DISTANT THUNDER (excerpt) by Shaun Taylor-Corbett & Lynne Taylor-Corbett

DISTANT THUNDER In order for this Native Son to go forward, he had to go back. . .

Written by Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Shaun Taylor-Corbett

Copyright 2017 Author's Note:We have made a commitment to portray Native peopleas they are now, not through the historical lens of American fiction.

Our story is an amalgam of many stories, grounded in the reality of a current day rez with all its complex issues and rich cultural history.

CAST OF CHARACTERS DARRELL WATERS, a thirty-five year old lawyer, half Blackfeet, half White, taken from the Blackfeet tribe when he was 10.

DOROTHY DARK EYES, thirty-five, Darrell's childhood friend, a devoted tribal teacher who runs the Language Immersion School.

BETTY STILL SMOKING, late fifties, a Roseanne Barr-type, matriarchal pillar of the tribe.

SHAREEN STILL SMOKING, Betty's daughter, a budding stand up comic, secretary at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Also plays THELMA, a tourist, LORITA in flashbacks and ENSEMBLE roles.

JIM RUNNING CROW, thirties, Shareen's boyfriend, injured as a military security specialist in Iraq, 2016. Also plays DEPUTY BARNES. WHITE FEATHER, Darrell's father, sixties, a solitary, disillusioned man who lives on the outskirts of town.

OLD MAN, early seventies, an esteemed elder, holder of a medicine bundle.

TONTO aka THOMAS, a wayward 17-year-old who is Betty's foster child. Also plays MAXTON. AIYANA BUCK, Sheriff Buck's rebellious 16-year-old daughter, also ENSEMBLE roles.

SMUDGE, A 15-year-old "follower" who tags along with Tonto and Aiyana. Also plays CHOCTAW in "Indian Days" and BAR PATRON. SHERIFF RAYMOND BUCK, White Feather's contemporary, the tribal Sheriff, a man skewed to the ways of the White world.

Also plays BILLY, the FOOD VENDOR in "Indian Days", ENSEMBLE. HECTOR, a gender-fluid, beloved member of the tribe, grandson of Grandma Jingle Dress. Also plays SAM SILVER, Bureau of Indian Affairs official and SPIRIT OF BLACK ELK. ROBERTA, fifties, Betty's best friend. Also plays RACHEL, a tourist and ENSEMBLE roles.

2.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS, the tribal storyteller, a savant.

DANCING WATERS, YOUNG DARRELL, a free-spirited 10-year-old who loves to dance.

ACT 1 PROLOGUE:

THE BLACKFEET RESERVATION, BROWNING, MONTANA

A short, evocative overture as the house fades out. In the dark we hear the jingle of Grandma Jingle's dress as she enters, dancing and singing finishing withO-AI! O-AI!

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS

She notices the audience.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS (CONT'D) Oh Hi! That's my powwow song. And this is my powwow dress.

But now I wear it every single day because the jingles keep evil spirits away. You think I'm crazy? Well watch this-(She jumps up and down, listens.) See? No evil spirits!

When the children hear me coming they say, "Tell us another story, Grandma Jingle Dress!" Oh, so many stories. I sewed every single jingle on this dress myself and that's how many stories I've told! Some were passed down from my elders and some I saw with my own eyes.

Sound of rattle, people enter in shadow.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS (CONT'D) Like what happened at the Blackfeet powwow of 1996.

Her story comes to life as she tells it.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS (CONT'D) Little Dancing Waters was doing his Fancy Dance.

TRACK #1 POWWOW FLASHBACK A child dressed in Fancy Dance regalia performs with pure abandon surrounded by a ring of observers. Just before the dance stops, White Feather steps away from the ring. A woman runs across the front and confronts him. Drums stop abruptly.

3.

(CONT'D) GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS Just as his dance ended, a Native man and a White lady began to have a terrible fight. It was his mother and father!(drum hit) He walked away. Little Dancing Waters ran after him! (drum hit) But his mother couldn't let him go. She took him far from the tribe Dancing Waters was lost forever. Kimoki!

Shimmer of wind chimes as the past disappears, revealing Darrell Waters.

SCENE 1-BASKETBALL COURT - MORNING

(WEDNESDAY)

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS The powwow swirls away and a man of today appears.

His suit and tie are fancy and he is holding the case of an important business man and talking on his phone. Listen carefully! He is about to utter four words that men from the dawn of time have used to defend their honor.

DARRELL I am not lost!

Grandma Jingle Dress gives the audience a knowing look.

DARRELL (CONT'D) The GPS says I’m here. No I don't recognize a thing. It all looks like a bad Spaghetti Western. Just get me out of here as soon as possible. I want to stop off in Jackson for a few rounds of golf on my way back.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS Oh-- he is standing in the middle of the old basketball court.

Lights up on basketball court.

DARRELL (loosening his tie) And Helen, don't forget to text me what time I'm supposed to meet that guy at the Bureau of Indian Affairs tomorrow-- so text me again! Yeah, bye. (To himself) I am freakin’ lost!

Blue Rev. (mm/dd/yy)

4.

GRANDMA JINGLE DRESS Oh he's lost all right!

She jingles off as Darrell takes a look around.

TRACK #2 TIME STANDS STILL DARRELL IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE SEEN THIS PLACE (SPOKEN) THAT'S THE GYM?--(SUNG) WAS THE GYM THAT I KNEW DUSTY FIELDS FROM MY STICKBALL DAYS A HAZY CHILDHOOD POINT OF VIEW THIS WORLD HAD SUCH A HOLD ON ME IT'S LIKE A DIFFERENT COUNTRY THOSE MOUNTAINS SEEMED LIKE GODS NOW THEY SEEM TO MOCK THE SKY TRAPPING EVERYONE INSIDE TIME STANDS STILL I'M DANCING IN THE POWWOW HEART SO FULL, FLOATING HIGH ABOVE THE GROUND I WORKED HARD TO FORGET ALL THE JOY THAT I HAD HERE IN BROWNING MONTANA RIPPED AWAY, TORN APART, SO CONFUSED, AS THE MOUNTAINS TURNED INTO SKYLINE FATE TOOK ME ELSEWHERE (SPOKEN) THANK GOD. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS PLACE TO DISAPPEAR IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR NEVER GO WEST OF NEBRASKA OR NORTH OF WYOMING AGAIN Tonto wanders onto the court, checks out Darrell with his outof-place brief case. He is wearing a shirt that saysDARRELL (CONT'D) (trying to be friendly) Full Indian?

So?

TONTO

DARRELL So I take it you're “Full Indian".

* *

5.

TONTO That's Native American to you, halfbreed.

DARRELL Sorry, Native American.

TONTO Actually I prefer “Indian”.

Tonto crosses with a sneer, kneels to tie his sneaker, exits.

DARRELL THAT REZ KID WAS ME NOT LONG AGO QUICK TO FIGHT GO TOE TO TOE TORN JEANS, LONG HAIR, SLOW TO WARM AND QUICK TO SNEER LAUGHING TO DISGUISE HIS FEAR Tonto re-enters with Smudge and Aiyana carrying a basketball.

DARRELL (AND KIDS) (CONT'D) TIME STANDS STILL, FOR HIM JUST LIKE IT DID FOR ME INVISIBLE, INSIDE THIS HIDDEN VALLEY (YO GIVE ME SPACE FOR MY SHOT, MAN MOVE YOUR ASS YOU HALF-BREED INDIAN) IT'S LIKE I FELL RIGHT THROUGH A WINDOW IN TIME UNFORTUNATE DETOUR (SMOKE A JOINT IF YOU GONNA STAND AROUND SON) GET IN, GET OUT (YOU CAN'T STEP TO MY GAME I'M A REAL ONE) TURN AROUND AND GET BACK TO CIVILIZATION (AIN'T NO TIME FOR A LOSER WHERE I COME FROM) DARRELL (CONT'D) IN NO TIME I'LL BE DONE DRIVE AWAY FROM THE MIDNIGHT SUN NEVER GO WEST OF NEBRASKA OR NORTH OF WYOMING AGAIN. . .AGAIN Kids start playing. Darrell watches.

AIYANA/SMUDGE/TONTO PASS IT HERE, RUN AROUND, SHOOT IT UP….

DON'T STOP, KEEP PLAYIN', PUT IT UP THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE WINNIN' YOU SUCK DARRELL OUT THERE MY WORLD'S EXPANDING INSIDE THINGS REMAIN THE SAME

6.

WHEN I'M HERE IT'S LIKE TIME STANDS STILL WHEN I'M HERE IT'S LIKE TIME STANDS STILL IN COUNTERPOINT: DARRELL IT WAS MY WORLD BUT SOMEHOW FROM MY PERSPECTIVE NOW WHEN I"M HERE TIME STANDS STILL I'LL NEVER GO NORTH OF WYOMING AGAIN I'LL NEVER GO WEST OF NEBRASKA EVER AGAIN

THE KIDS PASS THE BALL, GUARD YOUR MAN SHOOT THE BALL - YOU SUCK THIS GAME KEEPS US ALIVE CUT RIGHT, NOW TURN DRIVE TO THE RIM THAT'S IT I'M SET TO WIN

AIYANA Hey, if you can't get out the way, let's see you sink a shot.

Aiyana slams the ball into Darrell's chest.

DARRELL I got this.

Darrell takes a shot. . .

SMUDGE Airball!

DARRELL AND KIDS I'LL (HE'LL) NEVER GO WEST OF NEBRASKA OR NORTH OF WYOMING AGAIN! Darrell picks up his briefcase, starts to walk away. Dorothy Dark Eyes enters to overhear Tonto call after him.

TONTO (laughing) Yo, Kemosabe, you suck!

DOROTHY (Speaking Pikuni) ) A yah! Mata wa wa nakiinawa matapiikts ik kts sawakiks anno kitawassin noon! ("Shame on you! We do not disrespect visitors to our reservation!")

TONTO (Tries to answer in Pikuni) Ni mata wa nakinnow moh...

(MORE)

7.

TONTO (CONT'D) Whatever... (gives up - switches to English) I didn’t disrespect him! He sucks at basketball!

DOROTHY Amoh na duck aw-am skap pi pikkunni kowan. (“This is a friend of mine. He’s one of our tribe”.)

One of us?

TONTO I don’t think so.

DOROTHY Thomas, why weren’t you in school today?

TONTO I was there in spirit.

His cronies laugh. They move off to the bleachers where Tonto pulls out an old Playboy Magazine.

DARRELL Dorothy Dark Eyes?

DOROTHY (turning to Darrell) I’m so sorry to be late. You deserved a better homecoming.

DARRELL Dorothy, you look so different.

DOROTHY You expected me to have long braids still?

DARRELL I suppose I did.

DOROTHY So you found our old stomping grounds.

DARRELL Of course, it all came back to me as I drove onto the land. I'm glad I found you..

8.

DOROTHY Thank god I finally got on Facebook!

You're a lawyer now?

DARRELL That’s right - followed in the proverbial footsteps. And you...?

DOROTHY I took over the Tall Tree Immersion School after dad died.

DARRELL The old Jesuit Schoolhouse?

Yup.

DOROTHY

DARRELL Get out! That place was run down even when we were kids.

DOROTHY I'm gonna buy the building and renovate it.

DARRELL Not a great investment.

DOROTHY It depends on why you invest.

DARRELL Come on, you could be the head of a whole school system. You’re the first Phi Beta Capa on the rez.

DOROTHY How'd you know that?

DARRELL Indian Country Today.

DOROTHY So you do keep up with us.

Mom did.

DARRELL

DOROTHY Oh Darrell I was so sorry to hear -

9.

- thanks.

DARRELL

DARRELL (CONT'D) You should move on, Dorothy. You deserve better.

DOROTHY (gesturing to the kids) What about them? Don’t they deserve better?

SMUDGE Look at the boobs on that one!

DOROTHY (wryly) See how deserving they are? (laughs) I guess it’s my "ishohchick".

Your what?

DARRELL

DOROTHY Karmic duty.

The kids saunter off.

TONTO So long, Kemosabe!

DOROTHY (sternly) I want you in school tomorrow, Thomas! (back to Darrell) He’s actually a good kid.

DARRELL He’s actually a little shit.

DOROTHY So were you.

Touche.

DARRELL

A shared laugh.

DOROTHY Actually, Darrell, Thomas is. . .

10.

What?

DARRELL

DOROTHY Oh gosh, we have so much catching up to do. It can't be twenty-five years, can it?

DARRELL I'm afraid so. (Back to business) Well, if you'd direct me to the Browning Motor Inn, I've got paperwork.

DOROTHY But first, everyone wants to see you.

DARRELL Really, I'm just in and out-DOROTHY You have to eat.

DARRELL I'll grab dinner at a restaurant.

DOROTHY Where- Taco John? You've been travelling all day. You must be starving.

DARRELL I could eat a buffalo.

DOROTHY Betty Still Smoking is making dinner. You remember where she lives, right?

DARRELL (not sure) Yeah, sure-DOROTHY You better follow me.