3 New Pieces

The Tale of George Belcher

A crowded street. Night. Miners, women, children bustle about, getting home or going for a drink. Amongst them appears George Belcher. He is strong, persistent, menacing. An intimidating fellow. People avoid his gaze as they pass, giving him a wide breech. Then….a gunshot. For an instant we see a soft look, one of surprise, of fear, of tragedy. Freeze.

BELCHER: Under the wide and starry skies, they dug the grave wherein he lies. But long he lives in our hearts who dies as he, in doing his duty well.

A few months earlier. Unfreeze.

WIFE: Do you have to go?

BELCHER: I’ll be back before you know it.

WIFE: What about me? What about your family?

BELCHER: Country first, honey. You know that. These men are breaking down the system, behaving like animals.

WIFE: My sister, in Denver, she says that winter is coming and they cannot keep warm. The strike has lost them all of the coal. She cannot keep her children warm.

BELCHER: And that is why I am going. To restore order.

Freeze. 1904. Unfreeze.

AGENT: You work for Baldwin-Felts now, son. You’ve got a job to do.

BELCHER: Yes sir.

AGENT: These men are animals, wild. They will shoot you and everyone you love just to get some pay. You have to put these men down, Belcher. Like fucking animals.

BELCHER: Yes sir, I know my duty sir.

Freeze. 1874. Unfreeze.

FATHER: Listen to me son, are you listening?

BELCHER: Yes, pa.

FATHER: There ain’t nothin’ more important in this world than your country, ya hear? She is your love, your life, your home. And don’t you let anyone, anyone, destroy her.

BELCHER: Pa?

FATHER: They’ll come. You’ll see, from all over they’ll come – looking for opportunities. But they’ll destroy her, son. They will destroy her unless somebody is there to teach them the way, keep them in line. Make me a promise, son.

BELCHER: Sure Pa.

FATHER: Don’t you ever let someone sully your home. Promise me, now.

BELCHER: I promise, Pa.

Freeze. Present.

BELCHER: Under the wide and starry skies, they dug the grave wherein he lies. But long he lives in our hearts who dies as he, in doing his duty well.

Gunshot. Unfreeze. For an instant we see a soft look, one of surprise, of fear, of tragedy.

He falls.

Death Pit

A huddle. From within we hear singing, soft and low. “Hallelujah.” There are gasps and cries of fear. And slowly, ever so softly we hear a voice. We do not know where it comes from or from whom. It builds….it grows. A fire…shadows and sound raging against the huddle trying to back through the growing barricade of voices.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. Yearning for breath in a war of suffocation. Suffocating rights, compassion, humanity. The sickening smell of death spreads across, as spasms create devilish curses filling the blackened air with hatred. The coal has made beasts of men and victims of children. As the dust clears their faces I see only monsters, shooting into the air, bullets continuous. As the pollution seeps in, lighting their souls into flame, their smoke creeps through. Creeps through the door, through the canvas, through the floor and through my mother’s arms. Because I am but a huddled mass, yearning to breathe free.”

A breath. The fire expands.

Names

Performed back to back with Death Pit, a candle lighting ceremony.

Louis Tikas, age: 30 years
James Fyler, age: 43 years
John Bartolotti, age: 45 years
Charlie Costa, age: 31 years
Fedelina Costas, age: 27 years
Onafrio Costa, age: 4 years
Frank Rubino, age: 23 years
Patria Valdez, age: 37 years
Eulala Valdez, age: 8 years
Mary Valdez, age: 7 years
Elvira Valdez, age: 3 months
Joe Petrucci, age: 4 ½ years
Lucy Petrucci, age: 2 ½ years
Frank Petrucci, age: 4 months
William Snyder Jr, age: 11 years
Rodgerlo Pedregone, age: 6 years
Cloriva Pedregone, age: 4 year