EY TO EY
A Play By
ALLEN LYNE.
©. 1990 Allen Lyne
8 Redgate Ct.
Moana Heights
South Australia 5169
Ph. (08) 8 327 4142
Researched with the community
at Lobethal March to May 1990
In 1990 I found myself in the strange position of being asked to
write a play about a church and seminary. I'm either an agnostic
or an atheist, I've never been able to work out which. The church
leaders in Lobethal had seen a play I was commissioned to write
and produce about the history and closure of the woollen mills in
Lobethal.
When I was approached to write Ey to Ey, I told them they had the
wrong person. They were convinced I was the right person for the
job on the strength of my work with young people and others
from the local community on the previous play. And that is how
this happy association came about. I very much enjoyed working
with the wonderful congregation, ministers and elders of the
church in this lovely little town in the Adelaide Hills. To make the
experience even sweeter, I married the most beautiful woman in
Lobethal--well, the world really--so maybe there is a God.
MUSIC: CENTRAL AREA LIGHTING UP AS NARRATOR ENTERS
Narrator
Good evening ladies, gentlemen and others and welcome to
our play, Ey to Ey. Tonight you are going to see some of the
history of Lobethal unfold before you. Our play tonight is based
on the stories of Anna (Special up on Anna 1. She bows to the
audience)... and Rudolph Ey.(Special up on Rudolph 1. He bows
to the audience)... Tonight live here on stage, you are also going to
see some of the history of the early South Australian Lutheran church.
HAHNDORF SPECIAL ON KAVEL. LOBETHAL SPECIAL ON FRITZSCHE
Kavel
Heretic!
Fritzsche
Chiliast!
SPECIALS OUT.
Narrator
Pastors Kavel and Fritzsche. Two of the earliest pastors in South
and an odd few pastors - and some of them were very odd indeed -
you will also meet lots of other fascinating characters from Lobethal's
early history. Teacher Mueller ....
SPECIAL ON MUELLER RIGHT ARM OF CROSS.
Mueller
That boy, what are you doing? Put it away at once. You'll go blind!
Narrator
Mrs Oster, Anna's mother.
SPECIAL ON MRS OSTER LEFT ARM OF CROSS.
Anna 1
Is that you, Mum?.
Mrs Oster
Aye aye, Anna.
Narrator
And we also have a number of Anna's of different ages.
LOBETHAL END LIGHTS UP.
Anna 2
I'm Anna when she was eight years old.
Anna 3
I'm Anna when she was fourteen years old.
Anna 4
I'm Anna when she was in her twenties.
Anna 5
And I'm Anna later in her life.
Anna 1
And I'm Anna later still.
Narrator
Only her hairdresser will ever really know. And we have a few
Rudolph Eys for you as well.
LOBETHAL END LIGHTS OUT. HAHNDORF END LIGHTS UP
Rudolph 2
I'm the younger Rudolph.
Rudolph 3
I'm a bit older.
Rudolph 1
And I'm older still.
HAHNDORF END LIGHTS OUT.
Narrator
There are lots of other characters in the play and you'll meet them
all soon. Most people play more than one character and
occasionally I'll put on a costume and join the action. Don't be
confused mum. It's still really me. Oh. before we start. While we
were writing this play lots of jokes came up about the name Ey. It
sort of lends itself to comedy, doesn't it? So we thought we'd get
rid of all the bad Ey jokes before we start. If you can think of any
more, come up and tell us after the show. As long as they're clean.
We called the show tonight EY to EY but we had a few other Ey deas.
How about THE EYES HAVE IT? No? LIFE IN LOBETHAL
THROUGH THE EYES OF THE EYS? EYBALL TO EYBALL? I
guess that's a bit too ey ronic ... Still, it was a bit of an ey opener. Is
all this ey deologically sound? It's enough to make ey scream
aaaaaaaaargh! Oh, there's lots more. What sort of milk would Pastor
Ey's cows give. (if they don't get it) Pasteurised. What do you call
a prostitute who is not working?
CAST SING IDLE VICE IDLE VICE.
Mueller
We are going to do a test on this later. Wake up!
Narrator
Thank you Teacher Mueller. Now go back to your pupils.
I better put the lid on these jokes or I might get the lash.
What a pity we couldn't think of any more musical jokes.
CAST SINGS ONE LINE OF AYE AYE AYE AYE.
Narrator
And of course at Anna Ey's birthday party she could have
Ey talians as guests, play Ey spy and have Ey cing on her
cake. You think these are bad. You should have heard the
ones we rejected. Anna and Rudolph Ey were walking down
the street in Lobethal one day when suddenly there was a
gunshot. The bullet passed right between the two of them
Guess what Anna said ... Phew, that was close. Right
between the Eys. Enough of this frivolity. This is a serious
piece of work about a serious subject and it's time to get on with
it. Oh, one more thing. We want you to join in and help make
the show work. Apart from singing the odd song, and the words
are on your program so keep it handy, apart from that, we want
you to respond to certain things for us. During the play you will be
asked to tell the characters what to do at certain times. You will
be asked, all in favour? Guess what your response is ...(AYE)...
And now who wants the show to go on? All in favour...?
CENTRAL AREA LIGHTING OUT.
Anna 1
My name is Anna Ey and I lived in Lobethal for many years.
This is Rudolph who became my husband. I loved him very
much ... Oh, Rudolph.
Rudolph 1
Oh, Anna.
GENERAL LIGHTING UP.
Whole Cast
Sing
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD
AND I WAS THE ONLY BOY
NOTHING ELSE WOULD MATTER IN THE WORLD TODAY
WE COULD GO ON LOVING IN THE SAME OLD WAY
A GARDEN OF EDEN JUST MADE FOR TWO
WITH NOTHING TO MAR OUR JOY
I WOULD SAY SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS TO YOU
THERE WOULD BE SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD
AND I WAS THE ONLY BOY.
I WOULD SAY SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS TO YOU
THERE WOULD BE SUCH WONDERFUL THINGS TO DO
IF YOU WERE THE ONLY GIRL IN THE WORLD
AND I WAS THE ONLY BOY
GENERAL LIGHTING OUT.
Rudolph 1
I arrived here in South Australia in 1855 some years after
my future wife. ... Oh, Anna.
Anna 1
Oh, Rudolph. ... In 1900 when I was sixty one my eldest son
convinced me to write my memoirs. That's this book here.
Early Lutheran Congregations in
Pastor's Wife. Only six dollars from Lutheran bookshops
everywhere and a very good book indeed.
Rudolph 1
I wrote a book too.- Early Tales: Beginnings of the Lutheran
Church in
find it in the archives and if enough of you ask for it they will
reprint it.
LOBETHAL SPECIAL ON NARRATOR.
Narrator
Enough commercials. Anyone would think they got royalties.
Get on with the show. Ladies and gentlemen, what do you say
we go back to 1900 and start the show? All in favour…?
SPECIAL OUT ON NARRATOR.
Anna 1
I began to write my memoirs in 1900 at the age of 61 at the behest
of my eldest son, Louis Ey. Oh the things that I saw in my lifetime.
It seems impossible to document your life, how you felt, what you saw.
I'm getting on in years now and it's time for me to record as much of it
as I can. But how to make you, my readers, see as I have seen? No
matter, this book is for those of my family who come after me. I was
born at Metz in Lorraine on July 8, 1839. How's that for an opening?
All in favour ... ? Right we'll keep that. In 1843, when I was four we
moved to Posen and there we had to learn to speak German properly.
Up to then we had spoken mainly French and we were called the little
Frenchmen.
Rudolph 1
Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations,
ask thy father and he will show thee, thy elders, and they will tell thee.
Deuteronomy 32 verse 7. The trouble is the elders tell it from their
own biased point of view and I have been accused of doing the same
thing. I wrote nothing that wasn't true. Every fact can be checked for
historical accuracy. I wrote copiously on the early history of the
Lutheran church in South Australia.
LIGHTS UP ON CENTRAL AREA AND LEFT CROSS.
Mrs Oster
Anna. Anna. Where are you, it's time to leave. What's the matter
child. Standing here dreaming when we're ready to go?
Anna 2
I was just saying goodbye to our house.
Mrs Oster
Oh, Anna. Dear little Anna. Don't be sad. We are going to a new
land and there we will have a new home even better than this one.
Come, the coachman is ready for us.
Anna 2
Just one moment longer Mama?
Mrs Oster
Alright, but only a minute Anna and no more.
LIGHTS DOWN LEFT CROSS
Anna 2
(sings) Oh my Lord Jesus, thy presence near me.
Peace and tranquility brings to my heart.
How blessed thy look of loving compassion
My whole being urges to thank and to praise.
ANNA 1 SINGS THE LAST LINE OF THE SONG.
Anna 1
How very sad I felt, standing in that empty room a day after
my eighth birthday with the furniture and everything gone.
Mrs Oster
Anna! Come along now.
LITTLE ANNA LEAVES. LIGHTS DOWN ON CENTRAL AREA.
Anna 1
I think now that my sadness
was a presentiment of what
lay before us.
Rudolph 1
I arrived at Port Adelaide on New Year's Day 1855 with my parents and
my brother. I was a trained teacher. My father and brother were
clerical workers, but we couldn't find jobs here, so we all finished up
cracking stones on the roads. My father and brother went to the
diggings at Ballarat and I accepted the appointment of teacher at
Klemzig. One year after I started there, the congregation split over
a most extraordinary incident. The pastor at the time, Pastor
Masschmedt claimed ....
HAHNDORF SPECIAL ON MASSCHMEDT.
Masschmedt
The world is square!
SPECIAL OUT ON MASSCHMEDT.
Rudolph 1
Some people agreed with the Pastor and so the congregation split.
I decided to go to the diggings and join my father and brother, but
a call came to become teacher at Mount Torrens. I didn't know
what to do.
CENTRAL AREA LIGHTING UP.
Rudolph 2
What should I do? Should I become teacher at Mount Torrens?
All in favour...?...Right. I'll go.
LIGHTS DOWN ON CENTRAL AREA.
Anna 1
The ship we were to sail to South Australia in was to make its
maiden voyage. The captain gave my father a great honour.
HAHNDORF END LIGHTS UP.
Captain
Pastor Oster, will you name the ship for us?
Oster
Why, certainly. I hereby name this ship Martin Luther!
Captain
No! I'll never be allowed to land in a Catholic port.
Oster
How about the Gellert? That's a nice name. Shall we
name it the Gellert? All in favour? Right! The Gellert she is.
HAHNDORF END LIGHTS DOWN. WE SEE MRS OSTER
AND ANNA 2 DIMLY LIT IN CENTRAL AREA DURING
THIS NEXT BIT. MUSIC: ABIDE WITH ME.
Anna 1
On the voyage out, my father, my dear good father, died.
Even today after more than half a century has passed, when
I stand on the beach and look at the sea I feel as if I am at
my father's grave. I have the comfort of knowing that on
judgment day the sea will give up its dead.
When we got to South Australia, my newly widowed mother
had to decide where to go. We had the choice of Hahndorf or Lobethal.
MUSIC FINISHES. MRS OSTER AND ANNA 2 MOVE CENTRE.
LIGHTS UP TO FULL ON THEM.
Mrs Oster
Oh, I can't make up my mind where to go. What do you think?
Hahndorf? All in favour of Hahndorf ... ?. Lobethal. All in favour ... ?
Lobethal it is!
LIGHTS DOWN ON CENTRAL AREA.
Anna 1
Teacher Mueller and Mr. Kleinschmidt came down in a wagon to get
us. We had to make arrangements for our furniture to be brought to
Lobethal by bullock dray. There were no roads then and the dray
overturned a number of times. Some of our furniture was smashed
and some of our precious books were lost. This was another burden
for my mother to bear in her sadness. But soon we were snug and as
happy as we could be in our new home and then we began to learn
about the beginnings of the town of Lobethal only five years before
our arrival.
THE CONGREGATION HAS ENTERED DURING THE LAST
SPEECH. THEY SIT IN THE CENTRE FACING THE LOBETHAL
END. LIGHTS UP ON CENTRAL AREA. KRUMMNOW'S
THEME BEGINS AS HE MOVES THROUGH THE SPACE.
HE IS DRESSED IN A BLACK CAPE AND WEARS A BLACK HAT
Krummnow
Ah hah! Soon it will be mine, all mine. These people, this
congregation will do my bidding or my name's not Krummnow!
KRUMMNOW GOES TO THE RIGHT ARM OF THE CROSS.
LOBETHAL END LIGHTING UP.
Mueller
I've called this meeting to tell you that I have found a wonderful
valley on the western branch of the Onkaparinga. The country
there is as good as you could find. I say we should buy it. All
in favour .... ?
EACH SETTLER STANDS AS THEY SPEAK.
Settler 1
None of us want to stay in Hahndorf working other people's
land a moment longer than we have to.
Settler 2
But we don't want to pay seven pounds an acre for land that's
worth only one pound an acre like the Hahndorf congregation did.
Settler 3
We can't buy land because we are not British subjects.
KRUMMNOW MOVES TO THE FRONT OF THE CONGREGATION.
MUELLER MOVES TO THE LEFT OF HIM.
Krummnow
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Krummnow and
I am that rare commodity, a German and a naturalised British subject.
I will buy the land for you and you will only pay one pound per acre.
MUCH CELEBRATION.
Krummnow
Trust me, my friends and I will do this deed for you.
Mueller
Three cheers for Mr. Krummnow
AFTER THE CHEERS, CENTRE AREA LIGHTS DIM.
LOBETHAL SPECIAL UP ON KRUMMNOW.
Krummnow
will buy the land for them, but they must do as I wish. This
settlement will be mine, mine. They will make me their spiritual
leader. You wait and see.
LOBETHAL SPECIAL OUT. CENTRE AREA LIGHTS UP FULL.
FRITZSCHE IS RIGHT, MUELLER LEFT.
Fritzsche
You must beware, brother Mueller, of this man Krummnow.
He is evil. Why it is reputed that he is a c a c a ccccccccccc....
Anna 1
Communist.
Fritzsche
Thank you. I have heard it said that he wants to start a ccccccccc
Anna 1
Communist
Fritzsche
Thank you. ... settlement and that he will stop at nothing to impose
his cccccccccccccc....
Anna 1
Communistic.
Fritzsche
Thank you .... ideas upon our congregation. Be warned, brother Mueller.
This man is up to no good.
Mueller
We are in
Fritzsche
And what would Australians think?
Mueller
She'll be right!
Anna 1
Poor Pastor Fritzsche was so horrified he couldn't even bring
himself to say the word.
Fritzsche
Ccccccccccc.....
Anna 1
Communist.
Fritzsche
Thank you
LIGHTS DIM CENTRAL AREA.
Anna 1
So eighteen of the families who had come out on the Skjold
with pastor Fritzsche decided to buy the land which became
Lobethal. First they had to have the land surveyed.
The government surveyor wanted 20 pounds to do the job.
LIGHTS UP TO FULL CENTRAL AREA.
Mueller
Twenty pounds? We can do better than that.
BAKER RUNS IN FROM THE HAHNDORF END. HE
JUMPS OVER THE CONGREGATION AND LANDS IN
FRONT OF MUELLER.
Baker
I'll do it for ten.
Mueller
Ten pounds instead of twenty? It's a deal, Mr. Baker.
Baker
I'll be finished in no time.
BAKER RUNS OUT THE WAY HE CAME.
Mueller
Mein Gott, I got done. I never saw Baker again. Oh, what shall
I do? I've lost ten pounds of the congregation's money. They'll
never trust me again. I know. I'll do the survey myself. Mr Kowald,
Mr. Krummnow, will you help me? Excuse me. Just shift your chair
there will you....
MUSIC. MUELLER KOWALD AND KRUMMNOW BEGIN TO SURVEY
THE LAND. THE REST OF THE CAST JOIN IN. THEY MAKE PEOPLE
SHIFT THEIR CHAIRS AND MAY EVEN MOVE A TABLE OR TWO.
IF POSSIBLE THEY SHOULD MAKE PEOPLE SIT ON THEIR
PARTNER'S LAPS.
Mueller
Finished! Now, how will we apportion the land. Hmm. How shall we divide
up these allotments? I know! We'll draw the names from a hat.
CAST COLLECT NAMES FROM TABLES AND PUT THEM IN THE HAT.
Krummnow
Hear ye hear ye hear ye. On this day the 4th of May 1842 we hereby raffle
the allotments of land for the hufendorfen. Has everyone got their names in
the hat? Stand by for the draw
DRUM ROLL. KRUMMNOW AND MUELLER DRAW THE LOTS. THERE IS
LOTS OF SHOUTING AND EXCITEMENT. AT THE END OF THE DRAWING
OF LOTS, LOBETHAL SPECIAL ON FRITZSCHE. MUSIC. UNDER
FRITZSCHE'S MONOLOGUE. REJOICE IN THE VALLEY.
Fritzsche
We are gathered here today to name this place which is to be our new home.
I would remind the congregation of the place and the circumstances we have
come from. In
our religion according to the gospel. Now we have the good fortune to live in a
land where we enjoy religious and civic freedom. This is no small matter given
the state of the world today with its wars, its strife and its intolerance for freedom
of thought and expression. It is therefore appropriate to express our gladness and
our gratitude in a name signifying thanksgiving and praise. I therefore suggest we
name this place Lobethal on the basis of Two Chronicles 20 to 26 which, in Luther's
version, reads and I quote: "And on the fourth day they assembled themselves at
Lobethal, for there they praised the Lord; therefore the place was called Lobethal
unto this day." Unquote. Let us name our new home Lobethal. Praise Valley. All in
favour ... Lobethal it is.
LOBETHAL SPECIAL OUT ON FRITZSCHE.
Mueller
Well that's that then. A very successful distribution of land if I do
say so myself.
Settler 1
Err, where's the four acres of land for the church?
Mueller
The church?
Krummnow
The church?
Settler 2
The church!
All
The church!
MUCH HUBBUB WITH PEOPLE SAYING THINGS LIKE:
WELL I'M NOT GIVING ANY OF MINE. IT'S NOT MY FAULT.
SILLY CLOTS. ETC.
Mueller
Oh, alright! There's two acres of land left over after the distribution
and I'll give two acres of my lot.
SETTLERS CELEBRATE. THEY FREEZE IN POSITION AS THE
LOBETHAL SPECIAL COMES UP ON KRUMMNOW. HIS THEME
MUSIC BEGINS.
Krummnow
The place is settled the scene is set. I'll be the Bishop of Lobethal yet.
THEME MUSIC ENDS. CROSSFADE TO LOBETHAL END LIGHTS.
Krummnow
Citizens of Lobethal. I have asked you to gather here today on the site of
our new church to make an announcement. I want you all to follow me
Settler 3
Where are you going?
Krummnow
Nowhere. I hereby declare myself the spiritual leader of you all. Follow me,
for I know the path to follow. Follow me for I am the truth and the light. I have
it all written down here in my manifesto.
Fritzsche
I told you he was a cccccccccccccc....
Anna 1
Communist!
Fritzsche
Thank you. .... and to be careful. Now he has control of our land.
Krummnow
We must form ourselves into an exclusive community. Only people who own
land in Lobethal will be allowed to live in Lobethal. We will have communal
ownership of everything. All of our produce shall be shared. All of our wealth
and possessions Soon we will be the wealthiest town in the entire colony.
What do you say.
MUCH MURMURING FROM THE CROWD
Fritzsche
Mr Krummnow. As pastor of this flock I order you to
stop. You are not ordained in the light of god, man.
..................................
Will Krumnow succeed in his purpose? Or will the good Pastor triumph.
There is a lot more history and play available if you email me that you
want to read the rest.