ACT ONE

SCENE 1

Black out. Lights come up slowly during voice overs, which get louder.

The Dauphin is asleep in bed.

Voices             France will be united.
                        Crown the King.
                      I must march into battle.
                        She's a child, and a girl.
                        Burn the witch.
                        Listen to your council.
                        Take up the sword for France.
                        Because God told me so.
                        Long live the King.
                        Go to church often.
                        Heresy and witchcraft.
                        Be good and do what God tells you.
                        Tied to the stake.
                        It is God's will.
                        Burned alive.
                        You can't save her.
                        Death by burning.
                        I'm innocent.
                        Burn her.(underlighting up on Joan tied to the stake)
                        Innocent!
                        Burn her!!!

Dauphin (wakes in cold sweat.Lights crossfade from Joan ) No! Nooo!(Page comes running)

Page What is it my Lord?

Dauphin (rising) A dream. Just a dream. I must do something. These dreams, they are a message to me to do something.

Page It's over my Lord. You just need to forget it and rest.

Dauphin But it's not over, is it? These dreams come to remind me. Remind me of my negligence, my cowardice.

Page But my Lord, you said yourself, there was nothing you could do, it was out of your hands.

Dauphin It's amazing what you can make people believe, just because you are the King! I did nothing when I should have. But I will not be accused of it a second time. I am being given a second chance, and by God, I am going to make the most of  it. Bring me my clothes. And send for the Bishop. I am feeling troubled.

Page Troubled Sire?

Dauphin Yes, I am troubled. They are right who say the past will come back to haunt you.

Page I don’t follow, Sire.

Dauphin Joan. My haunted past is full of Joan.

Page Joan haunts you?

Dauphin No sir, I haunt myself.(Page is confused) So many things I could have done, and didn’t. Decisions that were mine to make, that I allowed others to control.(sighs) But these ghosts can be exorcised.

Page Yes Sire, by the Bishop?

Dauphin No boy, by me! We are having a trial.  A new trial for Joan The Maid. A trial that will exonerate Joan and glorify God. Yes, The Vindication Trial.

                    
SCENE 2

Council This trial, opening November 1455, is for the purpose of deciding whether Joan d’Arc, known as The Maid, was given a fair trial in 1431, before being sentenced to death. We will hear from one hundred and fifteen witnesses who knew Joan. People who grew up with her, those who fought beside her , and those who were at her condemnation trial. As God is our witness, we will reveal the truth about Joan.

Council (speaking to the witness) Can you please tell the court who you are.

Mother I am Isabelle, wife of Jacques d'Arc.

Council You are the mother of Joan The Maid?

Mother Yes.

Council Tell us about her childhood.

Mother She was born and raised in Domremy, as were all our children. She learned to sew and spin and cook along with the other girls. We are simple people. Joan was a good girl. She did what she was told. There was nothing unusual about her.

Council Except her voices.

SCENE 3

(Crossfade to childhood. Joan downstage praying. Mother is talking to a friend while they sew.)

Friend I saw your Joan down at the chapel again. What does she do there all the time?

Mother Pray.

Friend Really? All that time?

Mother She loves God.

Friend My daughter was saying that they have heard Joan talking to herself.

Mother Everyone talks to themselves.

Friend But this was different. She said it was like she was talking to someone real, and when she finished, her face was shining.

Mother I think she is special. That God will use her.

Friend Just as long as your Jacques doesn’t see her. You know what he’s like.

Mother Here she comes.(Joan enters) Joan, where have you been?

Joan I was at the chapel.

Mother Have you finish all your work?

Joan Yes.

Friend Be careful not to get too caught up in what the priest says. All that church can’t be good for a person. You need to have some fun, too.

Joan Prayer is fun! There is nothing else I would rather do.

Friend Don’t let your Father hear you say that.

Mother She is right, Joan. Prayer has its place.

Joan But Mother, surely we all answer to God, and if He tells me to pray, shouldn't I obey Him?

Mother You must do what you think is right, Joan, but remember the commandments – honour thy mother and father.

Joan You are right. Where is Father?(there is a commotion outside)

Villager (off) Jacques, the raiders are coming!

Mother Raiders! Quick, leave everything. Joan, help me get the children over to the island.(they exit as raider runs in carrying a torch)

Raiders (off) Grab what you can. Get all that livestock for food. (enters Joan's house and starts to gather food and whatever he can find including a blanket) Come on, let's go!

Mother (entering with Joan) At least they didn’t set fire to our houses this time. What is missing?

Joan My blanket! They have taken my blanket. What am I supposed to use now? I hate those English!

Mother God will look after us, Joan, He always does.

SCENE 4        

(crossfade back to courtroom)

Mother It was a hard time for our village. Lots of raids. And fear of the plague. But God was with us. He protected us.

Council Now it was said that Joan ran away without your permission, to see Robert de Baudricourt.

Mother She knew her Father would have stopped her, forbidden her to go. She went to a relative and he helped her.

Council She didn’t heed the commandment of honour mother and father?

Mother She wrote to us after to ask our pardon. But she had to go. God had given her a task.

Council You believe it was God that she heard from?

Mother Yes!

Council How can you be so sure?

Mother I had a daughter who was raised in the fear of God and respect for the church, which she went frequently to. But certain enemies betrayed her in a trial concerning the Faith and without any aid given to her in a violent and iniquitous trial, without shadow of right, they condemned her in a damnable and criminal fashion and made her die most cruelly by fire. Do you know what her final words were, Sir? She cried out to her Saviour. To the only one she could trust. Jesus. There is no doubt in my mind that Joan heard the voice of God.

Council So she went to Vaucouleurs.

SCENE 5

(crossfade to Joan pleading with Jean)

Joan You must let me see him.

Jean I'm sorry. He's a busy man, and doesn't want to be disturbed. Perhaps I may be of some help, my little maid?

Joan Don't treat me like a child. I have been sent by God to accomplish His mission. I will not be turned away.

Jean Wait here, I will see....(lights come up on Baudricourt) Sir, there is a girl here to see you.

Baudricourt    Excellent thinking, Jean. Just what the doctor ordered, aye? A bit of tart to take ones mind off the bloody war.Send her in Jean. She may be just the distraction I need.

Jean No Sir. You don't understand. She isn't a prostitute.

Baudricourt    What a pity. Get a man's hopes up...Well, what does she want then?

Jean (hesitates) Er....

Baudricourt    Out with it man.

Jean She says she is sent by God. She wants you to give her a letter so she can go to see the King. She says that she is to raise the seige at Orleans so that the English can be defeated, and Charles can then be crowned at Reims.

Baudricourt    (pause as he absorbs this, then starts to laugh)   Well, that is quite an achievement for one girl. Can she have it done by dinner time? (laughs) Send her home Jean, and tell her Father to give her a good whipping and some more chores. She obviously has too much time on her hands. (Jean hesitates) Go! (he exits) Raise the seige at Orleans! Ha! They've been fighting that battle now for 9 months, and it looks to continue for at least another nine.(shakes head and sighs. There is a knock and Jean enters) Back already?

Jean Joan...the girl...has decided to stay on in Vaucouleurs. She has relatives here.

Baudricourt    (crossing to window) Is that her there? She's a child.

Jean But she has great wisdom!(sees Baudricourt looking at him) For one so young.

Baudricourt    Do you think I should see her?

Jean She is very persuasive Sir.

Baudricourt    (watching her out the window) She seems to have a few friends here. See, even the guards are talking to her.

Jean The people are beginning to believe the things she says.

Baudricourt    They believe that she will defeat the English?

Jean She has been sent by God. It is God who will defeat the English. Joan is just His messenger.

Baudricourt    Jean, are you telling me that you believe in this...Joan?

Jean Sir, the people are saying that she is the one of whom the prophecy speaks. She is The Maid.

Baudricourt    Aaah, the maid? Well, I'd better not be the one to stand in God's way. I will see her and judge for myself.

Jean Thankyou Sir. I'll fetch her, shall I? (exits. Baudricourt carries on with some paper work. Jean enters with Joan) Sir, this is Joan d'Arc.

Baudricourt    D'Arc? Don't I know your Father?

Joan Yes. Sir. He is the headman of the village of Domremy.

Baudricourt    Aaah yes. And what can I do for you, Joan of Domremy?

Joan (sure of herself, but unsure how to act) Sir, I need a horse and some men to accompany me to the court of the Dauphin. And I need a letter of introduction from you so I can have an audience with the Dauphin. Please. Sir.

Baudricourt    Oh, is that all? Why didn't you tell me it was such a small list, Jean? I would have thrown the money out of the window for you my dear!

Joan I know how this must seem to you, Sir, but this task has been given to me by God. It is He who commands it.

Baudricourt    God, aye? Well, well, well. Why doesn't God give you one of His horses, hmmm? Or better still, why doesn't God speak to the King himself, and save us all this bother?

Joan Sir, God uses those who are willing to be used by Him. He uses people to accomplish His plans. We cannot know why God chooses who He does. I myself did not ask for this mission. I would rather stay home and sew. But His ways are higher than mine, and better that I fail doing God's will, than succeed at doing my own.

Baudricourt    But what is this talk of raising the seige at Orleans? How do you hope to achieve that? Are you a trained soldier?

Joan I can only do what God has asked me to. But I can tell you that we will defeat the English at Orleans and the Dauphin will be crowned King of France.

Baudricourt    Why do you call him Dauphin when he is our King?

Joan He will be the King only when he has been crowned at Reims Cathedral.

Baudricourt    Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any. I hear we are doing better in the war. In fact the latest news tells me that we are fighting well at the Battle of the Herrings.

Joan No. We have been defeated there. A terrible defeat, with many French dead.

Baudricourt    (surprised) What? How do you know this? Where did you get your news from? All battle news is to come first to me.(looks at Jean who shrugs)

Joan Sir, my source is all-knowing.

Baudricourt    (angry)Well, I know of no such defeat. Go now, and I will think on your requests. (Joan exits) What do you think, Jean? Is she sent by God? Or just some peasant with a passion.

Jean My Lord, I think that she believes she is sent by God, that she is the predicted Maid from Lorraine. And who knows, maybe that will be enough.

Baudricourt   So you think that I should risk royal humiliation to send this child to the king just because it might be enough?

Jean Sir, you have to do what you think, but you asked my opinion.(There is a knock and a messenger enters)

Baudricourt Aah, what news?(Messenger hands scroll to him. As he reads it he pales and frowns) Where did you get this news?

Messenger Sir, I got it from the messenger who was sent from the battle front.

Baudricourt But when did you get it?

Messenger Sir, I have just recieved it. I brought it here directly.

Baudricourt  (angry) But who did you tell on the way here, hmm? Who finds out this news before I do? I should have you whipped!

Messenger Sir, I don't know what you are saying. I have always brought the news to you first.

Jean Sir, the message is sealed.

Baudricourt    Then he must have unsealed it! Get out! Get out of my sight!(Messenger goes to leave) Wait! I want you to fetch the priest. Go! (he leaves)

Jean What is in the message?

Sample Script - Joan of Arc