Characters

Main

Billy James...........................A Texas Outlaw
Sheriff………………………town of Lownlie’s only “law man”

Secondary

Townspeople……………….townspeople
Bystander…………………...a victim of Billy










Scene 1

The Western town “Lownlie” at night
Characters: Billy, Bystander

Billy: (facing audience) I’s Billy James, the feared Outlaw of Texas (gesturing at a wanted poster with his picture on it) Theres’s ain’s a persons in the State who can outwit I’s!

Bystander (walking by, not noticing Billy and whistling)

Billy (slyly taking out his pistol shooting the man in the heart) See’s. I’s killed 400 peopleses in my’s liftime! (laughs)

(lights dim)
(curtains)

Scene 2

Courthouse /meetinghouse in Lownlie
Characters: Sheriff, townspeople
Time: morning

Sheriff: We have got to get rid of this man, he is a threat, yes a threat to our humble community!

Crowd: (leaning forward) Yes, yes! A threat!

Sheriff: (waving arms) I am organizing a search party, to find this man, and do him in!

Chrowd: (cheers)

(curtains)

Scene 3
Setting: inside saloon filled with people
(Door slams, Billy stomps in)

Bartender: (pointing at Billy) It’s Bi_____! (Billy shoots bartender)

Billy: That’s 400 and one! Y’alls got’ses anymore complainses?!

(low murmer of “no, no” throughout room)

Billy: Goods!

(Billy pours himself a Martini)
Billy: Anysones whos blabs, gotses to deals wi’s me, yous gots it?! Y’ds better n’t!

(takes sip while crowd leaves)
(Thirty seconds later, Sheriff stalks in with pistol)

Sheriff: Gotcha! (pointing gun at Billy)

Billy: (grinning) Y’s thinkees?!!!

Sheriff: Yiss Sir, I certainly do!

Billy: (throwing a powder onto the floor, a foggy, misty smoke fills the room) Y’s thoughts wrong!! (dissapears through door)

Sheriff: Stop, stop!!!

(curtains)

Scene 4

Part 1: Billy, townspeople, Sheriff at the heart of the town. It is afternoon.

Billy: Ha, dids ye’ sees hows I finished that (beep) offs? He’s had no chance of catchin’ me in my patented’s dust cloud!

Part 2: Billy, Sheriff

(Sheriff sneaks up behind Billy)

Sheriff: Got ya now Billy!
(drops net over Billy)

Billy: Ah! No! Ill’s get s y’ fer this!

Sheriff: Hey Townspeople, I gots Billy James!
(townspeople run up)

Townspeople: Hey, let’s burn him!

Sheriff: Tomorrow! Today we give him a nice warm (ha), jail cell!

Townspeople: Yes, yes!









Scene 5

Jail cell, Billy Sheriff

Part 1: Billy alone

Billy: (pacing around) I cants believes it! They’s gonna burns me!

(door creaks open, sheriff stalks in)

Sheriff: You got yourself in trouble! The townfolk want you burned at the stake!

Billy: Noooo! (crying) Nooo! I’m innocent!

Sheriff: Tell it to the people!

(Sheriff leads a protesting Billy off stage)

(curtains)

Scene 6

Townspeople with torches, Sheriff, Billy

Townspeople: Yes, yes, burn him, burn him! Ha ha ha!

Sheriff (leading Billy to a stake in the ground) You’re about to get your wish!!!

Billy: (being tied to stake by Sheriff) Help, help!

Townspeople: (throwing torches at Billy) Ha, ha, ha!

Billy: (crumpling as the flames envelop him) You’ll pay, pay-ahhhh!!!

Sheriff: Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah!

Townspeople: hooray, hooray, he’s dead!

(everyone leaves stage as lights fade)

Narrator: Lownlie was forever after vermin free, but on the date Billy died, every year the townspeople are haunted by an invisible ghost! Billy’s revenge? No one knows for sure!

(Everyone bows)

(curtains)



















Props

Scene 1: Texas street, old fashioned houses/stores.

Scene 2: (courthouse, oak desk, gavel, benches

Scene 3: saloon, swinging doors, tables, chairs, bar

Scene 4: backdrop showing the heart of the town, houses

Scene 5: jail cell, barred windows, barred door

Scene 6: heart of the town, stake, houses



Costumes

Billy: rags, suspenders
Sheriff: fancier clothes, not too fancy

Townspeople: dresses, shirts, trousers

Bystander: fancy clothes, top hat, suit, bowtie