Emanuele Aldrovandi
ISABEL GREEN
Nomination Italian Playwrights Project 3th edition (2020/22)
excerpt translated by Carlotta Brentan
“AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE GOES TO…. ISABEL GREEN, FOR THE LIFE OF MOTHER THERESA”
HUGE APPLAUSE“THIS IS THE FIRST OSCAR AND SEVENTH NOMINATION FOR ISABEL GREEN”
HUGE APPLAUSE CONTINUES
ISABEL ON STAGE, IN FRONT OF THE MICROPHONE
Isabel: Don’t freeze, Isabel. Keep smiling.
Pretend you’re happy.
You were doing fine, why are you freezing? Don’t detach from reality, reality’s beautiful. You won, for Christ’s sake.
Don’t lose control.
No bubbles in your head. Don’t let it start.
It’s starting, you can feel it starting.
Don’t let it start, you fucking brain. Stay here.
Stay here, no te rajes ahorita pendeja. Stay here, stay here.
The applause is almost finished, you must be ready. Just keep smiling.
Everything’s fine: you got up, you smiled, you kissed the people next to you, you walked, you got up the stairs – you didn’t even trip, you did well.
Don’t fall into your usual vortex of shitty thoughts. Don’t ruin everything.
I beg you.
Don’t think what you were thinking this morning. It was an ugly thought, Isabel.
Make it go away. You can do it.
Here comes the silence. Here it is.
Here it is.
You can do it. Come on. Come on. Come on.
PAUSE
I can’t do it.
I’ve only been here a second, yet I feel…
I feel…
I feel as if I just swam across the ocean. But you didn’t cross any oceans.
You simply won, Isabel.
After the applause comes the silence, it’s normal, don’t be an idiot. It’s your turn.
It’s your moment.
You have to say something. The seconds pass.
Can’t you hear them? Tick.
Tock.
Tick. Tock.
They seem really slow to you, but they’re passing.
And now everyone must be wondering why you’re not speaking. “Why isn’t Isabel speaking?”
Because I don’t know what to say.
Thank you. Thank you Clint. Thank you all. Thank you.
I don’t remember it, the speech.
I can’t even remember if I wrote one or not. Maybe I didn’t.
The other times I did, but I never won – seven nominations, seven – so this year I said to myself
“Why write one, you won’t win anyway.” Idiot.
You’re an idiot.
I can’t believe this. Honestly, I’m so happy… That I actually feel sick.
I apologize.
APPLAUSE.
It doesn’t matter that you didn’t write a speech. Improvise.
You’re an actress, right? Act.
It’s a beautiful moment. Enjoy it.
Enjoy this fucking Oscar, the times you didn’t win you were beside yourself, now you won and you’re beside yourself?
Breathe.
Relax.
Think about your dog. It’s not difficult.
There, good girl. Breathe.
Relax.
And say thank you.
TAKES A DEEP BREATH
Seven nominations, you bastards.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the members of the Academy.
And thank you to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who taught me the real meaning of the word love.
False. Banal. Idiotic.
But who cares, at least you’re talking.
Thank you to my colleagues. Jennifer, Cate, Emma, Meryl, you were incomparable, truly, you were exceptional. All four of you. You deserve this award much more than me.
No fucking way.
Thank you Martin. Acting for you was a privilege.
And thank you to the whole cast, especially the young actresses, my nuns: you are fantastic, one day you’ll be up here in my place, I’m certain of it, each one of you, all forty-five of you.
Yeah, right.
Then I would like to thank my older brothers, who are watching me from home with their families.
Yes, yes, something personal.
Os quiero chicos.
Patriotic folklore always works.
Y a todos los que desde Méjico estàn compartiendo este momento conmigo y saben que esto también es de ellos. A todos los actores de mi paìs: Méjico
APPLAUSE
And thank you to my parents, who are watching me from above. From the sky.
Now, make them feel emotional… and you’re all set!
Dad, it’s thanks to you that I made my dream come true.
Brava. Excellent.
Dad, I know how much you struggled.
You came here with nothing, you didn’t even speak the language, but you fought, with your head down, day after day, and you made it.
A house.
A family.
A restaurant of your own.
You taught me about responsibility. Self-sacrifice.
Now get a hold of yourself, show restraint, grace, class…
You were a great example to me. I’m proud to be your daughter.
APPLAUSE
Fuck.
