Canadian
theatre 
Brébeuf's Ghost: A Tale of Horror in Three Acts
Daniel David Moses
 |
|
Brébeuf's Ghost (1996), by Daniel David Moses |
Link to Interview with Daniel David Moses
Brébeuf's Ghost was first produced at the Essex Hall Theatre at the University of Windsor by the author and by the Department of English and the School of Dramatic Art of the Faculty of Arts.
The Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf was born in France in 1593. He came to Canada in 1625 as a missionary, first to the nomadic Montagnais, then in 1626 to the Huron near Georgian Bay, where he supervised the preparation of a Huron grammar and dictionary. He returned to France in 1629, but came back to Canada in 1633 and was in charge of the Sainte Marie mission from 1634 to 1638. Brébeuf was captured by the Iroquois in 1644 and killed in March 1649. Sainte Marie was burned in May or June 1649 by its occupants who feared it would be desecrated by the invading Iroquois. Brébeuf and four other Jesuits killed by the Iroquois were canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1930.
"1649 brings bad news to the Ojibwa communities of Lake Nipissing. The Iroquois are on the warpath, killing traitors and Christians at the mission of Sainte Marie. Guess who is going to be next? The shaman is worried about wendigos, the Black Robe about the fires of hell. Worlds collide in renowned First Nations playwright Daniel David Moses' epic dark, funny and finally healing vision of early Canada" (qtd. from the back cover of the Exile edition of Brébeuf's Ghost).
Excerpt from Brébeuf's Ghost
FATHER Martha! Martha, will you talk to me now?
THISTLE (coming out) I told you before. Don't call me that anymore.
FATHER Martha, I need you to help me.
THISTLE My husband told me to stay away from you now.
FATHER You're my sister. Please.
Star LILY enters the wigwam.
THISTLE He says your god's no good.
FATHER They have to stop hurting that poor man.
THISTLE That man's Iroquois.
FATHER They have to pray for forgiveness. You shall not kill. We are God's lambs, Martha. You shall not kill. Black Star and Bear must stop singing their witchcraft songs.
PIERRE I'm hungry and cold.
THISTLE Why did your god let that Iroquois hurt my daughter?
FATHER Martha, they force him to eat his own filth.
LILY You have to kill the Iroquois.
FEATHER Go away.
FATHER They pulled the nails off all his fingers and toes. They burned the bloody stumps!
THISTLE Go back to your house, Father.
PIERRE Give us this day our bread?
THISTLE This is none of your business.
FATHER You won't eat his heart, will you? Are you devils yourselves?
THISTLE My husband said you'd be weaker than any woman.
LILY Put an end to his misery.
FEATHER Why should I?
LILY A knife in his heart will do it.
FATHER It's horrible. Horrible.
The waning moon starts to rise.
LILY Then you can tell your son his father died without tears, a warrior's death
FEATHER My son?
LILY Your baby. Do you want the Black Robe to get his hands on it? (she leaves the wigwam)
PIERRE Our daily bread?
FATHER I saw Hail Stone Woman take a burning stick.
THISTLE Go take care of little Pierre.
FATHER She poked him in ways that aren't decent.
PIERRE I'm hungry.
THISTLE Keep him away from us, Father.
FATHER Thunder Voice pulled the man's thumb off!
THISTLE If he turns into a cannibal, my husband will have to kill him.
THISTLE enters the wigwam and Sky FEATHER embraces her.
FATHER The man's thumb! He's going around teasing Flood Woman with it.
LILY I think he wants her to marry him.
PIERRE Another little mouse?
LILY Come along.
FATHER I think the Iroquois will die tonight.
LILY I think you're right, Black Robe.
FATHER Pierre? Pierre will help me give him the last rites at least.
LILY Come away from here.
FATHER And a Christian burial.
LILY You're going back to your house.
FATHER Pierre, come along!
Star LILY leads FATHER Noel off.
PIERRE Please. I'm cold.
FEATHER Mother. I'll come tonight.
THISTLE You will?
FEATHER I'll look into his eyes.
PIERRE Build me a fire?
FEATHER I'll caress him with steel.
THISTLE I'll go tell your father.
FEATHER Let's go now. I'm hungry.
PIERRE I'm hungry and cold.
FEATHER I want to look at him for a while first.
PIERRE A fire tonight? Please? Please?
THISTLE and Sky FEATHER leave the wigwam and exit. PIERRE follows them off.
END OF ACT ONE
Moses, Daniel David. Brébeuf's Ghost. Toronto: Exile Editions, 2000. 60-63.
Link to Interview with Daniel David Moses
