Alabama Intruder (A Short, One Act, Three Scene Play)

(Originally, written in short story form, in the bookit seems, and the weather is cool.
"Stay Down, Old Abram," as a chapter story, "BlackSo (says the black girl) you will not follow me
Girl Walking," 2001; rewritten 6-1-2008 by the sameanymore, right?
author as a one Act, three Scene Play)White Midwestern Boy
Based on actual events of 1970(taking the cigarette out of his mouth)
Structure of the PlayWhat, no directions to the drycleaners?
Black Girl Waling DialogueBlack Girl Walking
Note: It should be noted, the dialogue for the blackNo! An' I is not talking to yow: ask someone else. I
girl is according to the southern dialect of the 1970s,goin get killed, because of yaw-all, my uncle got hung
of that time, or period and place. It is not to say, thesix-weeks ago, go on now, an' I'm not lying. Aren't
play's dialogue cannot be smoothed out, it can if theyou a pest!
character needs to do this, but it seems to me it will(after a moment,: she looks about, doesn't say
go better with the setting left alone, as well as theanother word, stares at the clothing store, rushes
date, which can be moved up or back, but again, it isinto the turnaround pretending to look at the cloths,
fitting...I do believe, not necessary though, thus, Idoes not go into the store: then:)
leave this up to the discretion and discussion of theScene Two
theater, and its actors, and their abilities in this area.Same location as in scene one, but has changed into
That is to say, if the dialect is counter productive forthe turnaround of the cloths store, where there are
the playhouse, or too difficult, than resort to clearwindows of cloths showing, glass windows. The time
English, it is not difficult to changing a few letters inhas not changed much, so no lights need to be
the words presented in the dialogue.changed for the most part from scene one; although
The Plotyou may no longer see the street, perhaps through
The plot and the action is smooth and simple, andthe reflection of the glass. The black girl and the
can be strengthened if need be, by motivation; thatwhite boy have not exchanged names, so they only
is to say, he wants directions, and he goes to furtherknow each other as, the black girl walking, and the
lengths than normal to get them, but what thewhite Midwestern (or for her: northern) boy from the
character has got to show is how far will he go, thisnorth; so this should be inferred within their faces and
may be done by his or her dramatic reactions. Astone of voice, especially when the black girl buries
you will see as you read, it is mostly theher face somewhat into the glass window,
advancement of the plot we are concerned with,pretending to look at the cloths, when she really is
more so than the development of the Character.trying to avoid the intruder.
Act OneBlack Girl Walking
(Of one act)Uncle Josh he right...folks like you, from the north
Scene Onedont understand, a thing about us folks here, like to
On the street, in downtown, Huntsville, Alabama,ask questions, only get me into trouble, and dhen
1970,you-all gone, jes like dat, and you dont know the
11:30 AM.folks down her, and think they goin to have to go
One side of the street is empty, of the stage, it isaccording to the law and next thing you is hung, and
light up, and so all is very visible in this scene, perhapsall the laws in the world dont bring you back, an' then
a beam of a spotlight on the left side of the streetthe white folk from the north area sorry, but sorry
will help. The right side has a few bars on it, anddont do a thing to bring back Uncle Josh. If white
stores, leave it in shadows, as if mysterious. Therefolk down her see me talking to you it goin to be
are a few items here and there that carry thetrouble... you jus cant see it until it happens, its too
symbolism of the south, the last ultimate seat if notlate then...
the voice of the population, that says, white andWhite Midwestern Boy
black, still have not come to a full understanding orTell me about your uncle?
agreement on equality, equal rights and freedomBlack Girl Walking
amongst all, here in Alabama, 1969.(rapidly)
A white Midwestern boy, a Private First Class in theYou is crazy. They hung him outside of town, in a
Army, is stationed at Redstone Arsenal, nearby, forfarm pasture, from an old tree, jes old crows around
advance training, he has just come from boot campto see him die, thats all it was, a tree and old crows,
at Fort Bragg, although this background information, isand when we goin' there to fetch him, to bury him
insignificant for the scene, it might be used forproper like, the old man of the farm he jus watch ya
clarification for the curious within the audience, shouldlike you is going to rob his garden. Thats it, there is
a narrator wish to mentioned this, or have it writtenno more, no court, no anything, jus a hanging...one of
in a handout. A black girl is walking to the corner; itmany!
would seem she intends to stop at the red light, wait(she lets out a long sigh, slowly, with a sort of
and cross. The white soldier, is behind her, lookingdespair attached to it, as the boy drops the cigarette
with his dress greens in his hands, his Army dressto the floor, puts it out with his shoe)
greens, he himself is dressed in civilian cloths, and isShe is not even looking at the boy, standing four or
looking for a cleaners, to have his uniform pressed.five feet from her, she is looking into the glass
He is a Midwestern boy, 22-yeaars old. The girl iswindow, her fingers pressed against the glass, her
black and pretty, perhaps between eighteen andface leans on it for a moment, then she pulls back.
twenty, dressed neatly, with a white blouse, and lightBlack Girl Walking
colored skirt, a mythical look appears on her faceI think there might be a drycleaners back yonder a
when she finds a white boy following her, sayingways, the other way, where you-all were coming
something but you can't here what she is saying,from, down the block...
which turns her face into being scared, they-for the(pointing to her right side, which would be his left,
moment-are the only ones on the street, she slightlywhen he was walking down the sidewalk trying to
turns her head to see him, the length between themintrude, her face half hidden)
has dwindled down to two-yards, or about six-feet.It now seems to dawn on the white boy, that things
He is symbolic also, he is the unaware youngare not as he thought, they are more serious, he
generation, of the conservative Midwest, he could belooks out towards the street, a few cars have
someone's idea of an America obviously disjointed inpassed, he noticed no one has looked at him from
the fact, the United States had just been routed outthe cars, yet the black girl is blind to the road, he
of bed, or out of their dressing-room, to look atwants to put out his hand towards her, starts to and
equal rights in America, black and white issues. Thedares not, she even shields her eyes form what
soldier boy is neatly dressed; his hair is semi short,someone might see, if this boy does something
nicely combed. They are now looking at one another,stupid.
not moving, a cloths store is right in front of them,White Midwestern Boy
to their left side, one you can walk around, one sideYes. Go on. I'm sorry I caused you so much grief, I
and come out the other-like a horseshoe. In thethink I let it go too far, I should have just went
middle are dresses.about my way...and what you said about your uncle, I
White Midwestern Boymean, being dead, hanged in Alabama, for whatever
Wait! Please wait! I mean, good morning, will youreasons, is for me hard to believe, but I believe
please wait!you...no cars are coming, no one looking, you best go!
(they look at one another the black girl doesn'tScene Three
answer: the white Midwestern boy, though still stares,The Exit
watching the black girl, next to the cloths store)Much like scene one in appearance; you see the boy
Is there something wrong...I mean all I want islooking down the street, and the black girl walking
directions?across the street where they originally met. The girl
Black Girl Walkingstops, back to the boy, they are a distance away,
No. Cant you-all see there arent no black folk talkingshe starts to turn her head around, but stops, and at
to white boys, look across the street, you seethat moment, he automatically turns his back around
anyone walking there black? You must be from theto her, in case she decides to follow through on the
north, leave me alone white boy, before you-all getcompete turnabout... and the curtain comes down.
me hung, and you git beat up by your own kind!Curtain
The boy takes a cigarette from a pack in his shirtNotes: the Author was stationed at Redstone
pocket, he has a light jacket on, he seems to haveArsenal, in February and March, of 1970 the same
come prepared for such a need, he is baffled, or solocation of the United States Space Center Program.