The Medicine Show

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The Medicine Show

by Stuart Walker

Genre: Comedy
Setting: America
Format of Original Source: Play
Recommended Adaptation Length:

Candidate for Adaptation? Not Reviewed

EXCERPT:

DOCTOR. There ain’t enough home industry here in Rock Springs. We got a canning fact’ry and a stea’mill; but here comes a medicine show from Ioway–a Kickapoo Indian Medicine Show from Ioway! Now–what we need in Rock Springs is a medicine show! [He waits for the effect upon his audience.]

LUT’ER [after a pause]. How yer goin’ ter git it?

DOCTOR. Well, here’s my proposition. Ain’t we got as much horse sense as them Ioway Indians?

LUT’ER. A damn sight more. [That is the evident answer to the Doctor, but Lut’er develops a further idea.] We got the country from the Indians.

GIZ [after a moment of accumulating admiration]. By Golly, Lut’er, yer right.

DOCTOR. Now, I got some medicine science. I’d ‘a’ cured my second wife if it hadn’t been for that busted winder.

GIZ. Yeh, but what come o’ yer first wife?

DOCTOR. I could ‘a’ cured her, too, only I hadn’t found the Family Medicine Book then.

LUT’ER. Well, what I wanter know is–what’s yer proposition…. I’m in a hurry…. Here comes the Hattie Brown.

[The Hattie Brown and the whistle of the steam-mill indicate noon. Lut’er takes in the line–removes the fishing worm and puts it in his pocket.]

DOCTOR. Well, I’ll make the salve an’ do the talkin’;

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