 |
|
GenePool Theater
Artifact is just starting to make its way
around the circuit. It premiered as a staged reading in February,
1997, in a staged reading at the Newnan Community Theater in Newnan,
GA. It also received a staged reading in November, 1997, at the
McKinney Avenue Contemporary in Dallas, TX. It premiered as a
full production in April, 1998, with Stolen Fire in Grover
Beach, CA.
Artifact has five central characters in two separate storylines:
Dr. Harry Cole- A UFO abduction researcher, well-known within his field but considered a crackpot by the majority of the scientific community, a fact that he's somewhat touchy about. He is the founder of the abduction recovery center this portion of the play is set in.
Janet Cole- Harry's wife. She is pursuing her doctorate in Astrophysics, and, while being as supportive as possible to her husband, is considerably more skeptical than Harry is.
Jeremy Davis- A reporter from Science Journal, he has been sent to the Cole's recovery center to write about the claim that Harry has made that he possesses an actual alien artifact. This is Jeremy's first assignment. He very much wants to believe, but his discerning skepticism simply does not allow him the possibility of doing so.
Fr. Reynaud- The pastor at the Rectory of St. Michel, the center of the second storyline of the play, set in 1348 France. He is put in the unenviable position of having to discredit a young woman who claims to have witnessed the Madonna on the edge of town.
Fr. Tomas- Reynaud's young charge, recently out of seminary. Tomas does not question the young girl's claim of a miracle, and champions it.
Additional Characters-
Wendy, Mary and Rita; three abductees interviewed by Jeremy. Adele
Heloise and Mme Heloise; the girl who witnessed the Virgin Mary,
and her mother.
Jeremy has been sent to verify Harry's artifact, and also to interview Harry and some of his recovering abductees. What he finds are stories that make no sense logically or scientifically. Harry does his best to convince Jeremy solely on the basis of the abduction accounts at first, but when Jeremy remains unconvinced, Harry finally reveals the artifact. The artifact turns out to be a device that is invisible, incorporeal, has no weight, smell, temperature, or energy field. It is completely undetectable. In other words, there's nothing there. Harry convinces him that the only way to sense its presence is by the slight tingling in the fingertips when touching the artifact. And Jeremy has to want to sense it. By the end of the play, he does.
Father Reynaud's conviction that Adele's miracle is a child's tale is harmless at first, even though Tomas publicly disagrees with him. Then word of the plague reaches the town. When the plague dies off at the onset of Winter, just before reaching the town, Adele's miracle is declared verified. But Reynaud has to weigh his own safety against what he feels is truthful when the Spring comes, and with it, the plague once again, and the claims of the villagers- and Tomas- that it is his stubborn refusal to declare Adele's miracle valid that brings the wrath of God on the village.
The two storylines are
written to be staged opposite one another. Both have very simple
sets. The scenes compliment one another as both probe the central
question of what exactly it takes to believe. It's a skeptical
treatment of beliefs that some of us take for granted.
"Like its name, 'Artifact' is a rare thing: a play with a thought-provoking blend of issues and entertainment that builds to an exciting climax...
"...'Artifact' is about witnesses of extraterrestrial life. It's about those in search of the knowledge that aliens are real. It is also about truth, faith, and religion...
"...Tensions build as both stories climax simultaneously-- with some amazing comparisons between faith in religion and faith in extraterrestrial existence, including some lines you will never forget. The climax resulted in goose bumps for some audience members...
"...Don't miss 'Artifact'... It's bound to continue catching on in the theater world, and you have the rare chance to be able to say you're among the first to see it."
--Joan McCray Tucker
Artifact is a two act play whose length precludes the possibility that it can be reproduced here in its entirety. Follow the link below for a sample excerpt. If you are associated with a theater and are interested in seeing the entire script, please contact Gene Doucette and he will be glad to forward it in a prompt manner.
© 2000, Gene Doucette
| |
|