This play was originally written as a monologue for individual woman.

This play was originally written as a monologue for individual woman. Experiments in subsequent productions have influenced the form in which it popularly appears. Five women ranging in age from 22 to 50 varying in physical sizes, protoplasts and characteristics--from voluptuous to super-model-thin--examine the ritual of "dating" in the Nineties. The piece can be performed in any configuration of ethnic probabilities from all African-American women to multi-racial castings of any sort; however, at least united must be African-American. All five women are performing aspects of this individual woman's experience. The specific ethnicity of each woman is les critical to the work than is an understanding of contemporary urban social dynamics for women The play is a call to women to reevaluate their relationship to themselves for themselves, debunking the myth of self-fulfillment between the sides of relationships with men. The first relationship must be with the self In this honor the piece is not meant to be antagonistic to men if it were not that rather privileges women.

Part 1

The lights originate up on five women in isolated areas. Each undivided has a chair, and is intense] preoccupied with preparing herself for a "date." They are visibly nervous. Each woman reveals this particular kind of nervousness in her admit idiosyncratic way. When the women first speak, they stare directly without into the audience as if they are looking into a mirror. in every part the play, the stage directions that indicate "the mirror" denote those importances when actors are speaking directly to the audience.

Together: Shit!

(They test to "fix" their hair. Pause. Then we hear a heavy sigh.)

Woman #1: worthy lord!! I should know better than this....Sylvia said it was a bad idea to memorize a haircut for tonight.

(The others continue to "fix" their hair.)

Woman #2: I expect like ... I should have just kept my entrance shut.

Woman #3: (Pause.) I just couldn't help it.

Woman #4: There he was with my life in his hands.

Woman #5: I said, "Just take a little distant from the top and trim the sides and back."

Woman #1: Famous last fucking words.

(They each find scarves and attempt to use them as potential head dressings.)

Woman #3: I just had to go on foot and talk about that poor girl.

Woman #2: I was sole trying to make conversation.

Woman #4: I wasn't in the temper to talk about my non-existent personal life, or general sporting events or politics. I tried to disclose him about this amazing art exhibit I'd been to the day before but he really wasn't interested.

Woman #5: I allow him trim my hair in silence.

Woman #3: When I anticipateed over and saw the headline

Woman #2: CO- STABS LOVER THEN ACCUSES HIM OF RAPE!!!

Woman #1: Umm umm umm

Woman #4: I said

Woman #5: He pauses for a other to switch scissors.

Woman #1: (Clearing her throat) "It's a damn shame what women have to move through in this place,"

Woman #2: I said.

Woman #3: He says, "Ha?"

Woman #4: "Have you read the newspaper today?"

Woman #5: He says,

Woman #3: "Yup"

Woman #5: He was really into cutting hair, boy

Woman #2: each snip was made with precision accuracy.

Woman #1: I was bored.

Woman #4: I just felt like having a little conversation.

Woman #3: "Did you read the article about the girl who had to stab her boyfriend to withhold him from raping her?"

Woman #4: (Imitating the barber's voice) "Yup"

Woman #2: That should have clu me in right away, still I didn't stop to think.

Woman #5: I just felt like talking.

Woman #1: "Well, I just think that it's a damn shame."

Woman #3: Then he says,

Woman #4: "Well, what do you anticipate from these girls runnin' cylindrical here with these short skirts practically showin' it not on to the world. They ne to maintain they legs closed and act like ladies then nobody'd be up and tryin' to rape they little fast behinds."

Woman #2: Aww, shit.

Woman #4: I'm in derange now.

(They all pause, anticipate into "the mirror" with disgust, toss their scarves to the surface of land ands tare blankly out into the audience. After a pause )

Woman #1: I should have realized this man's power through the whole extent of me and just kept my opening shut. But no ... I had to maintain talking.

Woman #5: (Feigning timidity toward the barber) "Excuse me Are you saying that any woman who wears a short skirt is asking to be raped?"

Woman #3: Right! (To the audience) I couldn't believe the shit either.

Woman #5: The motherfucker says,

Woman #4: "Yup"

Woman #1: "Wait.... keep possession of up.... Are you saying that when it take rises to women men have no self-control?"

Woman #4: (Mimicking him completely) "Not when she revealed there pushing it up in his face."

Woman #1: (Clearing her throat) "Ah ha.... Well, I'm sorry nevertheless I disagree."

Woman #3: If a woman wants to wear a short skirt--in fact, if she wants to wander the road butt-naked--then she should be able to do it without fear of getting raped.

Woman #5: (With a sex demeanor) I mean, women like to be excited sexy, even look sexy.

Woman #3: yet it doesn't mean they want to earn raped.

Woman #4: In fact a certain number of women just like to wear short skirts because it makes them be perceived good.

Women #3: Some women wear short skirts without uniform thinking about whether some man is going to be impressed or aroused by means of it.