Tea......Short Play In Thee Acts

Erwin H. Lerner’s

TEAA short play in three acts by

Contact: Erwin H. Lerner

34 Morton Street 2C New York, NY 10014(212) [email protected]

CHARACTERS:

BRANDY MACGRINGER age 18, mulatto, feminist.

BLUE JAY JONES age 29, black-Nootka Indian, light-heavyweight,

Okinawan karate master.

RIGHTTIME BLUFF age 28, black, big, bushy-haired,ranges from Sambo to Camus.

"ENGLISH" TOBY O'BRIEN age 29, white, menacing, paranoic.

AMMI WHITE age 20, white, 1960s "flower-

child"

ULYSSES WATERS age 33, black, light-heavyweight,strong, angry.

BOSTON WATERS age 76, Ulysses' father, black, strong,

contemplative, self-educated.

PETER MACGRINGER age 55, white, Brandy's father

REDWOOD MCDEAL age 48, white, sprightly,

opportunist.

SCENE

A barn fashioned after a 17th-century English sailingvessel, situated on a small farm at Middlesex County,Massachusetts. Constructed in colonial times andpatched piecemeal during its history, were a flood todrown planet Earth this ark wouldn't float.

Several unlit lanterns placed on nails in beams andposts. Soiled hay strewn on floor. Stored about, farmimplements of Plymouth Colony vintage: hoe; forkedhoe; sickle, weeding tongs, metal sheathed shovel,plow, harrow, farm cart. Rear-Center, hatchway andstairs to Below. Front-Left, ramp to Hayloft, severalbales of hay. Left-Rear, passageway to side portal.Right-Rear, portal to barnyard.

TIME

Sunday, December 12, 1773. 4:45 A.M

AT RISE

Portals closed. Hatchway open. Colors contrast as night turnsto day, dark to light. Visible portion of sky at sunriseand starlight through spaces and knotholes in planking. Mildwind blows through. Front-Right, AMMI WHITE sound asleepbetween several Indian blankets; warn raccoon skin coat,musette bag and canteen nearby.

After a moment:

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

BRANDY MACGRINGER(Enters Right-Rear, looks about; calls)

Blue Jay? You ought to be hiding on me!

BLUE JAY JONES(Appears in loft; wears long johns)

Hush, girl! Let our inebriated friend sleep itoff.

BRANDY (Sees BLUE JAY) Ammi White passed out so drunk last night,thunder wouldn’t wake him. What are you about,Blue Jay? Prowling in your long underwear;tapping on my window at half-past four of clockin the morning, whispering loud: “Girl, I needyou and your mending needle in the hayloft.”

BLUE JAY Hurry and give me your mending needle.

BRANDYWhat makes you so cocksure I own a mendingneedle? All you want to do is trap me upthere.

BLUE JAY That’s your wishful thinking

BRANDY Two times you equals zero.

BLUE JAYBrandy, a splinter in my backside is killingme.

BOLTED PORTAL RIGHT-REARRATTLES LOUDLY FROM OUTSIDE

1

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

BRANDY(Startled)

Uh-oh! If that's my poppa, he'll shoot you forbeing half-naked near me.

BLUE JAYHaul your body topside, and let’s hide!

BRANDY Molest me and suffer for it, fool!

(BOTH quickly Exit to Hayloft)

2

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

ULYSSES WATERS(After a moment, Enters Right-Rear, wears racoon fur jacket and cap; mud- soiled boots, leggings, stockings,

pants; brusquely nudges AMMI WHITE with foot)

Hit the deck!

AMMI WHITE (Startled, awakens; during following;

sleepily rises; locates musette bag, canteen; prepares herbal potion

Odysseus? Ulysses!

ULYSSES (During following, removes boots, clothing down to HIS underwear and stockings; covers himself with

blanket)I gave you clear instructions: politelyintroduce yourself to my father, steal a pairof his old boots, and bring them to me atWigwam Brook.

AMMI Forgive me if I’ve failed you, Master.

ULYSSES I’m not your master.

AMMI(During following, ingests potion,

rinses his face, generally revives)

Indentured servants and slaves are captivestaken in just wars, or such as willingly sellthemselves.

ULYSSES

3

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

You’ve upset my plan to murder Captain Whipplethe slave-monger. I’d have turned loose hischattel, commandeered his yawl, and set sail tofreedom land.

AMMIThe story ends with our footprints in the snow,leading from the slaughterhouse to the gallows.

ULYSSES Our trail would be washed away. There’s astorm brewing: red sunrise over the horizon;rising temperature; easterly wind changed tonor’easterly.

4

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

AMMIPicture the bright side: today is yourfather's seventy-sixth birthday. Last evening,I drank far too much rum In celebration— toappear sociable, mind you, lest he suspect I’mthe devil’s advocate.

ULYSSES Boston Waters got you drunk to lure me here. (During following, removes stone, flint,

wooden match from AMMI's musette bag, gathers small mound of hay)

Seems like a lifetime ago, I was at Kingston onJamaica Island, near death with fever, bloodrunning out my nose; along comes you, mumblingbiblical passages, forcing herbs down mythroat. Lord knows how I convalesced and whyyou volunteered to be my indentured servant fora year. Well, come midnight, our stupidagreement is over with. (Strikes match and flint against stone

to ignite hay)"And God divided the light from the darkness."

AMMIMaster, your kindling lies perpendicular totwenty half-barrels of your father’s gunpowder.

ULYSSES Hell's fire and damned nations!

(Hastily extinguishes lit hay strands)

AMMI He stores it for fireworks displays.

ULYSSES You would buy that coverup lie! Boston Waters’pipedream is to blow-up rum distilleries, and

5

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

dismember the slave triangle. What troubles meis, last night at Wigwam Brook, I spied acampfire built leeward a rockpile. A largeblack buck— tall, heavy-set, bushy-haired;sporting a long-bone earring through his noseand a sash about his tubby waist— walkingguard, protecting two asleep white men,carrying a blunderbuss like it were a babe inarms.

AMMIA blunderbuss! Is that the weapon with a bell-shaped muzzle, projects a shower of nails,stones, lead slugs, lethal at close range?

ULYSSES That’s it for a fact!

AMMIWe’d best notify your father.

ULYSSES You’d best steal me a pair of his boots.

AMMIMaster, your command is my wish.

(Genuflects, Exits Right-Rear)

BRANDY (OFF in hayloft; eerily)

O’ stupid voice in the wilderness.

ULYSSES (Startled, looks up; calls)

Who dat up dere?

BRANDYWho dat down dere, asking who dis up here?

(Climbs down from hayloft) Useless Waters, the original snake in the

6

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

grass, done slithered home!

ULYSSES Brandy! Look at you, grown all full-breasted.Girl, give me a welcome home handful.

BRANDY (Descends ramp)

You’ve grown into a windbag in dirtyunderpants.

BLUE JAY (Appears fully dressed atop hayloft

ramp) Brandy, alert Major Waters to the Wigwam Brooksituation.

BRANDY (To BLUE JAY) Alert whom you please. I won’t be man-ipulated, man-euvered, or man-handled.

7

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

ULYSSES (Gives BLUE JAY the once over)

Whom is this dapper Dan?

BLUE JAYI’m your worst threat, Master Waters!

BRANDY Useless, meet Blue Jay Jones; Blue Jay, shakehands with Useless Waters and come outfighting.

ULYSSES Brandy, advise this fop that I’ve foughtprofessional fisticuffs in the prize ring.

BLUE JAY(Descends ramp)

I’ve heard-tell of a runaway slave calledTroubled Waters.

ULYSSES Say what? I'll whup your butt to a pulp! (Throws left-right punches at BLUE JAY)

BLUE JAY (Centers HIMSELF, employs Okinawan karate; blocks punches, sends ULYSSESto floor with well-placed kick to the

knee) Gheeyyaagh! Kyaakh! Haagh!

BRANDY(Announces)

The winner and still a chump, Blue Jay Jones.

BLUE JAY Ulysses Waters, let push come to shove betwixtus and I'm liable to dismember you with a

8

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

cutlass. Right now, excuse me; the majorrequires to be alarmed and initiate emergencyprocedures.

(Exits Right-Rear)

BRANDY Useless, Blue Jay Jones teaches me Okinawa handand foot fighting. Would you care to feel myelbow jammed in your throat?

9

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

AMMI(Enters Left with dry garments on his

arm)Master, your father sends his felicitations anddry garments.

(Gives ULYSSES clothing)

ULYSSES (Takes garments)

You denounced me to him! Where’s any boots?

BOSTON WATERS (Enters Right-Rear, carrying a pair of boots concealed behind him; eyes ULYSSES critically)

Mistress MacGringer, set perimeter traps andunmark pitfalls; lock and load all mortars,swivel guns, cannon and muskets.

BRANDYYes, Uncle Boston.

BOSTONMister White, lend her assistance.

AMMI Yes, Major.

(HE and BRANDY Exit Left-Rear)

ULYSSES (Guffaws)

Since when are you Major Waters?

BOSTON(Tosses boots at ULYSSES’ feet)

Since never you mind! To what do I owe thedispleasure of your company?

ULYSSES

10

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

I'm passing through to learn if you’ve postedmy manumission bond.

BOSTONYes and no: no, I have not; yes, I shall notwhile you cherish your slave mentality.

11

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

ULYSSES (During following, dons clothing,

boots)Did Ammi White squeal about me, signing onboard Captain George Walrus to jump ship atKingston Harbor and search for my mother— youremember my mother, Hagar? One night, duringthe middle passage from Africa with the holdfull of dead, sick and dying black cargo,Walrus drank himself into a stupor and boastedas how he’d raped the slave woman Hagar. andthrew her overboard to be shark-feed. I addedscurvy rot to his fish chowder, but Walrus mademe swallow a taste before he’d eat it. I’dtaken sick, and the fiend cast me adrift on acrate off Jamaica island.

BOSTONGeorge Walrus hoists a Jolly Roger now. But,I'm more concerned about three men at WigwamBrook. They could be British spies with theirsights on arms and ammunition stockpiled atPonkawtasset Hill. A revolution for America’sindependence is in the making. I want you tohasten to the Concord Village church— ULYSSES

(Interrupts)And pray in the African corner of the whitemassa's prayer meeting? Shout amens andhallelujahs from nigger heaven?

BOSTON Shame on you! Cease alienating our preciousfew sympathizers, Ulysses Waters. Chew on thewhite man’s worst and accommodate his best, orlose your fragile welcome here.

PETER MACGRINGER(Enters Right-Rear carrying musket;

12

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

and cartridge belt; equipment kitslung

over HIS shoulder contains lead bag, powder horn, bayonet, hatchet; wears musette bag; willfully ignores

ULYSSES)Boston, I spied Redwood McDeal beyond thecornfield.

BOSTON Peter, Red McDeal was rendered deceased twentyyears ago.

PETER So the blighter would have us believe.

13

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

ULYSSES Avast! Captain MacGringer, blast every manjack in his boat with a broadside.

PETERWhose trash is that to address me?

BOSTON My wanderlust son.

PETER No goodness follows in his misbegotten wake.Chase him off my property.

BOSTON Our property, Peter, yours and mine equally.

PETER He’s your chattel! I sold him to you for ahalf-pence. I sold you your manumission cheap,too, and a half-interest in my farm to boot.Boston, join my fight. I'm too weak to battleMcDeal single-handed; worn thin and stoopedfrom hoving boulders, filling land, tillingsoil; landlocked at Middlesex County of theMassachusetts.

ULYSSESCaptain MacGringer, I recommend strong drinksand forty winks.

BOSTONUlysses, I gave you an assignment.

ULYSSESYes, sir, Major.

(Exits Right-Rear)

PETER

14

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

Boston, fancy Red McDeal alive and kicking.The red-nosed bum barely looks older; a bitbalded atop, pinkish tresses ahanged to hisshoulders. The evil harlequin stood there,sniffing the air with his back turned, glancingabout at everything save me. I aimed my musketsquare into his spine; he commenced to knee-bend down, up, down, up. down, up, down, up— myhands grew aquiver and the powder spilled frommy musket pan. Boston, I’ll go and attract the

(m o r e)ULYSSES (c o n t ‘ d)

blackguard’s attention. Scan the approachesoff the starboard stern, and the moment he’s inyour sight, open fire.

(Offers musket and equipment kit)

BOSTON Peter, I quote William Penn: "Force subduesbut love gains, and he that forgives first,wins the laurel."

PETER "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eatthe good of the land: But if ye refuse andrebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword."Isaiah One: nineteen and twenty.

BOSTON I thank almighty God for my blessings and astake in the future republic of America. Ifthere is to be a revolution, let it start hereand now. Peter, straighten—

(Peers off Rear-Right) Jesus, Joseph and Mary— Redwood McDeal.

PETER What’ve I been saying? He won't take lightlyto you either. I strung him to a yardarm and

15

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

laid on twenty lashes. You rubbed brine on hiswounds, and cast him adrift with little foodand water.

BOSTON I'll observe your reunion from above decks withmusket at the ready.

(Relieves PETER of musket, Exits to Loft)

REDWOOD MCDEAL (Enters Rear-Right, wears sea otter fur coat, Highlander beret with heather

and ivy sprigs at crown; looks about;

feigns to be startled upon perceiving PETER)

If it ain’t Captain Peter McGringer in theflesh! You ancient son of a sea horse, I heardyou’d run aground, but this far out of saltwater is legendary.

PETER What dredged you from the bowels of hell?

REDWOODFirst Mate Redwood McDeal reports to CaptainMacGringer.

(m o r e)REDWOOD (c o n t ‘ d)

Pete, find it in your cold heart to offer me afriendly greeting. I'm after hiking up theMerrimack, pointed out of Newburyport to areligious settlement at Concord of the NewHampshire. Where I should have veerednorthward, in error I went south and landednear Concord of the Massachusetts.

PETER You disobeyed my orders and stowed four white

16

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

wenches on board my vessel.

REDWOOD I confess it was strictly business. You’dguzzled too much drink and gotten us waylaid bypirates at Port Guinea, I fashioned a deal torecoup our

(m o r e)REDWOOD (cont’d)

losses. It weren’t my fault the crew grewrowdy, and raped those young innocents. Thetragedy was those precious angels, hurtlingtheir exciting bodies overboard. For whatfathomable reason defies logic, instead ofmourning for the adorable maidens, you had melocked in irons and laid on twenty lashes.Your obedient neager strung me up, splashedbrine on my wounds, and cast me adrift. Afterseven blistering days and freezing nights, thegrace of God and Saint Joan washed me ashoreonto a deserted beach, hungry and feverish. Ithrived for six months, eating ugly land crabsthat reminded me of you. I outsmarted a jungleof insects, crocodiles, two-legged beasts full-covered of hair, head-hunters— Pete, I’mblessed with the means of forgiveness. Let’slet bygones be bygones.

PETER(Outraged, takes wild thrusts at him with forked hoe)

I'll send you to hell!

REDWOOD(Hops away, avoiding each thrust)

Be careful with that! The reason I’ve landedhere is, I ran into our dear friend andassociate, Stoodly McVickers—

17

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

PETER(Stops; interrupts)

Stoodly McVickers?

18

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

REDWOOD His nibs himself! Many’s the time Stoodly’scutlass saved our hides, yours and mine. He’dgotten incarcerated without charges by theBoston Town jail constabulary. I mentioned itto George Walrus—

PETERWalrus!

REDWOODAye. They call him Captain George the Crazythese days. Walrus went and burned down theBoston Town sheriff’s jailhouse. and set theMcVickers free. Yours truly got framed for thecaper, which is why I beg your hospitalitywhile the law is hunting for me.

BOSTON(Enters from Hayloft, musket aimed at REDWOOD)

Peter, stand aside; I'm a hair trigger awayfrom finishing him off!

REDWOOD(Grins)

Is that Boston Waters? You old goat, Ipictured you dead an buried ages ago.

BOSTON(During following, descends ramp, keeps musket aimed at REDWOOD)

I’m full of life; today is my seventy-sixthbirthday.

REDWOOD(During following, adroitly maintains a position to keep PETER between BOSTON and himself)

19

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

Where else but these God blessed AmericanColonies could your ilk rise above his lowlystation?

PETER Boston, aim at his heart, and kill him once andfor all.

BOSTONI would, if you’d give me a clear line of fire,Peter.

REDWOOD(Exagerates fear, hiding behind PETER; calls)

Help! Irish Toby, save me from thesemurderers.

IRISH TOBY O'BRIEN(Enters Left-Rear, wearing hunting knife, tomahawk, cosh, string of Indian-scalps, powder horn, canteen; bears two flintlock pistols, one aimed

at BOSTON, the second at PETER)

You two old codgers, drop your weapons andraise your mits!

PETER(Drops forked hoe, raises his hands)

Scurvey rats!

BOSTON(Rests musket on floor, raises his

hands) They travel in packs!

REDWOODGood work, Leftenant! I feared you'd gotten

20

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

distracted by the likely mulatto wench.

IRISH TOBY Aye, Colonel, I'll 'ave my way with that lassin due time.

BOSTONColonel? Leftenant?

PETERWhat Irish bull!

REDWOOD Pete, Boston, Leftenant Irish Toby O’Brienhere’s the late Turlough's only son and heir.

PETER Turlough O'Brien, dead?

REDWOOD Cut down at the Monongahela, along with sixhundred redcoats.

21

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

ENGLISH TOBYThe tragedy rips my heart apart.

BOSTON Are you saying Turlough O’Brien perished inservice to the lobsterbacks?

REDWOOD Aye! Turlough was in the act of mounting ahorse, his heart set on desertion, when ahundred fleeing cowards on horseback crushedhim to death.

IRISH TOBY Red, you never said these blokes knew my oldman, and that he died a cowardly deserter.

REDWOODI knew how much the information would upsetyou, Laddy. Pete, Boston, young English Tobyhimself is newly deserted from King George theThird's Sixty-fourth Irish Regiment. He leadsmy hundred men at arms, hauling fifty chests ofyoung Hyson green tea— the first gathering ofthe leaves, a connoisseur's cup— all the way upfrom Newburyport of the Massachusetts colony.That's a net weight of a hundred-fifty poundsper chest at six shillings-four pence the poundwholesale. I'll pay well to hide in your arkfor a necessary while.

BOSTONRedwood, if you’d openly marched men at arms, aredcoat patrol surely would have nabbed you.

REDWOOD The Brits are assembled inside Castle Williamat Boston Town, awaiting their king's orders toslaughter American patriots gathered inFanewill Hall. We’re armed to the teeth and

22

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

primed to explode this coming Thursday night.Boston Harbor's a teapot! The Mohawks arecome! Every man to his tent!

BOSTONIf you’ve been camped afield, haulingcontraband tea, how are you aware of BostonTown tidings and American revolutionistslogans?

23

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

REDWOOD That’s easy: printed notice is posted on treesall over the frontier: “Every friend to hiscountry is called on to resist theadministration of tyranny.”

PETER Concord village militia are due to arrive forBoston’s surprise birthday party. You’ll getyours, McDeal.

REDWOOD Aah! The spirit of seventy-six. ReligiousCongregationalists don’t carry arms or party onthe Sabbath.

PETER They do with clerical dispensation, each MinuteMan with his musket.

BOSTON Peter, you’ve disclosed enough.

REDWOOD Leftenant O’Brien, it seems we’ve encounteredsituation C, phase One.

IRISH TOBYC, phase One!

REDWOODDeploy pickets to keep a sharp lookout. Sendmy neager slave Righttime Bluff to me at once.

IRISH TOBYYes, sir, jolly good show! Blimey, here he isnow.

(Exits Rear-Right) RIGHTTIME BLUFF

24

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

(Enters Right-Rear, brandishing a blunderbus)

Massa, Righttime Bluff be's at yo' command. IsI overheard right: sitch-iation C, phase One?

REDWOOD (To RIGHTTIME) Aye! A company of armed militia due to pop in.

25

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

RIGHTTIMELordy! Dis here boat-barn don't rock, it don'troll, it don’t got no soul. Yo! Ol’ blackJoe, I is a bozal nigra, recent off'n da Africaboat. You looks like a Uncle Billy: a might-good nigger what totes news t' masser a li'lbigger. Tell Uncle Billy you wants free fo' afac', de nex' day de hide be drap off'n yo'back.

BOSTON At ease, Sambo!

RIGHTTIME (Strums blunderbuss as banjo, sings)

When dey gets old and gray/When dey gets oldand gray/White folks looks like monkeys/Whendey gets old and grey.

IRISH TOBY(Enters Right-Rear, leading AMMI by an ear; shoves HIM forward)

Get your tempting butt over there, boy.

AMMI(To BOSTON and PETER)

Sirs, I got caught off guard in the outhouse.

RIGHTTIMEMassuh Red, dat prime meat mulatto bitch'llbring two hundred pounds sterling in da market.

REDWOODThe lass isn’t for sale. We’ll pass her aroundto the men.

PETERThe fiend is talking about degrading mydaughter.

26

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

BOSTON (During following, out of a corner of

Hiseye,sees BRANDY steal stealthily above)

Peter, we live in an age of enlightenment, yetit's not an enlightened age. I’ll predict thatthis buffoon with the blunderbuss is doomed tolose his trigger finger.

BRANDY (Takes aim at RIGHTTIME's trigger

finger;squeezes off shot)

Surrender or die! RIGHTTIME

(Hit in trigger finger, dropsblunderbus) Ghyaagh!

IRISH TOBY(Startled)

'Ere! What’s this?(Quickly ascends ramp toward BRANDY)

RIGHTTIMEShe blew off my trigger finger!

BRANDY(Descends ramp, meets IRISH TOBY halfway; executes a swift

karate kick to His chest)

Eeyaakh!

IRISH TOBY (Stunned, drops weapons) Unnhh!

27

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

PETER Bless you, daughter!

AMMI(Has hastened to take up blunderbuss; aims it back and forth between REDWOOD, IRISH TOBY and RIGHTTIME)

Don’t any of you brutes make a move!

BOSTON Brandy, the sound of your sharp-shooting willsummon their fellow marauders!

BRANDY (Descends ramp)

Nobody’s about but these jokers!

REDWOOD Aah! Our proverbial jig is up.

PETER Master White, bind each of them to a yardarm.Boston, fetch me my cat-o'-nine-tails.

28

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

BOSTONDown, Peter!

BLUE JAY (Enters Rear-Left, looks about)

I heard gunfire!(Sees REDWOOD, IRISH TOBY, RIGHTTIME)

Say, I’ve seen these strolling players perform.

REDWOOD Yes, the harsh fact is, our weapons are stageprops: frizzens are soldered; strikers can'tslam their flint.

BLUE JAY(To REDWOOD)

Your coat is sea otter fur from northwestNootka territory. My grandmother was Nootka.

REDWOODReally! Was she flatheaded?

BLUE JAY (Taken aback)

I beg your pardon!

REDWOOD Nootkas flatten their girl-child’s heads. We’dgrow rich off fur trade out there. Chinamenpay through their nostrils for sea otter pelts.

IRISH TOBY(To BRANDY)

Miss, your long-barreled Kentucky rifle couldblow a man away..

BRANDYIt’s called a Kentucky, but it’s made in the

29

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

Pennsylvania colony. I score bull’s eyes at ahundred yards; and reload in forty-fiveseconds.

IRISH TOBYMagnificent! I love you!

REDWOODIrish Toby, let’s entertain these good folks.

RIGHTTIME Entertainin' ain’t permissioned on da Lawd'sDay . We's gots to pray: our Fader what am 'nheaben, white man owe me leben, on'y pays meseben. Dy Kingdom come, dy will be done. If'nI ain't took seben, I's gets none.

REDWOOD Irish Toby, begin after the poverty routine.

IRISH TOBY (Switches character)

"Would not any man swear now, that I am a manof quality, and you my servant, when if ourintrinsic value be known—"

REDWOOD Cut to the climax.

(Switches character)"Why, faith, if this prospect fails, it muste'en come to that. I'm for venturing one ofthe hundreds, if you will, upon this knight-errantry; but, in case it should fail, we'llreserve the other to carry us to somecounterscarp, where we may die, as we lived, ina blaze."

ENGLISH TOBY "With all my heart; and we have lived justly,Archer; we can't say that we have spent our

30

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

fortunes, but that we have enjoyed 'em."

REDWOOD & ENGLISH TOBY(Simultaneously)

So much pleasure for so much money."

BLUE JAYThat’s from "The Beaux-Stratagem!" I saw youfellows perform it on Hancock’s Wharf.

ULYSSES (Enters Rear-Left) Yo! The Boston Town sheriff and ten deputiesare heading in from the south; a redcoat patrolis approaching from the east; and Crazy Georgeis coming at us from the west with a party ofcutthroats .

BRANDY (Crossing to forecastle)

In London Town, I saw a painting of twofashionable ladies,

(m o r e)BRANDY (c o n t ‘ d)

sightseeing enchained lunatics in an insaneasylum called, Bedlam. I’d rather tourmankind's madness than be stuck in it!

(Freezes at forecastle)

IRISH TOBY (Ascending to forecastle) My father settled us in the Virginia Colonyfrontier on the southernmost branch of thePotomac. (Freezes at forecastle)

BLUE JAY(Ascending to forecastle)

My ancestors are Nootka. They enjoy roasted

31

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

human arms and hands as a delicacy! (Freezes at forecastle)

REDWOOD (Ascending to forecastle)

Let’s launch this ship and set sail forVancouver Island with a cargo of worthlesswampum to trade for sea otter pelts.


ULYSSES (Ascending to forecastle) Civil disobedience is destructive and total waris a costly outlet for creative energy. (Freezes at forecastle)

PETER (Ascending to forecastle)

I am on the brink of rebellion against theheartless monarchy.


BOSTON (Ascending to forecastle)

My mother’s owner chose to resettle at Newportof the Rhode Island Colony. His sailing shipput in at Boston Harbor to unload molasses onDecember the twelfth, sixteen ninety-seven. Iwas born then and there in a wooden pen beneaththe wharves, not christened Newport Waters, butBoston Waters. I never learnt my father'sname, or knew his nature. When I was six yearsof age, my cherished mother died of the pox,and I was sold for a farthing to the ReverendJudge Samuel Sewall of Boston Town. I grew uprestless for Barbados, Port Guinea-

(m o r e)BOSTON (c o n t ‘ d)

places to find my stolen identity. My owner

32

TEA/Erwin H Lerner

held the prevailing attitude that slavery is anact of mercy, whereby a slave's soul might besaved. The Reverend Judge Sewall wrote:"These Ethiopians, as black as they are; seeingthey are the Sons and Daughters of the FirstAdam, the Brethren and Sisters of the LastAdam, and the Offspring of God; they ought tobe treated with a respect agreeable."


AMMI (Crosses Front-Right)

I departed Philadelphia of the PennsylvaniaColony to make my family name, White, atConcord of the Massachusetts .

(Wraps himself in blankets, reclines, sleeps)

CURTAIN

33

Tea......Short Play In Thee Acts

Documents

Transcript of Tea......Short Play In Thee Acts