The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Robert Chafe

Author:Robert Chafe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Playwrights Canada Press
Published: 2017-01-16T17:53:48+00:00

5.

The loud blare of a ship’s bell: bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong! The Barrelman radio broadcast is on the air.

smallwood sits at a desk, spiritedly speaking into the radio mic. The top of the desk is filled with stacks of paper, research, meticulously arranged, and his ship’s bell, which clangs where indicated.

The following, including the moments with fielding, is fast and cutting, all following the same pace as smallwood’s expedient radio delivery.

smallwood

How well do you know your country of Newfoundland, friends?

For seventy-nine years we had responsible government. For twenty-seven of those years we were a dominion. A country. This was a place of promise and opportunity for most of its existence. Did you know that? Is this your country you hear me describing?

Elsewhere, fielding in her detox room, in heavy withdrawal and throwing up in a garbage can. smallwood’s voice, tinny and distorted, emanates from her small radio.

(voice-over from radio) There are currently no elections in this “country” of ours. We are, to my knowledge, the only sovereign state to ever relinquish our independence. But let there be no doubt, we are a people in whose bodies old sea-seeking rivers still roar with blood.

fielding

Oh for Christ sake, shut up.

She reaches up weakly and slams the radio off, wretches once again into the garbage.

Back in the studio, smallwood still on air. His producer watches from a distance.

smallwood

Here in St. John’s there were once so many schooners docked at any one time that with their sails down the harbour was like a grove of masts. A bustling place of international trade and commerce and it was like that, friends, not three hundred years ago, not one hundred, but twenty. Twenty years ago, one generation.

Another day, fielding in bed. Sick, shaking. A knock on her door.

nurse

(from outside) Miss Fielding?

Miss Fielding?

fielding

Go away.

nurse

There is someone here to see you.

fielding

No guests.

nurse

It’s Mr. Smallwood, he says—

fielding

Go away.

nurse

Mr. Smallwood says that you could—

fielding

No guests no guests no guuuuessssssttttssss!

Bong!

Another day, smallwood at the station and on the air.

smallwood

I am Joseph R. Smallwood, and you are listening to The Barrelman. I have been broadcasting now for 235 minutes. I have spoken 12,497 words.

Bong!

He sits back in his seat, off the air.

producer

You really don’t have to do that. No one is keeping count.

smallwood

Fifteen minutes is a difficult hill to climb.

Another day. fielding, doing slightly better, sits on her bed, shakily lighting a cigarette, listening to The Barrelman on the radio.

(voice-over from radio) Every person whose letter is featured on the show will receive, free of charge and with expedient delivery, a bar of Palmolive soap.

She stares at the radio incredulously.

fielding

Oh for the love of God, Smallwood. You leave a woman little choice.

Cigarette in lips, she reaches under her bed, with some remaining sickness and strain, to retrieve her typewriter. She begins typing.

smallwood on the air.

smallwood

Did you know, dear listener, that the beloved Newfoundland puffin loses the bright colour of his beak when wintering offshore? It is a documented fact, friends. One of but many that pass unknown to many Newfoundlanders. I am Joseph R.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.