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  • From The Man Who Saved New Orleans*
  • Thomas Meloncon (bio)

On a warm August 29th 2005, a storm named Katrina would test the politicians’ love for the original city and reveal its neglect of an outdated levee system that was supposed to protect the other city of New Orleans. The drama follows the story of Arthur Prejean, an eighty-five year old blind man, his daughter, granddaughter, and grandson, whose nickname is “New Orleans”; all descendants of slaves whose hands built the city and whose African rhythms in Congo Square gave birth to Blues, Ragtime, and Jazz. Now, suddenly uprooted, three hundred miles away in Houston”, he is desperate to return his family to his Creole soil. Arthur Prejean may have lost his sight, but not his will to fight for what belongs to him. He has invested much blood and sweat in the Crescent City and his grandson, who is the real New Orleans he hopes to save.

The following is an excerpt from The Man Who Saved New Orleans. This play was first performed in Houston, Texas at The Ensemble Theatre, directed by Eileen Morris.

[WILLIE JEAN takes his piece of luggage and exits as VINCENT walks over to the window.]

VINCENT: Didn’t know you were sick.

ARTHUR: Diabetes got bad that’s all. At least I got a chance to be in Mardi Gras. I had Hattie on the float and Johnny Boy was with me too. I been having him and Hattie parading ever since they were babies. We lost their parade costumes, all except one for Hattie. We had them on top of the dining room table. The water got to them while Johnny Boy was trying to bust a hole in the roof to get out. What’s he doing?

VINCENT: Sitting on the curb. He just need to talk to God; dial him up. He always answers your call.

ARTHUR: Right now I’m worried about Johnny Boy. On the way down here he left his seat and tried to get the bus driver to stop and let him off. He wanted to go back. Bus driver told him he couldn’t stop . . . they had sick people on the bus. Willie Jean talked [End Page 241] him back to his seat. I call the bus we was on, the bus to nowhere. Bus driver didn’t know where we was going, and we didn’t know where we was going . . . first the bus driver said maybe Houston . . . then somebody in front of us said San Antonio . . . Willie Jean said she heard Dallas. . . . Somebody in the back hollered Oklahoma. Bus to nowhere. Willie Jean said we had pulled into the Astrodome . . . I knew you stayed here, I kept your number; I told Willie Jean to call you.

VINCENT: I’m glad you did . . . I owe you for what you did for me. I owe you.

[WILLIE JEAN enters with ARTHUR’S Insulin needle.]

WILLIE JEAN [as she pushes up ARTHUR’S shirt sleeve]: Hold still daddy.

ARTHUR: I know we lost a lot of my daddy’s stuff . . . things he collected before I was born. He left me land though. All paid for.

[VINCENT walks over to the window to spot JOHNNY BOY; WILLIE JEAN gives ARTHUR his insulin shot.]

VINCENT: I don’t see him. . . . oh, there he is . . .

ARTHUR: My grandfather and daddy wasn’t no fools . . . they couldn’t read two words between them. . . . had to have my mama to write their names, but they knew how to save and buy land. Black folk owned a lotta’ property back then. . . . Jackson Barracks and Holy Cross . . . all of that was Black Home owners. Had big beautiful houses . . . had black owned grocery stores, service stations, restaurants . . . you know what messed that up? Integration. . . . they don’t want the Black man’s ice no more; they want the White man’s ice. . . . it’s colder . . . you wanna walk down the street and pay 25cents more for his ice. Then here comes Katrina. A drunk woman with a toothache looking for a man.

VINCENT [turns away from the window and laughs]: With a toothache and drunk? How long did it take you all...

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