Play Rights Haint So

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Haint So

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Come sit on the wide front porch with members of the Wells family in Southwest Virginia, as their Sunday afternoon conversation turns to tales of the supernatural. Despite warnings from Grandpa Archie Wells that God “don’t take too kindly” to letting the Devil and haints out on His Day, the stories persist. After all, Grandma Ida Wells will tell anybody who asks, the mountains know things and have secrets that few living beings can ever see or hear. Those who do, come away changed forever – if they come back at all.

Description:

A 90-minute play in two acts with a 15-minute intermission. It is set in fall 1969 on a Sunday afternoon on the wide front porch of the Wells family homeplace in the coal town of Roda, Virginia. Three rocking chairs and an-mid-century modern glider line one side of the porch. A tall table filled with a 1960’s era pitcher and a tray of glasses and foot, and a couple of stools balance the other side. The ghost tales are depicted under a single light with the full stage lighting down.

Number of Actors:

There are 8 main actors: 3 females and 5 males. 9 ghosts: 3 females and 5 males, which could be played by lead actors.

Excerpt

MELODY WELLS CARTER

Mother, do you remember what Granny said about the larger windows in this house? She said you could see clear to the top of the mountain in Kentucky.

GRANDMA IDA WELLS

She said you could see from the bottom to the top of the mountain back there.

MELODY WELLS CARTER

You know what we ought to do next for this house? We should get some of that wall-to-wall carpet like Tracey has in her house in Dryden. It is so soft and warm on your feet. I want to get that new shag carpet in my house someday. Anyway the house could be beautiful. But I can tell you now, I used to be so scared of that basement -- even after it had floors, walls and lights. I always felt like there was something there -- watching.

LONNIE WELLS

It was Rawhead and Bloody Bones.

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS

Now, Lonnie. That's plain silly. I've told you that for years. There are no such things as haints and ghosts. So, Lonnie quit scaring her.

Lonnie scoffs.

MELODY WELLS CARTER

Daddy, what about that family that moved in above us here in Roda?

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS (Scoffs)

That was nothing at all. No spooks, nothing eerie or anything else. Now, let's talk about something else.

HAILEY WELLS

Wait a minute, Uncle Grandpa. I want to hear this. Please.

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS melts as he looks at Hailey.

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS

Oh, all right. But you won't hear it from me. I'm going into the house for some of that cake.

ARTHUR CARTER (Laughing)

Hey, Lonnie. That cake was so terrible. I cannot let you eat it. I will save everyone and take it upon myself to eat the whole thing.

Everyone laughs. As the men rise to exit, HAILEY WELLS presses for the story.

HAILEY WELLS

Please, I'm dying over here. Tell the story. Grands, please.

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS and ARTHUR CARTER have stopped at the screen door to listen.

GRANDMA IDA WELLS

All right. It was like this. I suppose it was just after we were married and moved from Bristol back to Roda for your grandpa to work in the mines. It was all different then -- lots of people. There were more houses. It was a real community then. Up on the hill, there was the doctor's house. He had a little treatment room and one hospital bed set up in his house. Next to the doctor was the mine super's house. Across the road and the tracks, there stood a store, a barbershop, and even a garage. That's where the bus from Appalachia parked at night at the end of the day's run.

HAILEY WELLS

Did, ah, Grandpa park his bus there?

Hailey rises to get some lemonade and quietly slips off stage -- as does Brad.

2. MELODY WELLS CARTER

He sure did. I used to ask him if he would take me back into town on the bus when he got in after dark, but he said regulations wouldn't let him and that I should be in bed at that time of night. I think he was afraid of what was creeping around in dark.

GRANDPA ARCHIE WELLS

Now, you know better Mel. Anyway, you all had better stop with all this spooky talk. It's Sunday and the Lord don't take kindly to such things on His day. Now, we're going in for cake before the Devil knows we're gone.

LONNIE WELLS

And check on that fire in the cook stove while you're in there, please.

The men exit. LIGHTS FADE DOWN SCENE TWO (LIGHTS FADE UP ON ONE SIDE OFTHE STAGE.) 1940's. A man in his 30's, dressed in slacks, a flannel shirt and open vest, paces the floor. A woman of the same age, dressed in a simple flowered house dress and apron, her hair up in a bun, paces in the opposite direction. They are frantically looking for the source of the whimpering sound that fades in and out.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Where the devil is that coming from?

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

I am just glad you finally hear it. For days, I thought I was going insane.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

It does sound like a baby crying.

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

But it's awfully weak. I hope it's not outside somewhere. It would --

3. MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

You know a bear or the cold would have gotten to it by now. Maybe it's a kitten trapped somewhere. I'll go look outside.

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

We've done that a dozen times. I had the young'ens look when they got home from school yesterday. They crawled all underneath this little house. Not a thing.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

We have to find it. I have a shift in the mines tonight and I have to get some sleep before the children get home. Maybe it will stop.

The whimpering seems to fade and the MAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE relaxes.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE (cont'd)

Well, I'm going to sleep.

He moves to kiss the WOMAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE, then starts to exit as the whimpering returns. This time it is joined by the soft, eerie hum of a lullaby in a woman's voice.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE (cont'd) (Sighing)

I can't do this. Listen, is our neighbor home? I know her husband is working because I saw him going in as I was leaving. She's lived here a long time. Maybe the people before us said something to her. You go get her and I'll keep looking.

The WOMAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE exits while the MAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE continues to search around the room. After a moment his wife returns with the NEIGHBOR, BESSIE.

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Bessie, this is my husband. Do you hear that sound?

They stand silently, but there is no sound. Frustrated, the WOMAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE AND THE MAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE look at each other in shock. BESSIE looks at them bewildered.

4. BESSIE

What did you say the noise sounded like?

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Well, mostly it's a low whimper -- like a baby.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Then, today we heard a sort of humming like someone singing a lullaby. And then a creaking, like an old wooden rocker.

Taking a few steps back,Bessie slowly moves away from them. At that moment, the whimper, the lullaby and a new sound -- the creaking of a chair rocking, return.

BESSIE (Hearing the sound and becoming more frightened.)

I left food cooking on the stove.

The WOMAN IN THE CRYING HOUSE gently puts an arm out to BESSIE. Upon seeing the young woman's pleading look, BESSIE stops.

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

We moved in two weeks ago. This started right after that. My husband heard it for the first time today. We've looked everywhere.

BESSIE

Honey, I cannot help you. I need to get home.

MAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Ma'am. What we really need your help with is this. We wonder whether you knew the folks who lived here before us?

BESSIE

Son. I can't say I did. Let me think.

The noises subside and BESSIE paces as she thinks.

BESSIE (cont'd)

The James moved out two years ago and they never mentioned anything to me.

(MORE) 5.

I know Polly would have said something if she had heard that noise. After them, the house sat empty until you moved in. Before the James, I believe it was a couple about your age -- I think they had four children.

WOMAN IN CRYING HOUSE

Did they have any babies?

BESSIE

No, their youngest was at least three years old.