The Last Moon- I

The Last Moon

Act Unique in six scenes in Sardinian Language

By Ignazio Salvatore Basile

Translaction in to English by the same author

Characters

Itzocar                                    Tribe’s Chief of Nure- Brother to dead king Gonario

Irìsa                                        His  Wife

Damasu                                  Son to Itzocar and  Irìsa

Gula                                        Daughter to  Itzocar and  Irìsa 

Alàshia                                   Sister to  Gonario

Aristea                                    Daughter  to  king Gonario’s  sister , Alàshia

 

Nakigia                                   Gonario ‘s Widow and sister –in-law to Itzocar

Rumisu                                   Nakigia’s Son –Throne’s pretender

Bithia                                               Nakigia’s Sister - Priestess of  Nure

Iolao                                       Bithia’s Son

Anù                                        High Priest at Nure      

                                     

Elki                                         Anù’s Son  and  Soldier’s Chief

Soldiers and People

King  Gonario                        His Phantom

THE PLOT

On the  tribe of  Nure reigns Itzocar, who rose in command twenty years before,  when  his brother Gonario, suddenly died.

In so doing Itzocar has however willfully ignored the rules regarding the succession imposed by ancient tradition , who foresaw the Regency of Gonario’s widow,  Nakigia, at least until the grown age of his son Rumisu, still a child at the time of death of the king Gonario.

Trying to legitimize and strengthen the usurped power Itzocar and authoritative Anù, Member of the Council of elders of Nure, combine a double marriage: Damasu, designed by his father Itzocar to succeed him on the throne, will marry Aristea (who is daughter to deceased King's sister, Alàshia), while Elki, son of Anù  will marry  Gula (daughter of Itzocar).

But Nakigia, widow to Gonario,  who is contrary to weddings, invited to depose the gifts on behalf of Anù, invites the nobles, priests and the people waiting for the awakening of Bithia Priestess ( mother of Iolaus), who has been doing the rite of incubation, waiting for a forseen dream,  to refuse the wedding at least until Bithia’s reveil.

Rumisu, son to deceased King Gonario and to Nakigia , aims to remove Uncle Itzocar in the command , feeling empowered.

While Nakigia exposes his call to wait, Bithia awakens and describes his dream of doom: a Sun swallowed by the Moon(Song of Bitia).

 Immediately after bursts on the scene Rumisu accusing Uncle Itzocar to have usurped the command (song of  Rumisu).

At the end of  Rumisu’s song, Damasu enters in defense of his father Itzocar.

The two men fight hand-to-hand.

The winner will be Rumisu. The loser Damasu abandons the village.

Rumisu, ripped the stick and the mantle from his uncle Itzocar, that will follow with his wife Irìsa the defeated son, sits on the throne and invites Aristea to join him at his side.

 But Iolaus and Aristea announce their love. And while the people and the guards, let the two lovers pass by, sadly Rumisu will leave the scene defeated by his own lust for power.

The ghost of King Gonario appears to underline the right rules with the song  of Akinta Kamar.

When Gonario goes out of scene, all the people will dance, celebrating the Last Moon, before the sun takes over the power for ever.

FIRST SCENE

 (the scene opens to the central square of the nuragic village of Nure. In the background,   a sacred well of nuragic period and in the distance the towers of the village; the half moon   shines in the blue sky; a mixed group  are dancing  a nuragic appropriate dance of good luck wishing at the double promise of marriage between Damasu and Aristea and between Elki and Gula.

 The choir will be singing the following air)

Come on, come on, lights from the sky

Come on, bright and pregnant

Come to the aiming water

Come on, come on, lights from the sky

Itzocar (standing up and beating the sheep’s stick for thrice, calling for silence)

-        People of  Shardana! Listen to me! I, Itzocar, King of Nure, today  I promise by the present announcement the wedding of my son  Damasu with the nice princess  Aristea ((Aristea,  will cover her face with the veil;  later on this sign, soon interpreted as shyness,  will be revealed  a gesture of refusing !)

 And when the Moon is sank  in the sacred well, nobody will be able to deny this promise  I’m doing in front of you; I call everybody as witnesses  as I confirm the promise with the gifts that my wife  Irìsa will pose hereafter in the well;

Irìsa (she stands solemnly up and goes to put the presents by the sacred well; then one ancill will give her a veil whom with she will tie one the couples)

-         You will be tied together for all your life, in luckiness and sadness! For ever and ever!

Anù (leaving the priest’s assembly will repeat the same Itzocar’s words, inviting Nakigia, being him a widower, to deal the bribes)

-         And I, Anù, Mayor between the Mayors of  Nure, announcing and  pronouncing  the weddings of my son  Elki with the beloved king’s Itzocar daughter , the nice Gula(he will stare at  Gula  who according to tradition will hide her own face with the veil) and because I’m a widower it’s up to the first Priestess Nakigia to present the gifts in front of the people!

Nakigia ( she will solemnly occupy the center stage, which will be promptly released,   but without taking any the gifts of  Anù and leaving drop off the veil brought to her for tieing the other couple ).

         - Is not that the way we used to present our weddings in the sacred well of Garlo in this country! Not even for the ancient habits  and not really while our priestess  Bithia   is still consulting our Gods! (everybody will turn towards the sacred tub of prediction where Bithia is staying, while the heads and the priests shall lift buzz of discontent and protests; but the protest stops while leaping from  the sacred cavern from which Bithia, cataplexy, comes, sustained  by the vestals to occupy the center stage  and  begins to sing)