Lodestar Quarterly

Issue 4 • Winter 2002 • Featured Writer • Drama

Half-Light Dances

Brian Thorstenson

A beginning: geography lesson

A beginning: geography lesson

The lights go to black then a spotlight hits DIAMOND, illuminating only her face. Music. DIAMOND starts to sing a number a la Cher's opening numbers from her television show. She is wrapped in an extravagant wrap that has seen better days. When the slow intro ends, she drops her wrap to reveal a spangled evening gown that has also seen better days.

DIAMOND

A Desire Heard Long Distance

Oooooo...
Oooooo...
I opened up my eyes
the world went flashing by
like a bolt it was clear
my dreams were nowhere near
then I heard this melody
It started leading me
Listen...

It's a desire heard long distance
we'll call it home perhaps
again and again another chance
for a desire heard long distance
lightning dance, another chance
for a desire heard long distance
a desire heard long distance.

Went up and down, went round and round
never staying on the ground
but now I'm starting to believe
that love will come for me
I know it can't be long
so I keep singing out this song.

It's a desire heard long distance
we'll call it home perhaps
again and again another chance
for a desire heard long distance
lightning dance, another chance
for a desire heard long distance
a desire heard long distance.

How different it all looks from the far side of the street
skin singing all day long, walking side by each
your bodies fierce translucence, its tears that break the skin
a longing breath blows past my face and gently lifts my chin

Listen...
It's a desire heard long distance
we'll call it home perhaps
again and again another chance
for a desire heard long distance
lightning dance, another chance
for a desire heard long distance
a desire heard long distance.

It's a desire heard long distance
we'll call it home perhaps
again and again another chance
for a desire heard long distance
lightning dance, another chance
for a desire heard long distance
a desire heard long distance.

The spot fades on DIAMOND as the light crossfades to DARYL.

DARYL
It's one of those days when everything reminds you of a song. When a word triggers a forgotten show tune, a radio pop hit. One of those days when your best friend says goodbye at the bus stop singing clang, clang, clang, went the trolley. It's Indian summer. Past spring. Before the rain. A beginning.

WINIFRED

making a note

The beginning.

DEREK enters reading a guidebook. WINIFRED watches and takes notes.

DEREK
Vaccinations are unnecessary for entry unless you are traveling from a known infected area. If you need a doctor, ask at your hotel. Condoms are available over the counter at drugstores and some grocery stores.

DARYL
Next corner, turn left, right hand side.

DEREK
Excuse me?

DARYL
Grocery store.

DEREK
Oh. Thanks.

DARYL
I can show you.

DEREK
Getting my bearings, that's all.

DARYL
And then?

DEREK
I have a list.

an interruption

WINIFRED
A list! May I see that?

DEREK
Daryl?!

WINIFRED
Lists are always helpful.

DEREK
Is she going to be like this the whole time?

DARYL

to WINIFRED

You can't interrupt.

WINIFRED
Well! I don't know how I'm supposed to find out anything without interrupting.

DEREK
That's it, I'm...

DARYL

to DEREK

Wait...

WINIFRED
Interruptions are part of my work, part of my process, part of...

DARYL
You'll have to work differently this time.

WINIFRED
No interruptions. This really is too...

DARYL
Be quiet and we'll give you the list later.

resuming

to DEREK

Now. You have a list.

DEREK
Yeah, so?

DARYL
Well?

DEREK
Umm... the David.

DARYL
Ah, Michelangelo.

DEREK
No. Donatello.

DARYL
Oh. What else?

DEREK
Whitman's house. Buchenwald. San Francisco city hall.

DARYL
Beginnings and endings.

DEREK
If you like. The convent of Saint Sergius, Cornelius Street, Thebes. Corner bar, the one with...

DARYL
windows.

DEREK
And the other bar, under the freeway.

DARYL
The one with no sign.

DEREK
The black room with...

DARYL
secret doors.

DEREK
You know it?

DARYL
Or one like it. What else?

DEREK
Three crosses square and the Nairobi Hilton. Shanghu Park and the Fountain of Sweet Innocents.

DARYL
Heads up!

DEREK
What?

DARYL
Heads up kind of places.

DEREK
Really.

DARYL
And others. Most. If not all. Be careful.

DEREK
All right. Heads up.

DARYL
Anything else?

DEREK

going back to the list

Um... A village walk down Castro and Christopher. A swim in a Hockney pool. West of Hollywood, South of Houston, a circle called Dupont. A hill named Marais. And others called islands.

DARYL
Is that it?

DEREK
For now.

DARYL
Where are you going to start?

DEREK
I'd like to dance the waltz at 4 AM on a floor of spilt martinis.

DARYL
Would you settle for afternoon tea?

DEREK
Tea?

DARYL
At my house.

DEREK
At your house.

DARYL
It's above town. On the hill. There's a boy in the backyard who leans one long arm against the apple tree. And stares. I can't figure out what he's looking at. Looking for. He's so immobile I think he's asleep. Or not real. I want him to look up.

DEREK
Will he be there? The boy in the backyard?

DARYL doesn't answer

I have to go. Get started... my list and...

DEREK exits

WINIFRED

to DEREK as he goes.

Take the tea.

to herself

I'd love a cup of tea right now.

DEREK gone.

DARYL alone.

Lights shift

WINIFRED
The beginning.

DARYL
A beginning.

WINIFRED
I can extrapolate.

DARYL
Not this time.

WINIFRED
Professional judgement. Moving on.

DARYL

calling off stage

She wants to extrapolate.

DIAMOND and DEREK enter.

DIAMOND
Extrapolate!

DEREK
I told you. She's unnecessary.

DIAMOND

to WINIFRED

Is that what you want?

WINIFRED
I...

DIAMOND
Being beside the point.

DEREK
Superfluous.

DIAMOND
Immaterial.

DEREK
Irrelevant.

WINIFRED
Irrelevant. Hmm. I see.

They all look at WINIFRED. She must decide.

A beginning.

DARYL
Yes.

WINIFRED
One of many possible beginnings.

DARYL
Yes.

WINIFRED
I see.

DARYL
Good.

DIAMOND
We'll be watching you.

DEREK and DIAMOND exit.

DARYL
Ready?

WINIFRED
I don't give up that easily.

DARYL
Good.

Lights shift.

***

Next Page:   A beginning: night   (page 4 of 13 pages)

All Pages:   See the entire play on one page

Table of Contents:   Half-Light Dances

Brian Thorstenson lives in San Francisco. His first play, Heading South, received a Bay Area Critics Circle Nomination and was part of the 1996 Berkeley Art Centers' performance series. His play Summerland was selected for the 2000 Bay Area Playwrights Festival and the 2000 Z Festival of New Performance, and opened in New York City at Wings Theatre Company. The play is included in the anthology Plays and Playwrights 2002. His poetry has been published in Transfer and Six Thousand Five Hundred. Brian has received writing fellowships from the Djerassi Resident Arts Program and Blue Mountain Center. He currently is a lecturer in playwriting at San Francisco State University and Santa Clara University.

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