But they did. They wanted something different.
Jason seems to think. He looks at the audience.
Then he walks up and down again as if lecturing.
JASON
Title brain is in two halves, so the left doesn’t do what the right is knowing. The left side talks, gives names —
He stops, faces the audience, and holds out his left hand
— left of the brain, that is —
He rotates clockwise so that his back is to the audience. He lowers his left hand and holds out his right.
— but this works the right, so there’s no contradiction.
He lowers his right hand. He looks at Judith.
The right side doesn’t speak much: knows what things are for —
He turns clockwise so that he is facing the audience again.
— but this works the left, so that if you’re watching, which you are —
He holds out his right hand; then his left.
Then he stares down as if fascinated or bewildered by the two of them side by side.
After a time —
JUDITH
You drip, drip —
JASON
What does he make?
JUDITH
Who?
JASON
Mr Ackerman.
JUDITH
Chemicals.
Jason looks at the audience. Then he puts out his hand against the vertical plane above the footlights as if he were feeling there a glass partition or a screen.
JASON
Shake it —
JUDITH
Like a cage —
JASON
A sieve —
JUDITH
A riddle —
JASON
A heartbeat.
Ackerman comes on from behind the loggia. He wears an old overcoat over trousers and slippers. He seems to wear no make-up. He appears old. He looks at Jason. Then he walks along the balustrade at the back.
ACKERMAN
They’ve turned the heating off. I don’t know why. Wouldn’t be a bad thing if they did. Stupid buggers.
He turns and watches Jason.
Jason is still looking at the area above the footlights as if it might be a screen containing switches and dials.
ACKERMAN
I’m your version of me —
JASON
They’re their version of them —
ACKERMAN
Wouldn’t be a bad thing if they were; if they saw —
JASON
What: rubbish?
Ackerman comes to the front of the stage and looks at the audience. He seems to act; Jason seems to be not acting.
ACKERMAN
— There’s a boy down there on the wire —
JASON
Do you remember when we went climbing?
ACKERMAN
You dangled on a rope —
JASON
I fell. Was resurrected.
Ackerman and Jason stare at the footlights. It is as if they were watching the vertical screen above the footlights containing dials.
ACKERMAN
— Death, disease —
JASON
— Get down off your knees —
ACKERMAN
Which —
JASON
Both.
Ackerman and Jason wait They watch the audience.
ACKERMAN
One or two —
JASON
Get through.
ACKERMAN
We didn’t know them —
JASON
Didn’t we?
After a time Judith speaks with her eyes closed.
JUDITH
You can sing, can’t you? Dance?
Jason speaks as if his sentence were the first line of a song —
JASON
— There was a busload going over the Alps —
ACKERMAN
— And an old lady wanted to pee — ?
JASON
— So I said — Milk? Sugar? —
ACKERMAN
— The water’s boiling —
They stare at the audience.
After a time Jason looks down over the footlights.
JASON
Something open —
ACKERMAN
Like a hook —
JASON
Like a woman —
They wait.
ACKERMAN
Try it in second.
JASON
Now?
Ackerman moves away. He stands by the loggia looking up. He declaims —
ACKERMAN
— Ariel will have great opportunities!
JASON
— The first age since that of Charlemagne! —
They wait: they seem discouraged.
ACKERMAN
We’re not characters.
JASON
Are we?
After a time —
JUDITH
I’m cold —
ACKERMAN
I’m hungry —
JUDITH
I’ll warm you —
JASON
I’ll wash it up.
Ackerman leaves the loggia and goes to Judith and rumples her hair.
Judith jerks her head away.
Ackerman goes to the wings, left, and looks out. Judith sits up and arranges her skirt.
JUDITH
Is all this being taken down?
JASON
Yes there’s a man underneath in a monastery.
JUDITH
I thought it was a tomb.
ACKERMAN
No, it’s a laboratory.
Jason turns from the footlights and watches Judith.
Judith speaks formally —
JUDITH
You know how, in occupied countries, and the enemy are in the front row — well, if anyone knows the code, why don’t they know the message?
ACKERMAN
Such as —
JASON
Because —
JUDITH
— What are you doing tonight? The names of your dearest friends —
JASON
— What would be passed on, would be —
ACKERMAN
Don’t tell her! —
JUDITH
I see.
Judith lies back and closes her eyes. Ackerman comes to the front of the stage and looks as if at the screen above the footlights.
JASON
— I’m cold —
JUDITH
— I’m hungry —
ACKERMAN
They have to do it themselves —
JASON
— I’ll warm you.
Ackerman puts a hand out over the footlights. Behind him, Judith jerks her head away.
ACKERMAN
You see?
JASON
What —
ACKERMAN
More than we can say?
Ackerman looks towards the wings, right. After a time Jason goes and sits on the steps of the loggia. He faces left across the stage. He acts like a story-teller: or as if he were embarking on another experiment.
JASON
We’d gone through the gamut of determinism, free will, come to the point — you know — you alter what is known. Well one of us, call him me, said — Granted the future goes its own way —
He waits.
He and Ackerman stare at the audience as if waiting for a reaction.
Jason continues —
We took a child, in its pram, to the airport — Ackerman seems to be watching dials above the footlights.
They’d been watching for people like us — Ackerman turns to Judith, who is lying back with her eyes closed.
There were aeroplanes flying —
Ackerman puts a hand out, tentatively, towards Judith: then he turns and looks at the audience.
In each, there was a connection between the pilot and the ground —
Ackerman takes his hand away.
Helena appears on
the balcony above Jason’s head.
Jason continues to watch Ackerman.
We put the child, in its pram, by the control tower —
Helena is wearing her clothes from the last act. She gazes out across the stage theatrically. She appears to be somewhat drunk.
JASON
Wires had to be attached from the suitcases to the pram —
HELENA
Jason —
JASON
Yes —
HELENA
How did you find your father?
Judith speaks with her eyes closed.
JUDITH
— With a stick, a packing-case, and a couple of oranges —
Ackerman turns and looks at Helena. He speaks as if he is amused.
ACKERMAN
— Sit in the packing-case using the stick —
JUDITH
— On the banana —
HELENA
But Jason, what else could he do?
After a time Jason seems to carry on with his experiment.
JASON
Still, in the air, there were aeroplanes flying —
HELENA
You know how much he wanted this part!
Jason seems to give up. He leaves the loggia steps. He goes to the balustrade at the back and looks over.
Judith speaks with her eyes closed.
JUDITH
Leave it to the dogs’ home —
JASON
Build a library.
Helena puts a leg over the balcony as if she is about to climb over.
HELENA
But if we’re not characters —
Ackerman speaks to Jason —
ACKERMAN
Where’s Ariel —
JASON
Ask Jenny —
HELENA
What are we?
Judith speaks as if answering Ackerman.
JUDITH
In the park
Helena, as if drunk, seems about to fall over the balcony.
Ackerman goes and stands underneath her and puts his hands up as if to help her on to his shoulders.
Judith sits up and arranges her skirt She speaks again formally.
JUDITH
You know the experiment with the dog —
Helena gets a foot down on to Ackerman’s shoulder.
Show it a circle, give it food: show it an oval, give it —
Jason looks down at the wire which trails over the balustrade. He seems to be considering whether or not to touch it.
JUDITH
Bring the two closer and closer together —
JASON
— You’ll betray me —
JUDITH
— You’ll make me —
JASON
— You’ll stand on those steps and say —
He puts his hand on the wire.
Helena gets both legs down over Ackerman’s shoulders.
JUDITH
It’s dead —
JASON
It’s not.
JUDITH
What —
JASON
The baby?
Ackerman and Helena move off round the stage with her on his shoulders like elderly acrobats.
Judith lies back with her eyes closed. She acts —
JUDITH
— The people on the roads! With their little tails going! —
JASON
— There were not many left to tell the tale.
Jason pulls the wire up and coils it. Then he comes to the front of the stage carrying the wire. One end remains fastened to the crack in the rocks. He looks down over the footlights.
JUDITH
A connection —
JASON
Conception?
JUDITH
Connection!
JASON
I know they’re somewhere —
JUDITH
Like a bird?
Helena, on Ackerman’s shoulders, looks up to the back of the auditorium. She speaks in a young girl’s voice.
HELENA
— Mummy —
ACKERMAN
— Yes?
HELENA
— What’s that person in the trees?
ACKERMAN
It’s the light of our lives, darling.
Ackerman moves with Helena to the balustrade by the wings, back left. He seems to be trying to set her down there.
JASON
Ooops —
JUDITH
Oopla —
JASON
Upsadaisy —
Jason seems to get an electric shock from the wire that he is holding. He drops it down over the footlights. Then he looks out over the audience.
JUDITH
— It goes on all the time —
JASON
Like music?
Ariel comes on from the wings, back left. He wears a duffle coat. He seems to have stopped acting. He goes to Ackerman and seems to have a conversation with him.
Helena is still on Ackerman’s shoulders. She is trying to get down. After a time, Ariel helps her down on to the balustrade.
Judith calls —
JUDITH
Louder!
Ackerman stops talking to Ariel. He turns to Judith.
Jason squats by the footlights.
JASON
Can you hear?
Helena enunciates carefully, as if relaying what Ariel has been saying —
HELENA
— My — men — are — outside —
Jason takes hold of the wire over the footlights and pulls at it gently, as if it were a fishing line.
ACKERMAN
You telephoned —
JASON
What —
ACKERMAN
Exact time and place.
Helena enunciates carefully —
HELENA
Do — not — leave — this — building —
She climbs down from the balustrade.
Jason lets go of the wire. He stands. He looks amongst the audience.
ACKERMAN
Got it?
JUDITH
— The tanks are in the streets —
JASON
There are people dying.
They wait.
Ariel goes out at the wings, back left.
Ackerman remains at the back as if he is off-stage, watching.
HELENA
Harry —
JASON
Yes?
HELENA
Will you hold her for a moment please?
Jason turns to her.
JASON
She’s my child?
Jenny comes on from in front of the loggia, right. She wears a T-shirt and jeans.
She comes to the front of the stage and begins undressing.
JENNY
God, do you know how often I have to do this? Every day Morning and evening. — Where’s the fire. In your great big beautiful eyes —
When she is in her underclothes she looks at the audience. The others have paid no attention to her. She goes and stands by Jason.
Where do they come from?
JASON
How did we do it —
JENNY
If it helps them.
They wait.
JUDITH
Perhaps if we don’t watch —
JENNY
I’m burning!
Jenny doubles up, holding her middle. Jason squats down by the footlights with his back to the audience, facing the stage. It is as if he were about to lower himself down by the wire over the footlights.
HELENA
But Harry, they’ll kill you —
JUDITH
What is this, a hairdresser’s?
Jason is watching Judith.
JENNY
Who’re you talking to —
HELENA
The barman?
Judith gets up off the chair and goes and stands by Ackerman. She faces Jason.
JENNY
Now yo
u see it —
HELENA
Now you don’t.
They wait.
JENNY
Leaping up the waterfalls
JASON
On to the dry land.
They wait.
JENNY
I think it’s when it touches —
HELENA
What —
JASON
Not another world?
JENNY
The walls fall down?
They wait.
HELENA
It’s when you’re dying.
JENNY
Trying —
HELENA
Dying —
They wait.
JASON
Don’t touch!
JENNY
They’re in the building —
HELENA
They’re from outside.
They wait.
JENNY
You step back —
HELENA
You go over.
Judith puts her head on Ackerman’s shoulder. Then the lights on the stage go out.
Catastrophe Practice Page 5