Three Plays | Page 3

and ceases to lamp with fierce incandescence, then
you illumine the regions supernal, scintillate, scintillate, semper
noctornal. Syllogism, again I say syllogism. (He takes his seat amid
applause)
JUDGE Man, youse a pleadin' fool. You knows yo' rules and by-laws.
OTHER LAWYER Let me show my glory. Let me spread my habeas
corpus.
JUDGE 'Tain't no use. Dis lawyer done convinced me.

OTHER LAWYER But, lemme parade my material--
JUDGE Parade yo' material anywhere you wants to exceptin' befo' me.
Dis lil girl wants to go home and I'm goin' with her and enjoy de
consequences. Court's adjourned.
CURTAIN

"FORTY YARDS"
by
ZORA *[Handwritten: (Neale)] HURSTON

"FORTY YARDS"
(A Negro football game with the popular concept of Negro life)

TIME: Present
PLACE: Washington, D.C.
SCENE: The Ball Park
PERSONS: The Howard and Lincoln teams, the Howard band, cheer
leaders, spectators.
SETTING: The park with grandstands on either sides and up-stage.
ACTION: At rise, the grandstands are full, the cheer leaders are
violently gyrating to whip up the mob. The Lincoln colors fly from the
right. The Howard from the left. Both have cheer leaders. First is heard
the Lincoln mob singing "DIDN'T HE RAMBLE, RAMBLE."
Lincoln Mob

And didn't he ramble, ramble, ramble all around, in and out of town He
rambled, he rambled, rambled till Ol' Lincoln cut him down
Howard Mob
There'll be nothing but sweetmeats, for our football team There'll be
nothing but sweetmeats for our football team Baked Hampton, boiled
Shaw, fried Union, Lincoln Slaw, There'll be nothing but sweetmeats,
for our football team.
(Enter the HOWARD BAND, led by a hot-strutting drum major. They
parade the field and the men students pile down and fall in behind the
team. They sing and shout to the TEAM SONG:)
This is the t-e-a-m team On which the hopes of Howard lean Beat Ol'
Hampton, beat Ol' Union Sweep Ol' Lincoln clean
We are the b-e-s-t best Of the r-e-s-t rest Come and watch us put Ol'
Howard On top of Lincoln's chest.
We'll hit the l-i-n-e line For a hundred ninety-nine For we love Ol'
Howard, yes we love her All the t-i-m-e time.
(At the conclusion the teams takes the field. The ball is put into play
and LINCOLN kicks off to Howard. As the ball is caught and when the
player who is carrying the ball plunges, followed by his team, the
Lincoln players fall on their knees and begin to sing I COULDN'T
HEAR NOBODY PRAY. The HOWARD team charges down shouting
Joshua fit de battle of Jericho. Whenever a player is tackled there is a
duet of dancing. Every step is a dance. Finally the grandstand catches
fire and the dancing and the shouting runs riot up there. When the ball
is on Lincoln's ten-yard line, they hold Howard there by rounding up
both teams into a huddle and the bunch-shout and sing to a QUICK
CURTAIN.)
CURTAIN
LINCOLN'S PRAYER:

Ah, ah, they shall not ah pass us Lord, Lord, Lord, Lord They shall not
pass us, Ah-h-h-h.

*[Handwritten (Jul. 21, 1931)]
_"WOOFING"_
By
_ZORA *[Handwritten (Neale)] HURSTON_

_"WOOFING"_
TIME: Present.
PLACE: Negro Street in Waycross, Ga.
PERSONS: Loungers, two children, guitar players, women, band--
SETTING: Porch and side walk, etc.
ACTION: Thru the open window of 'one' of the shacks a WOMAN is
discovered ironing. A MAN is sitting on the floor of the porch asleep.
She hums a bar or two, then comes to the window and calls to the man.

Woman Good Black, why don't you git up from dere and carry dese
white folks clothes home? You always want money but you wouldn't
hit a lick at a snake!
Man Aw, shut up woman. I'm tired of hearin' bout dem white folks
clothes. I don't keer if dey never git 'em.
Woman You better keer! Dese very clothes took and brought you out
de crack. 'Cause de first time I saw you you was so hungry till you was
walkin' lap-legged. Man, you had de white-mouf, you was so hungry.

(Enter another MAN leisurely. Good Black sees him and calls)
Good Black Hey, Cliffert, where you headed for?
Cliffert Oh, no where in particular.
Good Black Come here then, fish, and lemme bend a checker game
over yo' head. Come on, youse my fish.
Cliffert (Comes to the porch and sits) Git de checkers and I'll have you
any, some or none. I push a mean chuck-a-luck myself.
Woman (Voice inside quarreling) Dress up and strut around! Yes! Play
checkers? Yes! Eat? Yes! Work? No!!
(The game starts. A period of silence in which they indicate their
concentration by frowns, cautious moves, head scratching. GOOD
BLACK is pointing his index finger over the board indicating moves.
He wig-wags, starts to move, scratches his head thoroughly, changes
his