. Sorry.

(D Fredy lowers his head and backs away from V Fredy. Stage Right D Fredy faces the audience as V Fredy moves center stage to tell his story.

D Fredy will sign V Fredy’s dialogue until specified differently in the script.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): I am a man. I am not Mexican or Puerto Rican. I have been asked, accused and pointed out as one or the other. I am from Guatemala. It is a beautiful country! I identify with my Spanish ancestors. I identify with my Mayan culture. I live in America. I am deaf.

I was born hearing. My identity, nevertheless, is that of a deaf man. A Guatemalan man. I am an Artist. I am a son. I was a husband. I am a father. I cannot hear you.

No matter how loud you speak or scream. So, please stop! It is interesting how the hearing will speak louder, or yell, when you point out you are deaf. It doesn’t help. Trust me.

I know more than you about people. I see them. I see inside them. I see in their eyes what they think, what they feel.

V FREDY
How I ended up in America is one story. How I ended up deaf is another story. How I became homeless, I am not sure.

It was 1963, Guatemala City. I was born, like all of you. Hearing. I was the third child of what would eventually be five children, in a troubled marriage. I was a happy child and the favorite of my oldest sister and brother. I loved music!

(Spanish music comes up again, a little quieter and continues to play lightly.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY; in ASL): When I just under a year old, something changed.

(The music goes up and then suddenly just stops, abruptly).

(D FREDY; in ASL): The family tells two stories.
The first one my mother says I was moving about, as babies do and she lost her grip on me. I fell hard onto the floor and landed on the back of my head.

She said a lot of liquid came pouring from both my ears and I was rushed to the hospital. After looking into my ears, the doctor sent me home.

I was a changed child. I no longer responded to music and as I learned to walk, I held my head down.

The other story my mother told was about a trip to the beach. I was with my uncle and slipped under the water for a long time.

No matter which story is true, at the age of 9-months-old, I became who I am. Deaf.

A deaf boy. A deaf boy in a hearing family.



I was an alien.

I didn’t understand why my brother and sisters moved their mouths and were allowed to go out, by themselves, and play.


(D Fredy goes to V Fredy and walks around him. Observing his mouth from every angle.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY; in ASL): My wonderful mother kept me close to her. We did communicate in our own way.

(V Fredy pulls D Fredy in for a close hug. D Fredy struggles a bit. Then, relaxes into the embrace.

V Fredy releases him, runs his hand on his face. In a motherly way. D Fredy does the same to V Fredy and goes back to address the audience in ASL.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY; in ASL): I was not like my siblings. I was not like their friends. I was not like my mother or father. My father moved away when I was about 5-years-old.

Not long after, there was a new man in the house. He was not my father.

He, like my family, was not like me, either.

My cousins, and there were many, were not like me. I was the only one in the world.

(Both men move to opposite corners of the stage, or area. A single spotlight on each one. They have their backs to one another.

Perhaps a piece of music [i.e. The Sound of Silence softly plays]. The men turn in a slow circle, looking around for someone. They do not see one another).

V FREDY
(D FREDY; in ASL): There was abuse. By a female cousin who was 13-years-old when I was about four. She was family. She was trusted to be my babysitter. What she did to me was unspeakable. Unspeakable by me. I did not speak. I did not know how. I did not understand speaking.

My cousin knew I would not tell anyone. She touched me often. I could not stop her. I did not understand.

(Music stops or fades. Lights come up and both actors move center stage, side by side)

V FREDY
(D FREDY; in ASL): When I was about 3-years-old, my mother left for a short while. When she came back, there was a tiny little creature with her. My baby sister.

She was precious. Her eyes would be closed for hours and hours. I would lean over the crib and just watch this precious girl sleep and wait for her to move.

D FREDY: (D Fredy in front of V Fredy and acts out this scene. Mixing ASL and actually acting out the moments.)

V FREDY: I tried opening her eyes. My mother slapped away my hands and made it clear to never open her eyes. I went back to watching her. The minute her eyes opened or a tear fell down her eyes, I ran to show my mother the miracle!

(Both stand side by side)



V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): I knew it was wonderful and I understood, clearly, was it was to love your family.


I couldn’t hear them. I could feel them. I knew my mother loved me.

She wanted me always by her side.

She was happy when I was watched Lara, the baby who slept so beautifully. A precious girl. I loved her little face, her tiny hands.

And I wanted, so much, to go outside with my brother. To have the adventures he must be having in a world I didn’t know . . . didn’t understand . . . that didn’t include me. The alien. The one that was different from everyone.

When I was about six, something was different. My mother put me in a new outfit. She was a fine seamstress. She had never done this before. She was also particularly well dressed. She took me by the hand and took me to town.

I was amazed to see so many people. They were very much like everyone else I had seen. They were like my mother, my siblings, and my stepfather. They moved their mouths and communicated.

I was not like them.

My mother took me on this big truck. A bus, I know this now. And we rode there for a long way. My mother was sad. I was not. This was exciting, different, amazing. I saw beautiful land, Guatemala!

We arrived at a large building. The largest I had ever seen. Much bigger than out house. It had writing on the outside. I could not read.

As my mother led me by the hand inside, we met a man. A grown-up, like my stepfather, except he wore a suit. After some hesitation, my mother led me outside to a playground. I had never seen a playground. And in this playground, there were children.

The children were like my siblings. At least, I thought so. Yet, something was different. My mother motioned me to go play with them. I hesitated, as I was not allowed, at home, to leave her side.

Now, here she was sending me out, alone, to play.

I approached a little girl, sitting by herself, playing in the sand.

(Both actors sit on the stage and face one another. They act out the scene. V Fredy playing the girl and D Fredy playing himself at the young age)

V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): I sat in front of her, expecting her to be like my own little sister.

She looked up at me, startled I was there. She pointed at me and made a few shapes with her hands. Similar to the way I spoke to my mother. Still, it was different.

It didn’t take long. I noticed, very quickly, she didn’t even attempt to move her mouth. Something everyone did! Why wasn’t she moving her mouth – she stared at me. Demanding! Using the hand motion again and staring, waiting for me.

I was in awe! Could it be true?



(Both actors stand up and awkwardly part. They go down stage, with a bit of space between them . . . addressing the audience.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): I stood up and backed away a bit. I looked around. All the children there. They were staring. Even if they used their mouths. They watched carefully and used hand signs. They stared like I did.

I looked back at the girl. I pointed at her and back at me.

She is like me. Hallelujah!

(D Fredy runs around the stage. Happy, celebrating! He goes to V Fredy. They high five or do the chest butt, all signs up celebration!)

V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): Yes, she is the same as me. I looked at her and waiting. I pointed at her and me. At her ears and my ears. She made it clear.

We are the same. I was not alone! I was not the only one in this world. There. No, here, there were people the same as me.

(Both actors can, at this point, approach the audience and sign to them. Just like before . . . Are you like me? Are we the same? Shake hands or sign “I love you”.)

V FREDY
(D FREDY: in ASL): I was overjoyed! I found my people!