FLUKE a Tliesis Presented to of the University of Guelph EMILY E
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FLUKE A Tliesis Presented to The Faculty of Graduate Studies of The University of Guelph by EMILY E. SANFORD [n partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts August, 200 1 O Ernily E. Sanford, 2001 National Library Bibliothèque nationale du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KI A ON4 Ottawa ON KI A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/^, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT FLUKE Eniil). E. Sanford Advisor: University of Guelph. 200 1 Professor Judith Tliornpson This thesis is a creative work in the form of a full-length dramatic play script. Aft'tcr PX'S l~~isbandLionel leaves her and moves in with another uroman, Pat and her daiigliter Tainara return "honie" to tlie place of Pat's childhood on the shores of northern Nova Scotia. along the Bay of Fundy. There. Pat encounters the trials of tàmily life and rediscovers her sense of self as the geography of Nova Scotia dictates a necessary respect for a regionally specific way of life. The play studies the strength of the family unit as it encounters the emotional and physical crises of its memliers. Commenting ripon the original intentions. choices. and developinent of the play. the Aftenvord addresses soine of the compromises and problems of tlie creative artistic process from within the space of an academic setting. Caution: Copyright Emily E. Sanford. This script is fully protected under the copyright Ian-s of Canada and al1 other countries of the Copyright Union. Changes to the script are espressl>-forbidden without the written consent of the author. Rights to produce. film, or record in any n~ediiini.in any language. by any group, are retained by the author. The nloral right of the author has been asserted. For copyriglit information contact: Emill. E. Sanford. 4 Melrose Street, Amherst, Nova Scotia, BLCH 3M9. ACKNO WLEDGMENT 1 gratef~illyacknowledge the patience and support of Judith Thompson and Alan Filewod in their encouragement of this project. For Ben. TABLE OF CONTENTS Ackno~vled,(~ments Table of Contents Fl~ike A Aenvord Works Cited and Consulted Appendis FLUKE by Emily Sanfoïd LOIS . a cartograpliic historian. thirty nine PAT . a nurse. forty three TAMARA . Pat's daughter. turning sistèen MYRIVA . Lois and Pat's mother. a retired teacher EDGAR . Lois and Pat's father. a fisherman Selfiifg: The pr-esent. Action rcikes plcice in lïve /slcinds, ci mrnl comwirinity on the eusrem o~zhriyttwntofthe Bciy of'Fro7ci'y. in the Miners Bcisin of :Vur-thernNova Scofia. The horise is itwotlen, it is sinal1 hrrt well-kep. The interior and itsfirrnishirtgs am not offne qzndiry, hrrt cire servicecible. Notes: SOIWscenec; cilso toke place on the shor+e.ivhich cnn be CIS sprrrely represented as n sin~pieputch qf'i-edscrrîcl. Ther-eshorrld be cr projection screen visible to ihe crzdience. ~~pon~rhich LI mip ofthe cireci ofecich location sholrlri he pro&cted. The m~psof Fivc /.slcrnds. the shor-eiine. crnd Ccipe Split shozdci be eithei ontiqrre or honcl-ch-cwn. Ecrch of the chcriïicter-.Yhcrs CI p~~rtic~rlci~.I-egioncil occent, 1L.[vt-nnund Eclsr spenk wilh thick rio-cd Novcr Scoriein lilrs. Tumeria hccs ci choppy Dorvntoiiw Tur-onto cuxnt. and Pm hmcr light O~?tm-ieiniili ro hrold Nova Scoticrn. Lois tcikes parriczhr cnre ro annrmciate her rr.uds. nt lecisi rlntii her M.S. forces cr sltrr. Also, the "yuh S " arc the "emphazcrnic yecih '.Y " of'mwirime speech. n sorlnd crecited by brenthing in a short qzrick brenth white .s~i~~ir~~yy~~il~--~tndivhen pronouncing ctrrnt, it 's 'ont, ' not 'mi. ' Sccne One (Lois on 1l7e SI~OI-~.proje~[ion of shor-dine mqj LOIS: Glooscap's angn face lies at the foot of tlîe jut. Legend says that GIooscap shot arro\vs into the ash trees and out stepped ta11 gracefiil men and wornen. called the Wabanaki. or -those cvho live where the day breaks.' He chosé a grandrnother lie called Nooguinee. There \vas a trickster in the land narned Los who took the form ofa beaver or badger or a wolverine. Once. Lox liad caused some trouble for the Wabanaki. and GLooçcap chased him away, throwing geat handhts of clay afier him. These still remain in tlie Minas Basin and are the Five Islands. MYRNA: (1xc.r.ir.rgozlr the-fi-ont rvindulv} Cormorants. Look. over near Egg Island. LOIS: Moose. Diamond, Long, Egg, and Pinnacle. Wliere. MYRNA: On the side of Pinnacle. Beautif~il.Look at that. Donqtget that in the city. LOIS: 1'111 not leaving Halifàs.. MYRNA: I cm-t keep coming to pick yo~iup. (Pciuscj Suit yourseif. I don't want to fïght about it. LOIS: Neither do 1. W~atcan I help with. MYRNA: Can you tear bread? LOIS: OF course 1 cmtear tlie bread. Here. What are you stuffing? MYRNA: Me got a duck this niorning. He'll be home a little late tonight. LOIS: Late tide. MYRNA: No. he's up the Community Store to settle tlie accounts. LOIS: Before dinner. MYRNA: 1-ie says we're getting a storm. doesn't want 10 leave it roo late. LOIS: Slieesh. Dinner at SIX-THIRTY? MYRNA: You stop. LOIS: Wl-iat kind ofa storm are we expecting'? MYRNA: I doubt we'll grt snow tliis late. He says it'll just be rain. but tlie wind is some strong orit there. 011 look. there's a coyote. 1-11 gct the binoculars. LOIS: 1 got 'eni. Still under here? MYRNA: Yeuh. by the almanac, there. LOIS: t-lcre. How nimy more seasons -ou tliink he has in liini? MYRNA: Looks pretty ranisliackle to me. Look at Iiis dirty old coat. /ic~zrghs)He knows the storm's comin'. LOIS: Not the coyote. Mom, 1 mean Dad. MYRNA: Your father? You know better'n tliat. He'll be out there every year till he dies. LOIS: Stubborn old mule. MYRNA: Tliere's the celery. I've got sonw orange to put in too. Listen. 1 want you to corne and live with us. LOIS: Mom. MYRNA: 1 nlean it. LOIS: No. End of story. Xo. MYRNA: 1 mean it Lois. We've a little put by, and we'll get the place fixed up for you. Either that. or you should go live with your sister. LOIS: In Toronto! Christ Mom. are you nuts? No way. You know how 1 feel about -Upper Canada.' Jesus. Pat doesn't want any extra people around. Especially now that Lionel.., MYRNA: Oh. do >-oukno~v what that bastard's gone and done? LOIS: ih401-i-i. What now. MYRNA: Moved in with that Barb DiAngeIo. LOIS: Barb. Barb. Her fiiend Barb? Iier best friend Barb? MYRNA: WelI she's not her bsst friend any more. LOIS: Tliat BASTARD. MYRNA: Now don't tell your father. No need to upset him. I've told Pat 1 thought she and Tamara should con-ie home for a bit. A tèw weeks or so. i was thinking you niigl-it want to see them. and tlien you could decide whether or not y011 want to go back with tlieni. You i-i-iigl-itjust cvant to. you know. LOIS: Yoii didn't tell Iier. did you? MYMA: Not yet. I didn't Lois. LOIS: Mom. I'm not leaving the province. This is who 1 am. Don't ask again. (Pcruse) Did she say whetlier or not she was coming? MYRNA: She didn't know. She's applying for Stress Leave at the hospital, so she won't l-iave to worry about other people al1 summer. Always taking care of others first. LOIS: Tliat's lier job. She's a nurse. MYRNA: You have to be a healthy nurse if you wanna take care of other people. LOIS: So if slie gets the Stress Leave. you tliink slie'll corne? MYRNA: Don't know. Don't know. 1 haven't seen Tarnara since she was eight. Slie keeps sa>-ingshe's coming down one of these summers. Slie's getting too old now-she'll \.vanna stay with her friends. not her old Grammie. LOIS: Do her good. MYRNA: H~nrn.Now listen. You gonna teII Pat about the. You gonna let her know. or are >.oujust going to leave lier in the dark? LOIS: She'll tind out wl-ien she gets liere. MYRNA: You think that's kir? LOIS: I'\.e waited tliis long. MYRNA: Lois. LOIS: ih4oi11, leave it. 1-11 tel1 her when sl-ie gets here. 1 don't \vant her to wony. She's got enough to tvorry about. How's slie getting here. MYRNA: I don't know if she can afford to fly. He's taken everything. Besides. she'll want a car when slie gets out here. Drive Tamara around.