REPLENISH THE EARTH

Characters: Young Grandpa, Old Grandpa, Young Michele, Old Michele (Highlighted parts
can be played by narrators too)

PART I
PROLOGUE
 
GRANDPA: (Weak) And God created the great whales, and every living creature that lived
within the sea. God created the mighty winged birds that soared through the
skies. Then, God made the beasts that roamed the earth; all living in unison,
each an important part of the harmony.

MICHELE: (Powerful) And God created man and woman to rule over the creatures within
the sea, the birds in the sky, and the beasts that roamed the earth. God
blessed them and said, 'be fruitful and multiply. Replenish the earth, and
subdue it'.
 
GRANDPA: May humans forever live in harmony with nature.
 
MICHELE: Humans in all their glory building great towers above the earth. Such infinite
power at their command. Nothing can stop them. Nothing will ever stand in
their way.
 
GRANDPA: (Sadly) Nothing can stop them. Nothing will ever stand in their way.
  
Scene 1
 
MICHELE: Hi, Grandpa.
 
GRANDPA: (Smiles. Looks up) Oh, hi, Michele.
 
MICHELE: (Goes to him. Looks at clipboard) What're you up to?
 
GRANDPA: (Looks at clipboard) I think it's time to check up on one of the panthers.
 
MICHELE: Which one?
 
GRANDPA: (Wrinkles his face) Florida panther number five.
 
MICHELE: Number five? He's a tough one.
 
GRANDPA: He's been around since I've been caretaker. He's getting pretty old, though. I
don't think we'll tranquilize him this time. (Pause) I'm afraid he hasn't got
much time left.
 
MICHELE: If we lose him, what will that do to the population?
 
GRANDPA: That'll knock their numbers down to close to a couple dozen.
 
MICHELE: Are there any new borns expected?
 
GRANDPA: (Brightens) Actually, yes. We hope the mother won't have any
problems. Every panther is precious. So how does it feel to be a graduate?
 
MICHELE: Great. I'm glad I'm done with it. Now, I can finally do what I've dreamed of
doing: work with you to save the panthers.
 
GRANDPA: You're a welcome addition to my crew. (He winces in pain)
 
MICHELE: (Noticing his discomfort) What's wrong?
 
GRANDPA: Nothing. I'm fine.
 
MICHELE: (Stopping him) Grandpa. You can't fool me. What's wrong?
 
GRANDPA: I'm not sure exactly. I'm kinda achy all over. I don't get it. I'm usually as strong
as an ox. (Feels a pain and sits on bed) But something's got me. (Frustrated)
I can't stand this. I'm never sick.
 
MICHELE: Why don't you go to the doctor?
 
GRANDPA: (Gets up and crosses away, refusing) No way. No doctors for this guy.
 
MICHELE: Quit being so stubborn and do something to help yourself for once. The
panthers can wait.
 
(she calls a number as he frowns and watches)
 
MICHELE: You have an appointment tomorrow at 3:00.
 
GRANDPA: How wonderful. I can hardly wait.

Interlude 1
 
(Stage is same as Scene 1)
 
(Y MICHELE: is sitting up in bed, happily reading something. A knock is heard off L. She
tosses what she is reading on the floor and pulls the covers up, now looking and sounding
sick)
  
GRANDPA: What ya' reading?
 
Y MICHELE: The handout you gave me about the Florida panther.
 
GRANDPA: (Pleased) Learn anything exciting?
 
Y MICHELE: (Opening it) You've already told me some of this stuff... (Spotting something
that puzzles her) what does extinct mean?
  
GRANDPA: Extinct means that the animal no longer exists. An extinct animal is gone
forever. You'll never see it again.
 
Y MICHELE: You mean the Florida panthers are all gone? You just showed me one last
week.
 
GRANDPA: No, they aren't yet. They are an endangered animal. In other words, they are
in danger of becoming extinct.
 
Y MICHELE: That's awful! How can that be?
 
GRANDPA Once, long ago, the Florida panther roamed freely in the South; kings of their
domain. Then, man came along and hunted them endlessly. They said that
they were trying to protect their livestock and homes, but they realized what
fine trophies the panthers made.
 
Y MICHELE: That isn't true, is it?
 
GRANDPA: I'm afraid so. Man wouldn't stop the killing. Soon only a few panthers were
left, they hid themselves deep in the southern Florida forests with no place left
to run.
 
Y MICHELE: But, you're helping them aren't you, Grandpa?
 
GRANDPA: I'm trying, but it's hard when no one wants to help.
 
Y MICHELE: (Seriously) I want to help. I really do.
  
GRANDPA: Nothing would make me happier.
 
Scene 2
 
(Lights come up on a depressed GRANDPA on the phone. He slowly hangs up. He looks
pale)
 
MICHELE: (Trying to be cheerful, but knowing something is wrong) What's up? (Pause)
Grandpa? (He crosses and sits on his bed. She is getting upset) What did the
doctor say?

GRANDPA: He says I have Florida's Disease.

 
MICHELE: (Worried) Florida's Disease?
 
GRANDPA: (Slowly) I heard about it on the news. It's something that's just appeared in
our state.
 
MICHELE: How did you get it?
 
GRANDPA: It's transmitted by an over populated insect with an extinct predator, the
Dusky Seaside Sparrow. (Pause. Angry) That helpless little bird was wiped
out by an untested chemical that was invented to kill the very insect that it
preyed upon.
(Pause. Bursts out) How can humans be so stupid?! (Softly) The disease is
fatal. (Pause) The doctor says I only have a few months left.
 
MICHELE: Grandpa, why? Why you? You've given so much... I can't lose you, now. Isn't
there anything they can do?
 
GRANDPA: There's...there's no cure. Nothing...
 
 
MICHELE: (Jumps up) There has to be a cure! I won't stop until I find it! (Goes to phone
and dials. GRANDPA sits, lost as to what to do next. Lights fade to black)
 
PART II
 
MICHELE: And God said 'have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky,
and every living thing upon the earth'.
  
GRANDPA: Replenish the earth...
 
MICHELE: And subdue it... 
 
Scene 3
 
MICHELE: (Evenly) I found a cure.
 
GRANDPA: (Strengthening) You what?
 
MICHELE: A cure was discovered.
 
GRANDPA: (Excited) There's a cure!
 
MICHELE: It's not so simple.
  
GRANDPA: (Softly) What's going on?
 
MICHELE: Let me tell you a story.
 
GRANDPA: Okay.
 
MICHELE: There once was a trapper, stricken by Florida's Disease which was thought to
have no cure. He wanted to spend his final days doing what he loved the
most. So he sold everything, packed his gear, and set out into the
wilderness. After a few days, he came upon a Florida panther killed by one of
his traps. Making the best of the situation, he started a fire, skinned the
panther, and cooked it. So he made a mixture with the panther's blood and
bone marrow which happened to succeed in soothing the aches and pains of
the disease. One week after the disease should have taken his life, he walked
out of the forest, cured.
 
GRANDPA: I hope they locked him up. The penalty for killing a Florida panther...
 
MICHELE: He wasn't punished. Instead, they presented him with a patent on his new
drug and set him up with a grant to conduct more research. Grandpa listen,
there’s a cure. You can still live.
 
GRANDPA: Do you realize what you're saying?
 
MICHELE: Please take the drug.
 
GRANDPA: Never!
 
 MICHELE: I can't watch you die when there's a cure!
 
GRANDPA: Then leave me. Go on. Get out of here!
 
Interlude 3
 GRANDPA: Your mother said you wanted to see me.
Y MICHELE: Yeah. Come here and sit down. I have some good news. I have decided to
devote my life to saving the Florida panther, just like you.
 
GRANDPA: What made you decide to do that for a career?
 
Y MICHELE: I want to help the panther. I'll do everything I can to help them recover from
being in trouble of disappearing. It's horrible what humans have done to them
and their home. I want to fight back and win.
 
PART III

Scene 4
 
(Lights come up on GRANDPA sitting in a chair with a blanket wrapped around his
shoulders. In his arms is YOUNG MICHELE'S stuffed panther. He looks at it sadly a
moment and then rests his face in his hands, upset at his argument with MICHELE and
also pained by his disease. MICHELE knocks and enters cautiously with a small grocery
bag)

MICHELE: (Helplessly) Grandpa. Please, don't be that way. I'm really sorry for what I
said. I wasn't thinking straight. When I was faced with your death...I was
willing to do anything to save you.
 
GRANDPA: Even kill my panthers?
 
MICHELE: I know, Grandpa. I will never ask you to sacrifice the panthers again. 
I want to save them, Grandpa. I really think I can do it. The panthers must live...at all
costs...even your life.

GRANDPA turns and looks into her eyes, he takes a document from his pocket and gives it
to her.
 
MICHELE: You've made me caretaker of the panthers! You knew all along I would come
around, didn't you?
 
Scene 5
 
(Lights come up on a makeshift gravestone. An older MICHELE comes on from L, carrying
flowers and a magazine)
 
MICHELE: Hi, Grandpa. I brought you flowers. (She kneels next to the grave and lays
the flowers beside it) Right here in my hands, I hold before me a special National
Geographic about the Florida panther and the man that saved them. (Opens magazine) "His
fight has saved the Florida Panther and has given us a model to follow so that we may also
replenish our earth."
 
EPILOGUE
 
MICHELE: In every beast of the earth,
In every bird of the sky,
In every living creature upon the earth that is our home, there is life.
The end.

***