ABSTRACT

Cloud Nine is an inventive, surrealistic and entertaining look at sexual repression and sexual role conditioning.
The first act takes placei n Victorian Africa, suggeting the parallel between colonial and sexual repression. Clive, the whtie man, imposes his ideals on his family and the natives. Betty, his wife, is played by a man because she wants to be what men want her to be; and Joshua, their black servant, is played by a white man because he wants to be what whites want him to be.
The second act is set in London in 1979--in the changing sexuality of our own time. The characters, who have ages only twenty-five years, have become more real to themselves, men suffer as well as women, and our identities are warped by conforming to unnatural norms.

chapter |3 pages

BETTY

CLIVE JOSHUA

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CLIVE With an H and a B. And does conjuring tricks for

BETTY Anyone at allto break the monotony. CLIVE But you have your mother. You have Ellen. BETTY Ellen is a governess. My mother is my mother. CLIVE I hoped when she came to visit she would be com­

chapter |4 pages

JOSHUA What was that, madam? CLIVE Now Joshua, it won't do you know. Madam doesn't

joshua think another drink, and send for the children,

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MAUD Clive, I heard drums. We are not children. CLIVE Of course you heard drums. The tribes are con­

MAUD Of course we willcare for her. CLIVE Harry willbe here at once. Betty goes.

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willindeed and I'll also get you a weapon. Betty,

HARRY I wondered where you were. HARRY When I think of you I always think of you with think of me sometimes then?

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willhave to go back to my own

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BETTYYou can't go. You're he.

BETTYJoshua, my mother wants t BET TY

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is everywhere and

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think you think he's very handsome.

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BE'ITY He held my hand like this. Oh I want him to do it hair.

BE'ITY Ellen, whatever are you doing? It's not a joke. ELLEN I'm sorry, Betty. You're so pretty. HarryBagley

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fun by not being here.

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is never wise.

is going on among the tribes, so how can we is going on.

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BETTY You're a horrid wicked boy and papa will beat you.

EDWARD She's mine and she loves me and she won't be

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is my enemy. I

BETTYClive, Clive, I

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BE'ITY Edward, are you going to stand there and let a

BE'ITY Edward, you were wonderful.

chapter |55 pages

CLIVE Haryr

chapter |7 pages

VICTORIA So I said to the professor, I don't think this is an

if we could get a house and all live in it together? It