The Promised Land __________________________ A Tragedy In Three Acts By Michael Frazel CHARACTERS The Gracchi TIBERIUS GRACCHUS The oldest sibling and a dashing war hero, anywhere from 20s-40s SEMPRONIA GRACCHUS A fierce sister and reluctant wife trapped in the world of men, 20-40s CORNELIA AFRICANA GRACCHUS/ OLD WOMAN A stoic matriarch who would make her son king, 40s-80s APPIS CLAUDIUS PUCLHER/ JUVENAL A brilliant politician and speaker of the Senate, 50s-80s CLAUDIA PULCHRA GRACCHUS/ DIDO A dutiful wife and former Vestal virgin, 30s-50s SCIPIO AEMLIANUS AFRICANUS/ HAROLD/ CYCLOPS A war hero who defeated Carthage but continues his siege for his in-law's love, 30s-50s GAUIS GRACCHUS/ YOUNG BOY The youngest sibling who will one day grow up, 10s-20s Their Opponents PUBLIUS SCIPIO NASICA A brilliant politician, officiator of Sempronia's wedding, and Gracchi uncle, 50s-80s MARCUS OCTAVIUS/ VIRGIL A stoic tribune and old friend of Tiberius, 20s-40s LUCIUS OPIMIUS A sniveling henchman who loves order, 20s-30s Their Friends MARCUS FULVIOUS FLACCUS/ AENEAS A magnetic reformer who charms all who listen, 20s-40s Their Chorus PILGRIM 1/ POLLUX/ STRABO/ POLLSTER 1 /HERALD A /MOURNER 1 Various citizens from the Roman people PILGRIM 2/ CASTOR/ POLLSTER 2/ HERALD B/ MOURNER 2 Various citizens from the Roman people PILGRIM 3/ POLLSTER 3/ HERALD C/ MOURNER 3 Various citizens from the Roman people Note: With the suggested doubling the cast list is 14; Without it can be anywhere from 22-34 SETTING The capital city of the Roman Republic, which, if you haven't already guessed, could be any capital city today. It is 133 BC and Rome is still the undisputed master of the world after defeating their greatest enemy Carthage in a series of world wars. The fierce Roman legions have recently been mobilized again, this time to crush a tiny band of terrorists overseas and secure access to more strategic resources. These freedom fighters are tough customers and have just defeated their Roman colonizers, sending them home in shame. LANGUAGE This play is in iambic pentameter and arranged in a modified Pindaric Odic structure. If that sounds scary, it shouldn't be, and the language is anything but archaic. Latin words and phrases are italicized. Backslashes indicate overlapping dialogue and names on the same line indicate simultaneous dialogue. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank his family, the Joneses, and the Boss. ACT I The dogs on main street howl Cause they understand it If I could take one moment into my hand Mister I ain't a boy, no, I'm a man: -Bruce Springsteen 2. SCENE I It is night and we hear music from a religious procession to the temple of Concordia. Three PILGRIMS enter solemnly. PILGRIM 1 A libation! A libation to you! To the life-giving land we walk upon! A gift from the Gods who know everything! PILGRIM 2 To the Plebian and Archaic Three! To Concordia! Our justice goddess! She who commands those who seek to change us! PILGRIM 3 She who compels her pilgrims to pour To bless us this day! To win us our wars! To make sacrifices to Gods of yore! PILGRIM 1 But those amongst us still seek to destroy With no love for Rome PILGRIM 2 They reenact Troy! PILGRIM 3 A terrible tale that gives us no joy. PILGRIM 1 Gods we worship your ways and your glory! You talk through us! Bless us with your story! That fight between those young and those hoary! PILGRIM 2 For godless days are sure death to us all The signs auger! See! This storm is no squall! 3. PILGRIM 3 This path we are on leads only to brawl. PILGRIM 1 But come now my friends, we are prone to waft! And come here we did to worship aloft. So quick let us move! Our candles grow soft! PILGRIM 2 To Concordia’s home we bring great gifts! At her temple on Capitoline’s cliffs! Praying she heals our continental rifts! PILGRIM 3 We pray to our goddess greater than Seth! Who marries opposites in her sweet breath! A new way you give us instead of- Suddenly a herald appears. HERALD Death! Death! A great awful loss! O gods! The death! How can I unsee what my eyes have seen? The stench! It strangles my nose with its death! Their screams! I still hear their screams with my ears! And the blood, O Gods, the blood runs so free! I can still taste it between chokes of wine. PILGRIM 1 Idiot! That wine belonged to the Gods! We were making our way to the temples To give praise and libations for our sins! PILGRIM 2 Identify yourself! Then seek mercy! PILGRIM 3 Then tell us true of your terrible woes. HERALD Penance, good folk, if only a snack... I have journeyed here from greater Hispaine To report on war, and of his pain- Ha! I came up with that one just now. 4. PILGRIM 1 The point? HERALD Never ask a herald about his point! We get paid by the word and the meter, Never mind if the message itself sucks. PILGRIM 2 You, without a doubt, are the worst herald- HAROLD The gods must work through you, for that’s my name! They’ve opened my head box and peered inside! PILGRIM 3 You say your name is Harold the herald? HAROLD Harold Hipparchus Herodes Gracchus Herald, athlete, and, professional- PILGRIM 1 O gods! PILGRIM 2 I could smell it- PILGRIM 3 No please! HAROLD Actor! At your services! No job is too tough When the going, get gone, I am enough! That one I came up with that one before, you know. PILGRIM 1 He holds the name Gracchus? Comes from far Spain? PILGRIM 2 What would be lost to listen? Or what gained? PILGRIM 3 I do not like him much. Actors: so vain! 5. PILGRIM 1 We set out this night to worship our Gods, Instead we meet him, even if a fraud! He speaks of our champion! What are the odds? PILGRIM 2 Any news of the Gracchi, golden clan, Is news that we seek, is news of our man! The one who will save Rome with his plan! PILGRIM 3 Cool it! This augur has not come to pass. They do not yet know his weapon is class Let us listen, abide, hear news from this- PILGRIM 1 You there, wise poet, we seek your breath song- PILGRIM 2 And apologize if we did you wrong. PILGRIM 3 Go ahead. Speak on. But don’t speak too long. HAROLD My fans, I thank you for my chance to speak. And tell you the story of Rome in Spain: How empire’s reach curled back in a fist How our war overseas bloodied our eyes Blackened our mouths and ruptured our feet, er- The point being how I witnessed defeat! This tragic tale full of terrible woe! The fall of Troy has nothing on this one Though that story has a few more maidens, And you know, romance and violence sells best There was actually one girl, of the night- PILGRIM 1 Harold, dear poet, what news of Gracchus? HAROLD He’s always been a hit with the ladies- PILGRIM 2 No, fool, tell us of his trial overseas. 6. HAROLD He hasn’t been put on trial that I know of? PILGRIM 3 You were telling us of events in Spain. HAROLD Well I certainly was trying to! Hmph. If your friends would only let me finish! PILGRIM 1 We would if you told us of what we seek! PILGRIM 2 Instead of bouncing back and forth and fro! HAROLD Okay! So everybody’s a critic! So I repeat myself! You try my job! Always running and remembering things! But Tiberius does not send me here To complain, chat with strange pilgrims who sulk. I go to his mother to give her joy! What I meant to say was bring her good news. Do any of you know which way to go? He’s at the Senate, held up with some things. Where sits Cornelia wisest of moms? I come to tell her her son is alive, He saved thousands and made his father proud. PILGRIM 1 But, humble actor, why not tell us first? PILGRIM 2 Practice your great speech, before it is time! PILGRIM 3 Then we can show you the way to his house! HAROLD My friends, you do me great honor. To give So free, your wisdom and wine, shows me true You do know Tiberius and his heart. 7. And O, how that heart served him abroad! Saved him from sinning, from Spanish broads- ha! But this story comes after he comes- well- Comes to Numantia, off to Rome’s frontier Planting fresh death while farmers sow new life. Arriving in Spring he turned us around, Those terrorists fighting, burning the world No more than bandits with their strange head wear, ‘Till our man of the Tiber rose to fight! And with the full might of our fierce legions Crashed upon their pitiful oppidum That village of mud by cruel Durius A river possessed by a demon cruel Who swallowed with hatred so many sons. For the barbarian hordes did not give in Instead they butchered and slaughtered our kin The river turned blood with death on the wind! So our legions fled under cover of night. Only under the blood red break of dawn Did they find themselves surrounded by death! “Send forth a Gracchi, if Gracchus there be! His father brought justice, peace to this land! We trust only him if he shows his hand!” Great Gracchus stepped forward to speak for Rome.