I started this play years ago. I rewrote this scene in the magical realism world I created. It has taken a bit to get back into it, and this may be my focus for the next few scenes, as I really need to create that second act. I wrote the beginning of a second act and then fizzled out as there are problems within problems, but I have a few ideas I'll try in the next few days. This all feels like a warm-up to fix some of my abandoned plays. I started writing this for an all-female theatre company that likes lots of combat in their original plays that they create.
Complete rewrite of Act 1, scene 3 of Père Lachaise Moonlight Mirage or Misted Angels Sleep No More (working titles)Nov 8, 2025
Scene 3
GABRIELLE
What is here? Ah, yes,
a little bleed, but I get my uh…kit and good as new. Okay. Attendre ici.
PEARL
Okay.
(PEARL tries
to get up to follow her)
GABRIELLE
Non, non, non, wait
here.
(GABRIELLE
EXITS. PEARL looks around. An owl hoots. She tries to get up, but can’t quite
steady herself. She gets something sticklike and pokes JIM. He doesn’t respond
at all. She crawls to him and shakes him. Nothing. She tries to find a pulse
and there is nothing. She moved too quickly and tries to regain her
balance. There is a ferocious rumble shakes the cemetery. PEARL hangs on. A
trio of STONE ANGELS bearing a stretcher come to pick up JIM. He is borne away
by two of the ANGELS and the third directs them as WEEPING ANGEL takes her
place again as a statue. PEARL rubs her eyes in disbelief. GABRIELLE ENTERS
running)
GABRIELLE
Mon Dieu, tremblement
de terre! Tremblement de terre! Tremblement de terre!
(PEARL slaps
her)
GABRIELLE
Merci beaucoup.
PEARL
You’re welcome?
GABRIELLE
You are still bit of
blood. Here. Sit. I fix. How you feel?
PEARL
I….uh….I…uh….I don’t
know.
GABRIELLE
(examining
PEARL’S head)
No more damage. That is
good. There are many things that could move here and hurt you.
PEARL
Yes, I know. Things
move.
(GABRIELLE
fixes PEARL’S head)
GABRIELLE
I am sorry I had to hit
you, but I wanted you to stay put. It is easy to get lost here. It is very
dangerous here at night. A shake…
PEARL
Earthquake.
GABRIELLE
Oui, it is very dangerous as there are so many
statues and other things that fall or could. It is my job to keep people like
you, tourists, from hurting themselves or the graves. (under breath) Porcs!
(she spits)
PEARL
Rude, much! I’m not a
pig!
GABRIELLE
Ha! That word you know! Sure, sure. But tonight,
we did not think we would see such a fantastic sight, eh? Très réel et
fantastique! I do not know what to think, eh? Where is Jim?
PEARL
He moved.
GABRIELLE
Where?
PEARL
This is a weird night,
man. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I’m not sure I….
GABRIELLE
(puts PEARL in
a stranglehold)
Where did you put him?
He belongs here! He rests here! You must tell me!
(PEARL wants
to answer, but is choking)
Where is he?
(PEARL points
to the WEEPING ANGEL, and GABRIELLE gasps, releasing her)
Mon dieu! Non, non,
non! C’est impossible! L'ange retourne et pleure à nouveau! How can this be?
What black magic did you preform here tonight? Jim Morrison is alive and that
angel what?
PEARL
No, he’s still dead and
that statue took him.
GABRIELLE
But we saw him. Did he
not walk and talk? This is a statue, it does not walk or talk.
PEARL
Yes, but I don’t know
how any of this is possible.
GABRIELLE
I don’t either, but
tell me how you did this.
PEARL
I didn’t do anything!
GABRIELLE
Then your friend?
PEARL
No, none of it was us.
We were here to find the…nevermind….
GABRIELLE
What?
PEARL
It doesn’t matter. It
does, but… Janis…
GABRIELLE
Janis Joplin? Jim being
here as his grave is here, but Janis, how did she…? Why did she? She never
lived here. Non, I don’t think so.
PEARL
She toured Europe once,
but hated it.
GABRIELLE
C’est impossible! Paris?
PEARL
Especially Paris.
GABRIELLE
Américains ! Ils
viennent ici et laissent une trace de la litière, n'ont aucun goût et trash de
l'endroit. Je n'aime pas Janis Joplin.
PEARL
Um…amen!
(There is
another ferocious rumble and shaking)
PEARL
(to the Heavens) I
didn’t mean it!
(the shaking
stops)
GABRIELLE
What are you doing?
(GABRIELLE
picks up a long vase threateningly)
PEARL
Nothing! I swear!
Chillax!
GABRIELLE
Is that English?
PEARL
Yes!
GABRIELLE
American, English?
PEARL
Yes! For relax. Just
relax. Chill. Chillax!
(More
ferocious rumble and quake)
GABRIELLE
Arrête!
(GABRIELLE
takes a swing at PEARL with the vase)
PEARL
I’m not! I’m not doing
a thing!
GABRIELLE
You are! Arrête!!
(GABRIELLE
keeps advancing with the vase and swinging as the rumble goes)
PEARL
Seriously, chillax!
(the rumble
quake stops)
GABRIELLE
Aha! You did it again!
PEARL
Did what? It is just a
word.
GABRIELLE
A strange non-English,
English. A word that triggers….what is it in English?
PEARL
Earthquake?
GABRIELLE
Oui. Earthquake.
(the ferocious
rumble again and shake)
PEARL
You did it this time!
(GABRIELLE
swings at her and PEARL finds a large framed picture to use as a shield and the
stick-like thing now becomes her sword. At the same time GABRIELLE finds a
discarded shawl draped on JIM’S grave to act as a net)
GABRIELLE
I did not!
PEARL
Yes, you did!
(PEARL and GABRIELLE
fight, challenging each other at every turn. Perhaps switching out objects found
at the grave. THE WEEPING ANGEL climbs down from her perch and EXITS as the
mist rolls in. The OTHER STONE ANGELS push and pull the two women as they
tussle. Like coaches on the side of a boxing match, keeping it going. GABRIELLE
and PEARL are so focused that they don’t notice them.)
GABRIELLE
You are the cause of
all of this!
PEARL
I didn’t do anything, honestly!
You said….
GABRIELLE
Don’t say it! Shhttt!
PEARL
You are cracked!
GABRIELLE
Non! You are here to do
things! Always! Americans coming and they leave things. Chaos makers!
PEARL
I don’t make quakes….things…not
earthquakes or people rising from the dead. That is all French! Creepy, creepy
French graveyard. Creepy French people.
(picks up a
statue off a grave)
And creepy as fuck, French art!
GABRIELLE
Non, non, non!
PEARL
Oui, oui, oui!
(The STONE
ANGELS leave. GABRIELLE has PEARL cornered)
GABRIELLE
Admit defeat American!
You are under arrest!
PEARL
Never! Ungrateful
Frenchie!
GABRIELLE
Ungrateful Americans!
PEARL
You! This! We rescued
France during World War II!
GABRIELLE
That was so long ago!
PEARL
So!
GABRIELLE
We stand on our own
without your help!
PEARL
You wouldn’t be able to
stand here…here…as some other country would have taken over by now if it weren’t
for us. Europe is all about someone taking over someone else’s land and
claiming it for their own. We have never done that!
GABRIELLE
Ah, oui, there was no
one living in the land you call America before your ancestors claimed it?
(There is an off-stage
scream)
|
Pearl
Patty!
|
GABRIELLE
Merde!
|
(PATTY, SOPHIE
BLANCHARD, and GERTRUDE STEIN ENTER with hands up in surrender, being held at
gunpoint by MARIE-MADELEINE) MARIE-MADELINE
English?
PATTY
Oui, English too.
MARIE-MADELINE
Sarah? Entrez s'il vous
plait!
(ENTER SARAH
BERNHARDT ENTERS sword pointed at PEARL and GABRIELLE)
SARAH
Ladies, please, drop
your weapons!
BLACKOUT
END OF ACT 1
