THE ART of GAMAN
BY DIPIKA GUHA
Playwright Contact:
Agent Contact:
Mark Orsini and Bruce Ostler
Bret Adams Ltd.
448 W. 44th Street New York, NY 10036
212-765-5630
CHARACTERS (3 W, 2M)
TOMOMI mid-30’s- a Japanese woman, sensitive and delicate looking, with a vivid inner life
SHUN mid-30’s, a Japanese man, patriarchal, loves Tomomi
DOCTOR
NURSE
OLD MAN
JERRY late-20’s, cheerful, white, all-American
TOM HANKS
ANGLER
ACCOUNTANT
VIRGINIAmid-30’s, American, white, has purity of spirit, a hero
FISHMONGER in love with Tomomi
WOMAN
HIGH SCHOOL GIRL mid-20’s, Japanese American, generally annoyed
COUSIN
DOCTOR 2
TIME
1942-present day
PLACE
New York City and Florida
But we somehow never leave the stage.
SPACE
Defined by the presence of the bodies on stage.
And light.
RULES of LANGUAGE and DIALECT
When Japanese is spoken, the actors speak rapidly in American English.
When English is spoken, Japanese characters do so haltingly, particularly at the start of the play.
When Japanese is spoken to American characters, the Americans cannot seem to hear the character at all.
Tomomi’s radio voice is in fluent English (Japanese) but its quality is markedly different from her speaking voice. It is deeper and more authentically hers.
PART ONE
SCENE ONE
Summer. The Pacific Ocean. 1942.
Light falling on blue green water.
A ships horn blares.
Light on TOMOMI standing at the hull of a ship.
She takes a quick look around and then “Titanic” style she throws her arms open.
But “Titanic” hasn’t been made yet so she looks around rapidly and brings her arms close to her chest.
She looks in the water moving blue green against the ship.
Then suddenly, a gold flash in the air.
TOMOMI steps back in surprise. And then again. The flash…this time, its fish shape is clearer, gold scales glint in the air. And then gone.
She looks around excitedly to share that with someone but there’s no one there.
The sound of breathing.
In
Out
In
Out
TOMOMI tilts her head towards the water. She shakes her head as though to shake water out of her ears.
Still a low rasping.
TOMOMI
Is that you?
Are you breathing little fishy?
But then an OLD JAPANESE MAN emerges.
He speaks raspingly in Japanese.
OLD MAN
Tomomi san…
TOMOMI
Oh…it’s you!
I thought….
OLD MAN
What?
TOMOMI
I thought I could hear the fish breathing but that’s…(she waves the thought of..it’s silly)
OLD MAN
Yes how silly!
What are you thinking?
TOMOMI
What am I thinking?
Hm.
What am I thinking?
She is thinking it’s none of his business. But this translates as a kind of a high giggle.
TOMOMI
Who knows! I hardly ever know what’s in my own mind.
OLD MAN
Are you thinking about your life in America…
Hm?
San Francisco…that glorious city and what your life will be there? Are you thinking of what it will be like to see your parents after so many years?
TOMOMI
Ah…yes, of course all those things.
OLD MAN
Yes, everyone knows what’s in a young girl’s mind.
All you have to do is to look at her pretty face.
Ha ha ha.
TOMOMI
Ha ha ha.
OLD MAN
Tomomi you know what is happening there to us.
TOMOMI
Oh let us not talk about that.
OLD MAN
But you must think about it. Americans do not like to lose.
TOMOMI
It’s not that bad! My father wrote to me-
OLD MAN
My sister she has her certificate already.
TOMOMI
Oh congratulations to her!
OLD MAN
No congratulation. Alien of Enemy Nationality Certificate. She’s lived in San Francisco all her life And now she has a certificate. Because why? She’s Japanese.
TOMOMI
My father is sick.
OLD MAN
I am sorry to hear that.
TOMOMI
He called me so I came.
OLD MAN
Of course like any good daughter/ you know your duty.
TOMOMI
I know my duty.
OLD MAN
What’s wrong with him?
TOMOMI
His heart is weak.
OLD MAN
I am sorry.
TOMOMI
The doctor says these things run in the family.
Mine might be too.
OLD MAN
Your heart looks strong Tomomi.
If only I was younger-oh ha ha ha!
TOMOMI
Ha ha ha.
OLD MAN
But seriously-
You must give thought to your future too.
Your father is old.
But you have your whole life ahead of you.
Who know how long they will keep you?
TOMOMI
Keep me?
OLD MAN
You don’t seem to understand. It’s like you’ve been living underwater. Did no one explain to you the risks?
TOMOMI
I don’t listen to people.
OLD MAN
Well you should.
TOMOMI
I don’t always understand what they say.
OLD MAN
There are camps. Your father may be safe at home now but for how much longer? And I would hate to see you
TOMOMI
Please, let’s just enjoy the view for a few more hours, did you see the fish?
OLD MAN
What fish?
TOMOMI
It was gold…
OLD MAN
There is a way out.
TOMOMI
A way out of what?
The OLD JAPANESE MAN whips out a photo and shows it to TOMOMI.
TOMOMI
Oh. What a funny face! It’s all squished!
OLD MAN
That’s my son.
TOMOMI
Oh.
OLD MAN
He’s a good man.
TOMOMI
Oh of course/ of course he is…
OLD MAN
He is single.
You should marry him.
TOMOMI
What?
OLD MAN
He’s got a good head on his shoulders.
Like an accountant.
TOMIMI
Oh he’s an accountant?
OLD MAN
No he’s like an accountant. He likes numbers. Really, he’s been trying to get his life together, it’s been a hard time but he’s getting there. Has a shop.
TOMOMI
What kind of shop.
OLD MAN
It’s got things.
TOMOMI
Oh.
OLD MAN
He’s in New York.
TOMOMI
New York? But I’m not going to New York. I’m going to California where it is hot. New York is cold. I’m not going to live in the cold.
OLD MAN
San Francisco isn’t hot, who told you that?
TOMOMI
It has to be hot it’s California!
OLD MAN
There are no camps on the east coast. And my son is a good man. He would come to California.
TOMOMI
He would come?
OLD MAN
He would come and get you.
TOMOMI
But he doesn’t know me.
OLD MAN
He’s my son he’ll do what I say.
He will come. You will go to New York.
TOMOMI
My father…
OLD MAN
He has your mother.
Who do you have Tomomi? Tomomi listen…if I was younger….(ha ha ha…)
TOMOMI
But you’re not! Ha ha ha!
OLD MAN
Right ha ha! Ha. So it’s settled. I will send a letter of introduction to your parents. And then my son will come to your house.
TOMOMI
But I haven’t even seen my house! I don’t know where I live.
I don’t know how to speak any English.
I don’t know anyone but my parents.
I don’t know if I’ll like the food
OLD MAN
Tomomi you will know what to do.
You are from Hiroshima yes?
TOMOMI
Yes.
OLD MAN
Yes me too. Our people always know what to do.
TOMOMI
What do you mean?
OLD MAN
We have gaman.
TOMOMI
Yes…Gaman.
But my heart is…
OLD MAN
Ah my dear girl.
THE OLD JAPANSE MAN holds TOMOMI uncomfortably close.
OLD MAN
We all know that in every girl’s heart there is only one wish.
To get married.
Once that happens.
You will be happy.
You will be safe.
You will be comfortable.
What more could you want?
TOMOMI
What about my English…
OLD MAN
Let me give you some advice…
Listen to the radio.
In fact.
I have one I can give you.
It’s right here.
He reaches down and hands her a radio.
TOMOMI
You have this?
OLD MAN
I like to take it with me everywhere.
Reminds me of home.
Has a battery.
He turns it on.
OLD MAN
Uh oh…or it did.
I’ll be right back.
He exits.
TOMOMI
I can’t take your radio.
I can’t take your son and your radio!
OLD MAN
I’ll be right back with it!
TOMOMI looks at the water. She breathes rapidly, in, out, in out.
When suddenly the light changes, the fog parts and there in the distance…America.
TOMOMI
Oh….
TOMOMI steps forward into a void with the radio in her hand and time seems to stop. All we hear is the sound of the waves which also sound like raspy breath.
TOMOMI tunes the radio. She stands still and present andand from inside it we hear the sound of her inner voice.
TOMOMI(RADIO)
I am an actress
I yearn to act like fish yearns for water
I breathe through acting
If I do not act, I cannot breathe
But I only want to play myself
I only want to tell my story
I only want to tell my story
Does that mean I am not an actress?
The low crackle of the radio turns once again into rasping breath and then in the darkness we hear muffled overlapping voices through the radio. TOMOMI tunes them out.
TOMOMI
I can’t breathe…Tomomi breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
The light around TOMOMI shimmers and glows as a gold shape rises and fades once more into the water TOMOMI inhales.
Blackout.
1