SCENE ONE

A street corner in lower New York, right at the edge of a neighborhood where people of color
live. Three narrow streets meet there. In the background, there’s a red brick building shaped
like a triangle. It’s four stories tall, and the bottom floor is a grocery store. More four-story
apartment buildings stretch down two of the streets. Their fire escapes are crowded with
people. On the street to the left, everyone is white. On the street to the right, everyone is
Black. It’s a hot spring day. On the sidewalk, eight children—four boys and four girls—are
playing marbles. Two boys and two girls are white, and two boys and two girls are Black.
One of the Black boys is named Jim Harris. A little blonde girl named Ella Downey, who has
rosy white skin and is eight years old, sits behind him and holds his marbles. The children
focus seriously on the game. People walk by—both Black and white. The Black people seem
cheerful, enjoying the spring day openly. The white people also laugh, but it feels forced and
awkward, like they’re uncomfortable showing their feelings. You can’t hear what they say—
just their laughter, which shows the difference between the races. From the white street,
someone sings in a high, nasal voice, the chorus of "Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage." From the
Black street, someone starts singing "I Guess I'll Have to Telegraph My Baby."The children
keep playing marbles.

THAN THEY WANTED TO GO HOM E BUT NOTICED THAT JIM AN Ella were
looking each other shyly and started to mock them COLORED GIRL--Can't you find nuffin' better'n
him, Ella? Look at de big feet he got! (She laughs. They all laugh. Jim puts one foot on top of the
other, looking at Ella.) You mustn't never be scared when I'm hanging round, Painty Face. ELLA--
Don't call me that, Jim--please! I would like to be black like you ) No you don't. Dey'd call you Crow,
den-- or Chocolate--or Smoke. Since I been tuckin' yo' books to school and back, I been drinkin' lots
o' chalk 'n' water tree times a day. Dat Tom, de barber, he tole me dat make me white, if I drink
enough. (pleadingly) Does I look whiter? Ye a little than girl said I would like to be black and you
white aand then the told that like each other

Scene Two

Nine years later, the neighborhood is still the same. One street is for white people, the other
for Black people. It's evening in spring, and people are sitting on fire escapes. The old
grocery store is still on the corner. The street sounds are now electric instead of horses.
People sing and laugh from both streets. As it gets dark, the streetlight turns on. Two boys—
Shorty and Joe—stand on the corner, trying to act tough. A teenage boy and girl walk by,
dressed nicely there saw other character whos name was liz and asked where are you going
dressed like this, than they were talking about micky who wined and they said that micky will
become champion. Micky brncqamartik er, than the know that jim harris was going to get a
diploma than jim harris cama and they started to mock him calling him negro joe and micky
were talking about Ella than they achkov talis each other and it anoyyeced jim and he wanted
to talk with micky I know I have heared what you have been doing with other girls but she is
different. Then micky said him that with the help of getting dipol he want to become white
and now Ella don’t like you and ha said I know but we have been friends at childhood than
they started to krvel but ella come . and jim asked why she hated him but ella answered I
don’t hate anyone but I don’t anything common with you

Certainly. Here's a more concise version of the same scene written as a narrative:
Sceen 3

Five years later, the same street corner looked the same, but everything felt heavier. It was a
tired spring night. Shorty, rougher and meaner now, stood waiting, muttering drunkenly.
Soon, Ella arrived—thin, pale, and worn out.

“You got the message?” he asked.

“Here I am,” she replied.

“You don’t wanna know where Mickey is?” he asked with surprise.

“No,” she said. “Haven’t in a long time.”

Shorty smirked. “He’s gonna lose his next fight. Not to the other guy—but to all you dames
he used. You’ll all be in the other guy’s corner, helping knock him down.”

“I’d like to see that,” Ella said quietly.

Shorty grinned, then pulled out a wad of money. “He sent this. For you.”

She looked at it blankly. “What for?”

“For the kid.”

“He’s dead,” she said. “Diphtheria. Long time ago.” Than he said they told you are with jim and
Ella said he is the onle white and kind man you are all black with heart. Than shorty want and Jim
came and said that he again failed the exam and he said I know everything but a failed the exam
because when whit man lokked at me a forgot everything and white man they are self confident
even those who don’t have enough knowledge. Than at this time Ella told him that he allways been
whit men for [Link] he said Ella would you like to marry me and she said yes. ELLA--But can I help
you? Can I help you? JIM--Yes! Yes! We'll go abroad where a man is a man--where it don't make that
difference--where people are kind and wise to see the soul under skins.

Here’s a simplified and more understandable version of Scene Four from the play you sent:

Scene Four (Simplified)

A few weeks later. It’s a sunny morning in front of an old brick church in the same
neighborhood. The church sits back from the street with a rusty iron fence around it. On both
sides of the church are tall, unfriendly-looking apartment buildings. All the windows have
their blinds closed, like eyes that watch but don’t care.

Even the windows of the church are covered. Everything feels quiet and tense, as if
something big is about to happen.

From the street where the Black community lives, a man sings in a soft, emotional voice:
Sometimes I feel like a mourning dove...
Sometimes I feel like an eagle in the air...
Sometimes I wish I’d never been born...

When he finishes singing, everything is still. Then suddenly, the church bell rings once. That
sound makes people come out quickly from both apartment buildings—Black people from
the right, white people from the left. They form two separate lines by the church gate, staring
at each other with anger and hate.

Then, the big church doors open. Jim and Ella step out into the sunlight. They are dressed
very simply—Jim in black, Ella in white. They look nervous and unsure, feeling everyone’s
eyes on them. They see the two angry lines of people they have to walk through. They stop,
frozen, looking back at the crowd.

An old organ grinder appears and starts playing the song “Old Black Joe.” When he finishes,
the church bell rings once more—loud and final, like it's telling everyone to leave.

JIM (as if waking from a dream, gently takes Ella’s hand):

Come on. It’s time to go to the ship. Time to sail away—far across the sea. Let’s go, honey.

(Ella tries to speak, but she’s too emotional. Her lips shake. She can’t stop looking at all the
angry people watching them. She’s frozen. Jim notices this and, still calm and kind, he points
up at the sky to distract her.)

JIM:
Look up, honey. Look at the sun. Feel how warm and kind it is. It’s smiling at us. Feel it in
your heart, in your whole body. Look up!

(Ella finally looks up. Her face becomes peaceful. She tries to smile at the sun. Jim gently
pulls her hand, trying to lead her through the crowd. His voice becomes emotional, almost too
emotional, as he pushes himself to stay strong for both of them.)

JIM:
Look at that sky—so blue! Blue means hope, right? That’s for us—hope. All that good stuff
in the sky. Doesn’t the Bible say blessings fall on both good and bad people? No—wait,
that’s the rain. Forget it, I’m confused. What I mean is—we’re all the same. We all deserve
kindness. We’re under the same sky, the same sun, the same God. And now we’re sailing
away—to the other side of the world. Where Christ was born. Where people care about the
soul.

(They’re now at the edge of the sidewalk, past the crowd. Ella is calm, still looking up.
Jim is shaking, barely holding it together. He looks desperate and starts calling out.)

JIM:
Taxi! Where’s the taxi?

Here's a simpler version of Act Two, Scene One:

Act Two, Scene One

It’s two years later. The scene takes place in a nice apartment in the Black neighborhood,
near where Scene One happened. The room is decorated in a mix of old and new furniture.
The old furniture is fancy but cheap-looking, while the new pieces are simple and serious. On
one wall, there’s a large, gold-framed photo of an older Black man in strange clothing, with
medals and a fancy hat. The photo looks a bit funny, like a soldier in an old-fashioned
uniform. In the corner is a unique African mask from the Congo, which looks serious and
strange in the room. The room is clean and neat, with new wallpaper and a bright carpet.
There’s a round table in the center. Mrs. Harris, a gentle, gray-haired woman in her 60s, sits
in a rocking chair near the table. Hattie, her daughter (Jim’s sister), is walking around the
room. Hattie is about 30, has a strong, defiant look, and is dressed in a serious, almost
masculine way. It’s a nice spring morning, with sunlight coming through the window. Mrs.
Harris and Hattie are talking in the room. Mrs. Harris is worried Hattie might cause trouble
with Ella, just like before Jim’s wedding. Hattie says it’s not about Ella, but about what Ella
did to Jim—making him give up his fight. Mrs. Harris tries to defend Ella, saying it must
have been hard for her, but Hattie is angry. Mrs. Harris talks about how life has changed, how
things were better when they were left alone by white people. She’s proud of the life she
made for her family. Hattie disagrees, saying people need to fight for their rights, not run
away. Mrs. Harris says she’d rather Jim stay away, even though she misses him. Hattie
disagrees, saying they should face their challenges here. The doorbell rings. Hattie asks her
mother to answer it. Mrs. Harris goes out, and Hattie nervously waits. When Jim arrives, they
hug. Jim looks older and worried. He says Ella is resting, but Hattie coldly asks where she is.
Jim explains their life in France, how the first year was good, but things changed after that.
Hattie is upset, asking if Ella really loves Jim. Jim says she does, but Hattie keeps
questioning him, getting more tense. Jim suddenly gets angry and asks if Hattie is trying to
cause trouble between him and Ella. Jim explains to Hattie how things went wrong with Ella
in France. At first, they were happy, but Ella became increasingly reclusive and nervous. Jim
started feeling bad about leaving, thinking they were cowards for running away and giving up
on their dreams. He and Ella decided to come back and face their challenges, hoping that
would make them stronger and more confident. Hattie admires Jim for this decision and
encourages him to continue his education and become a lawyer. Jim agrees, saying that’s
exactly what he plans to do. When Ella arrives, she looks sick and scared. Jim comforts her,
but Hattie is cold and distant. Ella seems to remember Hattie but acts strangely, making
Hattie feel defensive. Ella casually mentions how easy school was for her and how hard it
was for Jim, which bothers Hattie. Jim, however, doesn’t mind and smiles at Ella. Here’s a
simplified version of this part:

Summary:

Ella laughs at Jim's struggles with law school exams, upsetting Hattie, who defends him. Jim
gets angry and tells Hattie to leave, and Mrs. Harris supports that decision. Hattie and her
mother leave, and Jim collapses, feeling defeated. Ella, realizing Jim is struggling, tries to
comfort him, saying she wants him to be a successful lawyer. She claims she was just
frustrated earlier and promises to support him. Ella, left alone, criticizes Jim’s father’s
portrait and the Congo mask. She tries to act tough but is shaken. She notices someone
outside, calls to him, but soon realizes the man (Shorty) is avoiding her because of her
marriage to Jim. She becomes upset and frantic, realizing that people are rejecting her
because of her choices. She calls out for Jim, desperate for his comfort, and leaves the room.
Scene two

Six months later. Jim is exhausted, trying to study for his law exams while also caring for
Ella, who is mentally unwell. The room feels darker and more claustrophobic, symbolizing
his emotional state.

Hattie checks on Jim and urges him to send Ella to a mental hospital. Jim refuses, insisting he
must stay with her because he loves her and she has no one else. He believes they can both
overcome their struggles if they stick together. Hattie warns him that Ella’s condition is
getting worse and that it may eventually harm both of them. She reveals that Ella has started
to speak hatefully during her breakdowns—even calling Hattie dirty negor and accusing Jim
of poisoning her.

Jim is heartbroken but refuses to give up. Hattie begs him to protect himself, but he insists
he’ll take care of Ella, no matter the cost. They argue fiercely, and Jim finally forces Hattie to
leave.

Later, Ella enters the room holding a knife, lost in a delusion. Jim stops her before she hurts
him. She acts like a child and begs him never to leave her. Then, her mood suddenly changes
—she looks at Jim with hatred and calls him a dirty negor. She snaps out of it, confused, but
does it again moments later and runs off laughing. Jim is left devastated, too numb even to
cry.

Scene three

Certainly! Here's a more detailed and emotionally rich summary of the final part of Scene
Three, while still keeping it easier to understand than the original:

Jim returns home exhausted and hollow-eyed, holding a letter from the New York State Bar.
Ella, who has been growing more mentally unstable, confronts him with a mix of fear and
rage, terrified that he might have passed the exam and that success will take him away from
her. She confesses she pretended to be asleep so he wouldn’t know she was watching. When
Jim confirms—with bitter, broken laughter—that he did not pass, Ella is overjoyed. She
laughs and dances, celebrating as if a curse has been lifted.

Her happiness isn’t just about Jim’s failure—it’s about keeping him hers. She believes that
had he passed, something evil (represented by the Congo mask) would have entered and
changed him. She stabs the mask, declaring that the “devil” is dead. Jim, nearly overtaken by
rage at her reaction, calls her a “white devil woman,” but when she cries out in fear, he stops
himself. Ella comforts him, saying there’s nothing to fear now that she’s destroyed the source
of evil.

Jim, emotionally and physically worn out, sinks into a chair. Ella sits beside him, holding his
hand like a child. Her madness now appears more innocent, almost sweet. She explains that
she used the knife not to harm him, but to stop him from studying and succeeding. Jim says
he wasn’t afraid for his own life—only for what might happen to her if she hurt him.
Ella wonders aloud if God can forgive her. Jim answers that maybe God can forgive what
they’ve both done to each other—but he’s not sure how God can forgive Himself for letting
things come to this. Ella reveals that while Jim was away at the exams, she prayed he
wouldn’t pass. That prayer, she thought, was saving them both.

She then admits she’s very sick and won’t live much longer. Jim tells her that if she dies, he
won’t go on living either. He had hoped to pass the exam to prove something—to himself, to
her—that he was worthy. But now, even that dream is gone. Still, Ella is cheerful. She wants
to go back to how they used to play when they were younger—pretending they were different
races, using makeup to switch roles, and playing like children. She wants everything to be
just like it was before the world interfered.

Jim, broken and resigned, agrees to play along. She makes him promise he’ll never leave her,
and he does. When she says she loves him, Jim is overwhelmed. He falls to his knees and
prays, asking God to forgive him for doubting, and to make him worthy of her love and
suffering. He sees this pain as a kind of divine cleansing and pledges to change.

Ella, excited and full of childlike energy, pulls him up, saying there’s only a little time left
and she wants to keep playing their old games. Jim, now filled with spiritual light, promises
to play with her “right up to the gates of Heaven.”