turns and looks back as if he had some desperate
question he couldn't put into words. Then he nods reflectively and says
in a hoarse voice: ]
Yes, all liars, all liars, all lying dying liars!
[This is said slowly, slowly, with a fierce
revulsion. He goes on out. ]
—Lying! Dying! Liars!
[ His voice dies out. There if the sound of a
child being slapped. It rushes, hideously bawling , through room and out the hall door.
[ Brick remains motionless as the lights dim
out and the curtain falls. ]
CURTAIN
ACT THREE
----
There is no lapse of time.
Mae enters with Reverend Tooker.
----
MAE:
Where is Big Daddy! Big Daddy?
BIG MAMA [ entering ]:
Too much smell of burnt fireworks makes me feel a little bit sick at my
stomach.—Where is Big Daddy?
MAE:
That's what I want to know, where has Big Daddy gone?
BIG MAMA:
He must have turned in, I reckon he went to baid . . . .
[ Gooper enters. ]
GOOPER:
Where is Big Daddy?
MAE:
We don't know where he is!
BIG MAMA:
I reckon he's gone to baid.
GOOPER:
Well, then, now we can talk.
BIG MAMA:
What is this talk, what talk?
[ Margaret appears on gallery, talking to Dr.
Baugh. ]
MARGARET [ musically ]:
My family freed their slaves ten years before abolition, mygreat-great-grandfather gave his slaves their freedom five years
before the war between the States started!
MAE:
Oh, for God's sake! Maggie's climbed back up in her family
tree!
MARGARET [ sweetly ]:
What, Mae?—Oh, where's Big Daddy?!
[ The pace must be very quick. Great Southern
animation. ]
BIG MAMA [ addressing
them all]:
I think Big Daddy was just worn out. He loves his family, he loves to have them
around him, but it's a strain on his nerves. He wasn't himself
tonight, Big Daddy wasn't himself, I could tell he was all worked up.
REVEREND TOOKER:
I think he's remarkable.
BIG MAMA:
Yaisss! Just remarkable. Did you all notice the food he ate at that
table? Did you all notice the supper he put away? Why, he ate like a
hawss!
GOOPER:
I hope he doesn't regret it.
BIG MAMA:
Why, that man—ate a huge piece of cawn-bread with molasses on
it! Helped himself twice to hoppin’ john.
MARGARET:
Big Daddy loves hoppin’ john.—We had a real country dinner.
BIG MAMA [ overlapping Margaret ]:
Yais, he simply adores it! An’ candied yams? That man put away
enough food at that table to stuff a nigger field hand!
GOOPER [ with grim
relish ]:
I hope he don't have to pay for it later on . . . .
BIG MAMA [ fiercely ]:
What's that, Gooper?
MAE:
Gooper says he hopes Big Daddy doesn't suffer tonight.
BIG MAMA:
Oh, shoot, Gooper says, Gooper says! Why should Big Daddy suffer for
satisfying a normal appetite? There's nothin’ wrong with that
man but nerves, he's sound as a dollar! And now he knows he is
an’ that's why he ate such a supper. He had a big load off his mind,
knowin’ he wasn't doomed t'—what he thought he was
doomed to . . . .
MARGARET [ sadly
and sweetly ]:
Bless his old sweet soul. . . .
BIG MAMA [ vaguely ]:
Yais, bless his heart, where's Brick?
MAE:
Outside.
GOOPER:
—Drinkin’ . . .
BIG MAMA:
I know he's drinkin’. You all don't have to keep tellin’ me Brick is drinkin’. Cain't I see
he's drinkin’ without you continually tellin’ me that
boy's drinkin'?
MARGARET:
Good for you, Big Mama!
[ She applauds. ]
BIG MAMA:
Other people drink and have drunk an’ will drink, as long as they make that
stuff an’ put it in bottles.
MARGARET:
That's the truth. I never trusted a man that didn't drink.
MAE:
Gooper never drinks. Don't you trust Gooper?
MARGARET:
Why, Gooper, don't you drink? If I'd known you didn't
drink, I wouldn't of made that remark—
BIG MAMA:
Brick?
MARGARET:
—at least not in your presence.
[ She laughs sweetly .]
BIG MAMA:
Brick!
MARGARET:
He's still on the gall'ry. I'll go bring him in so we can
talk.
BIG MAMA [ worriedly ]:
I don't know what this mysterious family
question he couldn't put into words. Then he nods reflectively and says
in a hoarse voice: ]
Yes, all liars, all liars, all lying dying liars!
[This is said slowly, slowly, with a fierce
revulsion. He goes on out. ]
—Lying! Dying! Liars!
[ His voice dies out. There if the sound of a
child being slapped. It rushes, hideously bawling , through room and out the hall door.
[ Brick remains motionless as the lights dim
out and the curtain falls. ]
CURTAIN
ACT THREE
----
There is no lapse of time.
Mae enters with Reverend Tooker.
----
MAE:
Where is Big Daddy! Big Daddy?
BIG MAMA [ entering ]:
Too much smell of burnt fireworks makes me feel a little bit sick at my
stomach.—Where is Big Daddy?
MAE:
That's what I want to know, where has Big Daddy gone?
BIG MAMA:
He must have turned in, I reckon he went to baid . . . .
[ Gooper enters. ]
GOOPER:
Where is Big Daddy?
MAE:
We don't know where he is!
BIG MAMA:
I reckon he's gone to baid.
GOOPER:
Well, then, now we can talk.
BIG MAMA:
What is this talk, what talk?
[ Margaret appears on gallery, talking to Dr.
Baugh. ]
MARGARET [ musically ]:
My family freed their slaves ten years before abolition, mygreat-great-grandfather gave his slaves their freedom five years
before the war between the States started!
MAE:
Oh, for God's sake! Maggie's climbed back up in her family
tree!
MARGARET [ sweetly ]:
What, Mae?—Oh, where's Big Daddy?!
[ The pace must be very quick. Great Southern
animation. ]
BIG MAMA [ addressing
them all]:
I think Big Daddy was just worn out. He loves his family, he loves to have them
around him, but it's a strain on his nerves. He wasn't himself
tonight, Big Daddy wasn't himself, I could tell he was all worked up.
REVEREND TOOKER:
I think he's remarkable.
BIG MAMA:
Yaisss! Just remarkable. Did you all notice the food he ate at that
table? Did you all notice the supper he put away? Why, he ate like a
hawss!
GOOPER:
I hope he doesn't regret it.
BIG MAMA:
Why, that man—ate a huge piece of cawn-bread with molasses on
it! Helped himself twice to hoppin’ john.
MARGARET:
Big Daddy loves hoppin’ john.—We had a real country dinner.
BIG MAMA [ overlapping Margaret ]:
Yais, he simply adores it! An’ candied yams? That man put away
enough food at that table to stuff a nigger field hand!
GOOPER [ with grim
relish ]:
I hope he don't have to pay for it later on . . . .
BIG MAMA [ fiercely ]:
What's that, Gooper?
MAE:
Gooper says he hopes Big Daddy doesn't suffer tonight.
BIG MAMA:
Oh, shoot, Gooper says, Gooper says! Why should Big Daddy suffer for
satisfying a normal appetite? There's nothin’ wrong with that
man but nerves, he's sound as a dollar! And now he knows he is
an’ that's why he ate such a supper. He had a big load off his mind,
knowin’ he wasn't doomed t'—what he thought he was
doomed to . . . .
MARGARET [ sadly
and sweetly ]:
Bless his old sweet soul. . . .
BIG MAMA [ vaguely ]:
Yais, bless his heart, where's Brick?
MAE:
Outside.
GOOPER:
—Drinkin’ . . .
BIG MAMA:
I know he's drinkin’. You all don't have to keep tellin’ me Brick is drinkin’. Cain't I see
he's drinkin’ without you continually tellin’ me that
boy's drinkin'?
MARGARET:
Good for you, Big Mama!
[ She applauds. ]
BIG MAMA:
Other people drink and have drunk an’ will drink, as long as they make that
stuff an’ put it in bottles.
MARGARET:
That's the truth. I never trusted a man that didn't drink.
MAE:
Gooper never drinks. Don't you trust Gooper?
MARGARET:
Why, Gooper, don't you drink? If I'd known you didn't
drink, I wouldn't of made that remark—
BIG MAMA:
Brick?
MARGARET:
—at least not in your presence.
[ She laughs sweetly .]
BIG MAMA:
Brick!
MARGARET:
He's still on the gall'ry. I'll go bring him in so we can
talk.
BIG MAMA [ worriedly ]:
I don't know what this mysterious family
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