CAST

Merry is a woman in her mid sixties who lives alone.  She is clever and theatrical, changing from wild to sweet in a moment, a counselor, challenging and slightly insane.

Noel, in his mid 30s, is married with two boys, somewhat darling and overly proper.  He owns a small antique shop in the town’s fashionable district and lives nearby.  He is proud of his accomplishments.  Kind but proud.

Mien  Late 40s.  Hard working, focused on his family.  He and his family are immigrants from an eastern country.

Chantha  Mid 40s.  Mien’s wife who enjoys her life in America.

Samnang  a young teenager who is embarrassed by his/her parents inability to fully Americanize.

Joe  late 30s and thoughtful.  Able to glimpse a person’s problems.  Lost.

Shepherd 1  Late 30s.  He is a confused cop.

Shepherd 2  Early 20s.  His confusion has made him scared.

~ËËË~

The MIENs should just speak the words, trippingly on the tong, without accent.

Each supporting character is demure and naive about their place in the play.

The setting is in MERRY’S front yard where it looks like Jesus and Santa crashed and exploded.  Anything having to do with Christmas is hung, stuck, stapled, taped, stretched, propped or plastered over the yard.  Extension cables abound.  There is no pattern to the mess, yet somehow it looks beautiful.  Her house glows from off stage.

It is a hot evening on July the sixth.

An excerpt from Merry Noël

by Roger Iverson

Copyright ©  2002

MERRY

No tea?

NOEL

I’d rather…

MERRY

You’re not going to insult an old lady, are you?  A little old lady who votes for councilmen.

NOEL

…No.  No, I’ll not insult you.  (Tentatively, NOEL smells his drink, then breathes deeply.)  I’ve smelled this before, somewhere.  What kind of tea is this?

MERRY

Taste it to find out.

(NOEL drinks first a sip then a gulp.)

NOEL

Oh my!  This is one strong cup of tea, Merry. 

MERRY

Thank you.

NOEL

Strong, but good.  Evaporates in my mouth.

MERRY

Warms up the spirit, I say…

NOEL

There’s something else, though…  I’ve had this before. 

MERRY

It’s my own recipe.  Christmas Tea, I call it.

NOEL

What’s that taste!  This is…  Very good, Merry.

MERRY

Noël, Thank you.

NOEL

It’s.  There’s something…  Strong.

MERRY

That’s the booze.

NOEL

You put alcohol in?

MERRY

Sacrilegious, ain’t it.  I slipped you a Mickey.

NOEL

My lips are getting warm…

MERRY

Makes the tea stand up and say, “How do you do!”

NOEL

                                          (Breathing his tea deeply in then sipping.)

Lace…  Aunt Dot…

MERRY

How’s that?

NOEL

That’s where I’ve had this before.  My Great Aunt Dot used to mix cognac in her tea.  She used a lot more tea, though…  Every time I.  Can I tell you something?

MERRY

Most people do about now.

NOEL

No I mean, something personal.

MERRY

I know.

NOEL

                                          (Breathing in the tea.)

Once a year we’d go to my Great Aunt’s house, on Christmas Eve before church …

MERRY

Something to build on...

NOEL

She’d have these little Norwegian cookies laid out on doilies.  My favorite were these, I never could say the name right, but they were these round things.  Like lace, dusted with sugar.  We’d eat dessert there before going to midnight service…

MERRY

Fine lady…

NOEL

We’d each get a candle in church and sing Christmas hymns.  The First Noël was my favorite. Pastor Roe would read the Christmas story…  From Matthew, I think?

MERRY

Luke.  “And in that region there were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night…”

NOEL

Yeah.  Shepherds abiding….

MERRY

                                          (To herself, as NOEL speaks.)

“And the glory of the Lord shone round about them.  And they were sore afraid.  And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not for I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’ ”

NOEL

Then we’d light our candles and sing The First Noël there, in the dark.  The candle light flickered on faces, making them sacred and warm. And just then, at that  moment came ecstatic beauty, sitting in the dark, watching the pastor’s daughters faces flicker, singing The First Noël.  Seems like centuries past…

MERRY

Don’t have to be…

NOEL

Our church was shaped in a cross and we’d see everyone.  Even now  I see each candle lit face, shining in the dark like;  Like a Rembrandt.  (…Chuckles.)  …Sorry.  I’m not the best sentimentalist.

MERRY

Shining in the dark is what a sentimentalist does best.

NOEL

But those were good times.  (NOEL sips his tea)

MERRY

You still go?

NOEL

Where?

MERRY

Church.

NOEL

No.

MERRY

Poor Aunt Dot…

NOEL

My wife thinks we should.  Says it’s for the kids.  But I think she has other thoughts.  I don’t need a particular building to be with God.

MERRY

Ohhh.  A homeless Christian.  …Better known as a hypocrite.

NOEL

Real hypocrites go to church. 

MERRY

We don’t become perfect in church.  We become Christian…  Followers.  Tryers.  Re-creaters.  …All you need is some good scrubbing out, Noël.  Some Sanctifyin’… 

NOEL

Hey, I don’t steal or kill or smoke.  And until a few minutes ago, I didn’t drink.

MERRY

You’ve never stolen the heart of a beautiful woman when your wife wasn’t looking?  Or competed with someone so hard that you killed ‘em?  Ever send someone’s dreams up in smoke?

NOEL

It’s supposed to be happy, isn’t it?  I mean, shouldn’t I just…

MERRY

How can you be happy with a belly full of sand?

NOEL

But I mean Christmas…

MERRY

Don’t you know?  Christmas leads to the Cross.

NOEL

And look where that lead.

MERRY

To Easter!

NOEL

Ears are hot!  Lips.  Can’t feel my lips!

MERRY

It’s a sign!  One of two things:  Either that’s the Holy Spirit fighting off the Devil…

NOEL

Or what else?

MERRY

Or else you can’t hold your liquor.

                                          (MERRY drinks.  NOEL follows.)

NOEL

As nice as this is…  Please, Merry.  We’ve got to talk.

MERRY

Would you like some beef jerky with that cognac?

NOEL

No thanks.

MERRY

You almost loosened up there, Noël.  Almost made it.  Take off that coat and lose the tie.  Your head looks like a purple balloon about to explode.

NOEL

It is hot out.  Dang  wool suit.  I wasn’t sure what you’d be like. 

MERRY

                                          (Taking his coat off him.)

Now you see I’m just a defenseless old maid.  Can’t do a thing…  Without my walker.  (Nods to an old walker holding up a lit plastic Santa.)  Care for some brownies?

NOEL

Brownies!  (Chuckles.)   No thank you.  Who knows what’s in those.

MERRY

…No!…  Not these.

NOEL

Merry, what are we going to do about your yard?

MERRY

No beating around the wreath with you.

NOEL

                                          (Increasingly agitated through these lines.)

We’re wasting time.  People think your place looks trashy.

MERRY

You think I think about what people think? 

NOEL

What?

MERRY

Do I give a rat’s rump what The Hypocrites say?

NOEL

But you turn night into day.

MERRY

Exactly right!

NOEL

Your neighbors can’t get to sleep!

MERRY

Everyone who does dark deeds hates the light. 

NOEL

It’s not Christmas time, Merry! 

MERRY

I’m trying to fix that.

NOEL

But this is a garbage heap!  It’s ugly!  This is an ugly mess!!  (Pause.)  People make fun of you, Merry.  They call you names.  Say you’re crazy and you don’t belong here.  That you’re dangerous.  No one likes this.  No one gets your message.  And you convert no one…  You’re a laughing stock and people…  Pretty much despise you.

                                          (Merry  goes to her front door where a little glowing angel   hovers.)

MERRY

This Guardian Angel was the first thing put... 

NOEL

                                          (Gathering his things.  Starting to leave.)

What a waste of time…

MERRY

My daughter helped me…

NOEL

                                          (Exiting.)

She crazy too?!  Like her mother?

MERRY

She ain’t crazy, Noël.  She’s dead.

NOEL

                                          (Stops short of leaving.)

What?

MERRY

She, I don’t use her name out loud any more…  She drove down the mountain but a dump truck was goin’ up…  I sent her with white knee-high socks that afternoon…  But even them.  Even her socks turned red.  Well, my damn husband gave right up.  Just quit.  He.  Turned hollow...  I started to wrap myself up in a cocoon of sickness.  Loved hating myself. others,  …God.  But not my Dear Daughter!  To her I clung and with that weight, sunk.  …Then, when I was near the end, something wonderful happened.   Someone came after me.  Crept in the cocoon with me.  Wouldn’t let me keep drown’n.  Faith foamed over me.  And I was wooed to belief again. 

NOEL

…How?

MERRY

I was on  my hands and knees, weeping in the living room; praying one last time that God would take my little girl ‘cause I had to give her up.  Out the window, in the black sky streamed a brilliant shooting star.   As big as a burning bush… Perfect.  Clear.  He had my beautiful baby.  And I…  I could let go of, Amelia…  Amelia… (Pause.)  The next day, when I remembered the star, I was overcome with joy and tears. Cocoon crumbled.  I was set free with another chance…  Putt stuff up next to her Angel.  Just never stopped… 

NOEL

You’re alone…

MERRY

God’s own are never alone.  On this very sidewalk, crowds congregate and I plug in these lights and people are in awe of these awe-full decorations.  I come out, slip ‘em a little Christmas Tea and talk.  Together.  They come usually to cuss at me.  Sometimes throw somethin’.  But they do come and that gives this old lady a chance to let God’s Glory shine.  A wrinkled paper that holds a holy message.  But what about you, Young Man?  Who can you become?  What is your purpose?  …Drink up, Noël, it’s Christmas Eve and time for you to shine like a Rembrandt in the dark.

NOEL

I’ve never seen a miracle.

MERRY

                                          (Impassioned whisper.)

We’re in the midst of miracles.

    The play continues…

Pricing

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Copyright © 2006 Roger Iverson