Trouble in Mind

Act II begins with a new actor: Bill O’Wray, who is playing an old Southern gentleman named Renard in Chaos in Belleville. Manners is rehearsing a scene from the play with him, a tasteless monologue that is about combatting racism in moderation. Eddie holds a tape recorder with canned applause, ready to build excitement during the speech at the press of a button. He flubs it several times, and Manners loses his temper with the poor stage manager. He then turns his attention to Bill, telling him he really should sit with the Black actors at lunch so their company doesn’t appear segregated in the public eye. Bill is annoyed at all the new “rules” he must follow in society. He says, “Every time I open my mouth somebody is telling me don’t say this or that…Millie doesn’t want to be called ‘gal’…I call all women ‘gal’” (51). Manners asks him to at least try to pretend he doesn’t mind, if only to save face for the show.

Wiletta and the others return, and Wiletta approaches Manners. She tells him she went home and read the script over again, this time trying to justify her character’s actions like he asked.