Canton, Ohio
Canton Ohio
Hank Williams Od’ed in the back of a Cadilac on December 30, 1952 on the way to Canton Ohio to do a show.
by p.l.carrico
Set:
Table, chair.
Props:
Starting Pistol
broken glass
cup of coffee
plate
Darci
Where ya headed stranger?
Hank
Canton Ohio, where you headed?
Darci
Home, soon, I guess. 1953, which is where we are all going.
Hank
You sound pretty sure of that.
Darci
Well, if the sun rises tomorrow, I guess we’ll all have arrived in 1953.
Hank
If the good lord is willing and the creek don’t rise.
Darci
Or we don’t all get blown sky high.
Hank
That might be a pleasant change of altitude. Pack a coat, it’s cold up here.
Darci
Can I get you a cup of coffee.
Hank
(Singing)Ye aulde lang sign.... Please would you? Black.
Darci Retrieves a cup of coffee. The stranger pulls a gun and fires it at the audience. Darci drops the cup. Darci puts her hands up. Hank puts his gun away.
Darci
Well?
Hank
She pulled her guns first.
Darci
Who did, honey?
Hank
Might Mo. Those are serious guns. Hundreds of em.
Darci
You mean that old picture on the wall? You shot at that?
Hank
I told you, she pulled them guns first.
Darci
Your saying that photograph of a battleship pulled a gun on you.
Hank
Well, shit you can’t tell now with it lying in pieces on the ground...
Darci
I remember what it looked like. Believe you me. So, you aint gonna rob me?
Hank
No mam, and I apologize for the interruption.
Darci
What do you say you put that gun on the floor, then sorta kick it towards the door.
Hank
What do you mean, I mean I can hand it to ya.
Darci
Yeah, I know you can. I don’t touch those things.
Hank
You’ll live a long full life.
Darci
Maybe I will land maybe I already have. Either way, stranger, put that gun on the ground and kick it toward the door.
Hank
I oblige the request (does as he’s told) and I don’t mean to sound forceful, but why do yo u want me to do this?
Darci
Do you want a cup of coffee?
Hank
(Long pause) Yes mam.
Darci
Here you are stranger.
Hank
Here I am stranger? Why am I stranger here than any other place?
Darci
Oh, a word player?
Hank
Perhaps
Darci
Maybe you are stranger here than anywhere else because everywhere else is hell or high water, places where it’s ok to shoot guns at pictures in dining rooms or play games with words. Here’s a menu stranger.
Hank
Stranger than what?
Darci
Huh?
Hank
Here’s a menu stranger... stranger than what?
Darci
Stranger the bounty of life it’s self.
Hank
I haven't eaten in... (takes a pill and sucks down some coffee) three seconds.
Darci
Well, you read that menu and tell me what you think... stranger.
Hank
My name is Hank, stranger.
Darci
My name is Darci, stranger.
Hank
Are we married?
Darci
We seem to have the same last name, don’t we?
Hank
Well that’s fine. And this here diner is our living room.
Darci
For the time being.
Hank
Don’t talk like that. Lets live in the now.
Darci
Ok. Clean up that broken glass and I’ll make you diner. First, what will you have?
Hank
Steak and eggs please.
Darci
How do you like your eggs.
Hank
Hatched, happy and hens.
Darci
Scrambled.
Hank
How do you like em?
Darci Ignores the question and leaves to make the order. Hank struggles to his feet and walks over to the broken picture. Shaking he collects the pieces and puts them in a napkin and returns to his table.
Darci returns to refresh his coffee.
Hank
I was thinken' dear. That there photograph of Might Mo, the great battle ship we accepted the surrender of the Japanese on.... that picture is kind of like a crucifix. An inelegant weapon on a wall commemorating and somehow absolving the torture we’ve been through.
Darci
If that were a crucifix on the wall, would you have shot it?
Hank
No man.
Darci
Take you hat off.
Hank
Yes mam
Darci
Where are you headed?
Hank
Canton Ohio. A few people are waiting for me there, and if the good lord is willing and the creek don’t rise I do think I might make it.
Darci
That’s quite a few ifs.
Hank
Where you headed?
Darci
I think I’m there.
Hank
Here?
Darci
Yes sir.
Hank
Here is there?
Darci
Well that’s neither here nor there to you stranger.
Hank
Maybe I’m here too.
Darci
Well, I should hope so. Was it a phantom that came in here guns a blazing ordering steak and eggs?
Hank
I do apologize for that. I get that way sometimes. A little crazy.
Darci
Have you been drinking?
Hank
No... well yes in a way. Parts of me have been.
Darci
Well aint everything a riddle to you?
Hank
It seems that way. Not by any choice of mine.
Darci Leaves, returns with a plate. Hank picks up the napkin full of broken glass, puts it around his neck, picks up his knife and fork, puts them down again, salts the food, picks up his knife and fork again and waits.
Darci
What's the mater?
Hank
I aint hungry, I guess.
Darci
You look hungry.
Hank
Maybe I’m too hungry.
Darci
Did you say the lords prayer?
Hank
I don’t need to.
Darci
Why is that?
Hank
Cause I aint gonna eat.
Darci
Well why did you order than.
Hank
Because this is what we do. You make strangers feel at home, I wander down some lost highways. I can’t bear to have my heart broken again.
Darci
Me neither, that’s why I am here and I’m not going anywhere again. Bills going up, tips getting smaller. There are kinds of suicide, sir. yes there are. There are some that are grand like getting up on a cross, there are some that are as silly as signing up to go to war, there are some that as simple as loosing someone and putting your head down and working for the rest of your life.
Hank
That aint suicide. That’s a plan.
Darci
Well, honestly it’s more of a fate. And it’s a good thing I don’t believe in God, Jesus or the Mighty Mo Battleship. Just in bills, steak, eggs and the fact that the nobodies willing and the creek rose a long time ago.
Darci collects the plates, the glass and the napkin.
Darci
Damn it, I cut myself.
Hank
I am sorry.
Darci leaves. Hank shoots up. As the drug affects him he puts a bill on the table then collapses. A chauffeur comes in.
Chauffeur
Car’s waiting mr. Williams. Can’t let them down in Ohio. Ah shoot.
Chauffeur carries Hank away. Darci returns and find the fifty dollar bill.
Hank Williams Od’ed in the back of a Cadilac on December 30, 1952 on the way to Canton Ohio to do a show.
by p.l.carrico
Set:
Table, chair.
Props:
Starting Pistol
broken glass
cup of coffee
plate
Darci
Where ya headed stranger?
Hank
Canton Ohio, where you headed?
Darci
Home, soon, I guess. 1953, which is where we are all going.
Hank
You sound pretty sure of that.
Darci
Well, if the sun rises tomorrow, I guess we’ll all have arrived in 1953.
Hank
If the good lord is willing and the creek don’t rise.
Darci
Or we don’t all get blown sky high.
Hank
That might be a pleasant change of altitude. Pack a coat, it’s cold up here.
Darci
Can I get you a cup of coffee.
Hank
(Singing)Ye aulde lang sign.... Please would you? Black.
Darci Retrieves a cup of coffee. The stranger pulls a gun and fires it at the audience. Darci drops the cup. Darci puts her hands up. Hank puts his gun away.
Darci
Well?
Hank
She pulled her guns first.
Darci
Who did, honey?
Hank
Might Mo. Those are serious guns. Hundreds of em.
Darci
You mean that old picture on the wall? You shot at that?
Hank
I told you, she pulled them guns first.
Darci
Your saying that photograph of a battleship pulled a gun on you.
Hank
Well, shit you can’t tell now with it lying in pieces on the ground...
Darci
I remember what it looked like. Believe you me. So, you aint gonna rob me?
Hank
No mam, and I apologize for the interruption.
Darci
What do you say you put that gun on the floor, then sorta kick it towards the door.
Hank
What do you mean, I mean I can hand it to ya.
Darci
Yeah, I know you can. I don’t touch those things.
Hank
You’ll live a long full life.
Darci
Maybe I will land maybe I already have. Either way, stranger, put that gun on the ground and kick it toward the door.
Hank
I oblige the request (does as he’s told) and I don’t mean to sound forceful, but why do yo u want me to do this?
Darci
Do you want a cup of coffee?
Hank
(Long pause) Yes mam.
Darci
Here you are stranger.
Hank
Here I am stranger? Why am I stranger here than any other place?
Darci
Oh, a word player?
Hank
Perhaps
Darci
Maybe you are stranger here than anywhere else because everywhere else is hell or high water, places where it’s ok to shoot guns at pictures in dining rooms or play games with words. Here’s a menu stranger.
Hank
Stranger than what?
Darci
Huh?
Hank
Here’s a menu stranger... stranger than what?
Darci
Stranger the bounty of life it’s self.
Hank
I haven't eaten in... (takes a pill and sucks down some coffee) three seconds.
Darci
Well, you read that menu and tell me what you think... stranger.
Hank
My name is Hank, stranger.
Darci
My name is Darci, stranger.
Hank
Are we married?
Darci
We seem to have the same last name, don’t we?
Hank
Well that’s fine. And this here diner is our living room.
Darci
For the time being.
Hank
Don’t talk like that. Lets live in the now.
Darci
Ok. Clean up that broken glass and I’ll make you diner. First, what will you have?
Hank
Steak and eggs please.
Darci
How do you like your eggs.
Hank
Hatched, happy and hens.
Darci
Scrambled.
Hank
How do you like em?
Darci Ignores the question and leaves to make the order. Hank struggles to his feet and walks over to the broken picture. Shaking he collects the pieces and puts them in a napkin and returns to his table.
Darci returns to refresh his coffee.
Hank
I was thinken' dear. That there photograph of Might Mo, the great battle ship we accepted the surrender of the Japanese on.... that picture is kind of like a crucifix. An inelegant weapon on a wall commemorating and somehow absolving the torture we’ve been through.
Darci
If that were a crucifix on the wall, would you have shot it?
Hank
No man.
Darci
Take you hat off.
Hank
Yes mam
Darci
Where are you headed?
Hank
Canton Ohio. A few people are waiting for me there, and if the good lord is willing and the creek don’t rise I do think I might make it.
Darci
That’s quite a few ifs.
Hank
Where you headed?
Darci
I think I’m there.
Hank
Here?
Darci
Yes sir.
Hank
Here is there?
Darci
Well that’s neither here nor there to you stranger.
Hank
Maybe I’m here too.
Darci
Well, I should hope so. Was it a phantom that came in here guns a blazing ordering steak and eggs?
Hank
I do apologize for that. I get that way sometimes. A little crazy.
Darci
Have you been drinking?
Hank
No... well yes in a way. Parts of me have been.
Darci
Well aint everything a riddle to you?
Hank
It seems that way. Not by any choice of mine.
Darci Leaves, returns with a plate. Hank picks up the napkin full of broken glass, puts it around his neck, picks up his knife and fork, puts them down again, salts the food, picks up his knife and fork again and waits.
Darci
What's the mater?
Hank
I aint hungry, I guess.
Darci
You look hungry.
Hank
Maybe I’m too hungry.
Darci
Did you say the lords prayer?
Hank
I don’t need to.
Darci
Why is that?
Hank
Cause I aint gonna eat.
Darci
Well why did you order than.
Hank
Because this is what we do. You make strangers feel at home, I wander down some lost highways. I can’t bear to have my heart broken again.
Darci
Me neither, that’s why I am here and I’m not going anywhere again. Bills going up, tips getting smaller. There are kinds of suicide, sir. yes there are. There are some that are grand like getting up on a cross, there are some that are as silly as signing up to go to war, there are some that as simple as loosing someone and putting your head down and working for the rest of your life.
Hank
That aint suicide. That’s a plan.
Darci
Well, honestly it’s more of a fate. And it’s a good thing I don’t believe in God, Jesus or the Mighty Mo Battleship. Just in bills, steak, eggs and the fact that the nobodies willing and the creek rose a long time ago.
Darci collects the plates, the glass and the napkin.
Darci
Damn it, I cut myself.
Hank
I am sorry.
Darci leaves. Hank shoots up. As the drug affects him he puts a bill on the table then collapses. A chauffeur comes in.
Chauffeur
Car’s waiting mr. Williams. Can’t let them down in Ohio. Ah shoot.
Chauffeur carries Hank away. Darci returns and find the fifty dollar bill.
Labels: Hank Williams Death theater
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