LITTLE MARY (cont'd) - It's funny, when I have seen this play done well (in NY production and in about half the readings), it is wonderful. When done badly, it is painful to watch. There is no doubt it is a polemic on overpopulation. Sometime about ten years ago I decided that among my comedies and twisted screenplay adventures, I had to write about things in the world I wanted to change. Some friends have told me that it a waste of time and to entertain people is enough as I will not be able to change them. Well, who knows. We do what we must. Here is Scene Three:

SCENE THREE

The vestry in a cathedral, a few days later. Organ music-- the tranquil pre-mass sort, plays quietly from outside the room.

                                               

Tivoli and Gian are putting on garments for Sunday Mass.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    “That would indeed be a great miracle, Christina.”

                                   

                                                GIAN

                                    I have told you, Peter. My heart broke for her.

                                    This has clearly caused some imbalance.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Then why didn’t you say that?

                                    That it’s the voice of post-traumatic

                                    stress disorder.

                                                GIAN

                                    You have spoken with her doctor yourself.

TIVOLI

The hymen is not always broken by the

first intercourse.

GIAN

She believes what she is telling us, Peter.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Which confirms that she’s traumatized.

                                    Or being influenced. She’s a wonderful, brilliant girl,

                                    for her to suddenly make this claim--

                                                GIAN

                                    It is not my place to speak out on the matter.

                                    I am not a detective, this is not my diocese.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Fifteen-years-old and obliged

                                    to raise the children of her rapist,

                                    who is probably you know who--

                                    and I don’t mean Our Father.

                                                                                   

                                                GIAN

                                    Christina must bear the children, not raise them.

                                    Hand me my biretta.

                                                (Tivoli does so)

                                    Why  do you suspect her father?

                                                TIVOLI

Jose? I don’t trust him.  He’s irresponsible, self-serving—

Five children from three mothers. And

everything I teach Christina, he

tries to unteach.

GIAN

That makes him a fiend?

TIVOLI

Christina has no boyfriend, we keep

the young people as segregated as possible.

Jose would have had the best opportunity.

            GIAN

But her father.

TIVOLI

Why  else would she keep running

                                    away from her house at night?

I’d like to hear what the police think.

                                               

                                                GIAN

She hasn’t asked for an investigation.

TIVOLI

Of course not, if Jose is coercing her—

GIAN

Do not draw any  more attention to the

mission, Peter. You’re  in enough trouble in Rome

                                    for promoting your “reforms”.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    I teach family planning because

in my heart I know that is what

Jesus would do. By raising awareness,

the birth rate among families we serve at the Mission

                                    has dropped from 5.1 to 2.7.

                                               

                                                GIAN

                                                (beat)

                                    Hand me my  sincture.

Tivoli straightens Gian biretta.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Be fruitful and multiply.

                                                GIAN

                                    Yes.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Even if it kills us.

                                                GIAN

                                    “Be fruitful and multiply”

                                    is not a slogan, Peter. It is the will of God.           

                                                TIVOLI

                                    How do you know? How do you know

                                    the will of God hasn’t changed?

                                   

                                                GIAN

                                    If you feel that way, why remain in the church.

TIVOLI

I don’t want to leave the church, I want to

change it.  The world has changed.

We’re not serving man by refusing to change

with it.

GIAN

Our calling is to serve God and teach the Gospel,

                                    not to make it up as we go along.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Jesus showed us there was salvation

                                    in self-sacrifice. St. Francis showed us

                                    there was fulfillment in self-denial.

GIAN

You are a born Jesuit.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    I am a born enigma. The Arch Bishop

of unknown origins .The thorn

                                    in the Holy See’s crown.

                                                GIAN

Abandoned by your parents, saved by me..

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Saved by you.

                                                GIAN

                                    So be more grateful... and humble...

                                    and silent.

Gian smiles, ready to laugh. Tivoli smiles back. Gian ruffles Tivoli’s hair, like a father would do to a young son.

                                                GIAN

                                    To change things, Peter, you need power and

                                    influence.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    I know.

                                                (beat)

                                    I suppose that’s why I press you

                                    on the population issue. 300 families look to me

for guidance. One point one billion look to Rome.

The word of Cardinal Gian-- The word of our next pope--

                                                GIAN

                                    What? Don’t talk such nonsense.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    You know that you’re the next choice of the Sacred College.

                                                GIAN

                                    I know nothing of the kind.

                                                (Tivoli looks at him, skeptical)

                                    His Holiness is very much alive.

                                                (beat)                                   

                                    If people think you’re going to be

                                    the next Pope, they stop inviting

                                    you places. They don’t want to appear to be currying favor.

                                                (Tivoli laughs)

                                    If you want the power to change things,

                                    Bishop Tivoli, keep silent. His Holiness will never

                                    support you, but the College of Cardinals might.

TIVOLI

Support me how?

GIAN

The younger ones like you.

                                    The older ones will respect my wishes.

                                                (pause)

                                    Do you understand?

                                                TIVOLI

Yes, sir.

                                                (beat)

                                    But if they  support me, they must support my cause?

                                                GIAN

                                    Your cause is a myth. There

                                    is enough food and land for everyone.

                                    That mankind does not have the compassion

                                    or Godliness to distribute it....

                                                TIVOLI

                                    This isn’t a question of opinions, Papa,

                                    its math. Have you read the reports I sent you?

                                                GIAN

                                    They are on my desk.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    World population has more than doubled in the last fifty

years. Consumption of resource has increased seven fold--

                                                GIAN

                                    Any report, I can show you contrary reports on the

same subject. The population is declining in Europe.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    By 2050, its expected to double again in Nigeria,

                                    Pakistan, Iraq, Ethiopia--

                                                GIAN

                                    Why are you obsessed with this?

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Because no one will do anything to stop it!

                                    The government won’t touch it, it’s too unpopular.

                                    The left doesn’t want their individual rights

                                    infringed upon. The right points to God.

                                                GIAN

                                    You will not sermonize on this, Peter.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    I’m sorry if I sound didactic--

                                                GIAN

                                    It will not be part of your sermon today.

                                    Or ever.

                                                TIVOLI

                                                (pause)

                                    This is my cathedral, Papa.

                                                GIAN

                                                (beat)

                                    Then I will give the sermon.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    It’s my cathedral.

                                               

                                                GIAN

                                    And I am the Cardinal Dean.

                                   

The organ music rises in volume and tempo, signaling that the procession is soon to begin.           

                                                TIVOLI

                                                (pause)

                                    Rumors about Christina Naverez have already

                                    spread through the congregation.

                                    What will you say  about it?

                                                GIAN

                                    I have said all that I mean to say.

Lights fade to a spot that Christina steps into.

  With the selection of a new Pope, it seemed timely that my next work for the Scene-a-Week blog would be from LITTLE MARY. I have long felt that overpopulation is one of the gravest and most elemental problems facing mankind. I have also long been fascinated by the concept of faith and how often it is used as a tool by those seeking personal glory, power and profit. I wanted to approach these topics with something very theatrical and perhaps a bit sensational. LITTLE MARY was first produced as an Equity showcase in NYC at the Sanford Meisner Theatre. It had a marvelous cast (including my good friends Monica Raymund, Ron Orbach and Nelson Avidon) as well as a great director, Jessica Kubzansky, and was produced by my wife, Diana, and Patricia Jones, with the financial backing of another friend and fan. We had two reviews: an online review  in which the critic seemed to recognize everything I was attempting to do with the script (thought-provoking, challenging) and  loved it. The second from the New York Times (alas, the only one that matters) which dismissed it as a flawed and failed attempt by a talented playwright.  And so it goes. LITTLE MARY, about a 15-year-old Mexican-American girl who claims to be carrying the seven unborn children of God.                                       

Little Mary

                                                Scene One

TIVOLI in street clothes.

                                                TIVOLI

The Earth is a place of abundance. How

that warms my heart and raises my spirit.

What joy there is in children. What profound

contentment there is in the love and support

of a grand, large family.

(pause)

But I have prayed on it and prayed on it,

and I can’t embrace that any more.

(pause)

If the ills of the world were an anthill, overpopulation would be its queen. Global warming, depletion of resources,

starvation—I can trace them back to one source.

Too many of us, consuming too much.

            (pause)

The population on Earth is growing by

                                    2% per year. Doesn’t sound too bad.

But if there were only 100 of us and we had

saved up enough food, water and gasoline to last

us for 900,000 years. If our little population

grew by just 2% per year, we would exhaust our supply

and be starving not in hundreds of thousands of years,

but in a very brief 500. Absurd. But mankind is reaching

a point of mathematical absurdity.

Behind Tivoli, Gian enters quietly with MOTHER LULIT (LOO-LEET), an African nun wearing a habit. Gian wears a black cassock with scarlet button and trim and his scarlet water-silked zucchetto. He observes and listens closely to Tivoli.

On the other hand,

if we reduced the current birth rate by just 10%,

we could sustain creation long into the future.

Our great great-grandchildren will look back

on our times as a Golden Age. Will they curse

us for our greed and selfishness, or praise us for

the depth of compassion and forethought that I know

is within us? That is up to

all of us here today.

(beat)

Now… Where does God fit in?

            GIAN

That’s what I wondered.

Now, Tivoli sees Gian for the first time.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Papa!                       

                                                GIAN (in Italian)

                                    Salve! Pietro!

                                    Hello, Peter!

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Papa!

           

Tivoli moves to Gian, kneels to kiss his ring. Gian instead hugs him.

                                                TIVOLI                                                                                   

                                    Benvenuto a California.

                                    Welcome to California.

                                                GIAN

                                    Grazie.

                                    Thank you.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Come era vostra lo zolo?

                                    Bisogna essere esausto.

                                    How was your flight? You

                                    must be exhausted.

                                                GIAN

                                    At my age, I am always exhausted.             

                                   

                                                TIVOLI

                                                (laughs)

                                    No! You look wonderful!

                       

GIAN

                                    As do you, my son. God has been merciful.

                                                TIVOLI

                                                (laughs, then, lightly reprimanding)

                                    Lulit! You should have announced

                                    His Eminence properly.

                                                GIAN

                                    Mother Lulit told me you were at the pulpit speaking to an

empty church. I wished to surprise you, Pietro.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    “Peter” these days. If you don’t mind.

                                                GIAN

                                    Peter.... What do you feel, Mother Lulit, about our

                                    friend’s outcry against new life?

                                                LULIT

                                                (beat)

                                    I agree with much of it, Your Eminence.

                                                GIAN

                                    Much?

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Except where Africa is concerned.

                                    Then my reforms are racist.

                                                LULIT

                                    I said “insensitive”.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    No, you changed it to insensitive[s1] .

                                                LULIT

                                    The fertility rate must be high because

                                    the mortality rate is high.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Which equates to more and more people living

                                    shorter and shorter lives.

                                                LULIT

                                    You cannot make a general rule--

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Imposed fertility limits must be

                                    universal, all countries, rich or poor,

                                    otherwise they are racist.

                                               

                                                GIAN

                                                (smiles)

                                    You sound like a politician, Peter.

                                                (then)

                                    Doesn’t that concern you?

                                                TIVOLI

                                                (pause)

                                    I can’t believe His Holiness allowed

                                    you to leave the Vatican to see me.

                                                (Gian smiles slightly/makes no answer)

                                    Wait til you see what we’ve accomplished

here.

GIAN

I saw the wind mills.

TIVOLI

Wind turbines. Once they’re finished, we’ll be

completely self sufficient.

            LULIT

We were basically a homeless shelter

                                    fifteen years ago.

TIVOLI

Now, an environmentally sound community

serving over 300 families.

                                                GIAN

                                    Through the Grace of God and the largess of our church.

                                                (beat)

                                    You should be very proud, Mother Lulit. Both of you.

                                                LULIT

Thank you, your Eminence.

As Tivoli starts to lead Gian out.

            TIVOLI                                               

Everyone is so excited about you coming, Papa.

                                    My congregation at the cathedral in Los Angeles,

                                    the people here at the mission--... one girl in particular.

                                                GIAN

                                    Good!

                                               

Lights fade out.

                                                Scene Two

Chapel of St. Mary, a small chapel connected to the mission. There is an arch shaped window opening. The chapel has a few faded dusty benches. Her father, JOSE, 40’s, Latino, in the clothes of a farm worker, paces. The Girl, 15, Latino, is a radiant beauty.

As Tivoli, Lulit and Gian enter. Tivoli sees the GIRL and his face lights up.

                                                           

                                                TIVOLI

                                    There she is!

The Girl, CHRISTINA, turns and sees them. She runs to Tivoli and hugs him.  Jose makes a move toward them, perhaps to break them up, then looks to Gian and in deference, holds still. Gian takes in all of this.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    Christina, this is Cardinal Gian.

Christina takes Gian's hand-- another surprise to him.

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    Your Eminence!

                                                TIVOLI

                                    She couldn’t wait to meet you.

                                                GIAN

Hello, Christina.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    This is her father, Jose.

Jose tries to flatten down the hair on top of his head, looking a bit anxious. He kneels at Gian’s feet, averting his eyes.

                                    JOSE

                                    (in English)

                        Your Eminence. Hola . Thank you...

                                    (Gian motions him to rise)

                        Er... er... Mio... My...

                                    (turns to his daughter)

                        Christina?

Christina translates.

                                                JOSE (cont’d)

                        Nos da honor. Es la voluntad the Dios que

                        usted ha venido a California.

                                                CHRISTINA

                        “You honor us. It is God’s will you have come to California.”

                                                GIAN (in Spanish)

                        Gracias Jose. Es un lugar bello. Bastante different a Italia.

                        Thank you, Jose. It is a beautiful place. Quite different from Italy.

                                                JOSE

                        Su Eminencia, Habla usted espanol?

                        You speak Spanish, your Eminence?

                                    GIAN

                        A little.

                                    TIVOLI

                        El cardenal Gian habla nueve lenguas.

                        Cardinal Gian speaks nine languages.

                                    JOSE

                        Nueve? Fenomenal!

                        Nine? Wow!

                                   

LULIT

We have been tutoring Christina since she was a child.

TIVOLI

She is our light. Our future. She preaches with me

to our youth group.

GIAN

What do you like to preach about, my child?

She looks to Tivoli, he nods to go ahead.

                                    CHRISTINA

                        About self denial and self self-sacrifice. I even took the vow.

GIAN

                        What vow have you taken?

Christina suddenly looks anxious and bows her head.

                                    LULIT

                                    (with a disapproving look at Tivoli)

                        She has taken the vow of celibacy, Your Eminence.

Gian also looks at Tivoli.

                                    TIVOLI

                        Quite independently. To lead by  example.

                                    GIAN

Be fruitful and multiply, Christina. That is God’s command.

TIVOLI

                        That was His command 2000 years ago.

GIAN

We’ll discuss it, Bishop Tivoli.

Christina makes a sudden move toward Tivoli.

                                    CHRISTINA

                        Something wonderful’s happened, Peter.

Jose moves between Christina and Tivoli and moves her toward Gian.

JOSE

Su Eminencia, Cristina era mi tesoro.

Jose nudges her to translate.

           

                                    CHRISTINA

                        I was his treasure.

                                    JOSE

                        El tesoro de todos mis hijos.

                                    CHRISTINA

The treasure of all his children.

TIVOLI

                        Jose has five.

                                    GIAN

                        Cinco hijos? Maravilloso!

                        Five children? Wonderful!                                   

           

                                    JOSE

                                    (proudly)

                        Si! Cinco.

                                    GIAN

                        I look forward to meeting their mother.

                                                TIVOLI

                        Mothers.

           

JOSE

                        Su Eminencia--

(dropping to one knee at Gian’s feet, bows his head)

Su Eminencia , tengo miedo que manden a

                        mi familia fuera del pais.

                        Your Eminence, I am frightened they will make my

                        family leave this country.

                                    GIAN (to Christina)

                        Why would they want to throw you out of the country?

                                    CHRISTINA

                        If they find out about me.

Christina opens the blanket, pressing one hand lightly on her very slightly distended stomach. 

CHRISTINA

I’m pregnant.

                                    TIVOLI

                        No…. Oh, Christina.

LULIT

Child, how did this happen?

Tivoli looks at Jose.

TIVOLI

It’s all right, Christina.

                        Who did this? One of the boys?

                                    CHRISTINA

                        No. I didn’t break my vow, I promise.

                                    TIVOLI

                        I’m not angry. Just please tell us the truth.

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    About two months ago, I was sleeping alone

here in the Chapel of St. Mary.

                                                GIAN

                                    Sleeping?

                                                LULIT

                                    She has been in the habit of leaving

her home at night.

Lulit shares a concerned look with Tivoli.

            GIAN

Why?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                                (looks at statue)

                                    I have good dreams here.

                                                TIVOLI

                                    You’re saying you were… asleep when it happened?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    I don’t know. I think so.

                                                            GIAN

                                    Are you not--? Were you not

                                    pure, my child?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    I am, your Eminence. My hymen’s still intact.

                                                (covers her mouth, bows her head)

                                    Forgive me.  That’s what the doctor said

today.

                                                TIVOLI

Why  did you keep this from me?

            CHRISTINA

I wasn’t sure. Until today, I thought it was a dream.

                                                TIVOLI

There was no sign of… no blood?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    No... No anything. No-- uhm....

                                                (she makes a frowny face)

                                                TIVOLI

                                    And you are certain that

                                    you’re with child, Christina?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    Children. Seven.

                                                LULIT

                                    Seven?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    They were in the pictures at the doctor’s.

                                                GIAN

                                    Seven.

                                                CHRISTINA (to Gian)

                                    Bishop Tivoli has taught me all about you.

How you found him abandoned as a baby

in Tivoli Fountain and saved him.

All the great things you’ve done for the needy.

I think you must be closer to God than any

man on Earth.

                                                GIAN

                                    Is there something you need to confess to me, Christina?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                                (pause)

                                    I think He spoke to me.

                                                GIAN

                                    Who?

                                                CHRISTINA

                                    God.

                                                (beat)

                                    The babies I carry are His.

                                                GIAN

                                                (pause)

That would indeed be a great miracle, Christina.

Light change.

                                   

---

 [s1]More like a husband and wife in discussion