Motive: a curtain-raiser play by Alysse Aallyn

(A chorus of Cardinals, sedate & proper, approaches from right, a more colorful chorus of Goombas from left.)

CARDINALS
Oyez, oyez, oyez.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
pro in iudico minimum definitionem,
quo justo intellegebat ne.

GOOMBAS
A guy’s gotta live
Ain’t a guy gotta live? You
Do right by me and I’ll do right
By you.

JACK RUBY
(Appearing on balcony – flat affect – as crowd blends in below)

The world will never know the true facts
Of what occurred. My motives.
I’m the only person in the background
That knows the truth pertaining to
Everything relating to my
Circumstances. The people who have had
So much to gain and had such an
Ulterior motive to put me in this position
Will never let the true facts come
Out to the world.

GOOMBA # 1
But you’re crazy!

JACK RUBY
I have locomotor attacks-you.

(Spreading his arms, he falls ritualistically off balcony & is absorbed into crowd. JOE KENNEDY
appears on balcony)

JOE KENNEDY
Has anybody seen my son? I’m looking for my son.

GOOMBAS & CARDINALS TOGETHER
Woe is you! Woe is you!

JOE
Has anyone seen my boy?

CARDINAL VOICE
Which one, your honor?

GOOMBA # 1
You rat, you.

JOE KENNEDY
The big one. My big boy.

GOOMBA #2
But he’s crazy.

JACK RUBY
He’s been struck. He’s been struck down.

GOOMBA #3
We all get hit. Take a rap, be a prince.

CARDINALS
(together, waving arms)
Vidit scriptorem vix in,
ceteros tractatos assentior pro no.
Ius etiam ornatus voluptua ne. Invenire democritum
consectetuer an eum.

GOOMBA #4
Give us a taste! Just a little taste!

CARDINALS
An offering! An offering!

JOE
(Rains fluttering bills upon the crowd)
My wife went to church
My daughters prayed –
I had four fine sons.
Joe was smart, Jack was charming
Bobby was loyal and Teddy –

(Pauses. Sighs.)

Teddy runs to keep up.

GOOMBA #5
Didn’t you make a deal?

JOE
Deal? I made plenty
Turned one dollar into twenty
To forty, to five million.
Of course I made deals.

CARDINAL #1
The father shall eat sour grapes
And the children’s teeth
Shall be set on edge.

(The CARDINALS break ranks and look at each other, amazed.)

CARDINAL #2
If you sow the wind you
Reap the whirlwind.

(The CARDINALS & GOOMBAS merge together, oohing and sighing as if a wind shudders through them.)

GOOMBAS
Omerta! Omerta!

CARDINALS
Qui habitat! Qui habitat!

GOOMBAS & CARDINALS TOGETHER
A deal’s a deal! A deal’s a deal!

JOE
But I wanted only fine things
My boys to grow up

Grab everything they wanted
Take their place, rule the world.

GOOMBAS
But you gotta play ball!

JOE
I played ball with the unions!
I played ball with the cruisers
Settled scores with the bruisers.
I know to grease skids
I know to oil palms.

GOOMBA #1
We helped you with Jack
And you sicced us with Bobby!

JOE
I never sicced anybody!

(the crowd jeers and boos, CARDINALS cover faces in shame)

GOOMBA #2
Bobby won’t play right.

GOOMBA #3
Bobby’s a hard ass!

CARDINAL #3
(Very offended)
Bobby’s a good boy!

GOOMBA #4
He’s TOO good a boy if you know what I mean.

JOE
I’ll speak to Bobby! Let me speak to Bobby!

GOOMBAS
Too late. It’s too late.

JACK RUBY
You can’t speak to nobody, Joe.
You’ve been struck down.

(JOE throws out his arms and falls into crowd as if dead. The CARDINALS rush out a wheelchair. NORMA JEANE appears sneaking through crowd. As JOE is whisked offstage, attention turns to her, in spite of the fact that she’s wearing dark glasses, a kerchief, halter top, ballet flats and Capri pants)

GOOMBA #1
Hey, guys, it’s Marilyn!

GOOMBAS
(chanting)
Marilyn, Marilyn!

NORMA JEANE
That’s not me, boys, I’m Norma Jeane.

GOOMBA #2
Aw, come on Marilyn, there’s no disguising that shape!

GOOMBA #3
I can smell her!

NORMA JEANE
Marilyn is dead, boys, everyone knows that.

(Takes off her glasses)

See? It’s just me. Poor old Norma-never-been-nowhere-Jeane.

CARDINAL #3
Lying’s a sin, Marilyn.

GOOMBA #1
Dance for us, Marilyn. Do a little of this- and that –

(he simulates a bump and grind)

And these and those!

CARDINAL #1
Just give us a little song, Marilyn. Just for the kids. We’d be ever so grateful.

NORMA JEANE
You all know Marilyn’s dead. I’m just trying to find Bobby.

CARDINAL #2
Bobby? What do you want Bobby for?

CARDINAL #3
Are you trying to get that nice boy in trouble?

GOOMBAS
(Chanting)
Marilyn! Marilyn!

(They grab her up on their shoulders and lift her up to the balcony)

NORMA JEANE
No! I don’t want to go! There’s no more Marilyn!

(But they are touching her everywhere. She gives up and climbs into the balcony.)

OK, boys, one last time.

(She throws off her glasses and kerchief, shakes out her hair, one grind, one bump, blows a kiss, EXITS.)

THE END