Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine

By Amy Escobar

Push and pull and push and pull a needle is for fixing...

When a drop of Mary's blood falls down down down into the caverns of the earth, something evil and ancient awakens. Now that the horrors of the dark have a taste for her, Mary must embark on a journey through the terrifying Nightmares Nine to put the beast called Slither back to sleep and save her soul from his gnashing teeth. 

Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine is a tale centering on a young woman's struggle with depression and suicidal ideation in a dark, fantastical realm full of humor, horror, friendship and foes.

"Fun and frolicsome with just the perfect amount of soul- crushing darkness..."
- City Arts

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mneme Press
• Release date: Oct 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393553861

Amy Escobar

Amy Escobar is a writer, performer, and creative raised in the Pacific Northwest. She weaves communal spells with practical magic and conscious language, telling stories that tend toward the dark feminine, uncanny, and dumb. She creates work with the intention to heal; to approach grim subjects fearlessly in fantastic realms with humor, heart, and a touch of madness. Visit www.amyescobar.com for more information and current projects.

Book preview

Characters

3F, 1M, 45+ any gender

MARY: she/her, 20s-30s. Our hero.

Nell: she/her, 20s-30s. Mary’s roommate and best friend.

Alabaster: he/him, 30s-50s. Mary’s cat.

The Librarian: she/her, 40s-60s. Keeper of the Library.

Ensemble Characters:

Doogan, Dirge, Jon Jon, Shadow Creeps, Simper, Ghosts, Wolves, Squirrels, Bird, Anna Graham, Merchant,

Villager, Ringmaster, Circus Person, Conjoined Twins,

Circus Clown, Mirror Marys, Fireflies/Flies, Vampires,

Sweets

Suggested doubling: Librarian/Ringmaster and Dirge/Jon Jon.

Notes

Pluralized character lines (Shadow Creeps, Ghosts, Vampires, etc.) indicate that a group of characters are speaking one after another and should be divided line-by-line among the ensemble. Some lines may certainly be said by multiple voices in unison, but not all of them should be.

Shadow Creeps (including Simper) are creepy little shadow monsters and they work well as puppets. Alabaster (when he is in cat form) also works well as a puppet. Alabaster is never a man dressed as a cat; he is either a cat-sized cat or a human-sized human (when he is in the Nightmare Realm).

In the original production both the Shadow Creeps and Alabaster (in cat form) were puppets made in a modified Bunraku style.

Scary Mary and the Nightmares Nine

Welcome to The Library.

All is quiet in this magical place of knowledge; dusty books and curios fill the shelves.

There are nine empty vessels. They could be hanging from the ceiling or built into the set or sitting quietly on the shelves among the books, waiting to be filled.

A few books gently take wing, fluttering out into the air as though enchanted.

Suddenly, the librarian enters.

the librarian: Aaahhhhhh!

the librarian noisily whacks the books out of the air with a broom.

She notices the audience and composes herself: all pomp and pride.

the librarian: Well hello there.

Spectators, speculators and specters all:

Welcome to my Library.

Doogan!

doogan hurries on and they confer in whispers.

the librarian: My assistant tells me you came here looking for a story.

But of course you did.

I took the liberty of pulling a few things for you.

Dirge!

dirge enters with a stack of books.

the librarian: Hmm. Wraiths of the Red Stained Plains... The Lugubrious Lament... Chortle of the Damned... dangit Doogan! These are paltry tales. I asked for something of a sinister sort. Hm.

Why don’t you fetch me—let’s see.

This crowd seems desirous of disturbing delights.

Familiar, nostalgic even. Especially. Hip.

Mmmmm. AH. Yessss.

E—S—C—7—8—3—are you writing this down?

doogan quickly obliges.

the librarian: 5—1—3—X—beta—hex—dash.

Dash! Dash!

doogan: Oh!

doogan dashes off to find The Book. dirge just continues to stand there.

the librarian: My apologies.

Not the sharpest barbs in the back of the Borg, as they say.

Thick.

Like a skipping stone that just sinks to the bottom of—

doogan returns with The Book.

the librarian: Ah, yes here we are.

Very good, yesss.

Hahahaha—

doogan: Hahaha—

the librarian: HaHaHaHa—

doogan: HaHaHaHa—

dirge: Huhhuhhuh—

the librarian: HAHAHAHAHAHA—

doogan: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—

the librarian: SHH.

the librarian opens The Book... and the Library fades away.

We meet our hero, mary,