Storefront Church by John Patrick Shanley

Author:John Patrick Shanley [Shanley, John Patrick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781559367592
Publisher: Theatre Communications Group

Scene 2

A city park. Night. A bench. A lit-up Christmas tree. Under the bench is a half-deflated basketball. Donaldo appears in his winter coat. Music. Something like “Another World” by Antony and the Johnsons. Donaldo touches the tree, smells the needles. Sees the basketball, reminiscences. Does an old move from his days on the court. Pulls his back. Sits on the bench with the ball. Then drops it and lets it limp away. The lights fade.

Scene 3

The storefront church, dark as it was before. Jessie is playing “I Shall Not Be Moved” on the piano. Chester enters in a winter coat.

CHESTER: Here’s the day. Start me off singing.

JESSIE:

I shall not be

CHESTER:

I shall not be moved

JESSIE:

I shall not be

CHESTER:

I shall not be moved.

(For Chester, it’s nostalgia.)

CHESTER AND JESSIE:

Just like a tree that’s planted by the water

I shall not be moved.

(For Jessie, the song is a subdued act of faith. Chester disappears through the curtain, continues to sing from off.)

JESSIE:

On my way to glory land

CHESTER (Off):

I shall not be moved

JESSIE:

On my way to glory land

CHESTER (Off):

I shall not be moved.

(Chester reappears without his coat and holding a water pitcher and glass.)

CHESTER AND JESSIE:

Oh like a tree that’s planted by the water

I shall not be moved.

CHESTER: Amen. Hello, Sister Jessie.

JESSIE: Hi, Reverend.

CHESTER: Want some water?

JESSIE: No, thank you.

CHESTER: Bit early.

JESSIE: I needed to settle myself. So you decided to go ahead.

CHESTER: I did.

JESSIE: Glad for you. I know you’ve been suffering.

CHESTER: I don’t know that’ll change. But it’s good to be in a new day. I invited the bank.

JESSIE: You what?

CHESTER: Seemed right.

JESSIE: You’re gonna have your hands full saving those souls.

CHESTER: The service is for everybody. Your husband going to come?

JESSIE: Maybe. Ethan has been sick. Say a prayer for him.

CHESTER: The good Lord hasn’t let me pray.

JESSIE: How you gonna hold a service?

CHESTER: I don’t know.

JESSIE: I know that you contain spiritual power, Reverend Kimmich. Use it today.

CHESTER: I don’t feel ready. Here it is, Sunday. I thought it would come to me but it hasn’t.

JESSIE: It will.

(Ethan comes in.)

ETHAN: Hey there.

CHESTER: Hi, Mr. Goldklang.

JESSIE: There’s my man.

(Ethan is beaming, full of news.)

ETHAN: Guess what? My doctor died!

JESSIE: Stedman?

ETHAN: Dead. Didn’t wake up this morning.

JESSIE: You upset?

ETHAN: Do I look upset? He said I’d die, boom, he died. You know what I call that? (Gives a gleeful finger in Stedman’s direction) Justice.

JESSIE: You should sit down. You don’t look that good.

ETHAN: I look better than Stedman.

JESSIE: Maybe we should go to the hospital.

ETHAN: I’ve been to the hospital and I’m taking the meds. This is a good day. I know what’s coming.

CHESTER: How you doing?

ETHAN: Perfect. I’m here. So you’re making a move. Good for you. Am I blind or can we turn on some lights?

CHESTER: Of course.

ETHAN: To quote a bestseller: Let there be light.

(Jessie and Chester turn on some lights.)

That’s better.

JESSIE: I should have come down and cleaned.

ETHAN: What’s a little dust? I’ll wipe the seats. (He wipes with a handkerchief) I’ve never attended a Pentecostal service. How does it go?

CHESTER: I know how I used to do it, but I don’t know how I do it now.

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