Sam Shepard: The god of hell: a play

(FRANK starts tentatively marching with HAYNES, trying to fall into step with him, but HAYNES has now cranked up the tempo . FRANK tries to catch up .)

Emma, maybe you could clean the place up a bit. Get these plants out of here before the meeting.

EMMA

: Frank! Frank, don’t do that. Stop doing that!

WELCH

: I’ve got all my people coming, Emma. What are they going to think about our readiness? We’ve got to get the place cleaned up.

(FRANK keeps on marching with HAYNES; the two of them getting more and more in sync. … EMMA rushes to FRANK and grabs his arm, trying to stop him from marching with HAYNES. Blue light flashes from FRANK s arm. EMMA jumps back .)

EMMA

: (

grabbing

FRANK

,

who continues marching

) Frank! Stop it now! This isn’t you! This isn’t who you are! Frank! What have they done to you!?

(FRANK and HAYNES keep marching in unison . WELCH takes each of them by the arm and leads them toward the door, knocking over plants on the way .)

WELCH

: You’re going to like Rocky Buttes, Frank. Whole different landscape. Wide open. Just like the Wild, Wild West. Not a tree in sight. Endlessly flat and lifeless.

(WELCH opens door and escorts HAYNES and FRANK out to the porch . EMMA stands in the room, helpless .)

FRANK

: Have they got any pasture out there, Graig?

HAYNES

: Buffalo grass. That’s about it.

FRANK

: How are we going to feed my heifers?

WELCH

: Just keep making your way down across those frozen fields. My people will pick you up on the road. You see the headlights? They’re waiting for you. Keep in step now. Don’t forget to keep in step.

(FRANK and HAYNES go off past the windows, maintaining their little pathetic march . WELCH comes back into the house and speaks to EMMA.)

( to EMMA) Well, don’t act so surprised, Emma. What did you expect? You didn’t think you were going to get a free ride on the back of Democracy forever, did you? Well, did you? What have you done to deserve such rampant freedom? Such total lack of responsibility. Just lolling about here in the Wisconsin wilderness with your useless lumberjack of a husband, scraping the cream off the countryside. Sooner or later, the price has to be paid. Don’t you think? Our day has come. Now, be a good girl and clean the place up for our meeting. We need to put our best foot forward, don’t we? Get in step, Emma. Get in step. See you Tuesday.

(WELCH turns and goes out the door, closing it behind him. He disappears past the windows. Pause . EMMA turns toward audience and walks extreme downstage, staring out. She just stands there, staring .)

EMMA

: (

to herself

) Frank.

( She just stands there awhile, then turns and runs upstage, goes out door, leaving it open, and starts ringing the bell. She keeps ringing it as the lights fade. As lights get dimmer, the plants begin to emanate blue flashes, which increase in intensity as lights go to black. Music over. Bell continues .)

END

A VINTAGE ORIGINAL, APRIL 2005

Copyright © 2005 by Sam Shepard

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

CAUTION : This play is fully protected, in whole, in part, or in any form, under the copyright laws of the United States of America, the British Empire including the Dominion of Canada, and all other countries of the copyright union, and are subject to royalty.

All rights, including professional, amateur, motion picture, radio, television, recitation, and public reading, are strictly reserved.

All inquiries for performance rights should be addressed to the author’s agent, Judy Boals, Judy Boals, Inc., 208 West 30th Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10001.

Vintage and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Shepard, Sam, 1943–

The god of hell : a play / Sam Shepard.

p. cm.

“A Vintage original”—T.p. verso.

eISBN: 978-0-307-49570-9

1. Liberty—Drama. 2. Conservatism—Drama. 3. Right and left (Political science)—Drama. 4. Middle West—Drama. 5. Political plays. I. Title.

PS3569.H394 G63 2005

812′.54—dc22

2004065122

www.vintagebooks.com

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