The Collected Shorter Plays (31 page)

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Authors: Samuel Beckett

BOOK: The Collected Shorter Plays

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Left foreground, faintly lit, a man seated at a table. Right profile, head bowed, grey hair, hands resting on table.

Clearly visible only head and hands and section of table on which they rest.

2. Softly hummed, male voice, last 7 bars of Schubert’s lied “Nacht und Träume.”

3. Fade out evening light.

4. Softly sung, with words, last 3 bars of lied, beginning “Holde Träume . . .”

5. Fade down A as he bows his head further to rest on hands. Thus minimally lit he remains just visible throughout dream as first viewed.

6. A dreams. Fade up on B on an invisible podium about 4 feet above floor level, middle ground, well right of centre. He is seated at a table in the same posture as A dreaming, bowed head resting on hands, but left profile, faintly lit by kinder light than A’s.

7. From dark beyond and above B’s head L appears and rests gently on it.

8. B raises his head, L withdraws and disappears.

9. From same dark R appears with a cup, conveys it gently to B’s lips. B drinks, R disappears.

10. R reappears with a cloth, wipes gently B’s brow, disappears with cloth.

11. B raises his head further to gaze up at invisible face.

12. B raises his right hand, still gazing up, and holds it raised palm upward.

13. R reappears and rests gently on B’s right hand, B still gazing up.

14. B transfers gaze to joined hands.

15. B raises his left hand and rests it on joined hands.

16. Together hands sink to table and on them B’s head.

17. L reappears and rests gently on B’s head.

18. Fade out dream.

19. Fade up A and evening light.

20. A raises head to its opening position.

21. Lied as before (2).

22. Fade out evening light.

23. Close of lied as before (4).

24. Fade down A as before (5).

25. A dreams. Fade up on B as before (6).

26. Move in slowly to close-up of B, losing A.

27. Dream as before (7–16) in close-up and slower motion.

28. Withdraw slowly to opening viewpoint, recovering A.

29. Fade out dream.

30. Fade out A.

WHAT WHERE

Bam

Bem

Bim

Bom

Voice of Bam (V)

NOTE

Players as alike as possible
.

Same long grey gown
.

Same long grey hair
.

V
in the shape of a small megaphone at head level
.

Playing area (P) rectangle 3 m × 2 m, dimly lit, surrounded by shadow, stage right as seen from house. Downstage left, dimly lit, surrounded by shadow, V
.

General dark
.

Light on V
.

Pause
.

V	We are the last five.
In the present as were we still.
It is spring.
Time passes.
First without words.
I switch on.
[ Light on P .
Bam at 3 head haught, Bom at 1 head bowed. Pause .]
Not good.
I switch off.
[ Light off P .]
I start again.
We are the last five.
It is spring.
Time passes.
First without words.
I switch on.
[ Light on P .
Bam alone at 3 head haught .
Pause .]
Good.
I am alone.
It is spring.
Time passes.
First without words.
In the end Bom appears.
Reappears.
[ Bom enters at N, halts at 1 head bowed. Pause .
Bim enters at E, halts at 2 head haught. Pause .
Bim exits at E followed by Bom .
Pause .
Bim enters at E, halts at 2 head bowed. Pause .
Bem enters at N, halts at 1 head haught. Pause .
Bem exits at N followed by Bim .
Pause .
Bem enters at N, halts at 1 head bowed .
Pause .
Bam exits at W followed by Bem .
Pause .
Bam enters at W, halts at 3 head bowed .
Pause .]
Good.
I switch off.
[ Light off P .]
I start again.
We are the last five.
It is spring.
Time passes.
I switch on.
[ Light on P .
Bam alone at 3 head haught .
Pause .]
Good.
I am alone.
It is spring.
Time passes.
Now with words.
In the end Bom appears.
Reappears.
[ Bom enters at N, halts at 1 head bowed .]
BAM	Well?
BOM	[ Head bowed throughout .] Nothing.
BAM	He didn’t say anything?
BOM	No.
BAM	You gave him the works?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	And he didn’t say anything?
BOM	No.
BAM	He wept?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	Screamed?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	Begged for mercy?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	But didn’t say anything?
BOM	No.
V	Not good.
I start again.
BAM	Well?
BOM	Nothing.
BAM	He didn’t say it?
V	Good.
BOM	No.
BAM	You gave him the works?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	And he didn’t say it?
BOM	No.
BAM	He wept?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	Screamed?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	Begged for mercy?
BOM	Yes.
BAM	But didn’t say it?
BOM	No.
BAM	Then why stop?
BOM	He passed out.
BAM	And you didn’t revive him?
BOM	I tried.
BAM	Well?
BOM	I couldn’t.
[ Pause .]
BAM	It’s a lie. [ Pause .] He said it to you.
[ Pause .] Confess he said it to you. [ Pause .] You’ll be given the works until you confess.
V	Good.
In the end Bim appears.
[ Bim enters at E, halts at 2 head haught .]
BAM	[ to Bim ] Are you free?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.
BIM	What must he confess?
BAM	That he said it to him.
BIM	Is that all?
BAM	Yes.
V	Not good.
I start again.
BAM	Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.
BIM	What must he confess?
BAM	That he said it to him.
BIM	Is that all?
BAM	And what.
V	Good.
BIM	Is that all?
BAM	Yes.
BIM	Then stop?
BAM	Yes.
BIM	Good. [ To Bom .] Come.
[ Bim exits at E followed by Bom .]
V	Good.
I am alone.
It is summer.
Time passes.
In the end Bim appears.
Reappears.
[ Bim enters at E, halts at 2 head bowed .]
BAM	Well?
BIM	[ Head bowed throughout .] Nothing.
BAM	He didn’t say it?
BIM	No.
BAM	You gave him the works?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	And he didn’t say it?
BIM	No.
V	Not good.
I start again.
BAM	Well?
BIM	Nothing.
BAM	He didn’t say where?
V	Good.
BIM	Where?
V	Ah!
BAM	Where.
BIM	No.
BAM	You gave him the works?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	And he didn’t say where?
BIM	No.
BAM	He wept?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	Screamed?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	Begged for mercy?
BIM	Yes.
BAM	But didn’t say where?
BIM	No.
BAM	Then why stop?
BIM	He passed out.
BAM	And you didn’t revive him?
BIM	I tried.
BAM	Well?
BIM	I couldn’t.
[ Pause .]
BAM	It’s a lie. [ Pause .] He said where to you. [ Pause .] Confess he said
where to you. [ Pause .] You’ll be given the works until you confess.
V	Good.
In the end Bem appears. [ Bem enters at N, halts at 1 head haught .]
BAM	[ to Bem ] Are you free?
BEM	Yes.
BAM	Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.
BEM	What must he confess?
BAM	That he said where to him.
BEM	Is that all?
BAM	Yes.
V	Not good.
I start again.
BAM	Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.
BEM	What must he confess?
BAM	That he said where to him.
BEM	Is that all?
BAM	And where.
V	Good.
BEM	Is that all?
BAM	Yes.
BEM	Then stop?
BAM	Yes.
BEM	Good. [ to Bim ] Come.
[ Bem exits at N followed by Bim .]
V	Good.
I am alone.
It is autumn.
Time passes.
In the end Bem appears.
Reappears.
[ Bem enters at N, halts at 1 head bowed .]
BAM	Well?
BEM	[ Head bowed throughout .] Nothing.
BAM	He didn’t say where?
BEM	No.

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