Mary Gets Hers (excerpt) by Emma Horwitz

MARY GETS HERS by emma p horwitz ephorwitz@gmail.com 917-421-2448 contact ross weiner rweiner@icmpartners.com 212-556-5798

. for kate bergstrom

WHO ABRAHAM, a hermit and former soldier EPHRAIM, a hermit and former orphan MARY, an orphan SOLDIER, a soldier MASTER OF THE INN, a master of an inn LOVER #1 – LOVER #12, lovers ONE RANDOM HERMIT, Gabriel ONE OTHER RANDOM HERMIT, Dominic WHERE “A desert place near Lampsacus” or, the Abbey at Bad Gandersheim

WHEN The 10 century th

NOTES ABRAHAM, EPHRAIM, and MARY should be played by women MASTER OF THE INN, SOLDIER, ONE RANDOM HERMIT, ONE OTHER RANDOM HERMIT, and THE LOVERS #1-12 should be played by one man, or two

This is a contemporary imagination of the 10 century! Not an historically accurate depiction! Sourcing from a Halloween store isn’t a bad idea! th

The hermits’ world is flat in the way medieval manuscript illuminations are, which is to say, in aesthetics, but not in emotion Mary, however, flings out full throttle in every dimension

Mary Gets Hers is an adaptation of Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim’s 10 century closet drama Abraham, or the Rise and Repentance of Mary th

050920 PRE PART Silence The middle of the night From a distance, ONE HUNDRED HERMITS begin a psalm We can’t quite hear them at first But soon enough they grow louder And louder, and louder, and louder Until the room is filled Until we are blown back Until sunlight has broken out, blinding Until all at once, they stop And we begin

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050920 PART ONE One hermit on well-kept church grounds in a Medieval German century He’s sporting a tonsure and brown robes gathered with tasseled rope This is EPHRAIM EPHRAIM sits sternly, reading from a small book Silence as EPHRAIM continues to read And more silence when, from the distance, we hear someone screaming ABRAHAM I FOUND A GIRL! EPHRAIM barely looks up as the scream continues, moving toward us ABRAHAM EPHRAIM! EPHRAIM! Another hermit, outfitted identically to EPHRAIM, rushes in ABRAHAM There you are!

This is ABRAHAM ABRAHAM Ephraim!

EPHRAIM looks to ABRAHAM like: you’re screaming ABRAHAM adjusts to a loud whisper ABRAHAM I found a girl!

EPHRAIM returns to his reading ABRAHAM Ephraim, I found a—

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050920 EPHRAIM raises his book in the air like: I’m busy praying ABRAHAM Of course.

ABRAHAM shuffles in his robe, and pulls out his own book ABRAHAM What a beautiful day for psalms.

ABRAHAM stands too close to EPHRAIM, opens his book, and pretends to read Silence EPHRAIM looks up to ABRAHAM, who is more or less standing on top of him EPHRAIM Abraham, you’re in / my sunlight— ABRAHAM closes his books abruptly ABRAHAM I found a girl, Ephraim! She was alone!

EPHRAIM Oh no.

ABRAHAM I think her parents died from that plague everyone was dying from! The one that turned people into foam?

EPHRAIM That is a / tragedy.

ABRAHAM I know! Which is why I saved her! And took her! And brought her back here! To save her!

EPHRAIM Here?

ABRAHAM Not here here. She’s in my cell!

EPHRAIM Oh.

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050920 ABRAHAM In the back of my cell.

EPHRAIM That is very wise.

ABRAHAM I made her her own little bed of hay.

EPHRAIM That was very good of you.

EPHRAIM returns to his reading ABRAHAM She was all alone in a house when I found her!

EPHRAIM Mmm. ABRAHAM I was so worried someone might take her!

EPHRAIM Mmm. ABRAHAM And ruin her!

EPHRAIM Mmm. ABRAHAM So I took her!

EPHRAIM Mmm. ABRAHAM To protect her!

EPHRAIM Mmm. ABRAHAM From whoever might ruin her!

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050920 EPHRAIM points to his book ABRAHAM Yes, Ephraim. Of course.

Ephraim tries to read, but: ABRAHAM It’s just! I’m still so worried! I’m so worried this poor orphan girl’s loveliness and purity has already become ruined by the taint of sin, or worse, I’m worried that even if her loveliness and purity has not already been ruined by the taint of sin, she will be at great and imminent risk of soon being ruined by the taint of sin if she does not become betrothed to God! EPHRAIM slams his book closed EPHRIAM She isn’t betrothed to God? ABRAHAM No! Which is why I come to you, Ephraim!

EPHRAIM But how old is she?

ABRAHAM Almost eight.

EPHRAIM And you say she is not yet betrothed to God? ABRAHAM No! EPHRAIM closes his eyes ABRAHAM Are you thinking or praying?

EPHRAIM Both.

ABRAHAM Okay…could you think faster though, because I need your— EPHRAIM opens his eyes

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050920 EPHRAIM She must become betrothed to God at once.

ABRAHAM Yes, Ephraim! Exactly! This is why I come to you! Of all the hermits!

EPHRAIM Because God loves me?

ABRAHAM Yes! You are the perfect person to help her understand why she should be betrothed to God! EPHRAIM Because I love God, and God loves me.

ABRAHAM Yes! EPHRAIM God loves me so much.

ABRAHAM And He loves all the hermits— EPHRAIM And Me. God loves me— ABRAHAM Yes, Ephraim, and God loves me, and— EPHRAIM And I love God and— ABRAHAM And God loves you so, so much Ephraim! Which is exactly why I come to you, of all the hermits! I need your help to convince this poor orphan girl to get betrothed to God so she may live peacefully in my cell for the rest of her days under His warm love and protection!

EPHRAIM Very good. For of all the hermits, God loves me and I love God— ABRAHAM Yes— EPHRAIM Most of all.

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050920 ABRAHAM Well— Huh? EPHRAIM Well what?

A standoff?

ABRAHAM Nothing, nothing! To my cell! Where I locked her inside! To keep her safe until I returned!

EPHRAIM Were you going to say something, Abraham? About me and God? ABRAHAM No! I wasn’t saying anything!

EPHRAIM Because I should really be doing my psalms— EPHRAIM opens his book ABRAHAM Her name is Mary!

EPHRAIM slowly closes his book ABRAHAM I said: Her name is— EPHRAIM Mary?

ABRAHAM Mary!

EPHRAIM The name of…the Mother of God!?

ABRAHAM The Mother of God, yes! Mary!

EPHRAIM Mary! So fair! Mary! So virgin!

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050920 ABRAHAM I know, Ephraim, Mary is the most fair and virgin name, which is why I need your help with my scheme to betroth Mary to God so she will never become un-fair, or un-virgin!

EPHRAIM stands abruptly EPHRAIM To your cell.

ABRAHAM To my cell!

EPHRAIM For God! ABRAHAM For God! EPHRAIM Amen!

ABRAHAM Amen!

EPHRAIM Amen!

ABRAHAM Amen!

ABRAHAM and EPHRAIM amen at each other as they rush to ABRAHAM’S cell

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