City Pastors

City Pastors

Characters:

Bato: gardener
Juan: gardener
Gila: maid
Mother: Juana Lopez
Child: his son
Girl: her daughter
Johnny: bolero
The Flower Seller
Valentina: landlady
Beata:
Ines: student
Alejandro: student
Prime Lamb
Cow
Donkey
Trail Worker
Beggar: José
Beggar: Mary
Third Gardener
Police: who actually is the devil
Angeles, blessed, people passing


Thecarols sung in the last scene were composed by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, for Christmas Eve, 1689. In the Garden of San Sebastian, Mexico City Written in collaboration with Luisa Josefina Hernández Christmas Eve 1958.

Single act
The Garden of San Sebastian
(Center, an old tower, which may have had was a clock or bell. Now used to store tools gardeners.' walking by a hedge. Trees, benches, afountain, a neoclassical vase on his column, serves as a container. heavy cover. Flores. A very dense clump of poinsettias. Was tall pole, with his lighted lantern. In the sky, stars.
Bato sweeps, with its long branches broom, John tries to light a fire with dry leaves. Ines waiting, walking and seeing the church clock, which is out of the picture, to the left (the clock sounds.)
(The Seller givesher flowers and cross pious. The bolero looking customer. Policed. Cruzan Gila and its patron, it instructs. Enters Mother with two children; seems distressed, and they tired, wearing a threadbare coat and closed; looking where to stop, go. Enters Third Gardener. Wear denim also a union, but very clean, also brings a long broom branches. not yet heard the voices of the characters.)
ThirdGardener: silent night, holy night. The sky is a dark shattered glass and the air is so dry that most inhumanly sizzle constellations, more stars than ever. (Give some broom.) This is the garden of a slum. Crossing it is like seeing the city from the top of a roof. There, one sees nothing but fresh air and ice cream, the sound of water in the water tanks, antenna geometry and blackened chimneys makingcontact with the sky and the world-smoke rising, falling waves. But the city, only a whisper, figurines crossing, people around the corner, music releases, a horn, thunder of rockets. This follows from above, so alien and remote as crossing a park. People coming and going, Loose voices, cries. Nothing personal, no contact. (Keep sweeping. Again the music of the overture.)

Bolero: Fat, boss. Yourcleaned shoes.
Salesman: poinsettias. To first sale, take a bouquet, go. Poinsettias!
Ines: Excuse me, what time is it?
Beata: There's the church clock, look. (He leaves)
Agnes: Yes, but did not know if he would be all right.
Valentina: Do I understand?
Gila: Yes, Mrs. Valentina.
Valentina: First milk, because if not, it's over.
Gila: Yes, ma'am.
John: Listen, hand. Did you buy the otherbottle?
Bato: come on, brother. (A Gila.) What good is .... Christmas Eve, mommy!
Valentina: what? this, crawl with their peers.
Bato: If it was not you, if it was her daughter.
Valentina: Daughter! missing it seems my daughter. Rude. This is because you are very smile you. That litter dancing these bare lashes ...
(And leave. The Seller runs after them.)
Seller: The poinsettias, .... (Heleaves)
(Enter the Mother with her two children.)
Mother: Wipe noses, sonny.
Girl: I'm tired, Mom.
Mother: We're going to get. (Go around, not sure.) You want to rest a little?
Children: No, no. We want to reach.
Mother: Well, come.
(Exeunt all three.)
Bolero: Fat, boss, fat, its cleaned shoes. (He goes after them.)
(Remaining Agnes and the three gardeners. Caen leaves.)
Third Gardener:Things indifferent, lack of significance. People who go in and can not shake off the very annoying idea that this is a very special night. There is a great hunger for the magnificent, the miracle, of virtue, of love ... A famine memorial we wanted not to notice, and so we see more inward, and judge, and felt more alone, more nostalgic, older. Today is Christmas Eve, Christmas morning is ...(You...