AWARDED THE 2013 EXIL PRIZE FOR DRAMATIC WRITING
Performed in 2014 as readers theater at the Wiener Wortstätten, with Tania Golden as Medea
“The author Susanne Ayoub transfers the Medea theme to the present day, thus unfurling anew the problem of war and violence and the confrontation of the private pursuit of happiness with political pressures. The text is distinguished by the Arabic poetry translated by the author, which contrasts with the otherwise modern colloquial language while giving an unsentimental glimpse into Medea’s emotional world.” (from the jury’s statement)
Excerpt from SALAM ALAIKUM, MEDEA:
- MEDEA’S LULLABY FOR HER CHILDREN. – Part 1
Medea
We lived in a white house with a garden full of flowers, date palms, cherry and apricot trees, and roses and lilies and angel’s trumpets. My mother Mona, my father Adel, my sisters Rima and Rana, my brother Hussein. I was the best at school, and I went to university. Later I was supposed to take over our father’s business, the fine big pharmacy in the city center under the arcades.
We did not listen to the speeches. We watched Hollywood movies. My mother loved Robert Redford and Richard Gere, while my father raved about Kim Basinger. We hated the military parades and the birthday revelries and the anniversary of the coup d’état. We detested “Him.”
We were a happy family. Politics did not concern us. That’s what we thought, but we were wrong. Then the war concerned us all. The war destroyed the lives of invaders and victims alike. Too much blood was shed. The culpability is too enormous. And yet from this, love came forth. Jason and Medea, meant for each other. You are the children of that love.
This is the only hope for peace, for our future: children without enemies, for whom the horrors of the past are merely a legend, and those who were murdered only photos in an album.
MUSIC—slowly drowned out and swallowed up by the noise of the windstorm.
- NIGHT. DREAM.
Jason comes home. Medea awakes and sits up. The storm is howling.
- OUTDOORS.
Night in the wasteland. The khamsin is blowing, carrying with it the sand from the desert. A storm that shrouds everything.
Medea and Jason lie in an embrace. The sand is blowing over them. It covers them up more and more, until nothing more can be seen of them.
Voiceover (Medea):
We were poisoned by love
You my shield
I your blanket
We wandered upon the road
Of moonlight
In our dream
Joy danced along ahead of us
We laughed as we ran
Away
From our shadows.
(from Al Atlal – The Ruins by Oum Kalthum, adapted by S.A.)
The voiceover breaks off abruptly when the key turns in the apartment door. The door opens, then slams shut.
- APARTMENT
Medea is lying in the dark bedroom. Jason enters and lies down. Medea turns on the light.
Jason (startled)
Why aren’t you asleep? It’s late.
She reaches her hand out to him, caresses his neck. He turns away so that she cannot touch him.
Jason
It’s late.
Medea
I still need to talk to you.
Jason
Not at this hour.
Medea
You weren’t here earlier. Jason, it’s about our children. That must mean something to you, even if I …
Jason
I’m tired.
Medea
Tired of me. I’ve felt it for a long time now.
Jason
Medea …
Medea
You’re not denying it.
Jason
(hesitating) I don’t deny it.
He turns toward her, takes her hand, and squeezes it affectionately.
Jason
We will talk, about everything. I promise. But calmly. Not in the middle of the night.
Medea
(pulling her hand back) Calmly. Reasonably. Unemotionally. I’ve heard that so many times before. Lies! Lies! Lies! You have feelings too, your heart pounds like mine does, you feel fear and joy. But not for my sake. You have another woman, and I’m supposed to keep still and accept it, so you don’t have a bad conscience.
Jason
(laughing) Your German is fantastic when you put your back into it, impeccable. I have no idea why you always complain about being a foreigner here. You can cuss like a local housewife. (scrutinizing her) In Baghdad you wouldn’t have put on such a scene for your husband. You only dare to do it here, where you lead a life of equal rights as a woman.
Medea
Equal rights! You’re twisting the truth, Jason. That’s not what we’re talking about, it’s your infidelity! You’re trying to avoid the issue. You’ve always avoided the issue.
Jason
I am so sick and tired of these eternal accusations, and you’re poking around in the past.
Medea
Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got. My husband leaves me at home with the children and goes out to have himself a good time.
Jason
It’s four in the morning. I want to sleep.
Medea
And you come home at four a.m., without an explanation. And I’m supposed to put up with that? I won’t put up with it, Jason!
Jason
What else are you going to do? You’re not going to change me. I’m not letting you put me on a leash. That was back when I felt weak, and I stupidly let you help me. I’m not about to do penance for it my whole life.
Medea
Your whole life. My life. You are my life—that’s what you said. That is a promise, and you cannot break it.
Jason
I can’t? Oh, yes, I can.
Medea
Aren’t you afraid?
Jason
Are you trying to threaten me? (laughing at her) Your magic tricks aren’t going to work here. You’ve landed in the civilized world, where science and reason count for something. Not to mention laws. So, just keep it up. I don’t like your dark insinuations.
Medea
It’s you who’ve flouted the laws! You abandoned your unit because you were too cowardly to fight. You hid behind my skirts. I concealed you, even though my father would have killed me. And you too, if he’d found out about it.
Jason
I came in pretty handy for you. You didn’t resist. You wanted me. That’s true, isn’t it? You couldn’t get enough of me.
Medea
That sounds so ugly coming from your mouth. I was defenseless against love. I still am.
Jason
No, not love. There can be no more talk of love with us. Even little Doro gets that. A marriage like that makes no sense, is what he says.
Medea
You’re putting words in his mouth. How can a little kid understand marriage?
Jason
Even a child can tell when there’s no love anymore.
Medea
And that’s what you wanted to tell me in the light of day, without emotions?
Jason
Yes.
Medea
May I say something about that too?
Jason
This night is almost over. But you don’t care about that, do you?
Medea
Let’s get out of this place.
Jason
Where to? Back there again? Aren’t you happy you escaped that?
Medea
It’s a big world. We can get back together, Jason.
Jason
Maybe. But we don’t have to leave to do that. We’ve been around enough already. Our history follows us wherever we go.
Medea approaches him and puts her arms around him
Medea
You do want to give it a try? Jason! Jason, is that really so?
Jason
Let’s get some sleep. Let’s sleep on it one more time, Medea.
He takes her in his arms, and they lie down. He turns out the light.
Translation Geoffrey Howes
