6:00 P.M. A bridal shop.
A small section, enough to include a table with sewing machine, a chair or two. Anita, A Puerto Rican girl with loose hair and slightly flashy clothes, is finishing remaking what was a white communion dress into a party dress for an extremely lovely, extremely young girl: Maria. Anita is knowing, a sexual, sharp. Maria is an excited, enthusiastic, obedient child, with the temper, stubborn strength and awareness of a woman.
MARIA: [holding out scissors] Por favor, Anita. Make the neck lower!
ANITA: Stop it, Maria.
MARIA: One inch. How much can one little inch do?
ANITA: Too much.
MARIA: [exasperated]Anita, it is now to be a dress of dancing, no longer for kneeling in front of an altar.
ANITA: With those boys you can start in dancing and end up kneeling.
MARIA: Querida, one little inch; uno poca poca-
ANITA: Bernardo made me promise-
MARIA: Ai! Bernardo! One month have I been in this country-do I ever even touch excitement? I sew all day, I sit all night. For what did my fine brother bring me here?
ANITA: To marry Chino.
MARIA: When I look at Chino, nothing happens.
ANITA: What do you expect to happen?
MARIA: I don't know: something. What happens when you look at Bernardo?
ANITA: It's when I don't look at him that it happens.
MARIA: I think I will tell Mama and Papa about you and 'Nardo in the balcony of the movies. \
ANITA: I will rip this to shreds!
MARIA: No. But you perhaps could manage to lower the neck-
ANITA: Next year.
MARIA: Next year I will be married an no one will care if its down to here!
ANITA: Down to where?
MARIA: Down to here. [Indicates her waist.] I hate this dress!
ANITA: Then don't wear it and don't come to the dance.
MARIA: [shocked]Don't come! [Grabs the dress.] Could we not dye it red, at least?
ANITA: No, we could not. [She starts to help Maria into the dress.]
MARIA: White is for babies. I will be the only one there in a white-
ANITA: Well???
MARIA: Ahhhh-sí! It is a beautiful dress: I love you!
[As she hugs Anita, Bernardo enters, followed by a shy, gentle sweet-faced boy: Chino.]
BERNARDO: Are you ready?
MARIA: Come in, 'Nardo. [Whirls in the dress.] Is it not beautiful?
BERNARDO: [looking only at Maria's face] Yes. Very.
ANITA: I didn't quite hear...
BERNARDO: [kissing Anita.] Very beautiful.
MARIA: [watches them a second, then turns to Chino] Come in, Chino. Do not be afraid.
CHINO: But this is a shop for ladies.
BERNARDO: Our ladies!
MARIA: 'Nardo, it is most important that I have a wonderful time at the dancing tonight.
BENARDO: [as Anita hooks up Maria]Why?
MARIA: Because tonight is the real beginning of my life as a young lady of America!
[She begins to whirl in the dress as the shop slides off and a flood of gaily colored streamers pours down. As Maria begins to turn and turn, going off-stage. Sharks girls, dressed for the dance whirl on, followed by Jet girls. By boys from both gangs. The streamers fly up again for the next scene.]
YOU ARE READING
West Side Story (but with lesbians)
FanfictionLiterally just the musical West Side Story, but instead Tony is a girl and so on and so forth... Enjoy!
