Fefu and Her Friends

The play takes place in New England in the spring of 1935. Part 1 is set in Fefu’s tastefully decorated living room at noon. There is a piano, a liquor cabinet, and a rifle leaning against the wall. Fefu addresses two other women, Christina and Cindy, commenting, “My husband married me to have a constant reminder of how loathsome women are” (7). Christina and Cindy are horrified, but Fefu replies that she only laughs when he says this because she agrees with the statement. Fefu asserts that things that are revolting are actually fascinating, such as a rock that appears smooth and clean on the surface but, when flipped over, reveals fungus and worms. Taking the rifle from the wall, Fefu mentions that Christina has not met her husband, Phillip. They look through the French doors into the backyard, where Phillip is with Fefu’s younger brother John and the gardener. Christina asks Fefu to point him out. Fefu takes aim and shoots, indicating that the man she shot is her husband.

The women scream, but Fefu assures them that the shooting is a game they play, and no matter where Phillip happens to be when Fefu shoots, he always falls to the ground. Fefu waves at Phillip and notes that he is just fine before exiting upstairs. Cindy offers to make Christina a drink. Christina starts to ask for a bourbon and soda and then changes her mind, requesting a single ice cube with a few drops of bourbon. The two women discuss Fefu. Cindy is more tactful, calling their friend “lovely” with a “strange marriage,” while Christina calls Fefu “crazy” and her marriage “revolting” (11). Christina is still shaky and upset from the gunshot, but Cindy tells her that the bullets are blanks and that Christina need not worry for her own safety because Fefu only shoots her husband.

Fefu reenters and announces that she fixed the toilet in Cindy’s bathroom. Christina is surprised that Fefu repairs her own plumbing. Fefu comments that she was concerned about Phillip for a moment because it seemed like she might have actually hurt him. Cindy responds that she thought that the gun wasn’t loaded, and Fefu replies, “I’m never sure” (13). She tells the women that Phillip promised that he will one day load the gun with real bullets because he enjoys making Fefu anxious. Christina is shocked, but Fefu insists that the game suits their marriage, adding, “If I didn’t shoot him with blanks, I might shoot him for real” (13). Fefu pleads with Christina to laugh at her rather than find her upsetting, offering her another drink. Christina accepts another drop of bourbon on her ice cube.

Fefu explains that she prefers men to women and enjoys being more masculine than feminine because men are naturally strong. According to Fefu, women can be strong, but they have to summon strength, and “it comes forth with bitterness and it’s erratic” (15). Fefu compares women to “live wires” (15), unable to be comfortable with each other until men arrive to make them feel safer. She adds, “Men are muscle that cover the raw nerve. They are the insulators” (15). However, in return for this safety, women must give up their minds and spirits, which seems too high a price to pay. Christina agrees, commenting that she too is jealous of the way men relate to each other and the world. Fefu exits again to check on the toilet she fixed. Christina pretends to faint, falling off of her chair. Cindy asks Christina what she thinks, and Christina answers, “Think? I hurt. I’m all shreds inside” (16).

They hear a car, and Fefu announces that Julia has arrived. Fefu tries to help Julia as she enters in a wheelchair. The women greet each other, and Julia explains that her car has been adapted so she can drive. Fefu leads Julia to her bedroom. Christina asks Cindy about the incident that disabled Julia. Cindy describes a hunter who shot a deer. When he fired the shot, both Julia and the deer fell. The hunter examined Julia and pointed out that he hadn’t actually shot her. When she fell, Julia hit her head and sustained a concussion and a spinal cord injury. Julia began to hallucinate, saying that she had been tortured and sentenced to execution, and that she promised the judges that she wouldn’t speak about it in return for sparing her life. Christina is confused, but Cindy replies, “It makes sense to me” (18). Fefu reenters and asks about the accident. Before it happened, Fefu exclaims, Julia was fearless and brilliant. Fefu exits again to check the toilet.

Another car arrives, and Fefu greets Emma, Paula, and Sue. Emma calls Fefu “Stephany” then sits in Julia’s lap and asks her to take her for a ride, which she does. Paula compliments Fefu on a talk she gave about Voltairine de Cleyre, an early feminist who wrote and gave speeches denouncing capitalism and marriage. Julia says that she wishes she had known Fefu was giving a lecture so she could have attended, and Fefu promises to tell the women about Voltairine de Cleyre during lunch. Cindy asks them what they should do about the agenda for a presentation, the planning of which seems to be the reason that they all have gathered. Sue suggests that they decide who will talk about which topic and then have a rehearsal. Emma adds that they ought to make it a dress rehearsal and decide what each woman would wear. Emma begins to assign colors to the women: red or white for Paula, dark green for Emma, lavender for Cindy, purple for Julia, and gold for Fefu. Emma promises to wear her own costume later, which she describes as “dramatic.”

Sue mentions that she hadn’t expected to be performing theater, and Emma replies, “Life is theatre. Theatre is life. If we’re showing what life is, can be, we must do theatre” (22). Sue worries that she will be required to act, but Emma reassures her that it won’t be acting; she will just be “being.” Julia volunteers to do a dance, and Emma agrees to stage a dance Julia can do while sitting. Emma exits through the French doors and greets Phillip and John. Fefu comments, “We’ll never see her again” (22). Fefu, Paula, and Sue exit upstairs.

Julia picks up the gun and sniffs it, removing the bullet. Cindy tells her that the bullet is a blank. Julia replies, “She’s hurting herself” (22), and her expression goes blank. Cindy comments that Julia has gone absent but will return in a moment. When Julia comes back to herself, she repeats that Fefu is hurting herself and says that she needs to lay down. As Cindy struggles to put the slug back in the gun, another car arrives. Cecilia enters and introduces herself.