BooksBarbecue
Back The Darker Face of the Earth Save as PDF
Chapters (27)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Dedication
  7. Cast
  8. Prologue
  9. Act One
  10. Scene 2
  11. Scene 3
  12. Scene 4
  13. Scene 5
  14. Scene 6
  15. Scene 7
  16. Scene 8
  17. Act Two
  18. Scene 2
  19. Scene 3
  20. Scene 4
  21. Scene 5
  22. Scene 6
  23. Scene 7
  24. Scene 8
  25. An Interview with Rita Dove
  26. Biographical Note
  27. Back Cover

Sunday. The SLAVES have been “let out in the fields” to occupy themselves as they please. They have settled into two groups—some joke, tell stories, and dance, while others are quieter, chanting and praying. As the lights come up, the groups are rivaling each other in melody, the quieter ones humming in a minor key while the others counterpoint in a jauntier tune.

SCIPIO

Have you seen the new man?

Mister Jones been showing him around.
ALEXANDER

I saw ’em down

by the gin house.

That’s one wild nigger.
PHEBE

He spent last night

chained in the barn.

Chained!
SCIPIO

Must be mighty tough.

Heard tell he’s sailed the seas!
DIANA Did he sail the seas to Canada?

Shocked silence; everybody looks at her.

ALEXANDER

Gal, don’t let nobody

hear you say that word;

Miss Amalia’ll have your head on a stick.

As far as you concerned

there’s nothing in this world

but South Carolina and this here plantation.

AUGUSTUS enters in leg chains, followed by a watchful JONES. AUGUSTUS is a tall, handsome young man with caramel-toned skin and piercing eyes. His righteous anger is thinly concealed behind his slave mannerisms. JONES bluffs his way with a squeaky bravado.

JONES

Here’s the new buck you all

been whispering about!

Removes the leg chains; then, to AUGUSTUS.

You’re lucky it’s Sunday.

Tomorrow you’ll get a taste of how things run

around here. First horn at day-clean!

JONES exits. There is a moment’s awkward silence as AUGUSTUS rubs his ankles where the chains have chafed. He looks up, calmly surveying the two groups.

SCIPIO

Welcome, stranger, welcome.

They call me Scipio.

What do you go by?
AUGUSTUS Augustus.
SCIPIO

(Stretching the name out, trying to make it fit his tongue.)

Au-gus-tus?

Ain’t never heard that one before.

What kind of name is that?
AUGUSTUS The name of a king.

Uneasy silence.

PHEBE

Don’t pay Scipio no mind.

He’s always joking.

I’m Phebe. And this is Alexander.

ALEXANDER nods, warily.

Alexander been here longer than anyone, I reckon.
ALEXANDER How do.

SCYLLA enters with a water gourd and watches the introduction with a hard eye. PHEBE rushes to introduce them.

PHEBE

And this here’s Scylla. Scylla,

he’s the new one, go by the name of—
AUGUSTUS Augustus Newcastle.
SCYLLA Newcastle. Is that your captain’s name?
AUGUSTUS

Scylla was the rock,

Charybdis the whirlpool,

that pulled the sailors down.

General astonishment.

PHEBE Now this little girl—

Pushes DIANA over to AUGUSTUS.

was born and raised

right here on this plantation.
AUGUSTUS What’s your name, child?
DIANA (Shyly.)
Diana.
AUGUSTUS

My, my. The sun and the moon

all in one morning!

The SLAVES look bewildered. He laughs softly.

Don’t mind me. I’m just glad to meet you all.