Award Winning Plays

By Jovanka Bach

THE LITERARY WORKS OF JOVANKA BACH
Produced and directed by John Stark (ph.818 222 6031)
I was rummaging through my dear deceased wife Jovanka Bachs belongings, when I uncovered a hidden treasure a never before seen copy of a play entitled Night song For The Boatman, which she had written over twenty years ago, and filed away without telling me about it. And when I read it I was utterly amazed. I immediately went into production with the piece, which I found as fascinating as the best works of Albee, Beckett and Ionesco. It deals with a character she called, Harry Appleman, an aging, alcoholic, washed-up poet, plays dice with fate, and loses. He is called upon to make a mysterious boat trip, by voices from the wilderness, but through various cunning contrivances he tries to avoid his mortality. Then he discovers his humanity when he learns he cant sacrifice his daughter Jessie, for the boat trip, but a tricky graduate student, Gordon Levy will do instead. The Lets Talk Off-Broadway reviewer Yvonne Korshak praised the production I staged at Barrow Group Theatre, calling it a skillfully crafted play, beautifully acted and designed, a totally enjoyable and rewarding evening of theatre.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 29, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503580565

Jovanka Bach

Jovanka Bach was a playwright, novelist and medical doctor based in Los Angeles. Her first successful stage plays were the Balkan Trilogy, which her husband John Stark, produced and directed at the Odyssey Theatre in Santa Monica and off-Broadway at the Barrow Group Theatre in New York. Other successful plays included O'Neill's Ghosts, Sylvie, and Mercy Warren's Tea. Most recently her play Chekhov and Maria was produced in New York by John Stark, and filmed by Eric Till. It won three best feature awards, and is now airing on Super Channel Canada, PBS TV, Russian TV and coming up soon on Spanish and French TV. Her Platypus children's stories were written just before she passed away in 2006. The three stories were illustrated by Colby Monier. http://www.johnstarkproductions.com/

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Copyright © 2015 by Jovanka Bach.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-5035-8057-2

                eBook           978-1-5035-8056-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 06/26/2015

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CONTENTS

Name Day

Chekhov And Maria

Nightsong For The Boatman

Mercy Warren’s Tea

Sylvie

The Literary Works Of Jovanka Bach

Plays by Jovanka Bach – Now available

For film clips, reviews and photos of Jovanka Bach’s

plays go to: www.JohnStarkProductions.com

JOHN STARK PRODUCTIONS, [phone] WWW.JohnStark

Productions.com

Email: [e-mail]

NAME DAY

John Stark, Producer.

23663 Park Capri #129

Calabasas, Ca. 91302

[e-mail]

818 222 6031 – phone, fax

Copyright: Library of Congress, 2003

www.johnstarkproductions.com

SYNOPSIS:

Kara, a Serbian immigrant living in California, has gone through a terrible World War II trauma, but cannot forget the event, nor forgive people she holds accountable. She insists on celebrating her American son, Mike’s engagement on the Name Day of the infant son who died in the war. The prospective mother-in-law, whom Kara blames for the past, is invited.

Old memories surface during the party and culminate in Kara revealing her own private hell. This has disastrous consequences for herself and for Mike, in particular.

The play explores the psychological price of a person’s inability to ‘let go’ of the past, to forgive and to heal. On a broader level, Kara’s individual consciousness, multiplied collectively, represents the self-destructive, atavistic rage, driving the recent, if not ongoing, Yugoslav civil war.

(‘Name Day’ is the first play in a trilogy, about Serbians and Serbian-Americans, exploring the impact of cross-cultural and cross-generational influences and differences.)

CHARACTERS:

ACT I

Scene I:

Time: Mid-day, late 1980’s

Place: Mitor home, L.A. Suburb

The stage is divided into an upper and lower level. Stage Center, upstairs, is a bedroom. A hallway separates it and a door, which represents a smaller bedroom.

Stage right, a stairway leads down to the lower level. This contains a kitchen with a window looking into the garden. The kitchen opens into the living room.

The living room will be the main playing area. Extreme stage left, is a front door, which opens onto a front stoop. To one side of the living room are French doors that lead out to a garden.

The home is an eclectic mix of middle class 1950’s vintage furniture, with no more contemporary additions. Hand embroidered and crocheted doilies, as well as an occasional Yugoslavian folk art artifact, provide distinctive accents.

Representational outlines, rather than solid walls, delineate the spaces. Thus, one can see characters, simultaneously, in different parts of the house.

At Rise: Two people are on stage, KARA MITOR, age 64, and her husband, VELKO, age 67.

Kara sits at a dresser in the upstairs bedroom. Slowly and lovingly she handles and strokes an infant’s small clothes, as if she cannot get enough of them. A votive candle burns on the dresser, and reflects off a framed picture. Kara crosses herself, picks up the photograph and kisses it.

Her once attractive face is careworn and melancholy. Her graying hair is pulled into a bun. This, plus her bargain basement dress and sensible shoes indicate she spends little time on herself.

VELKO is in the kitchen, where he has just finished brewing Turkish coffee. He is a vigorous, trim man with thick, gray hair.

VELKO

(calls)

Kara!

No response.

He notices something through the window.

VELKO (cont.)

Oh - oh. Your friends the gophers are back.

He pours two demitasse cups of coffee, and steps to the open kitchen doorway.

VELKO

Kara -

No response. He shakes his head.

Upstairs, she’s immersed in her thoughts and the clothes.

VELKO

Kara, the coffee is getting cold.

He enters the bedroom.

VELKO (CONT.)

What are you doing in the dark? Get some light in this room.

He opens the curtain.

KARA

(as if in a trance)

These little clothes – this top – the pants. I made for Rado – all by hand.

VELKO

Put those clothes away. You spent enough time looking at them.

KARA

Rado’s Name Day is coming.

VELKO

Yes. Yes. I know. I haven’t forgotten.

KARA

Every year it’s harder. The older I am, the more I remember.

VELKO

So long ago, Kara.

KARA

(slowly, gently folds the clothes)

If I could see her once more – to look directly in the eyes…

VELKO

(trying to distract her)

A gopher’s digging around your azaleas.

KARA

(quietly, almost to herself)

…make her know what she truly is.

VELKO

Misho should be home soon. He’ll want lunch. I’m getting hungry, too.

Downstairs, the front door opens carefully. MISHO (MIKE) MITOR, age 28, peers around the door. Seeing that the living room is empty, he motions to LILY, age 22.

Both are in good spirits, and behave somewhat giddily, as if they’re in on a big secret. Misho is nicely dressed in a casual sport suit. He has a pleasant, congenial face, unmarred by worry.

Lily is slender, attractive, with long, curly, reddish brown hair, worn in a soft, natural style. Her manner is irreverent, at times defensive, yet also vulnerable.

Their entrance occurs in a dimly lit living room. The main focus remains in the bedroom.

KARA

Lately, he’s out all the time. We hardly see him, and he doesn’t tell us anything.

VELKO

He’s a grown man -- only natural for him to have his own life.

KARA

I have fears -- the old ones again. I’m afraid he’ll leave us -- then what?

VELKO

Then you’ll have me -- all to yourself.

He kisses her forehead.

KARA

You’re a good man, Velko. I’ll be down soon. Let me have a moment.

VELKO

A moment? You’ve been in this room for over an hour.

(relenting)

Augh -- let it be.

He exits downstairs and enters the kitchen.

Scene 2:

The light focuses on the living room. Misho motions to Lily not to make noise.

LILY

(giggles)

I feel like I’m breaking and entering.

(rather loudly)

When do I get grilled and roasted?

MISHO

Ssh. They’ll hear you. Let me tell them first. Sit there out of sight.

He points to a wingbacked chair.

LILY

You’re certainly dramatic, Mike.

MISHO

Changes are never taken lightly around here -- especially with son number one and only.

In the kitchen, Velko is visible drinking coffee and reading a paper.

MISHO(cont)

(calls)

Dad? Mom? Where are you?

VELKO

(shouts back)

In here.

Upstairs, Kara puts away the baby clothes.

MISHO

Don’t move, Dad. I’ll be right there.

(turns towards the kitchen)

LILY

(urgent whisper)

Mike…

MISHO

Yeah?

LILY

Come closer.

He does. She grabs his head between her hands.

LILY

Don’t forget…

She kisses him hard -- on the lips.

LILY (cont.)

…that!

MISHO

I’m flying, Lil.

She pulls a red scarf from her pocket, and wraps it around his neck.

LILY

Baba Nina said to give it to you -- for good luck.

MISHO

I think Nina’s got a soft spot for me.

LILY

So does her granddaughter.

She kisses him again – lightly. Before he can respond, she glides into the wingbacked chair.

Misho enters the kitchen. The lighting focus is now here.

VELKO

You look like you just ate a canary.

MISHO

Only the sign of a good mood, Dad. I have something to tell you and Ma.

VELKO

Must be big news -- or you wouldn’t smile so much.

(gives him a hard stare)

What’s that around your neck?

MISHO

Just a scarf.

VELKO

A little colorful, isn’t it?

MISHO

No -- it’s perfect.

VELKO

Hmph! Maybe for you.

MISHO

Is Ma in the garden?

VELKO

No. Upstairs -- in the bedroom.

MISHO

In the middle of the afternoon? Shut off by herself, again?

VELKO

Yeah.

MISHO

It’s not good for her, Dad.

VELKO

What do you want me to do? I keep telling her, but it makes no difference.

MISHO

(resigned)

Yeah, I know. Once she decides on something, you can’t budge her.

VELKO

Spends hours up there thinking, remembering. Auf! I’m getting tired of it, I tell you.

MISHO

She’s always like this around Name Day.

VELKO

But not this bad. She lives in the past, as if it were yesterday. Got worse, since you haven’t been around home too much.

MISHO

Jeez, Dad -- she has to face reality. I can’t live with you all my life.

VELKO

Forget about it. The main thing is -- stay on course. Let me hear the big news.

Kara descends the stairs.

MISHO

Ma’s got to hear it, too.

MISHO (cont.)

(calls)

Ma!

He starts to step into the hall, just as Kara enters.

MISHO (cont.)

Ma! Oh!

KARA

Don’t shout, Misho. I can hear.

MISHO

Hi, Ma.

Kara’s attitude towards her son is tender and adoring.

KARA

Kiss me a little, Misho.

Gingerly, e kisses her cheek. She smoothes his hair and fusses over him. He casually moves out of range.

KARA (cont.)

I see less and less of you these days.

MISHO

There’s something I want to tell you, Ma.

KARA

Always on the run -- came in after two last night -- and left before eight this morning -- no breakfast. That’s not healthy. What would you like me to fix you?

MISHO

Nothing. I’m not hungry.

KARA

You have to eat.

MISHO

Ma -- listen…

KARA

And a red scarf, Misho? It looks funny on a man. Why don’t you buy a brown or gray one -- even blue is better. Here – fresh juice – a little cheese…

MISHO

I don’t want to eat!

KARA

An empty stomach is no good.

MISHO

Are you going to listen to me?

VELKO

Sure. Go ahead.

MISHO

Well, I -

KARA

(pushes a cheese and bread plate before him)

Take something. I’ll heat the -

MISHO

Ma, please -

VELKO

Sit down, Kara.

KARA

(pushing the plate closer to him.)

Eat… eat.

VELK0

Let him talk!

KARA

Go ahead, Misho. Nobody is stopping you. Try this -

(pushes more food at him)

MISHO

For Chrissakes! Ma -

He laughs and shakes his head, helplessly.

MISHO

I haven’t been around much -- well -- because -- I met a girl.

KARA

Just as I thought. What kind of girl?

MISHO

A nice girl -- you’ll like her.

VELKO

You meet girls all the time. Why is this special?

MISHO

Lily and I are engaged. I’m going to marry her next month.

Velko and Kara are stunned by the news.

VELKO & KARA (overlap)

Engaged?! Marry?!

VELKO

In a month?

KARA

Why didn’t you tell us?

MISHO

I am telling you.

KARA

Why haven’t we met her? Why a secret until now?

MISHO

Because -- I wanted to be sure -- in my own way.

KARA

And you kept this from us. Don’t you trust your own father and mother?

MISHO

Ma – it’s not that – it’s…

VELKO

What? Do you have to get married?

MISHO

(exasperated)

Oh, for Chriss -- No, I don’t have to get married. I want to get married.

KARA

(placating)

Of course -- we understand -- but so quick.

VELKO

Who is she? What do you know about her? Who’s her family?

MISHO

The important thing is, I love her.

KARA

Don’t make a mistake with your life, Misho.

MISHO

Mistake? How can you say that? You don’t know her. You haven’t even met her.

KARA

And whose fault is that? Home is somewhere else for you these days.

MISHO

Ma -- I wanted to come to my own decisions -- all right -- without any other opinions or fuss.

KARA

(apologetic, relenting)

Naturally -- you have a right. Forgive your old mother, Misho. There are too many thoughts in my head these days.

In the living room, Lily gets restless. She strolls to the kitchen door and listens.

VELKO

Tell us -- this girl, who is she? What’s her name?

MISHO

Lily.

VELKO

Lily. Well, is she ‘one of us?’

MISHO

(coyly)

‘One of us.’ What exactly do you mean, Dad?

VELKO

You know -- you know. Is she Serbian?

MISHO

Her grandparents came from Yugoslavia.

VELKO

Where?

MISHO

I don’t know.

VELKO

You’re going to marry a girl and you don’t know where her grandparents are from?

MISHO

My interest isn’t, exactly, in them.

VELKO (overlaps)

The younger generation.

KARA

Are they Croatian or Serbian?

MISHO

Well -- they’re not Croatian -- so I guess they’re Serbian.

VELKO

How can you say if they’re not Croatian they’re Serbian? They could also be Macedonian -- or Slovenian.

KARA

Maybe Bosnian.

VELKO

Hungarians -- and Rumanians live in Yugoslavia, too.

KARA

Even Albanians -- and gypsies.

VELKO

Yes - gypsies!

MISHO

(amused annoyance)

Oh -- for Chrissakes!

KARA

You swear too much, Misho.

MISHO

(in good humor -- understanding them)

I met a girl. I’m going to marry her. Aren’t you interested? Isn’t that enough?

VELKO

Sure -- sure. You’re our son -- we want only the best for you.

KARA

(getting tearful)

Someday, I knew I would lose you, Misho. But not so quick. In one month, I will have no sons.

MISHO

I’m not disappearing, Ma -- just getting married.

Kara shakes her head.

KARA

A daughter is a daughter all her life, but a son is a son until he gets a wife.

MISHO

In this case, a son is a son all his life, Ma.

He kisses her cheek.

MISHO (cont.)And his wife will be your new daughter.

KARA

You’re a good son, Misho -- but she’s young -- American. She’ll think I’m old fashioned -- won’t understand me.

MISHO

Not so, Ma. She will understand.

(looks at Velko)

She is ‘one of us.’

VELKO

(delighted)

A Serb?

MISHO

Her grandparents, anyway.

(quickly)

But that’s not why I’m marrying her. It just happened…

KARA

And you tease your old parents.

VELKO

A son who does that should have his ears pulled and his nose rubbed with red pepper.

(a beat)

What’s her last name?

MISHO

Baron.

VELKO

Baron? Doesn’t sound Serbian?

KARA

(protective -- making a point)

Does Mitor sound Serbian? I was always against shortening our name, but you insisted.

VELKO

And why not. That saved us a lot of aggravation..

KARA

People don’t know who we are -- our name sounds like anybody.

VELKO

In America, that’s good. Take Misho -- if we had sent him to school with his real name, Misho Velkov Mitrovich -- people would have said, ‘What’s this? Metrolitch, Mytroglitch.’ No one would be able to pronounce or spell it. And children -- grown ups too -- would make fun -- call him ‘son of a Mitrobitch,’ ‘dirty foreigner’ -- the things I was called when I came to this country -- even though Misho was born right here in Los Angeles -- in the U.S. of A. And it would have been harder for him to get good jobs too -- and to advance -- especially in the bank business. So we sent him to school with a good American name -- Michael Victor Mitor. Sounds good, huh? Easy to say. Nothing to make fun at. Looks good on a card, too.

(gesturing)

Capital ‘M’ period. Capital ‘V’ period, Mitor. There he is, our Misho -- Jr. Vice President at the bank. Do you think he’d be there if he was Misho Velkov Mitrovich? Not on your life.

(turns to Misho)

Tell me, what is your Lily Baron’s full last name?

MISHO

You can ask her yourself.

KARA

Of course -- we want to meet her. Tomorrow night. Bring her to dinner, Misho.

MISHO

Why wait until tomorrow night? What’s wrong with right now?

At this point, Lily is at the door. She quickly scoots back to her chair.

KARA

Now?

MISHO

Yeah -- let’s go and meet her.

VELKO

We can’t go busting in on people without calling.

KARA

Yes, Misho. We have to prepare to visit her home.

MISHO

Who says anything about going to her home? All you have to do is go as far as the living room.

KARA

(flabbergasted)

What? Our living…

VELKO

She’s here?!

MISHO

Yeah -- waiting.

VELKO

A patient girl -- a very good sign, Misho. Very good.

KARA

No. You should have told us, Misho -- not brought her like this. I have nothing to offer her. Look at me…

(indicates her clothes)

…my dress.

MISHO

Nothing wrong with you. Right, Dad?

VELKO

Sure. Sure. Beautiful -- we can’t keep this girl waiting any more. I have to see with my own eyes.

Velko starts towards the living room. Kara straightens her dress and tries to put her hair in order.

MISHO

Stop fussing, Ma. You look terrific.He leads a reluctant Kara forward.

KARA

What will she think?

They enter the living room. Lily’s hidden by the wingbacked chair.

VELKO

No one’s here, Misho. Your dove flew the coop.

KARA

(relieved)

Thank goodness.

MISHO

(admonishing)

Now, Ma…

Lily pops up from behind the chair, smiling.

LILY

Hello.

Misho brings her to his parents.

MISHO

Mom -- Dad -- this is Lily -- Lily Baron.

VELKO

A very large pleasure. Misho told us about your engagement. Kara and I are very happy -- more so, since you are one of…

MISHO

(warning)

Dad…

VELKO

(quickly)

…and very pretty.

Kara stands riveted -- staring at Lily as if she’s seen a ghost. Misho sees this and is embarrassed.

MISHO

(chiding)

Ma, did you want to say something?

She still stares.

MISHO

(sharply)

Ma!

Kara reacts as if she had just been awakened.

KARA

She -- she looks like someone I knew -- in the old days -- in Serbia.

VELKO

Kara -- how could a pretty, modern young lady…

He puts his arm warmly around Lily.

VELKO (cont.)

…like this, look like someone from the old country.

KARA

Look – look -- the same -- Can’t you see?

He waves his hand dismissively.

VELKO

After so many years -- who can tell who looks like who? Except maybe my Kara.

(to Lily and Misho)

She never forgets anything.

MISHO

Who are you talking about, Ma?

KARA

Someone I grew up with -- she was my friend -- very close once -- and then she…

(voice drops off)

…we parted.

LILY

Everyone in my family -- except for my mom -- says I look like my Baba -- she practically brought me up.

KARA

(somewhat anxiously)

And her name?

LILY

Nina…

KARA

(slight gasp of amazement)

Nina! Yes.

VELKO

A common name, Kara.

KARA

Is she from Sabor -- in Serbia?

LILY

I don’t know. Baba hardly ever mentions Serbia. Grandpa -- Djedo -- talks about it a lot -- and the old days, but he’s not from the same place as Baba. Anyway, I have a hard time remembering Yugoslavian words.

VELKO

(overly buoyant -- fearful of further tension)

But look how well you use the words, ‘Baba’ and ‘Djedo.’

LILY

I always called my grandparents that.

KARA

(dogged)

Baron -- Baronovich. Was that their name before they shortened it?

LILY

God -- I’m not sure. It happened way before I was born. Sounds right.

KARA

(exultant but also frightened)

Nina Baron -- Nina Baronovich. Yes -- yes. The same.

MISHO

Can you beat that?

(to Lily)

Ma knows your grandmother. Isn’t it great?

KARA

And your grandfather -- is he Stanko?

LILY

Yeah.

KARA

And your father -- is Luka?

LILY

Well, yeah. Luke

KARA

Nina’s son, Luka -- a baby at his mother’s breast when I last saw him -- and you -- his daughter -- Nina’s granddaughter.

VELKO

Such a surprise. Such a joy.

MISHO

This is great. We’ll be like one big happy family. There are no strangers here, now. Huh, Ma?

Kara looks faint, and reaches for a chair. She sits, wordlessly moving her lips.

MISHO (cont.)

What’s the matter, Ma?

Velko comes to her aid.

VELKO

(trying to be jocular)

Don’t worry -- she’ll be all right. All she needs is food and a little rakiya -- that will fix her up.

MISHO

Are you sure it’s nothing serious, Ma?

KARA

Not important. A little stomach upset.

VELKO

(to Misho)

Stay here -- with your nice fiancée.

(to both)

Enjoy yourselves. I’ll take care of Mama.

Velko leads Kara to the kitchen. Misho turns to Lily.

MISHO

Can you beat that? Ma knew your grandmother.

They sit on the couch, smiling and whispering.

Scene 3:

The light focuses on Velko and Kara in the kitchen.

KARA

Thousands of attractive girls live in Los Angeles. Over a dozen young women work around him every day. Of all of these -- who does he meet and choose? The granddaughter of Nina Baronovich.

VELKO

Kara -- Misho loves this girl. She loves him. All you have to do is see them together to know.

KARA

Our mistake -- we should have told him how Rado died -- what Nina did. But we kept it from him.

VELKO

On the day of his birth -- we vowed to let him grow up fresh -- in a new country -- without our worries. We cannot change that now.

KARA

We were wrong -- if he knew -- he would have protected himself -- not allowed himself to fall in love with her.

VELKO

Protect? How do you protect yourself against love? Even blind men fall in love -- and young love? Worse than blind. Youth doesn’t stop to think about ‘what will happen if?’

KARA

Tonight -- when he comes home -- take him aside -- tell him the truth.

VELKO

(taken aback)

I?

KARA

Yes. It will be best coming from you. I -- I get very emotional.

VELKO

(indignant)

I will tell Misho nothing!

KARA

Velko, you know what happened. I will carry the scars to my grave.

VELKO

Others have committed worse crimes than Nina -- and without justification. At least she acted out of passion -- to save her son.

KARA

(hurt, angered)

Oh? And is that what you would have had me do --