Scene 1:

(In the distance, a single fiddle.   Seventeen year old Tiffany MacArthur  —  a.k.a.
Mordred  —  appears in elevated, undefined space. She's dressed in wild punk regalia: i.e., hair spiked, face painted and pierced, clothes torn.

She is deeply bored.  She slouches, sighs.  She smokes.

The fiddle Lingers  on a sustained note.   Sound and light shimmer.  Mordred's
Attention becomes fixed downstage, below her...

October, 1913.  A potato field, at the edge of an ash grove.   Late
afternoon sun gilds Prince Edward Island's distinctive red soil.  The
Ensemble enter on their knees, picking  potatoes.

Alarmed by the vision,  Mordred exits.  The fiddle shimmer disappears)

CALEDONIA WOMEN: (Sing)
     Peaceful cattle graze under harvest skies,
     Wooded hills observe the sea.
     From fields of plenty our prayers arise,
     In toil and ease, bestow thy peace.

CHORAL (with men):  Autumn gold and fallow winter's drifting cold,
     Seeded spring and summer green;
     Oh blessed Isle, thy grace unfold,
     Shelter us in wind and lea.

CHORUS, ENSEMBLE:  Keep us safe, keep us strong
     On our wave-edged home,
     Rooted deep in thy red clay loam,
     In thy red clay loam.

DAN JOHN DAN:    In times gone by, our tale begins,
     traitors pawned ancestral lands.
     Our kine, our kin, cast to the winds
     our vigor mocked, our pride unmanned.
     Crofts be cleared, hearth-stones chill,
     heather burn, bracken smoke.
     Scatter the clans, bend your will,
     bare your neck to the Lowland yoke.

MARY MARGARET/  DAN JOHN DAN:
      We will not bend, your yoke to wear,
      nor chain, or hook; no stay, or lease.
     A Garden waits, and those who dare
     will prosper there in fruitful peace.

DAN JOHN DAN:   O'er fretful seas to foreign straths,
     adversity fixed their intent.
     Highland hills and stone-cold hearths
     echo still their heart's lament.

ENSEMBLE:    Scots, wha' ha'e wi' glory shone,
     Scotland's shores ha'e left behind.
     Scotland's stalwart flame burns on
     Old and New World hearts entwine.

MARY MARGARET/  DAN JOHN DAN:
    Old and New World hearts entwine.

DAN JOHN DAN:   Highland blood runs in my veins
     red with ancient knowledge.
     Prince Edward Isle has forged my soul,
     my life, my breath, this homage:

     In winter's sleep, my strength maintain.
     When spring awakes, awake the seed.
     In summer's plenty, peace ordain.
     In melancholy autumn feed my soul
     that I may cast off strife
     and false dreams mis-begotten.
     Lest those who gave me this sweet life
     in red loam lie, alone, forgotten.

ENSEMBLE:    In winter's sleep, our strength maintain.
     When spring awakes, awake the seed.
     In summer's plenty, peace ordain.
     In melancholy autumn feed our souls
     that we may cast off strife,
     and false hopes mis-begotten.
     Lest those who gave us this sweet life,
     in red loam lie, alone, forgotten.
     Forgotten.

Scene continues....

***************************************
 

Scene 2:

(Autumn, 1985. The Whispring Pines, Retirement Villa)

 DAN JOHN DAN — NOW AN ELDER — WATCHES  TELEVISION.

MORDRED:  (Enters, reading brochure)  Whispering Pines Retirement Villa.   Festering Pines is more like it.  This place sucks, man.

DAN JOHN DAN: Tiffan — Mordred!  Watch your tongue.  Honest to God, child.

MORDRED:  What?

DAN JOHN DAN:  The look of you.  You look like some kind of mutant rooster.   Cut them spikes off your head and I'll give you twenty dollars.  (Silence)  You could take that safety pin outa your lip and patch those gawd-awful stockings.  And God, the boots!

MORDRED:  Ever hear of Doc Martin?

DAN JOHN DAN: Ever  hear of Li'l Abner?  Dogpatch?

MORDRED:  Why is everybody always picking on me?

DAN JOHN DAN:  Mirror mirror on the wall. Who's the grimmest one of all?  Do you even know who he was?

MORDRED:  He who?

DAN JOHN DAN: Mordred. The illegitimate son of King Arthur.

MORDRED:  Mordred's a guy's name? Cool.

DAN JOHN DAN:  In your case, it's not a name.   It's an attitude.

MORDRED:  Did you prefer Tiffany?

DAN JOHN DAN:  No. I did not.  I told your mother the day you were baptized, "Tiffany's a lamp,  not a name."

MORDRED:  I can't believe you sold Caledonia.

DAN JOHN DAN:  I told your father I'd consider it.   (Chuckle)  Mind you, I told him in Gaelic.
 

KATHERINE AND DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ENTER, FOLLOWED BY EDGAR NETHERWOOD.  DOUGLAS LIGHTLY PUNCHES MORDRED'S ARM.

DOUGLAS:  How's she goin', Spike?

MORDRED:  Daa-aa-ad! Quit calling me that.

NETHERWOOD:  Does your father prefer Dan, Mrs MacArthur?  Or Daniel?

KATHERINE:  He prefers Dan John Dan.

MORDRED:  It's his name, Einstein.
 

DAN JOHN DAN CRANKS THE TEE VEE VOLUME:  GRAND-PRIX WRESTLING.   KATHERINE PRESSES MUTE.

KATHERINE:  You'll be happy here.   (Too loud)  Won't you Dad?

DAN JOHN DAN:  Quit yelling, in the name of God.   I'm old, not deaf.

MORDRED:  Just take the poor old dude out behind the barn and shoot him.

KATHERINE:  Tiffan ...ah, Mordred.   Watch that mouth.

NETHERWOOD: Your grandfather will receive the very best care, dear —

MORDRED:  Don't call me dear.

KATHERINE:  You've got teenagers, Edgar.   Did they turn from sweet, happy children to self-centered emotional time-bombs overnight?

DOUGLAS:   Like our Tiff...  ah, Spike —

MORDRED:   Da-aa-ad!

KATHERINE:  It's Mordred now.   Isn't it dear?  Or was that last week —

MORDRED:  Grandad wants to die in the house where he was born.

DAN JOHN DAN:  Who says I want to die anywhere?

KATHERINE:  The poor soul was on the floor for two days; alone, in agony, with the wood stove out in the middle of winter.

DAN JOHN DAN:  Nice chunk of salt cod boiled in three waters.   Boiled Sebagos, dripping butter.   I fell, makin' supper.

KATHERINE: You broke your hip.

MORDRED:  It wouldn't ‘a happened if he'd come to live with us like he wanted.

KATHERINE:  You wanted, dear.  Dad wanted no such thing.

DOUGLAS:  Tough as a boiled owl, aren't you, old soldier?

MORDRED:  "Caledonia Estates.  Come feel our  charm."  Come eat my socks. You can't wait to bury those hardwood hills in  condos.  We all know why Grandad is here. That farm is worth a fortune.

NETHERWOOD: (Pause) Did I show you the communal kitchen?  Just down the hall —

DOUGLAS:  Caledonia  Estates is your grandfather's future, Spike.  If I handle it right, it's also your education.  God help us.

KATHERINE:  You know we have to do this, don't you?  Dad?  Dad?

DOUGLAS:  We'll see you soon, Dan.   Spike?  You ready?

MORDRED:  This family sucks eggs!
 

DOUGLAS AND MORDRED GLARE.   HE BREAKS THE SILENCE, SINGS Alone.

DOUGLAS:      Whatever you are child
      You come by it naturally.
      You're just like Dan John Dan.
 

THE OTHER CHARACTERS, EXCEPT MORDRED, SING...

KATHERINE:    What can I do, Dad,
      Old age is upon you.
      I'm doing the best that I can.

NETHERWOOD:   There's no need to fret, now.
      We know what we're doing.
      Your dad will be sheltered and fed.

MORDRED:   (Spoken)  Grandad, you sit there in misery and silence/
     You act like you're already dead.

DAN JOHN DAN:    Time passed quickly, I've grown so old
      In life's final moment,
      we all face our maker alone.

DOUGLAS:     Hard work and family,
      Maintain a good home.

KATHERINE:    I'm caught in the middle
      Like meal in a grindstone.

DAN JOHN DAN:     Fragile old heart,
      delicate bones.

MORDRED:   (Spoken)  What kind of people abandon their own?

KATHERINE:     So many people —

DAN JOHN DAN:     Time passes slowly  —

KATHERINE:    Time passes quickly —

DOUGLAS:     So quickly —

NETHERWOOD:     Too quickly.

MORDRED:  (Spoken)  It's terrible being —

DAN JOHN DAN:    In life's final moment,
      We all face our maker —

QUINTET:       Alone.

MORDRED:  (Spoken)  Alone.

DAN JOHN DAN:    On dina athaw Dainoc.
      I am the last.
      I am —

QUARTET:   Alone.
 

NETHERWOOD:  Katherine, Douglas. Stop by the office on your way out.   (Exits)

DOUGLAS:  I'll be back with the deed, Dan.You've made a wise choice.  (Exits)

DAN JOHN DAN:   Have I, now?

KATHERINE:   I'll see you tomorrow.  Is there anything I can bring?

DAN JOHN DAN:  No.  (His attention returns to the TeeVee)  Thank you dear.

KATHERINE:   (Kiss) You're welcome, Dad.  Tiff — Spike...  Sorry! I meant Mordred!! Are you coming with us?

MORDRED:  I'll walk.   (Focuses on TeeVee)

KATHERINE:   We have Mother/Daughter therapy tonight at six, not five.  I have a cabinet meeting at seven so... Mordred? I love that new stud.  (TeeVee sound)  Don't let it get infected like the last two.  Dear?  Dad?  Ah, The Premiere's in Ottawa, so I'm in charge of the Island this weekend.   Deputy Premier Katherine MacArthur. What do you think of that?  Dad? (TeeVee)   Mordred?  What's the point — (Exits)

MORDRED:  Here.  (Jacket)  Put this on.

DAN JOHN DAN:  Where are we going?

MORDRED:  Moncton. Halifax! Botswanaland!! WHO CARES!!!  As  far from this sink-hole as fast as we can.

DAN JOHN DAN:  The Mounties'll be at the Borden ferry before we make Albany.

MORDRED:   Would you rather end your days here?

DAN JOHN DAN:   I'd rather be home in my own bed.

MORDRED:  Fine. Home it is. (Dangles keys)  Your carriage awaits.

DAN JOHN DAN:  Hand me me stick.

THEY EXIT.  KATHERINE AND  DOUGLAS RETURN TO THE EMPTY ROOM.

DOUGLAS:  Mordred?

KATHERINE:  Dad?

OFF STAGE, CAR DOORS SLAM.   THE CAR RADIO BLARES ROCK 'N ROLL — SYD VICIOUS:  My Way.   THE ENGINE REVS, TIRES SQUEAL.   THE WHISPERING PINES DISAPPEARS.   KATHERINE AND  DOUGLAS SING:

DOUGLAS:     When did she stop loving me?

KATHERINE:    Why did we stop speaking?

DOUGLAS:     Always sought the best for her.

KATHERINE:    Thought he'd always be my friend.

DOUGLAS:     My sweet daughter, pierced and torn.

KATHERINE:    Now he's broken, frail  and old.

DOUGLAS:     Why did she stop loving me?

MORDRED AND  DAN JOHN DAN APPEAR IN UNDEFINED,  ELEVATED SPACE.

MORDRED:  (Spoken)  Mom?

KATHERINE:    Why did father drift away?

DAN JOHN DAN:  (Spoken)  I need you.

KATHERINE:    When did I stop listening?

KATHERINE/DOUGLAS:  When did we start spinning on
      A world that's turning way too fast.
      When will walls come tumbling down?
      Why did our child turn her back?

MORDRED BEGINS TO SPIN, LIKE A DERVISH.

MORDRED:   (Chants, twirls under the following)   Spinning spinning way too fast.

DAN JOHN DAN:  (Spoken)  Old age is not —

KATHERINE:    Father?

DAN JOHN DAN:  (Spoken)  — for the feint of heart.

KATHERINE/DOUGLAS:  When did we start spinning on
      A world that's turning way too fast.
      Spinning spinning way too fast.

DAN JOHN DAN:    Old age is not for the feint of heart.

KATHERINE/DOUGLAS:  Turning turning way too fast.
      Will we spend our frail old age
       By ourselves, will we be left —

KATHERINE:    Alone.

DOUGLAS:     Alone.

KATHERINE/DOUGLAS/DJD:  Alone.

MORDRED:  Alone. (Spins)  Alone. Alone. Mom? Dad? Somebody? Anybody?  I don't know who I am.  (Freezes)  And nobody cares!