676

by

Lili Pintea-Reed
 

copyright 2004

All rights belong to the author
 

Dedicated to the 676 Civil War soldiers from Chautauqua County, NY

who died in the Civil War

*****

and to all others who have died

hoping to make others free
 

Cast:

List later

Act# 1

Scene# 1

Stage left: stands Frederick Douglass

Stage Right: stands William Lloyd Garrison

Back of Audience Left stands Harriet Beecher Stowe

Back of Audience Right stands Sojourner Truth

Center Stage is divided into two parts.

On One side is an upper class Early Victorian Sitting room

on the other a barn door and a pile of hay

The spotlight falls on Frederick Douglass.

Douglass: Quoting from "Narrative…" "I never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life; each of these times was of short duration, and at night. She was hired out to a Mr. Stewart, who lived some twelve miles from my home. She made her journeys to see me in the night, traveling the whole distance by foot, after performing her day’s work. She was a field hand, and whipping was the penalty for not being in the field by sunrise. I do not recollect ever seeing her by the light of day. "

Light off Douglass.

Left Scene lit. Mother and Daughter are on a the settee reading Douglass Narratives. Father is in the comfortable wing back reading a newspaper.

Mother: (continuing the Douglass narrative) Mr. Douglass writes:
"She was with me in the night. She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone." (Gasps and fans he r face with a handkerchief). Death soon ended what little we could have while she lived, and with it her hardships and suffering. She died when I was about seven years old, on one of my masters farms. " Oh the poor, sad woman driven by her mother’s love to see her baby. Clutches daughter to her. (sobs) Prodded by mother love to deprive herself of rest to try and see her child. Driven to an early grave by such cruelty.! (more handkerchief fanning)

Daughter: Mother you must not allow your enthusiasms to over come you. (she hugs Mother)

Mother: Father please don’t smoke that foul pipe in the sitting room. Its most ungentlemanly.

Father stirs slightly. Apparently he is well aquatinted with his wife’s enthusiasms and her attacks of "the vapors." Rattles the newspaper.

Mother: Father. (pause) Father!

Father: (sighs from behind paper) Yes dear. Yes. Most interesting. The plight of the oppressed. (Settles back to read again puffing the pipe.)

Mother: I wish you’d take this more seriously.

Father: (Loud sigh. Drops the paper) My Dear, I do take this subject most seriously. At this very moment, I am reading a an article on this very subject. And it occurred in our own area, just north of here. It has been reported in the Northern Star. ( He takes the front page of the folded paper forward.) Out of respect for your condition of health I’ve read this in private. (He begins to read aloud).

"A few hours since Anna G. Mabbett was seen upon one of our back roads with a horse and wagon containing besides herself a fugitive slave and his wife, all in women's attire. The slave was about to commence school on the Reservation with the Indians, when his friends learned that the base masters of Slaveocracy were on his track and close upon him, but [their] being put upon the route to Canada-- and not in this instance the right route-- he is safe.... The people of this place and vicinity are giving such indications of their love of Liberty, that we may safely conclude the time is near, if not already at hand, when this region of Western New York will be a safe retreat for the poor panting fugitive."

So my dear, I do indeed take great interest in the subject. (Retreats behind his paper. Rings bell for servant.))

Mother: (surprised) I do apologize my dear. I was just over come with the picture of a mother’s suffering.

Father: (looking kindly at Mother). I do understand my dear. No one questions your fine understanding of mother love.

Mother: (mollified) But what to do, what to do. (sighs)

Father: Let the men folk worry about such matters. It is not seemly to concern yourself excessively on this matter.

Mother: (firmly) All decent Christian women need concern themselves about the alleviation of the suffering of others.

Father: (mumbling) Of course. Of course. (looks heavenward) Here is something of interest to you. Where is that girl? The Irish. (rings bell again more loudly.)

"This is a story told by Elizabeth Comstock, a Quaker who lived in Michigan, and later moved to New York State. A young woman had escaped from slavery, but was being pursued by two men on horseback. With her feet bleeding, and dress soiled and torn, she rushed into a barn, where a plainly dressed Quaker was busy at work. She hurriedly told that slave catchers were close behind."

Light off stage.

Scene #2

Light on Sojourner Truth.

Sojourner: "Children who made your skin white? Was it not God? Who made mine black? Was it not the same God? Am I to blame, therefore, because my skin is black? Does it not cast a reproach on our Maker to despise a part of his children, because he has been pleased to give them a black skin?"

Light off Sojourner Truth.

Stage right set lights up.

A Quaker Farmer is loading hay in a wagon with a wooden pitch fork. A black woman in tattered clothes runs up to him.

Woman: You have to help me! They said you would help me. The bounty hunters found me. (gasps for breath).

Quaker: ( puts down his hay fork) Don't be alarmed.

Woman: They are after me. They’re right behind me. (looks back widely) They said you could help me.

Quaker: Go to James Green at that house (points) and tell him that he must take thee on immediately by the Underground Railway. I will detain the pursuers here, until thou art on the way to Canada. They will never catch thee. Go now. (points to a house down the road painted onto the set.

Woman: (relaxes a bit) Thank you. How can I ever thank you..

Quaker: Please go now. Be free.

Woman exits stage right. The farmer pauses for a moment to collect his wits. An idea hits him. He picks up some boards and nails them over the barn door. Suddenly there is the noise of horses and a wagon. Two rough looking men enter from stage left.

Bounty Hunter #1: Where is she?

The Quaker calmly praying the Lords prayer quietly to himself continues to pitch hay into his wagon.

BH #2: We saw you nail up the barn. Give us that nigger girl now.

They move around the Quaker threateningly.

BH #1: Ya know your breaking the Law. That girl is someone’s property. Ya give her back now.

(He waves a wad of official papers at the Quaker. The other fellow picks up an ax laying nearby. He moves to break down the barn door with the ax.)

Quaker: Young man, thou art now in a free state; we have laws, and thee could go to prison for breaking into another man's premises. I assure thee I have none of thy property there, but if thou wilt not take the word of an honest man and art determined to search my barn, thou must do it legally. Thou wilt have to bring a policeman and a warrant.

BH #1: What you mean? (beckons to other bounty hunter.)

Quaker: (upright and resolute) Thou wilt have to bring a policeman and a warrant. Or I will summon the police to arrest thee.

(The Bounty Hunters step away to talk and mumble between themselves.)

BH #1: Well be back you --- Quaker. I’ll be back. (Shakes his fist.) Don’t you be running away.

Quaker: I don’t intend too.

BH #2 stands by to watch him leaning on the ax.

Light off stage right set.

SCENE #3

Light on Fredrick Douglass.

Douglass: "As to my own treatment while I lived on Col. Lloyd’s plantation, it was very similar to that of other slave children... Our food was coarse corn meal boiled. This was called mush. It was put in a large wooden tray or trough, and set upon the ground. The children were then called like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they wouls come and devour the mush: some with oyster shells, other with pieces of shingles, some with naked hands, and none with spoons. He that ate the fastest got most, he that was the strongest secured the best place; and few ever left the trough satisfied."

Light off Douglass.

Light on Left stage set. The family is still gathered around their reading materials.

Father: (Quoting the paper) "The two men considered what to do, and after a few choice words to the Quaker, agreed that one should stay there and watch that the girl did not make her escape, while the other went to get the warrant.
 

This took some time. First, someone had unhitched their horses. Then, no one seemed willing to tell them were to find a policeman. Finally, the Quaker told them that they had to bring a carpenter as well, since his barn just been painted and he didn't want them to make any marks when they took off boards. After two or three hours, the man returned with the policeman, warrant and a carpenter. During all this time, his companion had kept careful watch on the barn, too see that the girl did not escape. All this time, the Quaker kept nailing up his boards.
 

Finally, after some more discussion about who was going to pay if the barn was damaged, the work was completed and the barn opened. The two men rushed in, only to find the barn empty. They were quite upset. The Quaker waited for them to calm down, and because it was now nighttime, and there was no hotel for miles, he invited the two men to dinner and to stay the night. He also gave them breakfast, but that morning the family ate at nine rather than six as usual. As the men were leaving, the Quaker suggested that it was useless for them to continue, as the girl was probably near Canada by now. However, if they were ever back in the area that they were invited to seek rest and shelter beneath his roof as his house was very open to those who needed it of either race.

The girl did make it to Canada, where she earned her a comfortable living as a skilled dressmaker."

Mother: How extraordinary! (shakes her head in disbelief)

Daughter: Here is Mary now.

Father: (after all this ignoring the waiting girl) Quakers. Strange people. Odd clothes, odd speech, never will fight back. (put paper back up. Seems uncomfortable).

Mother: But very brave in a Christ-like way.

Father: (Drops paper. Stares in irritation at Mother piqued by the truth of her words.) I guess you could say so, yes. (Squirms in his seat.)

Daughter: ( peacemaking) Mary is here Father. (Beckons to the maid shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot.)

Father: Get us some tea girl. Be quick about it. (Pauses)  My Grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War. No one can question my family's bravery.

Mary: Yes sir. (Mary curtseys and runs off fearfully.)

Mother: (placating by changing the subject) She does need a bit of work. I’m afraid I’m not firm enough with her. I found her asleep by the kitchen stove again this morning.

Daughter: Perhaps she was cold mother.

Father: Don’t be impertinent child.

Daughter: Yes father. I’m sorry Mother. (bows head)

(Father looks about at the sad scene and feels guilty.)

Father: Well that Quaker fellow was very brave. (having an honest moment) In truth, I don’t know if I would be that brave.

Daughter: Father!

Mother: (proudly) My Dear, I have never questioned your courage or your honesty. I would never have accepted your proposal if you had not been a man of the finest character. I’m sure you would have been just as brave.

Father: Well... he was very ... resourceful. He did deceive the Bounty Hunters without actually ever lying.

Mother: (clutching her hands together prayerfully) He was not responsible for their foolish jumping to false conclusions.

Father: (laughs) Quite a good trick actually.

(Daughter stares in amazement at her parents.)

Mary: (nervous) Here is your tea sir.

Father: Leave it here. My Dear would you do the honors?

(Mary scuttles away.)

Mother rises and serves the tea to everyone.

Mother: Just a quick cup child and then to bed. (Points at Daughter.)

(Father settles back with his newspapers contentedly.)

Father: Funny folk those Quakers.

Lights out.

End Act #1

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 Please fell free to read and have fun with this sample as long as my credits are attached. For the complete text please contact me at:
 [email protected]
All Frederick Douglass's quotes are from his Narrative
All Newspapers quoted are original news articles from that period, including articles from the North Star and Buffalo area newspapers of the first half of the 1800's.