A Free Man of Color
By John Guare
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About this ebook
The author of classics American plays such as Six Degrees of Separation and The House of Blue Leaves, Tony and Obie Award-winning playwright John Guare is celebrated for his theatrically playful, intellectually dazzling imagination. His play “A Free Man of Color evolves from a bustling farce into something deeper and darker but similarly exhilarating” (USA Today).
A Free Man of Color is set in boisterous New Orleans prior to the historic Louisiana Purchase. Before law and order took hold and class, racial, and political lines were drawn, New Orleans was a carnival of beautiful women, flowing wine, and pleasure for the taking. At the center of this Dionysian world is Jacques Cornet, a mixed-race gentleman who commands men, seduces women, and preens like a peacock. But it is 1801 and the map of New Orleans is about to be redrawn. The Louisiana Purchase brings American rule and racial segregation to the chaotic, colorful world of Jacques Cornet and all that he represents, turning the tables on freedom and liberty.
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Book preview
A Free Man of Color - John Guare
A Free Man of Color
Plays by John Guare
Bosoms and Neglect
Chaucer in Rome
Cop-Out
A Few Stout Individuals
Four Baboons Adoring the Sun
A Free Man of Color
General of Hot Desire
His Girl Friday (adaptation)
Home Fires
House of Blue Leaves
Lake Hollywood
Landscape of the Body
Lydie Breeze:
Part One: Women and Water
Part Two: Bulfinch’s Mythology
Part Three: The Sacredness of the Next Task
Marco Polo Sings a Solo
Moon Under Miami
Muzeeka
Rich and Famous
Six Degrees of Separation
JOHN GUARE
A Free Man of Color
Grove Press
New York
Copyright © 2011 by John Guare
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Scanning, uploading, and electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Any member of educational institutions wishing to photocopy part or all of the work for classroom use, or anthology, should send inquiries to Grove/Atlantic, Inc., 841 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 or to permissions@groveatlantic.com.
CAUTION: Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that A Free Man of Color is subject to royalties. It is fully protected under the copyright laws of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and all British Commonwealth countries, and all countries covered by the International Copyright Union, the Pan-American Copyright Convention, and the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, recitation, public reading, radio broadcasting, television, video or sound taping, all other forms of mechanical or electronic reproduction, such as information storage and retrieval systems and photocopying, and rights of translation into foreign languages, are strictly reserved.
The stock and amateur live stage performance rights to A Free Man of Color are controlled exclusively by Dramatists Play Services, Inc. No professional or nonprofessional performance of the play may be given without obtaining in advance the written permission of Dramatists Play Services, Inc., 440 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, and paying the requisite fee, whether the play is presented for charity or gain and whether or not admission is charged.
First-class professional applications for permission to perform it, and those other rights stated above, must be made in advance to International Creative Management, Attn: Patrick Herold, 730 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10019.
Published simultaneously in Canada
Printed in the United States of America
FIRST EDITION
ISBN-13: 9780802195005
Grove Press
an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
841 Broadway
New York, NY 10003
Distributed by Publishers Group West
www.groveatlantic.com
11 12 13 1410 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For
George C. Wolfe who put it into motion,
André Bishop and Bernard Gersten who made it happen,
and Adele C-T who gave it the spirit
A Free Man of Color was commissioned and produced by the Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont, New York, New York, under the direction of André Bishop and Bernard Gersten. It opened in December 2010 with the following cast:
JACQUES CORNETJeffrey Wright
CUPIDON MURMUR AND TOUSSAINT LOUVERTUREMos
ZEUS-MARIE PINCEPOUSSE AND TALLYRANDReg Rogers
MARGERY JOLICOEURNicole Beharie
DR. TOUBIBJoseph Marcell
JUAN VENTURA MORALES AND NAPOLEON BONAPARTETriney Sandoval
DOÑA SMERALDA AND JOSEPHINEJustina Machado
ORPHEEEsau Pritchett
LEDA, MME. DORILANTE, AND MELPOMENETeyonah Parris
DOÑA ATHENE AND CALLIOPESara Gettelfinger
REMY DORILANTE AND JAMES MONROEArnie Burton
JONATHAN SPARKS AND MAJOR WALTER REEDBrian Reddy
MRS. SPARKS, TERPSICHORE, AND THE INFANTARosal Colón
LORD HARCOURT, LE CLERC’S CAPTAIN, AND GEORGES FEYDEAURobert Stanton
LADY HARCOURT AND EUTERPEWendy Rich Stetson
ALCIBIADEDavid Emerson Toney
PYTHAGORE, GENERAL LE CLERC AND KING CARLOS CUARTONick Mennell
MERCURE AND COUNT ACHILLE CREUXPeter Bartlett
MME. MANDRAGOLA, DOÑA POLISSENA, AND ROBERT LIVINGSTONVeanne Cox
THOMAS JEFFERSONJohn McMartin
MERIWETHER LEWISPaul Dano
DirectorGeorge C. Wolfe
SetsDavid Rockwell
CostumesAnn Hould-Ward
LightingJules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer
SoundScott Stauffer
Original MusicJeanine Tesori
ChoreographyHope Clarke
The play is set in New Orleans, 1801–1806, and other locations in Europe and America.
In the New World at this time, there was a vocabulary of more than a hundred terms for people of mixed race, extending back seven generations in an individual’s heritage. For example: pure
white and pure
black = mulatto; mulatto and black = sambo; mulatto and white = quadroon; a mamelouc was 113 of 120 parts white,
etc.
ACT ONE
JACQUES CORNET appears, a dazzling piece of work. His coat is made of purple satin and embroidered and laced with gold. His shoes have diamond buckles. His bewigged hair, powdered. His magnificence is overwhelming. MURMUR accompanies him.
JACQUESThe year is 1801. Alas. This is the last time men will dress like this.
All men equal? Clothes tell the ranks.
I have taste. For that I give my daily thanks.
If a book can’t be told by its cover, what good’s the book?
The world would be better if it followed my lead.
If I’m a book, I’m a damned good read.
Murmur, introduce me—
MURMURHis name used to be—
JACQUES CORNET (cutting him off)My name is Jacques Cornet. New Orleans is my home.
MURMURI’m Cupidon Murmur, his administrative assistant.
JACQUES CORNETLast time I looked, you were my slave.
MURMURWhich is why I stopped looking. Didn’t you used to be a slave?
JACQUES CORNETDon’t be fresh, Murmur. Even though born of a slave, I purchased my freedom and became my father’s heir.
MURMUR‘My father’s heir.’ A very rich, very white father, left my boss everything. Including me. I do all the work. He does nothing.
JACQUES CORNETI beg your pardon. Each morning I can be found in my atelier, writing my play.
MURMURWhere’d you get the nerve to write a play?
JACQUES CORNETBrocade gave me confidence.
MURMURDoes your masterpiece have a title?
JACQUES