Kathleen Coudle-King is a playwright, director, novelist, and puppeteer, but keeps a roof over her head teaching college writing at the University of North Dakota. Her plays have been produced around the U.S., most recently at the Metropolitan Theatre in NYC at the Lower East Side Festival. Ironically, that play is titled "A Roof Over Every Head," based on the rent strikes in NYC in the early 1900s. A collection of some of her work, Broads on the Boards: Strong Roles for Strong Women Actors, can be found on Amazon. The first draft of "In Search of Georgia O'Keefe" was written at Starry Night artist retreat in Truth or Consequences, NM. Please contact her at katking33@gmail for performance rights.

In Search of Georgia O’Keefe

Characters:

Jed: old townie, cowboy-type, 60s Karen: New York Times’ reporter, a hipster
Anne: townie, anywhere over 40, matter-of-fact, not overly friendly but would like to have some coins in her cash register at the end of the day Dale: old time, miner-type, he transforms from a man in his 20s in the 1940s to a man in his 40s in the 1960s. Simple costume pieces – hats and looser pants would suffice. Woman/Blossom: young in her 1940s attire, then again in her 1960s attire 

Place:

New Mexico. Bar. Seen better days – a long, long time ago.

Time:

Present, although we go back and forth through time – 1940s, 1960s, and present.

Lighting:

There are some minimal lighting effects required to transition between time periods and something fantastic to depict an explosion. If the lighting designer can pull it off, it would also be most excellent if the two characters at the end could somehow fade away.

Bell rings over door and KAREN enters.
There’s one guy at the end of the bar, JED.
He, like the bar, has seen better days.

KAREN
Hi. I'm hoping you can help me.

Silence from Jed.

All right . . . well, I’m looking for Silver Springs. You ever hear of it?

JED
Yup.

KAREN
Am I on the right road?

JED
Yup.

KAREN
Can you tell me how much further?

JED
Yup.

KAREN
And that would be?

ANNE enters from the back room.

ANNE
I see you met the president of our Chamber of Commerce.

JED
Yup.

KAREN
Nice to meet you, I’m with the NY Times. Karen Powers –

KAREN offers her hand, but JED doesn't take it.

ANNE
Honey, he’s not really the President of the Chamber of Commerce. First of all you’d need a personality to be the President. Jed don’t have none.

JED
Nope.

ANNE
Second of all, you’d need commerce, or there’d be no point in having a chamber.

KAREN
I see. Well . . . yeah, I'm just wondering if you could tell me how far Silver Springs is. I’m on deadline and –

ANNE
No time for a beer? It would sure help my commerce.

KAREN
Well, I – (looks at her phone) –

ANNE
You're not far from Silver Springs.

KAREN
Oh, good! How far?

ANNE
(opens a beer for her) Welcome.

KAREN
This – wait – I’m here?

ANNE
As the sign says, “You are here.” Sorry, all I got is Bud. Had lunch?

(slaps a menu on bar)

We have a full menu.

KAREN
I am a bit hungry. I think I’d like the --

ANNE
Out of the fish, chicken and burgers. But I made a nice, spicy pot of green chili.

KAREN
I guess I’ll have the chili, then.

ANNE
Wrestle that right up for you.

ANNE exits.

KAREN
Could I ask you a few questions about the town?

JED
Yep.

KAREN
I’m writing a piece about Georgia O’Keefe and I understand she lived here for a brief time. How long’s it been a ghost town?

JED
What the hell do you mean “ghost town”? This ain’t no ghost town. You see me, don’tcha? You seen Anne? Do we look like ghosts to you? Ever see a ghost drink a beer? In about five minutes I’ll have to take a piss. Ever seen a ghost take a piss? Huh? I get sick and tired of people labeling small towns as ghost towns. Just ‘cause we ain’t no metropolis, don’t mean we’re a ghost town. Just ‘cause you can’t getcher Starbacks fix, don’t mean we’re a ghost town. People are here, they’re struggling, but they’re here and as long as there’s one of us taking a breath, we ain’t no ghost town, and you can tell that to your fancy pants readers of the NewYork Times!

KAREN
Duly noted. What is the population of Silver Springs?

JED
7.

KAREN
(enters and sets bowl of chili in front of Karen) 6. Dale died last night.

JED
No!

ANNE
Sorry to be the one to tell you, Jed.

JED
The last time I seen him he was so vital.

ANNE
He was 96. Dale was once a leader here in Silver Springs.

KAREN
I’m sorry for your loss. Died in his sleep?

ANNE
Uh, sorta. Shot himself in bed with his rifle.

JED
I warned him not to sleep with it!

ANNE
Paranoid sorta fella. Thought someone was going to come in and steal his stuff while he slept.

KAREN
Wealthy?

JED
Not for years.

ANNE
Not for decades. Probably gonna cremate him. Funeral hasn’t been decided yet.

JED
(removes hat and raises beer) To Dale.

ANNE and then Karen, somewhat hesitantly raise their beers and clink.

ANNE/KAREN
To Dale.

JED
May he rest in peace.

They sip in silence for a beat.

ANNE
Eatcha chili before it gets cold.

KAREN
Oh, my, um, whoa!

JED
Put hair on your chest, don’t it?

KAREN
And everywhere else, too. Whoa!

ANNE
Glad you like it. It’s my grandmother’s recipe.

KAREN
Uh, yes, it’s – do you have any crackers?

ANNE
(reaching under bar and dumping a handful on the bar) Sure.

KAREN
(tearing them open and shoving in her mouth)Thanks.

ANNE
So, I heard Jed set you straight on the fact this ain’t no ghost town. That’s rather a sore point with him. You still wanna do a story on us?

KAREN
Well, I was wondering what you know about Georgia O’Keefe. The artist?

ANNE
That the one lived up by Santa Fe?

KAREN
Yes.

ANNE
Painted them big flowers?

KAREN
Yes, that’s her. What do you know about her?

ANNE
Not much. (confidentially) But I got me a friend says if you look real close some of them flowers look like a lady’s coochi snorter. I never did see it, though. ‘Course what would I know about what a lady’s coochi snorter looks like? Not like I look at mine much! (quick beat) Ever.

JED
Well, I seen plenty in my day and I can tell you those pictures don’t look like no coochi snorters I ever seen.

KAREN
Uh-huh. Um, other than that, is there any record of Georgia O’Keefe living in Silver Springs?

ANNE
None that I know of. If she were here at all I don’t think she was here long. We wouldn’t be near pretty enough for her. If anyone would know ‘bout Georgia O’Keefe it’d be Dale.

JED
May he rest in peace.

Raises beer, ANNE toasts, they both look at KAREN until she’s forced to raise her own beer and “clink.”

ANNE
Dale knew everything about Silver Springs. Lived here all his life. Why when Dale was just a teenager, this town was hopping.

KAREN
When was that, 1940s?

JED
Yep.

KAREN
Mining?

ANNE
Nah, silver rush ended in the early 1900s, but we had a second coming when they built the dam. The workers all needed a place to live and so the WPA built the shacks you see around town. Old Dale was a part of the crew that built the dam.

JED
May he rest in peace.

JED raises his beer. ANNE does the same. They look at KAREN, all “clink” and drink.

KAREN
Once the dam was built there wasn’t much to keep people and they moved away?

ANNE
Not at first. See, Silver Springs had more to offer than silver or a dam.

JED
That’s right.

ANNE pops open new beers for everyone while KAREN waits expectantly.

KAREN
Well? What does Silver Springs have to offer?

ANNE
(putting a fresh beer in front of her) Something very special. Something unique.

The lights flicker and when they come up Jed is gone and lively old time music plays on the radio. DALE and a woman are two-stepping c.s., yucking it up as the song comes to its closing notes. They weave back to a corner table.

DALE
Bring another round for the lady and me, will ya, hon?

ANNE
Sure, thing, DALE! (to Karen) ‘scuse me, they’re keeping me busy tonight!

JED enters, hair wet and with a towel over his shoulder. He drops a silver dollar on the bar.

ANNE
Thanks, Jed.

JED
Yep.

ANNE
(returning to Karen and the bar) We had hot springs.

KAREN
Hot springs?

ANNE
Indians called them the “noble waters,” bubble right up out the earth’s core at 109, 106 degrees. Healing waters. Full of a whole long list of minerals. We had a bathhouse right in the back. People came from miles away to soak.

DALE and WOMAN link arms and he puts a couple dollars on the bar. ANNE reaches under the bar and gives them a couple towels.

ANNE
Every other bar along the Geronimo Trail had to deal with bar room brawls, shooting even, but not here. People came to soak and any anger, any bitterness they had left their bodies immediately. This was as peaceful a place as the Garden of Eden. Before they ate the apple.

KAREN
I’ve heard of the hot springs, but I never -- . Can I take a look?

ANNE
They’re gone.

LIGHTS flicker, music kills.

KAREN
Where?

ANNE
Hippies came to town.

KAREN
I don’t understand.

THE LIGHTS flicker, the radio plays some Native American flute music.

​BLOSSOM enters from rear, all bra-less and love beads with towel over her shoulder.

WOMAN
That – was mind blowing! Like returning to my mother’s womb. I am going to tell everyone!

ANNE
And she did.

KAREN
They had to be good for the town.

ANNE
It was. Briefly.

DALE enters.

DALE
Need a soak, doll.

ANNE
Sure, Dale. Might be an hour, though.

DALE
An hour?! I used to walk in any time day or night-

ANNE
Used to. Hot springs are popular now. Our town's a destination.

DALE
(scowling, looking out at audience) A destination for who?

ANNE
Sit your ass down and let me get you a beer. (to Karen) Townie’s didn’t much like sharing their secret with the world, much less the hippies.

HIPPY enters bar, wearing a tunic-like top and pants.

HIPPY
I’d like a soak, mama.

ANNE
Someone's in there. You'll need to wait.

HIPPY
No problem-o.

​He sits down next to DALE.

Hey, man.

DALE turns away, takes a slug of his beer.

DALE
Lord, what is it that they all smell of?

KAREN
Let me guess: Patchouli oil.

ANNE
Yep. They started buying up property ‘cause they could get it for a song. Opening marijuana shops on the sly --

DALE
And bead shops – who the hell needs to buy beads?

ANNE
Poetry and art galleries sprung up.

KAREN
Sounds like Santa Fe.

DALE
Sounds like Santa Fe, all right. Watch your taxes rise. Won’t be able to afford to live here for long.

HIPPY
Hey, man, you got a light?

DALE
Don't you wave that dope in front of my face. Why the hell ain't you in Vietnam, anyway?

HIPPY
Calm down, man! I got an injury. Chill.

DALE
Injury my ass, bet you shot your toe off.

HIPPY
(giggles) Something like that.

DALE
Bunch of commie, stinkin’ draft dodgers! You should be ashamed of yourselves! All of you!

HIPPY
Open your heart to love and happiness. Let's take a soak together, brother.

DALE
Take a soak? – why you –

DALE slugs him.

HIPPY
Whoa, man – why’d you –

DALE slugs him again. HIPPY falls to floor.

 LIGHTS FLICKER. It's just KAREN and ANNE.

ANNE
That was the first fight we’d had in town in years, but it wasn’t the last. The townies and the hippies had drawn a line in the sand. It got ugly.

BLOSSOM
Whoa, man, someone slashed my tires!

HIPPY
Anybody seen my dog?

DALE
(shakes his head in disgust) My neighbor painted his door purple. Purple.

ANNE
It got personal. And then a couple of the old townies got together, secretly.

DALE
I don’t know about any of you, but I’ve had it with these dope heads coming in and buying up our town, taking it over like it belongs to them! It’s about time we took it back!

Cheers of agreement.

So, here's what I was thinking: They came for our hot springs. What if the hot springs weren't here no more?

ANNE
How the hell you going to make that happen? They're part of the earth we're standing on.

Mumblings of agreement.

DALE
What if they aren't so accessible anymore?

ANNE
So, Dale and bunch of his old cronies who he’d mined with back in the day fixed it. Fixed it so not the hippies, not the townies, not no one could enjoy the hot springs no more.

LIGHTS GO OUT. LOUD EXPLOSION.

LIGHTS UP.

KAREN
Oh, my god, was anyone hurt?

ANNE
Well…

A special light comes up on BLOSSOM, who is dancing barefoot in the bar, twirling her bath towel, she exits behind the bar.

JED
It was after hours. Nobody was supposed to be in the baths.

ANNE
And the hippies left town.

LIGHTS UP on DALE (d.s.r. facing audience)

DALE
Good riddance. And take your beads with ya.

LIGHTS OUT on DALE

KAREN
Didn't he show any remorse?

JED
He saved the town!

KAREN
He killed someone!

ANNE
He and a couple others served some time.

KAREN
But was he sorry for what he did?

JED and ANNE look away, taking a slug of their beer.

So, they blew up the one thing that made the town special.

JED
Twern’t the only thing there’s --- (waving beer in the air as he tries to come up with something)

ANNE
Good story, huh? 'nother beer?

KAREN
But, surely, the hot springs are still here – I mean, they’re under ground so why not just rebuild the bathhouses?

DALE snorts in disgust.

ANNE
Nobody dared. The hippies left, but townies were afraid if they rebuilt then the hippies would return. And they didn’t want that to happen.

JED
Nope.

KAREN
You seem proud of what they did.

JED
If I'd been old enough to be there with Dale and them miners, I woulda lit that fuse myself.

ANNE
Hey, the townies loved the hot springs. Them springs belonged to us. It was the one thing that made us special. Before the hot springs, nobody came here after the dam was built. Everybody looked down on us. We was just a place between Albuquerque and Los Cruces.

JED
Some place to fill up yer car and empty yer bowels.

ANNE
He’s a poet, ain’t he? Let me see if I can explain it better. (thinks) When you’re born on the high dessert, where the heat bakes you for five months, then the rain floods your streets, and the cold settles into your bones on winter nights in your crappy trailer that’s got no insulation, and the coyotes’ yapping fills your dreams, when the only things that grows in the sand is spikey or prickly or both –you gotta grow a thick crust ‘cause soft don’t survive. There are people who don’t want all that love, peace, and happiness shoved down their throats. The more you do it, the angrier it makes ‘em.

KAREN
They destroyed what made them special because they didn't want other people to enjoy it.

JED
I think she's catching on now, Anne.

KAREN
(gathering up her purse) You know, I don’t think Georgia O’Keefe did live here. Cause if she did and she showed you your world through her eyes? Somebody would have surely shot her. (pausing as she gets ready to exit) So now what? You wait until the last person dies?

JED
Yep. Then you can call us a ghost town.

KAREN
(taking out some bills from her wallet and laying them on the bar) If you ask me, I think you all been dead a long time.

KAREN exits.

JED/ANNE
(clinking beers) Yup.

They fade away.

 Curtain.