Strange things are happening since that witch lady came to Town.
Poor Wynona Curry!
She's just woke up from an awful dream where she ran over her husband with an ox cart - particularly unusual since she doesn't even own an ox cart. The sheriff, a man of somewhat dubious honor, particularly where Zeb is concerned, witnessed the death at the precise moment she was having that dream, and given the mysterious nature of his death, threatens to hang her the next morning for her part in the crime. Unless she can get that "negro witch doctor" down the street to bring him back to life.
"My days of working for white folks for free are over!"
Matumbe Okabassa grew up a slave in Alabama, and twenty years after emancipation has set up shop in a supposedly more tolerant west, where she's putting her grandmother's ancient African magic recipes into practice. Of course, she's updated Grandma's chants and spells to fit in with the western environment, but imagine Wynona's surprise when Matumbe sends her on an errand for a piece of live human flesh to complete the spell!
"Bitume Farabassi Obango"
While the sheriff denounces Matumbe's magic as a bunch of "African cow crap," and Wynona sets out in search of her grisly trophy, Matumbe is certain she canbring Zeb back to life, as long as the gets cooperation and as long as the bigoted white folks around her learn to respect The Power Of African Magic! Can she really bring Zeb back to life? Can Wynona summon the courage to complete the recipe? And what's going on between Zeb and that sheriff? What the heck kind of Western is this, anyway?
The Power Of African Magic was produced in November, 1997. It has parts for two men and two women, with optional small narrative parts for four men.
SCENE 4
(The Witch Doctor Shop, MATUMBE OKABASSA is seated in a chair surrounded by some mysterious African artifacts.)
WYNONA
Good morning, ma’am. My name’s Mrs. Wynona Curry.
MATUMBE
Good morning, Mrs. Curry. I am called Matumbe Okabassa.
WYNONA
You’re who?
MATUMBE
Matumbe Okabassa. Well actually my name’s Tessie Burke, but I can’t open a magic practice with something so… typical. So I took my great grandmother’s name, before she was brought here from Africa.
WYNONA
I see. Well can I call you Tessie?
MATUMBE
You most certainly may not!
WYNONA
I need your help. You’re the only one who can save me! My husband is dead because of a dream I had, and the sheriff said you might be able to roust ’im back to life.
MATUMBE
I do have that power.
WYNONA
Are you sure? They’ll hang me if you don’t! I was dreamin’ about runnin’ him over with a ox cart, and the next thing I know he was dead. Well I didn’t mean to run him over. I don’t even know how I got in that ox cart. I can’t even drive a ox cart. I don’t even own a ox!
MATUMBE
So you’ve been practicing some black magic yourself and now you want me to get you out of it!
WYNONA
I am a Christian woman! I do not practice black magic!
MATUMBE
If you grew up a slave you’d be amazed at what some Christian women practiced. Well I can fix it. When we were freed back in the sixties, my grandmother was sixty five years old, and she taught me everything she learned from her grandmother about the magic arts. I made some money entertaining the white folks in Alabama, and when I had enough, I came out west where I heard we could live as equals.
WYNONA
Is it any better?
MATUMBE
Somewhat better. I had the time to put together this book of traditional African magic recipes. (gets out a big book) Grandma had a much better memory than I did. I prefer to work from the paper.
WYNONA
I didn’t think you people could read!
MATUMBE
There’s a lot of things you obviously don’t know, growing up out here away from civilization.
WYNONA
All I know is we need to bring back my husband or it’s the end for me.
MATUMBE
You don’t seem that sorry that he’s dead.
WYNONA
We didn’t get on all that well, to be honest. Zeb spent his days playin’ checkers with that sheriff, and I think they had something up their sleeves goin’ on together. He said I was a nag, but I always tol’ him I wouldn’t have to nag him if only he did what all I asked. An’ then he kept losin’ our money playin’ faro at that gamblin’ house, and I told him to watch it ’cause they’re all cheatin’ him in there, and-
MATUMBE
Yes, I see. (flips through a few pages) I hope you know bringing back the dead is a very powerful type of magic. And potentially dangerous. Great Grandma only did it twice, and Grandma did it once. And it didn’t work. We got this foul mouthed alligator type thing. So you have to make absolutely sure you really want to attempt this.
WYNONA
I don’t want it. I have to have it.
MATUMBE
To save your neck. If I were in your position I would too. Hmmm… I should make up a price list. Can you spare me forty dollars for my trouble?
WYNONA
Where am I going ta get forty dollars?
MATUMBE
I don’t know where you’re going to get it, but my days of working for white folks for free are over!
WYNONA
OK. If you can bring him back, I’ll get you your forty dollars. Deal?
MATUMBE
Deal. Now, here’s what we need. A vat full of boiling water with a few drops of lizard blood… got that. A cow’s foot from a longhorn drive from Texas. Got that!
WYONONA
How did you get that!
MATUMBE
In my profession you look for these things. I try to have all my ingredients on hand. (checks out a few more) got that, got that, got that – I’lI need a lock of your hair – (takes a scissors and cuts it) got that. Oh, and the middle finger from a Mormon choir boy.
WYNONA
The what?
MATUMBE
You heard me. The middle finger from a Mormon choirboy. Right hand, preferably.
WYNONA
That doesn’t sound very African.
MATUMBE
It’s not. I had to rework some of the recipes to fit in with the environment. Grandma didn’t use Texas cowparts either, but rhinos are scarce in these parts. And you can forget warthogs entirely.
WYNONA
Well does it work if you use all the wrong pickin’s?
MATUMBE
As long as we stick to the new versions, we’re in the clear. Grandma said that back in Africa we would hunt down members of the Bashanti tribe. For parts. Unfortunately we conquered them and sold them all into slavery and we had to start looking somewhere else. So we went after the Tribantis. They all had two or three wives a piece – the closest thing to that I can come to around here is a Mormon. It’s still the same finger. That you can’t change.
WYNONA
But I can’t go out and cut off a finger from a total stranger!
MATUMBE
You can if you want to save your husband’s life. Look, it’s a boy’s finger for a man’s life. It’s a pretty uneven deal if you ask me. And you better hurry. He has to be dead less than two days.
WYNONA
Can’t you get it?
MATUMBE
No. I have work to do. And it says right here, if you don’t have all the ingredients, they must be provided by the person who asks you to cast the spell. There’s a stage that leaves for Salt Lake City in an hour. I suspect if you want this, you’ll be on that stage.
WYNONA
I can’t believe what I’m getting into. First with Caleb, and then with you. How am I supposed to get someone to give me his finger?
MATUMBE
I’ve seen some buying and selling of human flesh. It can be done.
WYNONA
But that was all attached.
MATUMBE
Not necessarily. Mrs. Curry, it’s his finger or your neck. The choice is yours.
