Tag: Poetry

Dakota County | Craig Moeckly

Cast

Roy – Male 
Eleanor – Female 
Tom – Male 

Setting 

A room/porch in Roy’s house 

Suggested Props 

Chairs (3) 
A book 
Cans of beer (2) 

Play opens to a dark stage 
Roy sits in a chair with a book 
Eleanor sits in a chair somewhere behind Roy 
Light/spotlight on Roy only, rest of stage remains dark 
Roy quietly reads the book 
Light/spotlight on Eleanor (so now lights on both Roy and Eleanor while rest of stage remains dark) 

Eleanor

You’re actually reading my book?

Roy is surprised

Roy

Oh, Ellie! Didn’t know you was there.

Roy chuckles

Roy

Yeah, guess you caught me. Seems like half the country’s read it, so figured maybe I should, too.

Eleanor

Half the country, Roy? I’m not sure half this country can even read, let alone read my book.

Roy looks at the front cover of the book 

Roy

Over a million copies sold. 

Eleanor 

That’s hardly half the nation. 

Roy

Guess I rounded up a bit.  

Eleanor laughs 

Eleanor 

Oh, Roy.  You could always make me laugh. 

Roy

That so? 

Eleanor 

Well, maybe not always.  But sometimes. 

Roy

I’ll take that. 

Eleanor 

So what do you think? 

Roy

About what? 

Eleanor 

My book! 

Roy

Oh.  It’s pretty good so far.  But, uh… 

Pause 

Eleanor 

But, uh, what? 

Roy

It’s pretty much about life in Dakota County. 

Eleanor 

Well, that is the name of the book. 

Roy looks at the front cover of the book again 

Roy

Yeah, that is true.  But some of this stuff actually happened. 

Eleanor 

It’s called subject matter and inspiration, Roy. 

Roy

Well who the hell would want to read about all that? 

Eleanor 

Apparently over a million folks. 

Roy and Eleanor both laugh 

Roy

Ah shoot. 

Eleanor 

Yeah.  Say, Roy. 

Roy

Huh? 

Eleanor 

I need to tell you something. 

Roy

What’s that? 

Eleanor 

It’s kind of important.  

Roy

Ok 

Eleanor 

Hon, you should be with whoever you want to be with, and you should love whoever you want to love.   

Pause 

Eleanor 

Did you hear me? 

Roy

Yeah 

Eleanor 

It’s alright, Roy. 

Roy

Ok then.  

The light on Eleanor goes out.  Only the light on Roy remains while the rest of the stage is dark.   

Eleanor exits while Roy goes back to reading the book. 

A knock is heard 

Stage lights come up 

Roy keeps reading 

Another knock is heard 

Roy puts down the book 

Roy

Hello?! 

Tom from off stage 

Tom

Hello!  Roy? 

Roy

Yeah, come on in. 

Tom enters 

Tom

Hey there, Roy. 

Roy

Well, I’ll be.  Tom.  Come on in here, grab ya’ a seat.   

Tom 

Thank ya’. 

Tom sits down in a chair 

Roy

Why, I ain’t seen you in a month of Sundays.  

Tom

Yeah, I know.  How you been, Roy? 

Roy

Can’t complain, I guess.  How ‘bout you? 

Tom

Good, yeah, good. 

Roy

Alright then.  What brings you by? 

Tom

Well, actually your son asked me to come by. 

Roy

My son? 

Tom

Yeah, Jacob. 

Roy

I know his damn name. 

Tom

Sorry, course you do.  He just said that you, uh, sometimes, well…

Roy

Well what?  Forget stuff? 

Tom

Yeah, somethin’ like that.  But, you know, we all… 

Roy

Ah, hell, Tom.  I don’t need your sugar coatin’.  He’s right.   

Tom

So, he didn’t say nothing about me stopping by? 

Roy

I don’t know, he might have.  Can’t recall.  See? 

Roy chuckles and then Tom chuckles 

Roy

So why did Jake ask you to come over anyway?  You gonna pay me the twenty bucks he owes me? 

Tom

He didn’t say nothing about no twenty bucks. 

Roy

Course not.  He’s probably hoping I forget about it.   

Roy laughs and then Tom laughs 

Roy

Just like he’s hoping I forget how to play cribbage.   

Tom

You taught that boy how to play. 

Roy

Damn straight I did.  He ain’t taking advantage of my handicap, and I got twenty bucks coming that proves it.  

Tom

Ah, shoot, Roy.  You’re too damn stubborn to let that happen. No, I think he’s feeling guilty he can’t get over here as much as he thinks he should. Probably doesn’t want you getting lonely.   

Roy

Lonely? 

Tom

Yeah, he thinks the world of you, you know.   

Roy

I ain’t lonely. 

Tom

Ok, that’s good. 

Roy

Hell, I was just talking with Ellie. 

Tom looks confused 

Tom

You were just talking to Eleanor? 

Roy

Yeah, just a minute or so ago. 

Tom

Alright 

Roy looks around  

Roy  

Guess she must’ve gone off to somewhere.  Anyhow, why did Jake come bother you with all this? 

Tom

I don’t know. Guess he figured us retired farmers got nothing else to do.  It ain’t  no bother. I’ve been wanting to come over anyhow, just wasn’t sure when would be a good time. So, he didn’t have to ask me twice.  

Roy

Yeah, ok. It’s awful nice of you, I’m glad you’re here. 

Tom

Me, too. 

Roy

I don’t recall the last time we spoke. 

Tom

Uh, would have been at the funeral. 

Roy 

The funeral, huh?  

Tom 

Think so. 

Roy 

Hmm, ok.  Was that Earl’s funeral? 

Tom 

You mean Earl Fenn’s funeral? 

Roy 

Yeah, Earl Fenn. 

Tom 

Roy, Earl died about 5 years ago now. 

Roy 

Been that long already? 

Tom 

Yeah  

Roy 

Hmm, ok. 

Tom 

I meant Eleanor’s funeral, Roy.  

Pause while Roy thinks 

Roy

Ok then.  

Pause 

Roy 

You know, she caught me reading one of her books. 

Tom

Eleanor did? 

Roy chuckles  

Roy

Yeah 

Tom

Ok, which one?  

Roy holds up the book 

Roy 

This one. 

Tom 

Oh, that was her bestseller.  

Roy 

Yeah, I guess it was. 

Tom 

Is that one your favorite? 

Roy 

Favorite?  I don’t know.  

Tom 

She was such a good writer, I s’pose it’s hard to choose which one you like best.  I’m ashamed to admit I haven’t read them all myself yet. 

Roy 

Well, you’re ahead of me. 

Tom 

How’s that? 

Roy 

This is the first one I’ve tried to read.  

Tom 

Really? 

Roy 

Yeah  

Tom 

I guess that surprises me. 

Roy 

Well, I never wanted to read any of them before.  I ain’t proud of that now.  I  dunno, I guess I was jealous, or envious.  Maybe both. 

Tom 

Jealous and envious of what? 

Roy 

Of her success. 

Tom 

Her success? 

Roy 

Yeah, I ain’t never had anything like that. 

Tom 

What are you talking about?  You were the best farmer in the county.  You and Earl.  Hell, you two was the best in the entire tri-county area.  

Roy 

I dunno about all of that. 

Tom 

You don’t? Every year all the other farmers wanted to know what you and Earl was planting. All I’d hear at the diner come March/April, “what crops are Roy and Earl putting in this season?”  

Roy

Hmm, that so?

Tom

Why do you think all those folks brought you over their best cornbread every spring? And brought Earl their best apple dessert?

Roy

Guess I never really thought about it. Figured they was just being neighborly.

Tom

They was being nosy is what they was doing. What’d you all talk about when they came over? If you don’t mind me asking now.

Roy

Guess I don’t really remember. Guess maybe crops mostly, yeah.

Tom

There you go.

Roy

Hmm, guess I never really thought about it.

Tom

Well there you go.

Roy

You know what?

Tom

What’s that?

Roy

I think Earl got the better end of the stick on that one.

Tom

How’s that?

Roy

I never really cared that much for cornbread.

Tom laughs

Tom

You kidding me?

Roy

Nah, I liked Ellie’s. Hers was always nice and moist. Most folk’s cornbread is far too dry.

Tom

That’s why you put that fresh sweet butter on it.

Roy

Hell, there ain’t enough sweet butter in Dakota county for most folk’s cornbread.

Tom chuckles

Tom

So then what’d you do with all that cornbread.

Roy

Fed it to the dogs and chickens mostly.

Tom and Roy both laugh  

Tom 

That’s funny, Roy.  That’s funny. 

Roy

So how’s Dale doing these days? 

Tom

Dale? 

Roy

Yeah. Kinda surprised he didn’t come over with you. Seems like I used to never see one of you without the other. 

Tom

Right. Uh, Dale died, Roy. 

Roy

No 

Tom

Umm, yeah. 

Roy

No one tells me nothin’.  When did all that happen? 

Tom

Over two years ago now. 

Roy

Two years?  My gosh already.  And here I sit not knowing nothing about it. 

Tom

You and Ellie was at the funeral, Roy. 

Roy

Is that right? 

Tom

It is.  You all bought a beautiful bouquet for the service.   

Roy

Hmm, ok then. 

Tom

It was all much appreciated.  

Roy

Ok then.  So how you doing? 

Tom

Oh, I’m getting along.  Get a little bored sometimes.  You know me and some of the other old guys got a weekly poker game going down at the Legion. You should join us. 

Roy

Don’t know nothing about poker.  Ellie never let me play. 

Tom

Oh yeah?  Well, it’s pretty fun.  I can teach you.  See, the fun thing is you can   win a hand even when you got nothin’ yourself.  Just last week… 

Roy

I meant, how you doing with Dale being gone? 

Tom

Oh 

Roy

I know you two was pretty close.  You lived just ‘cross the road from each other. 

Tom nods his head 

Roy

Now, after his Renee died you two farmed together, didn’t you? 

Tom

That’s right, we did.  You remember that. 

Roy

You two done pretty good, too, if I recall.   

Tom

Yeah, we did alright.  We did alright. 

Roy

So sad. 

Tom

What’s that? 

Roy

His Renee.  Too soon.   

Tom

Yes, yes it was. 

Roy

You know, that never sat right with me. 

Tom

What didn’t sit with you? 

Roy

Way she died.  Just didn’t make sense to me.  Falling off a windmill? 

Tom

You remember that too, huh? 

Roy

I do, like it just happened last week or something. You ever known any other farmer’s wife, or any woman for that matter, climb up top a windmill for something? 

Tom

No, can’t say that I have. 

Roy

Me, neither. So why the hell was she up there in the first place? 

Tom

No idea.   

Roy

Never seemed right to me. 

Tom

So what are you saying? 

Roy

I’m saying it don’t seem like it was some accident.   

Tom

Hmm. You said you’ve been reading Dakota County for the first time, right?    

Roy

Huh? 

Tom

Eleanor’s book, you’ve been reading that?  

Roy

Oh, yeah. That’s right. Why? 

Tom

Wondering if maybe you just read that part in the book so it’s fresh in your mind.  

Roy

What part? 

Tom

Part where the wife is found on the ground next to the windmill. 

Roy

I ain’t read that part, where’s that? 

Tom

Oh, I don’t recall, I read that book long time ago now.  Maybe halfway through?

Roy

Nah, I’m only a few chapters in.  She put that in this book, huh? 

Tom

Yep, it’s a big point in the story. Guess I just ruined it for you.  Actually, caused quite a stir in the area when that book come out.  Several folks were none too happy about it. Especially Dale. You don’t remember all that? 

Roy

Seems like there was something with one of her books. I don’t know. I don’t remember none of that, plus as I said I never paid much mind to any of her writing anyhow. 

Tom

Hmm, that’s interesting. 

Roy

How’s that? 

Tom

How that’s all still fresh in your mind after all this time. 

Roy

Yeah, I remember stuff from way back pretty good still. But other stuff… 

Roy shakes his head   

Tom

Did you ever tell anyone how you felt about all of that? 

Roy

Nah, just Ellie. 

Tom

Oh yeah? 

Roy  

Yeah, she and I talked about it quite a bit after I told her it all just didn’t seem right to  me. 

Tom

Hmm 

Roy

What? 

Tom

I’m curious now for you to read the rest of that book.   

Roy

Why’s that? 

Tom

You might have written a lot of that without even knowing it.   

Roy

Ah, hell, Tom, don’t know about all that. 

Tom

We’ll see. 

Roy

Such a pretty little thing, though. 

Tom

Who’s that?  Your Eleanor? 

Roy

Nah, Renee. And boy, could she cook.  

Tom

Is that right? 

Roy

Well, yes. I remember one Thanksgiving they had us over ‘cause they didn’t have no family coming. And, my gosh, the spread. You could smell it as soon as we drove up and stepped out the truck. And I tell you what, you talk about Earl’s wife’s apple dessert? Renee’s cobbler was the best I’ve ever had. 

Tom

That so? 

Roy

I mean the best! But don’t tell that to Ellie. 

They both laugh 

Roy

I never could figure out why she never took it to the fair. She would have won a blue ribbon easy, every time.  Guess it wasn’t in her nature. 

Tom

You know, Roy, I should tell you something. 

Roy

What’s that? 

Tom

That cobbler?  It wasn’t Renee’s. 

Roy

How’s that? 

Tom

Dale made the cobbler.  It was his recipe.   

Roy

You don’t say. 

Tom

Yeah, he was a wonderful cook. In fact, I imagine he made most of that Thanksgiving feast you enjoyed.     

Roy

You don’t say?  I had no idea. 

Tom

Nobody did.  Dale didn’t want nobody to know. 

Roy

Except you. 

Tom

Yeah, right. Except me.   

Pause 

Tom

Dale was a very special friend. I really miss him. 

Roy

I bet. So, do you go look in on his widow? 

Tom

Who’s widow? 

Roy

Dale’s 

Tom

Dale didn’t have a wife, Roy.   

Roy

He didn’t? 

Tom

No 

Roy

But, I thought… 

Tom

Not after Renee. 

Roy looks confused 

Roy

Ok then. 

Tom

You know, I think that’s plenty of talk about the past. I’m here to see how  you’re getting along and if there’s anything I can do for you.  Maybe you got  some chores need to be done, or you want to try your luck with me in cribbage… 

Roy

Did you ever feel fenced in?   

Tom

Fenced in? 

Roy

Growing up and living ‘round here?  Living the way other folks wanted you to live? 

Tom

Where’d that question come from? 

Roy shrugs 

Roy

Don’t know. Just wondering. 

Tom

Well, since you asked, actually yeah. For a long time, I did.   

Roy

That so? 

Tom nods 

Roy 

But not anymore? 

Tom

I guess Dale helped me a lot with that.  

Roy

That’s good. 

Tom

Yeah, helped me to understand that it was alright to be what I wanted to be, or to be who I really was, I guess.   

Roy nods 

Tom

Happiest times of my life. But you know about that, I s’pose. That’s why it’s so hard when they’re gone.  

Roy

When who’s gone? 

Tom

Eleanor and Dale, Roy.   

Roy

Hmm, ok. 

Roy gets out of his chair  

Roy

You know, I always done what Eleanor wants. Married her because that’s what she wanted. Figured it was the right thing to do. Built her this house, as she wanted. Spent my money on what she wanted.  Served on town council and  was a lay leader at church ‘cause she wanted to be proud when she was out. Always correcting my talking.  Made me wear a damned girdle when I went to town! No one’s gonna think I’m married to a fat ignorant man, she’d say. If a man ain’t got self-respect, how can anyone else respect him, she’d say.  

Tom is stunned 

Roy

I tell you one thing, Tom. I ain’t wearing that damned girdle no more!   

Tom

Ok… 

Roy  

Only good thing ever really come out of that woman was Jake.  Certainly wasn’t no book. 

Roy picks up the book and throws it to the rear of the stage  

Roy

And sometimes, sometimes I just had to get out. I had to get out or else I would have burst! So sometimes I went to the city. 

Tom

You went to the city?! 

Roy

I had to. I had to get out! 

Tom

When did you ever go to the city? 

Roy

Once a year, when I said I was going to the farm convention.   

Tom

Really? And Eleanor never found out? 

Roy

No, but I think she might’ve known. Yeah, think she probably did. 

Tom

What the hell did you do there? If you don’t mind me asking. 

Roy

Oh, I went to places I shouldn’t have gone. Did things I shouldn’t have done. But, you see, I was gonna burst if I didn’t. 

Tom

I know the city. Dale and I would go. What kind of places?  

Roy

Back-alley places.   

Tom

You mean the casinos? 

Roy

No, no. If I’d have lost a bunch of money Eleanor would have known for sure and probably shot me dead. Ah hell, I shouldn’t be talking to you about all this… 

Tom

Do you mean the ones on Castro Street?   

Pause 

Roy

You know about those? 

Tom nods  

Tom

Dale and I would stay at the Fairoaks there. Did you ever stay at the Fairoaks, Roy? 

Roy

You see, I was just gonna burst. But I always made it up to Ellie after I come home. I’d bring her back something nice and I’d tell her to make a list while I was gone. To make a list of extra things she wanted done around the house.  I always made it up to her.   

Tom

You know, Roy… 

Tom stands up and starts to walk towards Roy as Roy continues to talk 

Roy

I did, I always made it up to her. 

Tom

Roy, it’s ok. You can be who you want to be now. And… 

Roy

I just, I just would have burst. 

Tom

I can be a very special friend to you.   

Roy

Just would have burst. 

Tom

Would you like that Roy? 

Roy

Like what? 

Tom

A special friend.  

Roy

I, I don’t know. 

Tom suddenly kisses Roy.     

Tom ends the kiss and Roy steps away from him. 

Tom waits for Roy’s reaction 

Tom

Roy? Roy, say something. 

Pause 

Roy

Ok then. 

Tom

Ok then? 

Roy

Yeah, ok then.  

Tom chuckles 

Tom

Well ok then.  

Roy laughs, then Tom laughs 

Tom

Say, I could use something to drink. You want a beer? 

Roy

Yeah, that actually sounds pretty good.   

Tom exits stage as Roy sits back down 

Eleanor enters stage behind Roy.  She picks up the book that Roy threw and walks over to him. 

Eleanor 

You dropped this. 

Eleanor hands the book to Roy 

Roy

Oh, Ellie. I didn’t know you was there. Say, I’m gonna make it up to you. Just like I always done, I’m gonna make it up to you. 

Eleanor 

Roy… 

Roy

Now you make a list and I’ll get to it. I will now… 

Eleanor takes Roy’s hand 

Eleanor 

Roy. You don’t have to do that anymore. 

Eleanor holds Roy’s face and kisses him tenderly. After the kiss Eleanor starts to walk away, then stops and turns back to Roy. 

Eleanor 

You never did. 

Eleanor exits stage 

Roy opens the book and starts reading 

Tom enters stage carrying two beers 

Tom

Alright, cold beer coming right up for you. 

Roy is startled   

Tom

Decided to give that book another try, huh? 

Roy

Geez, Tom!  I ain’t heard you come in.   

Tom

Oh sorry, Roy.  Didn’t mean to give you a start. 

Tom hands Roy a beer 

Roy

It’s alright. Thanks for the beer.   

Tom 

Sure thing. 

Roy

Hell, I ain’t seen you in a month of Sundays. What brings you by? 

END