"COUSIN EZEKIEL'S FUNERAL - ACT ONE, SCENE 1"

by Rafael Soriano
(P.O. Box 1324, Crossville, TN 38555)

ACT ONE - SCENE 1

MAMMY'S HOUSE

The Scene: Mammy's house is messy and drabby (like a pigsty). The sofa is set on center stage, the front door is set on upstage right, the back door is set on right stage and the kitchen door is set on center stage left. The scenery is any kind of scenery.


Mammy comes out of the kitchen at acenter stage left, then walks at the sofa at center stage. She sits with Harland and Grandpa, looking kind of angry.

MAMMY: Hmph!

HARLAND (looking at Mammy:) Are they gonna be
here any minute, Granny?

MAMMY: Yep. They should be here any minute.
When they get here, I'm gonna tear 'em
apart!

GRANDPA: Ah, come on Mammy, you know they didn't
mean no harm.

HARLAND: Grandpa's got a point.

MAMMY: Oh, he's got a point, doesn't he? Why did
those hooligans get such a phony excuse
about Ezekiel's death? Oh, it's just their
way of trying to rid of him, does it?
Wrong, they were trying to get rid of him!
They are so stupid, so disgraceful, so
disrespectful---

SFX: Doorbell rings.

HARLAND: They're here.

MAMMY: (checks her watch) Right on time. This
time, they're really gonna get it. (laughs
and looks at Harland) Get the door,
Harland.

Harland answers the door. Mr. Hinch enters.

MR. HINCH: Hi, Harland, your grandmother here

HARLAND: Yes, sir. She's here.

MR. HINCH: Okay. Thanks, Harland. (he hollers at
his children to come in). James and
Pete, get in here, both of you! (James
and Pete enters and joins Mr. Hinch at
upstage right) Now take a seat and look
at Miss Finkleberry. (they walked at
the sofa at center stage and sat down.
They both looked at her) All right, I
I want one of you to tell her the truth.
(They didn't respond). Come on, spill
it out, one of you!

JAMES (looks at Pete:) Well, it's all Pete's fault.

PETE: My fault?! (to Mammy) He's the one who
started it.

Both James and Pete were arguing simultaneously. Then suddenly, Mr. Hinch walks up at the sofa at center stage and looks at his boys and silences them.


MR. HINCH: Hey! (They didn't stop) Hey! (they
didn't stop) HEY!!! (they both stopped
and looked at him) Now, I want one of
you to tell Miss Finkleberry the whole
truth. Clear?! (they nodded) Good.
Since one of you can't tell her, why
don't I tell her?

JAMES: No, no. I'll tell her the truth, Daddy.

MR. HINCH: All right. (he stands next to Mammy
and looks at him)

JAMES: All right. Here it goes. It all started
when we were at Camp Colbytown, you see,
when Pete and me were ...