“The Sound of Slippers” (drama) 3 Minutes

Photo Courtesy LEX IN THE CITY

 

AUNT EDNA:   Stage is empty — black.  A woman’s voice is heard offstage right.  The sound of slippers produced from her mouth when she moves. Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge, Ssscccuge,  Ssscccuge.  She is now seen centerstage rear.  Pause.  No movement.  She continues onstage.  The sound of slippers.  Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge, Ssscccuge,  Ssscccuge.  She stops abruptly further downstage center.  Pause.  She pants.  Pause.  She stares straight out to the audience in a daze.  A white beam of light turns on from the rear of the stage, creating a large—Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge! She moves further down stage center.  She abruptly stops.  Pause.  She stares straight out to the audience in a daze.  Beat.  An elderly woman.  Beat.  She stands center stage utterly, EXHAUSTED.  She breathes three hard exhales—haaah-haaah-haaah. Pause.  She slowly brings the heavy bag she carries down towards the ground.  When she finally releases the bag, her body remains slightly hunched over to her left side, too tired to stand straight up.  Her hand and arm dangle inches away from the bag below.  Her fingers wiggle.  Pause.  Her face is wrinkled and miserable, almost appearing as if she could be wearing a mask.  Rubbery.  A weathered face with lipstick smeared heavily over her lips.  Her hair is enormously high and thick and gray, causing her thin and bony body to be more noticeable.  Her clothes are tight to her body.  For pants she wears spandex and for a shirt she wears a grey turtle neck sweater.  Let’s not forget about those kicking six inch heels!  Her fingers wiggle.  Three seconds go by.  She abruptly stops wiggling her fingers.

Long Pause.  This is Edna…I am Edna. Long Pause. I continue to stare blankly out. Beat. I blink by opening my eyes wide and closing them slowly, opening my eyes wide and closing them slowly.  I do this a few times with long black fake eyelashes.  Pause.  I tilt my head as I speak mechanically, PERIOD

DOT DOT DOT He went out and bought me a pair of midgets EXCLAMATION  Crazy ass nephew of mine; from the land of the littles, little my ass EXCLAMATION  I wrestled those little tykes back to their native land.  Showed them who’s boss.  Good ole’ Edna still got it!  Sure, one of ‘em knocked one of my teeth out; not sure which one but certainly one of them did.  Felt more like an object than a knuckle.  I’ve been hit before, so I would know and it sure as hell didn’t feel like no midget punch that’s for sure.  That’s for sure, alright.  That’s for sure. Beat Period

Pause. Caaaa daaaaca couldn’t even bi caca because if he came from the front I would have STOMPED out the little fucker.  I would have stomped and jumped and bounced and dragged my feet up and down his spinal cord and I would have cracked each and every vertebrae I could dig my six inch heels into and craaaaa and kaaaa and dgraaa, gaaaa DAAA!  Beat Period

I would have.  Even though the other one was kinda cute and I didn’t mind him so much when he was munchy munchy munchy krab krab craaa out my back.  Felt nice.  Truly and genuinely I could not say this any more sincerely as I possibly can but it was GRAND.  The little bastard was the biggest yet, the biggest; yet…go figure, mysteries of life. 

Long Pause.  This is Edna…I was Edna. Long Pause.

She picks up the bag she set down earlier.  Slowly; mechanically.  Her posture evens out and is no longer slumped to one side.  She slwoly turns around.  Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge!  Pause.  She pants.  Pause.  The white beam of light turns off.  She moves.  The sound of slippers is produced from her mouth.  Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge, Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge.  She abruptly stops.  She let’s out a painful moan.  Ooooooooo…Oooooooooo!  Pause.  She walks.  Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge, Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge.  Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge, Sssccccuge  Sssccccuge!  Pause.  She is no longer seen.  She is offstage center right.  All that is left is her voice.   Pause.  The stage is empty — black.

“Face” (serio-comedy) 49 Seconds

Photo Courtesy MARGOLOVE

 

WHAT:  …depleted of my belongings…what has belonged to me and; given me anew.

(2 second pause)

But is this what I wanted or what I am? 

(beat)

(rapidly) when he appeared to me was i born to do what i do i don’t know because his face that face his face his face when i sat in my chair all alone and was stoned and was relaxed and was watching when he suddenly appeared and was it an apparition or was it real and if it was real than what did it mean was it a sign for what i am or was it in my head.

(2 second pause)

In my head; what I saw…what my two eyes saw; this large face that shook me, that shook me back and my breath, my breath froze mid-way in my chest and my mouth, my mouth dropped low and I gasped, I gasped simultaneously as my nerve, my nerve held on firm.

(5 second pause)

Held on firm, only to, only to lead me to, lead me to where I am; here.  What is here what is now?

(beat)

…depleted of my belongings…what has belonged to me and; given me anew.

“One” (tragedy) 1 Minute

Photo Courtesy _MARMOTA

 BEING:  Where’d I go?  I was walking along and suddenly I lost myself.  Where’d I go?  I went off, something, went off…I was walking, on this road, this very road, when something happened.  I don’t know exactly what happened but something…I lost myself.  I went somewhere but I don’t know where. 

Where did I go?

This cold air of night breathes through me bitterly; so many thoughts enter and exit my mind; this feeling inside me is a virus I can’t shake; I try.

I walk further.

I whirl around, partly inside myself, partly around myself…looking at the sky; looking at the ground; looking, always looking and wondering about the things that happen.

I walk further.

My toes bleed; ankles buckle; knees collide; brain swells; fingers frost; heart be— What can be said for one single heart beat?  One beat.  Just one.  Only one. 

Is one heart beat less important than the others?  Does the one with the one heart beat count?  It must count.  It does count; to one; only one; just one, while the others, the others wonder why.  I wonder why.  I walk further and wonder why ONE.  Only one; just one.  One beat.  Only one beat; just one…

Still, I walk further, further, so much further into the unexpected winds of the night.

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