Nightmares and Red Palms

Intro Scene Description

At rise, there is silence. It is July, 1943, the invasion of Sicily, Italy. Currently, the characters are somewhere in between Salerno and Sicily. It is nighttime. The lights come up slowly and dimly on a building with dust and wear from the war. This building is made up of three walls, displaying its insides. The first is long, reaching from upstage center towards stage right. Along the wall sit canvas sacks, barrels, a wooden table, and spare bricks and debris. The wall is a panes gray behind peeling wallpaper, with a glassless window. The second wall is shorter, spanning from upstage center to stage left. The first wall is more vertically angled and the second is almost parallel with the back curtain. The second wall is a dull red-orange, made of clay brick that reflects Italian architecture. A beaten sofa rests against the second wall, stuffing spilling from its worn cushions. Between the two walls is a doorless archway.

As the lights slowly come up, they do not directly hit the figure, DAVIS, standing at attention at downstage right. DAVIS's firearm is held at the ready, his uniform clearly worn from several days of battle prior to the scene. There is a bloody gash on his cheek. His collar is unbuttoned.

Suddenly, after several moments of a freeze-frame scene, a bright light flashes in sync with the crashing sound of an explosion. It is meant to scare the audience out of the silence. The sound of automatic gunfire bleats and the next few scene changes are all seen in an almost strobe-light setting. DAVIS is thrown back into the front of the couch. The wall behind him now crumples sideways as debris and shrapnel fly through the air. This is created on stage with people pushing and throwing the props while dressed all in black, hidden from the audience. Smoke machines create a fog that catches the lights and mimics the dust from the explosion. DAVIS is collapsed against the foot of the couch when the strobe light suddenly stops, as well as the sound of automatic fire. The sounds of boots, screams and noises you can't define come from behind the walls with flashlights that wade in and out of brightness, also behind the walls.

WILSON rushes into the building, using a flashlight to seek out DAVIS. He carries his rifle in the opposite hand. He almost trips getting over to him, dropping to his knees. The sounds outside rise and the light come up some so the characters are visible. Now, DAVIS's uniform is visibly stained in red. One side of his face is also bloodied and he grips his side in pain. The smoke is still surrounding the scene.