Faith and Country, a play in two acts by Thomas M. Kelly Act I, Scene One [(This scene can be taped and projected.) Lights up on a man sitting at a

Transcription

1 Faith and Country, a play in two acts by Thomas M. Kelly Act I, Scene One [(This scene can be taped and projected.) Lights up on a man sitting at a desk. The year is A lamp lights the tabletop. A slight boy of sixteen enters the room. He approaches the man at the desk. They use Quakerspeak ( thee and thy ).] YOUNG SMEDLEY DARLINGTON BUTLER: Father I have been reading about our trouble with Spain. I want to enlist. To hell with Spain. Watch your language young man. Your mother is home. Sorry, Father. Thee is aware that we Quakers are pacifist by doctrine. I know that, Father. We deny all wars and... fightings...,but Quakers fight in defense of their country. Don't we? Thee could get me into the Navy. No, my son, thee is too young. As an apprentice seaman, father? (The elder Butler tugs at his handlebar moustache.) I have known of thy desire to go to war. If thee won t help me, I ll run away and join the army.

2 If thee runs away and joins the army, it will avail thee nothing. I will see that they discharge thee. Why didn t thee tell me? Tell thee what? (The young Butler leaves the room disheartened, but stops just ouside the door as he hears his mother enter from another door. THOMAS BUTLER returns to his desk. A woman, THOMAS BUTLER s wife and BUTLER S mother, MAUDE, enters with a newspaper.) (Referring to an article in the newspaper.) That thy House Naval Affairs Committee voted to authorize Congress to add two thousand men and forty-three second lieutenant commissions to the Marine Corps for the duration of the war? The Marine Corps is a body of the most superbly trained military men in the world. They are a force to be reckoned with and will do their job to protect our citizens and our financial interests in Cuba. They are not called Leathernecks for want of courage. That I know. But... (Hesitates.) I didn t tell thee, because I didn t think thee interested. Interested? If the war continues beyond Smedley s eighteenth year, he will go. Smedley wants to go now, but he is too young, he is only sixteen.

3 But I read that you and your Congress had set no age limit on the new commissions. As a commissioned officer in the Marine... Soon he will be seventeen. He as headstrong as you. If he decides to enlist, nothing will stop him. He is not mature enough to make that decision. He wants to be of service his country... To follow in his father s and his grandfather s footsteps. If called upon, we Quakers will fight along side the best of men. Smedley has not yet finished Haverford School. *At University... (Interupting.) *He does not like Haverford. I know he does not favor Haverford, except for the sports. MUDE: Look at his grades. I am aware of his poor grades. He seems so determined to go. If he applies for a Marine Second Lieutenant *commission... (Interupting.) *I have made my decision. I will not grant him leave to go. So be it... (Looking up from his work...) How did you hear of that? I know how to read Thomas.

4 (Lights down.) Scene Two (The following morning. Lights up on YOUNG SMEDLEY BUTLER, and friend(s) at a rally at the West Chester Armory for the PA National Guardsmen who had been called up. They watched enviously as a (SFX:) cheering crowd and SFX:) marching band saw the Guard off to war. Near them, not in the parade, is a magnificently uniformed Marine.) Charles, look at that Marine dressed in a fine blue uniform over there. (He points.) What a magnificent example of the finest military force he is. CHARLES: Smed... He's a Leatherneck? Yes. But I don't see a leather...neck. (YOUNG SMEDLEY BUTLER walks to the Marine.) Excuse me, sir. MARINE: What is it, boy? Where is your leather neck, sir? MARINE: The leather collar we Marines once wore served as protection from cutlass sword blows by Muslim pirates...which we no longer fear. What does it take to be a leatherneck?

5 MARINE: Esprit de Corps, boy, Esprit de Corps! The pride and spirit of comradeship. Thank you, Marine,...sir! (Lights down.) BUTLER: (v.o.) I fell asleep that night with visions of myself in that fine brass buttoned dark blue jacket and light blue slacks with scarlet stripes down the seams. I saw the Cubans running in fear at the sight of me, with my sword at the ready and my fine Lee straight-pull, six-millimeter rifle blazing as I charged up the hill surrounded by the sound of my proud fellow leathernecks,...my comrades in arms,...screaming a blood-chilling scream. (He demonstrates the scream.) Oooooh-rah! (Light down on BUTLER.) Scene Three (Lights up on MAUDE, reading a newspaper and young BUTLER at breakfast.) Mother, guess what I saw yesterday at the rally..., a Leatherneck! I am going to be a Leatherneck! Does thou mean a Marine? Yes Mother, a Marine. You should have seen him in that fine uniform! When you finish Haverford, Smedley.

6 But I want to be a Marine... now. You will be going to college and from there into a fine officer s candidate school. Perhaps even West Point. Your father. I am going to enlist. No. No. Smedley, my son, thee are too young. If thee doesn t come with me and give the recruiters thy permission, I will hire a man to say he is my father. Thy father has told me that he will find thee and bring thee back. I will enlist in a regiment and be sent to some far away place where no one will know me. Thee does carry on, Smedley. Please Mother, give me thy blessing. Thee has thy mind set on doing this, Smedley? What can I do with thee? Thee can come with me to the Marine recruiter. Smedley, I can t send thee to war. Thee is my son.

7 This is what I want, mother. What of Haverford. University... Thy faith...* *I am struggling with my courses at Haverford School, and although I will miss my friends and captaincy of the baseball and football teams, I As...we are Quakers, we have defended...* *thy future? Thee is my eldest son..., thee can't...* *My future is not here in West Chester. As a Quaker I want to free the Cubans from Spanish slavery. Spain will be damned to hell...* *Smedley! Thy language! I am sorry, Mother. But father doesn t want a son of his not to know when to use an honest damn now and then. Damn the *Spaniards! *Smedley! Thee must know when and where to use such foul language. Yes, Mother. I am sorry. Most definitely not in the presence of gentle women such as thy mother. (Pause as MAUDE looks admiringly at her young, determined son.) Very well. Thee is strong-minded,... very much like thy father. (Still pleading she grimaces.) But, Smedley, thee is still a boy. Thy seventeenth birthday but a

8 month or two away. Surely thee can wait until then. Perhaps then the war will.* *Yes, Mother, if I wait until then, the war will be over. (She hesitates.) Very well, however, I will take thee by train to the Marine headquarters in Washington. The local recruiter will surely inform your father. (Lights out on MAUDE and BUTLER.)