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Old 03-14-2005, 10:10 PM   #1
MalReynolds
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Default Another Short Play

This one may seem random, but I like it. A lot more than I thought I would.

Grand Tower
by Michael Gettings

(Lights up on a man sitting on a bench, in what appears to be some kind of building. He’s very laid back, when a woman enters. The lights go up on the rest of the stage and show six men sitting around a table, waiting.)

Woman: William? They’re ready to see you now… (Under her breath) God help you.

(The young man, WILLIAM, enters the chamber with the woman and has a seat beside the table. The men look him over.)

Woman: Before the honorable high council and Almighty God, do you swear to tell the whole truth?

William: What God?

(Silence)

Trent: Regina, you can leave.

(The woman exits)

Gregor: Do you know why we called you in here, Mr. Trentson?

(William doesn’t move)

Gregor: Your crops are all dead.

(Silence)

Gregor: You didn’t attend worship on the Sabbath…

(Silence)

Gregor: You’ve become a sloth, Mr. Trentson. That’s a deadly sin.

William: Fine. I don’t care.

(Silence)

Adam: Why? Why spurn God? Why kill your crops? There are people in this town that depend on you…

William: Funny, everyone seems to be doing fine.

Trent: That’s enough.

William: Shut up, old man.
Gregor: Stop bickering this instant.

(Silence)

William: Adam… Ten years we’ve known each other.. You were there. You were there when we buried them six days ago. You ministered it…

Adam: Don’t.

William: (To the council) My family is gone. Dead. They were murdered when I was out picking up a study Bible for Thom.

(Silence)

William: Where was God then?

Gregor: He has a plan for all of us, Mr. Trentson.

William: That doesn’t make it fair.

Gregor: What is fair doesn’t matter. What you contribute to the town and God matters, and right now, that’s nothing.

William: What has the town and… the town done for me?

Adam: The clothes on your back, your house, the roads you walk on…

William: Then take my clothes! Take my house! Damn the roads! I don’t care. I stopped… I just don’t.

(Silence)

Gregor: Mr. Trentson, if you’ll please step outside. We need to confer in private.

(William exits, and the lights go down on the Council, while still on William)

William: Animals… “For the good of the town”… “For the admiration of all”… “For God’s love”… For the love of God, what’s wrong with these people!?

(Adam appears)

Adam: (Morosely) You can come back in, William.

(William enters)

Gregor: We find you obsolete, serving no one but yourself. We have no choice but to exile you to the wastes.

William: Good.

Gregor: Unless you do a favor for us.

William: Go to hell.

(Gregor blushes and William rises to leave)

Gregor: William, stay put.

William: WHAT?! OUT WITH IT!

Gregor: Outside of town, naught fifty miles is…

(William interrupts)

William: The Grand Tower.

Gregor: Exactly. The High Council has chosen you for this… mission. At the top of the tower, there is a fruit of a magical nature. An ap-ple. A green ap-ple.

William: Good for it.

Gregor: And a red ap-ple and an orange ap-ple.

William: I’m leaving.

Gregor: WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LISTEN?!

(William sits)

Gregor: The green ap-ple. That’s the important one. The red ap-ple, the orange ap-ple, they lead to death… But… William, whoever is in possession of the fruit… 7 wishes. Seven.

William: Bullshit.

Gregor: Our Scholars have been researching the tower for years… But if you’re not interested, leave.

(William rises to leave)

Gregor: But one wish… one wish could bring them back.

(William stops in his tracks)
Gregor: One wish could fix everything. All you would need to do is go and retrieve the green ap-ple.

William: (Obviously torn) I… Can’t.

Gregor: I see. You know where the door is. If you’re not out of the town by nightfall, we will send guards to your house.

William: No, I can’t… I can’t see colors.

(Long silence)

Adam: William, will you excuse us please?

(William exits, the lights shift again, again on William)

William: My family dies, and my one chance to bring them back… And I can’t see what will help me the most… (Looks up, indicates to God) If you are real, you’re a trickey bastard, you know that?

(Adam enters)

Adam: Come in, William.

(William enters, Gregor rises. Adam stands by the door)

Gregor: It has been… the decision of the Council to… have me accompany you. Me and Adam. We’ll take you to the tower, but you lead the way once we’re there. You find the traps, you set them off. I’m just there to pick up the prize.

William: But I get my family back?

Gregor: Yes.

William: When do we leave?

Gregor: Immediately. Get your belongings.

(Gregor, Adam and William exit. The Council is left on stage)

Trent: He’s gone.

John: Good riddance to trash.

Abel: What we did was right.

John: No, not right. Necessary.

Trent: He has a sense of humor… Colorblind?

Abel: This is more of a blessing. We get rid of that scum, Gregor.

John: But poor William.

Trent: The ends… They justify the means.

Abel: Amen.

(Blackout)

(Light’s up on Adam, Gregor and William, sitting around a fire)

William: (Referencing a map) We should be there by high noon, if we start walking at daybreak.

Adam: How tall is the tower?

Gregor: No one knows. The only person to come out alive wasn’t very alive.

(Silence)

Adam: William, I didn’t get a chance to say it in front of the Council, but I’m so sorry.

William: It’s not your fault… I always told myself, “Lock the door, tell the kids to lock the door, tell Abigail to lock the door, lock the door.” If I had… They might still… Lock the goddamned door.

(Silence)

Gregor: It’s not your fault.

Adam: They’ll be back before you know it.

William: I don’t think they meant for me to come back.

(Silence)

Adam: I don’t think they meant for any of us to come back.

William: They wouldn’t sacrifice two Council Members.
Gregor: They would me.

Adam: What?

Gregor: They would get rid of me as soon as they could. They hate me.

William: Why?

Gregor: Because I did what was right.

(Lights dim on the group. As the light increases on the other side of the stage, Gregor continues talking as the story is carried out)

Gregor: I was seventeen, with a father, a widower. My mother died during childbirth. My father… Was all politics. He wanted more than anything to be a council member, and the way things were going, he would be one in no time.

(The father smiles, shakes someone’s hand, but begins coughing)

Gregor: He started coughing up blood. I didn’t know what it meant, so I ran to the library and looked in the Medical Archives. He had Myxyamatosis… It would kill him in seven days, and spread before that period to many more people. My father would have killed the village. I did what I had to do. I told the Council.

(The father is pulled off stage, screaming)

Gregor: He was exiled. Word got out that I sold out my own father, and people started looking down on me. “Honor thy father,” they would say to me. But I did what was right.

(The lights come back up on the group. William looks sympathetic, Adam looks appalled)

Adam: But…

William: I think it’s time we went to sleep.

Adam: But…

William: NOW, Adam.

(Adam walks offstage)

William: I’m sorry.

Gregor: It’s not your fault.

William: Ha… Couldn’t you wish for your father back?

Gregor: I could.

William: Then why not?

Gregor: Why? What purpose would it serve the town?

William: What about you?

Gregor: I’m not important anymore.

(Silence)

William: We’re all… unimportant.

Gregor: Yes, well, I think I too shall turn in for the night.

William: Goodnight.

Gregor: Goodnight, Mr. Trentson.

William: It’s William.

(Blackout)

Trent: (In blackout) They should be reaching the tower…

Adam: (In blackout) God help us all…

(Lights up on the trio climbing the stairs to the tower, where they enter. On a pedestal sits a map. Gregor rushes ahead and picks it up. A loud thump is heard as the door closes behind them)

Adam: What was that?

Gregor: (Looking at the map) What was what?

William: That noise… (Walks to the Pedestal, and examines where the map was) Oh… damn.

Adam: Oh damn? What oh damn?

William: “Removal of the map, the quest doth begin… Find the fruit, or never leave again. A snake God, Dreskle, now is loose, to this monster there is no truce. Reach the fruit or lives are at end, for only the fruit will this creature fend.”

Gregor: Oh damn…

Adam: Dreskle? Wasn’t that…

Gregor: We can’t stay here. Let’s get moving.

(They cross to the stairs and climb.)

(Blackout)

(IN BLACKOUT: Loud slithering and hissing is heard…)

(Lights come up)

Adam: Who else heard that?

William: I did.

Gregor: I did.

Adam: …damn.

William: Why is this such a problem?

Gregor: What?

William: The tower. It’s been three floors, and no danger.

(A statue turns to face them)

Adam: Who else saw that?

Gregor: Adam, shut up.

Statue: You may pass if you answer the riddle of Tri-Statue. If you fail, death awaits. How many birthdays does a man have?

Adam: Is this an average?

(Silence)

William: One.

Statue: You… may pass.

(William passes, and Adam tries to follow, but the statue speaks)

Statue: You may not pass. Johnny’s mother has three children…

Adam: Johnny?

Statue: SILENCE! Named April, May and who else?

Adam: …Ju…Johnny!

Statue: You may pass.

(Gregor is left alone on this side of the statue, when hissing is heard from offstage)

Statue: You may not pass. What does a cow drink?

Gregor: Easy. Milk.

Statue: Wrong. A cow drinks water.

Gregor: Shit…

(The Statue raises a stone hand)

Gregor: WAIT! You never specified what age the cow was. A cow could be a calf or a bull… In it’s young years, it does drink milk!

Statue: Very… Well… You may pass.

(The hissing grows louder and Gregor darts towards the stairs, and the lights blackout. They come up again on the council.)

Trent: There’s not enough.

John: There will be.

Abel: We hope.

John: Let us pray to God, that William returns safely with the ap-ple… And with nothing else.

(Blackout)

(Lights up on the trio again, this time faced with a wide open floor)

Gregor: This looks easy.

William: A book by it’s cover, Gregor.

Adam: Yeah… (Adam is hit full force by something unseen) Ahh!

Gregor: What was that?

(He is knocked to the ground)

(William picks up a dowel from the floor and swings wild, like hitting at a piñata. Adam and Gregor get back up and begin punching wildly. Adam is thrown and Gregor is lowered to the floor as if in a chokehold. During this time, red is placed at the end of the dowel to create the illusion that William is hitting the thing. He hits it off of Gregor’s back, where it lands on Adam. Adam struggles to breathe, Gregor and William lift the invisible monsters corpse off of Adam.)

William: What was AHHH! (He is knocked to the ground as Gregor and Adam fight the new monster off, killing it. Suddenly, hissing is heard from offstage)

(The three try to run to the door, and trip over a corpse (invisible), but the door is locked. The hissing grows louder as Gregor, William and Adam try to find a key on the corpses. They finally find it as the hissing grows louder, and they dart offstage.)

(Blackout)

(In the blackout, the council is heard talking over each other, about famine, when the lights come back on. There’s a ladder that leads to a door in the ceiling, which William goes and climbs.)

Gregor: According to the map, this is it. The floor before the prize.

Adam: Ha! We made it!

(The hissing is heard from offstage)

Gregor: William, go ahead up… I have some business to take care of with this snake.

Adam: Gregor, this isn’t a good idea.

Gregor: I can handle it!

Adam: I’m staying too. Just go, William!

(William exits)

(Gregor moves behind Adam, while the hissing grows louder.)

Gregor: Wait for it… Wait for it…

(Grabs Adam from behind and cuts his throat.)

Gregor: That oughta keep it busy.

(He climbs the ladder and greets William)

Gregor: It got Adam… Oh…

(All the pedestals are empty, except one.)

Gregor: What is this?

William: What were the effects of taking the wrong fruit?

Gregor: Insanity.

William: What happened to only other survivor of the tower?

Gregor: … Insanity.

(The hissing is heard from beside, and Gregor slams the door. The Snake bangs against it repeatedly, trying to gain entrance)

Gregor: Take the fruit! Wish it away!

William: I wish Dreskle away!

Gregor: Goodbye, dad.

William: What?

Gregor: After he was exiled, I didn’t know what happened to him… He was so bitter.

William: Gregor, why is there blood on your knife?

Gregor: Ahh… I knew I should have cleaned that…

William: What?

Gregor: Give me the fruit. (Extends the knife in a threatening manner)

William: What would your father say, Gregor?

Gregor: He would tell me to go to hell. He didn’t have a disease… He did have money. Money that he was holding out on until he died. Getting him exiled was the next best thing.

William: Why… Why?

Gregor: Because money talks. Kingdom of God or no, money got me onto the council. Money let me ride to the top. Money hired the bandits, money killed your family.

(William slumps to the floor)

William: Why…

Gregor: The whole land is falling apart, William. The whole land. We need this… We need this to restore order, and peace, and faith… But we had no one to send… No one suicidal enough that would actually do this… We had to give you a reason. And Adam, he spoke so highly of your love for your wife and children… He neglected to mention the fact that you’re colorblind… that threw a big problem our way. But the Council wasn’t up for murdering another family… Hell, it took enough persuasion on my part to get yours killed. Boy, did they feel bad about it… So they decided to send me. Tried to get rid of me. Ha… They sent Adam so I wouldn’t betray you.

William: I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch.

Gregor: Ah, ah… not right now. I know with the life I’m leading, I’m not getting into Heaven… And I’ll be damned if I go to hell. I wish for eternal and everlasting life.

(Gregor begins to choke, and dies)

William: In the kingdom of Heaven you shall have everlasting life. I wish for… My family back… That they remember nothing of being dead.

(Blackout)

William: And now to have a chat with the Council.

(Lights up, William bursts into the Council chamber)

William: Was my family worth it? WAS IT? (Throws the fruit to Trent)

Trent: Where’s Gregor?

William: With his Father.

John: How did you find out about your family?

William: Gregor has a surprisingly big mouth… he told me everything. Why?

Abel: Because, William. People are… losing faith… Crops are dying, people are dying… With this, we can make it all better… But… How many wishes did you use?

William: I used two. FlapJack McGee used one.

Abel: Four left… Barley enough to restore order.

John: Thank you, William. You’ve done a great service to this town.

(William gets up, frustratedly and leaves)

Abel: Send the guard after him. He can’t tell anyone…

(Blackout)

Trent: Under proclamation of the High Council, the Heretic William Solberman will be executed at dawn, by hanging. He is responsible for the death of Gregor Stanley and Adam Washington. May his blood restore peace to our land.

Abel: I wish peace would come to our land.

Trent: May his blood restore order.

Abel: I wish order world come to our land.

Trent: May his blood restore FAITH!

Abel: I wish faith were restored.

William: God help us all…

(Lights up on William’s Family on stage. John walks up to them)

John: I’m sorry to hear about your husband…

William’s Wife: Don’t be. He’s getting what he deserves… Murdering those people, going against the church.

John: May his blood restore our land.

William’s Wife: We can only pray. Come, children. Let’s go home… And lock the doors.

-----

End

Mal
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Old 03-15-2005, 11:15 AM   #2
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Hot damn, that was great. Fantastic twists.
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Old 03-15-2005, 11:59 AM   #3
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Default RE: Another Short Play

Mal, you know I just love your writings.
Of course, I really enjoyed this play.
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Old 03-15-2005, 02:05 PM   #4
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Default RE: Another Short Play

that was good.
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Old 03-15-2005, 02:11 PM   #5
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Default RE: Another Short Play

Good stuff, Mal. I'm happy to see you posting more often.
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Old 03-15-2005, 09:11 PM   #6
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Default RE: Another Short Play

I especially loved how you played with audience. One minute they're sympathetic with Gregor the victim, and the next they despise Gregor the villain.
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Old 03-16-2005, 09:28 PM   #7
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Default RE: Another Short Play

Thanks for the input. I'm going to make a few amendments to the script as follows:

The time between the death and the mission is now one month instead of six days.
There were three apples. One, insanity, but I never mentioned the other one. Dreskle got it, and it transformed him into a snake because of his embittered soul.

Mal
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"A new take on the epic fantasy genre... Darkly comic, relatable characters... twisted storyline."

"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, Ill give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor


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