Dream on Monkey Mountain

Dream on Monkey Mountain Summary | Prologue Part 1 Summary

A drum sits in the middle of the stage. A dancer comes and sits astride the drum. A Figure in formal clothes and stylized makeup comes and stands behind the dancer. As the offstage chorus sings a lament, the Figure and dancer move in time to the music, separate and move towards two cages, one on either side of the stage. As the lament continues, the Figure turns a suspended disc representing the moon so that its other side, the sun, is facing the audience. At the same time, light illuminates the cages and the black men inside, Tigre and Souris.

The chorus sings a song about a mother whose son is in jail. As they sing, the Corporal, a man of mixed race, brings in Makak, an old black man wearing a loincloth. As Tigre and Souris join in the singing, the Corporal puts Makak into a third cage. The sound of the chorus fades away, and Souris stops singing. Tigre continues as Souris asks the Corporal who the old man is. The Corporal jokes about Makak being the king of Africa and then takes inventory of Makak's things, going through his bag and pulling out, among other things, a bottle of rum and a white mask with long black hair. Tigre and Souris beg for a drink, but the Corporal bullies them into silence, calling them animals. He tells a version of the Biblical story of creation, how God created all the apes and some of them became men but others of them got left behind and became "niggers."

As Tigre sings softly, the Corporal begins to interrogate Makak. Makak responds by saying he wants to go home. When the Corporal asks where home is, Makak responds in French, but the Corporal angrily insists he speak English. Makak then says he lives on Monkey Mountain. After asking a few more questions, the Corporal comments that Roman law allowed Jesus to be given a drink of vinegar before he died and gives each of the men a drink of rum. Tigre and Souris tease the Corporal about knowing so much law, and the Corporal goes out, only to return a moment later in attorney's robes and carrying towels that he tosses at Souris and Tigre, who wear them as costumes suggesting judge's robes.