Faust in the West Enter Faust 001 By Sara Detrik Based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe s Faust (203) 767-1185 sldetrik@gmail.com 594 Church Hill Road Fairfield, CT 06825
IN THE WEST ENTER 001 Scene: 1 (A TAVERN IN THE OLD WEST) SOUND: CLINKING GLASSES, THE SOUND OF MURMURING VOICES. A FIDDLE PLAYS. Fold. SOUND: CARDS SLAMMED DOWN ON A TABLE. I win again. Don t get used to it. It s like you re not even trying. The minute I start to try, Sheriff, you ll be the first to know, believe me. It was a joke, Halloway. Take it easy. I know. SOUND: CARDS BEING SHUFFLED. DOOR SWINGING OPEN. THE CROWD NOISES DIE AWAY FOR A MOMENT. THEY RESUME. BOOTS WITH SPURS APPROACHING. FOOTSTEPS STOP. (A SOFT, AMIABLE MAN. VERY SLIGHT GERMAN ACCENT) Good evening, gentlemen. Is there room for one more? It s a closed game. That s Halloway for welcome to Little Rock. Funny.
CONTINUED: 2. What s Halloway for thank you? I wouldn t know. Never heard him say anything like it. Can we get back to the game? Deal him in. SOUND: CHAIR SCRAPING, CARDS SHUFFLING AND BEING DEALT. We don t play high stakes here. I never found myself to be the high stakes type. You re not a risk taker? I wouldn t say that. Have a seat...what did you say your name was? Johann. Johann Faust. German. People tell me I still have an accent. Is that what gave me away? It s a small town. Everyone knows everyone here. We d know if an outsider came through. What s a foreigner doing all the way out here? Funny thing. I started going East, actually, and went so far I ended up in the West. Faust...that name sounds familiar. Have we met somewhere before?
CONTINUED: 3. No. It s a common name. You never answered the question. What question? What brings you to Little Rock? Didn t I? No. You didn t. I m looking for a new place to ply my trade. Aren t we all. What kind of trade is that? I m a Doctor of Medicine. For all the questions you ve asked me, I haven t heard much about you. Sheriff Jennings. And this here is Doctor Halloway. So you see, your services won t be needed. Neither are mine anymore. Halloway. I m damn tired of keeping quiet. That Reverend Thatcher has everyone riled up. You hear him, Sheriff. You hear what he says about me and my practice. Calling anyone with learning devil spawn. If he s allowed to carry on like that, a lot of people are going to die. I said I d talk to him if it gets bad.
CONTINUED: 4. What could you do, Jennings? He has God on his side. I m sorry to hear that. Not a good time to be a doctor here, Faust. So, you can see it s best for everyone if you just move along. Thank you for the advice, but I have business before I m through here. Business? What sort of business? Nothing that should take me too long. For your sake, I hope not. Was that a threat? Just the honest truth. SOUND: CHAIR SCRAPING. Well. It s been a pleasure, gentlemen. Best of luck, Faust. I hope you find what you re looking for. SOUND: BOOTS WITH SPURS. DOORS SWINGING CLOSED. SOUND: HORSES Scene: 2 (OUTSIDE THE TAVERN) Mephistopheles! SOUND: THE SOUND OF WIND AND CHIMES FADES IN AND OUT.
CONTINUED: 5. You called, oh great and tremendous Faust? Enough. Did you learn anything in there? The bartender waters down the beer, no one cleans the floor, but everyone is sleeping with the tailor s wife. Anything useful. I might have. Nice work in there, by the way. Always been a big fan of going straight up to authority figures to announce my arrival. You obviously don t understand how this plan works. Really. Care to enlighten me? You overstep your bounds. Silence speaks louder than words. Alright, I didn t know he was the Sheriff. Are you happy now? Words can t express my profound joy. Are you a demon because of your personality, or is it the other way around? A question that haunts me to this very day. Nothing haunts you. You d be surprised. What s the plan? You said you found something.
CONTINUED: 6. Might have. Might. Well? It was in the silences. The gaps between thoughts. You can feel it pressing on their minds. It s here, it s definitely here. Whether it s here or not remains to be seen, but something s hidden. You can taste it in the air. There s only one way to cure silence. What might that be, Doctor? Trust. I have to gain their trust. Stable the horses. I ll be rooming at the inn. Return there when you re done so we can discuss our next move. Good to know you have a real plan this time. We all have to start somewhere. You know, most people would be satisfied with the powers of hell at their fingertips. I m not most people. Just my luck. SOUND: HORSES HOOVES FADING INTO DISTANCE. Scene: 3 (DOCTOR S HOME) SOUND: NIGHT SOUNDS. KNOCKING ON A DOOR.
CONTINUED: 7. Doctor Halloway? Doctor Halloway! SOUND: DOOR OPENING Margaret, what are you doing here at this time of night? It s my father, sir. He s not well. So? What do you want me to do about it? Your job, Doctor. I d really appreciate it if you d do your job and help him. I can t help a patient who refuses to see me. Or you refuse to see him. I know how it is between you two, sir, but both of you have a duty to fulfill. And what duty is that, exactly? You in healing, and his in accepting help when it s offered. One can t happen without the other, Margaret. If you just tried-- I won t treat the Reverend. Doctor Halloway. I m truly sorry, Margaret,I am. But I can t help you....thank you anyway, Doctor. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.
CONTINUED: 8. Ah...sorry. I m afraid I m interrupting something. No, we were just finished, Doctor Faust. You re a doctor? Yes, Miss. Could you come look at my father? He s very sick. I wouldn t want to intrude on Doctor Halloway s practice. Intrude away. Hope your reflexes are good. The esteemed Reverend has good aim. SOUND: DOOR CLOSING. Will you do it? Will you please help my father? I ll try. I need more than trying, Doctor Faust. I will help your Father, if it s within my power to do so. SOUND: TWO PAIRS OF FOOTSTEPS HURRYING AWAY. (THATCHER HOUSE) Scene: 4 SOUND: THE DOOR OPENING. NIGHT SOUNDS. Here we are. Please, stay here a moment while I get him ready. Of course. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS FADING AWAY
CONTINUED: 9. (HUSHED) Mephistopheles? SOUND: THE SOUND OF WIND AND CHIMES FADES IN AND OUT. It s done. Exactly as I described? To the letter. He s ready for you. Good. Will that be all, oh majestic and mystical Faust? Yes. Be ready if I need you later. Your wish is my command. SOUND: WIND AND CHIMES FADES IN AND OUT. FOOTSTEPS. He s ready for you now. SOUND: TWO PAIRS OF FOOTSTEPS. A DOOR OPENING. Papa, this is the man I told you about. I told you once, Margaret, and I ll tell you again. I don t need a doctor. SOUND: COUGHING. That cough says otherwise, Reverend. You ve got a lot of nerve, boy. Miss, may I speak to your father alone?
CONTINUED: 10. No you may not, and you ll address yourself to me, not my daughter. I ll just be in the next room. Damn it, girl, you listen to me! SOUND: COUGHING. Easy, Papa. Easy, now. Let me take a look. Vultures, all of you. Can t a man be sick in his own damn home? Fine. If that s how you re going to treat those that care about you, I ll leave you to your misery. He s in your hands now, Doctor. Margaret. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING AWAY. Now look what you did. You should be ashamed of yourself, man. Your own daughter cares enough to throw herself on the kindness of a stranger, and you spit it back in her face. If you mean to shame me, then congratulations. Now will you leave me in peace? Not until we find out what s wrong with you. I think we both owe it to the lady. That Halloway sent you, didn t he?
CONTINUED: 11. No sir. Don t lie to me. I don t consider myself the lying kind. What kind do you consider yourself then? Only what any man can claim: what God made him to be. You say that now. But then you pull out your cure, those vials of filth. SOUND: COUGHING. Not me, sir. Not you. Then tell me, how do you plan to "heal" me? Trust, Reverend. Simply your trust. Why should I trust you, boy? Not me, sir. You must put your faith in God. You don t talk like no doctor I ve ever met. I studied to be one, it s true. But one day, everything changed. I was...visited. Visited? I had a vision. A beautiful angel came to me, and sent me visions, whispers of the future. Warnings.
CONTINUED: 12. Pardon me? This angel, she sent you warnings too? Yes indeed, sir. She told me the path I walked down was one of darkness and ignorance. The only true healing, she said, was done by the grace of the Lord. And ever since, I walk in his light. I am his -- AND Eternal servant. That voice. It s her. What voice, Reverend? SOUND: COUGHING. I had a vision, Doctor. A God given vision. A woman visited me. She was perfect, beyond mortal reckoning. Are you sure it wasn t a demon? They ve been known to deceive. No, not her. My soul knows, it knows she s an angel. When she spoke, the pain eased, and I could feel the sickness fading. What did the angel say? She warned me, told me what I ve always known. Doctor Halloway, he s the one. He made a pact with the devil himself to get rid of me once and for all. He sent me this blight. Why would the he do something like that? He s always been a godless man. He envies me, my position. What men won t stoop to for power... He must be stopped -- SOUND: COUGHING.
CONTINUED: 13. That is indeed a serious accusation. You know the angel, Doctor. You know she wouldn t lie. Never. Heal me, Doctor. I give myself to your keeping. SOUND: WIND AND CHIMES INCREASING Oh Father above, raise this man s soul from the depths! Purge his flesh of darkness! I see her, the angel! She draws near! Angel, take this man into your keeping! AND Be healed! SOUND: WIND AND CHIMES FADE. FOOTSTEPS APPROACH. DOOR OPENS. What is going on in here?! (CRYING) A miracle of God, Margaret. What was that shouting? It s alright, Miss. Your father is well again. What was wrong with him? Papa, what is going on? It s all over now, dear. Nothing to concern yourself with. Tomorrow, the real work begins. The real work?
CONTINUED: 14. I ve wrestled with a demon tonight, Margaret, and he won t escape. Not this time. He needs rest, now, and a good meal. Doctor s orders. Yes, I can do that. But-- You heard the Doctor, Margaret. I m sorry I upset you, but it s over now. God has granted me safety. Papa? It s over now. God has granted me safety. God has granted me new purpose. Yes. Yes, he has. Scene: 5 (OUTSIDE THATCHER HOUSE) SOUND: NIGHT SOUNDS. A DOOR CLOSES. Thank you for your help, Doctor Faust. I was just doing my job. It s a shame that s not a priority of Doctor Halloway s. You shouldn t blame the Doctor. You saw my father. Only God s will can prevail. And you disagree? I...I don t know. Perhaps. Everything can be seen as God s will. The same be said of the Devil.
CONTINUED: 15. People believe what they want to believe. I guess it s all a matter of how you look at things. So how do we know what s good and what s evil? I m not entirely sure. I wouldn t have expected that from you. From me? No disrespect meant, Miss, I just meant-- Because I m the Reverend s child, I share his beliefs. I m myself before I m my father s daughter. I can see that. Good night, Doctor Faust. Good night, Miss. Margaret. SOUND: FOOTSTEPS FADING. A DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING. Mephistopheles. SOUND: WIND AND CHIMES FADE IN AND OUT. Good work. End