ACT 2

PROLOGUE II – THE MAGIC OF DUTCHIN’

Lights up. As the were in the prologue. ISHMAEL stands, speaking to the audience. ISHMAEL starts to snap, mimicking the sound of double-dutch ropes. As he snaps, the lights dance with the sound, creating a visual sound scape. The lights reveal the other boys moving in the space. Perhaps they are stretching, perhaps they are dancing to their own beat, or maybe they sit, rocking back and forth or walk in perfect 8s. Regardless, they are a ceaseless night sky, also known as the crack constellations. They are... restless.

ISHMAEL

Tic tic tic tic tic tic tic…. There is not a more beautiful sound in the world than that of the tickin’ of the dutch ropes. And by ropes I really mean some thick ass wire cables beatin’ against gravel.

Beat.

Out there at the PS 15 playground, mannnnn I swear that concrete… there’s somethin’ different about it. Somethin’… special.... safe...holy even. I mean when I hear ropes kiss that ground I swear that sound is the closest thing to the sound of a baby’s first cry to a momma’s ears.

The sound of new life. With every tic, new life…. The tics vibrate up into the soles of ma feet, travel up my thighs, into my belly, and wraps itself around my chest lettin’ me hear ma heart and that’s when I know I’m still alive….

Breath.

I would argue that everything in this earth that matters, revolves around the sound of dutch… everything.

Beat.

I’ll prove it to you… close your eyes. And listen real close to your heart…. You hear that? The buh boom… buh boom… buh boom… You see when you dutchin’ you don’t wanna jump to your heartbeat you wanna jump in partnership with it. Jumpin’ to your heart is like… trynna fit

50 two of the same shaped puzzle pieces together, it just don’t work. You need different shaped ones so they fit right?

Beat.

Dutchin’ is made up of tics. No tocks. If you tock, you off rhythm and when you off rhythm yo ass don’t look cool AT ALL (snickers). Let me show you your heartbeat.

ISHMAEL starts to snap, mimicking the sound of a heartbeat. Tic tock, tic tock. Tic tock.

And this is dutch.

ISHMAEL starts to snap once more, mimicking the sound of double-dutch ropes. Tic tic tic tic tic.

You see that? Different puzzle pieces… and when you put em together…

ISHMAEL melds the two sounds of snapping. He takes a moment and breathes in this rhythm of life.

When you hear life like that… all up in yo eardrum…. I mean really hear it… we couldn’t just let the girls keep that to themselves… I mean they still got the hopscotch, right?

The snapping continues.

Lights fade.

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About the Play

What does it mean to be young, black and ready?Today is the Annual Block Shop Double Dutch Competition and the Dutch Kings title is up for whichever team has the BADDEST, lyrical jumpers on the block. What starts off as a fun competition turns out to be an unraveling of self-identity in a quickly changing neighborhood. What are young black boys to do when once holy ground is suddenly unsafe and all they’re taught is that uptownies have come to take over their block? "Stay ready so you don't have to get ready."