Directed by Christian Haines

Featuring Kelli Crump, Amy Lizardo & Jessica Risco

MYRRH and FAITH are holding their lanterns high. They face the city and look out. Like sentinels. It is a poetic moment. They look fabulous.)

FAITH: Twilight’s fading.

MYRRH: I just hope the king doesn’t come back while my sister is out there acting a fool. (Calling.) “Hey you owwwww-woooo-ohhhh-wayyyyyy-you come this way out of the way oh-way-out-of-darkness the narrow path straight ahead precious wool I hear you bleating I see you bleeding follow my voice toward the light.” Tonight, a darkness will pour over the land. Broken souls in the city will see our lights. Their hearts they will reflect all seven of them— (Calling.) “Glow gold to beat out the gloom.”

FAITH: Night’s falling.

 (FAITH puts down her lantern. Looks out at city through a pair of binoculars. FAITH holds lantern high. Puts it back down.)

MYRRH: Many souls from far away are looking out their windows right now.

FAITH: I need confirmation. Proof.

MYRRH: That lonely hearts are parting their curtains?

FAITH: That what I’m doing matters.

(FAITH holds lantern high.)

FAITH: No one’s looking at seven distant small lanterns on a hill. Everyone’s watching cable or Netflix.

MYRRH: How do you know?

(FAITH gives MYRRH the binocular. MYRRH peers through them.)

FAITH: The light in everyone’s windows. TV light. They’re all half-sleep hypnotized by the blink and hum of Love and Hip Hop in Atlanta and Basketball Wives. Love  that show.

MYRRH: You’re holding your light high so everyone can see. The king told you to do it. And you’re doing it. That matters. You were ready to walk on water this morning. What happened?

FAITH: That was before—

MYRRH: Before what?

FAITH: Before I started to consider this whole scenario. Here we are stuck on this hill lighting lanterns year round for a city in darkness and everyone’s watching cable. The city isn’t interested in the king’s little lantern display.

MYRRH: Be honored. It’s a prestigious position.

FAITH: To whom?

MYRRH: Your boss who happens to the king.

FAITH: These lanterns are supposed to give people hope. But I don’t see any change coming about.

MYRRH: A little lit match in a city of darkness is very powerful. Be patient. Change is coming. (She begins to wave her lantern high back and forth.) They see the lights. They’re watching.

FAITH: Yelling at them from high above does not help. We need to take matters into our own hands.

MYRRH: Going down into the city is not a good idea just yet. We’re no match for the darkness. It’s too powerful. We’ll get sucked up by it like all the others. We have to continue to read the king’s love letter and follow the instructions until we become masters of light.

FAITH: How is he determining how anyone should get their inspiration? You know, Myrrh, I’m not sure that letter was even written by the king.

MYRRH: Then who wrote it?

FAITH: I don’t know. You tell me. Maybe you did. To trick me.

MYRRH: Into doing what?

FAITH: Whatever you say. *“Do this, Faith, Do that. Go get me some oil. Hold your lamp high.”

MYRRH: This is his handwriting.

FAITH: You’ve been fanning that letter in my face for years trying to control me. I’m a realist. And you want to do this the romantic way.

MYRRH: The king’s way.

FAITH: His way is the old way. It don’t work anymore.

MYRRH: I thought you were here because you wanted to be.

FAITH: My whole life is centered around taking directions from you.

MYRRH: “I hear you bleating my precious lamb come get water you who are thirsty this way straight ahead path is narrow land ho”. He called me out of that wilderness of countless trains going nowhere. I came to this city, belly screaming like a thousand broken accordions. He offered me this hill to rest. Carved my name on this tree and gave it to me. Branches so thick, I can roll in my sleep to the left or the right without falling. Ever. I’ve never fallen from the arms of this tree. He’s given me stability. I owe the king everything.

FAITH: Why do you get so much favor from the king? You get the big comfy tree and I get the cardboard box under the highway?

MYRRH: I told you you can come stay with me up here. Whatever is mine is yours.

FAITH: I don’t want your pity.

MYRRH: It’s an open ended offer. Faith, you have the job of a lifetime working for the king year round. Girl, we get paid. There’s a lot of people wish they could be up here. C’mon. I’m gonna go get some more oil for the lamps. Are you ok?

FAITH: Yeah, go ahead. I’ll stay here and guard the lights.

(Exit, MYRRH, unsure.)

(FAITH peers through binoculars.)

Cable heads.

(Enter, FOLLY, impressed with the lights.)

FOLLY: I didn’t know if people could even come up here. I don’t think people know that they can come up here. So why don’t you come down? To the city. You know. Come down. From your ivory tower. And spread the news. That there’s light up here. You have all this light. People are hungry for just a little bit of it. It’s not fair.

FAITH: From this position on the hill it lights up the entire city.

FOLLY: Barely.

FAITH: I’m not supposed to leave my post. I’m under contract. By the king.

FOLLY: He pays you? How much? Don’t tell even tell me. Bet it’s not a lot of money. You work alone? Oh, where’s your co-worker? She lives in that fabulous tree, doesn’t she? But you live under the freeway? In a cardboard shelter? You must have just started working here.

FAITH: No.

FOLLY: Oh. So you’re the underdog. Bet your co-worker gets paid more than you.

FAITH: We get paid the same *wages.

FOLLY: How do you know?

FAITH: She told *me.

FOLLY: How do you know she’s telling the truth? I think you could do much better in the city.

FAITH: Doing what?

FOLLY: You know. Utilizing your God given talents.

FAITH: I’ve been doing this job for so long I don’t even know what else I could do.

FOLLY: There’s all kinds of work out there. But you don’t want to do just any ol’ thing. City’s expensive. You want the work that pays the most.

FAITH: And what’s that?

FOLLY: You have a nice body. Long legs. Great tatas. I bet they stand straight up when you come out of your dress.

(FOLLY attempts to grab FAITH’S breasts but FAITH is taken aback and jumps away.)

FAITH: Oh.

FOLLY: You could dance. At The Pink Apple.

FAITH: What’s The Pink Apple?

FOLLY: Gentleman’s club.

FAITH: Oh. Oh, I don’t know if I could that.

FOLLY: I could teach you.

FAITH: Oh, well, you know the money sounds good but I’d rather go to the city to give light. Not dance.

FOLLY: Well, giving light is a good idea. You could walk down that hill, go into the city with your lamps and give them to others. They could bring those lamps home with them. And then there’d be no more darkness.

FAITH: Oh, wow, you’re so smart.

FOLLY: Why don’t you come into the city with me? I need to stop off at the Pink lady first. Maybe I can show you my moves.

FAITH: Oh, but that’s not a place I’m supposed to—

FOLLY: But you have your light and lamp. You just bring it with you and the others will see your light.

(FOLLY blows out FAITH’S lamp. A severe hush. FAITH is suddenly frightened.)

FAITH: Oh, no.

FOLLY: No. Your light. Your inner lamp. You don’t need that little lantern. You can show your inner light.  Just smile. See? You have the brightest smile I’ve ever seen. You just come into the city, honey, and smile. You’ll light up the entire town. I promise you. They’ll love you. You’ll light up the entire town.

(Begin to exit, FAITH and FOLLY.)

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