RED/BROWN HAIR, WAVY
HAZEL EYES
IRISH DESCENT
JACK O'CONNOR
WEARING CLOTHES TOO HEAVY FOR WEATHER
CORDUROY JACKET, KHAKI PANTS, BOTH TAN, HIKING BOOTS
Act 1 Scene 1: Jack enters clothing store in Puerta Vallarta looking for cooler clothes, meet.
Sweat is pouring in rivulets off my clothes. The weather here in Puerto Vallarta is beyond humid. Going through customs was quite an adventure. I felt totally on display and was asked many questions about the unusual substances in small containers used for testing of different small creatures to study here. Finally after much tedium, it’s off to towards downtown to get something to eat. There are shops everywhere. It would be fantastic to find something lighter and cooler to wear. About a block and a half into the trek, a shop catches my eye. A beautiful woman notices me looking through the window
It stops me in my tracks, sure it is both the lady in the window and the cool clothes that are all around her.
A walk into the shop leaves me feeling self-conscious. She is standing at a high front desk, marking price tags. Hope she speaks enough English to communicate with me.
"Excuse me, señorita, but I am looking for much lighter clothes, size large in most. Can you suggest something ?"
"What is your name, sir,?"
"My name is Jack. There a few things that look interesting. Those cotton shirts over there that are short sleeved and fairly thin, and possibly some shorts that would go with them."
"I think I have some shirts and shorts you might like better than those. Come over here to this back area."
She leads me through a door covered by a bead curtain, which clicks and clacks as we push it aside. In the back, is a colorful array of men's shirts and shorts. She goes over and pulls out one shirt and holds it up over a pair of shorts she chose.
" This pair of green shorts would go nicely with your reddish-brown hair, and this print shirt in tan tones would go well with your hazel eyes."
The combination looks good, it seems right. A look at her, and the same thought occurs, really pretty, lovely smile with full lips framed by sparkling brown eyes. “Sold if you’ll go have an ice tea with me afterward, where I can wear them and sort of advertise your shop at the same time unless this is too forward.”
"I think that sounds great as long as you’re not a bandido or serial killer. This was her way of keeping things light but she also looked very carefully at my response as I assured her I was neither a serial killer or bandido of humans but I have dissected and killed a number of bugs in my line of work and possibly stolen a few that are rare and valuable as well. This seems to intrigue her enough to let me know there is a great place for ice tea and pastries just up the way.
She pulls the shade in the display window and turns the Open sign around to say Closed. We step into the heat as she locks the door behind her. New cooler clothes seem to be doing the trick and her great looks makes me feel a bit cooler and hotter at the same time She is dressed in a local color sensual fitting cotton dress. We walk to the end of the shopping row and take a right. The coffee shop is mostly outdoors under a large awning. The breeze from the water is lightly blowing thru the narrow walkway and provides a little relief from the humidity.
She touches my arm and points to a table overlooking the water. "Please take a seat at the that table, and I'll go get us some iced tea and one of their pastries."
The table is round, heavy rattan with matching chairs that are quite comfortable. She joins me several minutes later with refreshments.
We sit in pleasant silence for awhile, sipping the iced tea. Finally I ask her if she has any suggestions for what might be fun to do for one day here.
She thinks about it for a minute, then says, "What do you do for a living? Maybe that would help me decide on something fun to do."
"I'm an entomologist, specializing in tropical insects, which is partly why I am here." I'm afraid I'm sounding geeky now, but I go on. "There is a unique insect that is known to have mystical properties that I would like to study. It is called the shamantina, Have you ever heard of it? It looks like a large orange and green ladybug. The shamantina has been sighted in the jungles a little north of here. The Huichol Indians discovered it, and told the local missionaries about it over 150 years ago."
"The story is that if the shamantina lands on you, it will leave a pollen-like substance on your skin that will change you dramatically."
This piques her interest, as she had heard of this bug when she was a child. "My grandmother told me a story of the shamantina landing on her. After that, Grandma told me about mystical experiences she had that included traveling in time."
It dawns on me I don’t know her name yet. “What’s your name."
"Anna” She tells me the full story, explaining that, after the shamantina landed on her, Grandma traveled to the distant past, and met the original shaman in one of the beautiful Aztec cities.
I tell her, "I think you may have just described an adventure I want to have. Do you know how to get to this place called Nayarit, just north of here?"
"Yes, my grandmother lived near there, and we would travel to see her every Christmas. I think I could find it again, and I'd like to go with you. I've always wanted the shamantina to land on me, too, after Grandma told me that story."
"Great!, I never expected you to say that. I would love to have you along. When can you leave?
“I can go tomorrow morning," I’ll close the shop for the rest of the week, and meet you here about nine . Does that work?"
"I'll be here, ready to go . What do you think I need to bring for this jungle hike, besides the clothes I'm wearing and my equipment? Anna, do you have a camera?”
She pauses for a minute and thinks about what I asked. "Bring a gallon of water, a small amount of cash, maybe a thousand pesos or so, any snacks you might have that are good for energy on a hike, and perhaps some kind of insect repellent for the mosquitoes. But let's have breakfast here first, and some coffee so we have enough energy for the trip. It seems funny to tell an entomologist to bring insect repellent."
"That is pretty funny, but not a bad idea." "I'll have everything together in the morning and meet you here in the morning. Sounds great."
The next morning, I arrive at the restaurant and find Anna already at the same table, with two cups of coffee.
"I haven't ordered breakfast yet. What would you like? They have just about anything here. "
"Before I order, Good morning, Anna. I got everything together that you suggested. Since you know the food here, why don't you just order something for us? I'm sure I'll like it."
"I'm sure you will”, and calls the waiter over and orders in Spanish, laughing with the waiter, and he leaves. “It should be here shortly,"
"Since we have to wait for our food, why don't we discuss how we're going to get to the forest? My research on getting to the forest where the Indians live indicates it is about 30 miles north of here. It seemed like there was paved road for about 25 miles, about 5 miles of dirt trails, and then we'd be at the start of the jungle, very close to where the tribe lives."
"I know a great place in town where we could rent scooters that would be good for this trip."
At Seve's Scooters, we stop to look at the window display. "Which type would be best for the jungle terrain?", I ask.
"They have ATVs, I think they would be best for rough trails."
"OK, let's pick out two of the best, this bill is covered by my research grant."
Anna picks a red ATV, and I choose a yellow one. We are given instructions and sent on our way. We load the supplies that I brought onto the yellow ATV, and the food supplies onto the red one.
We each get on and being unfamiliar with ATV’s we test the acceleration and braking, and in a minute or two we take off and head north.
We wend our way through traffic and pedestrians,
and past timeshares, rentals, and hotels, and reach the neighborhoods where most of the locals live. We continue north, and notice fewer people along the way. We reach a stretch of road where there is only an occasional building, and we pick up speed.
Fifteen minutes more and the road narrows to a one-lane road, so we slow down. The ocean is out of view now and the woods are thicker. We reach the end of the paved road, and have to ride single file on a dirt trail.
Anna leads, as she remembers this from her childhood when she visited her grandmother.
The forest becomes even denser and darker. We slow down to a crawl. We see the first tribal dwelling. It has a thatched roof, open sides, and hammocks visibly moving in the breeze. The sight of these dwellings stirs my interest. I think this will be a successful venture. We continue up the road, more huts come into view. I guess there are at least 50 or so of them.
We see a fire with people gathered around, Anna says, "Maybe we should go introduce ourselves.
I'll go first, as they probably speak a dialect of Spanish that I'll understand."
We approach the fire circle, and Anna says, "Ola", and several of the locals respond, "Ola!". In Spanish, Anna explains that they are looking for the famous shamantina bug.
One of the tribe replies, "Be careful. A shamantina is much more than just a bug."
"We are aware of some of the stories about the shamantina--- When I was little, my grandmother told me one landed on her. She told me the strange effect it had on her. We would like to learn more from you, and hopefully, even find one to capture."
One of the tribe members introduces himself as Francisco. He tells us he is the shaman of this tribe. He asks Anna, "why do you want to capture the shamantina bug?"
"My friend Jack is an entomologist, and has been studying the shamantina. However, most of his studies have been based on stories, and not on actually seeing and thoroughly inspecting the bug,"
"It would be OK to study what the shamantina leaves on your body, or the effects on your mind, but it is not OK to capture or kill it. It is well known that this will create a curse on anyone who does."
I ask Francisco, "Would it be OK to make a movie of the shamantina and what it does?
Francisco pauses for a moment, then says, "I can't be sure, but I think it would be OK. It's up to you, but let me tell you what happened to me when the shamantina landed on me and I became the shaman. This was 25 years ago. I went into the woods in hopes of finding the shamantina. Anna, I knew your grandmother and went with her. She was our shaman at that time. The shamantina had landed on her several years earlier. She saw something in me that made her think I should be her successor."
"We went to the waterfall that's about 3 miles from here, and just past that, there's a sunny area where the shamantina has been seen. The shamantina is not a small bug. It can be up to four inches long with a wingspan of 6 inches, so be prepared. It is usually orange with black dots, and has feelers that are 2 inches long."
Anna says, "I had no idea that Grandma had been a shaman. I may not want to follow in her footsteps by taking that on, but I would love to see the shamantina, even if it doesn't land on me.
I say, "I will take on whatever role I need to if the shamantina lands on me, including giving up my job as an entomologist and I will be willing to live here."
Francisco looks carefully at me. He tells me he doesn't know what the effects would be on an outsider, but that he would take me there to find out.
Anna says, "I did pack the camera you told me to bring, and it does take movies. I'll be glad to be the photographer on this expedition, if you like."
I turn to F, and say, "When can we go?"
F says, tomorrow morning, tonight we’ll have a feast and learn more about you. We will all tell stories we know about the effects of the shamantina to better prepare you for this experience. Remember, the bug may not show up or may not land on you. You can't force this."
I ask Francisco, "Where can we stay tonight? We brought a tent."
"No need for the tent, we have an empty hut for visitors. You may stay there tonight."
Anna turns to F, and says, "How soon will we eat?"
F says, "We'll eat soon. Our fishermen had a good catch today, so we'll eat fish, berries, and corn."
We hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and we are famished.
Anna says, "F, we are quite hungry now. Is there something we could have to hold us over until dinner?"
"Of course!,"says F. "I'll bring you a bowl of chicharrones and mescal."
I look quizzically at Anna, who explains that chicharrones are pork cracklings, and delicious. "The mescal is alcoholic, it will be nice for relaxing and telling stories."
When F returns, he has a bowl of chicharrones, he is followed by a woman carrying 3 goblets of mescal---enough to have some real effect on the two guests.
F gestures with the bowl for us to collect around the fire for the snack and drink. Anna and I happily walk over, and have a seat on a log bench. The woman carrying the drinks hands one to each of us, and says, "Salud!", and walks away. We all tap our goblets with a clink, and take a big sip, having no idea how strong this drink might be. After the sip, we both gasp, "Whoa! That's strong!"
F sits down next to us on the bench and passes around the bowl of chicharrones. He says, "Eat some of these to help soak up that mescal in your stomach." We eagerly begin munching the chicharrones, and in spite of how spicy they are, they bring some relief from the burn of the drink.
Anna says, "I think I can feel the effects of the mescal already. That is one strong drink!"
"Me, too," I add.
F responds, "Eat some more of your snack and have another sip of drink, and we'll talk."
Over the next 15 minutes, we nosh on the chicharrones, and slowly sip the mescal.
I start by asking F. "How old are you?"
"How old do you think I am, Jack", replies the shaman.
"Oh, maybe 75 or 80?"
"Close enough," he responds.
Anna says, "Your eyes look 1000 years old and your face looks young right now."
"Your grandmother called that the shaman's gaze, and I've been working on it ever since she left. It sounds to me like at least you think I am doing pretty well."
"So far, so good, F," says Anna. "Tell me more about my grandmother when she was the shaman, and how that came to be."
"Your grandmother had the shamantina land on her 40 years ago. You were not even born yet." says F.
"I wonder why she never told me she was the shaman," says Anna, "even though she told me about the effects of the shamantina."
F says, "I was her apprentice during that time. She told me that it would not benefit any of her grandchildren to know about her in the role of shaman. Children not from the tribe would probably have teased you, and maybe even ostracized you if you told them your grandma was the shaman."
Anna says, "I can see that. It makes sense. She taught me a great deal about life, love, philosophy, and spirituality, but she never made it about her."
F responds, "That's part of the role of the shaman---to look after everyone and not worry about themselves. Because of the things that the shaman does for the tribe as the healer and spiritual teacher, the tribe takes care of the shaman."
Anna says, "Grandma never talked about her husband, my grandfather. I wonder if you knew him."
F pauses for a moment, then says, "I knew him because he was my father."
Anna hesitates, taken aback, then realizes the significance of what F had just said. "You are my uncle then, right? Tell me about your father---was he married to my grandma?"
"No. They were lovers, and when she became shaman, he became very threatened by her position, as he was a warrior in the tribe. We had never had a woman shaman before. He was so bothered by this that he left the tribe. We have not seen him in 30 years."
Anna says, "What about my mother, then? Did she have a husband when she gave birth to my mother?"
"When Santiago left, your grandmother was very sad. She lived alone for several years until she met Alejandro, the man she had your mother with. He was from the Cora tribe, and they would have married, except that they were both shamans, so he had to leave while your mother was still a baby."
Your Grandmother left the tribe soon after that as I had become the shaman and she wanted to have a more normal life with less stress so she got a small place by herself just past the edge of the forest, where she raised your mother until she was seventeen. Your mother fell in love with a local merchant from Puerto Vallarta and moved into town and was married when she turned 18. She had you about a year later and that is most of what I know.
All this history about Anna.s background transported me to my childhood. I thought about my grandma and grandpa on my Mom’s side. they had moved west during the depression from Kansas trying to escape the dust bowl and the poverty of those hard times. My mom was barely a teen when they ended up in California and she described what a different world it was compared to rural Kansas. My mind was set to go over my entire childhood until there was a halt came to all the conversations and musings.
Juana, who was organizing the meal, called us all to the cena, the big evening meal, celebrating the catch of the day. Anna comments, "I’m still real hungry. Everything sure smells good."
Francisco and I agree, and stand up to join the others for the cena feast.
We walk about 100 ft to find an opening where there are long wooden tables with benches, all in zapodilla wood, in rich reddish brown tones, similar to cherry oak. Each table is about 20 ft. long, and 4 ft wide, with benches along the sides and ends. Eighteen to twenty people are seated at each table, each dressed in colorful garments---dresses, shirts, scarves and hats. Laughter and loud conversation indicates there is going to be quite the party to go along with this feast. I am feeling a little out of my element because of my limited ability to speak Spanish. Everyone seems friendly, but I don't know much of what they're saying. I guess Anna and Francisco will have to keep me up to speed about what's going on.
Francisco sits at the end of the farthest table and asks Anna and I to sit to his right and left, opposite each other. The cooks bring out the food and places large bowls of food to share. There is enough food for the whole tribe, about one hundred people at five tables.
When the food is in place, everyone begins to be seated. A large bowl of corn beer is placed at the head of each table. Francisco proposes a toast in honor of the catch of the day and to welcome Jack and Anna. He picks up the bowl and tips it to his lips, taking a generous swig, and passes it to Anna, on his left. She did the same, and guesses she is supposed to pass it on to the next person, which she does. The bowl continues being passed around the table, each taking a drink from it. When the beer runs out, someone picks up a new gourd, and the passing continues.
Act 2 Scene 8
Peyote kicks in
F interviews both
Guided fantasy
Assessment of being tribe members, healers, shaman
Francisco gives Anna and I two peyote buttons each. We have some more corn beer to help take down the peyote. Francisco begins his interview about what they really want to do on this journey. First thing Francisco wants to know what is the reason they really want to find the shamantina.
Jack says, "I thought about this all the way here and it wasn't until this moment that I was sure I wanted to study the effects on myself if the shamantina lands on me. I want this much more than to study the bug itself but I hadn't realized it until now.
Francisco responds, " That's a good enough reason, Jack. I will help you do this."
Anna says, "I want to experience what my grandmother did,"
Act 2 Scene 9
Breakfast discussion about the day ahead
Morning departure for falls and meadow, walking
Act 3 Scene 1
Arrival at waterfall
Finding comfortable sitting place
Discussion about where to find the shamantina
Meditation at the falls
Act 3 Scene 2
Cross water to falls
Through tunnel under falls to meadow of light
Act 3 scene 3
Stepping into the light in the meadow
Waiting for bug
Much chatting and anticipation
Observation of surroundings
Act 3 scene 4
Jack and Anna walk into light in meadow
F waits and watches them
Conversation between J and A
Act 3 scene 5
Two shamanitas arrive
Francisco sees this from the side
Bug colors show gender of each bug
Bugs dance above J and A
J and A laugh at bug dance and start to dance, too
Continues several minutes
Act 3 scene 6
Bugs stop dancing, as do J and A
Bugs cease, start circling, male bug lands on A's left shoulder, female bug lands on J's right shoulder
J and A are facing each other and each can see both bugs as they land
Pollen from bugs lands on skin and turns from powder to liquid and flows down their chests toward heart
Bugs fly away
Act 3 scene 7
Jack and Anna start a new dance, now in an altered state
The clearing they are in opens wider and wider
Act 3 Scene 8
They see the trees shrinking to nothing and other trees taking over and shrinking, backward 13000 years
They see a 7' tall male standing where Francisco had been, with a godlike body and face wearing shaman garb He is standing near the opening of the cave they came thru
Act 3 scene 9
Time portal then stops going backward, and becomes normal, but now they are in a present 13000 years ago
Act 4 scene 1 The Original Shaman
J and A know they must make contact with this man
They felt he would understand any language, so Jack asked him, "Who are you?"
"I am the healer of The People. My name is Huichol.
I am here to answer your questions.
(there will be tests)
Act 4 scene 2
Anna immediately responds by asking, "Where are we, and when is this?"
Huichol explains to them that he is the original shaman of the The People, and he says, "I migrated here 13,000 years before your time from what you now call Northern California, near a great bay. I was the young shaman of a tribe known in your time as the Miwok, of the northern Napa Valley. I left the valley when I had a vision of what was going to happen to my tribe eventually.
Jack says, "That's near where I'm from! A city called Berkeley, where I am a professor who studies tropical bugs. The Shamantina really fascinates me, which is why I'm here. What can you tell us about the Shamantina?"
Huichol says, "The Shamatina contains the spirit, the magic, and the mystical powers passed on through the last 13,000 years though me, the original shaman. I found this bug in the forest, and it was beautiful, and I filled it with everything there was in me. It was blessed to pass forward magic and wisdom to all future shamans of this tribe. Since you are here, both of you, the Shamantina must have landed on both of you. This has never happened before---usually there is only one. One of you or maybe both may become shaman."
Jack asks, "What is involved in becoming a shaman, as I will have to leave my old life in order to consider it."
Huichol tells Jack, "You must decide now in order to be made aware of what your responsibilities will be as a shaman. You don't have to be a shaman, but you must decide before you go back to your time. If you decided not to be the shaman, there is great responsibility in discussing what you know only with Anna, and no other human as long as you live."
Jack looks startled, and replies, "That's an awfully big responsibility. What happens if I slip up and talk about this to someone else?"
Huichol warns him, "It will cost you dearly, maybe even your life."
Anna asks Huichol, "Can there be two shamans of the same tribe at the same time? And would the responsibilities be divided?"
"No," said Huichol. "Not at the same time. One would pass the position on to the next when they chose to."
Jack asks, "Are there any restrictions about what kind of relationship Anna and I can have if one of us is Shaman? Could we marry, start a family? Do we have to remain independent of others entirely?"
Anna says, "We are just getting to know each other, so all of this is what might have to be considered in the future."
Huichol says, "Those are totally your choices, what relationship you might have, including family and children, with anyone. But remember, from this moment, you can only speak to each other about these matters, or be cursed, possibly with death."
Anna says, "Can we come back here after we have time to think, or do we have to tell you right now?"
H says, "Because there are two of you, I will grant you one more visit here within the next year."
Jack asks, "How will we return?"
H answers, "Come to the same meadow one year from today. The Shamantinas will land on you and you will return here with your answers. If you don't return that day, you may never do so again, and will not be shamans, but you will still have to keep this meeting secret for the rest of your lives, except with each other."
Jack looks at Anna, and asks her if she wants to know anything else before they go back to their time.
Anna turns to H and says, "Can you tell me why my grandmother stopped being a shaman and what happened to my father?"
"No, Anna, you will have to discover this for yourself, and you will."
Both Jack and Anna thank H, and ask him how to return to their own time.
As the last words are spoken, the portal opens again, and they are traveling forward in time. H slowly becomes smaller and smaller, and when he finally disappears, they feel a snap, and they are back in their own time.
Act 4 scene 3
When they go back to the tribe, they are directed to find the Dali Huichol. He'll give instructions. learn about shamanism and opening the art store in Puerto V.
Act 4 Scene 4
Francisco asks them to have a good-bye meal to discuss what happened to them and what they are going to do next.
Act 4 Scene 5
They have a feast and tell their story. Say goodbye to the tribe. People in the tribe seem to treat them a little differently since learning of their mystical experience.
Act 4 Scene 6
They gather their belongings and head back to PV.
They stop first at the little shop with the iced tea and discuss what to do next.
Act 4 Scene7
Anna invites Jack to stay with her while they are figuring things out. They eat at the shop and head for her house.
Act 4 Scene 8
They stop at a gallery that features Huichol art to see if they can find a way to locate the Dali Huichol. They see the curator's office, and go there. He has the information they need.
Act 5 Scene 1
They go to Anna's home and discuss their strategy for finding the Dali and what they want to say to him.
Act 5 Scene 2
They have some realization about the feelings they have for each other, and want to make love.
Act 5 Scene 3
They have a romantic meal together, make love, and have a romantic breakfast together before heading out to see the Dali.
Act 5 Scene 4
At the edge of the city there is a cultural center which is where the Dali lives and works. They go to find him.
Act 5 Scene 5
they find the Dali and tell him their story about their experience with the Huichol and the shamantina and that they were instructed to find HIM.
Act 5 Scene 6
The Dali listens carefully and gives them instructions regarding what they must do to fulfill their new destiny.
They must go back the following week to have a special ceremony with the Dali with the tribe people.
Ceremony involves peyote and time travel, this time with the Dali.
They commit to becoming shaman and partner, Anna opting out of shamanism. They make plans for expanding the cultural center with the Dali. They make some art to show the experiences they have had with the tribe and the shamantina. Dali asks them to go on a world tour with him to spread the word of the ways of the shaman. First, Anna and Jack go through a ceremony to join them in commitment to each other.
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Thanks for sharing Daniel! I thought about receiving feedback from an industry professional but didn't know what to expect. Good luck with your project. Sounds like you received some great tangible fe...
Expand commentThanks for sharing Daniel! I thought about receiving feedback from an industry professional but didn't know what to expect. Good luck with your project. Sounds like you received some great tangible feedback :) Sometimes it's difficult to be objective about your own work but easier to implement feedback from others.
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Norman Welthagen check out the Script Services menu above, there is a database listing of available industry executives for Script Consultations ...
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Maurice Vaughan yes, a great reminder to see the extent of improvements that can be made!
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Great to hear Daniel!
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Aconda Williams yes, it's a service that I think is really worthwhile, and each of my several consultations has yielded powerful insights I could not have developed with my own editorial eye, simply b...
Expand commentAconda Williams yes, it's a service that I think is really worthwhile, and each of my several consultations has yielded powerful insights I could not have developed with my own editorial eye, simply being so close to the material.