Whispers of a Savage Sort: And Other Plays about the Deaf American Experience

Love in My Veins

Love in My Veins 40 FOR SUSAN JACKSON DENNIS DRAPER DIRECTED THE world premiere production of Love in My Veins, presented by the Illuminations Theater with the Deaf, at Talento Bilingue de Houston, Houston, with the following cast on 6 December 2003. MINDY: Susan Jackson HUGH: Scott Hutchison Susan Jackson was voiced by Rita Aguilar and Scott Hutchison. Jill Beebout and Susan Jackson were the producers. STAGING CONSIDERATIONS Both characters are deaf and use ASL to communicate. They can be voiced by two hearing actors for the signing-impaired. Over the course of their twenty-five-year relationship, which travels from the year 1975 to the present, both characters will age from their early twenties to their early fifties. They can wear the same black outfit from beginning to end, with possible clothing accouterments to indicate the fashion of that year. The following props would be most useful: A loveseat (which can double as car seats), a pair of chairs, and a table. It may help the audience if the year for each scene was projected on the wall above the actors at the beginning of each scene. This will help convey the years rolling by. Lights can fade in and out between scenes. Love in My Veins 41 ACT ONE Scene 1: 1975 [Lights suggest a hotel lobby. HUGH sits on a loveseat while watching for a particular person to come through the door. When MINDY enters, a light on her face goes on.] MINDY: (To the audience.) I liked none of the deaf men I knew growing up, so I thought I’d try my luck with hearing men. To each personal ad that I liked, I told each man that I was deaf upfront. No one responded except for Hugh, who was in town for a few months doing research at the University of Houston. He said that should not be a problem and that we should meet anyway. [HUGH stands up and approaches MINDY.] HUGH: (Speaks and gestures.) Hello? [MINDY stops when she notices the hearing aids in HUGH’s ears.] MINDY: (Gestures.) You deaf? You sign? Why didn’t you tell me? HUGH: (Not quite understanding her; speaks and gestures.) I’m Hugh Marvin. MINDY: (Gestures.) What? [HUGH takes out a small notepad and pen, and scribbles something. Meanwhile MINDY signs to the audience as she reads what he’s writing.] MINDY: “I don’t know sign language, but I would like to learn.” [MINDY turns to HUGH and smiles as she gestures that he turn off his voice and take out his hearing aids. HUGH stops. Then he softens as he closes his lips, takes out his hearing aids, and puts them into his pockets. MINDY beams. Lights change as if they are in a small classroom. MINDY stands before HUGH, sitting on a chair. He is now learning signs.] MINDY: “Sky.” 42 Love in My Veins [MINDY gestures the sun beating down as the clouds roll across the sky.] HUGH: Sky. MINDY: “Water.” [MINDY gestures the tidal waves rising up and down, and then the thunderous waters as in the middle of a storm on the sea.] HUGH: Water. MINDY: “Kiss.” [MINDY gestures a pair of lovers French-kissing, which ends with her arms encircling herself. HUGH hesitates, but he stands up and approaches her.] HUGH: Kiss. [HUGH looks at the sign he’s just made and gestures “Bleech!” He points to his own lips and then to her lips. He leans forward with puckered lips. She laughs. As she joins him in a kiss, lights black out quickly and come back on. HUGH and MINDY jump apart from each other, as if caught. They do not interrupt each other, but rather, their lines flow into each other’s. They are now at their own mother’s houses.] HUGH: (Speaks and tries to sign.) Mom? Guess what? MINDY: Mom? Guess what? HUGH: (Speaks and tries to sign.) There’s nothing wrong with my hands. MINDY: I met a really nice deaf man. HUGH: Mom. Don’t give me a look like that! MINDY: He’s not from a deaf family like us. HUGH: All my life I felt like a freak. MINDY: He’s different. Which is what I like. HUGH: No, Mom, I’m not “normal.” I’m deaf. MINDY: Mom! I prefer to marry into a hearing family. HUGH: For the first time in my life I feel normal...