A Gray Play Book by Alasdair Gray sampler

16
JONAH
SCENES
1) Outside Nazareth in Palestine
2) The deck of small trading ship
3) Inside a very big fish
4) The King of Nineveh’s council chamber
5) A hilltop overlooking the city of Nineveh
1: OUTSIDE NAZARETH
Backdrop shows a village of low white flat-roofed buildings among fields
with date palms here and there. The sky is clear blue. JONAH sits crosslegged
on a grassy mound under a palm, head bent over folded arms,
hand holding a short tobacco pipe. He is either meditating or asleep.
MRS JONAH enters, over her head a shawl swathing the baby her
left arm holds, in her right hand a hoe that she flings down. Jonah
lifts his head. She points at him accusingly.
MRS JONAH There sits a bone-lazy man who sits all day in
the shade while I toil all day in the fields with his child on
my arm! A dreamer! An idler! A parasite!
JONAH knocks ash from his pipe and pockets it while saying calmly –
JONAH I have told you before, Maggie, that some must work
with their hands and some with their heads. My work is
prayer and meditation.
MRS JONAH The result of my toil is in my purse – coins to
buy food for us in the market. Where is the result of yours?
JONAH [tapping his brow] Here! I have been searching for God’s
being in words He gave to Moses, words I know by heart,
then seeking Him in His designs as they appear in all things
from the tiny dewdrop up to the mighty sun evaporating it.
MRS JONAH I asked for the result of your work.
JONAH I realised again that my spirit is too feeble for His
pure essence, and until He seeks me, I must accept His dim
reflection in both His words and His creation.
MRS JONAH No doubt I can make us a good meal out of
that!
JONAH [springing to his feet] Woman! You are lacking in respect
for a Prophet of the One and Only God!
MRS JONAH [overawed] I did not mean to be that, but ... but ...
but ... [she weeps and turns away] What’s the use of talking to
you?
He goes to her.
JONAH [tenderly] Talking helps.
MRS JONAH But I’ve said it all before!
JONAH [leading her to the mound] I know – please say it again.
Sighing, she sits down beside him.
MRS JONAH When very young I felt different from other
girls – their hopes and dreams seemed stupid and ordinary.
I wanted my life to be special, but women can only be special
by marrying a special man, and I didn’t know any! Other
girls were crazy about ordinary men with nothing but
handsome faces, or money, or important jobs. I could
only admire some skilled craftsmen, but their shop-talk
bored me stiff.
JONAH [preening a little] Then you met me!
MRS JONAH Yes! Neither young, handsome OR rich, a
poor scholar with no useful trade, but our Rabbi
whispered that you might be a Prophet of the Lord.
JONAH [firmly] He was right.
MRS JONAH Who thinks that now apart from you? Why
should I still believe it?
JONAH Because I am listening for God’s word as patiently
as when we first met, and can do nothing until He
commands me. I was a child when the stories of
Abraham and Joseph, Moses and Joshua filled me with
knowledge that my life would be joined to theirs. I am
now too old to help Israel conquer another land as Joshua
did, or slay thousands like Saul or tens of thousands like
David. I will be less wise than Solomon whose wisdom
has been nothing but a list of proverbs since his followers
split the chosen people’s kingdom in two. I will also be
less terrible than Elijah who was sometimes very cruel. I
am glad that my book in our Scriptures may be the
smallest.
JONAH stands up. So does MRS. JONAH
MRS JONAH [pleading] But one day God will command
you?
JONAH He must, and soon. I’m growing old.
MRS JONAH [defeated] I’ll go and get your dinner ready.
JONAH [absentmindedly] You’re a good wife, Maggie.
MRS JONAH leaves.
JONAH They also serve who only ... [yawns and stretches
arms] ... only sit ... [he looks at the bench, then sits on ground
where he sat before ...] only relax a little, while waiting.
JONAH stretches full length and seems to sleep. The blue sky turns
deep indigo. There is a faint flicker of lightning, then three seconds
later a faint rumble of thunder. The sky goes black and at once a
SOUND: thunder crash. JONAH sits up, staring upwards.
SOUND: organ note
THE VOICE OF GOD Arise, Jonah, son of Amittai!