Aktion IV- Falling Petals
[Fade into plain white room corner, no furnishings except for: two tall thin tables and a grandfather clock. The tables are covered with white cloths and stand near walls, nine feet out from corner. On each are black and white vertical striped pots filled with white carnations. Behind each table of flowers is a black drape hanging on the walls, about two feet above the top of flowers down to the floor. The grandfather clock is centered between the corner and the left table of flowers, from audience view. Lying slumped upon the floor, dead, are five bodies. Starting near the tables on either side, the bodies are positioned equal distances apart from each other in a right angle opposite to the room’s corner. The smallest body, preferably a small child, is to be the furthest point. They wear full black funereal shrouds, with painted death faces and white gloves. Standing between the corpse-point and the wall-point is a pierrot clown, arms out, palms forward, head down]
Pierrot Clown stands still, hold for ten seconds.
Start Adagio in G Minor by Albinoni, chiming of grandfather clock/plucking of strings.
PC slides into consciousness, surprise, looks around, shrugs, sees bodies, surprise, horror, shuns, sobs, falls to knees, looks around, sobs.
Slumps over, on floor.
Hold.
Stands up, slowly, head down. Lifts head, crying, alone, distraught.
Looks about, desperate. No one.
Slumps back, shoulders down. Sobs.
Glances up, idea, possibility of happiness. Walks to left pot of flowers, examines flowers, looks at bodies, examines flowers.
Pulls out one flower, walks to nearest body, corpse one, waves carnation in body’s face, places flower in costume, pulls back, waits.
C1 stands up slowly, arms out, lifts head, lifts arms to PC, walks to PC.
PC and C1 dance a requiem.
Eurythmics.
PC and C1 end dance in middle of floor, PC on right, C1 on left.
PC pulls carnation out of costume, gets down on knees, smiles, hands flower to C1.
C1 takes flowers, looks at flower, eats flower, drops stem between it and PC.
C1 slumps head, dead, walks slowly back to original space, arms out, somnambulist.
Falls back to ground in original position and moves no more.
PC stands up, shuns, throws hands to mouth, sobs, looks up, questions, falls to knees, sobs.
Glances up, idea, possibility of happiness. Stands up and walks to right pot of flowers, examines, looks at bodies, examines flowers.
Pulls out one flower, walks to nearest body, corpse two, waves carnation in body’s face, places flower in costume, pulls back, waits.
C2 stands up slowly, arms out, lifts head, lifts arms to PC, walks to PC.
PC and C2 dance a requiem.
Eurythmics.
PC and C2 end dance in middle of floor, PC on left, C2 on right.
PC pulls carnation out of costume, gets down on knees, smiles, hands flower to C2.
C2 takes flowers, looks at flower, eats flower, drops stem between it and PC.
C2 slumps head, dead, walks slowly back to original space, arms out, somnambulist.
Falls back to ground in original position and moves no more.
PC stands up, shuns, throws hands to mouth, sobs, looks up, questions, falls to knees, sobs.
Glances up, idea, possibility of happiness. Stands up and walks to left pot of flowers, examines, looks at bodies, examines flowers.
Pulls out one flower, walks to second body out, corpse three, waves carnation in body’s face, places flower in costume, pulls back, waits.
C3 stands up slowly, arms out, lifts head, lifts arms to PC, walks to PC.
PC and C3 dance a requiem.
Eurythmics.
PC and C3 end dance in middle of floor, PC on right, C3 on left.
PC pulls carnation out of costume, gets down on knees, smiles, hands flower to C3.
C3 takes flowers, looks at flower, eats flower, drops stem between it and PC.
C3 slumps head, dead, walks slowly back to original space, arms out, somnambulist.
Falls back to ground in original position and moves no more.
PC stands up, shuns, throws hands to mouth, sobs, looks up, questions, falls to knees, sobs.
Glances up, idea, possibility of happiness. Stands up and walks to right pot of flowers, examines, looks at bodies, examines flowers.
Pulls out one flower, walks to second body out, corpse four, waves carnation in body’s face, places flower in costume, pulls back, waits.
C4 stands up slowly, arms out, lifts head, lifts arms to PC, walks to PC.
PC and C4 dance a requiem.
Eurythmics.
PC and C4 end dance in middle of floor, PC on left, C4 on right.
PC pulls carnation out of costume, gets down on knees, smiles, hands flower to C4.
C4 takes flowers, looks at flower, eats flower, drops stem between it and PC.
C4 slumps head, dead, walks slowly back to original space, arms out, somnambulist.
Falls back to ground in original position and moves no more.
PC stands up, shuns, throws hands to mouth, sobs, looks up, questions, falls to knees, sobs.
Stands up, bitter, walks to left flower pot, grabs carnation, walks to center-point body, corpse five, waves flower in front of face and throws flower far behind him, determined.
Steps back, waits.
C5 stands up slowly, arms out, lifts head, lifts arms to PC, walks to PC.
PC takes C5 in arms and hugs, sits on floor, takes C5 in lap and pets head, talks to, presses to body and rocks.
Loving, desperate not to be alone.
From left, enter Death.
[Death is a slim, naked woman. On her head is a black masquerade mask, winged, with large black feathers rising from it above her light, curled loose hair. Her lips are black, her nipples black, her navel black, her pubic region black]
D walks to PC and C5, shakes head. Walks behind them, picks up flower PC threw, walks back to PC and C5.
Bends, attempts to pull C5 from PC.
PC squeezes C5 to him, refuses to let go, shakes head, hugs C5.
D rises up, full height, frightens PC.
PC pulls back, hands to mouth.
D reaches in and grabs C5, pulls to her.
PC holds out arms to C5, shakes head, desperate.
D and C5 ignore PC.
D squats, hands carnation to C5, C5 takes flower, looks at flower, eats flower, drops stem between it and D.
C5 slumps head, dead, walks slowly back to original space, arms out, somnambulist.
Falls back to ground in original position and moves no more.
PC shuns, sobs, shakes fists at D.
D looks at PC.
PC sobs.
D stands up, walks to PC, taps on head, pets head twice.
PC looks up, surprised.
D pulls PC to feet.
D and PC dance a requiem.
Eurythmics.
D and PC end dance in middle of floor, D on left, PC on right.
D walks to left pot of flowers, pulls one, returns to PC.
Hands PC flower.
PC takes it, unsure, looks from D to flower, to D to flower, to D to flower.
D smiles, nods, coaxes, urges ahead.
PC smiles, eats flower, smiles, looks around at bodies on floor, takes step towards, smiles, looks around at bodies on floor, opens arms wide, takes step back to D, thanks.
D smiles, takes PC’s head in both hands, kisses head, lets go.
PC’s head slumps down, PC falls to floor, dead.
D looks at him, smiles, dances.
Eurythmics.
Stops in center above PC, tilts head, spreads arms, looks at bodies on floor.
C1-5 all stand up, heads down, join hands in circle around D and PC, dance in circle around D and PC.
D raises arms around her head, smiles.
D thrusts arms out, C1-5 return, walking backwards heads down, to their places on the floor.
D smiles, lowers arms, walks to flowers left, pulls one out, sniffs it, smiles, walks from frame.
Hold.
[Fade to black]
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