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ACT II, SCENE FOUR (Competition)
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CHARACTERS
- LOUDSPEAKER
FOUR A—Rhea County, Tennessee
- FARMER
FIRST LINESMAN
SECOND LINESMAN
FOUR B—Catoosa County, Georgia
- OLD WOMAN
VOICE
FOUR C—Franklin County, Tennessee
- COLORED FARMER
FIRST LINEMAN
SECOND LINEMAN
FOUR D—Catoosa County, Georgia — Residents
- FIRST MAN
SECOND MAN
THIRD MAN
FIRST VOICE
SECOND VOICE
THIRD VOICE
FOURTH VOICE
OTHER VOICES
SCENE FOUR A — RHEA COUNTY, TENNESSEE
[Fictional characters. Incidents from article by Fred Pasley, News Syndicate. August 20. 1936.]
LOUDSPEAKER: The company acts.... Rhea County, Tennessee.
(Light on farm interior, left, same as used in Act One, Scene Fifteen-A. Table, chair, kerosene lamp. FARMER is seated. Enter two LINESMEN. They carry wire, tools, etc.)
FIRST LINEMAN: Well, here we are. I guess you won't be needin' that any more. (Points to lamp.)
FARMER: Who're you?
FIRST LINEMAN: Come to give you some juice. Puttin' it in all the farms around here.
FARMER: Well, you ain't puttin' it in mine till you tell me where you're from an' who sent you! (Suspiciously) You Government men?
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FIRST LINEMAN: Well, not exactly, mister. But we got your application right here.
FARMER: Let's see it.
FIRST LINEMAN: Show it to him, Bud.
SECOND LINEMAN (Searches pockets): Kinder reckon maybe I left it in the office.
FARMER: You did, eh? (Sees tag on coil of wire) What's this? (Reads) "Tennessee Electric Power Company"... So that's what it is! Five years ago when I went down there and got down on my knees beggin' 'em for lights they wouldn't give 'em to me. Now they're tryin' to sneak 'em in on me!... Well, you go back there and tell 'em now I don't want it! The Government's takin' care of me now! The United States Government! D'you hear that! Now go on and git! Go on, before I sick the dog on you! Git! (Two LINESMEN start to exit.)
Blackout
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SCENE FOUR B—CATOOSA COUNTY, GEORGIA
LOUDSPEAKER: Catoosa County, Georgia.
(Light on an OLD WOMAN sitting in a rocker. The projection represents a kitchen-stove. Suddenly she stops, hearing something outside. She listens. She hears it again. She goes and looks off right and picks up shotgun.)
OLD LADY: Who's that up in that tree? (No answer) If you wait till after I shoot, maybe it'll be too late!
A VOICE: Hey, put that gun down!
OLD LADY: I thought I heard yer! Watcha doin' up there?
VOICE: Just stringin' up some wire.
OLD LADY: In the middle of the night! Who're yer from?
VOICE: Georgia Light and Power Company.
OLD LADY: Company man, eh? (Points gun off stage and shoots.)
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VOICE: Hey, I'm comin' down!
OLD LADY: I know you are. Ye're comin' down fast too! (Fires one more shot.)
VOICE: Hey, I'm down!
OLD LADY: I know, I can see yer. Now, git! (Crosses back to chair as footsteps are heard running off. Sits. There is a pause) Maybe I should have let him have it!
Blackout
SCENE FOUR C—FRANKLIN COUNTY, TENNESSEE
LOUDSPEAKER: Franklin County, Tennessee.
(Light on projection of another farm interior. Table and two chairs down left. NEGRO FARMER seated at table with two LINESMEN at his side.)
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FIRST LINEMAN: Well, Uncle, we're goin' to give you some light around here.
COLORED MAN: What company you from?
FIRST LINEMAN: Tennessee Electric.
COLORED MAN: But I'se already signed up with TVA.
SECOND LINEMAN: That's all right, Uncle. It's all one now.
COLORED MAN: How kin it all be one? TVA's the Gov'ment. You're from the Company.
FIRST LINEMAN: Well, here's how it is. You see, the Tennessee Electric's bought out the TVA. Yes, sir, they ain't comin' to this part of the State. So they turned over your application to us.
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COLORED MAN: You white folks wouldn't fool an old colored man, now?
SECOND LINEMAN: It's the truth, Uncle. We wouldn't lie to you. Now all you got to do is sign this agreement.
COLORED MAN: But I done signed one already.
FIRST LINEMAN: You got to sign a new one since we took over the TVA.
COLORED MAN (Putting on his glasses): Guess It's all right. Guess you wouldn't fool an old man like me.... Where do I sign?
SECOND LINEMAN: Right there.
(He signs. MEN exchange glances over his head. Glass curtain comes down.)
Lights dim out.
SCENE FOUR D—CATOOSA COUNTY, GEORGIA
LOUDSPEAKER: Catoosa County, Georgia.
(Front curtain opens. Three MEN in front of glass curtain. Only light in this scene comes from front — midnight blue.)
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FIRST MAN (tensely, to LINESMEN, off stage): Come on, step on it! Don't take all night.
SECOND MAN: Do you want em to walk in on us? Hurry up!
MAN (on stage): Let's have it!
FIRST MAN (throws coil of wire up to man on pole): This is the last! Get it up and let's git.
THIRD MAN (lookout): Here they come!
FIRST MAN (to MEN, off stage): Here they come! Beat it!
(Three MEN ran across stage and exit. Blue lights from front dim out. Light comes up back of glass curtain, revealing in shadowgraph, electric poles and wires on glass curtain. Two or three MEN run on. They too are revealed in shadow.)
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FIRST VOICE (excitedly): Hey, Tom, Joe, everybody! They've been here! The company's been here! They got wires and poles up in back of the house!
SECOND VOICE: Get the hatchets, everybody!
THIRD VOICE: Down with the poles! Then we'll short-circuit the wires!
FIRST VOICE: Will they burn?
THIRD VOICE: They'll burn! (Runs on with hatchets.)
FOURTH VOICE: Here they are.
SECOND VOICE: O.K. Everybody ready?
VOICES: Ready! Let her go! (Ad lib, "Look out" — "Get out of the way." The hatchets ring out as they chop at one of the poles. As the pole falls front, curtain closes.)
Blackout
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