The Night Watchman
Act I: THE INQUIRY
Scene i: Two Old Women
Scene ii: The Inquiry
Scene iii: The whale ship Two Brothers
Scene iv: The Inquiry
Act II: THE PREPARATIONS
Scene i: Owner's office
Scene ii: Riddell's living room
Scene iii: Nantucket wharves
Scene iv: A Conspiracy
Scene v: Congregational church
Act III: THE DIFFICULTIES
Scene i: The whale ship Essex August 12, 1819
Scene ii: The Inquiry
Scene iii: To turn back?
Scene iv: The Archimedes
Scene v: The Pollard's living room
Scene vi: The Inquiry
Scene vii: The Essex November 16, 1820
Scene viii: The Essex November 17, 1820
Scene ix: The Essex November 18, 1820
Act IV: THE DISASTER
Scene i: The Essex November 19 and after
Scene ii: Ducie's Island
Scene iii: The Inquiry
Scene iv: The Burial at sea
Scene v: The Inquiry
Scene vi: The Third Boat
Scene vii: The Captain's Boat
Scene viii: The Inquiry
Scene ix: The Dream
Scene x: The Captain's Boat
Scene xi: The Inquiry
Scene xii: The Captain's Boat
Scene xiii: The Inquiry
Scene xiv: The Hospital
Act V: THE RETURN
Scene i: The Inquiry
Scene ii: The Two Brothers under Captain Worth
Scene iii: The Inquiry
Scene iv: The Two Brothers under Captain Pollard
Scene v: The Inquiry
Scene vi: The Pollard's living room
Scene vii: Nantucket wharves
Most of the action occurs in the ship owners offices where the Inquiry is being conducted. The story that is being related, and that occurs outside of those offices, should be suggested by changes in the lighting and appropriate sound effects and by having the actors occupy a part of that office behind Pollard where he can turn and join them. Essentially, Pollard, Ransom and Worth are seated at a table which is stage right, far enough over to allow adequate space for the rest of the scenes to take place.
CHARACTERS
(in order of appearance)
|
First Old Woman Second Old Woman Jerrard Ransom George Pollard George Worth Eben Gardner Gideon Folger Mary Riddell Pollard Owen Coffin Mrs. Nancy Coffin Pastor Owen Chase Matthew Joy Thomas Chapple Joseph West Lawson Thomas Charles Shorter Isaiah Shepherd William Bond Benjamin Lawrence Thomas Nicholson Isaac Cole Richard Peterson William Wright Obed Hendricks Brazilia Ray Charles Ramsdale Samuel Reed Seth Weeks George Coffin Woman Bow Watch Mother Younger Son Older Son |
Cleaning Woman Cleaning Woman Insurance Adjustor Captain: Essex, Two Bros. Capt. Two Bros. & Co-owner First Mate: Two Bros. Essex: Owner Wife: Capt. Pollard 17 year old nephew of Capt. Pollard, son: Nancy C. Aunt of Capt. Pollard Congregational Church First Mate - Essex 2nd Mate - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex Crew - Essex (Black) Crew - Essex Capt. Archimedes In Dream Two Brothers On the Wharf About 4 or 5 years old. About 11 or 12 years old |
ACT I
Scene i
Two old women are standing at the window of the offices of a ship-owning company near the wharves in Nantucket town, one is leaning on the handle of a broom, the other on the handle of a mop. It is early evening in May of the year 1845.
First Woman
There he goes.
Second Woman
A strange man.
First Woman
A peculiar man.
Second Woman
A man with a scar on his soul as another might have on his hand or his face.
First Woman
He doesn't talk of it much.
Second Woman
He is cut off from his soul by the scar.
First Woman
He never speaks of it.
Second Woman
Everybody knows!
First Woman
Still he never speaks of it.
Second Woman
No one asks!
First Woman
No one wants to hear it.
Second Woman
But to never speak of it.
First Woman
He spoke during the first Inquiry and was given another ship.
Second Woman
He is an unlucky man.
First Woman
To be still about such a thing.
Second Woman
Perhaps he speaks about it to his wife.
First Woman
Perhaps. . . Yet I think not.
Second Woman
He could not speak about it to his family.
First Woman
His Mother. . .
Second Woman
May she rest in peace.
First Woman
His Mother found it too terrible, too disturbing.
Second Woman
It was her sister's child.
First Woman
Of course!
Second Woman
Now he says nothing about it.
First Woman
Maybe he hopes people will forget and let him rest.
Second Woman
But he cannot forget and rest.
First Woman
He seems to like the hours by himself.
Second Woman
He inspects the wharves, then stands at the end
gazing out to sea.
First Woman
Who knows what he is thinking.
Second Woman
He is not exactly mad . . .
First Woman
No.
Second Woman
He likes it best in the dark - to be alone in the
dark. Nobody can see him brooding.
First Woman
He is faithful to the Darkness as to any wife.
Second Woman
They have an understanding.
First Woman
He knows Her power and She has tested him.
Second Woman
They are comfortable in each other's bed.
First Woman
It is an Unholy thing.
Second Woman
God has made the Darkness as well as the Light.
First Woman
Aye, that He did, but He made the Darkness for man to sleep through.
Second Woman
Yet some men He made to look upon the Night side of Creation. Once having flown open, their eyes can never again wholly accommodate the Day!
First Woman
A monstrous thing.
Second Woman
To be told by the Mute to the Deaf.
First Woman
Yet, from this strange man's story
Let each man draw succor,
Against the time
When he might be
Night's solitary company.
ACT I
Scene ii
Captain George Pollard, Captain George Worth, Insurance Agent Mr. Jerrard Ransom in the same office of the Ship-owning company September 1823.
MR. RANSOM
Name?
GEORGE POLLARD
George Pollard.
MR. RANSOM
Occupation?
GEORGE POLLARD
Night Watchman.
MR. RANSOM
What?
GEORGE WORTH
No. It’s Captain George Pollard, whale-ship master, member of the Pacific Club, driver of the Nantucket sleigh, fueler for the lamps of the world.
MR. RANSOM
Then it's Captain Pollard.
GEORGE POLLARD
Yes.
MR. RANSOM
You are too modest Captain.
GEORGE POLLARD
I did not mean to be modest.
MR. RANSOM
Your present employment is temporary, surely.
GEORGE POLLARD
I think not.
GEORGE WORTH
You should not prejudge this hearing Captain.
GEORGE POLLARD
I am not prejudging it.
MR. RANSOM
It will not garner any sympathy for you, the case must be decided on the facts.
GEORGE POLLARD
What do the facts tell of it?
MR. RANSOM
We must have the facts to make our decision.
GEORGE POLLARD
Which facts do you want?
MR. RANSOM
You have been through this before Captain
GEORGE POLLARD
With the Essex?
MR. RANSOM
Indeed Sir. And you were given another ship.
GEORGE POLLARD
The Two Brothers.
MR. RANSOM
Yes, it is the destruction of that ship that we are inquiring about.
GEORGE POLLARD
Do you not think they are related?
MR. RANSOM
How can they be related, they were two different ships, two different owners, different crews . . .
GEORGE POLLARD
They are related by..., I believe they are related.
MR. RANSOM
Sir, it is only the Two Brothers that we are concerned about.
GEORGE WORTH
Let him tell his story as he wishes. If you do not care to take it all down, Mr. Ransom, then just take down that which concerns the Two Brothers.
MR. RANSOM
Very well.
GEORGE POLLARD
Thank you Captain Worth.
GEORGE WORTH
Proceed Captain Pollard.
GEORGE POLLARD
Mr. Ransom, I will satisfy you first and tell you what happened to the Two Brothers. As you know we sailed on October 8, 1821 for the Azores and from there round the Horn to the Pacific. We were in the Pacific over a year. Having fished off the coast of South America and taken on a good store of whale oil, we were bound out for the hunting grounds off Japan. We even passed near to where the Essex was stricken and from where we…where I had pushed off two years before on a fateful voyage in a small boat. Sir, might I have some water, if it would not be too much trouble.
MR. RANSOM
Certainly Captain (he hands a glass of water to Pollard).
GEORGE POLLARD
Thank you. Have you ever been thirsty Mr. Ransom?
MR. RANSOM
Of course!
GEORGE POLLARD
No, Mr. Ransom, I mean truly a thirst?
MR. RANSOM
I am not sure I know what you mean.
GEORGE POLLARD
I mean, Mr. Ransom, have you ever been so droughty that your skin was stitched to your bones, that your tear ducts could produce no tears, and your groans had to be lightered to pass over your lips.
MR. RANSOM
Captain, I do not understand you.
GEORGE POLLARD
No, I can see that you do not.
MR. RANSOM
What has this to do with the wreck of the Two Brothers?
GEORGE POLLARD
Everything, Mr. Ransom….and, then again, nothing.
MR. RANSOM
Please, Captain Pollard, get on with it. I do have other business.
GEORGE POLLARD
Yes, I am sure you do, I would I had had "other business." Excuse me, Mr. Ransom and Captain Worth for taking up your time. It has not been considerate of me, and Captain Worth, I owe you such a great deal.
GEORGE WORTH
It was nothing, Captain Pollard.
GEORGE POLLARD
Nothing! Nothing you say! You were kind enough to give me another ship.
GEORGE WORTH
I could tell from speaking with you on the way home from Valparaiso that you deserved another ship. I was just an old sailor looking for a chance to retire, and I had an opportunity to become an owning partner, and see my ship in good hands.
GEORGE POLLARD
You gave me your ship Sir. And I have lost it.
GEORGE WORTH
That is Mr. Ransom's problem, not mine. You did the best you could. I'm sure of it.
GEORGE POLLARD
Did I?
MR. RANSOM
That is what we are here to find out Captain Pollard, Captain Worth is a bit too hasty.
GEORGE POLLARD
Quite right, Mr. Ransom, quite right! That is what must be determined, determined exactly, precisely, dispassionately. Truth served! There must be no withholding, no reservation of any kind, the accounts rendered down to the souls last pennyworth. That is the way I would have it!
MR. RANSOM
I am glad that you agree Captain.
GEORGE POLLARD
I do indeed!
MR. RANSOM
Please then, proceed.
GEORGE POLLARD
Where was I?
MR. RANSOM
You said you had left the South American hunting grounds and were sailing toward the Pacific grounds and had passed the place where the Essex was lost.
GEORGE POLLARD
Yes, indeed it was so. We were west of the Sandwich Islands when the winds began to rise.
ETC.