EXCERPT
Alcira
A grim Latino fairy tale
by Marisela Treviño Orta
Marisela Treviño Orta
[email protected]
ALCIRA
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EXCERPT
CHARACTERS
FIDELIA
Late 20s. A third generation Tejana recently moved to San Francisco.
ALCIRA
Late 30s, at least in appearance. Seductress, hechicera, sorceress who
masquerades as a curandera. She has experience surviving millennial
transitions and intends to survive the coming of the next.
SOTERO
Early 30s. Works in La Chuparosa and plays as much chess as he
possibly can in his free time. The ladies love him, but “he’s one letter
away from being a permanent bachelor.”
CARMELITA Mid 20s and Mid 50s. FIDELIA’s aunt. She moved to the Bay Area
during the 1960s from La Rosita, TX, in an effort to escape her gift.
Descendent from a long line of powerful curanderas. It’s these powers
that ALCIRA covets.
WHERE & WHEN
San Francisco’s Mission District. Briefly in the late 70s. Then last three months of the
previous millennium and the first few days of the current.
Musical reference:
Lullaby (track 13) on Si*Sé’s self-title debut album
ALCIRA
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Prologue
Darkness.
A small point of light dilates into a
spotlight. In the halo of light stands a
young CARMELITA holding an infant. She
sings a nursery rhyme to the baby she
holds in her arms.
CARMELITA:
(Singing) Pio, pio, pio / Dicen los pollitos / Cuando tienen hambre / Cuando tienen frio
/ La mama les busca / El maiz y el trigo / Les da la comida / Y les presta abrigo / Bajo
sus dos alas / Acurrucaditos / Hasta el otro dia / Duerman los pollitos.
As she kisses the baby’s forehead a
whirlwind engulfs them and they
disappear in darkness. Exploding forth
from where they stood is a charm of
hummingbirds. White silhouettes of the
birds swirl like a tornado. They all fly
away, except for one. Left behind the
hummingbird hovers, moves to and fro.
The silhouette of a pair of hands approach
the bird. The hands should be a caricature
of an old witch’s hands—bony and ancient,
warts and all. The hands suddenly clamp
down around the bird. Lights up quickly
revealing a young and beautiful ALCIRA,
her hands around the unseen
hummingbird. She is in her garden, lush
with bougainvillea, sunflowers, vines and a
red plum tree ripe with fruit. The garden
should feel wild and dangerous, the
controlled ferocity of the foliage matches
ALCIRA. The garden is populated by stone
animals: a deer, a snake, a rabbit, an eagle
and more—some covered with growth.
ALCIRA:
Once upon a time. A long, long time ago. Before the Spanish came here. When the
world was just beginning. There was a goddess. A sorceress.
No, not me, amor. I was her servant. I was there when the Mexica left Atzlan. And I
was there when they abandoned her. Snuck away in the night like cowards.
ALCIRA
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ALCIRA (cont’):
My mistress taught me. Taught me how to preserve. How to cheat Time. Old age.
Even Death. It doesn’t take much. Just an offering. Like you, Carlitos.
I know it will be an adjustment. But soon enough you’ll forget all about your past
life. And let’s face it. You weren’t very good at being a man. Wasting all that lifeforce.
And for what? I’ll make much more use of it than you ever could, te juro.
You’re confused. Of course you are, that little bird brain doesn’t allow much room
for complex thoughts. And most people these days don’t believe in spells and magic.
They think we’re the stuff of old wives tales and bedtime stories. But where I come
from…well, my pueblo was founded on it. A magic as old as the continent. I should
know. I was there. Malinalco. City lost in time…like me.
I’ve seen civilizations rise, fall and disappear off the face of the earth. And after 800
years I found my way west to this city shrouded in fog. I’ve been here since the
summer of love. Eight years now since I put a flower in my hair and made my home
here in la Mission.
Hopefully you will be the last. The last man. All I need is Carmelita. She’s no ordinary
curandera. Her lifeforce will last me an eternity.
That’s no consolation for you, I know. But here in my garden you’ll have all the
nectar you can drink. And of course, you’ll have plenty of company.
ALCIRA releases the bird into the sky and
immediately lights go down. The projection
of the hummingbird silhouette is joined by
a charm of hummingbirds, a few dozen
more silhouettes. They fly around, swirl like
tornado and then disappear into the sky.
Spotlight up on a young CARMELITA who
enters. Lights come back up full again as
she watches as ALCIRA plucks a red plum
from her tree.
CARMELITA:
They said you were looking for me.
ALCIRA:
They were right. I told you to come see me as soon as you returned from Tejas.
You’ve been avoiding me, Carmelita. Why?
ALCIRA
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About to take a bite of the plum, ALCIRA
finally turns to look at CARMELITA and
immediate notes that something is amiss.
She comes right up to CARMELITA, looks
her up and down, maybe even touches her,
and then right into her eyes.
ALCIRA:
(Seething) It’s gone. Where is it?
CARMELITA:
…Where’s what?
With one hand, ALCIRA grabs CARMELITA
by the throat, bringing her to her knees.
ALCIRA:
Where did you put it, Carmelita?
CARMELITA:
(Struggling) I don’t know what you’re talking about.
ALCIRA:
Don’t you?
ALCIRA releases her. CARMELITA gasps for
air.
ALCIRA:
All these months I’ve been trying to get you pregnant. Slipping herbs into your tea.
Introducing you to men. Y nada. No child to pass your powers to.
CARMELITA:
No child for you to overpower and consume. I know what you are, Alcira. And what
you’ve done. No, I didn’t want to pass them on. I wanted them to end with me.
ALCIRA:
…I was wrong about you, Carmelita. You aren’t some stupid hick of a girl.
(A realization) You left it in Tejas, didn’t you?...Con tu sobrinita. What did they name
her? Your niece? Fidelia, wasn’t it?
CARMELITA doesn’t answer.
ALCIRA:
That’s what happened, isn’t it? Whether you wanted to or not you passed your
powers on to a newborn child.
ALCIRA
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ALCIRA (cont’):
And you think she’s safe.
She may be…for now. But I can out wait all of you. And some day she will come here.
To you.
CARMELITA:
No.
ALCIRA raises her hand. Harsh light as
CARMELITA freezes.
ALCIRA:
It’s too late for that. If you knew what I was you should have destroyed me while
you had the chance, Carmelita. When you were stronger than me.
CARMELITA:
(Struggling) I’m not like you.
ALCIRA:
And that’s why you will lose everything.
ALCIRA approaches CARMELITA.
ALCIRA:
I’m not going to destroy you, Carmelita. Not yet. I still need you. Need you to bring
me your niece. Until then you will forget. Forget all about me, Carmelita. Forget
about the sword dangling above your head.
Our paths will cross again, but you won’t be able to warn your niece. Not until it’s
too late.
ALCIRA approaches her and puts her hand
on CARMELITA’s head. Lighting changes, a
ghostly red as ALCIRA weaves her spell.
ALCIRA:
Before the millennium comes to an end, she will find her way to the threshold of my
home and give me what I want. And when I have it, I will crush both of you under my
heel.
ALCIRA throws CARMELITA to the ground
and walks away. CARMELITA is drowsy,
dazed.
ALCIRA
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EXCERPT
ALCIRA:
And, Carmelita. Since you were so eager to not to have any children. How about we
keep it that way?
ALCIRA crushes the red plum in her hand. A
red stain blossoms on the front of
CARMELITA’s skirt. CARMELITA cries out
in pain, grabbing her abdomen. She curls
into a fetal position on the floor.
ALCIRA exits, laughing to herself.
Something like the song Flor de Mal by Tito
Larriva and Steve Hufsteter begins to play.
Lights shift.
ALCIRA
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