Woman into Wolf: the play

Scene 2 – Deep Woods
(DIGGER dances for freedom.)

PERSEY

A walk in the woods

In the gathering night,

Nothing’s more wondrous than

Forest bathing!

(She inhales deeply)

Spirits reach out to us –
You feel it, Digger?

(DIGGER nods and dances. The trees begin to “humanize”; open eyes, swell up and trail their leaves invitingly.)

Ever since childhood this forest has loved us!
They’re here and
We’re here – it’s
Perfect happiness.

(She spins. DIGGER barks joyously. Brings PERSEY a stick, which she throws)

PERSEY
I hope there ARE wolves!
Wolves dancing with trees
When darkness is falling. Soon we’ll
Cuddle at home
Dry our fur by the firelight.

TREE SPIRITS
(Murmuring)
PERSEY! PERSEY!

(DIGGER returns stick adoringly, PERSEY scratches behind his ear with it – he shakes all over with pleasure)

PERSEY
Who’s my little baby!
Who’s my furry darling!

(DIGGER rolls in ecstatic abandon while she rubs his tummy)

Parties are boring
Let Roy get his rage out
Between naughty man buddy
And Bad Buddy’s Fifth Wife!
Hard to be civil
To people so nasty.

(Spins DIGGER does a smug dance)

We escaped.

(DIGGER growls obligingly)

You’re right, Digger!
Some people deserve NIPPING.
If I was a wolf…

(DIGGER snaps his jaws encouragingly, she imitates him, growling)
I’d eat them all up!

PERSEY
(Hostile muttering)
What Roy loves about Jarod – is all in his head.
A little boy playing and
Seeking “lost brother”.
That Jarod’s conniving –
Deceptive and mean.

(She dances and the trees dance with her – DIGGER barks.)

PERSEY
No jealousy, Digger!
You love trees just as I do.

(DIGGER tries to pee on a TREE but it threatens him)

Trees can’t lose themselves.
My soul craves wilderness
Lost in the woods!

(A TREE taps DIGGER’s head with a skeleton bone; DIGGER accepts it, mouths it, puzzles over it and lays it at PERSEY’s feet. Dancing, she doesn’t even notice as the trees help DIGGER assemble a skeleton.)

Roy is too generous –
Gives Jarod too much credit,
That’s the whole problem!
Jarod’s a taker!
Taking and breaking.
If I only have patience

Soon Roy will see too.
See the magic of forests
On Midsummer’s Eve.
Trees dance just for us!

(The TREE reaches for her suggestively. The WOLVES howl. DIGGER pricks up his ears.)

I was a tree spirit before I was born.

(She waltzes with a TREE. DIGGER, alarmed, drops a skull, which rolls at her feet, and he barks aggressively at the TREE, which backs away.)

PERSEY
What’s this?

(She picks up the skull, stumbles over the skeleton.)

Oh, my God!

(Slowly the trees transform themselves into BoyGirls, the Victims, the Abandoned & Secretly Buried. It is terrifying.)

Oh, My God, Roy was right!
This place is a graveyard!
Oh Digger, I’m so scared!

(feeling her pockets desperately)

Who hikes without cellphones?

(DIGGER shrugs helplessly. The trees reach for PERSEY & DIGGER, who clings to her – they flee offstage. Meanwhile a new house opens up stage left – PERSEY’s own.)