Shades of War

I was first
introduced to the story of Phoebe Fraunces while working as a tour
guide in New York City (one of the many jobs I held to support my
artistic endeavors.) Tour guides must be very knowledgeable about the
history of the Big Apple to pass a test required to receive a
license. I spent hours at the library learning about the early days
of the city once known as “New Amsterdam.”

Phoebe was a free
woman of color of Haitian and French ancestry who saved George
Washington’s life in 1776 and exposed a British assassination plot.
Her father, Samuel served as a private during the American Revolution
and was one of Washington’s biggest supporters.

She was a woman
ahead of her time who faced countless obstacles with courage and
self-determination. My admiration for Phoebe compelled me to give a
voice to a story that history books have ignored.

Shades
Of War
debuted in a crowded theater
where I was humbled to see audience members cheer for the heroes and
villains I crafted based on real people and historical events. Since
then, it has had a successful Off-Broadway production and been
presented in several venues across the nation.

In
the 18
^th
Century, women and people of color faced unspeakable oppression and I
hope that my play does justice to Phoebe’s remarkable and true
story.

Cast of Characters:
SAMUEL FRAUNCES:

Male, 40’s. African and French ancestry. Originally from Haiti (formerly Sainte-Domingue), he’s a meticulous man who carries himself with class and poise.
PHOEBE FRAUNCES:

Female, age 18. African-American. She is educated and beautiful and represents the fruits of her father’s labor.
GUSS PORTER:

Male, 20’s, African-American, a Louisiana native, agile and muscular.
JONATHAN LEWIS:

Male, 20’s. African-American, fair complexion, Philadelphia-born from a wealthy family.
THOMAS HICKEY:
Male, late 20’s. Irish immigrant with charm.
CLAUDE FRAUNCES:

Male, 40’s. Haitian, Samuel’s brother, a passionate revolutionary.
Setting:

(1) Fraunces’ Tavern on
Pearl Street, near Broad Street.

(2) The living room of the
Fraunces Family home.

(3) Secret meeting place for
Thomas & Phoebe.

(4) Soldiers’s hospital at
Saratoga.

(5) Guss’ Tavern.
Time:

New York City (1776 - 1789)

It’s closing
time at the Fraunces' Tavern and lights are low. GUSS and THOMAS are
engaged in a drinking match. The men down their ale. GUSS finishes
first and lets out a big laugh.

THOMAS: Jesus,
Joseph and Mary!

GUSS: Only way to
pass the time, land or sea.

THOMAS: Nothing
better.

GUSS: I can think
of a couple of things... like Rebbecca... My oh my, that girl got
some hips on her! Remind me of the women back home... And a voice...
sweet like maple syrup... Every time I lay down with Rebbecca, it's
like music... all them pretty sounds she make. And I declare,
Rebbecca is worth every coin! I don't even look at that other one,
what's her name? That skinny one with the long hair... Sally. Only
took up with her one night, 'cause Rebbecca wasn't around. Sally
didn't make a sound the whole time, like she was mute or somethin'. I
ain't got no use for quiet women.

THOMAS: I don't
know... there's a certain charm about a quiet woman. Like me
mother... she wasn't much on words but she had a grace about her.
Quiet women make for fine wives.

GUSS: But if you
had one coin to your name, who would you spend it on, Rebbecca or
Sally?

THOMAS: Neither.
I don't have to pay for the company of a lady. Any woman can be won.

GUSS: How you
figure that?

THOMAS: With the
right words and bit of patience, you can keep your coins right in
your pocket.

GUSS: You sure
got some high ideas.

THOMAS: I take
you don't believe me...

GUSS: I save all
my believing for God.

THOMAS: Wise man.
Better get outta here... I have to be at work by first light.

GUSS: Goodnight,
Thomas.

THOMAS:
Goodnight.

(THOMAS
exits.)

(Guss
goes from table to table drinking from the half empty glasses of ale
patrons left behind. After a few rounds, he passes out.)

(SAM
enters.)

SAM: Guss! Guss!
For god’s sake, get on your feet man!

(SAM
nudges GUSS awake.)

GUSS: Mr.
Fraunces, you mind...

(GUSS
lifts his glass up towards SAM.)

SAM: Not for all
the coins in your pocket.

(GUSS
puts his glass down on the table and sits up straight in his chair.)

GUSS: Look here,
I’ll be on my way, just pour me some ale. I can even drink it out
on Broadway. Pour me one more and I’ll be outta here, just like I
said... I’m real good ‘bout keepin’ my word.

SAM: No!

GUSS: Hey... you
seen Rebbecca?

SAM: Heavens no!
I do not consort with such women, there are far better uses for my
money! Guss, you are a disgraceful sight! A living example of the
worst attributes of our race... For everyone like me, there are
hundreds still like you... Lazy. Hopeless.

GUSS: Mr.
Fraunces, I ain’t nothin’ like you say!

SAM: Well then,
what am I missing about your character? Night after night, I’ve
watched you drink yourself to a dither! I want to know your plight,
my good man. What is your sad story? What’s stopping you from
living a productive life?

GUSS: My life
suits me just fine, Mr. Fraunces!

SAM: Oh, surely,
there’s something! Perhaps a tragic past? I assume that you’re a
fugitive. From where exactly?

GUSS: Ascending
Bay, Louisiana. I may not have been born free like you, Mr. Fraunces,
but I got my freedom now.

SAM: And now that
you have it, what good does it serve! Name one thing you have
contributed to society since your escape... and if you cannot, you
are better off a slave.

(GUSS
stands up so fast that his chair falls over in the process. He is
face to face with SAM. GUSS tightens his fists.)

SAM: This is just
what I expected of you... acting at whim, no control over your
emotions! This is why they think so poorly of our kind, because of
Negroes like you.

GUSS:
We ain’t so different as you think, Mr. Fraunces. I hear what they
call you.
“Black Sam, fetch my
wine!” “Black Sam, get me some coffee!” “Black Sam-”

SAM: They do not
mean it in that vein!

GUSS:
You
is
Black Sam, ain’t you? No matter how much property you own or how
much education you got, you gonna die Black Sam.

SAM: Those men
respect me. I have the ear of Washington, Hamilton, all of them! A
nickname makes no difference.

GUSS: If this was
my tavern, I wouldn’t let nobody call me out of my name. You can
believe that.

SAM: But it isn’t
yours! I doubt you own anything besides those dreadful clothes.

GUSS: Now just a
minute, Mr. Fraunces. That’s fixin’ to change.

SAM: Do you even
have employment?

GUSS: I been...
talking to some people around the city about work... ‘Sides, I
could always get a job back on a ship again.

SAM: What
experience do you have at sea?

GUSS: Been
everything from a cabin boy to a first mate. You probably size me up
and think I ain’t been nowhere or done nothin’, but I seen a
whole lot of this world. Maybe even more than you. The Caribbean.
Europe even.

SAM: In all you
travels, did you ever visit Saint-Domingue?

GUSS: Couples
times, I sure liked it there. Wouldn’t mind gettin’ me some land
by the beach and a pretty, young wife. They sure got some fine
lookin’ women to pick from down there.

SAM: Indeed. That
is my homeland.

GUSS: Yeah, you
kinda talk like it.

SAM: I’ve been
in New York for many years, but I know I’ll carry my accent to the
grave. My French has served me well here. Dutch too.

GUSS: I’ve
heard you with the customers, speaking all them different languages.

SAM: The best way
to learn is to listen. Take that pearl of wisdom, and keep it with
you. So why did you come to New York?

GUSS: I figure if
a colored man could make somethin’ of himself, this would be the
best place. I know they got slavery here too, but...

SAM: I’m
certain it’s quite different from the horrors you witnessed in the
south. I’ve owned slaves myself. Fed them well. Never overworked
them. It’s not the institution of slavery that is flawed, it’s
the way the slaves are treated. I personally know of masters who
consider their slaves like family, and both parties are quite happy.

GUSS: Now, Mr.
Fraunces, you can’t speak on that. You’ve known freedom all your
life. I almost died gettin’ mine. And believe me, the only happy
slaves is the ones in heaven. But if them British win, they promise
to free all the slaves if they win the war.

SAM: Do you think
those tyrannous Brits will live up to their word? They’ve made
millions on the slave trade! If you take up arms with them, you are a
fool indeed!

GUSS: I ain’t
gonna be no solider, not for the Brits, or for nobody else!

SAM: So sad to
hear, General Washington could use a strong man like you.

GUSS: I ain’t
takin’ no bullet for him! He already got his freedom. He ain’t
seen his family sold away. Nobody ever took a whip to his back.

SAM: Guss,
there’s far more at stake. Haven’t you heard the calls? No
taxation without representation! The Revolution is crucial and
necessary.

GUSS: You sure
got a lot of faith in the white man’s war.

SAM: This goes
beyond color. It is for the well being of all men.

GUSS: Never mind
who wins, it ain’t gonna change how they treat us.

SAM: You don’t
know that! Neither of us has the power to predict the future. I would
like to introduce you to my friends, Washington and Hamilton. They
will make you understand the value of the Revolution. And you’d be
pleased to know that Hamilton is fighting to abolish slavery.

GUSS: Mr.
Fraunces, I respect you and all, but I don’t wanna meet them. And I
know they don’t wanna meet me. Good luck to you, fightin’ that
war.

SAM: I am certain
we will win.

GUSS: Goodnight,
Mr. Fraunces.

SAM: Take care,
my good man.

(GUSS
exits.)

(Blackout.)

SAM stands
alone, reading a letter.

SAM:

February 5th,
1776

Dear Brother,

How I miss the
sun of Saint-Domingue! You cannot phantom the cold here! There is
snow all around us, as if God spread a white blanket over the city. I
keep warm with strong coffee and fine scotch.

Business at the
tavern is quite good. I hired on a new man, a runaway slave named
Guss. I gave him the job partially out of charity and also because he
reminds me of you - strong minded and passionate about the plight of
our race.