Prince Behram and Princess AI-Datma

Pricess: Yen

Narrator: Yelle, Pau

Prince: Joshua

King: Carlos

Pincesses/ prosti: Marj/ Christine

Drum music. Princess Al-Datma (Lisa), is shadow boxing and wrestler-ready, taking down Suitors/attackers left and right. Music swells for take-downs and continues more quietly for narration and dialogue.

Princess (Yen): Marriage is just a game.

(Marja slam): If you make the rules the way you want them, there's no need to worry about breaking them.

(Christine slam): Or being betrayed by them.

(Marja slam): The simpler the rules, the simpler the union.

(Yen slam) I have one rule: be my equal and I will marry you.

Narrator (Yelle): There once was a princess called AI-Datma who was renowned throughout the land for her beauty, grace, and intelligence. She attracted a large number of suitors, but never married them: she had made up her mind that she would not marry until she met a man who could defeat her in a duel.

Princess: I have one rule: prove to me you are my match and I will marry you.

Narrator (Pau): Whenever a suitor tried to get around the princess's set of rules by asking her father for her hand in marriage, the king simply replied,

King (Carlos): “I have no power over her, for she has sworn by her soul that she will not marry until she finds a man who proves he to be her equal."

(Princess threatens her father, who takes no notice.)

Princess(Yen): I have one rule: be my equal, be my match, and I will marry you.

Narrator (Yelle): One day, the princess was visited by Prince Behram of Persia [Annie]. At first, the scene seemed to be no different than any other day. But as the duel wore on, the princess began to worry about the strength of her competitor and considered the fact that she might indeed lose. (Fight has begun during narration - things are looking bad for the Princess)

Narrator (Pau): And so the Princess Al-Datma decided to take drastic action.

Narrator (Yelle): She lifted her veil and revealed her face to Prince Behram, who became so bewildered and distracted that he was knocked to defeat as easily as I fhe were a sparrow.

Princess (Yen): If you’ r e going to fight, you'd might as well fight dirty. It’ s in the rules.

(She slaps Behram 's behind and sets him down. Princess and her attendants move into a huddle.)

Narrator (Pau): The tactic should have been quite easy to see from where you're sitting - but perhaps there was a moment when you weren't paying attention?

Narrator (Yelle): With another defeat so handily accomplished, the princess retired to her comer - she began to spend her days picnicking on the palace grounds with her attendants. And so the prince disguised himself as an aged sheikh in order to re-enter the ring.

(Behram approaches, a poorly-tied turban wrapped around his head.)

Prince (Joshua): Excuse me. I would like to buy a wife from your party. I promise, however, to always remember the rules of the game: I will give her only one kiss and many riches, then divorce her.

Princess (Marja): (amused) Alright. We ' l l play.

(Red Rover. Behram wins a row ofgirls, each ofwhom receives a single kiss and a handful of riches. The girls all clap and cheer, goading one another on. With one girl left beside the princess :)

Princess (Yen): No, me first.

(Music begins again. The princess runs and at first all is the same, but as she leans in for her kiss, Prince Behram reaches out and throws her over his shoulder.)

Prince (Joshua): I am Prince Behram of Persia and now, by your own promise and your own set of rules, you must be my bride.

(Behram sets Al-Datma down. They shake hands - but as they are doing so, the Princess hoists the Prince again onto her shoulder and exits.)

Narrator (Pau): And it was in this manner that the Princess AI-Datma, having finally met her match, allied herself with a husband with whom she happily lived out the rest of her days.

(Music fades out. Al l women enter and walk through the space. They speak -)

Marja: Sherazade's words range out loud and clear.

Christine: What women want is sovereignty.

Marja: Over something.

Pau: Over themselves.

Yelle: And from this need, Sherazade's stories grew and multiplied. 500, 600, 700 tales that all stood for something, one on top of another on top of another.