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PLAYS: Country of My Skin

Production History

Art is as important as bread, even in the most devastating of human conditions—war. The characters in this play—both on and off stage—find their “ground” or “grounding” in the midst of upheaval. YOTI finds it in demarking artistic space, JAS finds it in letting go of her need to “get the show on the road”, MEENA finds it in reconciling her broken family relationships with her work as an artist.

The play spans one day, from 10 a.m. to midnight. It begins on Tuesday morning, 10 a.m. Three women enter a rehearsal space in a large, storied, warehouse. The women are from a country that no longer exists, an ex-country. Now that their war is over, they have traveled to a neighbouring country—also postwar—to perform theatre.

Scene 2. (12 p.m.) Yoti and Jas return from their errands. Jas takes off her jacket. She’s bursting with good news. Yoti keeps her coat on. Shivers.

Jas: This’ll warm you.
(Jas waves sheet in the air, dances around).

Yoti: (looking out window) Maybe the weather’s changing. Dear heart, it's grim out there.

Narrator: Yoti picks up broom and starts sweeping.

Jas: I met Greg—you know, my friend from the UN. He got me hooked up—

Yoti: It’s pretty cold in here, don’t you think. (looks up at Jas). Sorry, I’m distracted. I’m thinking Eleana had a lot of nerve to invite us. Does she really expect people will attend the theatre?

Jas: What? You? (referring to Mouse story) What about all that gold pouring out of us?
(Yoti looks up briefly, continues sweeping)
Never mind. We’re on to bigger and better. My friend—

Yoti: Ah yes, your friend—what’s his name— hooked you up with—

Jas: Not with. To. The Internet and guess what? The contact I made with that woman in New York—they want you to come and be their keynote speaker!

Yoti: Me? I don’t know anybody in NY.

Narrator: Yoti puts broom down.

Yoti: Except that—

Jas: You’re hot stuff! I keep telling you.

Yoti: What about you?

Jas: My turn will come. We’re a troupe. What benefits you benefits me. We’ll get invitations—

Yoti: For what?

Jas: Our work. They want to see our work.

Yoti: This because of the Internet?

Jas: It’s more than that. A western thing. Putting a theatre company from a war-torn country on stage. They like our work.

Yoti: Wouldn’t they see it as mostly depressing?

Jas: It’s political, deep. They think it’s wonderful that we can face our suffering head-on.

Yoti: Being an ocean away from the war zone helps.

Jas: Watching us, they feel…warm inside…a little less empty…without ever having to face—

Yoti: They should’ve been here just now. Seen real struggle.

Jas: (reminded) Oh yeah. Meena—I saw her at the Aid office. She’s gotten through (doubtful) I think (beat) I hope. We can begin rehearsal.

Narrator: Jas starts moving the ladder and the bookcase across the room.

Yoti: (starts sweeping nervously) I hope we can.

Jas: (stops moving furniture) Hope?

Yoti: The books—you know, our prop.

Jas: What about them? You saw Eleana?

Yoti: (slowly) There’s not a book in the city.
(Jas looks incomprendingly at Yoti.)
I’m serious.

Jas: I don’t understand. Books, ordinary—
(Yoti shakes head ‘no’.)
Paperbacks.
(Yoti shakes head ‘no’.)

Jas: The library— Has she looked?

Yoti: You know Eleana.

Jas: The university. You can't learn without—

Yoti: When she says no books—

Jas: Impossible.

Yoti: You’d think.

Jas: (starts moving furniture) We’ll get them.

Yoti: How?

Jas: You’re the director. Make things happen.

Yoti: (picks up broom, starts sweeping) Three days.

Jas: That’s Elena’s problem. You demand, she complies. That’s how it is.

Yoti: How much would it cost to ship 100 books?

Jas: Did she look into that? Did she offer solutions? You know, Yoti, you’ve just won the most prestigious directing award in the country for the second year in a row—
(Both women busy with their respective tasks.)

Yoti: I have an idea.