CANDLELIT CHRONICLES: HISTORIC HAUNTS

May 11 Entry #2 18+ ONLY! 2394WC

In celebration of the wonderful way the newest novel is flowing, I'm going to bring back the popular "Free Reading" each day (or most days!) So here is the beginning of my April 2010 Stage Play, the first (and only) Stage Play I've written: this runs through Act One, Scene One. Please note: formatting may not transfer perfectly.





OBAX AND THE NIGHT-RIDERS





A Stage Play in Four Acts





epigram:





Gentle Readers, any study of the era will plainly show us all that were it not for the “evil institution,” there would have been no Confederacy, and there would have been no immensely tragic loss of life, of property, of homes, no dissolution of families, no kin pitted one against the other over what was purported to be a “politicial issue.”


The very institution against which reformers and abolitionists such as John Brown of Harper's Ferry, Virginia fame, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Julia Ward Howe battled is an ugly, graphic, horrifying component of U.S. History which must not be forgotten, overlooked, nor omitted in our rush to glorify the antebellum past.


The Confederacy was not all about pretty antebellum architecture, rolling meadows, fine gardens, and hoop skirts, Gentle Readers. Slavery made possible the creation of an unmerited upper class in the Southland, just as did serfdom and later servanthood in England (remember “Upstairs, Downstairs”). The Confederacy was built on the backs of downtrodden, whipped, beaten, raped immigrants whose emigration to the New World was involuntary and compelled.


Let us pledge to never forget that.


I wrote a poem some time back entitled “The Confederacy Never Died,” and I pray and hope that if “The South rises again,” it will not be in order to become the American South of the 18th, 19th, and first half of the 20th centuries. Saints preserve us from that.





George Santayana reminded us a century ago that


”Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”








Historian Santayana also reminded us:


"A country without a memory is a country of madmen."





Compare that to this statement from Virginia Governor McDonnell in the original Proclamation:





"there were any number of aspects to that conflict between the states. Obviously, it involved slavery. It involved other issues. But I focused on the ones I thought were most significant for Virginia."














CHARACTERS:





OBAX: a freed slave woman,135 years old. a conjure witch, like her Grandmere YITUBE


NIGHTS OF THE PALE LOTUS: Reconstruction Era “freedom riders” self-styled; a pale but deadly offshoot of The Knights of the White Camellia formed in September 1867


Illiterate: do not understand “Knights” is spelled differently from “nights”.Locale: environs of Brunsmoor, Georgia, near The Swamp


FIRST NIGHT-RIDER FIRST COMMANDER (ORIGINAL): Middle-aged (early fifties, stocky, muscular, thinning brown hair. High-pitched voice. Uncalloused hands.


FIRST NIGHT-RIDER: FIRST COMMANDER. Tall, slender, but very strong. Deep-voiced. Controlling.


SECOND NIGHT-RIDER: short, heavy-set. Easily amused. Frightened of FIRST NIGHT-RIDER. “Bobby” BOBBY YOAKES. Tenant farmer.


THIRD NIGHT-RIDER: Tall but not as tall as FIRST NIGHT-RIDER. More slender. More intelligent than SECOND NIGHT-RIDER but also fears FIRST NIGHT-RIDER respectfully. “John”


  JOHN YANCEY (formerly WHITE OVERSEER, Tallamassee Plantion, Millsboro, Georgia.


Now PLANTATION MANAGER, Black-Moor Plantation, Brunsmoor, Georgia)


OAK: OBAX'S daughter-born 1750


BEECH: OAK'S eldest son


WILLOW: OAK'S second son


ROWAN: OAK'S third son


WALTER: OBAX's 5-greats-grandson, field hand, Tallamassee Plantation, 1863; lynch victim, March 1870


THE MAJOR: Confederate States Of America,cavalry corps, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida


THE CAPTAIN: Confederate States Of America,cavalry corps, Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. JUDSON HEATH


WHITE OVERSEER: Tallamassee Plantation, Millsboro Georgia


ALEC: field hand, Tallamassee Plantation, 1863 MASSA JOHN


MATTIE: field hand, Tallamassee Plantation, 1863


TRULEE: field hand, Tallamassee Plantation, 1863 (offstage only)


VONDA NEALM: white woman, living in town of Brunsmoor, South Georgia (aka Brunswick) Widow. 43 years of age. Husband HARRALD had been FIRST COMMANDER of Nights of the Pale Lotus until his death, at which time FIRST NIGHT-RIDER became FIRST COMMANDER.


HARRALD NEALM: Deceased. Original FIRST COMMANDER of Nights of the Pale Lotus, founder with CAPTAIN JUDSON HEATH and WHITE OVERSEER/PLANTATION MANAGER





TIMELINE:





1805-OBAX, and great-grandchildren sold by OWANS PLANTATION at Ellabell, East Georgia, to TALLAMASSEE PLANTATION, at Millen, East Georgia


1816-THE MAJOR born, Savannah, Georgia, Society family, third cousin to Mr. Lacey, future father of VONDA LACEY, who will marry HARROLD NEALM


1829-HARRALD NEALM born, Brunsmoor, South Georgia, white son of Plantation Manager. Legitimate birth.


1840-THE CAPTAIN (JUDSON HEATH) born, son of an Overseer, South Carolina Low Country (Gullah slaves)


1841-VONDA NEALM born, Plantation, Mississippi; third cousin once removed to THE MAJOR. Meets THE CAPTAIN, with THE MAJOR, at a ball in Macon? Same as meeting with HARRALD NEALM, Jan. 1863 Debutante Ball





1861-April-War of Secession. THE MAJOR enlists, THE CAPTAIN enlists, JERROLD LACEY OF Mississippi, brother of VONDA, enlists


1862-


1863-January-Wesleyan College for Women Debutante Ball-         


        VONDA NEALM encounters her third cousin THE MAJOR, and with him meets THE CAPTAIN and HARRALD NEALM, both of whom wish to court her


VONDA LACEY meets HARRALD NEALM at WESLEYAN COLLEGE DEBUTANTE BALL, JANUARY 1863. HARRALD is very enamoured, wishes to court her, she demurs; her parents are dead (smallpox in the 1850's), her brother is Guardian but he is away fighting with the 1st Alabama Cavalry, not available yet to ask. She wishes to wait anyway to graduate in May 1863.


        Plantation, etc. in her family, she is the only survivor now.1-VONDA XYZY meets HARRALD NEALM at WESLEYAN COLLEGE DEBUTANTE BALL, JANUARY 1863. HARRALD is very enamoured, wishes to court her, she demurs; her parents are dead (smallpox in the 1850's,), her brother is Guardian but he is away fighting with the 1st Alabama Cavalry, not available yet to ask. She wishes to wait anyway to graduate in May 1863.


    -April-1-V





2-VONDA is called into REVEREND PRESIDENT FISK Rev. Finch's office-April 26 or 27, 1863.  father dead at Battle for Bayou Pierre MS, April 2, 1863 father dead at Battle for Bayou Pierre MS, April 2, 1863 Her brother has been killed at the Battle of Tuscumbia, Alabama, April 24, 1863. So now she is alone, so THE MAJOR is sent a letter from Wesleyan REVEREND PRESIDENT FISK Rev. Finch to take over her guardianship. MAJOR then approves her engagement and subsequent marriage to HARRALD NEALM so she will be provided for, no more





3-Graduation of VONDA LACEY from Wesleyan Ladies' College-Scene


  Attendance by HARRALD NEALM, but possibly/probably not THE MAJOR OR THE CAPTAIN





4-WEDDING OF VONDA LACEY TO HARRALD NEALM at Macon, Georgia, CSA, with REVEREND PRESIDENT FISK RUFUS A. FISK giving away VONDA LACEY as her new Guardian, third cousin MAJOR SHERROD LACEY NELSON is unable to attend. Check battles in May 1863.





       


-May-Graduation of VONDA LACEY from Wesleyan Ladies' College. Keynote Speaker is Miz Prescelia June Leigh Hargrove of Twenty-three Oaks Plantation, Cameron's Crossing, South Alabama, CSA, and Amelia CourtHouse, Virginia, CSA. Graduate of Wesleyan Ladies' College 1857. Wife of Junior Dee Hargrove of Twenty-Three Oaks Plantation, Cameron's Crossing, South Alabama, who encounters MAJOR SHERROD LACEY NELSON and CAPTAIN JUDSON HEATH via Confederate Army


        -May-Wedding of VONDA LACEY to HARRALD NEALM-Brunsmoor, South Georgia, CSA


May-JOHN YANCEY transfers to TALLAMASSEE PLANTATION as WHITE OVERSEER from OWANS PLANTATION, Ellabell, East Georgia, after Owner of OWANS is killed at Battle of Bayou Pierre, MS, May 2, 1863


    -August-WHITE OVERSEER whips OBAX, WALTER, in cotton field, morning after OBAX tells fortune in kitchen; TRULEE fatally injured in accident with harrow


        -late August-slave funeral for TRULEE, OBAX officiates, MATTIE, WALTER, ALEC present, WHITE OVERSEER conspicuously absent


        -early September-OBAX, WALTER, ALEC, MATTIE sold by Tallamassee Plantation, Millen, East Georgia, to BLACK-MOOR Plantation, Brunsmoor, South Georgia, at East Augusta GA Slave Market, AUCTIONEER HARRALD NEALM


1864-November-


        -24-THE CAPTAIN visits BLACK-MOOR PLANTATION, insists OBAX predict the outcome of the upcoming Battle of Buck head Creek


        -25-THE CAPTAIN visits his married lover VONDA NEALM in Brunsmoor, South Georgia


        -26-THE CAPTAIN rides to Savannah, GA to meet with General Bradd's aide and to collect dispatches for THE MAJOR


        -27-late evening, THE CAPTAIN returns to the CSA encampment on the ridge above Buck Head Creek. Scene between the CAPTAIN and THE MAJOR


    -28-BATTLE OF BUCK HEAD CREEK. Casualties, 600 CSA. THE MAJOR is killed


        -December-Brunsmoor, South Georgia-HARRALD NEALM forms NIGHTS OF THE PALE LOTUS, a reactionary NIGHT-RIDER faction. Includes BLACK-MOOR PLANTATION OVERSEER JOHN YANCEY (MASSA JOHN), THE CAPTAIN JUDSON HEATH, tenant farmer BOBBY YOAKES, 9 others


1865-April 9-surrender at Appomattox


1869-November-NIGHTS OF THE PALE LOTUS MEETING-


        Cross-Burning, HARRALD NEALM killed accidentally


1870-February-NIGHTS OF THE WHITE LOTUS MEETING-


        THE CAPTAIN (JUDSON HEATH) is now FIRST COMMANDER


1870-March-CROSS BURNING         


              -Lynching of WALTER




















                                                            ACT ONE





                        ACT ONE, SCENE ONE:





                  (Lights up-dim.)





                      Georgia, 1870, March





        ( Nighttime. Near swamp.                    Mist wafts low to ground          in places. Low white          buildings in stage right                            background, in poor          repair. Former slave          quarters for Black-Moor          Plantation.


        Crickets sing in          background. In the swamp a          night bird screeches at          locating its prey.)





        (An eight-foot cross burns          in Stage Center          foreground, at right          angle to stage front,          facing swamp to stage          left. Cross is green wood          smeared with pitch: it          burns hot, burns bright,          burns long.)





                  (Lights down. Scene                              change. Lights up-          dim.)


                 


                  (A tall black man stands in                              near foreground. His face is                              badly bruised, especially on                              forehead and cheekbones.                              His hair is closely cropped.                              His eyes          are downcast but                              head is held erect. He wears                              only a white loincloth stained                    with sweat and blood. Behind                              his back          his hands are                                        restrained with two thick                              twists of wide hemp rope. His                    bare feet are crossed one over                    the other, with the right                              resting atop the left, in                              mockery of the Crucifixion.)





                            (Lights down. Scene                                        change. Lights up-dim.)





                            (A stooped dark-complected                                        elderly woman          stands in the                                        shadows among the swamp                                                  willows. Her white hair is                                        close-cropped. Her face is                                        heavily          wrinkled,but her eyes                              are still very bright. Her                                        expression is sad and downcast,                              yet determined. Tears make                                        runnels on both her cheeks.)








OBAX: Kain't save 'im. Kain't save 'im. He gone now. Walter. Too late. Like the rest. Walter gone. My baby lost. Kill 'em all!





                    (OBAX sinks to knees, palms                              on dirt.)


                 


                            (Lights down. Lights up.)





                  (Noose around          WALTER'S throat,                    rope leading up to high                                        branch. Several men cloaked in                    gray unbleached muslin, flat                              to head, two eye slits and two                    tinier nostril slits.)         





                  (FIRST NIGHT-RIDER kicks a                              barrel from behind WALTER                              toward WALTER'S feet. He                              and  SECOND NIGHT-RIDER, a                              shorter,          rotund, figure,                              force WALTER to back up                                        against the barrel. His left                              foot bumps it and he stumbles,                    nearly falls.)


                  (SECOND NIGHT-RIDER on                                        WALTER'S          left chortles, FIRST                    NIGHT-RIDER on his right                              growls at both.)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER: Shut up, you! Keep the noise down! There be howlin' enough here in a minute when we get him up on this barrel and yank on that rope. Don't need no constable out here! Now shut up and help me with this boy!





                  (SECOND NIGHT-RIDER grumbles,                    then glances up and sees FIRST                    NIGHT-RIDER glare at him,                              subsides. Lifts WALTER'S feet                    backward and up on to the                              barrel, first left foot,                              then right foot. Barrel begins                    to tip, s          hifting WALTER                              forward.)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:


                  (Grabs Walter around the knees                    to keep him from tipping                              forward off the barrel.)


CATCH HIM, YOU ASS! We're not hangin' him till we hang him. You almost lost him there.





SECOND NIGHT-RIDER: Wal, he'd just hang anyway did he fall.





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER: AND I SAID NO! Now shut up and do as you were told, or it'll go all the worse for you when we're done over here!





SECOND NIGHT-RIDER:


                  (Visibly shakes and quivers.                              Looks away from FIRST NIGHT-                              RIDER. Straightens          barrel                              under WALTER'S feet. Kicks a                              large stone from nearby so                              that it rests          against the                              front of the barrel for          better                    balance.














(VOICEOVER)


OBAX: NOOOOO! STOP! SAVE MY BABY! NOOOOOOO!


                                                  (inarticulate wailing)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER: Y'all!


                                                          (Releases one arm from around


                                                          WALTER'S knees. Waves left arm                                                            in a horseshoe arc to summon                                                                      six other NIGHT-RIDERS,                                                                                standing at a distance. They                                                                      all move forward eagerly and                                                                      quickly.)





                                                          (Addresses SECOND-NIGHT RIDER.)





                  Where's the pitch, Bobby?





SECOND NIGHT-RIDER: You said NO names!





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:                    (Voice drops alarmingly to a                                                                      very low pitch. Eyes glitter.)





                              Where is the PITCH?





SECOND NIGHT-RIDER:          (Looks away from FIRST NIGHT-                                                                      RIDER, toward Stage Left, in                                                                      the direction of the Swamp.                                                                      Right index finger points to                                                                      barrel.)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:                              (Hisses)


                                      Ah din't hear you, BOBBY.





SECOND NIGHT-RIDER:                              (Whispers)


                                      In the barrel.





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:                    (Growling)


                                      You stood the nigger on top of the barrel of pitch?


                                                          (Shouts)


                                      Bobby, you a godforsaken fool!





                                                (SECOND NIGHT-RIDER:winces)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:                      (softly, addressing THIRD NIGHT-RIDER)


                                      John-get me the torch. NOW.





                                                (THIRD NIGHT-RIDER runs off Stage                                                            Right rear, toward former slave                                                            quarters. Returns with a thick                                                            wooden branch, blazing on one end.)





                                                (FIRST NIGHT-RIDER reaches for the                                                  torch. THIRD NIGHT-RIDER hands it                                                            over, thankfully.)








FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:  John, you and Bobby take the end of the                                        rope. Pull it on my signal-ONLY on my                                                  signal.





                                                (THIRD NIGHT-RIDER AND SECOND                                                            NIGHT-RIDER move to Stage Left,                                                            behind Walter and beyond the huge                                                            oak tree. Both reach                                                                                for the tail end of the rope, which                                                  has          been looped across a long                                                            branch, and whose noose is tight                                                            around WALTER'S neck. They stand                                                            waiting, watching FIRST NIGHT-RIDER                                                  for direction.)








FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:          (Glances at THIRD NIGHT-RIDER and                                                            SECOND-NIGHT RIDER to assure that                                                            they stand in place, on either side                                                  of the rope's end, holding it                                                            tightly.)


                                      John-on my direction.


                                                (Looks up at WALTER, who now is                                                            staring off into the distance Stage                                                  Left, still refusing to meet                                                                      anyone's gaze.)


                                      Any “famous last words,” nigger?


                                     





                                                (WALTER remains silent.)





FIRST NIGHT-RIDER:  THEN DIE, YOU BLACK DEVIL! DIE!


                                                (Touches torch end to the bottom of                                                  the barrel of pitch to ignite it.                                                            Intending the pitch to ignite and                                                            burn before the hanging, he stares                                                  at the barrel fixedly, not giving                                                            directions nor motioning to THIRD                                                            NIGHT-RIDER and SECOND NIGHT-RIDER                                                  to act yet.)





                                      (High-pitched howling rises from Far                                                  Stage Right. Resembles mountain lion,                                                  prevalent in this Swamp.)





                                                (SECOND NIGHT-RIDER twitches at the                                                  howling, yanks rope                                                                                unintentionally, causing THIRD-                                                            NIGHT RIDER to stumble, also                                                                      pulling on rope. WALTER'S body                                                            flies up, his neck broken, just as                                                  barrel of pitch finally ignites.                                                            WALTER'S corpse begins to burn, but                                                  WALTER is already dead of a broken                                                  neck, immediately and almost                                                                      painlessly.)





                                                                    END OF ACT ONE, SCENE ONE


                           


                                                                    (Lights out. Scene change. )