The actors are assembled across the front of the stage. They are all looking upward at the same point.
For a few long moments, this is all we see.
The Guy appears. He takes this in. To the actor nearest him:
THE GUY
What are you all looking at?
ACTOR ON THE END
Shhhh.
The actors are looking. The Guy is drawn into this. He begins to look as well.
A few more long moments. Of the looking.
THE GUY
What are we doing?
ACTOR ON THE END
We’re waiting.
THE GUY
For what?
ANOTHER ACTOR SOMEWHERE IN THE LINE
For him.
THE GUY
God?
ACTOR ON THE END
No, not God. Don’t be stupid.
We await Instructions From The Playwright.
They all focus their attentions again to the point out there somewhere.
This holds for a while.
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
Stop it.
ACTOR ON THE END
Instructions From The Playwright!
The actors all murmur their excitement to each other.
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
No. I mean stop it. This thing you’re doing. The waiting. Stop it. It’s annoying.
AN ACTOR IN THE LINE
Should we do it less annoyingly?
ANOTHER ONE OF THEM
Do you want us to play it more laid-back, like casual, like nonchalant? That’s it, folks! Instructions From The Playwright!
The actors all scatter to chairs and wait as laid-back, casual, and nonchalant as they can. (The Guy stays downstage.)
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
No. Stop it! Don’t do that either. That’s even more annoying. (And you, looking at your watch. Don’t do that. Nobody ever just hangs out and looks at their watch.
THE ACTOR WHO LOOKED AT HIS WATCH
They do in the Sears catalogue.
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
This is getting hard to do. Every single day. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know what to do with any of you anymore. And you just stand there or sit there or look at your stupid watch, just waiting for me to give you something to do…
But maybe I don’t know what you should do!
I sit down at the computer, and expect to find a blank page, but there aren’t blank pages, there are pages and pages and pages of Stuff That’s Already Been Written, and I think to myself, “Holy shit, you’re not even two months into this, and look, there’s all this… accumulation already! All these ideas. All these scenes, and where’s the point where you start to repeat, where’s the point where there isn’t any relevance anymore, when it’s just an exercise, just a machine that keeps eating itself, and how can I keep it from becoming that when there are stretches of days when nothing interesting happens to me, not even a phone call, and maybe it’s all stupid and boring and pointless drivel that’s just taking up space on the internet and –
THE GUY
Shut up!
You know there are days when I really don’t like being you.
The other actors around all look terrified that he’s said this to The Playwright.
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
What?
THE GUY
I like being you a whole lot more when you’re not being a complete wuss.
Just write the play.
Instructions From The Playwright. Almost.
The Guy smiles, then exits.
There’s a moment of great anticipation from the actors.
THE VOICE OF THE PLAYWRIGHT
Okay.
Begin.
AN ACTOR
Instructions From The Playwright!
And the actors erupt into a flurry of stage activity – They BEGIN! (and they can do pretty much anything they want, as long as they’re moving, talking, sharing with each other and the audience.)
The lights go down.
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2 comments:
stop worrying about this being something...being profound...being...it IS...regardless of whether or not you WANT it to be!! Yeah, everything new experiences growing pains...maybe you hit the 7 year itch *really* early...you're trying too hard...remember all of the drama you've ever taken...remember Stanley Meisner...don't force it...it'll come!
This kind of reminds me of us. Our silly freshmen selves. Never knowing what to do onstage. Not making our own choices. I guess you just have to hold your breath and jump in. And occasionally look stupid. How long have you been telling us that exact concept...I guess its finally starting to sink in.
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