The Saving Spark by Jennifer Blake

This Play is the copyright of the Author and must NOT be Performed without the Author's PRIOR consent

Act 1, Scene 2:
EXT: Ship, Almost a week later. It is the third day on the ship. Bustling activity going on while Sila is at the rail, looking into the water.

MIKHAIL
What’s the matter, Sila?

SILA
Oh, nothing, Mikhail. I don’t know what I was expecting when we got out on the sea. You’ve been a wonderful captain, but it’s… It’s been three days, and nothing.

MIKHAIL
That’s just it. It’s only been three days. There’s an open sea ahead of us with plenty of adventure to be found. Your brothers can’t have experienced it all yet.

SILA
I suppose you’re right. I hope we find something soon becau - what is that??

MIKHAIL
It looks like… no. It can’t be. Can it?

SILA
A coffin?

MIKHAIL
But it looks like it’s made of stone.

SILA
Stone doesn’t float. Let’s fish it out and see!

MIKHAIL
Are you crazy? A coffin. Made of stone. That’s not cursed? You’ll have a mutiny on your hands.

SILA
Really? A mutiny?

(Looks around at the crew questioningly. Crew shakes their heads ‘no.’)

MIKHAIL
Well...

SILA
Well, in that case - bring it up, boys!

(Bustling to get the coffin aboard. It’s stone and wrapped with iron straps that haven’t rusted.)

SILA
You were right, Mikhail! It is made of stone!

MIKHAIL
I’m so happy.

(He’s not.)

SILA
And these iron straps haven’t even rusted!

MIKHAIL
Huzzah.

(Still not excited.)

SILA
And there are some odd cryptic scribblings etched into it!

MIKHAIL
How wonderful.

(Close to tears.)

SILA
Wow! I wonder what it says. That one looks like…

MIKHAIL
Sila! Stop! You could be cursing all of us.

SILA
Nonsense! This isn’t a curse, it’s just a -

(cut off by crewman)

CREWMAN
Captain! Those clouds are closing in awfully fast.

MIKHAIL
See? We are being pulled into a storm that we can’t even see through! We’re doomed because of you!

thunder in the background

SILA
Oh, stop being so pessimistic, Mikhail. It’s just a little rain. We’re fine.

Wind howls, thunder crashes, lighting flashes, and lights out.


Act 1, Scene 3:
EXT: Lights up, on a beach. A few hours later. Crew is around them with several boxes and the coffin.

MIKHAIL
Oh, no. We’re not cursed. The storm blew us off course and now we have no idea where we even are. Does anyone recognize this place? (Asks crew around him. They shake heads and murmur ‘no,’ ‘never been here,’ etc)
(Looks at Sila)

Cursed.

SILA
Well, Mikhail, this must be the beginning of an adventure! At least we can bury the coffin, right? That’s where it belongs, anyway. Good things will come to you when you help someone find a place to rest.

MIKHAIL
Oh, well that’s a relief!

(He’s a sarcastic fellow.)

You go do your adventure, come back, and we’ll go home. What do you think you’ll need? A week? Two?

SILA
A week or two? I’m planning on doing some good quality adventuring, here, friend. I’m planning on at least a year, maybe two.

MIKHAIL
Two years? We have families, you know! How about you have your adventure and we’ll come back in two years to pick you up?

SILA
Mikhail, you don’t even know where we are, so how can you come back? And how do I know you won’t go home and tell my father that I died so that you don’t have to come back?

MIKHAIL
(Glaring)

You don’t.

SILA
I’m in charge, and I’m telling you that you’ll be here waiting for me. If I don’t come back in three years, you’re free to go.

MIKHAIL
THREE?? What happened to two?

SILA
Yes, three years. You never know. I might get captured and have to work my way out of a dangerous situation. Maybe I’ll fall in love, get married, and stay for a while until I can convince my new wife to come back with me, or even be cursed by an evil creature who puts me under a magical spell. There are so many things that can happen. You just never know.

MIKHAIL
You seem completely ok with all of these situations.

SILA
You’re right. I am.

(Picks up his bag and heads off.)

Don’t forget to bury the coffin!

MIKHAIL
(Looking after Sila incredulously)

Yes, of course. We’ll be here. Don’t forget to write. Well, boys, let’s ‘bury the coffin.’

CREWMAN1
But Captain, do you think we should open it?

MIKHAIL
Why in the world would we do that?

CREWMAN1
What if there’s not a body in there? What if there’s treasure?

MIKHAIL
Treasure? In a floating, stone coffin? The only treasure that’s in there is a curse. Dig.

CREWMAN1
Alright boys, dig.

CREWMAN2
Do you really think there’s treasure in there?

CREWMAN1
I don’t know. Opening a strange coffin to maybe find treasure is much more interesting than digging a hole for it, don’t you think?

CREWMAN2
What would you do with the treasure if it’s in there?

CREWMAN3
I would buy a whole wardrobe full of gentleman’s clothes. I’ve had enough of these old rags.

CREWMAN2
I would buy a large country manor and never work again.

CREWMAN4
I would go to the gambling table and try my luck.

CREWMAN3
And lose

(all laugh)

CREWMAN4
Probably. But I would have a good time while it lasted.

CREWMAN 2
(to Crewman1)

What would you do?

CREWMAN1
I would buy my own ship. Go where I want. Do what I want. Maybe carry some cargo for a hefty fee.

CREWMAN4
If you had your own ship, you’d go where you want and steal what you want. You’d end up being a pirate captain and you know it!

CREWMAN1
You know me too well!

(A knocking comes from the coffin and muffled yells)

CREWMAN2
What was that?

MIKHAIL
Quit messing around. I told you to dig.

(More knocking and yelling)

CREWMAN3
I think we should open it, sir!

MIKHAIL
I think you meant ‘bury it as soon as possible!’ Dig!

CREWMAN4
Sir, if we just unlatched these iron straps…

(Mikhail doesn’t reach him fast enough)

(Coffin opens and Ivashka stands up. Ivashka is dressed in white robes and has long hair. He looks around and squints at the sun. Everyone stands aghast and is quaking. No one moves for a beat until Ivashka speaks.)

IVASHKA
Thank you, lad! Which one of you plucked my coffin from the open sea?

MIKHAIL
(Silent, mouth agape, shakes his head)

IVASHKA
Well, which way did he go?

ALL
(point in the direction Sila left)

IVASHKA
Very good. Many thanks.

(He’s a little wobbly getting out of the coffin, but soon finds his legs and heads off to find Sila.)
(Ivashka exits)

MIKHAIL
And that, my boys, is what a curse looks like.

CREWMAN2
I thought it looked like an old man.

MIKHAIL
An old man that was in a stone coffin floating on the sea and is still alive?

CREWMAN1
(shrugs)

At least he was polite.

(Mikhail glares.)

Lights down.