Weebjob
By Diane Glancy
Themes: Conflict of generations, Gender Inequality, Ethnic Identity and Belonging
Genre: Native-American Realism
Key Scenes:pp. 56-60 (2F), pp. 70-71 - (1F, 1M), pp. 37-45 (1F, 3M)
Age recommendation: 12+
Number of characters: 6 main, 7+ minor characters
Country: United States of America
Original language: English
Description:
Gerald Long Chalk (the eponymous Weebjob) lives in present day Salazar Canyon, Lincoln County, New Mexico, USA. He always seems to be at a crossroads in his life. While his wife, Sarah / Sweet Grass is absent, he has to deal with the arrival of his youngest daughter Suzanne / Sweet Potato from one of her hitchhiking adventures.
He discovers that his wife has been sending letters to every member of the family except him. He realises that she wasn’t just visiting her sister, but in fact wanted time away from him. Once Sweet Potato decides to wed Weebjob’s close friend Percy Willingdeer / Pick Up, old resentments and new desires flair up. These culminate at Sweet Potato and Pick Up’s wedding party, where the two women bring their new found perspective to light.
This play was written originally in English.
+ DETAILS
Author: Diane Glancy
Original language: English
Publisher: Holy Cow Press, 1997
World Premiere (in the Engl. lang.): unknown
Education Pack Resource Writer: Almiro Andrade
+ CHARACTERS
GERALD LONG CHALK / WEEBJOB (MALE): 48, the main character. His name is a play on the Biblical Job because he is beset with problems, and has a friend, Pick Up, who isn’t much comfort. Weebjob is a holy man, a Mescalero Apache.
He’s stern and unyielding, a little impractical, yet likeable. Weebjob always seems to be at a crossroads in his life. He paints signs and hangs them on his fence. Signs that say: “He hangs the earth on nothing, Job 26:7”, “Rodeo / Albuquerque”, “Behold and behemoth. He eats grass as an ox. He moveth his tail like the pines, Job 40:15,17”, “Vote Ofred for Chief.”
PERCY WILLINGDEER / PICK UP (MALE): 43, Weebjob’s friend who’s in love with his daughter. He is also a Mescalero Apache. He presents Weebjob with his newest disaster when Weebjob finds out that he wants to marry his daughter.
SUZANNE LONG CHALK / SWEET POTATO (FEMALE): 21, Weebjob’s daughter. She has a mind of her own. She is unhappy with her life because she doesn’t know where she belongs. She has run off several times to hitchhike on the interstate to Gallup.
JAMES LONG CHALK (MALE): 23, Weebjob’s younger son. He works for the highway department and lives in Socorro with his girlfriend, Hersah.
SARAH LONG CHALK / SWEET GRASS (FEMALE): 45, Weebjob’s wife. She has a sweet and understanding disposition. She is of Cherokee heritage. When the play begins, she has gone to visit her sister in Hobbs, because she wants to see her, and also, to get away from Weebjob for a while, whom she feels takes her for granted. She is a traditional woman who is just starting to deal with herself as an individual.
WILLIAM LONG CHALK (MALE): 28, Weebjob’s older son. He is a lawyer in Roswell.
Minor Characters who appear at the Wedding - CLEMENT THOUSANDSTICKS (MALE): the town buffoon, mid 50s MARY JANE COLLAR (FEMALE): Sweet Grass’ sister, early 40s HERSAH (FEMALE): James’ girlfriend, early 20s
No age specified characters - REESAH (FEMALE): William’s wife and their Child WARHALL (MALE): Thousandsticks’ friend MINISTER (MALE) MUSICIANS OTHER WEDDING GUESTS
+ PLAY TEXT BLURB
"Contemporary Plays by Women of Color" is a ground-breaking anthology of eighteen new and recent works by African American, Asian American, Latina American and Native American playwrights. This compelling anthology includes works by award-winning and well-known playwrights such as Anna Deavere Smith, Cherrie Moraga, Pearl Cleage, Marga Gomez and Spiderwoman, along with notable emerging writers such as Kia Corthron, Louella Dizon, Diana Son and Terry Gomez. These are women who are breaking traditional boundaries in writing and engaging difficult themes with originality and integrity. "Contemporary Plays by Women of Color" explores how these women of color address the various stereotypes imposed on them, and seeks to uncover the real faces behind the masks.
This is the first anthology to display such an abundance of talents from such a wide range of today's women playwrights. The plays tackle a variety of topics--from the playful to the painful. Women of color are speaking out in the theater, addressing such controversial issues as rape and other violence against women; media stereotypes and urban rebellion; the impact of poverty on individuals, families and communites; abortion and the relationship of woman to her body, the relationship of women to each other, and the response of a given community to crisis. The plays also represent varying approaches to playmaking, including solo performance and collective creation. Despite the number of women of color writing for the theater, resisting invisibility remains the greatest challenge for these writers. This volume addresses this question of invisibility, and the fact that works by women of color are not produces as much as works by whites and males. Furthermore, it includes an invaluable appendix of published plays by women of color, which will direct readers to the growing body of published dramatic literature by the many talented writers in this group.
As contemporary works awaiting to be read, produced and absorbed, these plays offer a wellspring; they are a source to sustain, refresh and renew. Offering a stunning array of voices and play styles, "Contemporary Plays by Women of Color" allows the reader a looks into a theater of redemption and transformation--the theater that women of color are making, living and dreaming.
Buy the play text here
