The Central Park Five, Act II: Scene 2

Scene 2

“THEIR TRUTH, NOT MINE”

Each one of the CENTRAL PARK FIVE is

Seated in a chair, each located in a different

Part of the stage. An overhead spot shines

Down on them, bathing them in glaring light.

Elsewhere, DONALD TRUMP is being Interviewed.

The sound is intermittent.

We only HEAR some of what he is saying.

THE MASQUE (as the Police Detective) and the

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY enter and

Stand amid a “sea” of white FACES –

Generic images projected onto the scrim.

We HEAR the voices of the CHORUS from

Offstage.

THE MASQUE

You have them?

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY

I need to be sure.

TRUMP & THE MASQUE

People are frightened.

A.D.A.

I understand.

TRUMP & THE MASQUE

Be thorough.

A.D.A

You can depend on me.

THE MASQUE

If she should die...

A.D.A

We’re praying for her.

TRUMP, THE MASQUE & CHORUS

People want justice.

A.D.A.

We have suspects.

TRUMP, THE MASQUE & CHORUS

That’s not good enough.

A.D.A.

We think they are the ones.

TRUMP, THE MASQUE & CHORUS

They must confess.

A.D.A

Agreed.

THE MASQUE

People are fearful.

A.D.A.

Understood.

THE MASQUE

This must never happen again.

TRUMP

Our streets must be safe.

THE MASQUE

The law is the law and it must be obeyed.

A.D.A

By everyone.

TRUMP & CHORUS

Everywhere.

(As TRUMP and THE MASQUE lurk, watching, the

ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY approaches the

area where the CENTRAL PARK FIVE are bathed

in their individual spots.)

A.D.A. (to Kharey)

Who was with you?

KHAREY

I was just hanging out.

A.D.A. (to Yusef & Antron)

You did this.

I know you did.

YUSEF & ANTRON

I don’t know what you’re talking about!

A.D.A. (to Yusef)

Who held her down?

Was it you?!

YUSEF

I didn’t touch anybody!

A.D.A. (toward Raymond)

Who got on top of her, first?

Was it you?!

RAYMOND

I didn’t do anything, I swear!

Where’s my family?

A.D.A.

Answer my question!

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Where’s my Dad?

Where’s my Mom?

A.D.A.

I am your only way out!

ANTRON

I won’t say anything

Until my Dad shows up

YUSEF

What is going on?

Why am I here?

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

You’re a liar!

YUSEF & ANTRON

No!

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

Tell me the truth!

YUSEF

Where’s my mother!

I won’t say anything until she shows up!

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

This will get you nowhere.

We know everything. You know why?

Because your friends have given you up.

RAYMOND

That’s not true!

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

What’s not true?!

KEVIN

I wasn’t there!

THE MASQUE

How do you know?

There is no there,

There.

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

Unless you were there.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

What!?

I won’t speak unit my family’s here.

A.D.A.

(addressing all the boys)

Look, I know you are a good kid.

I can see that.

You don’t belong here.

This place is not for you.

I want to send you home.

I want to set you free.

YUSEF

I want to go home, my family.

KHAREY

My mother….

KEVIN, RAYMOND and ANTRON

My Dad….

KHAREY

Why aren’t they here?

KEVIN

Can I have some water?

ANTRON

Can I have something to eat…?

THE MASQUE

If you can help me,

I can help you.

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

The truth first!

A.D.A.

Did you beat that woman?

ANTRON

I’m telling the truth.

A.D.A.

Did you hold her down?

THE MASQUE

Did you go inside her?

KHAREY

Why don’t you believe me?

RAYMOND, YUSEF & ANTRON

I wasn’t there.

KHAREY

How long have we been here?

THE MASQUE

That’s not your concern.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

They won’t let me rest

They won’t let me sleep.

(THE MASQUE and THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY exchange a conspiratorial glance, then he turns and charges at the CENTRAL PARK FIVE.)

A.D.A.

We have your blood at the scene.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Not my blood. Not my blood!

Let this be over!

A.D.A.

There are pieces of cloth

That we can match

To you…

ANTRON

No!

THE MASQUE

To you! Just you!

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

No!

No, not me!

A.D.A.

I know you are guilty!

I have all the proof I need!

Because Antron said it was you!

YUSEF

That’s not true!

THE MASQUE

Yusef said it was you!

RAYMOND

No!

THE MASQUE

Kharey has given you up!

ANTRON

He don’t even know me!

THE MASQUE

The other boys point their fingers at you!

RAYMOND

That can’t be!

A.D.A.

Face it. You’re done.

Come clean.

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

Tell the truth.

There is no other way.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

STOP!

(THE MASQUE studies the boys and realizes he has gone as far as he can with them at the moment. They are crumbled in their “cell,” weeping. The lights dim in the CP 5 as THE MASQUE crosses to another part of the stage. We see THE FAMILY MEMBERS of the CP5 huddled worriedly together. THE MASQUE and the ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY consult quietly, and then the ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY approaches the FAMILY MEMBERS.)

A.D.A

Your son is a good kid.

He just happened

To be with the wrong crowd.

He got in over his head.

We don’t think he did

The worst.

But, he knows who did.

He needs to say what he knows

Or he could suffer with those

Who are truly guilty.

We need your help.

He is being loyal to the wrong crowd

For the wrong reasons.

I need you to talk sense to him.

We need to get the truth.

We need to know who the bad guys are.

We need to know what he knows.

If he will open up to us

And give us what we need,

We will send him

Home.

(THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY approaches THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE.)

A.D.A

I have your parents.

They love you.

They are here to

See you.

Listen to them.

Hear them.

RAYMOND’S FATHER

Son,

Tell them something.

Give them what they want.

Let this be over.

SHARONNE SALAAM

This is all some kind of game

We know this.

YUSEF

I know.

ANTRON

I didn’t do anything…

ANTRON’S PARENTS

We believe you.

Just get this over with

So we can get you out of here.

Tell them something.

KHAREY

I want to go home.

SHARONNE SALAAM

Just be patient.

God will provide.

YUSEF

I can’t be in here any longer.

I can’t go through this anymore.

SHARONNE SALAAM

Be strong.

Trust no one.

RAYMOND

I’ve been in here

For so long….

RAYMOND’S FATHER

Son, they’ll let you out of here

If you give them what they need.

PARENTS and CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Let this be over.

THE MASQUE

Speak, now!

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Say something.

Say anything.

What does it matter?

KHAREY

I can’t think straight!

I’m gonna do

What I have to do.

RAYMOND

I know I didn’t do anything wrong.

ANTRON

I’ll just tell them some things.

I’ll make it sound good.

KEVIN

Whatever they want.

However they need it.

I’ll tell them some things.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

I’ll make it sound good.

I can make it sound right.

Can I tell them what they need to know?

I can see it in their eyes,

I know what they want to hear.

Ev’ry black kid knows the rules.

Why should I be any different?

Tell them a good story.

Just say the words.

End this pain.

(The CP5 turn to THE MASQUE and ASSISTANT D.A.)

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

What do you want to know?

(Lights fade on THE PARENTS. THE MASQUE now brings the CP5 together under one light.)

THE MASQUE

You have the right to remain silent.

Do you understand?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Yes!

THE MASQUE

Anything you say may be used

Against you in Court.

Do you understand?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Yes.

A.D.A.

You have the right to consult a lawyer

And have a lawyer with you during questioning.

Do you understand?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Yes.

A.D.A.

If you have no lawyer,

Or cannot afford a lawyer,

A lawyer will be provided for you

Free of charge.

Before any questions.

Do you understand?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Yes….

(THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY looks toward THE MASQUE then moves to face THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE. )

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

Are you willing to tell me the truth

About what happened that night

In Central Park

On the night of April 19, 1989?

(Lights change. The boys mull their answer.)

RAYMOND

The cops said the other guys

Put my name in this.

How they gonna do that to me?

ANTRON

Say the words.

The cops call them the truth

But it’s not the truth I know.

RAYMOND

If the other guys

Are gonna use my name,

I will do the same to them.

KEVIN

What does it matter

As long as I can go home?

RAYMOND

Make it believable.

Make it look right.

Blame those other guys

Do them like they did me.

But make sure the people know

I was not there.

I didn’t hurt that woman.

KHAREY

As long as we leave here

And never come back

What does it matter

If I say their Truth

Not mine?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

I will be okay.

A.D.A.

Yes,

You will.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

I can go home.

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

Yes,

You can.

Tell the Truth!

You can go home.

You’ll be okay.

(Lights change. The interrogation continues.)

KHAREY

I saw Kevin hit her with a rock.

RAYMOND

It was too dark

And I was standing behind Kevin.

ANTRON

We charged her.

We got her on the ground.

Ev’ryone started hitting her.

THE MASQUE

And what did you do?

ANTRON

Nothing!

I was only watching.

A.D.A. & THE MASQUE

That’s not good enough.

Your words will not stand up in court.

They are only hearsay.

You say one thing.

The other boys say another.

No one will know

Who did what.

Your words can only matter

If you were on the scene,

If you were one of the attackers.

If you were in on the action,

Then, things are believable.

Then, your words

Will carry the weight of truth.

ANTRON

Then I grabbed her arm.

Some other kid grabbed an arm.

We grabbed her legs.

Then we all took turns,

Getting on top of her.”

THE MASQUE

I see.

And then what happened?

KEVIN

Raymond had her arms.

Another guy had her legs.

He spread it out.

And Antron got on top,

Took her panties off.

RAYMOND

Antron was smackin’ her,

He was sayin’,

‘Shut up, bitch!’

While he was smackin’ her,

I was grabbin’ the lady’s tits.”

A.D.A.

That scratch on your neck.

KEVIN

It came from her.

She reached up and scratched me.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

Will you let us go home?

Can we go home?

Now!

(The boys are tired, weak and can barely stand.)

A.D.A.

And now you have done the right thing.

You’ve given us what we need.

Your souls are cleansed.

I will need statements from each of you.

Are you ready?

ANTRON

Show me the paper.

RAYMOND

Did you write the words down?

KEVIN

Where do I sign?

KHAREY

On the dotted line?

(The A.D.A. and The Masque get signatures from all the boys except Yusef.)

YUSEF

I ain’t signing nothing!

I have nothing to say!

Because I didn’t do

Nothing!

(THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY takes the confessions from THE MASQUE.)

THE MASQUE

It doesn’t matter.

We have your words on paper.

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

No!

THE MASQUE

And at your trial

Your words will condemn you!

KHAREY

But I didn’t do anything!

What trial!?

THE MASQUE

We have your confession

On videotape.

The world will you

For who you are!

And you will pay the price

For what you did!

RAYMOND

I was supposed to be a witness.

But that statement

Made it look like I raped her!

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

That I raped her!

THE MASQUE

It’s on videotape

For the world to see.

KEVIN, KHAREY & ANTRON

I was supposed to be a witness,

A witness.

THE MASQUE

Your own words condemn you!

KEVIN

I didn’t do anything.

KEVIN’S MOTHER

But, they are your words!

KEVIN

I just wanted to go home!

RAYMOND’S FATHER

I can’t believe

You could do this!

RAYMOND

They said I could go home.

I told them what they wanted to hear!

They said I could go home!

KHAREY, YUSEF & ANTRON

You said I could go home!

PARENTS

Did you,

Did you do this?

THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE

NO!!!

You have to believe me!

NO!!! I didn’t

Do this!

THE MASQUE and TRUMP

A beautiful young woman

Will be avenged.

A.D.A & TRUMP

The law will prevail.

TRUMP & THE MASQUE

Our streets will be safe again.

TRUMP

Bring back our police!

TRUMP. THE A.D.A. 7 THE MASQUE

Bring back the Death penalty!

A.D.A., TRUMP & THE MASQUE

And justice

Will be done!

LIGHTS FADE.

END SCENE TWO