Jimsonweed (1)
Teresa Ann Salyer

 

THE CHARACTERS

ATTIE DATURA INDIAN SHAMAN
TAYLOR DATURA INDIAN YOUTH
CINCI DATURA THE DEVIL
DANNY INCA CAPTIVES
DOCTOR ACE SOLANA INCA SOLDIERS
DOCTOR STEINKY WEEDHEIM TRICK OR TREATERS
THE GRANDMOTHER ICESKATERS
YOUNG ATTIE SHAMAN
YOUNG TAYLOR INDIAN YOUTHS
YOUNG CINCI
FATHER INOXIA
THE ANGEL
ELLEN ANDREWS
JAMES ANDREWS
JANET MERCER
TOM MERCER
DOCTOR RICHARDS
NURSE CONNIE
MATERNITY WARD NURSE
EDNA JEAN DATURA
DICK ANDREWS
MR. CLIENT
MR CLIENT�S WIFE
DELIVERY ROOM DOCTOR
DELIVERY ROOM NURSE
MISS KELLY
UNCLE ALBERT
FLORENCE
VIVIAN
MISS MARTHA
HAROLD
CARROLERS
ARCHEOLOGY STUDENT
TOLOACHE
YOUNG RICHARD
CORESUS KING OF LYDIA
MYSES
THE PYTHIA
PRIEST
AKU
CURAN
ARKA
KATHRYN TERESA DOUGLAS
MARY ELIZABETH DALTON
JANE ANN SIMMONS
OFFICER JACKSON
OFFICER BRIGHTON
JAMESTOWN CHEF
                          ACT ONE


                       SCENE 1


     An archaeological dig is being carried out in Southwestern New Mexico. A STUDENT is painfully going about the task of brushing earth from an object.

STUDENT (excitedly)
Dr. Solana! Dr. Solana.

(Dr. SOLANA is a very athletic woman in her thirties
She runs hurridly towards the STUDENT.)
       
Dr. SOLANA
Yes, what is it?

STUDENT
I�ve uncovered a statue! So far, it is the only artifact uncovered in the burial site.

(Dr. SOLANA takes the statue from the STUDENT and uses a brush to brush off the remaining dust.)

Dr. SOLANA (To herself)
Strange. This is a statue of Toloache, the jimsonweed god. Used at this site as a god of sacrifice. I�ve never encountered this any-where else in my research.

(The STUDENT takes the statue and holds it only for a moment.)

STUDENT
I don�t like the way it feels. It gives me the creeps.

Dr. SOLANA (Smiles)
Yes, you might be right.

(Dr. SOLANA sits at a small table with an oillamp as the only light in the small tent. She examines the statue of Toloache. She measures it and writes the measurements in the site journal.)
Strange, indeed. A statue of a jimsonweed god. The only artifact to be found in a burial site of fifty infants.

(Suddenly, there is the sound of gunshots outside. There is a loud scream. Dr. SOLANA jumps up from her chair. The tent flap is thrown back suddenly and a ROBBER, carrying a shotgun enters the tent. The ROBBER�S face is covered with a bandanna. He is well dressed in a suit and coat and wears black
gloves. The ROBBER points the shotgun directly at Dr. SOLANA. She raises her hands slowly.)

So, I see we meet again, Dr. Steinky Weedheim.

Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
Yes, Dr. Ace Solana, it seems to be that our paths have crossed yet again.
Dr. SOLANA
Even in such a remote and mountainous part of New Mexico. Just make yourself at home.

Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
Thank you for your generous hospitality, but I am afraid that I won�t be stayinglong. My travel plans are made and by business associates expect me back East.

(Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM picks up the Toloache Statue. He looks at it carefully.)
  
Very, very valuable. Very old artifact.

Dr. SOLANA
Yes, it is. I beg you, do not take this statue. It is of an ancient Indian god, Toloache. This belongs to the Indian people. It is part of their heritage.

Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
Yes, indeed very valuable.

Dr. SOLANA
And I believe there is more to that statue. I feel an unearthly power from it. Nothing good can come from possessing it.


DOCTOR STEINKY WEEDHEIM
Nonsense, you superstitious woman! And I took you for a scientist!

(Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM grabs the
  Toloache statue.)

DR. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
But, I must say adieu� Dr. Solana.

(Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM rushes through the tent flap with the statue. We hear a strangled scream off stage. Dr. SOLANA rushes to the tent flap
         and looks out into the night!

  The stage is in blackness for a few moments. A light spotlights YOUNG ATTIE. She is a schoolgirl and reads from her school report on jimsonweed.

YOUNG ATTIE
Jimsonweed, a common name for a plant native to
North America and now naturalized around the world. It is
occasionally cultivated as an ornamental for its alka-
loids. The plant is a large annual herb with conspicious
white to purple tubular flowers up to four inches long
and lare round, spiny fruits. The alkaloids, produced in
the leaves, seeds, and other parts of the plant, are
poisonous; ingestion can result in convulsions, coma
and even death. Scientific classification: Jimsonweed
belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is classified as
Datura stramonium.
  
(TOLOACHE, the jimsonweed god, enters stage right.He is dressed as a Native American Indian warrior. Though his dress is in various shades of green!
The drums begin slow but become faster faster and faster! TOLOACHE dances an Indian warrior dance!)

     The stage is again in blackness for a few moments. A spotlight lights up this scene on stage before us.

     On stage an INCA CHIEF, AKU, stands beside a lovely
WOMAN, CURAN. She weeps while several INCAN WARRIORS, on their knees, are being made to drink from a bowl.


CURAN
 Please, please Chief Aku!

YOUNG ATTIE (reading from her report)
Datura had a number of uses among Indian tribes of the United States, as well as Mexico and South America. In fact, it is difficult to find a tribe that didn�t use a species of Datura from their region in one way or another. The hallucinogenic
uses involved drinking an infusion made from the crushed
roots or sometimes the crushed seeds fermented in water.
Some aboriginal Indians in South America gave a Datura
alcohol beverage to wives and slaves of dead warriors
and chieftains. The powerful brew induced stupor before
they were burried alive to accompany their dead husbands
and masters on the long journey to heaven. The high
priests of some tribes took Datura in order to communi-
cate with spirits of the dead and with their gods.

         (YOUNG ATTIE exits left).

AKU
Your husband has perished in the battle. He died
bravely. There, his slaves will accompany him to the
afterlife.

CURAN
I beg you Chief Aku, Inca chief. Let me die and depart this life. I will loose honor!

AKU
It is my desire that you remain alive. You have much
wealth from your father�s family to the north. I need
such wealth. I have many wives, you will not be worked
to hard! There are many children that you can tend. You
will be useful!
(CURAN�S young son, ARKA, is brought over to the MEN, being burried alive. A bowl is being offered him.)

CURAN
You cannot kill my son. I beg you. He is so dear to me

(CURAN takes a beautiful broach from her dress and shows it to AKU.

Here, let me pin it on your cloak for you. It is quite old and made of pure gold.

AKU (Delighted with the gold broach)
Yes, place it her on my cloak.

(CURAN sticks him with the deadly broach, which has been dipped in a deadly datura potion.)

What have you done, Curan? You have killed me with some potion!

(CURAN runs over to the MEN being buried alive. She holds the broach towards the SOLDIERS and they back away. She moves towards her son ARKA She begins to drag him out of the dirt with the fallen men.)


ARKA
Mother!

CURAN Arka, Arka, are you alive. I think that you will
  live. You did not drink enough to perish. Show the
  people that you are alive. They will follow you. You
  will be our great leader. A wise and just leader. Aku
  was foolish. He was not afraid of a woman. He was not
  afraid of a bruja�!























                        SCENE 2

     The storefront of �ATTIE DATURA�S OCCULT SHOP�, in Brooklyn, New York. The store window is decorated for Halloween. ATTIE DATURA is a woman in her forties. Presently, she is in the top of a tall tree in front of her occult shop. She clings precariously to the tree branch as she reaches for a cat. The cat meows at her.

ATTIE (With some nervousness)
Pete, this is the third time I�ve had to rescue you this year! I�m not getting any younger!

(ATTIE looks down at DANNY, a little boy of eight waiting anxiously for her to rescue his cat.)

DANNY (Yelling up at ATTIE)
Attie, did ya get him? Pete, oh, Pete!

ATTIE (Yelling back down)
 Danny, I�m working on it! Listen, Pete, you and I gotta talk about this.

(ATTIE looks down and sees her sisters, two rather plump ladies, TAYLOR and CINCI, come out of the shop.)

TAYLOR (Yelling up at ATTIE)
Attie, Attie Datura, are you back up in that damned tree again?

ATTIE (Yelling back down at TAYLOR.)
Like hello! (Sweetly to Pete) Listen, Pete, this is dangerous. You could get stuck up here. God knows how long. And I could fall! I can�t keep on rescuing you! (The cat meows pathetically at ATTIE. She looks down at DANNY).

TAYLOR
A grown woman up a tree!

CINCI
That�s Attie!

TAYLOR
You realize sister, that she�s been this way all
her natural life.
CINCI
 Up a tree?

TAYLOR
All her natural life. Which is how she came by the gift.

CINCI
She came by the gift while up a tree?

TAYLOR
No! By falling out of one. Right on her head. Landed on little Yvonne Dicky, down our old street. And she ain�t been right since, either!

CINCI (Clicking her tongue)
 Nothing good ever came from climbing trees.

TAYLOR
 Or falling out of them.

CINCI
 Amen, sister!

TAYLOR
 Amen!

ATTIE
 What could make an otherwise intelligent cat. Oh, I
 see. Pete, has Arnold, the bulldog, been chasing you
 again? (The cat begins to meow more enthusiastically.)
 OK Pete, tell you what I am going to do. We�ll make a
 deal. I�ll tell Danny to keep Arnold in the backyard
 from now on. So, he won�t be chasing you up this damned
 tree, and you won�t be needing me to rescue you any more.
 Thank God! Do we have a deal?

(The cat leaps onto
ATTIE. She has a terrified expression as she precariously holds onto the tree branch.)

DANNY
Yeah!
(DANNY, TAYLOR and CINCI applaud. ATTIE hands DANNY the cat. DANNY accepts the rescued cat with relief in his voice.)


DANNY
 Thanks, Attie! Pete, you bad cat!
ATTIE
Danny, I think Pete is really afraid of Arnold. Maybe you should keep Arnold in the yard from now on.

DANNY
Well.

ATTIE
Pete has promished never to climb any more trees and
make poor Attie rescue him. (She whispers to Pete).
Haven�t you Pete?

(Pete meows softly to ATTIE, while
ATTIE encourages DANNY to repeat after her.)

ATTIE
 Say,�Yes Attie, I�ll keep Arnold in the yard.
  
(ATTIE and her sisters laugh. DANNY, holding onto Pete, exits stage right.)

ATTIE
Oh, Danny, I almost forgot, come back later for some candy. I made your favorite, candied apples.

TAYLOR
I swear Attie, you spoil that kid!

ATTIE
Yeah! Well.

TAYLOR
And what are you doing, a grown woman, up a tree.
That�s not funny Attie.

CINCI
You mean, sister, that she could fall and kill herself!

TAYLOR
No, I mean, what if she fell on someone again!

CINCI
Who?

TAYLOR
It don�t have to be no who, fool. Why, anyone would do. And then where would she be?


ATTIE
Excuse me, but while I am lying on the ground here injured.

CINCI
That�s right, the poor fool she fell on, is flatter than a pancake for Sunday breakfast! Lord save us!

TAYLOR
Lord, indeed.

ATTIE
I refuse to listen to another word. I have no
intention of climbing up that tree again and promise
never to flatten a living soul! Pete gave me his
word!

TAYLOR and CINCI (Together)
Pete?

































                       SCENE 3
 


     The interior of ATTIE�S Occult Shop. It is evening.
ATTIE�S Occult Shop is a small store fully supplied with
occult inventory. There are bookstands filled to overflowing with books on every subject of the occult. There are stands with candles and large jars of herbs. There are posters with occult themes and art, such as: The Earth Is Our Mother, Treat Her With Respect, My Other Car is a Broom, My Karma Ran Over My Dogma, etc. There is a large display case of occult jewelry and crystals.
     ATTIE is dressed as a witch for Halloween. TAYLOR is dressed as a princess and CINCI is dressed in a very gaudy belly dancing outfit, which she is really too fat for. ATTIE and her sisters are enjoying candied apples which ATTIE has made for the Halloween TRICK OR TREATERS.
     
ATTIE (Chomping on an apple)
I love candied apples on Halloween!

TAYLOR
Me, too! Grandma used to make them for us when we were little on Halloween, remember?

CINCI
Yes, I do! And we would stuff ourselves, �till we
were green! Well, this is my second. There goes my diet!

ATTIE
Oh, hush! This is Halloween. You can eat anything you want!

TAYLOR
Just start your diet tomorrow. That�s what I always do!

ATTIE AND CINCI (Together)
We know!

CINCI (Picking up a shopping bag behind the counter. She shows off a very gaudy aerobic workout outfit).

I have decided to finally get into shape! What do you think?

ATTIE
Isn�t that just a litte too much, just to work out in?


CINCI
I joined the gym down the street and I want to look nice.

TAYLOR
Isn�t that a co�ed gym? Men and women working out?

ATTIE
Why do you think she joined the gym?

(Several TRICK OR TREATERS dressed in Halloween costumes, burst into the shop. They all wear masks. One TRICK OR TREATER taking off his mask,
         is DANNY!)

DANNY (In a happy, loud voice),
Trick or treats!

ATTIE
Danny! Oh, I love your costume. I would have never
guessed it was you. You look so scarrry!)

(ATTIE takes several candied apples from a tray on the counter and hands them out to DANNY and the TREATERS. The TREATERS take their treats and
leave for a night of trick or treating.)

ATTIE
Bye,Danny, Happy Halloween! Have fun!

DANNY (Yelling back to ATTIE)
I will Attie!
         (DANNY exits.)

ATTIE
Don�t they look great? Remember all the fun we had
on Halloween?

TAYLOR
Well, I remember that you used to soap people�s windows who didn�t give out candy.

CINCI
And you used to TP peoples trees if they ran out of
candy.


TAYLOR
And there wasn�t a safe pumpkin on the street�

ATTIE (With indignation)
I never did!

TAYLOR AND CINCI (together)
Oh, yes you did!

(ATTIE starts to protest, just as a SALESMAN enters the shop. He is well dressed in a suit. A hat nearly covers his face. He wears black
gloves. He carries a small bag. He is the robber, Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM!)

ATTIE
Yes, may I help you Sir?

Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM (Very cultured)
Are you the owner of this shop?

ATTIE
Yes, yes, I am. What can I do for you?

DR. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
I wonder if I might be able to interest you in some of my wares. Some are quite exotic, quite authentic. I�ve collected many from the far reaches of the globe.

(He places his small bag onto ATTIE�S counter.He takes out several small statues. He places a statue of TOLOACHE, the jimsonweed god, into her hands.)

Now, this piece for instance, was found in New Mexico, the Southwestern part of these United States. Used in Native American Indian coming of age rites. And in some tribes, the
jimsonweed god, Toloache, was the only god worshipped.

TAYLOR (She moves towards the counter to look at the statue.)
 It is beautiful, strange. (She touches it and makes a face!)

ATTIE (Uncomfortably)
Well, I�m not sure it fits in with my usual shop inventory.

Dr. STEINKY WEEDHEIM
Nonsense, just the place for it! This shop deals with the occult, does it not? Candles, oils, herbs. Jimsonweed is an herb, is it not? This is the god.

(TOLOACHE enters stage left. A low, Native American drumbeat is heard. He dances around ATTIE in a possessive and threatening dance!)

                        Blackout

     The spotlight is on KING CROESUS OF LYDIA and his son,
MYSES. The PYTHIA, THE DELPHI ORACLE, sits on a tripod
before them. She holds a bowl, a mixture of datura seeds and water. The PYTHIA sits on a tripod before them. She
raises the bowl in libation to the gods.

(YOUNG ATTIE enters stage right. She reads from her report.)

YOUNG ATTIE
There are approximately 25 different species of Datura, jimsonweed, throughout the world, including Europe
Afraica, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Mexico
and the United States. All general belong to the Night-
shade Family (Solanaceae), along with the deadly night-
shade (Solanum dulcamara), tomato (Lycopersicum escu-
lentum), eggplant (Solanum melongena) and potato (S.
tuberosum.) Many species of Solanum (called nightshades)
are quite poisonous to humans if eaten raw. Incidentally,
the new sprouts of potato tubers contain the toxic alka-
loids solanine and solanidine. Until about a century
ago, the tomato was thought to be poisonous because of
its toxic relatives.
         (YOUNG ATTIE exits left.)

CORESUS (To his son)
Myses, Delphi is the seat of the most famous oracle in the world. It is the �omphalos� or navel of our world. When Zeus let loose two eagles from opposite ends of the earth, the spot where they met was Delphi, the center.

MYSES
Father, who is the Pythia?

CORESUS
She is, as Apollo has dictated, a peasant woman
fifty years or more, and has lead a blameless life.
MYSES
Then, how does she prophecy?

CORESUS
She drinks from the cup, sitting on the holy tripod. Apollow speaks through her. A priest will translate it into verse we can understand.



MYSES
Is he a good oracle, Father? Our question is so urgently important.

CORESUS
Oh, yes, indeed. Her reputation far exceeds the Oracle at Dodona! There, the Oracle answers questions by
  rustling the leaves of the sacred oak tree! For my money,
  I�ll take the Oracle at Delphi!

MYSES
Father, can the Pythia see into a man�s soul? Can she divine his heart?

CORESUS
Most definitely. Apollo has given her the sight. She knows a good honest heart from treachery.

MYSES
It frightens me. (To himself) I would keep my mind and heart private only unto myself.

CORESUS
 What did you say, my son? I am distracted from the
 long journey here. How beautiful this place, the build-
 ings, the mountains, the sacred spring!

MYSES
Oh, nothing, just pondering. The Pythia will predict
a long reign for you Father, won�t she? You�ll be Kind of
Lydia a very long time. And you are a good king and rule
wisely and are kind. Our people love you.

CORESUS
And when time, I will give to you your birthright.

MYSES
Father, how long, when?

PRIEST
Coresus of Lydia, the Pythia will hear you now!
CORESUS and MYSES follow him and stand in front of the PYTHIA.)

PYTHIA (Holding up a bowl as if in libation to the godsthe PYTHIA drinks from it. She holds her head back
         and laughs a crazy laugh.)
Speak! Speak!

CORESUS
I speak to Apollo through the Pythia. I have a�.


PYTHIA
I know the number of the sands
And the measure of the sea
I understand the dumb
And hear him who does not
speak. (She looks at MESUS knowingly.)
Ancient father oak with acorn shaded
No green sprouts in this tender forest
A mind�s eye, an eagle�s wing
Can uproot the young and save
The old.
Coresus of Lydia, time and stone
Mark our final hour
Iron and Metal our life�s blood
Honor cannot win
For treachery�s skill!

(CORESUS falls to his knees, shielding his face.
His son, MYSES, remains standing in front of the PYTHIA.)

PRIEST
Coresus, do you wish me to translate?

CORESUS
No. I understand exactly. Treachery. My son!
  
(MYSES holds a knife high to his father�s back.)

CORESUS
My acorn shaded, but most beloved, held dear always. Your brother, Atius, will rule in your stead.



MYSES
He succeeds me. I am living still. And feel the warm sun and wind on my face.
CORESUS (Suddenly stabs his son, killing him.)
No more not the sun, or wind or sea. Charon, the Ferry Man
will take you now. He will ferry you over the River
Styx. From the Land of the Living to the Land of the
Dead. (CORESUS places gold coins in his son�s hand.)
To pay the Ferry Man.

                          Blackout







































                          SCENE 4



     The S�ance Chamber is a room adjacent to ATTIE�S
OCCULT SHOP. The S�ance Chamber is comfortably furnished. A dining room table, covered with a beautiful lace
tablecloth is positioned in the center of the room. Two
candles are lighted on the table and are the only light in the room. ATTIE sits across from a CLIENT and his WIFE. ATTIE is dressed in a simple white robe. EDGAR, a large, black raven, is perched on his stand.

ATTIE
Welcome. Welcome on this All Hallows Eve, when the veil of consciousness, which separates the land of the living from the land of the dead, is at its thinnest. In a word, tonight the spirits are churning! Let us take three deep breaths together, to clear our minds and chakras. Blessed be!

(ATTIE leads the CLIENT and his WIFE in taking three deep breaths. ATTIE leans back in her chair, breathing deeply. She seems as if in a trance.)

ATTIE
I see that you have lost someone. Died recently. Much beloved!

WIFE
Yes!

CLIENT
Shussssh!

ATTIE
Yes. Yes. I feel their presence.

(A spirit, UNCLE ALBERT, appears beside the WIFE. He smiles at her in a very condescending manner.He puffs on a cigar. He is dressed in a very
expensive suit and hat. He wears a gold watch on a chain. He checks the time as if he is in a hurry. He taps his foot.)

UNCLE ALBERT (Condescendingly)
Well, well, who do we have here? My nephew, the schmuck and his wife. Rhymes with rich.
ATTIE
I�m getting a name. Uncle Archibald, Uncle Alexan-
der (Opens one eye) Uncle Alfred, Uncle Alfonso. Come
on, help me out here!

WIFE (Excitedly)
Uncle Albert!

CLIENT
Is that Uncle Albert? Dear Uncle Albert?

(UNCLE ALBERT blows smoke rings in the CLIENT�S face.)

UNCLE ALBERT (With pretended sweetness)
Dear? Dear Uncle Albert? I�m touched. Nephew, you are such a schmuck!

ATTIE
Uncle Albert, is that you? Have you transcended the veil? On this night of All Hallows Eve?

UNCLE ALBERT
Transcended? Well, I�m here, Attie. And I have better things to do than talk to that schmuck of a nephew and that wife! Ah!

ATTIE
He�s here. He�s glad to see you both.

 

 

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Copyright © 2002 Teresa Ann Salyer
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"