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And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson

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Whitney Bollinger
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2K views22 pages

And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson

Uploaded by

Whitney Bollinger
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF or read online on Scribd
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AND THEY DANCE REAL SLOW IN JACKSON By Jim Leonard, Jr. UIL One-Act Cutting Nimitz HS 2007 THE PLAYERS ELIZABETH WILLOW BEN WILLOW BETH WILLOW The rest of the characters in the play are played by a Chorus of two men and two women. They play Elizabeth's dream people and they also play everyone else we meet from the town of Jackson. The actors in the Chorus often change age, character, time, and place in full view of the audience The FIRST MAN plays SKEETER ROBINS, a pretty nice guy with a bad complexion. WOODY, a middle-aged neighbor TIMMY, a little boy REVEREND PEESTER SAM, a somewhat handicapped young man The FIRST WOMAN plays NANCY MATHEWS, the girl next door CLARANELLE, the little girl JUDITH MORGAN, housewife and gossip THE SECOND MAN plays KD RUSSEL TAYLOR, an upset father JEREMY, a little boy BILLY TAYLOR, a GTO owner THE SECOND WOMAN plays MADDIE, alittle girl EMMA MATHEWS, a housewife, store clerk and gossip AND THEY DANCE REAL SLOW IN JACKSG By Jim Leonard, Jr. UIL One-Act Cutting Nimitz HS 2007 There is no light on the stage. Out of the darkness comes the sound of preferably live... it plays the children’s song “I'ma Little Teapot” slosly at firs, then at Bil fet uitier, the second time through A p the flue ends its second verse. She's in her room, on the highest pleaform, in wheel char. Her legs are covered by a blanket or quilt. The flute stops and Elizabeth sings the first verse of the song. As she sings Elisabeth louches herself in a geauinely ssensuall ety E4IZABETH, “i'ma little teapot, short and stout’ Here is my handle, here is my spout When I start to whistle. hear me shout, Tip me over and pour me out (Elizabeth's head is thrown back a bit, ber hands on her chest. Al this instant a Voive comes from the darlowess... the Voices ui first should have en eerie quattity about them.) FIRST WOMAN, Elizabet! 2 SECOND WOMAN. Elizabeth Willow...? (iizabeth's hands conve | her lap. The Voices continue as the lights gently begin fo rise aromed her end the Chorus filters on.) FIRST WOMAN, Elizabeth? FRIST MAN, What are you, Elizabeth? SECOND MAN, Are you a little girl? SECOND WOMAN. No, she’s a beautiful woman. FIRST WOMAN, You are lovely, Elizabeth. SECOND WOMAN. You are alittle girl’ ELIZABETH, No No, Sma woman FIRST MAN. Did you hear that? Elizabeth Willow’s a omen! SECOND WOMAN. 5! FIRST WOMAN. You're a woman, and you're very SECOND MAN. You're very. SECOND WOMAN. Very ELIZABETH. I’m very pretty. SECOND MAN. Good! Very good! ELIZABETH. I'ma women and I'ma pretty woman SECOND WOMAN. Elizabeth Willow is the loveliest woman in all Jackson, Indiana, (The ‘flute plays several phrases softly in the background) FIRST MAN. Ant the song? ELIZABETH. I can sing whet I want in my room. FIRST WOMAN. But you don’t speak. ELIZABETH. In my room, my chair, my thoughts — SECOND WOMAN. You're silent — ELIZABETH. (Not wanting to listen) - All of them are mine (she starts to sing again) FIRST MAN. (Quickly) Then you are alittle girl! FIRST WOMAN. A woman, sir. SECOND MAN. A dancing woman FIRST WOMAN, Elizabeth Willow is the finest dancer in all of the Jackson FIRST MAN. Is that true? Then I'll take you out dancing! ELIZABETH. No! No, thank you SECOND MAN. (in utter disbelief) But everyone dances! Name one person in all of Jackson who doesn’: dance! FIRST WOMAN, (4 new game,) Elizabeth Ann Willow! SECOND MAN, Okay, okay. For five points — name one person in this room who doesn’t dance! FIRST MAN, (Has it) Elizabeth Willow! 21 % Shepherd Street! — Can’t dance at alll ELIZABETH. (Falls into game, protesting.) Why the men come to take me out constantly sir. SECOND WOMAN. The phone never stops ringing! FIRST WOMAN. Rings off the wall! SECOND MAN. (Bended knee.) The next song then? ELIZABETH. I'll need time to prepare sir, FIRST WOMAN. Elizabeth can’t dance. ELIZABETH. (Quickly) In Jackson anyway. FIRST WOMAN. Can't you see her condition? ELIZABETH. It’s that | have things to do, and ~ SECOND WOMAN. She can’t. ELIZABETH. — just at the moment, I think — FIRST WOMAN. Elizabeth Willow is crippled ELIZABETH. Please understand! It’s just that I can’t — FIRST MAN. Can't you do anything, Elizabeth?! (Men leave as First Woman walks down the stairs to become Nancy Mathews at age seven or eight. She immediately starts calling for Elizabeth's mother. The transition is instantaneous. A bright cheery deay,) NANCY. Mrs, Willow?? Mrs. Willow?? SECOND WOMAN. Just a minute please. NANCY. Anybody home?! ELIZABETH, (Almost to herself and yet to the Second Woman.) There's someone here. NANCY, Mrs, Willow?! SECOND WOMAN, I seid, 2 minute! ELIZABETH. (Excited, eight years old now.) Mama, there's somebody here! (Lights up on Beth Willow, D. All other action simply and immediately freezes, Beth talks directly to the audience.) BETH. She was born in October. In May she took sick with a flu, It was two in the morning when I finally phoned Doctor Harris and got the poor man out of bed. He told me to give her an aspirin and then take an aspirin or two myself and to go back to sleep. In the first week of August, Elizabeth took sick again, - my baby’s temperature went up to 2 hundred and six. We were all so afraid of the hospital then. So T held her and nursed her... and after the fever was gone... after the fever receded, she couldn’t move, didn’t move, never will move... I don’t know what else I could do, What could you do? I’m a good mother. I'm a good mother. I know that. (Lights change back to “normal” as Nancy yells.) NANCY. You all sleeping or something?!? ELIZABETH. (Calls.) We're coming!! BETH. Don't yell, Elizabeth, Such a tizzy over a simple little child at the door. NANCY. (Almost giving up, really loud.) Mrs. Willow!!1?7? BETH. (Right behind her.) Yes? NANCY. Hi, You're home BETH. Yes, we're home. How are you today, Nancy? ELIZABETH, (Calls.) Who is it, Mama? NANCY. It’s me! Nancy Mathews! ELIZABETH. Hey Nancy! NANCY. My mother send me over to ask if it was okay if I maybe played with ‘lizabeth Ann, BETH. Why that’s very nice of you, Nancy NANCY. You want me to put my shoes on fore T come in your house or gonna bring her out, here? BETH, Why don’t you put your shoes on? NANCY. My feet ain't real dirty or nothing, (A special comes up on Ben Willow. He's in another time and place. Ben talks to audience as if speaking to his litle girl. Namey puts on her shoes and the tvo scenes go on at once.) BEN, I'd like to tell you 2 story, Elizabeth Ann. NANCY. My mother says I shouldn't wear out my welcome BEN. Iwas little once too, you know, and I can remember my own father setting me down to talk. ELIZABETH. (Calls.) Nancy, are you coming in? NANCY. (Calling back) Soon’s 1 get my shoes on! BEN. Your grandfather said to me, NANCY. Can Ilook at her now? BETH. Can you look at her? At Elizabeth? BEN. He says, “People come in all shapes and all sizes, Ben Willow BETH. She looks the same as you do, child. NANCY. No, she don’t! She don’t look like me a bit, BEN. And then there's the people God puts on this earth to show us how it’s what’s in the heart here that counts BETH. (Explaining,) She has poliomyelitis NANCY. (Learning the word.) Polio? ELIZABETH. (fmpavent,) Mama?? BEN, Now I know you're getting old enough to see how’s you ain’t quite the same as the rest of this Jackson, But the people in Jackson couldn't care two cents how you iook, little girl - they are a people of the heart. (Lights fade on Ben as he exits, other scene continues as Nancy's shoes are now tied and she's ready 0 go up,) NANCY, My mother sent me over on account of she says Elizabeth's lonely re falling off is.) Hey, Nancy Mathews? What're you doing? BETH, Is that what your mother told you? (Vor mean, but firm.) You tell your mother 1 won't have my daughter made fun of. Do you understand me, Nancy Mathews? ELIZABETH, (As Nny runs off) Hey, Nancy?! Talk to me from unde: the window! Don’t go! Mi 1 FIRST MAN, Nov we like to think about Jeckson as a pretty kind of town Like to think of it as a decent place for decent folks just trying to raise up a family in peace. SECOND WOMAN. And there’s not much here when you stop to give it a thought; not much but the families and the churches and the children playing quiet ‘(OND MAN, But id to find a soul here who dossn't to be here. Fact is y live where-you' re born, where your children are born: FIRST MAN, And you come to like it just fine. You come to love y FIRST WOMAN, The Courthouse and the Penny’s Store and the Twi the way there FIRST MAN, You'll see em every summer there; all the you the evening SECOND WOMAN. Flining and laughing and dreaming about leaving this town ~ FIRST MAN, Even your own children talking about leaving this town — FIRST WOMAN. Sesing everything wrong with it, nothing thet’s right ~ SECOND WOMAN. Siill, it seems like they always come home, Seems like there's a balance here s SECOND MAN, Seems like ¢ real nice town when you look it over in the morning FIRST MAN, And thea you know how you care for the town you're born to, how you woulda’t live anywhere else, (Wonten exit as lights change to early evening. Second Man becomes a neighborhood Kid. He picks up rocks and starts theowing them a the Willow house. The First Man becomes Skeeter Robins at age nventy Jour ~ he makes transition without fearfare; he simply happens to be on the street.) KID. Hey Elizabeth?? Hey, cripple- Willow?? Hey, ya cripple-ole-ghost-gid?? How bout you come to the winder?! SKEETER. How bout you stop heaving them socks, boy? KID, Jeez Louize, Mr. Robins! Yank my arm right out of U SKEETER, (Holding she kids arm) 1s it now? KID. My bother says she’s a witch or something SKEETER. Yeah, weli your brother's got no sense at all KID. How come she don’t telk then? SKEETER. Maybe she just figured there's no point to it KID, (A litter perplexed) You mean she just give it up? Just give up on talking? 5 town, ee Freeze just down eating ice cream in socket, way dontcha? SKEETER. You're preity sharp for a little fart XID, You know that crigple- lady, Mr. Robins? SKEETER, Did, Back seven or eight years ago, yeah. Knew her pretty good fore she shut herself up like she has KID. [hear she used to scream and holler like some crazy ass animal. SKEETER. That's ridiculous KID. Yeah, well you probably just missed the screaming is all SKEETER. No screaming to miss boy! No yelling. And no more of that rock throwing either. (Aixd Elizabeth enters on the above line as the Kid is crossing off. She's on the siage floor level, bat there's no interaction whatsoever behween Lficabeth and the Kid Elizabeth is fifteen now. When Skeeter turns to soy’ “hi” he becomes himself at fifteen 100.) ELIZABETH, Hi, Skeeter SKEETER, Hey, you went some help with that thing? ELIZABETH. I'm fine, just - SKEETER. (Overlapping) No, here, let me give you a ELIZABETH. Where's Reverend Peester at? SKEETER. He'll be back in a minute. | imagine. ELIZABETH. How jong is this supposed to last tonight? SKEETER, Dunno. Never been to a communion class before ELIZABETH. Confirmation SKEETER. Yeah, well Peester'll be back in a minute. ELIZABETH. You're fifteen, Skeeter Robins? SKEETER. Yeah, | ain Gona get me a car in another year ELIZABETH, Same as me! Fifteen, imean SKEETER. Yeah, I'm thinkiag | might get me one of them GTG's. A red one. ELIZABETH, Like Billy Taylor's you mean’ SKEETER. Yeah, cherry bomb red! How you know what kind of car Billy drives? ELIZABETH. I seen him out the window He drives by all the tin SKEETER. I seen you at your window sometimes. ELIZABETH, I’ve seen you 100, Skeeter. SKEETER. You have? ELIZABETH, (Sniiling.) Sure SKEETER. You like going to schoo! out at that looney bin place? ELIZABETH, It’s not a looney bin Skeeter. We got teachers and class rooms and bathrooms and books; See, me and Zelda Graves — you know she's my best friend ~ and we're in the same class. We both got Mrs, Fowler, I got an A+ on my last report SKEETER, Great, ELIZABETH. About Israel, You want to hear about it? SKEETER. Yeah, Sure ELIZABETH. (Excited) Well, see in Israel ~ that’s where Jesus was born ~ SKEETER. Yeah ELIZABETH. And he lived over there on the desert and all... you could probably do all kinds of things out there because it’s so flat huh, ..? They're growing farms in that sand ten times bigger than any farm in Jackson SKEETER, Right over Calvary? ELIZABETH, Uh huh. SKEETER. I might like living on a farm. Be better'n Shepherd Street anyways, ELIZABETH. | like our street, SKEETER. Yeah, well you don’t have to play ball on it! ELIZABETH. We pley baseball out at the institute SKEETER, (Not believing her.) Come on ELIZABETH. Yeah, we do! Zelda, she’s a pitcher, and | play short stop. You want te see something, you oughta see Zelda pitching when she's mad SKEETER, That litle shrunk up girl? ELIZABETH. She's not shrunk up, Skeeter! She's just little is all SKEETER, Pretty hot with the ball, huh? ELIZABETH. (Challengir EETER, Maybe I will! ELIZABETH, You wanta come tomorrow? SKEETER. Uh, tomorrows, I gotta go to the doctor ELIZABETH. Oh... 1 wish the minister'd get here SKEETER. (Gladly changing subjects) Hey, have you looked at these thi ELIZABETH. No. SKEETER. Here's the question ELIZABETH. (Reauing,) “How many things must you know that you may live and die in the blessediness of God's grace” SKEETER. Three. First, the greatness of my sin and... wretchedness! (On the word wretchedness” Skeeter tilts Elizabeth's chair up on its back wheels and goes running off stage with her like her cheur ts a cor. She loves it) NGREGATION. “Second how | am treed from all my sins and their wretched consequences. Third, what gratitude i owe to God for such redemption.” (Ben i¥illow enters as the catechisin finishes. I1's night. He's been drinking. He’s not rolling drunk but he’s drunk enough. He enters on the stage floor level and sits on a Step early in the speech and stays there... like he's on his porch step. Ben might have a small whiskey bottle. He talks right 10 the andierice for the most part.) BEN. Coming in all hours of the night; nothing to tell her. Have my tail’s what she'll do, thirty years of marriage and me drunk out on the porch. Well, a man’s got @ right. T a few back when he wants without getting sassed by his wife, I'l tell her... Nobody's got the spine in em to come up to you on the street and tell you what they're thinking to your face. All talking real strong on where to get the money up for bill paying and house reating, well how long do you think 1 been working? Loading those trucks and unloading em again? Every damn day, sir. Everyday, all day, all of my life at the same job till I feel like P'm caught on some sort of crazy ferris wheel. Why don’t you ask me? My litle girl, she is twenty four now and she’s never taken a step. Can't work her to walking, can’t pray her to walking, No sire, no ma’am, no thank you, never, (Flashlights cui across the ip stage as the next scene begins. Ben slowly rises arad exits in his own time. Russel and Woody are both middle-aged men. They're down by the riverside searching for a lost girl, Each man has « flashlight, They call.) RUSSEL. Elizabeth -? WOODY, Elizabeth Willow -? RUSSEL. Answer if you can hear me, gitl! WOODY. Elizabeth -? Where are you, gir!?! RUSSEL. I cou!d kill thet darnn boy, I tell you WOODY. Be easy on him aow, Russel Taylor. RUSSEL. Ifhe touched that girl ll kick his, WOODY. (Cahn) Now nobody's saying nobody touched nobody. (pulls out flask and offers a drink to Russet) RUSSEL. (Hy takes ihe botile and takes a big sw his feeble response.) .. yeah... Mak WOODY. (Comforting him.) Now, Russe few hours out here RUSSEL, Ben Willow's had a herd enous his girl getting lost. WOODY. Now, Russel, Elizabeth Willow ain't lost exactly - she’s misplaced is more whet she is, RUSSEL When I gei my hands on that boy of mine, I’m gonna kill hiral WOODY. If your boy sys he just give the xiri a ride co the river then that’s all he did, a imagine. Billy's a yood boy at heart RUSSEL. Boy's got no more sense’n a dama retard from Kentucky. WOODY. (Cals.) Elizabeth-? RUSSEL. (Calling ay ihey exit, Elizabeth Willow-? WOODY. Where are you, girl?! (The res! of the chorus enters, They mist of telling ghost stories down at the graveyard at dusk.) MADDIE, (Second Wonan,) Well go on, ya lunkhead ~ finish your story JEREMY. (Second ian.) And then the hand is all gory and bloody and chasing this guy around in his house, see? So’s he can't gei away from it nowhere CLARANELLE. It chased him clear up the aitic? MADDIE, What do you think, stupid? JEREMY. You're scared is whai you ai CLARANELLE. J don’t get home before dark, my mother'll beat me blue TIMMY. Shhbhht JEREMY. And then he hears it coming... tap, tep, tap... afier him- each of them fingers reaching up for his neck. And when ke turns around... Blasaaahithh! (Jeremy throws Ais own hends around his neck ane makes choking sounds.) It’s got him around the TIMMY. (Scared) Av, that’s bull JEREMY. Come right up outa this graveyard, the hand did! MADDIE. You figure the hand’d kill girls too? JEREMY. (Big gesture.) Anybody! CLARANELLE. I doa’ like being out here in this old bone bed a bit MADDIE. Scaredy cat, you are. low, tries nol to make a fuce, then uiters me sick to think of i, Woody, 1 eighteen- year- old girl can survive more’ little kiels tn the CLARANELLE. Am not MADDIE. Are too. CLARANELLE. Am not, dumbhead. MADDIE. Are too, chicken brain. You're scared of nothing but a buncha old dead people, Claranelle Reese. IMMY. Think that’s something, you shoulda seen what me and Kenny White did a couple nights ago. We was down here and Kenny looks over by the siver and there they was MADDIE. What was? TIMMY. Just e’moving and a’floating MADDIE. What? TIMMY. Legs! RANELLE L TIMMY. Yeah, like there walk JEREMY. Boy CLARANELLE, Crimines! TIMMY. You woulda p CLARANELLE. Meee too MADDIE, (Half overlapping.) Meee tooo! TIMMY, You know where them legs come from, don’t you? Th JEREMY. (After giving it half a beat’s thought.) Naaaabhh! TIMMY. Just you wait and see if they ain’t out here this very Willow, she takes ¢ MADDIE, My mother s: CLARANELLE, She o: TIMMY, She's got ie; MADDIE. Ooooo. TIMMY. [betcha she's crazy. MADDIE. Like a old witch or something JEREMY, (Suckdenly, truly scared) 1 see em! There they are! (They alf scooi baek a tittle ina huikile. Mackie ventures out a few yards to have a look. She grabs some branches or something ike legs and scares the other kids with them) TIMMY, Some night you'll hear em coming, theva legs yet ahold 0% TH se ones, lunkhead! (He grabs Claranelle’s legs, she squeals, et

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