Engaging action and dialogue
Engaging action and dialogue
Embedded Files
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sample the script.
sample the script.
Prelude
Prelude
"The year is 1630. The place--London, England. As King Charles works to unify the country under one king, one church, and one God, most have submitted to the authority of the Church of England. But even in the face of punishment and persecution, some dare to oppose the king by continuing to worship Jesus Christ according to their own conscience. One such man is John Lothropp, a direct ancestor of Joseph Smith, five United States presidents, and hundreds of other notables who have made our nation great. Let us watch now as the story of the Lothropp family unfolds. This is a story of faith, pain, sorrow, and the spirit of freedom."
Scene 2: The Square
Scene 2: The Square
JOHN and SAM arrive at the square, where there is jeering and shouting. MOB surrounds the raised platform. In the center, GUARD #1 is punishing pilloried LEIGHTON with a whip. JOHN and SAM stand near the back.
SUPPORTER #1
What's the crime?
MOB #1
He's a Presbyterian.
GUARD #2
Everyone, stand back!
GUARD #1 brings his whip down on LEIGHTON.
SUPPORTER #2
Ye foul-smellin' butchers!
SUPPORTER #3
He's done nothing wrong!
MOB #2
He's written a petition against the king.
LEIGHTON
The bishops are anti-Christian men out for blood!
GUARD #1 puts LEIGHTON in the pillory. He takes a branding iron and brands LEIGHTON'S cheek with SS. LEIGHTON screams out in pain.
GUARD #1
That'll teach ya to speak against God's anointed, ya Son of Sedition!
GUARD #2
Everyone, get back!
GUARDS are busy controlling the MOB. JOHN and SAM cross toward center stage.
JOHN
May God comfort Leighton. This is unjust evil.
...
Scene 5: Hiram's Shop
Scene 5: Hiram's Shop
THOMAS is standing at the door. JOHN and SAM greet THOMAS and enter. HIRAM is finishing type-setting the first block.
HIRAM
Did anyone follow you?
SAM
We don't think so.
HIRAM
I've just finished type-setting the first page. Any minute now, someone from the Stationer's Company could walk in here and arrest me for treason. I must have been mad when I agreed to print this letter.
JOHN
Let's see that first page.
HIRAM takes the men to the backroom and puts ink on the type-set block and prints the first page. He pulls it from the press. HIRAM holds up the page, and JOHN takes it.
HIRAM
Careful. The ink's still wet.
JOHN
(Reading) To His Royal Majesty, King Charles. As faithful servants of Christ and as loyal subjects of Your Majesty, we seek to acquaint Your Majesty with our particular griefs...
There is a knock on the door from THOMAS.
THOMAS
Stationer's Men!
HIRAM
Quick! Give me that.
He takes the page and stuffs in his pocket.
Hand me the typeset and put this folk tale one in its place.
HIRAM grabs another typeset and hands it to JOHN as SAM gives him the one on the press. HIRAM hides the typeset in a drawer. He shuffles around a few more items. He is clearly distraught.
HIRAM
The other night I had a dream my head was served on a platter to the king for treason. Treason!
SAM
Get a hold of yourself, Hiram.
JOHN
There's nothing illegal about printing a folk tale. That's all they will discover.
Action continues in pantomime as the focus shifts to outside the room.
THOMAS
I'm sorry, sirs, but he's busy with friends.
GILES
Busy doing what?
THOMAS
Printing folk tales.
JASPER
That sounds like a folk tale to me.
Suddenly the door bursts open. GILES and JASPER enter. The men are "casually" talking.
JASPER (To HIRAM)
Are you the printer?
HIRAM looks dazed and looks to JOHN and SAM.
GILES
May we see your license?
HIRAM
My license? Aye, of course, my license.
HIRAM fumbles through papers, shaking heavily.
JASPER
You seem a little nervous.
GILES
What are you planning to print?
HIRAM
Print? A...um...a le-...a nimmy not!
SAM
He means a folk tale.
HIRAM
Aye. A folk tale. For children.
GILES
Nobody prints books for children. Tell us what you're realy printing.
HIRAM has found his license by now.
HIRAM
Oh here, my license. You see, everything is in order.
GILES
You realize everything printed must be approved?
HIRAM
Of course.
JASPER
And you know you that you must not print anything having to do with religion?
GILES
We do more than burn books and deface presses these days.
HIRAM
Quite right. It would be... (swallows and looks toward JOHN) ...breaking the law to print such a thing.
GILES
And you wouldn't break the law, would you?
HIRAM nods and then shakes his head slowly and nervously.
JASPER
You have ink here as if you are about to print something. And the ink balls are wet.
HIRAM
I...uh...I...we...
JOHN
He was just showing us how the press worked. You can see he was printing a page from a folk tale.
JASPER
But this type hasn't been inked. Where is your inked type? Or do you have something to hide?
HIRAM begins to feel dizzy.
HIRAM
Hide? What would I hide? I have nothing to hide.
SAM
This man is ill.
GILES
He wasn't ill when we came in.
HIRAM faints to the floor.
JASPER (to GILES)
Perhaps he really is ill.
...
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