Mercy Warren's Tea

By Jovanka Bach

Founding Mother, Mercy Otis Warren (1728-1814), America’s first woman playwright and historian, secretly authored anti- British plays that sparked Revolutionary sentiment . Mercy Warren gives a tea party welcoming important guests - including Abigail Adams and Peggy Arnold. Tensions mounts as the play unfolds and we learn more about our leading political figures of the time....and secrets are revealed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jovanka Bach
• Release date: Aug 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311307934

Jovanka Bach

Jovanka Bach is a playwright and novelist who had award winning plays staged in the U.S. England and Canada. Positive reviews in the N.Y. Times of her off Broadway plays at the Barrow Group Theatre have prompted John Stark Productions to film Chekhov and Maria, which has been aired on Super Channel Canada, PBS TV and Russian TV.

Book preview

MERCY WARREN’S

By

Jovanka Bach

John Stark, Producer.

23663 Park Capri #129

Calabasas, Ca. 91302

[e-mail]

818 222 6031 – phone, fax

Copyright: Library of Congress

www.johnstarkproductions.com

ACT I

Early Afternoon, MERCY WARREN’S salon, sometime late 1783. Stage center are a couple colonial period chairs and a settee arranged around a tea table on which sits a resplendent tea service. The only other furnishing is a breakfront to the side and rear. The spare set is surrounded by a luminescent blue background which produces a spacious effect and gives the scene a quality of taking place in some imagined place rather than actual temporal time.

MERCY WARREN, a small, bird-like woman in her fifties, arranges her tea things and hums contentedly. The maid, SALLY, a nubile girl of eighteen, enters.

SALLY

Mrs. Abigail Adams, mam.

ABIGAIL ADAMS emerges swiftly, removing cape and gloves as she comes. She is an attractive woman of about 34 with a comfortable figure verging on the matronly.

ABIGAIL

(kisses MERCY’S cheek)

Mercy my dear Philom

MERCY

Did, you bring the letters?

ABIGAIL

Well, yes, but —

MERCY

Quick, quick, let me see them.

ABIGAIL

(taking them from her bag)

Mercy — aren’t you going to say hello?

MERCY

(going through the letters)

Oh! How are you, Nabby — dear Portia. (without looking up)

Are these all of John’s letters?

ABIGAIL

As many as I no longer needed.

MERCY

Hmm. I thought there’d be more.

(eagerly)

Goodness, goodness. Read this — right here.

ABIGAIL

I have read them.

MERCY

This description of the English court is quite witty

(Giggles)

and John’s comments about Franklin — very amusing, but so disapproving.

ABIGAIL

As well they should be. Franklin is an old man yet still has an eye for the ladies.

MERCY

(still reading)

He certainly adds color to our diplomatic service.

ABIGAIL

Mercy, I’m giving those letters to you for reference. You can. look at them later.

MERCY

I’m so anxious to see what John has to say.

ABIGAIL

I’ve already told you everything that’s in them.

MERCY

But to read them first hand is such joy, Nabby — like being in London itself.

ABIGAIL

I thought you invited me over for a nice visit before my departure. But no, you’re more interested in collecting information for your History book. You don’t even care that I might die..

MERCY

(still absorbed in her reading)

Die? Why would you die? Are you ill?

ABIGAIL

You know I’m leaving for England tomorrow and the crossing is turbulent. I could be drowned at sea.

MERCY

(looks up)

Drowned? Oh, Nabby. Nothing of the sort is going to happen.

ABIGAIL

One never knows. The ocean is very, very rough. But then I don’t think you’d care one way or the other.

MERCY

You’re cross, and I don’t blame you.

(puts letter aside)

Forgive me, my dear, I do tend to get wrapped up sometimes and forget my manners, Of course I’ve arranged this afternoon especially for you. I’ll be very sad to lose your company. Now you sit there — and let’s enjoy some good, green English tea — not our terrible, domestic stuff.

ABIGAIL

Thank you.

(sips)

Um, splendid — the first good cup I’ve had in ages.

MERCY

(sits)

James bought it the other day from a Boston merchant. Thank God the war is over and we can again buy decent goods.

ABIGAIL

By the way, where is your James?

MERCY

He and the boys went into the village to buy harnesses and leave the three of us to talk.

ABIGAIL

Three? What three?

MERCY

Oh? I’m having another visitor. Didn’t I mention it in your invitation?

ABIGAIL

Not a word.

MERCY

Why – I was sure I did.

ABIGAIL

No, you didn’t, Mercy.

MERCY

Well, I was sure you wouldn’t mind.

ABIGAIL

And I thought this was to be an intimate afternoon between the two of us.

MERCY

So it is. So it will be. I don’t think our visitor will stay long, and she’s quite exceptional. You’ll find her very fascinating, and John, certainly will, when you tell him about her.

ABIGAIL

(ironically)

It appears we are indeed to be honored. Who is this visitor?

MERCY -

(self—engrossed)

You can’t imagine how shocked I was to receive a letter from her saying she’s in America. Everyone thinks she’s in England with her husband, but instead she’s come expressly to Massachusetts to speak to me.

ABIGAIL

Who?

MERCY

She heard about my History - in England - can you