Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson

Author:August Wilson [Wilson, August]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-08-06T00:00:00+00:00

Act Two

(The lights come up in the studio. The musicians are setting up their instruments. MA RAINEY walks about shoeless, singing softly to herself. LEVEE stands near DUSSIE MAE, who hikes up her dress and crosses her leg. CUTLER speaks to IRVIN off to the side.)

CUTLER: Mr. Irvin, I don’t know what you gonna do. I ain’t got nothing to do with it, but the boy can’t do the part. He stutters. He can’t get it right. He stutters right through it every time.

IRVIN: Christ! Okay. We’ll . . . Shit! We’ll just do it like we planned. We’ll do Levee’s version. I’ll handle it, Cutler. Come on, let’s go. I’ll think of something.

(He exits to the control booth.)

MA RAINEY: (Calling CUTLER over.) Levee’s got his eyes in the wrong place. You better school him, Cutler.

CUTLER: Come on, Levee . . . let’s get ready to play! Get your mind on your work!

IRVIN: (Over speaker.) Okay, boys, we’re gonna do “Moonshine Blues” first. “Moonshine Blues,” Ma.

MA RAINEY: I ain’t doing no “Moonshine” nothing. I’m doing the “Black Bottom” first. Come on, Sylvester.

(To IRVIN.)

Where’s Sylvester’s mike? You need a mike for Sylvester. Irvin . . . get him a mike.

IRVIN: Uh . . . Ma, the boys say he can’t do it. We’ll have to do Levee’s version.

MA RAINEY: What you mean he can’t do it? Who say he can’t do it? What boys say he can’t do it?

IRVIN: The band, Ma . . . the boys in the band.

MA RAINEY: What band? The band work for me! I say what goes! Cutler, what’s he talking about? Levee, this some of your shit?

IRVIN: He stutters, Ma. They say he stutters.

MA RAINEY: I don’t care if he do. I promised the boy he could do the part . . . and he’s gonna do it! That’s all there is to it. He don’t stutter all the time. Get a microphone down here for him.

IRVIN: Ma, we don’t have time. We can’t . . .

MA RAINEY: If you wanna make a record, you gonna find time. I ain’t playing with you, Irvin. I can walk out of here and go back to my tour. I got plenty fans. I don’t need to go through all of this. Just go and get the boy a microphone.

(IRVIN and STURDYVANT consult in the booth, IRVIN exits.)

STURDYVANT: All right, Ma . . . we’ll get him a microphone. But if he messes up . . . He’s only getting one chance . . . The cost . . .

MA RAINEY: Damn the cost. You always talking about the cost. I make more money for this outfit than anybody else you got put together. If he messes up he’ll just do it till he gets it right. Levee, I know you had something to do with this. You better watch yourself.

LEVEE: It was Cutler!

SYLVESTER: It was you! You the only one m-m-mad about it.

LEVEE: The boy stutter. He can’t do the part. Everybody see that. I don’t know why you want the boy to do the part no ways.

MA RAINEY: Well, can or can’t . . . he’s

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