[Transcriber’s Note: A few obvious typo’s in stage directions havebeen fixed, though nothing in the dialogue has been changed.]
| ACT ONE |
| ACT TWO |
| ACT THREE |
JIM WESTON: Guitarist, Methodist, slightly arrogant, agressive, somewhatself-important, ready with his tongue.
DAVE CARTER: Dancer, Baptist, soft, happy-go-lucky character, slightly dumb andunable to talk rapidly and wittily.
DAISY TAYLOR.
Methodist, domestic servant, plump, dark and sexy, self-consciousof clothes and appeal, fickle.
JOE CLARK.
The Mayor, storekeeper and postmaster, arrogant, ignorant andpowerful in a self-assertive way, large, fat man, Methodist.
ELDER SIMMS.
Methodist minister, newcomer in town, ambitious, small and fly,but not very intelligent.
ELDER CHILDERS.
Big, loose-jointed, slow spoken but not dumb. Long resident inthe town, calm and sure of himself.
KATIE CARTER: Dave’s aunt, little old wizened dried-up lady.
MRS. HATTIE CLARK.
The Mayor’s wife, fat and flabby mulatto high-pitchedvoice.
THE MRS. REV. SIMMS.
Large and agressive.
THE MRS. REV. CHILDERS.
Just a wife who thinks of details.
LUM BOGER.
Young town marshall about twenty, tall, gangly, with big flat feet,liked to show off in public.
TEET MILLER: Village vamp who is jealous of DAISY.
LIGE MOSELY: A village wag.
WALTER THOMAS.
Another village wag.
ADA LEWIS: A promiscuous lover.
DELLA LEWIS: Baptist, poor housekeeper, mother of ADA.
BOOTSIE PITTS: A local vamp.
MRS. DILCIE ANDERSON: Village housewife, Methodist.
WILLIE NIXON.
Methodist, short runt.
SETTING: The raised porch of JOE CLARK’S Store and the street in front.Porch stretches almost completely across the stage, with a plank bench ateither end. At the center of the porch three steps leading from street. Rear ofporch, center, door to the store. On either side are single windows on whichsigns, at left, “POST OFFICE”, and at right, “GENERALSTORE” are painted. Soap boxes, axe handles, small kegs, etc., on porchon which townspeople sit and lounge during action. Above the roof of the porchthe “false front”, or imitation second story of the shop is seenwith large sign painted across it “JOE CLARK’S GENERALSTORE”. Large kerosine street lamp on post at right in front of porch.
Saturday afternoon and the villagers are gathered around the store. Several mensitting on boxes at edge of porch chewing sugar cane, spitting tobacco juice,arguing, some whittling, others eating peanuts. During the act the women alldressed up in starched dresses parade in and out of store. People buyinggroceries, kids playing in the street, etc. General noise of conversation,laughter and children shouting. But when the curtain rises there is momentarylull for cane-chewing. At left of porch four men are playing cards on a soapbox, and seated on the edge of the porch at