Promoting my amazing play, Silk!

Hi everyone,  as praise for Shakespearean style writers is appearing, I have decided to feature my wonderful play Silk, perfect for the classroom or any entrepreneurial play producer. If you like the Gong, here it is.  I have to say that I am not a Soliloquist writer yet, but it would be a simple matter to set my poetic mostly iambic pentameter verse to music in a few dramatic songs for musical theatre. One person likened Silk to Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Merry Widow  when she read a scene.  Recently at Clunes Booktown, I sold one copy after reading a few lines of poetry from the beginning. I was so delighted by the enthusiasm of the customer who said ‘It’s a privilege,’ as she purchased my one and only copy. I should have brought more copies to Booktown.

Now, the history of the text is that I have written, self-published and printed the partly illustrated play with my own ISBN. The Silk play belongs to a set of seven school or reference texts. I have a few sets available, as well as individual copies, so email me if you would like to purchase. I did have Silk on Google Play for a while, but have since withdrawn the text. A few books in my set have been favorably reviewed on www. I have partly illustrated the plays with photo research. Note: it is a little repetitive. When I edited my play in an abridged version, I lost some of the panache. When I read it now, it reminds me of a church service. Amazing the patterns of language we absorb unconsciously. Too much Shakespeare at university, perhaps. I must add two details. The first is that as I wrote the play, Bell Font appeared! Secondly, I had a strong sense of the presence of the Emperor of Heaven in the wings of the stage, watching on. Very inspiring really. The dancers, singers and actors alike would have a great time performing Silk. The battle of the sexes is alive in this play.

Here is the opening scene. All rights reserved, Marie Lukic.

 

EXTRACT FROM SILK: A Play by Marie Lukic

 

 

PROLOGUE

        CHINESE Heaven

 

[In Heaven the Emperor and Empress of Heaven sit on their thrones beside a large gong. Their seventh daughter, Lieu, sits at a spinning wheel. The other daughters, the six heavenly maidens fly/dance in. A warrior stands guard. The heavenly maidens form a semi-circle.]

FORTUNE:    [ENTER Fortune, a Ninja. Warrior Guard strikes the gong. Fortune recites the poem, Shimmer.]

 

Shimmer in the summer night’s sky

Adds vibrancy to the milky way

And spreads a spectacular vision

Of the Chinese Zodiac’s mission

We learn tragic truth of the events that

Conspired to bring about the lovers’ demise

Altair and Vega constellations devised

Prompt sadness and derision

The plight of weaving maiden, Lieu, and her

Oxherd, Lin—a tragic myth told herein

 [Warrior Guard strikes the gong. EXIT Fortune.]

 

LIEU:         [Lieu, the seventh daughter, the weaving maiden spins thread. She takes her ball of silk to the Empress who examines the fine thread she has spun…She also presents several samples of finely woven fabric to her mother and may ad lib a few words about how much spinning and weaving she has completed…Maidens 1 and 2 approach and enthusiastically admire the fabric and thread.]

EMPRESS:       Lieu, you are the weaving maiden

The goddess of spin and weave

Those who follow create

Festival finesse for all

Spin and weave each day

This is the Goddess of Weaving’s

Traditional way

MAIDENS:       [CHORUS]

                        We are the heavenly maidens

Who love to sing and fly.

Sometimes we visit earth,

But enjoy life in the sky.

We swim when we can

Surrounded by poppies

On hills nearby.

They flutter in the breeze

As we swim with ease.

MAIDEN1&2: [Maiden 1 & 2 pick up silk cloth and examine it, ad libs a few comments. The Heavenly Maidens may call out their lines from a semi-circle or otherwise as they feel works best.]

MAIDEN 1:      Emperor and Empress:

We heavenly maidens

Of paradise fly and dance freely

We embroider silk easily

Our chariot flies to earth merrily

To dress brides and grooms airily

In glorious silk.

MAIDENS:      [CHORUS]

We are the heavenly maidens

And we love to sing and fly

We swim when we can

And enjoy life on high.

MAIDEN2:       In wedding fair

Ribbons and flowers in

Fancy black hair,

Many are aware

Of the wonders

Of silk so rare.      

MAIDENS:      We are the heavenly maidens

And we love to sing and fly

We swim when we can

And enjoy life in the sky.

MAIDEN3:       Under romantic moons

With festive flare,

This glorious silk

Is not only in flowers

In our hair, but

Shines in lanterns

Under bridges and fountains.

MAIDENS:        We are the heavenly maidens

And we love to sing and fly,

We swim when we can

And enjoy life on high.

MAIDEN4:         Lieu spins and weaves fabrics

Cotton, rayon and hemp

And plies coconut for hats

[Takes a sun hat and twirls it.]

Where fibrous strands are bent.

Lieu weaves fabric

Of every colour and hue:

Gold inlaid, striped

And silver armour too.

MAIDENS:        [CHORUS.]

We are the heavenly maidens

Our breed is fair and few

Our beautiful magic

Charms you.

We are the heavenly maidens

We love to sing and fly

We swim in the pond

And enjoy life in the sky.

LIEU:                Sisters sew a few

Coloured cushions

In the quest to add zest

And luxury to our nest.

MAIDENS:       We are the heavenly maidens

Who love to sing and fly

We swim when we can

And enjoy life on high.

MAIDEN5:      Mother, Empress of heaven

I am afraid Lieu may not want to stay

The rate of pay in heaven

Is less than growing hay.

LIEU:               I may stay away

And find romance

In the arms of a lover.

What are my chances

Of finding love in heaven?

MAIDEN6:     Lieu may stay away

Find romance where she may.

That’s fine as we sisters

Can simply fly away.

EMPEROR:    These warriors make better husbands,

Lieu. Our warriors ride

fine steed to battle, protected by your

silk armour, the strongest in the land,

They gallop with confidence across the

undulating desert of silver sands.

These warriors are very grateful, for your new    designs, Lieu. They fight for heaven and our glory. [He and takes the helmet from a suit of armor on stage, shows it to them and replaces it.]

EMPRESS:       Lieu, think of Heaven’s future

Let our chosen warrior meet you.

EMPEROR:      Dress as a bride.

Empress, find Lieu a silk cheongsam

And let the celebrations begin.

I am anxious for an heir.

A Prince of Heaven would end my despair.

Seven heavenly sisters are unfair!

A Grandson is a thought…

 

 

Silk lends itself to performance at any level. Whether classroom reading, a musical/pop opera, anime, circus, a film, or a hybrid with choreographed dance and a few songs—Silk provides words and verse, and a wonderful opportunity to present talent to a wide variety of audiences. Silk’s memorable heavenly scenes are beautiful. More than the celebrated Weaving Maiden creation myth, Silk builds new situations and characters. One such character is the ninja Fortune, always close to the natural habitat of the play. The Emperor and Empress of Heaven are powerful characters with presence. The battle of the sexes and family crises are captured in dramatic scenes. They include several key settings, relatively simply created—a great opportunity for students/actors to put together sets and find slides as backdrops. I have included ninja Fortune and her warrior offsider as the fascinating new narrators. The opportunity to create and choreograph three dances should add excitement. The first is a Sword Dance with ninja Fortune and the warrior, the second the Ninja Spider Dance celebrates spider silk, and the third the Dragon Dance captures the importance of dragons in Chinese Heaven. The heavenly maidens are also able to be dancers as they journey from Chinese Heaven to the Pool. Alternatively, the play can simply be a spoken play. It is up to the director. Students may have the opportunity to make a dragon.  An abridged SILK is also available.

SILK is one of seven Hello China texts. Three are historical, two are fictional myth and story and two are plays. Marie Lukic’s first play in the Hello China series is Willow Pattern Play, also available. Willow Pattern Play captures ancient Chinese poetry in this tragic account of a scribe and his love, told on Willow Pattern China.