AntoninArtaud

TheSpurtofBlood:THEGLASSBALL
TRANSLATEDBYRUBYCOHN

YOUNGMAN:Iloveyouandeverythingisbeautiful.
YOUNGGIRL:[withquaveringvoice]Youlovemeandeverythingisbeautiful.
YOUNGMAN:[inalowertone]Iloveyouandeverythingisbeautiful.
YOUNGGIRL:[inanevenlowertone]Youlovemeandeverythingisbeautiful.
YOUNGMAN:[leavingherabruptly]Iloveyou.[silence]Faceme.
YOUNGGIRL:[asbeforestandingoppositehim]There.
YOUNGMAN:[inanexalted,highpitchedvoice]Iloveyou.Iamgreat,Iamlucid,Iamfull,I

amdense.
YOUNGGIRL:[inthesamehighpitchedvoice]Weloveeachother.
YOUNGMAN:Weareintense.Ah,howbeautifullytheworldisbuilt.

[Silence.Thereisanoiseasifanimmensewheelwereturningandmovingtheair.A
hurricaneseparatesthem.Atthesametime,twostarsareseencolliding,andfromthemfalls
aseriesoflegsoflivingfleshwithfeet,hands,scalps,masks,colonnades,porticos,temples,
alembics,fallingmoreandmoreslowly,asiffallinginavacuum:thenthreescorpions,one
afteranother,andfinallyafrogandabeetle,whichcometorestwithdesperateslowness,
nauseatingslowness.]
YOUNGMAN:[cryingwithallhisstrength]Theskyhasgonemad.[helooksatthesky]Lets

hurryawayfromhere.[hepushestheYoungGirlbeforehim]
[EnteramedievalKnightingiganticarmor,followedbyaWetNurseholdingherbreastsin
herhandsandpuffingbecauseherbreastsareswollen.]
KNIGHT:Letgoofyourtits.Givememypapers.
WETNURSE:[screaminginhighpitch]Ah!Ah!Ah!
KNIGHT:Damn,whatsthematterwithyou?
WETNURSE:Ourdaughter,there,withhim.
KNIGHT:Quiet,theresnogirlthere.
WETNURSE:Imtellingyouthattheyrescrewing.
KNIGHT:WhatthehelldoIcareiftheyrescrewing?
WETNURSE:Incest.
KNIGHT:Midwife.

Artaud | The Spurt of Blood

WETNURSE:[plungingherhandsdeepintoherpockets,whichareasbigasherbreasts]

Pimp.[shethrowshispapersathim]
KNIGHT:Letmeeat.

[TheWetNurserushesout.Hegetsup,andfromeachpaperhetakesahugehunkofSwiss
cheese.Suddenlyhecoughsandchokes.]
KNIGHT:[withfullmouth]Ehp.Ehp.Showmeyourbreasts.Showmeyourbreasts.Wheredid

shego?
[Herunsout.TheYoungMancomesback.]
YOUNGMAN:Isaw,Iknew,Iunderstood.Hereonapublicstreet,thepriest,thecobbler,the

peddlertheentrancetothechurch,theredlightofthebrothel,thescalesofjustice.Icant
standitanylonger!
[Likeshadows:aPriest,aCobbler,aBeadle,aBawd,aJudge,aPeddler,arriveonstage.]
YOUNGMAN:Ivelosther:giveherbacktome.
ALL:[indifferenttones]Who,who,who,who.
YOUNGMAN:Mywife.
BEADLE:[veryfat]Yourwife,yourekidding!
YOUNGMAN:Kidding!Maybeshesyours!
BEADLE:[tappinghisforehead]Maybesheis.

[Herunsout.ThePriestleavesthegroupandputshisarmaroundtheneckoftheYoung
Man.]
PRIEST:[asifconfessingsomeone]Towhatpartofyourbodydoyourefermostoften?
YOUNGMAN:ToGod.

[Confusedbythereply,thePriestimmediatelyshiftstoaSwissaccent.]
PRIEST:[inSwissaccent]Butthatisntdoneanymore.Wenolongerhearthroughthatear.You

havetoaskthatofvolcanoesandearthquakes.Wewallowinthelittleobscenitiesofman
intheconfessionbox.Thatslife.
YOUNGMAN:[muchimpressed]Ahthatslife!Theneverythingisshottohell.
PRIEST:[stillwithSwissaccent]Ofcourse.

[Atthismoment,nightsuddenlyfallsonstage.Theearthquakes.Thereisfuriousthunder
andzigzagsoflightningineverydirection.Throughthezigzagsallthecharacterscanbe
seenrunningaroundbumpingintoeachotherandfalling,thengettingupandrunningabout
likecrazy.Then,anenormoushandseizestheBawdbyherhair,whichburstsintoflameand
growshugebeforeoureyes.]
HUGEVOICE:Bitch,lookatyourbody!

Artaud | The Spurt of Blood

[TheBawdsbodyisseentobeabsolutelynakedandhideousbeneathherblouseandskirt,
whichbecometransparentasglass.]
BAWD:Leavemealone,God.

[ShebitesGodinthewrist.Animmensespurtofbloodlaceratesthestage,andthroughthe
biggestflashoflightning,thePriestcanbeseenmakingthesignofthecross.Whenthe
lightsgoonagain,allthecharactersaredead,andtheircorpseslieallovertheground.
OnlytheYoungManandtheBawdremain,devouringeachotherwiththeireyes.TheBawd
fallsintotheYoungMansarms.]
BAWD:[withthesighofonehavinganorgasm]Tellmehowithappenedtoyou.

[TheYoungManhideshisheadinhishands.TheWetNursecomesback,carryingthe
YoungGirlunderherarmlikeabundle.TheyoungGirlisdead.TheBawddropsheronthe
ground,whereshecollapsesandbecomesflatasapancake.TheWetNursenolongerhas
herbreasts.Herchestiscompletelyflat.]
KNIGHT:[inaterriblevoice]Wheredidyouputthem?GivememySwisscheese.
WETNURSE:[boldlyandgaily]Hereyouare.

[Sheliftsupherdress.TheYoungManwantstorunaway,butheisfrozenlikeapetrified
puppet.]
YOUNGMAN:[asifsuspendedintheair,andwiththevoiceofaventriloquist]Donthurt

Mommy!
KNIGHT:Shedevil!

[Hehideshisfaceinhorror.AmultitudeofscorpionscrawlsoutfrombeneaththeWet
Nursesdressandswarmsbetweenherlegs.Hervaginaswellsupsplitsandbecomes
transparentandglisteninglikeasun.TheYoungManandBawdrunoff,asthough
lobotomized.]
YOUNGGIRL:[gettingupdazed]Thevirgin!Ahthatswhathewaslookingfor.