Rough Creatures: A Play for Advent - Part 2

"Rough Creatures" was written between 2002 and 2005 - I don't really remember the exact date. I just recall trying to get it ready for rehearsals, and then being unable to launch the production due to casting difficulties. Feel free to use it however you can - it's in fragments, but I think the pieces add up to something usable, or at the very least, intelligible.

Another time, another place. It is a land ravaged by perpetual winter; no one can recall how the winter began, if it was by the weapons of power which the world’s leaders had forged, or if it were an act of God, a meteor striking the earth and forcing everything underground. With time, small settlements have grown up under the ice and snow as Life finds a way through the grey death. Gamin Sanctuary is one such settlement, built within the basement levels of some once-great building. Nestled at the edge of the settlement, in all that remains above ground is the Inn, a place for travelers’ mad enough to traverse the ice wastes to stop, and for denizens of Gamin Sanctuary to come for a drink, a game of cards or stones, or more intimate pursuits.  



CAST

The Abbess – a strong, mature middle-aged woman who runs the Inn.

Tinker – a man of unknown age (older than mid-20’s) who roams the ice wasteland looking for items of value to trade

Simeon – a older Jewish man who lives at the Inn, hoping for the coming of the Messiah.

Rachel – Simeon’s eldest daughter – a whore

Sarah – Simeon’s younger daughter – a whore

Fen, the Matchstick Girl – the Abbess’ ‘daughter’.

Anno – The Abess’ husband

Woman – a traveler who comes upon the Inn in labor

Man – a traveler, the Woman’s companion

ACT 1

Scene 2

(Lights up on the Inn’s residents seated around the table. ABBESS is clearing away some of the dishes. ANNO is still eating heartily. SIMEON has pushed back from the table, obviously content.)

SIMEON:        A fine supper Abbess. Better than we’ve had in a long time.

ABBESS:         Oh I didn’t do much. Rachel and Esther did most of the cooking.

SIMEON:        (haltingly) Well, it was very good.

ESTHER:         Thank you papa.

(RACHEL says nothing. There is an uncomfortable silence.)

SIMEON:        That must have been one hell of a cat, Anno, to produce so much meat.

ANNO:            Uh, yes...yes it was. Very old, very fat.

SIMEON:        Seemed lean enough to me.

ANNO:            Well, large is what I meant to say.

FEN:                Was it bigger than one of our dogs?

ANNO:            No, about the same size. (ANNO finishes eating and pushes back from the table as well.  He wants to change the topic.)  Hell of a storm moving in.

ABBESS:         Oh?

ANNO:            From the west. Could see it coming, so I put the dogs in their shelter. Still might lose one to the storm, hard to say.

FEN:                We should just bring them down here.

ABBESS:         We have enough cleaning to do around this Inn without bringing dog shit into the picture. And speaking of cleaning Fen, why don’t you take these dishes and get started on them.

SIMEON:        Well that’s hardly fair, considering Fen was out hunting for food all afternoon. I’ll handle the dishes Abbess.

FEN:                Thank you Simeon.

(SIMEON starts gathering plates.)

ABBESS:         You’ll spoil her.

SIMEON:        We should all be so lucky, in this day and age, to be spoiled.

ABBESS:         My grandmother told me that before the ice, there were several times a year where children were spoiled – presents, candies, all sorts of things.

ANNO:            Harder to do now.

ESTHER:         We still make candy on Grey Day.

ABBESS:         I got the impression nobody had to make the candy. You’d go to a market and get some.

ESTHER:         Where’s the fun in that?

ABBESS:         Who knows? It’s just what she told me.

(SIMEON takes the dishes out of the room, to the kitchen.)

RACHEL:        Any excuse to get him out of the room.

ESTHER:         Don’t start.

FEN:                Esther, Simeon