PRINCESS POCAHONTAS

CHARACTERS

PRINCESS POCAHONTAS
CHIEF POWHATAN
CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH
Eight Young Indian Braves
Eight Young Indian Maidens
Two Indian Women
Two old and withered Squaws
Six or seven little Indian children
Other followers of Powhatan

TIME:  Mid-afternoon on a mild day in 1609.
PLACE:  Virginia.
SCENE:  An open glade showing a small Indian encampment.

[Transcriber’s note:  All stage directions appear in italics in the original]

At the opening of the scene the glade is deserted, the men of the tribe being engaged in a skirmish with the white men, while the women and children have gone foraging.  There are two teepees, one at right, and one at left, their doors closed.  By the side of teepee at left a pile of fagots, and a wooden block.

Further front, facing audience, a great war-drum, gaily painted.  A skin-covered drum-stick.  At right, towards front, the smoldering remains of a fire.  The whole appearance of the camp shows that it is not permanent—­a mere pausing-place.

The space between the teepees is absolutely unobstructed, but there are trees and bushes at the back and sides.

By degrees the Indians who have been foraging begin to return.  One of the Indian women enters carrying fagots.  One of the older squaws rekindles the fire.  Next come the children, with merry shouts, carrying their little bows and arrows.  The Indian maidens enter gaily, carrying reeds for weaving.  They move silently, swiftly, gracefully.  Two of their number begin to grind maize between stones.  Two others plait baskets.  An old medicine-man, with a bag of herbs, comes from the background, and seats himself near the drum, at left, taking an Indian flute from his deerskin belt, and fingering it lovingly.  An Indian woman, arriving later than the others, unstraps from her back a small papoose, and hangs it to the limb of a tree.  The Indian children stand towards the front of the greensward, shoot in a line their feathered arrows, run and pick up the arrows, and acclaim in pantomime the one who shot the best.  Then they go towards background, doing a childish imitation of a war-dance.  The mother of the papoose, having finished her duties in setting one of the teepees to rights, now takes down the papoose from the tree where it swings, and seating herself in the center of the greensward, croons an Indian lullaby.  The Indian maidens group themselves about her, seated in a semicircle on the ground, swaying rhythmically.  At the back of the stage one of the little Indian boys sees an Indian maiden approaching, clad in white doeskin.  Cries aloud delightedly:  "Pocahontas!"

The Indian maidens and the squaws rise and fall back before the entrance of Pocahontas with gestures of salutation and respect.

ALL (clearly and enthusiastically).  Pocahontas!