The Theatre of the Holocaust, Volume 1: Four Plays

WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD?

Charlotte Delbo zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD? zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcb Qui Rapportera Ces Paroles? translated from the French by Cynthia Haft Music for the original production ofzyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQ Who Will Carry the Word? was composed by Alain Kremsky. Author's Note zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVU No sets. The site is suggested by the positions and movements of the characters, and by the lighting. The action takes place in the barracks (there is no need to represent them; the light and text suffice) and on the roll call square outside a barren, snowy place or a barren, dusty place. The following is suggested: an inclined plane, which will serve as the roll call square, and on which the group's movements will take place as they go to roll call, for which they position themselves. The scenes which take place in the barracks will be played in the foreground, in front of the inclined plane. On the edge of the inclined plane the women will lie down for the night; they may exit on the garden side or the court side, but only one or the other, for the barracks have only one exit. During the first and second acts, everyone except Laure is on stage at all times, and the impression of being in a crowd must be constantly maintained (noises, murmurings, conversations). No make-up: faces powdered in gray, including eyelids and lips. The faces do not count. Costumes: tunics or smocks or delivery-boy shirts either in ticking or gray, mid-calf length. Certainly no stripes. Kerchiefs on the head of the same gray or a variety of muted colors: brown, olive, military green, maroon. In the first and second acts, kerchiefs tightly knotted under the chin, covering the ears (it's cold). In the third act, they are tied at the nape of the neck. Gray slippers, and gray stockings. The costumes do not count. In a desolate landscape (nowhere . . . a place that no one can imagine), in a light of unreality, the groups mill about, then move into formation. The movements will always be slow and voices will never be raised. The action of the play should be continuous and without intermission. 269 CAST OF CHARACTERS In Order of Appearance The action takes place in a death camp in which several thousand women of all nationalities are confined. Two hundred French women arrived there. Among them: CLAIRE. FRANCHISE. MOUNETTE, eighteen years old. GINA. YVONNE. MADELEINE. REINE. MARIE, sixteen years old. RENEE. AGNES. SYLVIE, twenty years old. SMALL PEASANT GIRL. REGINE. ELISABETH. HORTENSE. DENISE, seventeen years old. MONIQUE, Denise's sister, twenty years old. BERTHE. DEDEE, Bertha's sister, twenty years old. HELENE'S MOTHER, forty years old. HELENE, eighteen years old. LINA. LAURE. All those for whom no age is indicated are between twenty-five and thirty years of age. 271 WHO WILL CARRY THE WORD? zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWV Prologue Music. FRAN^OISE: zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA Because I have returned from where there was no return You think I know everything And you crowd me Bursting with your questions Questions you cannot even formulate. You think that I know the answers All I know are facts Life Death Truth I return for truth. For there everything was true. Everything was stamped with truth, a mortal truth Clear and sharp, without nuance or measure. Pure cruelty, pure horror. Who could bear to face The truth in that cruelty? Close eyes forever, Or look on wide-eyed, Wild-eyed The only choice, the only chance. The light seared the eyes that dared to seek. So why should I speak? For the things I would say Could not be of any use to you. zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSR 273 ACT1 zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcbaZYXWVUTSRQ Scene 1 In the barracks. In an aisle between the boxes which serve as beds, that is to say, in front of the inclined plane, in the foreground. Some groups chat. On one side, a group composed o/" FRANCHISE, MOUNETTE , YVONNE, GINA, MADELEINE. Coming from another group, CLAIRE, who will be followed by REINE. Some standing up, the others lying down. It is late afternoon in winter. Hazy light inside. Outside, the light is hard and cutting on the snow. CLAIRE: Come here. I want to talk to you. FRANfOISE: Who, me? CLAIRE: Yes, you. FRANCHISE: And who are you? CLAIRE: Claire. Don't you recognize me? FRANfOiSE: Now I recognize your voice. Voices are difficult to recognize . Even the voices have changed. Are they muffled or is...