1968, Act Three

<<<ACT TWO

(Blackout. Headlines of shooting on screen.)

B Chorus
Extra, extra
read all about it
Andy Warhol shot
by Valerie Solanas
Plastic man versus
the sweet assassin
non-man shot
by the reality
of his dream
a tough chick
with a bop cap
and a thirty eight

VALERIE IS OURS

(Times Square, Valerie walking aimlessly.)

Val
It’s all over
I shot him
It’s all over
I got him

(she walks up to a cop)

I am a flower child
I am a hippy
he had too much control
the police want me

(Blackout)(Andy’s bed in hospital, covered with
plastic tent–surrounded by entourage.) 

Everyone
Andy’s in a coma
that’s what we said
Andy’s in a coma
he’s almost dead

oh what is real
oh what to feel

death, death, death
death is detrimental
sorta accidental
makes us sentimental

Andy’s in a coma
he’s despondent
Andy’s in a coma
we’re indignant

oh what is real
oh what to feel

death, death, death
death is detrimental
sorta accidental
makes us sentimental

Doctor
The bullet entered
his chest, then
penetrated lungs
spleen and abdomen
before emerging
from his right side
he has a 50/50 chance
he almost died

Everyone
death, death, death
death is detrimental
sorta accidental
makes us sentimental

death, death, death
death is unexpected
everyone’s infected
no one gets rejected

Cop
Name

Val
Valerie Solanas

Cop
Home

Val
No place

Cop
Occupation

Val
I’m a revolutionary
and a writer

Cop
Occupation: none 

Viva
Why did she do it?
why did she shoot him
was it premeditated
was it just a whim
did she feel
the cold gun
in her hand
did she know
just how she oughta stand
is she a lunatic
is she psychotic
a common criminal
mentally sick?

What did she want from me
what could I give her
did she want a sister
did she want a lover
I’m all internalized
ultra erratic
I tune my brainwaves
but all I get is static
is she a lunatic
is she psychotic
a common criminal
mentally sick?

Andy is dying
is it because of me
such strange emotions
interrupt my frequency
Andy is my life
he’s everything to me
without him I’m a blank
why do I think of Valerie?
is she a lunatic
is she psychotic
a common criminal
mentally sick?

(Flash to courtroom.)

Baliff
The Court is in order
Judge Getzoff presiding
Arraignment of Valerie Solanas
Accused of attempted killing
of artist and cult figure
Andy Warhol at his factory
June 3, 1968
how does the accused plea?

Val
Absolutely innocent

Judge
Miss Solanas

Val
I object
I’m not miss

Judge
I’ll be the judge here
There will be order
Now–Valerie Solanas
Do you have a lawyer?

Val
I intend
to represent myself, judge

Judge
You must realize
the seriousness of the charge

Val
That’s why it’s going to stay
in competent hands. See!
I don’t need no pig man lawyer
to talk for me

Judge
That will be enough
I will have order
The Court appoints
Ronald Veneziano as lawyer
For the defendant
considering her condition

Val
You can’t do that
It’s my decision
It’s not everyday I shoot someone
I didn’t do it for nothing

Veneziano
I think,in view
of the preceeding….

Val
Shut up!
You’re not my lawyer

Judge
Silence. This
is a court of law. I order
that the defendant Valerie Solanus
receive a preliminary
psychiatric examination
to determine if she
understands the charges
or if she’s psychotic

B Chorus
(on the sidelines)
She’s not psycho
She’s just futuristic
She lives on the
edge of the autistic
She’s not psycho
she’s just paranormal
Gettin off
On the hormonal
She’s not psycho
She’s not psycho
She’s not psycho

(Valerie in jail)

Dyke Jailkeeper
Hey Solanas
You got a visitor

(Viva enters)

Viva
Hi Valerie
I thought I’d come over–
How you doing?
I brought some candy
How you doing?
They treat you okay Valerie?
You look a little pale
It’s dark in here
It’s so hot outside
Well, I guess it’s summer
Did you hear about
Bobby Kennedy? He was shot
the day after Andy–
He died. It’s so hot
My clothes stick to me
I wanna get out of
this town, but Andy– ,
Go to San Francisco
you know. Haight-Ashbury
There’s a lot going on there
Do you hear me Valerie?
It’s cool there in the summer.
It looks like a postcard
I guess I’m stuck here forever
Talk to me Valerie
I need to know
what you think
I need to know

Val
I got two emotions left–
hate and fear, That’s all you get
Fear and hate.  That’s all.
One or the other. That’s it.

Viva
Well, I guess
I ought to go Valerie

Val
I guess you ought to
You taking that candy?

Viva
Oh. I forgot..

Val
Thanks. Thanks a lot.

(Viva exits. Val eats candy. Blackout.)

B Chorus
Now the feminists
are hip to Valerie
they get a lawyer
named  Flo Kennedy
(Valerie in the background) Kennedy
They try to show
Valerie’s got sense
and that she acted
in self defense
but the courtroom
is full of men
and Judge Getzoff
is one of them

(Courtroom)

Judge
Will the defendant
rise and face the jury

Jury
We find
Valerie Solanas guilty
of manhating
in the first degree

Judge
Guilty
in the first degree
She’ll be put
where she won’t hurt no body
in an institution
of insanity
she’ll get thorazine
and shock therapy
until she’s ready
to be a steady
member of society

A Chorus
Guilty, guilty
Guilty in the first degree

B Chorus
She’s not psycho
She’s just futuristic

A Chorus
Guilty, guilty
Guilty in the first degree

B Chorus
She’s not psycho
She’s just futuristic

A Chorus
Guilty, guilty
Guilty in the first degree

B Chorus
She’s not psycho
She’s just futuristic

(Vigil at Andy’s bed)

A Chorus
(whimpering chanting, asleep)
Andy, Andy, Andy, etc.

Andy
Am I dead?
Where am I?
What happened?
Did I die?

(Viva wakes up, goes to him)

Viva
Andy?  Do you hear me?

Andy
Viva. Viva
Is that you Viva?

Viva
Andy
You’ll be okay
We’ll all take care of you
Andy
It’ll be
just like it was before
everything will be
just like it was before
you won’t have to
live in fear
You won’t have to worry
we’ll be here
we’ll take care of you 
you won’t have to worry
we’ll be here
Andy……

A Chorus

Andy, Andy, Andy, etc.

(Blackout)

EPILOGUE

(1980 Bellevue Hospital)

Dyke Nurse
Valerie, Valeie it’s time for your injection

Val
No, i don’t want it

Dyke Nurse
You won’t pass inspection
Come on Valerie
you know it makes you happy
You won’t be so nervous
It’ll set your mind free

Val
No, I don’t want it

(she knocks the needle out of nurse’s hand)

Dyke Nurse
Uh oh, naughty naughty.
You know what that means.

Val
NO! NO! NOT SHOCK THERAPY!

B Chorus
Shock therapy
is good for you
it makes your brain cells
just like new
Shock therapy
it erases
all those ugly
memory traces
it induces
amnesia
electrical
euphoria
shock therapy
be happy
shock therapy
be happy

Val
Who am I?
Who am I?

(Valerie gets up, wanders around among the other patients, who stand blankly)

(she looks at her wristband or maybe all uniforms can be stamped in big numbers)

Val
Who am I?
I’m a blank
I don’t feel
I don’t think
inside my body
it’s all kinda dead
my face is empty
so is my head
who am I?
I don’t have a name
I’m a number
we all look the same
one nine six eight
what does it mean?
Is it an address
is it a dream
one nine six eight (chorus repeats)
I don’t know
one nine six eight (chorus repeats)
I feel it grow
something inside me
is starting to move
deep down inside me
it’s in the groove

B Chorus
one nine six eight
one nine six eight etc.

Val
one nine six eight
now I remember
one nine six eight
it’s my lucky number

(Val lip synchs Chain of Fools)

 

THE PLAY EST FINE