THE
ECHOES OF THE
PAST
1
LIGHTS UP.......(amber).....L. STAGE........POET......offstage(coltrane)
SCENE 1
POET#1
Phillis Wheatley, the poet and
writer, Phillis Wheatley, the high school that never dies,
the two are legends within their times,
Phillis Wheatley, the poet, writer was a fighter during the era
when to pick up a pen or pencil, for slaves were against the lawbut she
survived like a cat scratching with her paw. She was brave
and set free as a slave, gave our school her name anbeneathth
purple and white walls, we became one of the same, Listen to the
spirits of the past, they have spoken for many years and our precious
memories are so dear, Listen to the spirits of the past,
for this evening the echoes can be heard from a cast that
walked and talked down the halls of Phillis Wheatley
without breaking any treaties, minds that have traveled in far
away lands to return to the sound of their true band,
laughing, rejoicing and remembering where they all started,
marching proudly with smiles to Phillis Wheatley High
School for letting them sat awhile on it’s stool without
breaking stride of any pride, the echoes of the past will always
be, because Phillis Wheatley High sits beyond the purple and
white sea......We owe our Alma Mater thatand none of us gonna
scat! You are the echoes of the past and your spirits will
forever last........
LIGHTS FADES
LIGHTS UP....DANCE#1
MUSIC: Sam Cook.......sweet sixteen...........CD#1.....#1
SCENE 2
LIGHTS UP.....CENTER. STAGE.....MONOLOGUE.......OLD LADY(dress purple)
An older lady named Betty Johnson walks slowly on the
stage hobbling on a cane. She stops and looks around. She
looks up at the building. She taps the cane on the brick walls of
the building. Betty shakes her head and laughs. She
slowly sits down on a nearby bench.
BETTY
Lord have mercy! How time passes.......I
remembered when I walked through those heavy double
doors of this old school. The only colored high school in
Fifth Ward. We didn’t care nothing about that......We just
loved Phillis Wheatley High School.....As the saying goes, “we
love it’s dirty draws.” White folks had their
segregation and we had Phillis Wheatley.
Hallelujah! You see I graduated in 1957.......Now I didn’t
say that for you to figure out my age......You see I’m like my old school here. I never grow old.
You know what I’m saying? To me “old” is
just a figure of speech or some metaphor or something. I
can still shake a leg or two when ever I
please. Anyway I’m just a little more seasoned than the young
ones.....Don’t let this cane fool you!
Yep! This old school is a neat piece of
history like it’s “the echo of the past.”
Listen! Shhhh! I hear them voices
calling us to class.......I better sit down and
listened.........Do ya’ll hear that?!
LIGHTS
FADES
2
MUSIC: Jackie Wilson.......Talk That Talk.......CD #1...#2......(dance)#2
SCENE 3
LIGHTS UP...blue wash.....R. STAGE......POET#2
POET#2
A funny and humorous man he was, and sometimes
one question was his test, catching you not at
your best, “SMOKE OUT,” he would write on the board and
ask one question, while you felt desertion, he
would lean over his desk, sitting, staring in your
faces as some bent down to tie their shoe laces, his left shoulder cocked to one side as we looked at each other out
the corner of our eyes, one question he asked
a student, if one stutter from the student’s mouth, Mr. Bradford would lean closer to his desk and say,
“F” you can rest for the remainder of the day, funny he was and everyone rushed to his class like
shifting a clutch.
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Cook......You Send Me.....CD#1....#3........Dancers#3
SCENE #4
LIGHTS UP......CENTER STAGE......4mics
Eight men are sitting around playing dominoes. Their
names are Robert, Leff, Toli Ball, Art
and Bates, Happy Cappy and Ralph. They are arguing
over football and basketball back in the day.
BATES
Man! Please! Play bones! Forget about what year we won the championship!
CAPPY
Can’t do that Bates! We gotta settle this right now! Old Cap know now.
ROBERT
All I know is that year we won something
in basketball and football. Now which year, my
mind went blank......Just can’t remember like I used to Cap!
BALL
(slams domino on table)
Shut up! And give me twenty!......
TOLI
(looks at his hand)
I still say Cap is wrong.......fifteen on your wrong ass......
.
CAPPY
3
(slams the domino)
Okay! You think so, huh? Well, why
you thinking, scratch this on your pad. Thirty! And another thing, Happy
Cappy ain’t wrong. In 1955, we won the state in basketball and we won state in football, in 1954.....Now
I got proof.......Are you a betting man?........
RALPH
Hey, Toli! I wouldn’t bet him......The man is a walking history book on Wheatley.
CAPPY
No! He thinks I’m wrong......Come on
Toli.....Put your money where your mouth is........I’m not a betting man, but just to prove to you I’m
right......I’m putting fifty big ones on the
table......
(Cappy goes in his pocket
and lay fifty dollars on the table)
LEFF
I bet Cap even know the score of that
football game and who we played........Me, all I know is that we won the state one
year. Cyrus Lancaster was the Quarter Back.
ROBERT
Cyrus Lancaster! Yeah! He sure
was. He had an arm like a rocket.......When was the last time ya’ll seen Cyrus? He graduated
in our class......1957!
(Everybody look at each other)
ART
RB! Where have you been? Snag drowned many years ago!
(Everybody is silent for a moment)
ROBERT
Oh! Sorry! I didn’t know........
CAPPY
Does any of you have your year book?............
(Everybody kind of look
down)
That’s what I thought! Listen, if you
did, you would know the years we won state champion in basketball and football. We not only won the
state in football in 1954, but for ten years
straight we won state in basketball up until 1956.........
TOLI 4
Next, you gonna tell me you still got your
sweaters.........Take your fifty dollars off the
table......I pass on that bet.....
CAPPY
(Opens up a brown paper bag under
the table)
As a matter of fact, I’m glad you asked that question.........
(Pulls two purple and white
sweaters out)
Here they are..........One for basketball and the
other for football. What do these
patches say?.........
(Everybody leans over to take a
look)
EVERYBODY
Well! I be damn! 1954! Phyllis
Wheatley State football Champions and 1955 State Basketball Champions......
CAPPY
Ya’ll thought old Cap was lying, didn’t
you?........I cherished these things for years.
RALPH
(smiles)
I don’t know when the last time I’ve seen my
sweaters...........Now I do remember that
game. I played Safety......returning punts.....yeah!
I remember running down the side line.
BALL
Yeah! I remembered now!.....I played on the line.....We kick some ass that night!
CAPPY
(looks at his domino hand)
And another thing I wanna tell ya’ll........
EVERYBODY
What?.......
CAPPY
(slams domino on table)
You see, gentleman......Even though I’m from
the class of 1956, I am a walking history book
on Phillis Wheatley High School......and a master at dominoes......Domino! Give it up! Give it
up! Class of “57.”
(Everybody gives Cappy
their dominoes as he counts them out)
LEFF
I bet you even know the score of that game and who
we
played........
5
CAPPY
(smiles as he counts the dominoes)
Scorer! Put fifty down on that
paper!.......That historical night, the score was
14- 0 and we played Waco. They had a left
handed Quarterback named Alvin Jackson.
Later after college, he signed as a pitcher with the
Pittsburgh Pirates.......
TOLI
(shakes his head)
Cappy, man! You missed your calling......You should have been a Historian.......
CAPPY
(counts
dominoes score from
others)
Thirty!....I am.......On Phillis Wheatley High School.........Now in 1929-----
EVERYBODY
We’ve heard enough for now......Time out Ref!....Shuffle the bones!
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC# 4.....Wilson.....Whispers.......CD #1...#4.....Dancers#4
SCENE 5
LIGHTS UP......R. STAGE.
SHIRLEY is reading an old informer paper. Shirley is a 1957
graduate of Phillis Wheatley. She closes the paper as she sits
down on a bench. She is at Finnegan Park. Shirley takes a
walk through the park every evening before the sun goes
down.
SHIRLEY
(looks up at the sky)
Sure hope it doesn’t rain today. I take this
walk through Finnegan Park every evening
when I think the bad boys are gone. I just like to come
here and take in some of the memories.
Finnegan Park is historical and there is Phyllis Wheatley right across the street, my school, 1957....I’ll
just sit here and imagine I’m that young again.......Ain’t nothing wrong with that as long as
I don’t act it out.......
(She laughs)
Now Phillis Wheatley, back in 1957 was like a
salvation for most of us young children because that
white man was hell........Everything was segregated.....But somehow and someway, we survived the
storm.......Behind Phillis Wheatley walls we were
strong individuals.......Our teachers were so rapped up into us, I
guess it was their salvation too away from so much
hate. We had the Pie House,
CONTD
6
Simpson Barbecue up the street, the Snack Bar
and the Bean House. And we had
Yates and Wheatley Turkey Day Classic.
We loved staying in our little space. Then
integration came that broke Wheatley’s dynasty........Can’t cry over
spilled milk, but at least I can keep them
good old time memories, right here in my heart.....And physically , my last year was 1957, but my mind
never left this park or school. They are all
connected. I met my first boyfriend at the canteen.
(Another older lady named Barbara
walks up)
BARBARA
(sits down)
I thought you said you were going to wait on
me, Shirley.....Anyway, why are you talking to
yourself?......That’s not healthy........
SHIRLEY
(laughs)
Wasn’t talking to myself, just thinking out loud, that’s all.........
BARBARA
(curious)
Now I hope you’re not answering yourself out
loud too, because I will call 911 in a
heartbeat.
(They both look at each other and
burst out laughing and pointing
)
SHIRLEY
(laughing)
I’m not ready for that yet-----now maybe fifty years from now!
BARBARA
(laughs)
You haven’t changed a bit since the time we were in
that old building over there.....I got to admit
though, Phillis Wheatley had it going on........I’m going to always remember it that
way.......Have you seen Joyce? She told me that she was
going to meet us out here.
SHIRLEY
(in disbelief )
Now Barbara, you know darn well that Joyce was just
talking......She doesn’t even want to walk outside
to water her own lawn.....And to walk out to the park?
Please! Give me a break! It’s not gonna
happen......
(Joyce walks up
behind the bench)
JOYCE
(curious)
What’s not gonna happen? Are ya’ll gossiping behind my back again?........
BARBARA
7
(funny look on face)
Oh, no! We were just talking about our 1957 class reunion coming up.......
SHIRLEY
That’s a lie!......We were saying that you don’t
even like to walk out the house and water your own
lawn more less than trying to walk to the park........
JOYCE
(smiles)
Well, Shirley, at least you’re honest. Not
like some folks I know..........But what can I
expect. It was like that when we were going to school......I
guess some folks never change......
BARBARA
Well! I know you didn’t go there!
SHIRLEY
Please! Don’t bring that part of our
school days up.....Jesus Christ!.....Let’s just
reflect on the good times........
Yeah.....You’re right, Shirley.........
JOYCE
(smiles)
You know. We’ve been friends for many
years. I’ve never understood why Barbara and I
disagreed so much......I mean, right until this day......
BARBARA
(jokes)
That’s easy to figure, Joyce......We both have
always been stubborn and bull- headed.......Always
have to have the last word.........
SHIRLEY
(comments)
Amen! On that!........
JOYCE
(observe)
They really have fixed Finnegan Park up.......It was
really going down several years ago........The
canteen was right over there......That place used to be so crowded on Friday nights, you could hardly see
between the crowd......
BARBARA
(laughs)
What was the name of that real slow song they played
and every boy would rush to dance with the
girls........
SHIRLEY
8
(laughs)
Oh! You remember that
song?! That was ‘The Clock’ by
Johnny Ace.
JOYCE
That song seemed like it played
forever...........The boy would have you in a back break and sweat would just be dripping from his
face.......
I had to really like a boy for me to slow drag
off “The Clock.” It ‘tic-tock’ too long for me and them boys just squeezed a
little bit too tight.......
Yeah......Old Johnny Ace just blew himself away right
before our second year at Wheatley.......It was a sad day for
all of us.......1954, December 25, playing
Russian & Roulette.........What a waste.......
BARBARA
(gets up)
Let’s walk over by the baseball field.......I
really did liked baseball. I remembered a left handed pitcher Wheatley had .......They won City Co-Championship
in baseball, tied with Yates in
1955......He played basketball too........He used to pitch for Bros Henry’s summer league team
at this park. It was a lot going on at
Wheatley and Finnegan Park back then. You remember how we
used to stand by the pool and watch Harry
Torry and other swimmers do their swan and jack knife dives off the high and low
boards? They were just as good as the Olympians.......How can we mention Phillis Wheatley without
remembering Finnegan Park?..........It
was a blessing away from home and school......How can
we mention either without giving Fifth
Ward it’s Props? They are all connected. Most
all of Wheatley basketball players played in
the Park’s gym......
SHIRLEY
(gets up and folds her paper)
Listen......Are we going to walk over to the
baseball field or we just going to sit here
talking about Phillis Wheatley?.......Now I love Phyllis
Wheatley, but we going to have to move and
talk at the same time........Anyway, why didn’t ya’ll wear your walking shoes?.........I came over here
for exercise too...........
JOYCE
I just came because Barbara insisted
that we get together-----now walking for
exercise---well----
BARBARA
(impatient)
Just come on, Joyce......And Shirley, my
shoes are fine for walking........Wait! I just
remembered a song, but I recites it as poetry.......
JOYCE &
SHIRLEY
9
I guess you ’re a poet now! Come on here, woman......
BARBARA
No! Listen! You just might remember........
(Barbara begins the poem)
Our Alma Mater stands today, a beacon light to guide the way------
JOYCE & SHIRLEY
Of those whose path will lead someday, to the
goals of their ideals, the lesson given her
youth of knowledge, loyalty and truth.
SHIRLEY
Inspire us all, we need the call, Wheatley makes to one and all.
BARBARA
(smiles)
Her stately walls ring out with cheer, she
calls to all from far and near to join her ranks ,
we need not fear.
JOYCE
She welcomes them so heartily, her royal
purple, matched with white, an emblem blazing forth with might.
SHIRLEY
Will ever lead to great deeds, Wheatley, how we honor thee!
EVERYBODY
Our Alma Mater, we strive to be,
faithful, true, and ever loyal to the dreams inspired by thee...........Yes! Yes!
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Doo-Wop.....You Cheated.....CD#1.....#5
SCENE 6
LIGHTS UP.......CENTER STAGE.......
Eight 1957 classmates are sitting and playing
Bid-Wisk cards at Lil’s house. The others are
named Pearlie Marie, Janice, Clara, Raymond,
David, Leroy and Jimmy. They are playing at
separate tables.
LIL
10
(bids)
Four-low-no!
RAYMOND
(looks up from cards)
You sure about that partner?.......
LIL
(confident)
Does a monkey have a tail?.......Sure he
does.....Did I graduate from the best high school in
the world in 1957! Sure I did! Now play!
CLARA
(looks at her hand)
Girl! You haven’t change since you wore bobby
socks......Ya’ll know she bluffed her way all
through high school......If she got a four-low-no hand, my last name is Moore......
DAVID
Now why in the hell did you have to mention his
name? That man stole my thunder a many
of days......I can see him now walking down the hall twirling his gold watch chain around and around. And those
big white teeth between his thick lips.....Man he
ate everyone of my pies one day as I was slipping back on the campus from the Pie House.
(Everybody laughs as they
continues to play cards)
PEARLIE MARIE
(plays a card)
Yeah! He was something else----and the thing
about it, he took them pies with a smile. Now
that old saying about ‘ice water in your veins,’......well, old V.P.
was a good example.......
LEROY
Then sometimes he would have nerves to say,
“thank you, you just made my breakfast, I must say.” Man! I would spend my
last penny on them pies.......
And old Pie Lady could bake up some pies now......My
favorite one was the banana pie. The pie used
to be so hot that I had to wiggle it around in my hand
when 1 was eating it..........I just be blowing and
biting and trying to slip back on campus........Them pies got me into a lot of trouble......
I wondered many times after I graduated in
1957......What would it have been like without
Wheatley in our community?......
LEROY
(plays a card)
I don’t even wanna think about no shit like
that.........They probably would have bused us
to Jack Yates.......Can you imagine that? No
Turkey Day!......During our time, not to
have Turkey Day Classic would have been a total
sin in God’s eyes.......Could you believe
that?!
EVERYBODY
Not really! But Yates was the only black high school in Houston at first.......
LIL
(pauses)
Well, we better give thanks to Mr. E. O.
Smith.. He was that beacon light that led to
success at Wheatley. He was our first principal in 1927, and a
black graduate from Fisk
University. Wheatley was the third black high school to
open. Ya’ll should know the others, Booker T.
and Yates.......The Classic between Wheatley
and Yates began in 1927 as the ‘Armistice Day Fray’
and was played in mid-November of each year.
JIMMY
(interrupts)
Wait a minute, Lily.....I thought that
Wheatley and Yates Classic were always on Turkey Day.
JANICE
(puzzled)
Are you sure about that , Lily?......I do have
respect for your knowledge, but I never heard this
piece of history before......
LIL
(smiles)
I’m sure unless HISD archives are wrong......You
see, Wheatley and Washington were
the Thanksgiving Day Classic.......Yates and Washington were the Christmas Day Gala. Yates and Wheatley
first became, the Turkey Day Classic on
Thanksgiving Day back in 1934 ending the regular season for
each team.
LEROY
Well I be damn! You just don’t get too
old to learn what you should have known anyway.......And just think, them white folks cut the
tradition off plus transferred Doc.
Codwell, our principal and many Wheatley teachers
over to Yates who were our rivalry.
How cold can you get. I heard those were sad
times........
DAVID
12
(shakes his head)
Hold up, Lily! You talking some
history I knew nothing about......I need to take another swallow of Miller on that note.....and salute to my 1957
classmate for being so
historical.....
LEROY
(laughs)
Now ya’ll know the girl been smart all her
life........Cap and Lily are walking computers when it comes to Phillis
Wheatley.......They probably remembered what the
menu was for lunch each day in the cafeteria........
PEARLIE
Man.....They’ve been trying to close
Phyllis Wheatley down for years......We have
to let them know that our school is a historical piece that’s
everlasting and we are going to put up a fight to
keep it’s walls in tact. You know what I’m saying?
CLARA
(smiles)
Only one thing, Houston does not care about
historical values......Look what they did to
the Shamrock and Rice Hotel......Now they are saying that they want to make Wheatley a technology school by tearing
down the old one and building another one on the
track and football field area.......
JIMMY
(raises up his beer)
To 1957 class......I just wanna say that I’m
glad and blessed to have been a part of
the history because we could have been a Lion instead of a
Wildcat. Can we toast to that and the new
up-coming Wheatley!!
EVERYBODY
( raises drinks)
Cheers! To Phillis Wheatley!
Cheers! Cheers to Principals E.O.
Smith and Doc. Codwell for paving
the way........
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Thunder........CD-B.....#1
SCENE 7
LIGHTS UP.........LEFT STAGE......POET#4......TURKEY DAY POEM(offstage)
POET
13
The hour had come, the parades have begun,
cheers echoed through out the night getting ready for the dog fight, between two rivals
in the stadium trenches, that seated forty thousands
students, parents, cousins, uncles, grandmothers and other fans on it’s very hard benches, turkey
was smelling in the air as folks rushed to see a
game between red crimson and purple, white after a
sleepless night, praying that purple white would win
the fight, it was nothing but a game to those who couldn’t feel the emotions and tradition of two
schools who didn’t want to lose, the
hour had come, the parades had begun, cheers echoed through
out every house as old folks sat out on their
porches waving pom-poms to the sound of the
drums, ’HAIL, HAIL, THE GAMES ARE HERE,” folks all
dressed up like a fox and children sporting their
purple, white bobby socks, while Wheatley and Yates were getting ready to have a serious
debate, knocking heads and wishing no one came
up dead, forty thousand cheering for their team as the crisp cold
Turkey Day chilled their bones as some snuck a shot
of scotch, hoping nobody watched, the hour had
come, the parades have begun, everyone screaming and yelling from
the top of their voices, wanting victory from
their choices, tears covered benches
when one or the other lost in the cold and sometimes muddy
trenches, but what a game , what a tradition between two schools
playing their hearts and souls out to be
number one while forty thousand screamed to
the top of their lungs and thank God, didn’t anybody
come up lame, the hour had come,, the parades had
begun, traffic jams lined the streets while
others run for blocks to get the best seat, the two teams looked like Pros as the
Thanksgiving’s sun warmed bodies that were chilled, glowing colorful helmets below as pigskins
sailed through the air like a bullet out of
nowhere, the event of the year, Miss Wheatley and
Miss Yates always looked so dear
at half time during their show, waving their hands to all
the cheering folks as cheer
leaders shout and danced to the sound of Sammy Harris’s band, the hour had come, the
parades had begun and Man! Didn’t we have some fun on so many cold Thanksgiving
days in the sun and our lives weren’t
threaten by the gun!
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Thunder....CD-B
SCENE 8
LIGHTS UP.......L. STAGE........six cheerleaders
Six Cheerleaders comes out in a hurry yelling and
screaming cheers. They are all dressed up in purple and
white cheerleaders uniforms.
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC:
THUNDER....CD-B
SCENE
9
14
LIGHTS UP.......CENTER STAGE.......DOMINO PLAYERS
Domino players are playing dominoes. Their names are
Cappy, Ralph, Leff, Bates, Art and Robert.
CAPPY
(shuffles dominoes)
Ya’ll ready for another ass whipping!
RALPH
(rubs his hands together)
Not this time Cap! Today is me and
partner here lucky day! You just keep
shuffling them bones.........
LEFF
(smiles)
No! Me and my main classmate of
1957 here!.....We gonna send you home crying to your mama......
BATES
Hold up! Let’s leave Mama out of
this......it makes me have flashbacks of how
that woman put a hurting on my behind.......
ART
(laughs)
I remember running home to Mama crying telling her
that the teacher whipped me.......Mama would bend
down and look me in the eyes and asked, “what did
you do, A. J?......I would down my head and
say, “nothing.” Mama would say,
“huh, huh.” Then she would disappear
outside. I thought the conversation was over until I saw Mama coming through the door with a willow
switch. I started crying before she even
landed a lick..........
(Everybody laughs as they pick up
their domino hands)
CAPPY
Yeah! I remember those days. In the eye
sight of our parents, the teacher was always
right.......If we got in trouble at school, we were in trouble at
home.......
BATES
15
Not like that now......If a kid is in trouble at
school, the teacher might just have to bring
her boxing gloves to school or come packing! You know what I’m
saying?
(Everybody laughs)
Big six!........
Fifteen!........ On all the Mamas and Daddies for keeping us in line!
CAPPY
(lays domino on table)
Give me five......And I second that motion.............
BATES
(lays domino on table)
All in favor of Mamas in the fifties! Say “I.”
EVERYBODY
“I.”
CAPPY
(slams domino)
Thank you very much......And give me twenty! Downtown!
ART
(holding domino up in one hand)
What?! Huh, huh! You think you bad,
huh? Well....Swallow this twenty five on
your place where the sun don’t shine.......
JEFF
(domino in hand)
Scorer! And while you at it!
Give me twenty where the sun does shine....On
your nappy head!
BATES
(holds domino in hand)
Class of 1955! What’s all the fuss
about?! One day we all gonna die! And that ain’t no lie! Fifteen up your you know what!
CAPPY
Well now.....Ya’ll talking a little
trash. But what about this?! Domino! Bring me the cash......
ART
16
(laughs)
Okay......You bad this time......Just wait!
CAPPY
(counting his score)
Wait, huh? Just like you waited on Snag
to throw you that pass in 1955 on Turkey
Day......It never happened.......
BATES
( smiles as he wonders)
Don’t get me wrong now.....Frank Walker was a
good coach. But he ran the same dam
plays year in and year out. We needed some kind of trick play to
fool Yate’s defense.......
LEFF
Yeah! You’re right........Frank believed in the same dang plays........
RALPH
What are ya’ll fussing about? Pat
Patterson just out coached Frank most of the
time.......We didn’t lose that game!
That was one hell of a game! Both coaches
locked heads that day. Remember?.......The
game winded up being a tie.....I’ll take that any
day over a loss......
LEFF
How easy we forget, gentleman........
CAPPY
Scorer! I got twenty-five here!
(The scorer writes the score down)
BATES
Forget what Jeff?!
LEFF
Ya’ll can talk that talk. Walker’s plays took us to the state in 1954.......
BATES
And Yates whipped our asses that year.........15 to 14 before 31,000......
CAPPY
Tell you the truth, fellows, Yates was a
thorn in our side during our times at Phillis
Wheatley.....We tied one and lost two......now that record
stands......But
CONTD
17
listen to this......Thank God for Cyrus
Lancaster and fast ass Arthur Moore
in 1954 because if it had not been for
them, we would not have gone to the state. Do you follow me?.....Now Yates got by
us that year. But who came out on
top? That's call “the means justifying the ends.”
RALPH
(laughs)
You right, Cap! I can see Cyrus
stepping back in the pocket, seconds left in the
game against Port Arthur, them stinging Bumble Bees........Cyrus
is almost crying a river and Arthur Moore is
streaking down the sideline trying to get open for Cyrus, suddenly he breaks open for daylight and Cyrus hit him
with a pass right in stride and he dashed down the
sidelines like a wildcat for a touchdown to win the game! And to beat the Bumble Bees on their own turf
was worth more than a victory.........That
game took us to the state championship......
LEFF
Are we gonna play bones or just sit here
talking about old times? I still got some present left in me yet......So let’s play!......Give
me twenty-five!
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Willie John......Let Them Talk......CD#2......#1
SCENE 10
LIGHTS UP.......R. STAGE........POEM......THE HIGH SCHOOL....poet#5
POET#5
Phyllis Wheatley, a dynasty in it’s own time, right
in the heart of Fifth Ward that educated so
many black minds behind walls that stood so
tall, teachers were secured and
students feared if they walked a crooked line , their
behinds would suffer in those times, respect
was high among our peers even when they brought tears to young minds who eyes couldn’t see beyond the
skies, demanding to stand up straight
and keep the faith, Phillis Wheatley, a dynasty in it’s
time, that kept many of us from going
blind.....
LIGHTS FADES
MUSIC: Doo-Wop.......Earth Angel......CD#2....#2
SCENE 11
LIGHTS UP.......R. STAGE.......AT THE PARK.......
Barbara and Shirley is kind of out of
breath. They sit down as they wipe their faces with the white towels. They take a sip of bottle water.
SHIRLEY
18
(gets up)
You wanna walk another one?......
BARBARA
(looks around)
Are you talking to me? Because I can’t hear you......
SHIRLEY
Okay! Okay! I just thought-----
BARBARA
Don’t think, Shirley! It’s time to
rest! Dang! Girl, you act like you gotta rebuilt motor in your behind.......
(They laughs)
SHIRLEY
Barbara! How can you just come up and think of things to say like that?
BARBARA
(laughs as she wipes her face)
From my old Uncle West, my daddy’s brother. He
was the funniest man alive! He missed his
calling too......Flip Wilson didn’t have nothing on him....You
understand.....He graduated from Wheatley way back
when........If I’m not mistaken I think he played on
Wheatley’s 1929 football team.
Girl! You oughta quit! Now I
don’t think Wheatley had a football team back then........
BARBARA
(laughs)
Shirley! I’m surprise! You must be getting old, girl!.........
SHIRLEY
(drinks water)
Well......Let’s just say I didn’t come up on that history.......
BARBARA
(acts proud)
Well......They sure did......And guess who was the coach......
SHIRLEY
19
Since this here is your little quiz-----I’m going to
give you the privilege to tell me. I don’t
wanna rock your little thunder you got going on......
BARBARA
Like my grandchildren say, “don’t be
‘hatin’ because I know something you don’t.......
SHIRLEY
(impatient)
Are you gonna tell me or not? If not, be quiet!
BARBARA
(points her finger)
There you go again......Hatin!
SHIRLEY
(begs)
Barbara! Please!.......
BARBARA
(smiles)
Okay! Okay!.......Doc John
Codwell......He coached Wheatley’s 1929 Football team....
Are you serious? Aw! I already knew that........
BARBARA
(repeats)
There you go! Hatin again!
(Joyce walks up with a jogging
suit on and the wrong kind of walking shoes)
JOYCE
(sits down)
Hey everybody! I’m sorry I’m
late.......I couldn’t sleep for some reason last night.......
BARBARA &SHIRLEY
Yeah! Right!
JOYCE
20
( drinks some water from her
bottle)
Are ya’ll ready?.......I’m pumped up this morning........
(Barbara & Shirley look at
each other)
BARBARA &SHIRLEY
Ready for what, Joyce?!
JOYCE
(kind moves her legs like running)
To walk! Of course!.......
SHIRLEY
(looks at her watch)
I think you are about two hours late, Joyce.......
JOYCE
(sits down on bench)
Good!.............
BARBARA & SHIRLEY
We suspected that!........Joyce! Why did you come?
JOYCE
You know......To talk about Phillis
Wheatley......It makes me feel young again.
You know young people act as if we never had a young life.......I
almost forgot until I started coming out here with
you all.......
Now, Joyce......That’s the most
sane thing you have said in a long time that I agree on........
SHIRLEY
(smiles)
I will definitely sanction that!..........Like
Sam Cooke say, “a change gonna come.”
BARBARA
And Joyce has come! Hallelujah!...........
JOYCE
21
(shakes her head)
Ya’ll oughta quit! Both of you weren’t no feathers off a chicken either........
BARBARA & SHIRLEY
What?
(Both look at each other)
We can’t believe it! You hatin!........
Ya’ll never wanted to hear me out......Always
making fun of me when I say something......never taking anything I say seriously.......I was
almost a straight “A” student in school.
Ya’ll never gave me one compliment. I was always on the defense with you.......I came to the conclusion that
you were just jealous........
BARBARA
(fans)
What?! We gave you nothing but
love, Joyce......Now let’s be serious even if you were a little heavy headed at times.......We hung in
there with you........
SHIRLEY
(comments)
Maybe we were just a little tiny bit too hard on
you......But that’s because we loved you, J.......Now what are we doing now?
(They look at each other)
EVERYBODY
HATIN!
SHIRLEY
So let’s turn this old ship back around,
girls......We too old for this! Come up with a stroke or heart attack......We got to be calm, cool and
collective! Say it again!
EVERYBODY
We got to be calm, cool and collective!
SHIRLEY
Now, lets sit down here and rest our brains.........
(They sit back on
bench)
22
JOYCE
(smiles)
Ya’ll remembered all them
assembles we used to have at E.. O. Smith and
Wheatley?
BARBARA
Sure do.......I was glad to get out of class.........
SHIRLEY
We had some exciting ones too.........
JOYCE
(curious)
If you had a choice of choosing the best
assembly from E. O. Smith to Wheatley, which one comes to your mind?
SHIRLEY
I remembered one Assembly at E. O.
Smith, there was this guitar player. I forgot
his name. Every girl had a crush on him and his brother who
played the tenor saxophone.
BARBARA
&nb