Out of the Wings

Los engranajes (1997), Raúl Hernández Garrido

The Gears : ACT ONE excerpt 1 , ACT ONE excerpt 2 , ACT TWO excerpt 1 , ACT TWO excerpt 2

The Gears, translated by Gwynneth Dowling

ACT ONE excerpt 1

Context:

This scene takes place near the beginning of the play. Nina and Miguel are supposedly in a registry office. Miguel has spilt ice cream on Nina’s dress, and she is bothered by the stain. The wedding scene becomes confused with a trial scene.

Sample text

NINA:: I can’t go in like this. With a stain like this on my wedding day. Never.
MIGUEL:: We have to go in now. Please. We can’t risk losing our turn. We’d have another seven-month wait.
LOUDSPEAKER:: Bárcena and López, room 102. Last call, Miguel Gutiérrez and Nina Velilla, room 109.
MIGUEL:: Let’s go. Please. Didn’t you hear? Last call. They’ve just said it. Nina, please.
NINA:: Don’t get so uptight. It won’t matter if we make them wait a bit.; NINA wipes her dress.
MIGUEL:: Nina, I keep asking myself if you … Well, if you’ve really thought about what you’re about to do.
NINA:: And what about you? Are you sure?
MIGUEL:: I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.
NINA:: This stain won’t come out.
MIGUEL:: I’m sorry. You don’t know how sorry I am. I’m sorry that …
NINA:: Let’s go.; The stage shows an office, a desk, a national flag, a portrait of the Head of State. The OFFICIAL waits impatiently for MIGUEL and NINA. Two GUARDS push the couple towards the desk.
OFFICIAL:: Quickly, please. No time-wasting.; MIGUEL and NINA hurriedly approach the large official-looking table.
OFFICIAL:: Miguel Gutiérrez, you stand accused of the murder of Sergio Espinosa. Nina Velilla, you stand accused of incitement to murder and of cannibalism. Miguel, do you take Nina Velilla as your lawful-wedded wife?

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Gears by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ACT ONE excerpt 2

Context:

Scenes from Nina’s life weave together. The teenage Nina had an affair with her mother’s lover. She is now pregnant. The married Nina hates her mother.

Sample text

The MOTHER confronts NINA.

MOTHER:

You stole my man.

NINA:

You couldn’t give him what he wants.

MOTHER:

I curse the day I had you. I curse the very day you were conceived.

NINA:

Guess what? I’m pregnant. I’m going to give him a child.

MOTHER:

You’re lying.

-----

MOTHER: (To MIGUEL.)

Tell me, son, are you happy together?

MIGUEL:

Yes, Mother.

MOTHER:

Please don’t call me mother. It makes me feel old.

MIGUEL:

Okay …

MOTHER:

Can’t you just call me by my name? It’s a nice name. I like to be called by it, the full name, not shortened at all. It’s a name that speaks for itself. Don’t you think?

MIGUEL:

Yes.

MOTHER:

Please, I want to hear you say it.

-----

NINA: (To her MOTHER.)

I’m going to have his child, and you can’t stop me.

MOTHER:

I’m not going to let you commit such an outrage. What are you going to do with his child? He’s never coming back to you.

NINA:

He’s mine. I stole him from you.

MOTHER:

You’ll never see him again.

-----

MOTHER: (To MIGUEL)

Oh, I know only too well. She hates me.

MIGUEL:

No, Nina’s not like that.

MOTHER:

She hates me. I know very well she does. Why deny it? I had to put her in boarding school when she was very young. I’m partly to blame, I know, but what could I do? I suffered more than anyone. A single mother, trying to earn a wage and educate my daughter. She’ll never forgive me.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Gears by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ACT TWO excerpt 1

Context:

Sergio has tried to kill Miguel, but could not go through with it. Now, Nina is angry and claims that their love affair was all part of Miguel’s plan.

Sample text

SERGIO:: Do you love me or don’t you?
NINA:: You shouldn’t ask me that.
SERGIO:: I need you to say it.
NINA:: I don’t think I’ve anywhere left to go, or anyone left I can trust.
SERGIO:: How can you say that to me?
NINA:: Miguel’s my husband. Nothing’s going to change that now.
SERGIO:: I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me. There are a lot of things I can’t quite understand. Please, tell me, did Miguel know everything?
NINA:: What does it matter?
SERGIO:: He knew. Tell me. How long?
NINA:: From the beginning.
SERGIO:: How could we have been so cruel? How could you let all this happen?
NINA:: So now you know. What are you going to do?
SERGIO:: Nothing.
NINA:: Sergio, what happened between us, it means nothing. Best forgotten. Go. Leave me alone.; SERGIO looks at her, aghast.
SERGIO:: What about what we had?
NINA:: We had nothing. Forget me. What happened, happened because he wanted it to. He planned for you to have me. That’s all it was.
SERGIO:: I’ve never been so deceived.
NINA:: Things are never as they seem.
SERGIO:: You didn’t play fair.
NINA:: If you’d known before, would you have been the same?
SERGIO:: Why do I still believe that things didn’t happen quite the way you say they did?
NINA:: You could’ve changed everything. You didn’t have the strength.
SERGIO:: You’re a …
NINA:: A whore?; NINA slaps SERGIO.
SERGIO:: I’m leaving in a few days. This town’s got nothing to offer me now. I’m leaving a broken man. My hands pierced. It’ll take time for me to rebuild my life. But I’ve got years to forget it all. I’ll look for a new job. I should change my name. Break with a past that turned out to be hell. I’ll find someone else. Someone to share only good times. You never felt anything for me?; NINA does not answer. Two assistants take SERGIO between their arms. He falls, motionless, his body stiff. The assistants lift him up and place him on the rug. NINA kneels down and caresses his face.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation The Gears by Gwynneth Dowling is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

ACT TWO excerpt 2

Context:

The members of the court argue over the case. The Investigating Judge causes outrage by trying to understand the actions of the criminals. As they talk, Nina and Miguel make love properly for the first time in a long time, while Sergio still lies dead on their floor. It is as if the court can see into the past to this intimate scene.

Sample text

NUN:: That’s enough now.
INVESTIGATING JUDGE:: We have to follow it right to the end.
OFFICIAL:: I think you’re behaving inappropriately.
INVESTIGATING JUDGE:: Please, I’d ask you to be quiet. Patience.; MIGUEL lifts NINA up. NINA wraps her legs around him. MIGUEL burrows his head in her stomach.
NUN:: Don’t you think we’ve seen enough?
INVESTIGATING JUDGE:: Look, this isn’t just another crime. Their actions aren’t those of your typical murderer. I’m trying to show that there’s something else, a hidden reason, that must not escape the attention of the court. This was the only door left for them to go through.
OFFICIAL:: That’s crazy talk.; MIGUEL carries NINA to the bed.
INVESTIGATING JUDGE:: I wonder if this was the price these poor souls had to pay for a little bit of happiness.
OFFICIAL:: That’s justification of a crime.
NUN:: Be that as it may, this monstrosity will not go unpunished.
INVESTIGATING JUDGE:: I don’t want to justify any criminal act. I just want to understand a human act. I’m not defending them. I’m just trying to understand.; MIGUEL makes love to NINA. She sighs with happiness.

Copyright