Act Two Bathroom Scene

The women on stage except for NOVELETTE.

The women in the bathroom doing something to their hair while looking in the mirror. Soundscape of daily hair noises.

LADY ONE:

So the brotha said he would call on Tuesday. It’s now Saturday and there’s no call. But it was our third date and I gave it up. You think that was too soon? But boy when he whispered to me, baby, I like the way you smell. Baby, the way you feel baby, I even like your toes and baby, your nose. I was in heaven. And then he grabbed my hair and pulled it ever so softly and said “baby, I like your hair.”

LADY TWO:

The naps are showing, I’m perming this.

LADY THREE:

What the hell is this on my face! Oh no not a zit I got a date tonight! I’m cancelling!

A brother once said to me, “baby, I wouldn’t usually give you the time of day, but you’re kinna pretty for a dark skin girl.” Pretty for a dark skin girl! (two beats) What am I going to do with this hair?

LADY FOUR:

I want to be bald, sexy and bold. I think women are sexy when they are bald. Bald. Sexy and Bold. I’m thinking about shaving my head? I need a break. This shit is getting tired. I think I want to go for the natural bald sexy and bold look.

LADY FIVE:

I was once bald. Oh yeah. I told the hairdresser, (An image in silhouette. A woman tapping her feet. Two women reenact the following scene :) “Excuse me. I think you keeping the perm in too long. My head’s burning.” She said…

LADY SIX:

Do you want it to be straight or what? A couple more minutes!

LADY FIVE:

So I just sat there. Clock ticking.

ALL THE WOMAN:

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick.

LADY FIVE:

Clock ticking. Thinking about all the things I’m going do with my straight hair. Feeling my hair burn. Clock ticking.

ALL THE WOMAN:

Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick.

LADY FIVE:

I just sat there. Feeling my hair burn. Clock ticking. Hair burning. Bit my lip. Clock ticking.

ALL THE WOMAN:

(faster) Tick, tock, tick.

LADY FIVE:

Forty-five minutes later all my hair was falling down the sink. I had one tuff of hair left just here on the top. One piece. But boy was it straight!

LADY SIX:

Well all my sisters have curly hair. Curly like my Mom. I wanted curly hair. So what’s a sister to do?

ALL TOGETHER:

Get a Jheri Curl!

LADY SIX:

You ever wash a Jheri Curl and all you had left was a Jheri and no Curl. And remember how you had to sleep with that plastic bag on your head. Your man wants to get romantic with you and you have a plastic bag on your head, because you don’t want to grease up the sheets. Jheri Curl juice always dripping on your clothes, getting in your eye.