| Commentary and Philosophy Script posted May 19, 2013 |
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a word of advice from You Know Who - 1550 words
Love Like Crazy, More Than Gold!
by visionary1234
Shh! Are you in your seats? House lights dim. The audience settles. Red velvet stage curtains are drawn back, revealing a stage that is bare except for a garden rope-swing suspended from the ceiling, center stage, lit from above, so it appears to be in a ‘cone’ of light. Behind it is a backdrop - a few twinkling stars in a dark blue sky. As curtains part, we find "the STORYTELLER" on the swing, swinging gently. She is a woman in her mid-fifties who bears a striking resemblance to me. So we’re going to call her STORYTELLER/SHARYN. She also plays “God”, (a role which seems to come naturally to her in life). So when she's doing this, we’ll call her STORYTELLER/GOD, ok? This is monologue, which means that one actress plays all parts. STORYTELLER/SHARYN (singing, slow, wistful, light soprano – this is a modified triolet, so sing the iambics – it fits with the rhythm as she swings). With one face for’ard and one face back Mid-life, in crisis, I'm confused, I feel so often out of whack With one face for’ard and one face back I'm always wand’ring, way off track No wonder God looks so amused - With one face for’ard, and one face back About mid-life, I'm not enthused! (Music fades). (STORYTELLER/SHARYN is lost in thought, rather depressed). Suddenly, we hear a hear a door-bell – (the first “Halleluya!” from Handel’s “Messiah”). A string lowers from the ceiling. Attached to it is a sparkly, over-sized letter, upon which is prominently written: "TO SHARYN, FROM GOD." STORYTELLER/SHARYN has heard the door-bell, is looking around, but doesn’t notice the letter, even though it's dangling right over her head. The door-bell rings again, this time with the TRIPLE “Halleluya” from Handel’s Messiah. The letter “jerks”, demanding attention. STORYTELLER/SHARYN finally looks up, surprised. She retrieves the letter, puzzled. She sits down, opens it, and begins to read it aloud. STORYTELLER/GOD Dearest Sharyn … Oh MY God! We LOVE writing and saying O.M.G! Saves us all so much time! And now with texts ... but I decided to snail-mail this one, dear ... I wanted to drop you a line personally, in the old-fashhioned way … (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks up at the source of the string - the 'line' - and the letter, disbelievingly, then back down to letter. She continues): because I couldn’t help noticing that you’ve been having a bit of a hard time of it lately. I wouldn’t exactly refer to it as a “mid-life” crisis, dear. That 7-year-old Profile picture you have on Fanstory doesn’t fool anybody, you know. (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks up to God spot again, then during the following assumes more and more of the characteristics of “God” – in this case, rather an acerbic old lady who simply tells it like it is. And so the God monologue begins) (“Janus”, the Roman God, appears on the backdrop above and behind her) Now, I like call this the “Janus” crisis. You remember Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions? (She points to Janus on the backdrop). You’ll always see him pictured with two faces, one looking into the future and one into the past. (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks up, puzzled) No, dear, not JanIS – JanIS your mom ! (“Mom” replaces Janus on the backdrop) And you have a few more years to work on your issues with her. Well, maybe one lifetime isn’t quite enough, hmm? Remind me to look at that again … (Picture of Janus, the Roman God, reappears) Now – JanUS …well, that’s you, in your life, right? Part of you is always looking back, remembering how it was – and you often view those years in a rather … hmmm … shall we say … what’s the word I’m looking for? Oh, you know the one … (She “listens” to STORYTELLER/SHARYN'S response, then continues) Yes dear, even We – and I use the Royal “We”, natch - even We have our Senior moments. Now … begins with an ‘R’ … where was I? Aaah yes … RRose colored glasses. That’s how you see all those years behind you. (She “listens”) What’s that? You didn’t like the emphasis I put on “all”? Well, there are rather a lot of years dear, but all right – as it seems to be a sensitive subject for you, I won’t commit that magic number to writing. (She “listens”) I know. I know, it can be difficult by the time you reach sixty - Oops! Sorry! Didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag! No dear, I’m not calling you a bag! That was the last thing on my mind. You’re actually looking surprisingly good … for your age … (STORYTELLER/SHARYN “mugs” audience with her indignation). (STORYTELLER/GOD continues): Now, where was I? were We? Or, should I say … you, really ... you in your soul’s journey? Oh yes, looking backward. Yes, I must admit it can sometimes look like simply being backward but no … so far, all your marbles are relatively intact, no worries. Personally, Our feeling is that it’s good to look back occasionally, because it gives one a healthy sense of perspective. For example, you probably thought your mother was a right royal Pain in the Ass, right? Well, dear, how do you feel now, after two kids of your own, including one 16-year-old who just got his driver’s license last week? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks up incredulously at “God”) There was no need to panic, by the way. Those two cars hurtling head-on towards you and your precious little boy, as he was turning left across the green (without waiting for the arrow), stopped in plenty of time, didn’t they? Oh yes dear, I could hear you screaming to me on the way to the DMV when that little angel of yours nearly did you in. Goodness, I haven’t heard language like that for ages. Quite startling – woke me up from a nice nap! But I digress. Just wanted to pop in and remind you that you’re at that time of life. I know, I know, you don’t want to talk about it, but talk about it we must dear. You’re at that time of life where, like Janus, you have those TWO faces – one looking back, certainly, but also the other looking forward to the future. (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks depressed) Oh? That’s the one that’s bothering you? Fat? Old? Flabby? Friends dying? Pain? Scared of death? Little things like that bother you, do they? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN reacts - duh … do ya think?) Well dear, that’s really rather silly, isn’t it? Let me ask you this. Do you have any control over those things? (STORYTELLER /SHARYN reluctantly nods her head ‘no’) Well you could try eating a little less of that chocolate macadamia nut ice cream darling, if you really think it’s going to give you an extra few seconds, but why would you want to do that? I mean – it tastes so damned good, doesn’t it? No, dear, no. The secret’s not to be found in deprivation, or self-flagellation either, for that matter. (Cheerily) No, no, no. You simply do your best and leave the rest. Oh will you listen to that! We’re a poet and we don’t know it! Ha ha ha … OMG – that royal “We” is grammatically challenging, isn’t it? I can’t wait to hear what JM Silva makes of that one. Now, a little advice? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN looks up to “listen”) Give that silly old JanUS face a bit of a whack around the ears and tell him – you – to face front. Live today, right now, this very moment. Ready for this? (STORYTELLER /SHARYN nods, still bemused) (“Janus” disappears from backdrop) Just love where you are and who you’re with, with everything you have. Love like crazy! More than gold! Stop anything you’re doing that would take that away. The best you can … got it? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN obviously wants to ask questions) (STORYTELLER/GOD, slowly and deliberately, to drive her message home) And I’ll take care of everything else. Okay? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN finally has the 'aha' moment, and lets it sink in) (A vastness of twinkling stars slowly appears on the backdrop. Perhaps we hear crickets, or soft music) Can’t control it all, sweetheart … have to leave something for Me - Us - to do, right? Otherwise I – We – wouldn’t be earning Our keep, would We? (STORYTELLER/SHARYN is smiling. She gives “God” the “thumbs up”) (Lights dim slowly, and a small cloud of rose petals starts to spiral slowly down from the “sky”). (STORYTELLER/SHARYN tucks the letter back in the envelope, gives the string a double tug, and it’s drawn upwards & disappears). (Slowly, STORYTELLER/SHARYN starts to dance, then she sings, slow, jazzy, sultry, warm as honey) STORYTELLER/SHARYN Let’s love like crazy, more than gold As soul and spirit make us whole Why not just let our lives unfold? Let’s love like crazy, more than gold And not get stuck in stuff that’s old Some things you just cannot control - Let’s love like crazy, more than gold As soul and spirit make us whole With one face for’ard and one face back Let's love like crazy, more than gold Though sometimes things seem out of whack With one face for’ward and one face back Though they may look quite bleak and black When we’re afraid of growing old With one face for’ward and one face back - Just love like crazy … more than gold (She spins in a cloud of rose petals as lights fade to Blackout) The letter: contest entry
1550 words, including stage directions. I realize that this is a somewhat unconventional entry to this competition, but I do fulfill all the prompt requirements I believe - letter from God to me - check! :)
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Please pronounce "for'ard" as only ONE syllable for the purposes of the triolet/song. The worship of Janus traditionally dated back to Romulus and a period even before the actual founding of the city of Rome. There were many jani (i.e., ceremonial gateways) in Rome; these were usually freestanding structures that were used for symbolically auspicious entrances or exits. Particular superstition was attached to the departure of a Roman army, for which there were lucky and unlucky ways to march through a janus. The most famous janus in Rome was the Janus Geminus, which was actually a shrine of Janus at the north side of the Forum. It was a simple rectangular bronze structure with double doors at each end. Traditionally, the doors of this shrine were left open in time of war and were kept closed when Rome was at peace. According to the Roman historian Livy, the gates were closed only twice in all the long period between Numa Pompilius (7th century bc) and Augustus (1st century bc). Some scholars regard Janus as the god of all beginnings and believe that his association with doorways is derivative. He was invoked as the first of any gods in regular liturgies. The beginning of the day, month, and year, both calendrical and agricultural, were sacred to him. The month of January is named for him, and his festival took place on January 9, the Agonium. Janus was represented by a double-faced head, and he was represented in art either with or without a beard. 
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