HALF AN HOUR IN A CONVENT

A Play In One Act

Holt am.Hour in a. Convent was first perform~ over theradio, Station KZRM, on April 4, 1937, under Lamberto V.Avellana's direction. Original Cast:

YOLANDA-Daisy P. HontiverosREV. MOTHER SUPERIOR-Patria Panaj6nSISTER VITALIS----CitaTrinidadSISTER THE-RESA-Nati N. Valentin

First stage performance: By the University of the PhiIip~pines Class of Acting and Directing, directed by Jean G. Eda..;des, at the U.P. Little Theatre, January 15, 1938.

",'Original cast: YOLANDA-Luz Baluyot ~'.REV. MOTHER SUPERIOR-J"ulita ValdezSISTER VITALIS-Nellie SevillanoSISTER THERESA-Felisa Manzano

HALF AN HOUR .IN A CONVENT

CHARACTERS:

YOLANDATHE REVEREND MOT'HE.RSUPERIORSISTER VITALISSISTER THERESA

The office of the MOTHER SUPERIOR in a local conventschool. A desk on the right covered with books and a flowervase with roses. A few chairs. A door in the middle rear.A crucifix over the door. On the left, a picture of the Madonna.Several religious pictures around the walls. A window downright.

The MOTHER SUPERIOR is tall and has a very severe-looking face. SISTER VITALIS is tiny, with a kind face.Her eyes are as clear as a ba'by's and a constant smile plays onher lips.

Lights go out completely, except the footlights. Immediate-ly, Gounod's Ave Maria, sung backstage, is heard. When thesinger starts singing Sancta M«tria Mater Dei, the curtainslowly goes up.

We see the MOTHER SUPERIOR kneeling on the pre.-dieu,SISTE-R VITALIS, also kneeling, near the table. Both aredeep in prayer.

The song ends.

The MOTHER SUPERIOR and SISTER VITALIS make thesign of the cross. MOTHER SUPERIOR stands hastily, goes,

·"'tothe table, gets some papers from drawer: SISTER VITALISlooks at the MOTHER SUP.ERIOR as if she wanted to speakto her. MOTHER SUPERIOR sits down, reads papers. SI~TER VITALI8 approaches.

SISTER VITALIS. You must believe me, Mother. She'snot really a bad girl.

MOTHER SUPERIOR. You don't call a girl bad who is dis·obedient, rebellious, and disorderly? I insist she is, Sister Vi·talis.

SR. VITALIS. Those faults alone do not mean a badnature. She needs understand-ing-she needs discipline, ofcourse--but she needs understanding first. I've watched her.for a long time. She seems unhappy-seems hurt, bewildered.I'm sure that something is worrying her, and that, perhaps, iswhy she unconsciouslygives us trouble. Sh~'s being rebellious'because she's bitter about somethin·g. But I assure you thatshe doesn't mean any harm, Mother.

M. SUPERIOR. (Sits, left center.) You defend her ex·ceedingly well, Sister Vitalis.

SR. VITALIS. It's because I understand her, Mother. If .you-if we--could only give her a chance to explain, I'm sure./:she would change for the better. :',

M. SUPERIOR. But after last night's incident, there canbe no chance for her now. You know what we've decided.

SR. VITALIS. I know she can explain last night's incident,Mother. ,

M. SUPERIOR. How does she propose to explain it?By lying shamelessly, I suppose. Do you thi~ that. l' shallforgive her this time after she was caught talkmg WIth thatservant last night? She knows it's aga:inst the rules to talkto the men-servants-she knows it very well-but, no, shechooses to disobey deliberately, because she feels like doi~g so.She must be punished and punished severely.: She should betaught a lesson-otherwise, the other girls wiU fol!ow ~erexample' and we might as well close the school. She s ~Ulltyof disorderly conduct, and she must be punished! .:, SR. VITALIS. She's different from other glrl~., Weshould help her. She suffers much, I can see. But she s veryreserved-she doesn't talk much. . ' .. M. SUPER10R. Yes, indeed, she is different-so differentthat she's the worst girl in' the school. .

SR. VITALIS. But surely, Mother, expulsion is too drastica punishment.

M. SUPERIOR. She should have been expelled long ago butfor your own repeated pleadings, Sister. (Goes to window.)Besides, you remember last month when Elsa was caught withseveral love letters under her pillow. From whom? Ah, yes,from that basketball player in the boys' school next door. Shewas expelled. Why should Yolanda be the exception? Preced·ents are always dangerous.

SR. VITALIS. It's true, but in this case-(F'ollotlJs MO·THER SUPERIOR to window.)

M. SUPERIOR. Sister, you've a very soft heart. It's notalways good. Harden that heart, Sister, harden it. And don'tworry, I've called Yolanda to my office to explain. (A krwckis heard. MOTHER SUPERIOR sits at desk.) Come in.

(YOLANDA enters., She is rather tall for her aget thin,and nerv0U8. Her intense nature is revealed in the expressionof her IMe. Her most remarkable feature is her eyes, larueand with am exceedingly rhtttrt expressiont haunting in theirsG.dness. She is dressed all in white. Carries a bo(f1cor two.On seeing SISTER VITALIS, YOLANDA smiles timidly, butthe smile dies on meeting the severe eyes of the MOTHERSUPERIOR. SISTER VITALIS leaves quietly.)

M. SUPERIOR. Take a seat, .Yolanda. (YOLANDA sitsnear the desk. MOTHER SUPERIOR sits before her deska,ndreads a letter. Once in a while she shake8 her head.)

YOLANDA. You wanted to see met Mother?. M. SUPERIOR. Yes, of course. Do you think I calledyou that you may stare at the ceiling? Just be patient tillI finish this. (YOLANDA is obviouslyner.vous. The MO·THER SUPERIOR finishes reading.) WeIl,. Yolanda, I'm'surprised at your poor conduct lately. That's why I calledyou to my office. For the past month and a half I've beenreceiving nothing but bad reports from the Sisters. Poorscholarship, rebellion, disobedience, disorderly conduct, quarrelswith your classmaies-all sorts of complaints. You were neverlike this before, Yolanda. Since you came here to study fiveyears agot you've always behaved weIl. Rather gloomy, it's true,

but quiet and studious; never gave us trouble, except occasion-ally, of course. Last year you were just as good as the previousyears. No, no, now that I come to think of iIt, I begannoticing that you acted strangely-in October, I think it was.No, I remember now, just after your. arrival from the Christ-mas vacation. And this school year-it's only Augu/t now-your conduct has become disgraceful.

YOLANDA. Oh, no, Mother I'M. SUPERIOR. Let me finish, my child. Sister .Theresa

left an hour ago, informing me of your refusal to take yourlunch this morning. You didn't like the fried chicken, she said.And Sister Gertrudis told me la,at night that you also refusedto play in the games yesterday and the day before. It is foryour own physical welfare that you're obliged to take' part insome games daHy. (During the next sentence she goes to thefiling cabitnet, taku <mt a card, Zooks at it, and replaces it,YOLANDA followitng.) Your marks for this month and lastJuly were particularly poor--especiaHy in mathematics ~nd his-tory. And this morning, you came too late for Mass; as amater of fact it was a little after the fi~st Gospel. (Returnsto ~er soot; YOLANDA sits again al.8o.) And you didn't lookvery tidy ei'ther. And these-(takes two books from the dr(JJwerin the desk) these books were found under your pi1ldw-SadieMcKee by Vitia Delmar-a.nd this other one-Practical Psycho-logy. Are these books references for your class in EnglishIiterature?-I ask you, Yolanda,-are they?

YOLANDA. No, Mother.M. SUPERIO~. (Im."Oatiently.) What can be the matter

with you then, Yol~nda?YOLANDA. I don't know, Mother, I don't know! 'I don't

even know why I do this and why I do that. I just feel-sometimes-something inside me-I can't explain it-it justdrives me to do things beyond my control.

~{.SUPERIOR. My dear child, don't tell me that that is yoursole excuse for doing all the things you've done. There's noth-'ing we can't control, if we really want to. And with the graceof God, nothing's impossible. Don't tell me that you can'thelp being rebellious and disobedient.

YOLANDA. It isn't that, Mother! You don't understand!M. SUPERIOR. I see. Now I don't understand. I suppose .

you're going to give me lessons on how to handle the school next.YOLANDA. How can I explain?M. SUPERIOR. Your conduct last night (YOLANDA

stares at her nerv.ously)-yes, that's why I called you-yourconduct last night when you were caught tallcing to that ser-vant downstairs near the Music Hall. You know the rulesvery well, Yolanda. You've given a bad example to the restof the girls. The whole school has learned of last night"sincident.

YOLANDA. But, Mocher, I was merely talking to him.Surely there's nothing wrong in talking to a man?

M. SUPE·RIOR. Insolent! Of course there's nothing wrong!No, nothing wrong! Howa:bout this? (Produces a letter fromher sleeve. YOLANDA is startled, but says nothing.) A let-ter addressed ,to him-by you! It was found by Sister As-sumption. Yau must have dropped it in the corridor nearthe cha.pel. Well, what. have you got to s·ay to this? (YO-LANDA tries to speak, but noticing the Lack of sympathy fromthe MOTHER SUPERIOR, she ,halts and casts down her eye8.)Well?-You're silent. Therefore-you're guilty!-Elsa wascaug.ht with several love letters under her pillow last month.That'-sstrictly prohibited here under penalty of expulsion. AndElsa was expelled. You're just as guilty as she was. There-fore, you must be-

YOLANDA. (Springing up from her chair.) No, Mother,not that! Please, anything-anything but expul~ionI

M. SUPERIOR. Sit down, Yolanda. Calm yourself-Anddon't seream at me like that. Sit down, I said.-How old nfOyou, Yolanda?

YOLANDA. I'H be sixteen in a few days, Mother.M. SUPERIOR. At your age you should be mol'OHcnslblo.YOLANDA. How can I make you understand, Mother, that

Pm not bad? I just ca:n't explain what's wrong- wIth me. Tt.was only during this past summer vacation, that I noticed nchange in me. I don't even know what the chnnp,-cfR.

M. SUPERIOR. Probably your health is poor. Do yousleep well?

,;Oft

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, ..I

"1·', ,

YOLANDA. It isn't my health, Mother.M. SUPERIOR. Only people in bad health are moody and

sad-looking-just like you.YOLANDA. I can't explain it clearly, but at times I feel

restless-I feel diseouraged-and at other times, gay andcarefree. But hardly anything cheers me up or gives me pleas-ure. I find that the friends I had now bore me-that thebooks I used to read have become dun and insipid~that thethings I used to take great pleasure'in are now uninteresting.I don't understand it, Mother.

M. SUPER~OR. Is that how you explain your poor behav-ior during the last month?

I YOLANDA. (Bitterly.) No, Mother, no! Please-try tounderstand!

M. SUPERIOR. (Severely.) I am trying to understand,YolandaI

YOLANDA. Oan,I help it if I seem unhappy or if I act asI do?

M. SUPERIOR. Try to be cheerful then. Try to smile,try to see the sunny side of life. Stop dwelling ori morbidthings, like psychology,' for instance.

YOLANDA. It isn't anything like that, Mother. :M. SUPERIOR. You should pray more, my child.,YOLANDA. But I dol It helps me little.M. SUPERIOR. (Impatiently.) What then can be the

cause?YOLANDA. I don~t know, Mother!M. SUPERIOR. It must be the books you read then. Why

do you read such books as Sadie McKee---;...and psychology?They're more dangerous than profitable to a young girl likeyou. What does a girl like you want to read books on psy-chology for?

YOLANDA. Because-M. SUPERIOR. Well-?YOLANDA. Because I want to read something better-than

the dull books--in our school library IM. SUPERIOR. So! Dull books in our library t So you

think our books aren't good enough for youI If you didn'tread those kinds of books, you wouldn't be so rebellious andstubborn. There's nothing wrong with you except that you'reby nature that way. 'Y:'oudiaobey becaus'e it's your natureto be disobedient. You quarrel with the girls because youwant to hurt them. You refuse to play in the games becauseyou think it undignified. You talk to the servants becauseyou've no sense of moral conduct! '

YOLANDA. Irt;isn't true, Mother I No, not (A knock itJheard. A brief pause.)

M. SUPER~OR.. Come in. (SISTER VITALIS comes inand hands a letter to MOTHER SUPERIOR. The latter readsit luuttily.) Oh, so he has arrived. Is he waiting at the por-teria?

SR. VITALIS. Yes, Mother.M. SUPERIOR. Sister Vitalis, please watch Yolanda for

a few minutes while I see him. I'll be back soon. Your fa-ther is here, Yolanda. (MOTHER SUPERIOR gOBS out.)

YOLANDA. (With fear in her eyes.) My father I Whatis he doing here, Sister?

SR. VITALIS. I'm sorry to tell you-but Mother Superiortelegraphed your father early this morning to come here-andtake you back with him to the province.

YOLANDA. Take me? To the province? No, it can't betrue: Sister I I've done nothing wrong! My father-he'llpUnIsh mel

SR. VITALIS. Calm yourself, my child, he hasn't taken youyet. Probably he never will.

YOLANDA. But I'm afraid to see my father!SR. VITALIS. (Gently p'ropels YOLANDA to table, left.)

Come, ~ome, Yolanda, do not talk nonsense. Why should you• be afraId to. see your father? (Sits left benter am.d moti01l8• ~O~ANDA ~nto left chair.) Ten me, Yolanda, why are you

glVlng us so much worry and trouble? Why did you talkto that young servant and why did you write him letters andnotes?

YOLANDA. Sister, you must believe me. Only you andhe understand me here. I'm not bad-really I'm not.

SR. VITAL1S. I know you're not, Yolanda. ~YOLANDA. I've been unhappy for so long that my eyes

never seem to get dry. Mother Superior doesn't like me inthe least.

SR. VITALIS. You mustn't say that, Yolanda.YOLANDA. But she doesn't. !tis true!SR. VITALIS. Tell me-What is troubling you?YOLANDA. At home I'm unhappy. Since my mother died

two years ago, I've been wretched at home-and here. Myfather is unkind to me.

SR. VITALIS. You mustn't talk that way 1lJboutyour fa-ther.

YOLANDA. But it is true,- Sister! He scolds me for themost trivial thing. He thought I was lazy while I was at homeduring this last summer v1lJCati-on.He nagged me, kept findingfault with' me constantly. "Stop day-dreaming and readingbooks"-these words kept ringing in my ears. (SISTER VI-TALIS drops her rosatry. YOLANDA picks it up and kneels

. at her right.) That is why I'm afraid to go back to the prov-ince. And when Mother Superior tells him of the things I'vedone here, he'll make my life miserable. And I'll be lonelythere t Oh so lonely! -

SR. VITALIS. He prob3ibly doesn't understand you, mychild.

YOLANDA. I know-neither does Mother Superior-butwhy, why, why?

SR. V1TALIS. We all have our own Crosses to bear. Youmust bear yours-as I bear mine--without a word of complaint.

YOLANDA. That isn't always possible, Sister. And theCross-is so heavy sometimes.

SR. VlTALLS. No heavier than other people's Crosses, Yo-landa. But you're young-when you're older.-Tel1 me' again:why did you write to that servant? It was imprope~. Youknow that. -

YOLANDA. The truth, Sister?SR. VITALIS. Yes, the truth.YOLANDA. Because I needed-affection! Because 1

needed-love IYou're the only ones who've been kind to me here

-you, Sister, and hel Only he and you! He understood me,he never laughed at meI And he liked me! I'm not ashamedto say it, Sisterl Yes, he loved me 1 But believe me we didnothing wrong. As God is my witness we did nothin~ wrong 1

SR. V1TALLS. Hush, child! Leave the Lord's name out ofthis I

Y.OLANDA.. I'm Borry. (She stands, gets right ccnt~·cka'tr, places 'tt near SLSTER VITALIS, and sits on it.) ButI ?on't c-a:e that he is a servant. He studies in the evening-IS studYIng law, he told me. And I don't care what he is!At least he was decent to me. I needed someone whom I couldtalk to and who would love me--or like me-yes, just like me.For years now I've craved affection-the affection which Inever got at home since Mother died-how my heart thirstsfor it !-And when I got this chance--this chance to escapefrom so much unhappine'ss-I snatched it hungrily, greedilyl(SISTER VITALIS rises abruptly and g-oes down, left. YO-LANDA follows.) Sister, have I sinned in wanting love? HaveI done wrong in looking for affection? Tell me! But you Mecrying, Sister 1 Have I s-aid anything to hurt you? Have 17

SR. VITALIS. No, Yolanda, no. Only my eyes bother me.Go on.

YOLANDA. You understand me, don't you, Sister?SR. VITAL1S. (Sadly.) I do. (SISTER VITALIS replaces

the ckat".r.)

YOLANDA. Sister Vitalis, Father is here 1 Is Mother.superior going to expel me? Please, talk to her-make herunde;stand 1 Explain to her how miserable I'll be there in theprOVl:nce.Tell her that Father will be so ashamed of my con-duct he'll punish me! A"!k her for one more chance-justone!.SR. VITALIS. Yes, Yolanda. I shall t~lk to her. Do not

worry.. Pull .yourself together; you're very much excited.Everythlr:g WIll be all right. I will even talk to your fatherand explam to him.

YOLANDA.· You must, Sister.SR. VITALIS. Stay here. I'll see them now.

HALF AN HOUR IN A CONVENT

YOLANDA. (Taking her hand impulsively.) Thanks, SisterVitalist Thanks! (Kisses her hatnd.) . ' .

SR. VITALIS. No, no, Yolanda. Don't ~e too ImpulsIve-Wait here while I call Sister Theresa to be wIth you. (SISTERVIT ALIS goes out. For a few seconds Y~L~DA stays alonein the room. She approaches the desk t'tmidly; ~oks at rherfather's note. In. her face fear is pictured agal/!n. .'SISTERTHERESA comes in. She is small and fat. She eyes YOLAN-DA suspiciously.) .'

SR. THERESA. Yolanda! What are you doing? .~n{)Opmgthrough the Mother Superior's desk?

YOLANDA. No! (Yolanda paces indignantly dOWn lef~.)SR. THERESA. No? Then why are you near .i~? (Sits

right center.) Take that chair and be still until. .MotherSuperior comes back. Hmp,you are in trouble ~gam-~ndthis time serious trouble, very serious. Hmp, you re ~ettmgno better. Always giving us trouble. Well, why don t yousit down?

YOLANDA. I'm not tired!SR. THERESA. Not tired! .(Half rises. peers over. t~

desk.) Hmp, I thought so-this pIece of pap~r seems, .ruffledwhat's this? (Tries to read'it.) Hmp, I can tread withoUJtmyglasses. Did you open this, Yolanda?

YOLANDA. Certainly not!SR. THERESA. Ave Maria purisima! You dare answer

me in such high tones!YOLANDA. Why can't you all leave me alone:SR THERESA. Virgen del Rosario! SUc~ Insolence! I

shall' report your behavi?~ ft t% ~::h;~or s)urpe~~. th~~S:i~o~it young lady. (Proce~ '.' I t

~~n~t be melted by your sad-looking eyes. and aIr of co~p ~~USister Theresa-please-let It pass-I won t .

;~aoce~:e. 1promise." Hmp, that's what you alwayJl":say when. :hou-and then do worse things the mom~nt. my backis cturneX. But not t~is time, young lady, not thIS 71me. (1sabout to open the dOM.) . Th

YOLANDA. (Pleading in ,a sincere manner.) SIster e·res a-please don'~

SR. THERESA. (Turning.) .Oh, no, not this time, younglady, not this time. If I didn't report you, I wouldn't be ful-filling my duty.

YOLANDA. You've been always so kind to me, Sister.Just this time-I promise-

SR. THERESA. (Faltering.) Hmp, no, no. I shall seethat you get punished. Oh, yes, you will be punished. (Stepsare heard. SISTER THERESA goes above desk.) Here comesMother Superior now. (REVEREND MOTHER SUPERIORand SISTER VITALIS come in.)

M. SUPERIOR. What is it, Sister?SR. THERESA. Oh -er - this girl, Mother - er - she

Oh, well - nothing, nothing.M. SUPERIOR. (To SISTER VITALIS.) It's no use,

Sister. Nothing can be done about it. And you heard whathe said-he agrees with our decision. (They como in. SIS-TER THERESA shrugs her shOulders and leave.'I. YOLANDAapproaches SISTER VITALIS and tries to g1t8S8 the decision.But SISTER VITALIS shakes her head .'I(ldJlI and morelllsqueezes the girl's hand, amd then breaks mVo,lI. MOTHERSUPERIOR SU8 at her desk.)

M. SUPERIOR. Well, Yolanda, after due deliberation, I'vecome to the decision that you must be expel,led Crom Rchool.You may pack your things. Your father I~ wllftln« nt theporteria.

YOLANDA. (Ru-IIhes fo the desle.) Expul~lon I My futher!Oh, no, nol

M. SUPERIOR. There's nothing more we CRn do for you,Yolanda. You've proved yourself time and again to be a nuis-ance not only to the Sisters and the girls,but to the whole schoolin general. We cannot have you here any longer. We'vetried our best. To forgive you would start a bad precedent.And I was just telling Sister Vitalis that bad precedents arealways dangerous. The rules in this school must be carriedout strictly. So we've deeided to let you go.

YOLANDA. Please, Mother! (MOTHER SUPERIORstands up.)

HALF AN HOUR IN A CONVENT

M. SUPERIOR. Pack up your things, and hurry! Your fa~ther wants to catch the 4 :15 train.

YOLANDA. (Pleading.) Don't expel me, Mother! Any-thing,' anything but that! I'll do everything-I'll study hard-harder than any girl here-I'll be obedient-I'll follow all therules-I won't gI() out-I'll play in the games-I won't quarrel-I'll not even see him-punish me, anything, Mother, anythingbut expulsion!. M. SUPERIOR. Too late, my child, too late. You shouldhave thought of tha"t before. Pack up your things, Yolanda!

YOLANDA. (FaUitng to her knees atnd clitngitng to SIoSTERVITALIS' Wit.) Oh, Sister Vitalis, make her understand!Tell her that I can't go, that I mustn't go! ~

SR. VITALIS. (Trying to hide her tears.) My dear child-YOLANDA. (To SISTER VITALIS.) She doesn't under-

stand! Let me stay here!M. SUPERIOR. Pack up your things!YOLANDA. (To SISTER VITALIS.) She does,ri't under-

stand! She can't understand! Why don't you explain it toher?

SR. VITALIS. No-no, Yolanda. There's nothing I can do-now. I've tried my best. You must-you must obey MotherSuperior. (She brooks loose from the girl.) ,

M. SUPERIOR. (Angrily.) Did you hear me, Yolanda?Will1lou obey?

YOLANDA. But I can't go, Mother! I don't want to go!M. SUPERIOR. You think you can always impose your

wiH! I won't stand any more of this foolishness! The decisionhas been made, and you must go, Yolanda!

YOLANDA. But you can change it, Mother! You won'tregret it! I can't go back to my home-not now! My father-he'll punish me! Let me stay, Mother!

M. SUPERIOR. Father is waiting!-Hurry, hurry! (Call-ing.) Sister Theresa! Sister Theresa! (SISTER THERESAcomes in.)

'SR.'THERESA. Yes, Mother.M. SUPERIOR. Take this girl to her donnj,tory and: help

her pack her things.SR. VITALI,S. (Advancing.) Let me do it, Mother.

M. SUPERIOR. I don't think it advisable. Let SiRtef The.resa do it.

(SI,STER THERESA holds YOLANDA by her amUl, forc-ing her to the door. YOLANDA resists.)

SR. THERESA. Come, come, Yolanda. You Intillt obeyMother Superior. You heard what she said. And YUill' fatheris fretting; he's terribly impatient.

YOLANDA. No, I won't go! I'd rather do anything thangoback to the province! (To SISTER VITALIS.) Sister VitalistI want to stay here! I'd rather diet-I'd rather diet-I'd ratherdie!

(Sobbitng hysterically, YOLANDA is dragged O'ut of theroom.)

M. SUPERIOR. (Starts to speak onLy after the girt's crieshave abated.) Good Lord! I never saw such a girl. There's nodenying i,t. She's really a bad girl. (Skakes her head pityingLyand opens the door. As the MOTHER SUPERIOR is cLosingthe door behind her, SISTER VITALIS, who is leaning on thetable, starts to speak.)

SR. VITALIS. No-no, Mother. It isn't true. She isn't bad-she isn't. (Her voice is so soft tkat MOTHER SUPERIORdoes not hea,r her. MOTHE:RSUPERIOR goes out.) I'm afraidshe does not understand Yolanda in the least. I'm afraid shedoesn't.

(Stays leaning against the tabLe, as if in a daze, then coversher face with her i1wm.d. She kneels down before ,the kneelingform amd b:u:rie8her .head in her karnds. For a few sooond8 thestage is absolutely silent. S'uddenly a piercing !Scream is heardoutside. I Simultaneously a heavy thud is heard. Voices andtramping Of feet. SIS~R VITALIS, frightened, springs upand is about to open the door, when SISTER THERESA, ex-tremely pale amd 'excited, ru,shesin. She, is 80 nervous thatshe C(Jff/, hardly talk coherently.)

SR. THERESA. Sister VitaIis!SR. VITALIS. That scream-what was it ~SR. THERESA. Sh~she!SR. VITALIS. Who? Hurry!SR. THERESA. Yolanda!-She-SR. VITALIS. What happened?

SR. THERESA. She jumped from the stairs-SR. VITALIS. The marble stairs?SR. THERESA. Yes, yes!SR. VITALIS. Mother of Mercy!-Is she-?Sn. THERESA. Yes-deadl (Swter VITALIS gasps.)SR. VITALIS. Did she-did she-?SR. THERESA. Do it on purpose? I don't know! Byac-

cident, I think. But Mother Superior thinks it must have beendeUberate~

SR. VITAL1S. No, it can't be! How did it happen?SR. THERESA. I accompanied her to the foot of the dor-

mitory and told her to pack up her things hurriedly. 'She wasquiet and' she covered her face with her hands. She:was zig-zagging as she climbed the stairs---sort of dizzy. .I turnedaround for a second-just a second--and then-I heard a heavythud-and- (She C01Jersher face in horr()'f'. SISTER VITALIShold8 herself against the table f()'f' suppm.)

SR. VITALIS. How horribleI She couldn't have done it onpurpose-no, noI

SR. THERESA. But Mother Superior said-SR. VITALIS. She didn't do it on purpose-she :couldn'tI

(SISTER THERESA, knowing that SISTER VITALIS:is tryingto go out, runs to the door and with her arms, bars the way.)

SR. THERESA. Don't go, Sister Vitalist ,.SR. VITALIS. I must! Poor Yolanda-to the end misun-

derstood!(SISTER VITAL:LSsucceeds in ru'Yllning O'Ut, as SLSTER

THERESA franticc1ly tries to sf;op her.)SR. THERESA. No, Sister Vitalis-no, no, noI "(The stage remains ominously quiet, as the curtain falls.)

WOMEN ARE EXTRAORD'INARY

A Comedy In One Act