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COCAINE: A PLAY IN ONE ACT
COCAINE: A PLAY IN ONE ACT
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"Cocaine", by Pendleton King, contains a good plot—a plot that 0. Henry could have made into a fine story. The play is written with an understanding of dramatic realities, and a knowledge of those two fundamental play principles, suspense and surprise.
***
An excerpt from the beginning of the play:
The action takes place in an attic bed room on Grand Street, between Allen and the Bowery, in the late summer of 1916, and occupies the time between four o'clock a. m. and daylight. The ceiling slopes down at the back to within a few feet of the floor. There is a dormer window in a recess at back. Door left center, bed at right of window, table left, bureau down left, trunk down right, chair at foot of bed. The room is in terrible disorder and confusion, faintly seen in the glare from open window as curtain rises.
Joe is discovered lying on the bed asleep, snoring gently, dressed in undershirt and trousers. He is good looking, powerfully built, twenty-four years old.
Nora comes in and lights a candle on the bureau. She is a wistful-looking girl of thirty.
JOE
Nora, 's 'at you?
NORA
I didn't mean to wake you up. Go on back to sleep.
JOE
I haven't been asleep. What time is it?
NORA
(takes of hat) About four o'clock.
JOE
You're pretty late.
NORA
(takes of jacket) Had to walk from uptown.
JOE
How far uptown?
NORA
O, way up town. I let a crowd shake me like a fool.
(Sits in chair at foot of bed and fans herself)
And didn't have sense enough to get car fare.
Whew! You don't realize how hot you are till you sit down.
JOE
Poor kid.
NORA
You must have had the gas lighted to make it as hot as this in here. Lord, I'm so glad to get home.
JOE (gently)
You didn't bring in—nothing?
NORA
Not a cent, Joe.
(Gets up and goes to bureau)
I don't know what's the matter with me.
(Looks in glass)
It's that darn fever blister.
If I had only had sense enough to get some camphor that first day.
JOE
But it's most well now. Can't hardly notice it any more.
NORA
Of course it's perfectly well. There won't be a trace of it to-morrow.
I oughtn't to have tried to go out those two days the first of the week when it was so bad. Everybody was afraid of me and it made me feel like a leper.
I lost my grip in some way and now I can't get it back. It all depends on yourself. (Picks up candle) If you're sure of yourself you have luck; if you aren't, you don't. That's all there is to it. (Crosses with candle, which she puts down on trunk) If I'd had a wee bit of a sniff to-night I'd have got some money out of that crowd. (Sits on foot of the bed) But drinks don't brace me up somehow.
JOE
Hum. 'sright.
NORA
Poor old boy. Have you been lying here all night in this heat waiting for me? It's hard luck on you, Joe. Oh, I thought I'd go crazy to-night! My nerves are just all to pieces. I did think I was going to get some money this time.
JOE
Why don't you take your clothes off and come on to bed?
*****
"Cocaine", the study of a drug fiend, by Pendleton King, was powerful though repulsive.
***
An excerpt from the beginning of the play:
The action takes place in an attic bed room on Grand Street, between Allen and the Bowery, in the late summer of 1916, and occupies the time between four o'clock a. m. and daylight. The ceiling slopes down at the back to within a few feet of the floor. There is a dormer window in a recess at back. Door left center, bed at right of window, table left, bureau down left, trunk down right, chair at foot of bed. The room is in terrible disorder and confusion, faintly seen in the glare from open window as curtain rises.
Joe is discovered lying on the bed asleep, snoring gently, dressed in undershirt and trousers. He is good looking, powerfully built, twenty-four years old.
Nora comes in and lights a candle on the bureau. She is a wistful-looking girl of thirty.
JOE
Nora, 's 'at you?
NORA
I didn't mean to wake you up. Go on back to sleep.
JOE
I haven't been asleep. What time is it?
NORA
(takes of hat) About four o'clock.
JOE
You're pretty late.
NORA
(takes of jacket) Had to walk from uptown.
JOE
How far uptown?
NORA
O, way up town. I let a crowd shake me like a fool.
(Sits in chair at foot of bed and fans herself)
And didn't have sense enough to get car fare.
Whew! You don't realize how hot you are till you sit down.
JOE
Poor kid.
NORA
You must have had the gas lighted to make it as hot as this in here. Lord, I'm so glad to get home.
JOE (gently)
You didn't bring in—nothing?
NORA
Not a cent, Joe.
(Gets up and goes to bureau)
I don't know what's the matter with me.
(Looks in glass)
It's that darn fever blister.
If I had only had sense enough to get some camphor that first day.
JOE
But it's most well now. Can't hardly notice it any more.
NORA
Of course it's perfectly well. There won't be a trace of it to-morrow.
I oughtn't to have tried to go out those two days the first of the week when it was so bad. Everybody was afraid of me and it made me feel like a leper.
I lost my grip in some way and now I can't get it back. It all depends on yourself. (Picks up candle) If you're sure of yourself you have luck; if you aren't, you don't. That's all there is to it. (Crosses with candle, which she puts down on trunk) If I'd had a wee bit of a sniff to-night I'd have got some money out of that crowd. (Sits on foot of the bed) But drinks don't brace me up somehow.
JOE
Hum. 'sright.
NORA
Poor old boy. Have you been lying here all night in this heat waiting for me? It's hard luck on you, Joe. Oh, I thought I'd go crazy to-night! My nerves are just all to pieces. I did think I was going to get some money this time.
JOE
Why don't you take your clothes off and come on to bed?
*****
"Cocaine", the study of a drug fiend, by Pendleton King, was powerful though repulsive.
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