The Royal Pyrate A Play by Chas LiBretto Draft Date: 10/25/2019 Agent contact: Katie Gamelli [email protected] A3 Artists Agency Literary Division The Empire State Building Fifth Ave. 38th Floor New York, NY 10118 ii CHARACTER NAME BRIEF DESCRIPTION AGE GENDER Will Julian Smuggler 40s - 50s M Sam Bellamy Sailor 20s M Samuel Treat Reverend 50s M John Hallett Wealthy farmer 50s M John Hallett Jr Farmer 20s M Mary Hallett Farmer's daughter 20s F Mehitable Brown John Jr.'s fiancee 20s F Paulsgrave Williams Smuggler 30s M John Julian Miskito Indian 14 M Henrik Quintor Dutch African sailor 20s M James Ferguson Scottish sailor 30s M Bickers Cape Codder 20s-30s M Fetters Cape Codder 20s-30s M 1st Buccaneer Sailor 20s M Henry Jennings Pirate 20s-30s M Olivier La Bouche French Pirate 30s M Charles Vane Pirate 20s M D'Escoubet French Captain 30s M French 1st Mate French Sailor 20s M Benjamin Hornigold Pirate 40s M Edward Blackbeard Thatch Pirate 40s M Nanni African Pirate 20s F Orphonoko African Pirate 20s M John "Squid" King Pirate Boy 9 M/F Thomas Davies Unwilling Pirate 20s M Lawrence Prince Captain 40s M Mate Sailor 20s M King Death Lord of Hell ?? M Cyprian Southack Gentleman 50s M Samuel Harding Farmer 60s M Deputy Asst to Southack 20s M Bounty Hunter Lawman 30s M Samuel Shute Governor of Massachusetts 60s M Judge Judge 50s M Bailiff lawman 30s M iii Actor 1 - Sam Bellamy Actor 2 - Mary Hallett Actor 3 - Paulsgrave Williams, John Hallett, Southack Actor 4 - Treat, Hornigold, French 1st Mate, Mate Actor 5 - Ferguson, La Bouche, Southack, Shute Actor 6 - John Julian Actor 7 - Will Julian, Blackbeard, King Death Actor 8 - Mehitable, Squid, 1st Buccaneer, Vane Actor 9 - John Hallett Jr, Bickers, D'Escoubet, Bailiff Actor 10 - Quintor, Bounty Hunter, Actor 11 - Orphonoko Actor 12 - Nanni Actor 13 - Jennings, Thomas Davies, Fetters, Deputy Actor 14 - Lawrence Prince, Samuel Harding, Judge iv Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats. - H.L. Mencken So each man to his gun, For the work must be done With cutlass, sword, or pistol. And when we no longer can strike a blow, Then fire the magazine, boys, and up we go! It’s better to swim in the sea below Than to swing in the air and feed the crow Says jolly Ed Thatch of Bristol - Benjamin Franklin (age 13), 1719 Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, What do you mean by seizing the whole earth; because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, while you who does it with a great fleet are styled emperor. - St. Augustine, City of God ACT ONE Supertitle: The War of Spanish Succession is over. Those who sailed for the Navies of the great empires now find themselves without employment. Some travel to the New World for opportunity. Some look to support themselves by other means. SCENE 1: WELLFLEET, MA - AUGUST, 1715 An apple orchard on a late summer’s day. SAM, a young man of about 27 enters the orchard, looking a little lost. He removes his coat and picks an apple. He takes a bite. A girl, MARY, leans against a nearby tree, reading a book. MARY I don’t believe Farmer Hallett would approve of strangers picking apples from his trees. SAM turns and sees her. SAM Thank god. A person! I’m so turned around in those woods, I thought I’d never find my way out. MARY I suppose an Englishman gets rather hungry with all of that walking around. SAM Oh. The apple, yes. Who did you say it belonged to? MARY You know, Spinoza tells us man is slave when he is powerless to govern and restrain his passions. What are you supposed to be, anyway? SAM Be? I’m...I’m Navy, ma’am. MARY Well, then you are lost! The ocean’s that way. So is England. 2. SAM Actually the Navy let me go. MARY Steal too many apples? SAM The war ended. You heard about that, I’m sure. MARY Did you see a lot of battles? SAM Too many. I came to the colonies looking for work. MARY You’re not the only one. You could always seek out Farmer Hallet. He can always use help picking apples during harvest. And you seem rather good at that. SAM Know where I can find him? MARY What’s your name? SAM Sam Bellamy. MARY Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Bellamy. SAM Just Sam. MARY I’m Mary Hallett. SAM Hallett...Oh. Oh, I really am sorry. Here, you want the apple? Totally salvageable. Slightly chewed. MARY That’s quite all right. You can keep it. Really, all property ought to be shared, don’t you think? What need for thievery then? 3. SAM Seems like the king or the governor might have some objections to that. Your husband too. MARY My father, you mean? Anyway, it isn’t just the king, you know, it’s his parliament and the Act of Union which put the power in the hands of a tyrannical ruling class. SAM Oh. Well, yes, sure, of course, but... She finds a patch of sunlight. Perhaps a bit of breeze blows her hair as she says the following. MARY If we really want things to be different in the new world, we need liberty and unalienable rights. The people together need to make up the totality of the sovereign and we need to reject aristocracy and inherited political power completely, as the citizens will need to be independent in their performance of civic duties! We’ll need to stamp out monetary compensation and smother corruption if...what? SAM Nothing. MARY You’re looking at me strangely. SAM It’s just...I don’t think I’ve ever heard a girl talk like you before. MARY Well. I haven’t heard a man speak like me either. SAM What’s that you’re reading, Mary? MARY You wouldn’t know it. SAM No? MARY It’s the letters of Heloise to Abelard. 4. SAM You’re right, I don’t know it. MARY Told you. She grabs hold of the tree and spins herself around and when she comes back around she’s reading, and sort of humming to herself, ignoring Sam. SAM What’s it about? MARY Hm? SAM The book. What’s it about? MARY Real people. They fall in love but it’s doomed from the start. SAM Why’s that? MARY They’re French. SAM Oh. MARY You see, Heloise was Abelard’s student. In Paris. France. She stands up. Oh, how I’d love to go to Paris. SAM I’ll take you. MARY You will? 5. SAM Sure. MARY Have you been? SAM No, but we’ll go together. When was this? MARY Oh, a long, long time ago. And he fell in love with her and she with him and so they got married, but her family didn’t approve of him. So they beat him up and castrated him. Then she joined a convent and they wrote sad letters to each other. SAM That’s terrible. MARY I think it’s quite beautiful, actually. SAM They have any children? Before he got, uh... MARY You know, I don’t know that anyone’s ever said. SAM I’m gonna go ahead and hope that they did. That their love carried on somehow. MARY Well, it did carry on. All the way to us. She’s close enough to kiss. Almost looks like they might. SAM Us? MARY I mean the book, Sam. Their letters. She breaks the connection. Now, let’s see about getting you back to town. I was under the impression you sailors were good with navigation. 6. SAM At sea we are. MARY Well, I can certainly guide you to town...for a price, of course. In exchange for my services as a guide, you will teach me...hmm, a sailing song. SAM A song? MARY And it better be good. Take us somewhere, Mister Bellamy! Somewhere I’ve never even dreamed of going! And I warn you, I’ve dreamed of going everywhere! SAM ...Bristol? MARY Think fast. It’s getting dark and I know where I’m going. Do you? LIGHTS SHIFT. SCENE 2: WELLFLEET, MA - NOVEMBER, 1715 A title comes appears: “The Royal Pyrate” with some music behind it. It fades and in darkness, we hear the sounds of a harbor. The ocean gently splashing against a wooden dock. The cackle of seagulls. It’s a pleasant and soothing sound. As the lights come up, we see the sight it accompanies is very much not. A man, WILLIAM JULIAN, 40s, stands atop a small stage. A noose has been placed around his neck. A Reverend, SAMUEL TREAT, speaks out to a crowd of assembled townspeople, none of whom look happy about the proceedings. TREAT ...Let all people hear and fear, and never do thus wickedly any more! William Julian, have you anything to say before your sentence is carried out? 7. WILLIAM We going to get on with this, or what? Or you just going to blather on all morning? TREAT Oh, we will ‘get on with this’ very shortly indeed, Mister Julian! You do yourself no favors by - WILLIAM Don’t see where the crime is, getting cheap goods to people who needs ‘em, when the crown insists on bleeding ‘em dry for those same items.