Sample Act One [with dialect]
Adapted by C. David Claudon
©2004 David Claudon
Note: The play is also available in modern English without dialect.
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Cast of Characters, in order of appearance
(11 men, 12 women, additional musicians & extras possible)
The
wedding party at Belle Taggart's house
take protection from the rain after Kate and Colt's exit.
The original Rich
East High School production, April 2-3, 2004.
Click on the picture to see other photographs of the premiere production.
[Act 1, Scene i. San Antonio.
A public square in front of Belle Taggart’s house. The year is 1948. A Mexican Fiesta is underway. Crowd moves off as train effect goes.
Sound Effect. Train pulling into station, whistle.
Enter JOSH WILEY
and his friend RAFAEL]
JOSH WILEY
Rafael, way set out for fair San Antonio’s college, un here way find ourselves
in thuh garden spot of Teksus. Armed with mah mama’s good will un ya good company,
mah good buddy, here Ah am ready tuh begin skoo un study. Mah hometown of El
Paso gave may birth un mah mama, Victoria Mae Blackstone thuhat great merchant,
raised may. But now, Rafael, Ah shall begin tuh study virtue un philosophy.
Ah have left El Paso un come tuh San Antonio, like uh frog deserting uh small
pond for uh field full of dragonflies.
RAFAEL
Good buddy, Josh Wiley. Ah am glad yew have decided tuh suck thuh sweets of
sweet philosophy. Only, good buddy, while yew might admire virtue un moral discipline,
playze don’t become too sober, so that way suddenly have tuh put thuh stopper
back in thuh bottle. Read Aristotle if yew have tuh—hay’s food for thuh brain--but
don’t forget Day H Lawrence, who shows us thuh fun our bodies can have. Nothing
good comes where no pleasure is taken. In brief, sir, study hard, but party
harder.
JOSH WILEY
Thanks, Rafael, that’s good advice.
If Smiley has gotten off thuh train with our stuff, way can look for uh place
tuh stay that’s fit tuh entertain thuh kind of friends way want tuh make here
in San Antonio. Ah, but wheyt. Who’s this?
RAFAEL
Some show tuh welcome us tuh town.
[Enter BELLE, KATHARINA, BLANCHE, DON PEDRO, and WILL HASTINGS.
JOSH WILEY and
RAFAEL stand by a pillar]
BELLE
Gentlemen, stop badgering may. Ah’ve already told yew thuh conditions. Ah will
not give away mah youngest daughter tuh any suitors before ah have uh husband
for thuh elder. If either of yew love Katharina, cuz ah know yew well un love
yew well, ah give yew permission tuh court her at ya pleasure.
DON PEDRO
[Aside] To sheep her off from here she means. No, she’s too rough [roll
r’s] for me. Say what, Senor Hastings, don’t yew look for a wife?
KATHARINA
So, mother, is it ya will tuh prostitute may tuh these mates?
WILL HASTINGS
Mates, maid! How do yew mean that? No mate for yew, unless yew were of uh gentler,
milder mould.
KATHARINA
Pairs tuh may, sir, yew never need tuh fear. Yew do nothing for may. Oh, ah’m
wrong. Ah’d love tuh hit yew with uh three-legg'd stool un paint ya face un
then use yew like uh fool.
WILL HASTINGS
From all such devils, good Lord deliver us!
DON PEDRO
And me too, good Lord!
RAFAEL
Hush, master! Here's uh great show.
That wench is either crazy or uh bitch.
JOSH WILEY
But in thuh other's silence Ah see uh maid's mild behavior un serious nature.
Quiet, Rafael!
RAFAEL
Well sayud, master; Ah shut up! And yew can gaze yewr fill.
BELLE
Gentlemen, so that Ah may soon git what Ah demand, Blanche git inside thuh house.
And stop pouting, good Blanche, for Ah love yew as much as evur, mah dear.
KATHARINA
God, look how she pretends tuh cloud up un shed great tears.
BLANCHE
Sister, bay happy with mah unhappiness.
Dear
Mama, whatever yew ask Ah humbly obey. Mah books un instruments shall bay mah
company, on uhm tuh look un practice bah mahself.
JOSH WILEY
Listen, Rafael! It’s thuh voice of an angel.
WILL HASTINGS
Miz Belle, will yew bay so cruel? Ah feel awful that our desires cause Blanche
grief.
DON PEDRO
Why will yew lock her up, Senora Belle, for this fiend of hell, and make her
pay the price for this one’s tongue?
BELLE
Gentlemen, enough; Ah have made up mah mind. Go in, Blanche.
[Exit BLANCHE]
And since Ah know she enjoys music, instruments un poetry, Ah’ll hire some private
tutors tuh keep within mah house, fit tuh school her. If yew, Will, or Don Pedro,
yew, know any tutors, send uhm tuh may; for tuh learned men Ah will bay very
kind, un give mah daughters whatever they need. And so goodbye. Katharina, yew
can stay here awhile for Ah have more tuh saey tuh Blanche.
[Exit
BELLE]
KATHARINA
Whut? Ah guess Ah can go in too, if Ah want tuh, kaynt I? Ah’m not uh soldier
having tuh follow commands. Whut, does mah mother thank Ah’m too stupid tuh
know when tuh come un go? Ha!
[Exit KATHARINA]
DON PEDRO
You can go to the devil's mother. She thinks she’s so great but I don’t see
anybody here willing to hold yew. Ah, we’re lost, Senor Hastings. Adios. Yet
I do love that sweet young Blanche. If I can find a man to teach her I will
bring him to her mother.
WILL HASTINGS
So will I, Don Pedro. But one final word, Ah beg yew. Though way both are rivals
for Blanche’s hand, Ah thank way both have tuh do sumpn together.
DON PEDRO
What's that?
WILL HASTINGS
Get uh husband for her sistur.
DON PEDRO
A husband! Ha! A devil.
WILL HASTINGS
Ah saey, un husband.
DON PEDRO
Ah say, a devil. Do yew really think, Senor Hastings, though her mother is very
rich, that any man is stupid enough to be married to hell?
WILL HASTINGS
Hush, Don Pedro. Although neither of us could stand her shrill voice, thayure
has tuh bay some man who would take her for all her faults, as long as thayure
was money enough involved.
DON PEDRO
I don’t know about that. I would rather be beaten with a bullwhip every day
of my life than get her dowry and have listen to her forever.
WILL HASTINGS
Well, as they saey, thayure's not much choice in rotten apples. But come; since
way are forced tuh be friendly allies, let’s agree that bah helping Belle’s
eldest daughter tuh uh husband, way set her youngest free tuh git uh husband.
Sweet Blanche! Well, tuh thuh fastest runner goes thuh prize. Whut do yew saey,
Don Pedro?
DON PEDRO
I agree; and I promise to give the best
horse in San Antonio to anyone who would woo her, wed her, bed her and rid the
house of her! Come.
[Exeunt DON PEDRO and WILL HASTINGS]
RAFAEL
Sir, tell may, is it possible that love can grip yew so suddenly?
JOSH WILEY
O Rafael, till it happened, Ah never believed it possible or likely. But see,
while idly Ah stood looking on, Ah fell in love. And now Ah confess tuh yew,
Rafael, Ah burn, Ah pine, Ah die, Rafael, if Ah don’t win this young modest
girl. Counsel may, Rafael, for Ah know yew can; help may, Rafael for Ah know
yew will.
RAFAEL
Master, it is not thuh tom tuh criticize yew now. If love has taken hold, thayure’s
nothing tuh do but pursue it.
JOSH WILEY
Thanks, lad, tell may what Ah should do.
RAFAEL
Friend, while yew look'd so longingly on thuh maid, perhaps yew failed tuh see
thuh key thing.
JOSH WILEY
O yah, Ah did, Ah saw sweet beauty in her face.
RAFAEL
Ya-all didn’t see anything else? Didn’t yew see how her sistur began tuh scream
un raise up such uh storm that mortal ears could hardly bear thuh noise.
JOSH WILEY
Rafael, Ah saw her coral lips tuh move
un with her honey’d breath she did perfume thuh air. Sacred un sweet was all
Ah saw in her.
RAFAEL
[aside] Ah guess it’s tom tuh wake him from his trance.
Wake
up, sir. Few’all love thuh maid, try tuh figure out how tuh win her. Here’s
thuh deal. Her eldest sistur is so foul un shrewd that until they git rid of
her, mah friend, ya love has tuh live uh maid locked away at home. And thayurefor,
her mother has locked her up, so she won’t bay annoyed with suitors.
JOSH WILEY
Ah, Rafael, what uh cruel mother’s she!
But wheyt, didn’t she suggest she wanted
cunning schoolmasters tuh instruct her?
RAFAEL
Yew are rot, sir; un so that’s it!
JOSH WILEY
Ah have it, Rafael.
RAFAEL
Buddy, give may yur hand . . .
Both our minds meet un jump in one.
JOSH WILEY
Tell may yours first.
RAFAEL
Yew will bay uh schoolmaster un undertake thuh teaching of thuh maid. That's
ya plan?
JOSH
WILEY
It is. May it bay done?
RAFAEL
Not possible; for who’s gunna play ya-all’s part, un bay Victoria Mae Blackstone's
son here in San Antonio, keep his house un study, welcome his friends, visit
his countrymen un banquet uhm?
JOSH WILEY
Quiet; I’ve already figured that out.
way haven’t yet been seen in any house,
nor can anyone distinguish bah our faces--
which is student
or which is buddy. So, yew will bay student, Rafael, in mah place, keep mah
house un servants. Ah will become someone else, some Louisianian, some Mexican,
or some other stranger tuh this place. So let’s git busy. Rafael, take off ya
suit coat. Here is mah hat un coat. When Smiley comes, he waits on yew, but
Ah will make him promise tuh hold his tongue.
RAFAEL
Yew had better. Well, sir, since yew’ve made up ya mind un Ah am a good buddy
who cares for yew, which is what ya mama made may promise at our parting. 'Do
whatever yew can do tuh help mah son,' sayud she, although Ah thank she meant
it uh different way. Kay, so Ah will bay pleased tuh bay Josh Wiley, cuz Ah
love Josh Wiley.
JOSH WILEY
Rafael, bay Josh Wiley cuz Josh Wiley loves. And let may bay uh slave, tuh achieve
that maid whose sudden sight captured mah gaze. Here comes thuh simpleton.
[Enter SMILEY]
Kay, Smiley, where have yew been?
SMILEY
Where have Ah been! No! Where are yew? Boss, has Rafael stolen ya clothes? Or
have yew stolen his? Or both? Whut's thuh news?
JOSH WILEY
Come here quickly. This is no tom for jokes. Yur fellow Rafael here, tuh save
mah life, puts on mah clothes un assumes mah identity, un Ah tuh escape have
put on his. For in uh quarrel since Ah got off thuh train, Ah kill'd uh man
un people saw may do it. Become his servant un serve him, while Ah git away
from here tuh save mah life. Yew understand may?
SMILEY
Not uh bit.
JOSH WILEY
Don’t
call him Rafael. Rafael has changed into Josh Wiley Blackstone.
SMILEY
Thuh better for him. Ah wish Ah could have such fortune.
RAFAEL
So could Ah, boy, tuh have thuh next wish after, that Josh Wiley indeed had
Miz Belle's youngest daughter. But, servant, not for mah sake, but ya master's,
Ah advise yew look how yew act. When Ah am alone, then Ah am Rafael; but everywhere
else Ah’m Master Josh Wiley.
JOSH WILEY
Rafael, let's git going. Thayure’s one more thing that yew have tuh do, make
yewur one of thuh wooers. Few ask may why, let may just saey thayure’s good
reason for it, un Ah’ll explain it as way go.
[Exeunt]
Proposed Setting
for the premiere production at Rich East High School:
