[4 of 5] Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Scene 2 A, by August Wilson (1982, 1985)

Author: August Wilson

Wilson, August. "Scene 2 A." Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Plume, published 1985, performed 1982, pp. 26-34.

Scene 2 A

(The lights come up in the studio. The musicians are setting up their instruments. Ma Rainey walks about shoeless, singing softly to herself. Levee stands near Dussie Mae who hikes up her dress and crosses her leg. Cutler speaks to Irvin off to the side.)

CUTLER Mr. Irvin, I don't know what you gonna do. I ain't got nothing to do with it, but the boy can't do the part. He stutters. He can't get it right. He stutters right through it every time.

IRVIN Christ! Okay. We'll.. Shit! We'll just do it like we planned. We'll do Levee's version. I'll handle it, Cutler. Come on, let's go. I'll think of something.
(He exits to the control booth.)

MA RAINEY (Calling Cutler over.) Levee's got his eyes in the wrong place. You better school him, Cutler.

CUTLER Come on, Levee ... let's get ready to play! Get your mind on your work!

IRVIN

(Over speaker.) Okay, boys, we're gonna do "Moonshine Blues" first. "Moonshine Blues," Ma.

MA RAINEY I ain't doing no "Moonshine" nothing. I'm doing the "Black Bottom" first. Come on, Sylvester. (To Irvin.) Where's Sylvester's mike? You need a mike for Sylvester. Irvin... get him a mike.

IRVIN Uh ... Ma, the boys say he can't do it. We'll have to do Levee's version.

MA RAINEY What you mean he can't do it? Who say he can't do it? What boys say he can't do it?

IRVIN The band, Ma... the boys in the band.

MA RAINEY What band? The band work for me! I say what goes! Cutler, what's he talking about? Levee, this some of your shit?

IRVIN He stutters, Ma. They say he stutters.

MA RAINEY I don't care if he do. I promised the boy he could do the part... and he's gonna do it! That's all there is to it. He don't stutter all the time. Get a microphone down here for him.

IRVIN Ma, we don't have time. We can't ...

MA RAINEY If you wanna make a record, you gonna find time. I ain't playing with you, Irvin. I can walk out of here and go back to my tour. I got plenty fans. I don't need to go through all of this. Just go and get the boy a microphone.

(Irvin and Sturdyvant consult in the booth, Irvin exits.)

STURDYVANT All right, Ma... we'll get him a microphone. But if he messes up ... He's only getting one chance... The cost ...

MA RAINEY Damn the cost. You always talking about the cost. I make more money for this outfit than anybody else you got put together. If he messes up he'll just do it till he gets it right. Levee, I know you had something to do with this. You better watch yourself.

LEVEE It was Cutler!

SYLVESTER It was you! You the only one m-m-mad about it.

LEVEE The boy stutter. He can't do the part. Everybody see that. I don't know why you want the boy to do the part no ways.

MA RAINEY Well, can or can't ... he's gonna do it! You ain't got nothing to do with it!

LEVEE I don't care what you do! He can sing the whole goddamned song for all I care!

MA RAINEY Well, all right. Thank you.

(Irvin enters with a microphone and hooks it up. He exits to the control booth.)

MA RAINEY Come on, Sylvester. You just stand here and hold your hands like I told you. Just remember the words and say them... That's all there is to it. Don't worry about messing up. If you mess up, we'll do it again. Now, let me hear you say it. Play for him, Cutler.

CUTLER One ... two ... you know what to do.

(The band begins to play and Sylvester curls his fingers and clasps his hands together in front of his chest, pulling in opposite directions as he says his lines.)

SYLVESTER "All right, boys, you d-d-d-done s-s-s-seen the best . . . (Levee stops playing.) Now I'm g-g-g-gonna show you the rest . . . Ma R-r-rainey's gonna show you her b-b-b-black b-b-b-bottom."

(The rest of the band stops playing.)

MA RAINEY That's all right. That's real good. You take your time, you'll get it right.

STURDYVANT (Over speaker.) Listen, Ma... now, when you come in, don't wait so long to come in. Don't take so long on the intro, huh?

MA RAINEY Sturdyvant, don't you go trying to tell me how to sing. You just take care of that up there and let me take care of this down here. Where's my Coke?

IRVIN Okay, Ma. We're all set up to go up here. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," boys.

MA RAINEY Where's my Coke? I need a Coke. You ain't got no Coke down here? Where's my Coke?

IRVIN What's the matter, Ma? What's ....

MA RAINEY Where's my Coke? I need a Coca-Cola.

IRVIN Uh... Ma, look, I forgot the Coke, huh? Let's do it without it, huh? Just this one song. What say, boys?

MA RAINEY Damn what the band say! You know I don't sing nothing without my Coca-Cola!

STURDYVANT We don't have any, Ma. There's no Coca-Cola here. We're all set up and we'll just go ahead and ...

MA RAINEY You supposed to have Coca-Cola. Irvin knew that. I ain't singing nothing without my Coca-Cola!
(She walks away from the mike, singing to herself. Sturdyvant enters from the control booth.)

STURDYVANT Now, just a minute here, Ma. You come in an hour late . . . we're way behind schedule as it is . . . the band is set up and ready to go . . . I'm burning my lights . . . I've turned up the heat . . . We're ready to make a record and what? You decide you want a Coca-Cola?

MA RAINEY Sturdyvant, get out of my face. (Irvin enters.) Irvin... I told you keep away from me.

IRVIN Mel, I'll handle it.

STURDYVANT I'm tired of her nonsense, Irv. I'm not gonna put up with this!

IRVIN Let me handle it, Mel. I know how to handle her. (Irvin to Ma Rainey.) Look, Ma . . . I'll call down to the deli and get you a Coke. But let's get started, huh? Sylvester's standing there ready to go . . . the band's set up . . . let's do this one song, huh

MA RAINEY If you too cheap to buy me a Coke, I'll buy my own. Slow Drag! Sylvester, go with Slow Drag and get me a CocaCola. (Slow Drag comes over.) Slow Drag, walk down to that store on the corner and get me three bottles of Coca-Cola. Get out my face, Irvin. You all just wait until I get my Coke. It ain't gonna kill you.

IRVIN Okay, Ma. Get your Coke, for Chrissakes! Get your coke!

(Irvin and Sturdyvant exit into the hallway followed by Slow Drag and Sylvester. Toledo, Cutler, and Levee head for the band room.)

MA RAINEY Cutler, come here a minute. I want to talk to you. (Cutler crosses over somewhat reluctantly.) What's all this about "the boys in the band say"? I tells you what to do. I says what the matter is with the band. I say who can and can't do what.

CUTLER We just say 'cause the boy stutter ...

MA RAINEY I know he stutters. Don't you think I know he stutters. This is what's gonna help him.

CUTLER Well, how can he do the part if he stutters? You want him to stutter through it? We just thought it be easier to go on and let Levee do it like we planned.

MA RAINEY I don't care if he stutters or not! He's doing the part and I don't wanna hear any more of this shit about what the band says. And I want you to find somebody to replace Levee when we get to Memphis. Levee ain't nothing but trouble.

CUTLER Levee's all right. He plays good music when he puts his mind to it. He knows how to write music too.

MA RAINEY I don't care what he know. He ain't nothing but bad news. Find somebody else, I know it was his idea about who to say who can do what. (Dussie Mae wanders over to where they are sitting.) Dussie Mae, go sit your behind down somewhere and quit flaunting yourself around.

DUSSIE MAY I ain't doing nothing.

MA RAINEY Well, just go on somewhere and stay out of the way.

CUTLER I been meaning to ask you, Ma... about these songs. This "Moonshine Blues" . . . that's one of them songs Bessie Smith sang, I believes.

MA RAINEY Bessie what? Ain't nobody thinking about Bessie. I taught Bessie. She ain't doing nothing but imitating me. What I care about Bessie? I don't care if she sell a million records. She got her people and I got mine. I don't care what nobody else do. Ma was the first and don't you forget it!

CUTLER Ain't nobody said nothing about that. I just said that's the same song she sang.

MA RAINEY I been doing this a long time. Ever since I was a little girl. I don't care what nobody else do. That's what gets me so mad with Irvin. White folks try to be put out with you all the time. Too cheap to buy me a Coca-Cola. I lets them know it, though. Ma don't stand for no shit. Wanna take my voice and trap it in them fancy boxes with all them buttons and dials... and then too cheap to buy me a Coca-Cola. And it don't cost but a nickle a bottle.

CUTLER I knows what you mean about that.

MA RAINEY Well, just go on somewhere and stay out of the way.

CUTLER I been meaning to ask you, Ma ... about these songs. This "Moonshine Blues" ... that's one of them songs Bessie Smith sang, I believes.

MA RAINEY Bessie what? Ain't nobody thinking about Bessie. I taught Bessie. She ain't doing nothing but imitating me. What I care about Bessie? I don't care if she sell a million records. She got her people and I got mine. I don't care what nobody else do. Ma was the first and don't you forget it!

CUTLER Ain't nobody said nothing about that. I just said that's the same song she sang.

MA RAINEY I been doing this a long time. Ever since I was a little girl. I don't care what nobody else do. That's what gets me so mad with Irvin. White folks try to be put out with you all the time. Too cheap to buy me a Coca-Cola. I lets them know it, though. Ma don't stand for no shit. Wanna take my voice and trap it in them fancy boxes with all them buttons and dials... and then too cheap to buy me a Coca-Cola. And it don't cost but a nickle a bottle.

CUTLER I knows what you mean about that.

MA RAINEY They don't care nothing about me. All they want is my voice. Well, I done learned that, and they gonna treat me like I want to be treated no matter how much it hurt them. They back there now calling me all kinds of names... calling me everything but a child of god. But they can't do nothing else. They ain't got what they wanted yet. As soon as they get my voice down on them recording machines, then it's just like if I'd be some whore and they roll over and put their pants on. Ain't got no use for me then. I know what I'm talking about. You watch. Irvin right there with the rest of them. He don't care nothing about me either. He's been my manager for six years, always talking about sticking together, and the only time he had me in his house was to sing for some of his friends.

CUTLER I know how they do.

MA RAINEY If you colored and can make them some money, then you all right with them. Otherwise, you just a dog in the alley. I done made this company more money from my records than all the other recording artists they got put together. And they wanna balk about how much this session is costing them.

CUTLER I don't see where it's costing them all what they say.

MA RAINEY It ain't! I don't pay that kind of talk no mind.

(The lights go down on the studio and come up on the band room. Toledo sits reading a newspaper. Levee sings and hums his song.)

LEVEE (Singing.) You can shake it, you can break it You can dance at any hall You can slide across the floor You'll never have to stall My jelly, my roll, Sweet Mama, don't you let it fall. Wait till Sturdyvant hear me play that! I'm talking about some real music, Toledo! I'm talking about real music! (The door opens and Dussie Mae enters.) Hey, mama! Come on in.

DUSSIE MAY Oh, hi! I just wanted to see what it looks like down here.

LEVEE Well, come on in ... I don't bite.

DUSSIE MAY I didn't know you could really write music. I thought you was just jiving me at the club last night.

LEVEE Naw, baby... I knows how to write music. I done give Mr. Sturdyvant some of my songs and he says he's gonna let me record them. Ask Toledo. I'm gonna have my own band! Toledo, ain't I give Mr. Sturdyvant some of my songs I wrote?

TOLEDO Don't get Toledo mixed up in nothing.
(He exits.)

DUSSIE MAY You gonna get your own band sure enough?

LEVEE That's right! Levee Green and his Footstompers.

DUSSIE MAY That's real nice.

LEVEE That's what I was trying to tell you last night. A man what's gonna get his own band need to have a woman like you.

DUSSIE MAY A woman like me wants somebody to bring it and put it in my hand. I don't need nobody wanna get something for nothing and leave me standing in my door.

LEVEE That ain't Levee's style, sugar. I got more style than that. I knows how to treat a woman. Buy her presents and things . . . treat her like she wants to be treated.

DUSSIE MAY That's what they all say ... till it come time to be buying the presents.

LEVEE When we get down to Memphis, I'm gonna show you what I'm talking about. I'm gonna take you out and show you a good time. Show you Levee knows how to treat a woman.

DUSSIE MAY When you getting your own band?

LEVEE (Moves closer to slip his arm around her.) Soon as Mr. Sturdyvant say. I done got my fellows already picked out. Getting me some good fellows know how to play real sweet music.

DUSSIE MAY (Moves away.) Go on now, I don't go for all that pawing and stuff. When you get your own band, maybe we can see about this stuff you talking.

LEVEE (Moving toward her.) I just wanna show you I know what the women like. They don't call me Sweet Lemonade for nothing.
(Levee takes her in his arms and attempts to kiss her.)

DUSSIE MAY Stop it now. Somebody's gonna come in here.

LEVEE Naw they ain't. Look here, sugar... what I wanna know is... can I introduce my red rooster to your brown hen?

DUSSIE MAY You get your band then we'll see if that rooster know how to crow.

LEVEE (Grinds up against her and feels her buttocks.) Now I know why my grandpappy sat on the back porch with his straight razor when grandma hung out the wash.

DUSSIE MAY Nigger, you crazy!

LEVEE I bet you sound like the midnight train from Alabama when it crosses the Mason-Dixon line.

DUSSIE MAY How's you get so crazy?

LEVEE It's women like you ... drives me that way.
(He moves to kiss her as the lights go down in the band room and up in the studio. Ma Rainey sits with Cutler and Toledo.)

MA RAINEY It sure done got quiet in here. I never could stand no silence. I always got to have some music going on in my head somewhere. It keeps things balanced. Music will do that. It fills things up. The more music you got in the world, the fuller it is.

CUTLER I can agree with that. I got to have my music too.

MA RAINEY White folks don't understand about the blues. They hear it come out, but they don't know how it got there. They don't understand that's life's way of talking. You don't sing to feel better. You sing 'cause that's a way of understanding life.

CUTLER That's right. You get that understanding and you done got a grip on life to where you can hold your head up and go on to see what else life got to offer.

MA RAINEY The blues help you get out of bed in the morning. You get up knowing you ain't alone. There's something else in the world. Something's been added by that song. This be an empty world without the blues. I take that emptiness and try to fill it up with something.

TOLEDO You fill it up with something the people can't be without, Ma. That's why they call you the Mother of the Blues. You fill up that emptiness in a way ain't nobody ever thought of doing before. And now they can't be without it.

MA RAINEY I ain't started the blues way of singing. The blues always been here.

CUTLER In the church sometimes you find that way of singing. They got blues in the church.

MA RAINEY They say I started it... but I didn't. I just helped it out. Filled up that empty space a little bit. That's all. But if they wanna call me the Mother of the Blues, that's all right with me. It don't hurt none. (Slow Drag and Sylvester enter with the Cokes.) It sure took you long enough. That store ain't but on the corner.

SLOW DRAG That one was closed. We had to find another one.

MA RAINEY Sylvester, go and find Mr. Irvin and tell him we ready to go.

(Sylvester exits. The lights in the band room come up while the lights in the studio stay on. Levee and Dussie Mae are kissing. Slow Drag enters. They break their embrace. Dussie Mae straightens up her clothes.)

SLOW DRAG Cold out. I just wanted to warm up with a little sip. (He goes to his locker, takes out his bottle and drinks.) Ma got her Coke, Levee. We about ready to start.

(Slow Drag exits. Levee attempts to kiss Dussie Mae again.)

DUSSIE MAY No... come on! I got to go. You gonna get me in trouble.
(She pulls away and exits up the stairs.)

LEVEE (Watches after her.) Good God! Happy birthday to the lady with the cakes!

(The lights go down in the band room and come up in the studio. Ma Rainey drinks her Coke. Levee enters from the band room. The musicians take their places. Sylvester stands by his mike. Irvin and Sturdyvant look on from the control booth.)

IRVIN We're all set up here, Ma. We're all set to go. You ready down there?

MA RAINEY Sylvester you just remember your part and say it. That's all there is to it. (To Irvin.) Yeah, we ready.

IRVIN Okay, boys. "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." Take one.

CUTLER One... two... You know what to do.

(The band plays.)

SYLVESTER All right boys, you d-d-d-done s-s-seen the rest...

IRVIN Hold it! (The band stops. Sturdyvant changes the recording disk and nods to Irvin.) Okay. Take two.

CUTLER One ... two... You know what to do.

(The band plays.)

SYLVESTER All right, boys, you done seen the rest... now I'm gonna show you the best. Ma Rainey's g-g-g-gonna s-s-show you her b-b-black bottom.

IRVIN Hold it! Hold it! (The band stops. Sturdyvant changes the recording disk.) Okay. Take Three. Ma, let's do it without the intro, huh? No voice intro ... you just come in singing.

MA RAINEY Irvin, I done told you... the boy's gonna do the part. He don't stutter all the time. Just give him a chance. Sylvester, hold your hands like I told you and just relax. Just relax and concentrate.

IRVIN All right. Take three.

CUTLER One... Two ... You know what to do.

(The band plays.)

SYLVESTER All right, boys, you done seen the rest... now, I'm gonna show you the best. Ma Rainey's gonna show you her black bottom.

MA RAINEY

(Singing.) Way down south in Alabamy I got a friend they call dancing Sammy Who's crazy about all the latest dances Black Bottom stomping, two babies prancing The other night at a swell affair As soon as the boys found out that I was there They said, come on, Ma, let's go to the cabaret. When I got there, you ought to hear them say, I want to see the dance you call the black bottom I want to learn that dance I want to see the dance you call your big black bottom It'll put you in a trance. All the boys in the neighborhood They say your black bottom is really good Come on and show me your black bottom I want to learn that dance I want to see the dance you call the black bottom I want to learn that dance Come on and show the dance you call your big black bottom It puts you in a trance. Early last morning about the break of day Grandpa told my grandma, I heard him say, Get up and show your old man your black bottom I want to learn that dance (Instrumental break.) I done showed you all my black bottom You ought to learn that dance.

IRVIN Okay, that's good, Ma. That sounded great! Good job, boys!

MA RAINEY (To Sylvester.) See! I told you. I knew you could do it. You just have to put your mind to it. Didn't he do good, Cutler? Sound real good. I told him he could do it.

CUTLER He sure did. He did better than I thought he was gonna do.

IRVIN (Entering to remove Sylvester's mike.) Okay, boys... Ma... let's do "Moonshine Blues" next, huh? "Moonshine Blues," boys.

STURDYVANT (Over speaker.) Irv! Something's wrong down there. We don't have it right.

IRVIN What? What's the matter, Mel...

STURDYVANT We don't have it right. Something happened. We don't have the goddamn song recorded!

IRVIN What's the matter? Mel, what happened? You sure you don't have nothing?

STURDYVANT Check that mike, huh, Irv. It's the kid's mike. Something's wrong with the mike. We've got everything all screwed up here.

IRVIN Christ almighty! Ma, we got to do it again. We don't have it. We didn't record the song.

MA RAINEY What you mean you didn't record it? What was you and Sturdyvant doing up there?

IRVIN (Following the mike wire.) Here ... Levee must have kicked the plug out.

LEVEE I ain't done nothing: I ain't kicked nothing!

SLOW DRAG If Levee had his mind on what he's doing ...

MA RAINEY Levee, if it ain't one thing, it's another. You better straighten yourself up!

LEVEE Hell... it ain't my fault. I ain't done nothing!

STURDYVANT What's the matter with that mike, Irv? What's the problem?

IRVIN It's the cord, Mel. The cord's all chewed up. We need another cord.

MA RAINEY This is the most disorganized... Irvin, I'm going home! Come on. Come on, Dussie.

(Ma Rainey walks past Sturdyvant as he enters from the control booth. She exits offstage to get her coat.)

STURDYVANT (To Irvin.) Where's she going?

IRVIN She said she's going home.

STURDYVANT Irvin, you get her! If she walks out of here ...

(Ma Rainey enters carrying her and Dussie Mae's coat.)

MA RAINEY Come on, Sylvester.

IRVIN (Helping her with her coat.) Ma... Ma ... listen. Fifteen minutes! All I ask is fifteen minutes!

MA RAINEY Come on, Sylvester, get your coat.

STURDYVANT Ma, if you walk out of this studio...

IRVIN Fifteen minutes, Ma!

STURDYVANT You'll be through... washed up! If you walk out on me ...

IRVIN Mel, for Chrissakes, shut up and let me handle it! (He goes after Ma Rainey, who has started for the door.) Ma, listen. These records are gonna be hits! They're gonna sell like crazy! Hell, even Sylvester will be a star. Fifteen minutes. That's all, I'm asking! Fifteen minutes.

MA RAINEY (Crosses to a chair and sits with her coat on.) Fifteen minutes! You hear me, Irvin? Fifteen minutes... and then I'm gonna take my black bottom on back down to Georgia. Fifteen minutes. Then Madame Rainey is leaving!

IRVIN (Kisses her.) All right, Ma... fifteen minutes. I promise. (To the band.) You boys go ahead and take a break. Fifteen minutes and we'll be ready to go.

CUTLER Slow Drag, you got any of that bourbon left?

SLOW DRAG Yeah, there's some down there.

CUTLER I could use a little nip.

(Cutler and Slow Drag exit to the band room, followed by Levee and Toledo. The lights go down in the studio and up in the band room.)

DMU Timestamp: October 04, 2024 22:43