From
TWO STEP
by Rhashan Stone
Two Step by Rhashan Stone premiered at the Almeida Theatre as part of the PUSH 04 festival, in London on 30 August 2004. It was directed by Josette Bushell-Mingo with the following cast: Rikki McLeod (AJ), Dona Croll (Mona), Derek Griffiths (Lenny), and Remi Wilson.
Rhashan Stone was encouraged to write for the stage by Josette Bushell-Mingo, Artistic Director of PUSH (a black theatre company in the UK) and director of Simply Heavenly. Bushell-Mingo asked Stone to adapt The Odyssey for Push 01; the adaptation was entitled Pantheon of The Gods. Bushell-Mingo subsequently commissioned Two Step.
Two Step is a haunting play about resentment and revenge, as a recovering alcoholic man is forced to face the consequences of his actions. Now, on the eighth step of a 12-stage Alcoholics Anonymous programme, Lenny is instructed to seek forgiveness from family and friends he hurt during his days of alcohol addiction. A visit to his ex-girlfriend’s (Mona) flat unravels dark forgotten memories. But it appears that Lenny has forgotten to pursue forgiveness from someone closer to home, his son.
About the Playwright
American-born British actor, playwright and screenwriter, Rhashan Stone began his career as an actor starring in British television comedies Desmonds and Mutual Friends as well as the stage musical Five Guys Named Moe and Simply Heavenly by Langston Hughes.
Summary (Extract)
Lenny’s estranged son AJ reluctantly appears at Mona’s house in search of his father, who never returned home the night before. When AJ hears that Mona has rejected Lenny’s apology he finds it hard to contain his frustration.
AJ fights back by explaining why he deserves an apology more than anyone else in his dad’s life, for the humiliation, abandonment and emotional damage caused by Lenny’s unhealthy relationship with alcohol.
AJ sneezes.
Fucking rain. Black people and water don’t mix.
Beat.
I always used to tell that to my teachers, but they wouldn’t listen. I was just a kid what did I know? Every week I’d say ‘Black people don’t like water’ and every week they’d still drag me down that fucking Lido.
Beat.
How fucked up is that?
Beat.
They used to take us to this dirty old place down Tooting. I couldn’t stand it. Only crazy ass teachers would make school-kids swim around in some other school-kids’ piss. I begged my dad to let me have a sick note so I wouldn’t have to go swimming in all that nastiness. But instead of taking my side, hear how he goes. ‘The reason you don’t like swimming is because you don’t know how to swim. So I’m going to teach you.’ This was a new one on me, ’cos we never did shit together.
So there I am at Tooting Bec Lido sitting on the side, looking down into the yellow water. And Dad’s in there, swimming around, going underwater, letting the piss go in his mouth and everything. ‘Don’t be such a pussy.’ He goes. ‘Get in.’ It was like I was stuck to the ground. I just couldn’t do it. Not because of the yellow water, but because I knew I would sink like a fuckin’ brick. Dad’s telling me how if I was in the Dead Sea, the salt would hold me up and shit. I’m thinking ‘I don’t care how much salt you put in there, I’m still gonna fuckin’ sink and anyhow I ain’t in the Dead Sea. I’m in Tooting Bec Pissing Lido!’
See how my feet are dangling in the water ’cos I’m trying to show willing, yeah, but all the time I’m thinking ‘No way. No fucking way.’ Dad is calling out to me and by now people are looking over, what with him having a loud mouth and all. Especially after a couple of drinks. ‘Come in. Don’t be scared. I’ll catch you.’ I’ll admit it. I was scared. I thought to myself ‘You best do it now dread before people start looking for real.’ I look down at him, at his long black shadow in the water, sleek as a fucking shark. ‘It’s alright. I’m here. I’ll catch you.’ He’s got his arms out, ready, so I take a deep breath and I just fling myself into the water towards him. The last thing I saw before I hit the water was my Dad backing away from me, pulling his arms out of my reach.
The shock hit me just like the water hit me. Hard. I don’t know how much I swallowed. Thrashing around trying to reach out and grab hold of something, anything. No matter what I did I felt my body sinking like a stone. I didn’t even know which way was up and all I could taste was piss, chlorine and rain.
Somehow I struggled to the side of the pool. No one helped me you know. See me there, clinging to the side, gasping for breath. I was still shaking, snot coming out my nose, my eyes red. I look around and everybody – and I mean everybody – is staring at me. And there standing over me at the poolside was my Dad.
‘Best way to learn,’ he goes. ‘Sink or swim.’
I scrambled out of the pool, trying not to catch anybody’s eye. But I knew they was all still watching. As I went to get changed I could feel the shame hanging off me like a wet towel, dread.
Beat.
We didn’t speak until we got to the car, and all he said was...
Beat.
‘McDonald’s?’
Pause.