Stagolee Rises

STAGOLEE RISES

The day opens to a crisp sunny, yet slightly windy mid-summer day. The vernacular architecture is shown in clear sight as a mansion comes in to view on a Mississippi Plantation in 1856. The colors of the flowers and manicured yard surrounding the mansion comes in stark contrast to the whipping noise that draws the view away from the mansion to what seems to be just paces away, down a hill of rolling daises. A clearing around three large oak tress reveal a grassless trampled area.

Flowing with the changing perspective and attention to the Oak tree clearing, is the attention of at least thirty enslaved workers walking toward the clearing. Men, women, and a few children with hands and feet exposed, showing years of hard work, and expressions of neutrality and numbness on sun bathed faces, gather around as a tall slender, well dressed, white male practices a whipping stroke. Some of the children take a detour, and can be seen near a faraway pond playing and running. Obviously oblivious to the true horizon, only the teens seemed to gravitate to the Oak Trees.

A black male, Fineus, is strapped to one of the Oak Trees, and the sun bathed faces of those gathered are boldly juxtaposed to a background of children playing in the far away background. Fineus is quiet, though a rage of fear is apparent on his face. The slender white male, the owner, James Alcorn, stops his practicing and hands the whip to another white male Arthur Sullivan, in worn clothes, similar to those of the enslaved workers. His persona was confident, physically strong, though his face was old and tattered. A man in his 60’s with a body of a man in his 30’s, he turns to one of the teen male workers, Stagolee, and calls for him to fetch a rag.

As Stagolee walks to fetch the rag, Arthur begins to snap the whip against the back of the man strapped to the tree. The first thunderous stroke, 10 times louder than Alcorn’s, storms to the back of the male, and pulls a jolt from those that are gathered. One of the older women, Ellie, Stagolee’s mother, sheds a tear from her numb face, and the children in the far background are no longer at play, standing still. Arthur’s second crack is heard in the background, as Stagolee is seen walking to the rag with a gait that is un-phased by the cracking. At least five cracks fall, as Stagolee returns with the rag and inquires of Arthur in a neutral voice, “what did this one do?” Ellie can be seen turning to Stagolee, shamefully.

Arthur shares with Stagolee that the young man tried to leave the plantation. Stagolee ponders amidst the tenth crack that the punishment fits the crime, and freedom is not found away when all that is needed is on the Plantation. Fineus dies. Those gathered show anger in their faces and began to leave the Oak Trees, Ellie stays. Ellie shares that “Freedom costs, and it is nowhere close.” Stagolee and Ellie, discuss examples, and he only gravitates to the notion that James Alcorn is free. Stagolee’s behavior on the plantation becomes one example after another of a young male oblivious to his surroundings. This has earned him access to the mansion, where it is revealed that he has secretly learned to read over the past years by Sarah Alcorn (daughter), a skill he sees a novelty. It also appears that Mrs. Julia Alcorn finds Stagolee attractive, as does Sarah – though secretly. Within a few days of Fineus’ death, Stagolee turns eighteen and asks James Alcorn about power and freedom. Alcorn shares that he would like to have Stagolee take Arthur’s place one day, saving him wages and he could then have power, and the freedom to walk the plantation in service to him. A brief discussion about what that means, shows a seemingly fatherly exchange between the two, as Alcorn states that “punishment is the end, though you must, it only occurs after your threats are exhausted.” Stagolee appears to absorb. Within 48 hours, Arthur is severely hurt by horses on the plantation, and Alcorn discusses with his wife his plan of handing Arthur’s role to Stagolee. He also reveals that Stagolee is actually his son. Stagolee proves his loyalty by whipping a young woman to the dismay of those gathered. Ironically, the children seemed to see Stagolee as powerful and watch the whipping in agreement and smiles. Ellie is disgusted and hears it from other elders. She also hears from Sarah that Stagolee is sleeping with Mrs. Alcorn and that Mr. Alcorn has just learned she is also sleeping with a worker, but does not know who. Sarah shares that she no longer wants Stagolee and plans to move north with the first suitor that will take her. That night, Mr. Alcorn tells Stagolee to whip the young worker he believes to be the one in the morning. Stagolee has a problem, as he knows that he is about to punish him for nothing. He tells Ellie the dilemma and that he wants to tell Mr. Alcorn the truth. Ellie completely disagrees and tells Stagolee that he has the Freedom to either whip or run, but Mr. Alcorn does not deserve the truth.

The morning comes, and Alcorn is practicing his whip. This signals all to gather at the Oak Trees. All the children come immediately, and whispers of the name Stagolee can be heard among them. The rest make it, and Mrs. Alcorn can be seen in the background watching, smirking. Mr. Alcorn hands Stagolee the whip. Stagolee, hesitates, then tells Mr. Alcorn the truth. Mr. Alcorn retrieves the whip and directs his wife to the tree. Mr. Alcorn pulls back the whip for his first crack, and slams it into the neck of Mrs. Alcorn, pulling her to the ground. No one helps, as Alcorn cracks the next at Stagolee several times, sending him to the ground next to Mrs. Alcorn. Mrs. Alcorn yells, he is your son. The whispers and gaps in the crowd of workers gives Alcon a pause, and Stagolee is able to grab the whip and pull Alcorn to the ground. Stagolee rises with the whip to tower above Mr. and Mrs. Alcorn. Stagolee directs five children to tie up Mr. Alcorn and take him inside, and five others to watch over Mrs. Alcorn.

The children drag the fighting Alcorn into the dining room and affix him to a chair. Stagolee comes in. “When you stop showing your face, people will come in search of answers. We need to have a plan. We need to run.” Stagolee looks around the dining room, and starts to put silver plates and goblets in a table cloth. A glance back at Mr. Alcorn, Stagolee catches him snatching his stare from the top of a cabinet. “There is something up there,” Stagolee walks to the cabinet looking back at Alcorn. Alcorn looks away and down. Stagolee begins pulling papers and receipts from the drawers. He finds a little black book. It’s leather with a buckle, worn on the edges. “Stagolee, you runt, you will not live to see another sun rise.”

“Sir, Dad, pops? You have not said one word since being dragged in here, until I touched this little black book.” He puts it on the table and continues to sift through the drawers. He pulls out a black revolver, loaded with three bullets. He looks at the gun, the table and Mr. Alcorn while holding the gun. “What’s in that book?” Stagolee grabs and opens the book. Listings of slave sales and pencil drawings of the Alcorn plantation. “What do these red figures mean?” There are five red marks superimposed over the map of the plantation. One of which is a “D.R.” over the house location with $20,000. The others, Oak Tree $17, 000, stable $62,000. “Mr. Alcorn, this is a map, a little black book of money. Is there really $20,000 in this house? D. R? Dining Room. Is there $20,000 in this room?” Stagolee looks down to see a hole in the floor and lifts a panel to reveal a burlap sack. Stagolee rises up. On the plantation, everyone is startled and looks back at the Plantation house, when a revolver shot is fired.

Two weeks later, a new scene is shown with the Plantation up for auction. The auctioneer tells a potential buyer the story of a slave, Fineus that died trying to flee, and killed the owners Julia and James Alcorn in the act. The daughter is grief stricken and is now selling the plantation to fund her move north. The plantation is sold to an old single unapologetic racist man for $37, 000. The scene cuts to Stagolee giving a tour to the new owner, Augustus Leflore, and directs him to a small basement on the property. Leflore sees a large black male standing guard to a well-furnished basement. “This is where you will live, unless you agree to an offer. We will pomp you around town once a month, so people can see that you are alive and we will run this plantation. Or you can sell me the plantation, free and clear for $45,000. Leave and never come back, having made your money.”

Augustus Leflore sold the planation and left for Virginia. He was unaware that Stagolee sent him a visitor to ensure his silence two months later. In the meantime, a worker comes to the Stagolee to inform him, that his mother has shared disgust about his behavior. Miss Ellie gathered eight boys at the hush arbor one night and told them about the life of Fineus and other slaves that tried to escape. The tales of split families and reunion. She also shares with tearful shame her disappointment in her son, Stagolee’s brutal tactics. “He needs to be stopped, he is drunk with power.”

The End