THE SACRED DANCE OF THE MARKET PLACE

EXT. DAY- MARKET

The scene opens with jubilation and dancing from a group of masquerades. The dance performance is carried out energetically. Naked little children make unearthly noises and hail the masquerades. After the dance, the masquerades run to a corner of the market where clothes are sold. They form a circle. Masquerades freeze!
Masquerades: Alas!

EXT. SAME DAY- MARKET.

Jingle of bells is heard somewhere offstage. The market gate opens. A rich woman in a flowing purple gown enters the market, beaming with smiles. She greets everyone that comes her way as she buys. She gives to the hungry beggars. Little children run towards her.

NAKED CHILDREN:
(The lines below are recited in a call and response)

Mother sells beef- Beef from the intestines of a cow.
Father sells pot - small and big big ones
Mother sells water- Water that carried away our princess.
Rich woman- Woman of virtue, fine woman.
Buy from us- customer, customer buy from us.

The children form a circle around her. They begin to run around her, clapping and stamping their feet. After a while of running round, they throw themselves on her till it becomes difficult for the rich woman to breathe. She starts to sweat. They begin to pull her about, beckoning on her to buy from their stalls. Some grab her hands. Others pull her clothes; left, right, back and forth.

Rich woman: (Amidst gasps) I will buy your cow, I will buy father’s pot.

(She brings out a handkerchief and begins to wipe her face)

Naked child: Imported handkerchief! (He grabs the handkerchief and runs away)

RICH WOMAN now begins to sweat profusely. She doesn’t stop laughing with the children.

Rich woman: (weakly) Okay, Okay I will buy from all of you.

Naked children: Ehhhhh

(She brings out some goods and distribute the goods to them. They collide against her and step on her feet as she distribute the goods)

(Some seconds later)

LOUD SILENCE FILLS THE MARKET AIR. Rich woman screams loudly as a result of the silence. Then she continues her buying and selling. As she buys, little children dance after her but their aim is to step on her flowing gown to cause her to fall. When she doesn’t fall, they begin to chase her.

Naked children: Run! Run! Run! (They laugh loudly. The rich woman begins to run then suddenly she stops and throws a basket of fruit at them. She watches them as they eat and fight over the fruit. She smiles and continues to buy)
Rich woman walk towards some traders. They begin to gossip.

Salt seller: They say she sleeps and wakes with money. Ah! My own fate is like the one of ants and worms.

Fish seller: (screams angrily!) Humans! Haven't you seen the way she walks?

Water seller: (interrupts) you mean like she's got a big something stuck between her legs?

Salt seller: You only think in sex! (She turns back to the fish seller) Let me show u something.

The salt seller jumps on her feet. She quickly orders her little girl called purpose to hit some tins together to produce a music effect to whatever she was about to do.

So the salt seller with staggering legs and rolling eyes begins to move as if she bears the whole world on her head. Darkness and her eyes bore resemblance.

(The lines below are sung)
Maggi seller: You see my eyes?

Fish seller: Yes I see.

Salt seller: You see my leg of mountain

Fish seller- Yes I see

Salt seller: (louder) You see my pain!

Fish seller: I do not!

Salt seller collides against her tray of salt. She lets out a wailing scream before joining the others to watch the rich woman who approaches them.

Fish seller: Buy your fish, buy your fish. Imported fish! Imported fish!
(Rich woman approaches them)

Rich woman: (weakly) sell me your fish and salt.

Fish seller: (whispers) look at her closely and you would understand what I mean.
Water seller: Buy your sex too. Sorry... Water... Se... Water.

(Light singing is heard offstage as the rich woman buys. A mad man bumps into the middle of the market place. He begins to
dance and shout. The singing offstage ends abruptly)

Fish seller: (excitedly) Heya! Heya! Our friend is here. Shigidi is here! shigidi is here! (Shigidi is a fetish doll made of clay)
(She abandons her fish)

Rich woman- A mad man? Your friend?

Salt seller:-Yes! Our lovely madman! He has come to dance. You mean say you never see am before?
Rich woman: I never

(purpose begins to hit her tins together. The drumming causes the rich woman to begin to dance. As she dances, her flowing gown flows. purpose tries to say something to her but the salt seller pulls her away)

Salt seller: let us move closer to the mad man. This one is a king. You will love him.

Salt seller: Shigidi! Shigidi! (She draws the attention of de mad man)

(Shigidi begins to dance, throwing arms and legs in the air)

Shigidi:
Sacred dance of the fearless
Performed with gritting teeth
Bloody smiles
Broken beaks and claws.

SHIGIDI SUDDENLY SCREAMS ON SIGHTING THE RICH WOMAN

Shigidi: ( He points at her) Shigidi's mother! Shigidi's mother! I see you! I feel you! You are my mother!
(He dashes towards her, buries his head on her legs. He begins to weep tragically. The singing offstage resumes but dies almost immediately)
Crowd: Shigidi's mother! Shigidi's mother! What do you say?

(Rich woman kneels)

Rich woman: I do not know him! This is my first time in this village. I have com for building and revamping!

(Shigidi weeps harder. The children begin to scream. It's very loud that the rich woman has to cover her ears with her hands. purpose begins to beat her tins again. Some members of the crowd begin to chase her about angrily.)

Crowd 1: Mad people can see. Shigidi cannot lie. You know what? He smelt her blood. They are related. She is truly is mother.

Shigidi: Shigidi's mother! (high pitched)

Some members of the crowd quickly form a circle as the chorus.

Chorus: Shigidi's mother (high pitched)
Shigidi- I know the breast I suckled.
Chorus: Yes you do.
Shigidi- Those hands bore me.
Chorus- Hands of snake.
Shigidi : That heart loved me.
Chorus: You? No she made you mad.
Shigidi: The blood in you calls for me
The blood in me calls for you
Chorus: It calls for you! It calls for you!
Shigidi: Deny me not! Deny me not!

(Shigidi rips his shirt apart. Pulls his tangled hair and continues to weep harder)
Someone from the crowd: Wicked people must not be allowed in our community. Accept your child even if he is mad!

Rich woman: I came for renovation and revamping. I do not know the mad man. In fact I am barren!
Shigidi slumps on the floor at her words and begins to rip his skin with stones. He continues to weep.

Crowd: Calamity falls on us! Our mad man is weeping! Stone the rich woman to death!
Crowd: To death!

(The crowd begin to stone her as the rich woman pleads innocent. The only audible sound is the voice of tragic song being sang offstage)

As life starts to depart from the rich woman, she looked closer at the mad man, his glimpse, his smile, his well displayed tears then she knew that the strange mad man was not mad. Then she saw that everyone in fact walked with their heads upside down. And blood was what was in the water seller's bowl. That was when she knew she was in the spirit world. She tilted her head leftwards and saw the crowds feasting on purpose. Her eyes, her head.. Everything. She tilted her head rightward and heard the cry of a new born baby. The baby had a crown of wisdom on her head.

Rich woman: Alas! Stength, Purpose is reborn, now go and fill the hearts of men!.
She watched as the new born baby walked out of the market gate.

Hope you enjoyed? Let me give a summary of the story. The drama is about about slavery and oppression. The rich woman is a symbol of oppression and slavery. She represents all those who fight for justice, against wars, bribery, exploitation and oppression but are wrongly treated. Their voices crushed down.
Some African believes are wielded into the drama. The believe in the world of the dead. Also, the belief that mad people are supernatural beings. However, these believes are just used to build up the theme of a disordered society. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HELP YOUR SOCIETY?

The setting of the drama is vague. Hence, it can appeal to any society. The market is a metaphor for the world while the dance is a metaphor for life's activities. However, it is ironical that the dance is tagged sacred. HOW DO YOU DANCE?
Shigidi means a fetish doll made of clay. Just clay! You get? But it can be easily destroyed. But what about Purpose? It's defined and strong. As steemians, how strong is your purpose? How determined is it no matter the obstacles? Maybe you didn't notice, the first child was written with a small letter "p" while the new one, a symbol of rebirth was written with a capital letter "P" . How big is your Purpose?

Despite the negativities, the drama ends with hope- It gives the hope of a bright future. As steemians, we can always polish and redefine our goals on steemit. This hope and sweetness is represented through the cake.

As steemians, we wield the power of the pen. Till Martin Luther King's word come through that "We have overcome", then, till then... My pen bleeds on.

IMAGES ARE FROM IMGUR.COM

THANKS FOR READING!!!