Excerpt from SOR/OR

scene 4/ religion

Santa Paula Convent of the Hieronymite Order, Mexico City

music: Catholic chants

The small chapel in the monastery where the nuns pray together. Incense burns, fills the space. The NUNS are in a row, kneeling on a pew, JUANA on the end. The nun furthest upstage finishes the prayers she was whispering, eyes closed and head bent toward hands that touch lightly at the fingertips and palms. She does the sign of the cross: right hand lifts from prayer position to touch fingers to forehead, then the center of her chest, left shoulder, right shoulder, and back to center prayer position. As she does this she says the ‘holy trinity’.

NUN 1
In nomine patri,
Et fili,
Et spiritu sancti.
Amen.

When she is finished she stands and exits. Then the next one in the row does the same: the sign of the cross and the Latin.

NUN 2
In nomine patri,
Et fili,
Et spiritu sancti.
Amen.

When she is finished she stands and exits. Then the next one in the row does the same.

NUN 3
In nomine patri,
Et fili,
Et spiritu sancti.
Amen.

When she is finished she stands and exits. The next one in the row does the same.

NUN 4
In nomine patri,
Et fili,
Et spiritu sancti.
Amen.

She stands and exits. Only JUANA is on stage. She waits a small beat, long enough to make sure the nuns are gone, but not so long as to interrupt the rhythm of the prayers. She crosses herself, says her amen.

JUANA
In nomine verbis,
Et feminae,
Et spritu sancti.
Amen.

PURPOSE is heard but not seen.

PURPOSE
In the name of words; and women; and the holy spirit. Amen.

JUANA kisses her prayerful hands, sneaks a quick smile. She stands and exits, and re-enters in her nightgown, gets into bed and closes her eyes.