August 26, 2006

A Play A Day #135

Wander, Ponder, Repeat

Cast:
Ula
Wip

Setting: Bare stage, cast can be of any age or gender, when lights go up they are starting to walk a circle as large as the stage can accomodate, one is going clockwise, the other counter. They start back to back (but not touching), they pace themselves, very slowly, so that they arrive face to face after making it halfway around the circle.


Ula: How old are you?

Wip: Doesn't matter to the universe.

Ula: On an astronomical scale, we don't exist.

Wip: On a geological scale, we really don't either.

Ula: In the history of humanity, we are unknown.

Wip: Unremarkable.

Ula: Unseen and unheard.

Wip: Within the history of this land, we are passed over.

Ula: Passed by.

Wip: Passed through.

Ula: Even in the present day, we are past.

Wip: Nothing matters about us.

Ula: Not to the stars, the planets.

Wip: History or current events.

Ula: All we have are first impressions...

Wip: The interpersonal connection that happens...

Ula: As soon as we bump into someone else...

Wip: You have maybe...

(They are toe to toe now, look up into each others' eyes for ten seconds)

Ula: (stepping around Wip, continuing around circle) ten seconds to create yourself...

Wip: (also continuing around circle) In that person's universe...

Ula: That person's world...

Wip: Their history...

Ula: And their present.

Wip: You have to connect...

Ula: To become real to someone else.

Wip: To actually begin to exist.

Ula: If you can't, then you might wander...

Wip: Endlessly.

Ula: Never stopping.

Wip: Never finding a home or an anchor.

Ula: Floating along, unknown, unrecognizable...

Wip: Unseeen, unheard. Circling.

Ula: A person, out of time, in no time.

Wip: Passed over and passed by.

Ula: So you have to use those ten seconds well.

Wip: You might ask the other person a question such as...

(they step around each other without acknowledgment, continue from same spot as the beginning of the show)

Ula: How old are you?

(either cut the lights immediately, or repeat the play endlessly from this point)

(end)

1 comment:

Brendon Etter said...

Yes, I know it's pretentious. I get that way sometimes.

This play might make a good 'emo' song.

(Note: I do not believe in 'emo' as a distinctive genre or even sub-genre of music.)

People say it's music with "emotional" lyrics... I say "Shit, even Motorhead has emotional lyrics."

Who doesn't have "emotional lyrics"?

Well, maybe Kraftwerk.