Woman Into Wolf: the play

Act 3 Scene 8
(The forest outside JAROD’s house. PERSEY is dragging DIGGER along by his collar.)

PERSEY

DIGGER! I need you!
What the heck is your problem?

(DIGGER is doing everything he can to stall and resist. TREES surge, rustle, threaten. WOLVES howl.)

Are you scared of coyotes?
I thought they were your friends.

(DIGGER covers his ears with his paws and cowers.)
I’m ashamed of you.
Such a scaredy cat!

(Bossy mother)

They’re more afraid of you
Than you are of them.
We trespass in THEIR forest.
Ssssh! Hear them talking?
Maybe if we listen
We‘ll understand their secret.

(Calls softly)

Cookie, Monica, Jean,
Mina and Jo Lee … DaToy and
Mary Louise… Jane and John Doe…

(The TREES moan and shiver their leaves)

See? They’re helpers, not haters!
Believe me, a forest is safer
Than most strangers are!
Native Americans say
The trees are our home.

(Eyes appear glittering between the trees. DIGGER and PERSEY react fearfully. PERSEY tries to master her fear to be brave for DIGGER)

Cookie, Monica, Jean, Mina,
DaToy and Jo Lee, Jane and John
Are you there?
(The eyes turn into beautiful women wearing wolf heads; the WOLF SPIRITS.)

WOLF SPIRITS
(Sing)
Welcome to The Forest…the center of life…
Holds the mystery of death.

(They dance with DIGGER and PERSEY who are at first frightened and awkward, then ecstatic & surrendering. One Spirit gives PERSEY a gift. Then slowly they pull back into the dancing trees. DIGGER wants to go with them but PERSEY jerks him back)

PERSEY
Digger, I need you to stay with me now.
Did you see them?
So many – I never expected …

(DIGGER waves his tail sadly at the departing WOLF SPIRITS. PERSEY studies her gift…a hairclip with a hair extension attached.)

I’ve seen this before.
(Falls to her knees)
This is Stormee’s. Now I’m REALLY scared.

(At last DIGGER alerts. Sniffs the clip and commences racing around. Finds more bloodied “evidence” to lay at PERSEY’s feet. STORMEE emerges from the trees looking different – scary yet exalted. Her dress is a mass of red streamers. She dances, then collapses gracefully in a heap – PERSEY finds the body – scream – light out.)