Essie Mae

a play by Laikapearl


We had this assignment in Drama to write a 10-minute play. I chose to write mine based on a family story. About Essie Mae Briggs. She died of Scarlet Fever in 1892 and hand carved on her headstone was the poem that I included in the play! Those are really the only facts that I included in the script. Except for the names. All the boys' names are my great-great-grandmother's siblings' names. I think that's all the back story you need... :)





Essie Mae

1892- CORRY, PENNSYLVANIA

SCENE 1: THE BRIGGS’ KITCHEN

[THE BRIGGS family sits at a table, about to eat breakfast]

MR BRIGGS: Thank you, Lord, for the meal we are about to receive. Amen.

MRS. BRIGGS AND THE BOYS: Amen.

[They silently begin to eat]

MRS. BRIGGS: [tentatively] The fields? Are they-

MR. BRIGGS: [rather roughly] Ready to harvest. I’ll talk to the Simmons’ boys after church on Sunday. I could use the help.

ARLAND: I’d like to help father.

MERTIN: Me too! Ask me as well, Father!

EDWIN: And me!

RUSSELL: I’ll help as well.

ARCHIE: And if you need me, I’m still here.

MRS. BRIGGS: Quiet, boys. Eat your breakfast.

EDWIN: Father? I’ll be fourteen in three weeks. That’s not too young to help in the fields is it?

ARLAND: It’s old enough to be in the kitchens. You and mother will can the fruits.

[Talking starts to overlap one another. Creating a buildup]

MRS. BRIGGS: That’s quite enough. Now-

EDWIN: It is not! Father! Tell him-

ARLAND: You’re too young to-

EDWIN: Father!

ARLAND: It’s true.

MRS. BRIGGS: Now really-

MR. BRIGGS: Boys. I’ll have you all in the kitchen if you don’t bite your tongues.

EDWIN: He started-

ARLAND: I did not!

MR. BRIGGS: [slams his fist down] If I meant to have a loud and unruly family, I would have raised animals. I chose to have boys and crops instead. Do not make me regret that choice! [Wrenches coat off hook and storms off stage]

[Lights fade out]

SCENE 2: THE BRIGGS’ BARN

[Later that day: MR. BRIGGS can be seen in a doorway, hunched over something. ARLAND, EDWIN, ARCHIE, and MERTIN are doing their chores in the barnyard]

MERTIN: Arland? Why doesn’t Father help us with our chores anymore?

ARLAND: He’s doing other things.

ARCHIE: Like what?

ARLAND: I… I don’t know.

MERTIN: Then who’s doing his chores?

ARLAND: I am.

MERTIN: How come you get to? Why can’t I?

ARLAND: Because. Father’s chores are meant for fully-grown men. You are not fully-grown.

MERTIN: But I can help!

ARLAND: No, Mertin. Go feed the horses now. You too, Archie.

ARCHIE: Since when do you get to boss us around?!

ARLAND: Don’t talk back! Go! Now!

ARCHIE: I don’t have to listen to you!

ARLAND: Yes! Yes, you do!

MERTIN: Why? Since when?

ARLAND: Since Father decided to ignore what he should be doing and spend all his time in his shop.

ARCHIE: That’s not true! Father’s taken good care of us!

ARLAND: If you don’t like the way things are, go tell Father!

ARCHIE: [horrified] Tell Father? He’d whip me! He’s not… He’s acting funny! I’d get yelled at!

ARLAND: You see?

MERTIN: How come? Arland, why is Father being different?

ARLAND: I don’t-

EDWIN: He hasn’t gotten over her.

MERTIN: Her? Who’s her?

EDWIN: Essie Mae.

ARCHIE: What’s she got to do with this?

ARLAND: Nothing. Go feed the horses.

MERTIN: What’s Essie Mae-?

ARLAND: Nothing!

EDWIN: He hasn’t been the same since-

ARCHIE: Since what, Edwin? Tell me!

ARLAND: Stop gossiping like old ladies and get your chores done!

ARCHIE: Fine.

[MERTIN & ARCHIE exit]

[ARLAND & EDWIN resume their chores, ignoring the other]

[MR. BRIGGS walks over]

MR. BRIGGS: What’s the time?

EDWIN: Close to noon, I s’pect.

ARLAND: I’ll go check.

[ARLAND exits]

MR. BRIGGS: Good kid, Arland.

EDWIN: He’s alright.

MR. BRIGGS: Alright? What’s so “alright” about him?

EDWIN: Well… I guess… He’s…

MR. BRIGGS: Yes?

EDWIN: He thinks he’s you. I don’t like that.

MR. BRIGGS: Oh? Well… I always knew he was a leader.

EDWIN: He’s not! He’s only-

[ARLAND enters]

ARLAND: It’s a quarter after eleven.

MR. BRIGGS: Right. Well, I’ve still got some time. I’ll be in the shop. [to EDWIN] I think… Maybe you don’t like being bossed?

EDWIN: No, sir.

MR. BRIGGS: [laughing] I guess you got that from me.

[MR. BRIGGS goes back to shop]

ARLAND: Why’s he laughing?

EDWIN: Guess I’m funny.

ARLAND: You? Haha.

EDWIN: There! See, you laughed. Guess I am.

ARLAND: I don’t think he was laughing cause you’re funny.

EDWIN: Then why?

ARLAND: I think… Maybe he’s finally let her go.

EDWIN: Who?

ARLAND: Like you said before, Essie Mae.

EDWIN: Well, then I’m funny and right. That’s a bonus.

[Lights fade out on ARLAND & EDWIN laughing]

SCENE 3: THE BRIGG’S KITCHEN

[Later that day: MR. & MRS. BRIGGS stand in the kitchen, arguing.]

MRS. BRIGGS: I won’t allow it!

MR. BRIGGS: You’re being unreasonable. If you just look at-

MRS. BRIGGS: Me? Unreasonable?! You’ve hardly socialized with any of us since-

MR. BRIGGS: But this will fix that!

MRS. BRIGGS: I won’t let you.

MR. BRIGGS: But it’s already done. I’ve carved it and everything.

MRS. BRIGGS: You… You have?

MR. BRIGGS: Yes. We’ll go there tonight, after supper. And the boys will come too.

MRS. BRIGGS: Fine. [storms out]

[Lights fade]

SCENE 4: CORRY CEMETERY

[The BRIGGS’ family stands around a tombstone. MR. BRIGGS holds a bouquet of flowers.]

ARLAND: I used to bike here… When I was younger.

EDWIN: You did?

ARLAND: It was… a place without too much meaning to me. Pretty and quiet.

EDWIN: Not any more, though.

MRS. BRIGGS: It’s even more beautiful, now that Essie Mae has come.

ARCHIE: Why did she have to die?

MRS. BRIGGS: She was sick. And God needed her…

MERTIN: I’m going to miss her.

MR. BRIGGS: We all will. But, she’ll always be here if we need her.

RUSSELL: She’ll always be here?

MR. BRIGGS: [crouching down to RUSSELL’s height] Always.

EDWIN: Father? Essie Mae… was your favorite, wasn’t she?

MR. BRIGGS: I love you all too much it’d be impossible to measure.

ARLAND: We were worried… that you didn’t care about the rest of us anymore.

MR. BRIGGS: No. I just needed to find the right way to say goodbye to her.

MERTIN: How did you make her headstone?

MR. BRIGGS: Well… It had to be perfect- that’s why it took me so long. I’m not a writer. I didn’t know
how to put such a beautiful person in words, that part took me weeks. And then I needed a stone, which took some time. But, I found it. And for the past three days I carved into it- with my pocketknife.

MRS. BRIGGS: I’m so proud of you.

MR. BRIGGS: [to RUSSELL] Will you read it?

RUSSELL: Me?

Essie Mae Briggs
1890 to 1892
She was the sunshine of our hearts
An angel to us given
And when we learned to love her most
God called her back to heaven


MR. BRIGGS: Good.

RUSSELL: She was only… two years old!

MERTIN: And the prettiest thing you ever saw.

ARCHIE: And she was so smart! She could say my name.

EDWIN: I think she loved us, too.

ARLAND: Of course she did! She was the kindest, most loving person ever.

MRS. BRIGGS: But God knew she was suffering. The fever was too high.

RUSSELL: So he killed her?

MRS. BRIGGS: He did the kindest thing he could. He ended the pain for her.

MERTIN: I think he saw how happy we were with her.

ARLAND: He needed some light in heaven.

MR. BRIGGS: We love you. May God treat you well. [sets down flowers] Goodbye, Essie Mae.

[Blackout]

THE END