SORT OF A GAME BY ANDREA JEVA ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY BERT BELL AND GREGORY CONTI The author's copyright to "Sort of a Game!" is protected and safeguarded by S.I.A.E. (Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori). Stage performances and publications are subject to royalties. All requests regarding rights are to be addressed to: S.I.A.E. / Sezione D.O.R. / Viale della Letteratura 30 / 00144 Roma - Italy. The author asks to be informed of every production of this work. The author can be contacted by e-mail: infogatto@andrea-jeva.it N.B. Remove the name of the animal from the address - website: http://www.andrea-jeva.it or via regular post addressed to: Andrea Quacquarelli, Via Pinturicchio 1, 06122 Perugia, Italy, Tel. +39/075/5732798 CHARACTERS (All characters are between 20 and 25 years old): RUDY TEDDY WOODY CLAIRE TIME: Now. PLACE: Town; Tropical place. SCENE O: (Before the curtain opens we hear the rising sound of waves followed by the strident cry of pelicans and then the first movement "allegro" of Bach's Concert for Harpsichord and Strings N 5 in D minor (BMV 1056). The curtain opens and the sound effects fade but remain audible. We see a very circumscribed, barely defined space in a tropical zone, probably South America. The sun has almost set. The space is run- down and disorderly with the air of a makeshift refuge. Some empty fruit crates serve as chairs and tables. There are three matresses: one rolled up, one folded over, and another (Teddy's) is neatly made-up with sheets. There is a French door through which we get a glimpse of the exterior. The space must in any event be rather realistic in its simplicity and assume greater importance relative to the other spaces which we will see. Woody is leaning against the door and looking outside. Rudy is sitting on a crate, leafing through a book. Teddy is lying on his matress between the sheets. After a few minutes, Rudy closes the book and puts it on a crate. He stands, looks around, and walks out the door without looking at Woody. The lights fade slowly to black while the sound of the sea and the music of Bach rise. After a short moment the sound fades into silence) SCENE 1. (A room without walls: Teddy's house furnished with a table, two chairs, and a bed. Rudy and Teddy are sitting at the table. They're dressed differently than in Scene 0. Teddy is writing in a notebook) RUDY: I'd like some meat. Yeah, that's what I want, some meat. (To Teddy) Got that? TEDDY: No, sorry, what am I supposed to write? 'I'd like some meat' or `Yeah, that's what I want, some meat.'? RUDY: Write 'I'd like some meat. Yeah, that's what I want, some meat.' (Teddy writes) And he says, "What for?" 'What the hell do you care?' (To Teddy) Got that? TEDDY: Wait a second. But if you say to him 'What the hell do you care?', that makes it harder, doesn't it? No, I mean, What do you think? RUDY: (testy) You got that down? TEDDY: Yeah. (He writes) ...But I'd say 'I don't know what for, but gimme me some of that.' And I'd point to it. Don't you think that's better? RUDY: Did you write what I said? TEDDY: (finishes writing) Yeah. RUDY: `Gimme some of that!' And he says, "How much do you want?" `Half a kilo, sliced' I say. 'That's better for cooking in butter, isn't it?' And he says, " I'll cut 'em real thin." 'For cooking in butter, the slices have to be thin?' And he says, "Yes." 'Fine,' I say, 'then cut them thick. Because butter makes me sick...' (He bursts out laughing). TEDDY: (he looks at him sceptically) 'Yes.' That's it? RUDY: Huh? TEDDY: I mean he says, 'Yes', and that's it? RUDY: (looks at him) What? TEDDY: Well, after you say to him, (reading) `for cooking in butter the slices have to be thin?' he says, 'Yes.' And that's it? Because I don't think he just says 'yes' and that's it. Nah. You know what he says? He could say to you, "Yes... Because they brown better that way." No? ...And then he's got you... It could happen like that too, couldn't it? RUDY: No. TEDDY: What do you mean, 'no'?... RUDY: No! He says 'yes' and that's it... And after I say, 'then cut them thick. Because butter makes me sick,' he says... You got that? TEDDY: Hmmm.... (Writing) 'makes me sick'. RUDY: He says "But you said..." No.... "But you're the one who said..." No. No, he says to me " Whatever you want, but you're the one who asked me if it had to be cut thin to be cooked with butter." "So?" I say, "So can't I change my mind? I'm a living human being, I can change my mind can't I?" And he says, "Yes." (Teddy looks at Rudy. Rudy looks back at Teddy) So? TEDDY: No. Wait. It's not very likely that he'd just say 'Yes'.He'd probably say "Yes, have it your way." In fact, you know what I'd say, I'd say "Yes, by all means." Don't you think? RUDY: Oh, so you'd say "Yes, by all means?" TEDDY: Yeah, yeah... Why, don't you think so? RUDY: Then write, "Yes, by all means, I certainly don't want to interfere." TEDDY: (throws the pen away) That way you'll never get it right. I mean, you really think you're going to get it right? RUDY: Why not? TEDDY: Because you gotta keep it simple. You have to ask him for some meat to make a roast with, get him to throw in some rosemary, pay up and get out. So all he can say to you is "Here you are, pay at the register." And have a nice day... You tell me. RUDY: Where were we? TEDDY: (reading) "Yes, by all means. I certainly don't want to interfere". RUDY: That's it. "Don't give me any shit. Just wrap it up and tell me what I owe you." (They look at each other) And he says,... (To T.) Are you writing or what? (T. writes) "Pay at the register." (T. shakes his head) I pay and say, "Have a nice day," and the girl at the register says,"Have a nice day." (He grabs his jacket). Let's go! TEDDY: (finishes writing) What, you want me to come too? RUDY: (impatient) hmm, I want you to come too? (He grabs Teddy's jacket and throws it at him. Then, going out...) Get the tape recorder! (Teddy hurriedly grabs a small tape recorder and exits behind Rudy. Black) SCENE 2 (same set as previous scene. Woody and Teddy. Teddy is off stage, then enters) WOODY: Teddy! (Pause). Teddy! TEDDY: (from off stage) Woody, is that you? WOODY: Yeah... Did you see him? Find anything out? TEDDY: (from off stage) What time is it? WOODY: Five thirty. TEDDY: (enters dressed in very strange pajamas) He split. Dropped out of sight. He split, and you know why? (They look at each other. Woody looks at Teddy's pajamas). WOODY: (irritated) No, you tell me. TEDDY: ...How do you like my pajamas? I just bought them an hour ago. You know where? At the market. So guess how much I paid for them? WOODY: (irritated) I don't know! (He shows him a newspaper headline) Look! TEDDY: (looking at the paper) He had the nerve to ask 70,000 lire. Son of a bitch! Can you believe it? WOODY: He shot her three times. TEDDY: (as if he hasn't heard) So I said, " 70,000 lire? You must be kidding!" And he said, "You get what you pay for. " Jesus! How do you like that bastard? Would you have paid 70,000 for these pajamas? Really, would you? Would you really have paid 70.000 lire? (He moves to show him the fabric) I told him, "I'll give you twenty, and you'll still make out on the deal." And you know what he said to me? WOODY: (screaming) No, I don't know what he said to you! Alright, so what did he say to you? What did he say? (pause) TEDDY: (sits on the bed) What time is it? WOODY: (almost to himself) A quarter to six. TEDDY: A quarter to six? ...Almost three hours late. I've been worrying since 4 o'clock. We were supposed to meet at 3, I came down at 4: 15. Why?... To calm down. Why? Because he's always on time. WOODY: Did he tell you he was going to try with Claire? TEDDY: Yeah. You know what he made me do? He made me write the whole thing out, the kidnapping, pulling the gun ...And you know what he said then? "Teddy, this time I'm going to get it right." That's what he said. (Lies down on the bed) You know what I dreamt this morning? We were at the sea, all four of us, maybe we were at Alassio, you remember? WOODY: (with a hint of emotion) Yeah, I remember. TEDDY: Sure you remember. It's been a long time, hasn't it? We had a great time, didn't we? But in the dream, he was always there with us, and laughing more than everybody... WOODY: (interrupts) Come on, get dressed. Let's go find him. TEDDY: You really think we can find him? ...Answer me... You think he's still in town? You know where he went? He's on the run. I don't know where to find him. Listen, you know what you should do? WOODY: No, you listen to me! If you want to come with me, get dressed. Hurry up! (He exits sticking the newspaper into his jacket pocket). TEDDY: You should take a nap Who knows, maybe you'll dream about him. (To himself) Who knows, maybe we'll dream about him. (He lies back and looks up at the ceiling). WOODY: (reenters) So are you coming, or not? TEDDY: "Come on, quit wasting my time." That's what he said to me. A real bastard, eh? And you know how much I ended up paying? WOODY: Teddy, go fuck yourself! (Rushes out). TEDDY: (to himself) I paid 69,000 lire. (As he gets under the covers, fade to black). SCENE 3 (a room without walls: Rudy's house. A table, two chairs, a couch, and lots of books. Claire and Woody sit facing each other at the table. Dinner is over. The atmosphere is intimate) CLAIRE: I'm glad to be here with you. WOODY: Good. CLAIRE: I'm glad to be here with you. WOODY: Me too. CLAIRE: I wouldn't have said that the other day. WOODY: Well, that happens sometimes. (He pours her some wine and they toast). CLAIRE: Was that guy who was with you a friend of yours? WOODY: A friend. CLAIRE: A good friend? WOODY: Yeah. CLAIRE: I didn't like him. WOODY: Well, that happens sometimes. CLAIRE: He's... Rude. (She laughs). WOODY: That's the way he is. CLAIRE: Does he always act that way? WOODY: It depends. Well, yeah, he doesn't make you feel very comfortable, but you can count on him. This is his place. CLAIRE: (surprised) This is the rude guy's place? WOODY: Yeah. CLAIRE: (she looks around the room) I never would have guessed. (She looks at the table) These glasses, these plates... The books, it's all his stuff. WOODY: Yeah. CLAIRE: I never would have guessed. (Woody puts on some music. He fills the glasses. They toast. They dance. After a few moments he tries to kiss her. She resists and moves away. They look at each other) CLAIRE: Sorry. WOODY: Nothing to be sorry about. CLAIRE: (enthusiastically) Tell me about yourself. (She sits on the couch. He joins her). WOODY: (ironic) Now there's an interesting subject. CLAIRE: To get to know one another. Come on. WOODY: At a certain point, I was born... CLAIRE: (interrupting) You too! What a coincidence (she laughs). WOODY: Yeah. (Tries to kiss her). CLAIRE: Then what? WOODY: And then... A good father, a nice mother, a bad brother, an ok sister... CLAIRE: Just okay? WOODY: Yeah. CLAIRE: And the bad brother? WOODY: He thinks he's perfect. CLAIRE: Really bad! (She bursts out laughing). WOODY: What are you jerking me around? CLAIRE: (becomes serious) No... (She takes his hand. He kisses her. Then she interruipts the kiss) Why do they call you Woody? (you can hear the sound of the outside door close. The main lights go on. Rudy enters and looks around the room) WOODY: (to Rudy, trying not to be heard by Claire). You told me you weren't coming home tonight. RUDY: (loudly) Why, haven't you done her yet? WOODY: You told me you were staying out tonight. RUDY: Oh, I told you I was staying out, huh? WOODY: Yeah. RUDY: Well, I guess I was wrong. (Claire laughs) RUDY: You want me to tell you what's going on? (Claire laughs) Can't you see she's just jerking you around? WOODY: (taking Claire by the arm) Come on, Claire, I'll take you home. CLAIRE: No, wait. (She glances at Rudy, then leads Woody to the couch. She unbuttons his shirt and kisses him.) RUDY: (to Claire with clenched teeth) Bitch! (Woody and Claire kiss. Rudy goes over and turns up the music. Then he takes a chair over to the couch. He sits down. He watches them as they stretch out on the couch and kiss passionately. Fast fade to black) SCENE 4 (same set as previous scene, nothing has changed. Woody and Rudy sitting at the table facing each other. Rudy is reading a book and Woody is staring at him) RUDY: (after a moment) Well, everything ok? I mean, did you take her home? (A brief pause) Pretty nice babe, huh? Yeah, I like her. (Brief pause) Too bad she stinks. What was that, cyclamen? Can you believe it? That bitch stunk up the whole place with cyclamen. WOODY: I'd like to know who the hell says you have to like her? (Rudy puts a book back on the shelf) C'mon, let's hear it. And I'd also like to know who appointed you to be my guardian angel? RUDY: (pointing to the bookcase) Look! See that? (Brief pause) Somebody was messing with my books. Was it you, by any chance. (Moves toward Woody to confront him) So you came here to mess around with my books? (Woody glances away) You understand what you did? ...To your friend! WOODY: Claire was looking at them. RUDY: Ah, so Claire was looking at them? Does that sound like an answer to you? And after Claire "looked" at them, couldn't you put them back the way they were? Like a friend? You know that's what I would have done, for a friend. WOODY: Yeah, well I - for a friend - I wouldn't go and throw a monkey- wrench into the works the way you did tonight! RUDY: Oh, so you think some bitch that stinks of cyclamen is worth as much as a friend's books? Is that it? WOODY: ...Some things you just don't understand. RUDY: Yeah. I don't understand a lot of things. That's why I like how you talk about the way kids are when they play: the way you make a boat out of paper, the way it floats away on the water when it's windy... WOODY: (interrupting him) If you don't like the things I talk about, all you have to do is tell me. RUDY: ...and how to make a kite, the way you feel in touch with the string as it goes up and down... That's why I can't understand how you can bring home some bitch you just met two days ago... WOODY: (interrupting) That's my business! RUDY: (interrupting) Don't interrupt me when I'm talking! Understand? ...Anyway, think it over. I'm just asking you to think it over. WOODY: Listen...I don't want to hear this, it's the same old story. RUDY: Oh, the same old story. You call this the same old story... WOODY: (screaming) Stop it! (Pause, Rudy puts the books back on the shelves. Then, conciliatory) You're the one who told me I could bring her here. You shouldn't have come home unexpectedly, I would have put everything back in place tomorrow morning, just like the other times. RUDY: That's just the point,"like the other times". WOODY: Why, have you ever found anything out of place? C'mon, you ever find anything out of place? RUDY: You don't get it. That's not the point. But I want to ask you a favor. I'd like you to answer this question. "According to you, why did I come here tonight?" WOODY: I don't know and I don't want to know. RUDY: (writing on a piece of paper) Ok. I'm going to Teddy's. He's expecting me. WOODY: He's expecting you? RUDY: (writing) Yeah. He's expecting me. Why didn't you know I was staying out tonight? WOODY: You're a real bastard. RUDY: Yeah, I know that too. (Goes to exit then stops) In case you might want to know why I came here tonight, I wrote you a note. (Exits). WOODY: (he hurries over to read the note. Then screaming) I don't need you, understand! (Throwing the books on the floor) And if you don't like the things I talk about, all you have to do is tell me. (Pause. Then he picks up the books) ...You got a mouth, don't you? You know how to talk! (Black). SCENE 5 (the sound of the sea rises. Same set as scene 0: the tropics. Rudy is sitting on a crate, leafing through a book. Teddy, dressed in bermuda shorts, is lying on his mattress, tossing and turning and talking in his sleep, "Let's go, tough guy, let's go!" He disturbs Rudy. After a moment Woody enters in bermuda shorts, carrying a towel) WOODY: (enters. He pours water on his face from a plastic bottle) How can he sleep with all this light? We've been here three days and he hasn't gone out once. I don't get it. RUDY: How was the water? WOODY: The water? Couldn't be better. RUDY: Couldn't ask for a nicer place, right? WOODY: (reassuring) You can say that again. TEDDY: (sleeping) No, I give up, I give up. WOODY: (hurries over to Teddy) What, is he dreaming already? RUDY: Yeah, but you're still in time. He hasn't said anything yet. TEDDY: (sleeping) I tell you what. You let me give up and I won't say anything. WOODY: (stooping down by the mattress) It's his wrestling dream. RUDY: (approaches the other two) It's weird. A little while ago, while you were out swimming, I was wondering how you can keep on dreaming about the same wrestling match. A match you always end up losing. Weird, huh? What do you make of it? WOODY: Well, you'd have to know who he's wrestling with. RUDY: What difference does that make? WOODY: Well, if we knew who he was wrestling with we could come up with a logical explanation. RUDY: What does it matter who he's wrestling with? Whoever it is, it's still an opponent isn't it? WOODY: Yeah... RUDY: And he keeps dreaming about losing a match to his opponent, right? It's weird. WOODY: Yeah, but if his opponent was a friend? RUDY: If his opponent was a friend? TEDDY: (sleeping) Yeah, let's start over again. Come on, let's go. (Rudy walks away) WOODY: (to Rudy) Wait! (Makes noises with his mouth towards Teddy). TEDDY: (tossing in his bed) Alright. Now, let's see what you can do. (Rudy approaches the bed and drops his book on Teddy's head. Woody quickly picks up the book and hands it to Rudy) TEDDY: (sleeping) Is the lady home? (Woody gestures meaningfully to Rudy) Fine, I'll wait then. I'd like some... Champagne. Don't worry. (Singing softly: LA LUNA E' BELLA. LA LUNA E' BELLA QUANDO VIEN LA SERA. TU MI ABBRACCI E IO ABBRACCIO TE"). RUDY: I'm going for a walk. (He picks up a towel). TEDDY: (sleeping) Yes, it's me and you... Is it really you? No, we don't have time... Yes, I like you that way... Yes, I'd like to but we don't have time. Your lip, what happened to your lip? (Rudy stops to listen) Wait! (He whimpers) The phone, why didn't you answer? (Makes a noise as if he wants to frighten someone) Get out of here! (Mixture of whimpers and noises). (Rudy turns on the tape recorder. Music blares. Stravinsky's "Firebird". Woody looks at Rudy) TEDDY: (waking) What the fuck station is that? RUDY: (to TEDDY) It's Stravinsky, dumbshit. (He exits). TEDDY (gets up and turns off the music) This guy Stravinsky sure makes a goddamn racket. WOODY: (abruptly) You were dreaming about her, weren't you? TEDDY: What? WOODY: You were dreaming about Claire, right? TEDDY: (abruptly) No! WOODY: We heard you talking in your sleep. TEDDY: Well, you know what you guys better do? You better quit listening to my dreams. Both of you. Understand? (Pause). WOODY: You know, I really love this little beach... (They look at each other and smile) There's tons of fish out there beyond the point. You can go right up to 'em and swim with them and they don't swim away... TEDDY: Yeah, Woody, I was dreaming about her. I dreamt about Claire... I've never had a friend like Claire... You still think about her don't you? WOODY: No. It's been four years since the accident, five since we met... No, I can't remember what she was like. TEDDY: You know, in my dream, she had those same eyes. WOODY: I've been meaning to tell you for a long time. When you talk about your dreams, you're like a different person. TEDDY: That's why I like to dream when I sleep Daydreaming is a whole different thing. WOODY: Yeah. TEDDY: (looking outside) Look at him. He walks and he's rude. WOODY: I never dream and when I do, it's luck, just plain luck. You're lucky, really lucky. TEDDY: You think I got something to do with it? No, it's got nothing to do with me. You know what I think? I think it's a question of pajamas. Don't you think? WOODY: (smiling) Oh, I don't know. I daydream. And the point is, it's a whole other thing. TEDDY: Did you think I was talking about you before? No, tell me, because I wasn't talking about you. WOODY: But I understood just the same. TEDDY: (looking out) Look at him. He sits and he's rude. WOODY: Yeah, you too. You're a friend and you're tedious,Teddy. TEDDY: Thanks. WOODY: He's a friend, a real friend. He's the one who found this place. TEDDY: After what he did to you? WOODY: Why, didn't he do the same thing to you? TEDDY: Yeah, but it's different. No, I'm asking you. Isn't it different? She was your woman. WOODY: (interrupting him) She what? What he did he did to us, and he did it to himself too. TEDDY: Because we're friends, right? Wanna know what I think? Did he tell you? Does he tell you these things? Don't you see they're just excuses? Excuses like my pajamas are for me. WOODY: What do your pajamas have to do with it? TEDDY: Why, does friendship have anything to do with it? WOODY: What are you jerking me around? (Rudy enters. He looks around the room, picks up a t-shirt. Woody and Teddy pretend they're doing something. Rudy exits) When you dream you're like a different person. RUDY: (enters, wearing the t-shirt. Turns the Stravinsky music back on. A moment later Woody turns it down) Well, I'm going into town. TEDDY: You're going into town? Well, buy me some pajamas. (Pause. Woody and Rudy look at Teddy) ...What's wrong? (Rudy looks at him for a moment, then exits) ...But he said he was going into town... There must be a store where they sell pajamas, right? (He hurries after Rudy. Woody follows him to the door, then stops and looks after them. Then he turns back to the room, pours water on his face from the plastic bottle, looks intently at his things. A moment later he turns the music off. The sound of the sea stops in the same moment. Black.) SCENE 6 (Teddy's house. Rudy and TEDDY are sitting at the table as in scene 1. Teddy has the same notebook as in scene 1. Rudy's hand is bandaged. They are listening to a tape recorder) TAPE RECORDER: RUDY: I'd like some meat. Yeah, that's what I want, some meat. Butcher: What kind? RUDY: What the hell do you care? (Teddy shakes his head) RUDY: Gimme some of that. BUTCHER: Will half a kilo do? RUDY: Half a kilo, sliced thin. That's better for cooking in butter, isn't it? BUTCHER: Yeah, that's fine. RUDY: No, I mean, if it's gonna be cooked in butter it should be sliced thin, right? BUTCHER: Depends on how you like it. (Teddy disapproves) RUDY: Okay, then slice it thick because the taste of butter makes me sick. BUTCHER: Listen, kid, if you came in here to bust my balls you better go back where you came from. For your own good and mine. TEDDY: (turns off recorder) You see? See what I mean? (Rudy turns the recorder back on) TAPE RECORDER RUDY: I'd like to ask you something. Did you hear when you said, "listen, kid"? BUTCHER: I also told you to leave. (Shouting) Beat it! RUDY: Can't you see that I'm grown up and I'm not a kid anymore? TEDDY: Come on, let's get out of here. Can't you see? No, really, can't you see that you made a mistake? RUDY: (edgy) A mistake? You mean I can't change my mind? I'm a living human being, I can change my mind, can't I ? TEDDY: (turning off the recorder). You see? I mean, did you hear that? You were supposed to say that to the butcher, not to me. (He picks up the notebook and looks for the line). That's right, isn't it? Wait, I'll show you. (He shows him the notebook. Rudy, calm but stubborn, tears the page from the notebook, crumples it up, and throws it on the table. He turns the recorder back on. Teddy quickly picks up the paper and tries to smooth it out) TAPE RECORDER: BUTCHER: Get this straight. Do me a favor. Take this goddamn meat and get the hell out of here... And don't show your faces around here again or, I swear to God... RUDY: You know you've messed everything up? In case you don't realize it, you had the chance to change your life and you messed it all up. Do you realize that? BUTCHER: Do I have to call the police? Take your meat and beat it! RUDY: Now, I'll pay for your meat. At the cash register, for example. (Sound of a cash register) Good afternoon. Cashier: Good afternoon. (sound of breaking glass) (Rudy turns off the recorder) TEDDY: (brief pause) Now I'm asking you? Now, do you wanna explain this to me? I mean, can you explain it? RUDY: Now I wanna explain it to you. TEDDY: Why did you break that poor guy's window? RUDY: The girl said 'Good afternoon', didn't you hear that? TEDDY: So what? No, sure I heard it, but I mean...Why did you break it with your hand? Look, you hurt yourself. RUDY: I want you to listen to what I'm about to say. (Pause) No, there are some things you just can't understand... TEDDY: (interrupting him) There are somethings I just can't understand? What, do you think that I don't understand that you want to predict what's going to happen in life? Is that what you think I don't understand? So why am I helping you then? No, you ask me. I mean, can you explain that to me? RUDY: ...I wish you wouldn't interrupt when I'm talking. (Pause) There are some things that you can't understand. (Tears up the notes). TEDDY: (trying to save the notes) So, have you finished? No, are you trying to tell me that you're finished talking to me? RUDY: Why, did you think I should add something? TEDDY: Yes... RUDY: Well that's your business, isn't it? TEDDY: No!...am I the one who said not to interrupt? No. You're the one who told me not to interrupt you when you're talking. So, you see, you wanted to continue... RUDY: Oh yeah? Well I was wrong. (Brief pause) But no, that's right. Maybe I did want to add something. Maybe I wanted to tell you something about being consistent. Yeah, about being consistent. Or maybe I wanted to tell you why we didn't put anything in the notebook about breaking the window. Maybe I even wanted to argue with you. I cut my hand, right? Can't you see that it's bandaged? Or maybe I wanted to tell you that I didn't know that when you cut your hand it hurts. Maybe I also wanted to tell you that before going to the butcher's, in the market for example, or with that guy on the street, you remember? Maybe my intention was simply to predict what was going to happen in life. Maybe I only wanted to add that I know that you can't deny the posssibility that life itself is changeable. Or maybe I really wanted to tell you that I broke the window because I was excited about the girl's answer. Or maybe I was irritated that things turned out so bad. Or maybe still I wanted to tell you that I enjoy it, yeah, I enjoy the idea of moving people's words with my imagination. But what I said was, 'There are things you just can't understand.' And that's what counts. What counted. Don't you think? I mean, you understand what I wanted to tell you? TEDDY: You want me to tell you what I understood? RUDY: Yes. TEDDY: In what sense? No, tell me. In the sense that you want to know the way I see it? I mean, my opinion, my personal opinion. RUDY: I do now. TEDDY: Ok. I want to tell you that I understand but I still have one question and now I'm going to ask you. What do you mean by life? You understand what I understood? Maybe you're just playing around. No, I mean with this possibility of change you want to play around with life? I mean to say in the sense that you don't really take yourself seriously. RUDY: Right. I don't take myself seriously. TEDDY: (as if cornering him) Yes, but with the girl you were taking yourself seriously. No, you tell me. Were you taking yourself seriously? RUDY: Not me, the girl. I took the girl seriously. She gave the right answer. Didn't you hear it? And I got irritated. Didn't you understand that? TEDDY: You want me to tell you? RUDY: Yeah, I'd like you to tell me. TEDDY: Look, when you're finished with this game, you want to let me know? RUDY: What about you? When you finish dreaming, you want to let me know? TEDDY: What, are you trying to say that I'm dreaming? That the things I said to you are dreams? No, I want to know. Did I dream them? RUDY: I'm not trying to say that you're dreaming. I meant to say when you stop dreaming in your sleep. You know that day dreaming is a whole other thing? TEDDY: That's why I sleep all the time!...You know? I'll tell you, I don't know when this game is going to end. RUDY: We don't know when it's going to end. But we will know. Like now. You don't understand? (Exits decisively). TEDDY: Like now, what? RUDY: (enters) Our dialogue... Understand? TEDDY: No. RUDY: It's over (exits. Black). SCENE 9-10 (UNIFIED) (Teddy's place at night. Teddy is sleeping on the bed in the same pajamas as scene 2. Woody enters dressed as in scene 2) WOODY: (going over to bed) Teddy. wake up! TEDDY: (after a minute) huh' Oh, it's you. Did you find him? WOODY: No, I didn't find him. TEDDY: Didn't I tell you? He split. WOODY: You want to come with me? TEDDY: What time is it? WOODY: Almost midnight. TEDDY: Listen to me, I've got an idea. WOODY: (ironic) Good for you. TEDDY: What, can't a guy have an idea anymore? Yeah, I know. You think I don't know? But listen. Who says it was really him? Do you know for sure? (Woody doesn't answer) ...They found her at home naked. Could have been anybody, no? WOODY: Yeah, but she didn't hang around the house naked with just anybody. (He throws TEDDY's pants at him) Get dressed. TEDDY: You know, sometimes you really make me mad. You think I don't know she didn't hang around the house naked with just anybody? Yeah, I know that. But that happens sometimes. Like before, when she first started going out with you, did she really know you? WOODY: You mind telling me why you always have to be so strange? TEDDY: Me? Strange? WOODY: We got to get out of here. I was over at Rudy's house. The police are there. I hadn't thought about that. How long do you think it'll be before they get here? Maybe they've already been to my house. Come on, get dressed. We got to get out of here fast. TEDDY: (slowly getting dressed) And where are we going? WOODY: I don't know. TEDDY: Have you been to see... Claire? WOODY: No, I didn't see her. TEDDY: Don't you think we should see her? WOODY: Yeah, I think I'd like to, but we can't. Hurry up. TEDDY: You think she's really dead? WOODY: Fuck! (Throws the newspaper at him) Did you read this, or not? You always have to be so strange? Look, we got to hurry. TEDDY: Why? What time is it? WOODY: (shaking him) Come on, wake up! If the police get here they're going to question us and I don't want to fuck him over. You understand? TEDDY: But you sure it was really him? WOODY: Who do you think it was? They found her at home naked with two bullets in her head... And... TEDDY: And one in her stomach... (He pulls a newspaper out form under his pillow) I read it, I read it too. WOODY: Come on, hurry up!...Who was going out with her, huh? Whose bright idea was it to 'kidnap' her? Who took a pistol with him to kidnap her? TEDDY: But it was a game. Even Claire... I mean it was a game for her too. (continues dressing). WOODY: It might have been a game until the shooting started, but it's not anymore. It's all real now... You can't talk about her like that anymore. TEDDY: Why, like what? WOODY: She's really dead. Are you coming, or what? TEDDY: Did you say it was midnight? WOODY: (pissed off) Almost! I said it's almost midnight! TEDDY: Why are you blaming me? WOODY: ...You act like you don't have anything to do with this whole thing. TEDDY: What am I supposed to do? Come on, let's hear it? What am I supposed to do? Should I go looking for him? Should I go to see her? No. I'm not going to go see her and I'm not going to look for him. You know why? You want to know why? Today, when you left, you know how many 'whys' I thought of? At least a dozen. You want me to tell you one of them? You want to know one? She's the one who gave him the nickname Rudy becasue he's rude. You want to know another one? He's the one who started calling me Teddy because I'm tedious. And you know what that means? That I like both of them. And since I like both of them I start getting ideas. Are you sure it was really him? You can't ever be sure, no? Well, I'm sure it was him. That's why I'm not going looking for him. He ran away and you want to know how I know? Because if I leave here,I'm running away too. WOODY: That's what I wanted to tell you. TEDDY: What do you mean? I don't understand you, Woody. WOODY: That you should come too. Let's get out of here. Let's run away. I'm not going back home. I'm never going back... TEDDY: Why? (continues dressing). WOODY: I can't go back home. I can't go back to my brother. TEDDY: As far as I can see your brother has nothing to do with all of this. WOODY: That's easy for you to say because you're not his brother. After what's happened I can't go back home because I couldn't stand the look in his eyes. You understand that? TEDDY: I've been meaning to tell you this for a while. You act the same way with Rudy as you do with your brother. Haven't you ever noticed that? WOODY: And you're telling me this now? All this had to happen before you could tell me? We could have talked about it earlier, couldn't we? But instead you're telling me about it now. I can't go back to my bother's house anymore. What happened is what had to happen so that we could 'run away'. TEDDY: You, not me. You're the one who can run away now. I'll only be following you. But since I will be following you, both of you, but I want you to know (like a threat) that wherever we go I'm taking my pajamas with me. (He violently throws a rolled up pajama at him. Woody catches it impassively. Then Teddy finishes dressing and looks at him a second) I'm ready. What do you say? Shall we go? (Woody throws the pajamas back at him even more violently. He exits. Teddy follows him. Black). SCENE 11 (Rudy's house. Everything as it was at end of Scene 4. Claire is smoking a cigarette. Rudy enters and exits as he sets the table. He is trying to hide a certain discomfort; it seems that Claire would like to seduce him) CLAIRE: So you really don't want me to help you? (Rudy doesn't answer. He exits and enters). I wanted to apologize about last night. RUDY: What's there to apologize about? CLAIRE: I don't know what came over me last night. I think I'm in love. RUDY: Well, you're not the first. They all fall in love with him. CLAIRE: Why do you have to be rude all the time? RUDY: Rude! What the hell. Didn't it ever occur to you that you're not the first? CLAIRE: It doesn't have to occur to me. It's normal. RUDY: So what difference does that make? CLAIRE: It doesn't make any difference. I just wanted to tell you that I think I behaved that way last night because I'm in love. RUDY: That much I understood. CLAIRE: "In love". RUDY: Listen, what's that stuff you wear that stinks so much? Is it cyclamen, by any chance? CLAIRE: No, you don't understand. It might seem strange to you. RUDY: (interrupts): It's perfume, isn't it? CLAIRE: (in his face): Why, don't you like it? RUDY: I've been meaning to tell you since last night. It's... Well, yeah I like it. CLAIRE: Finally a compliment. RUDY: (he stops) Smells a little toxic, don't you think? Sometimes I get nauseated and it usually happens when there's some whore around. This time it's the stink of cyclamen. Just a little toxic, don't you think? CLAIRE: Is that your way of paying somebody a compliment? RUDY (setting the table): A compliment? Was that a compliment? Yeah, I guess it was a compliment. CLAIRE: Or were you trying to scare me? RUDY: Scare you? Was I trying to scare you? Yeah, I guess I was. Did it work? CLAIRE: Not entirely. You'll have to keep trying. But I'd say you're on the right track. Do you want to spend the evening together? RUDY: I don't think that's necessary. CLAIRE: You know why I came to see you today? RUDY: Sure I do. You came to apologize. CLAIRE: No, I came to see you today because I feel like jerking your friend Woody around. Don't you see that? (pause) RUDY: (looking at her he gestures towards the kitchen) The coffee's ready. (He enters kitchen, Reenters with one cup. Rudy sits down and drinks). CLAIRE: Don't I get some? RUDY: (brusk) No! (He keeps drinking. Then) I have to leave. What do you want to do? (Picks up his jacket). CLAIRE: (she grabs him by the jacket) Don't you think it's too easy for somebody like you... To leave? RUDY: Don't you think it's too easy for somebody like you to stop me? CLAIRE: (pause) You're right. (Exits). RUDY: (stopping her) You know what?...You're right. (He motions her back in. He sits on chair and she sits on the couch). (pause. They exchange an occasional glance) RUDY: (a moment's pause) Am I supposed to say something? CLAIRE: (laughing) It seems to me that we can start talking now. And you've won the right to start. It's only natural for white to make the first move. RUDY: I'm white? I don't know what the hell you're talking about? CLAIRE: About a party. Don't you remember? A party where I met two white bishops, two identical bishops that move on the diagonals and never meet. RUDY: Never meet? On the diagonals? CLAIRE: ...One moves on the white squares and the other (she looks at him) on the black squares. RUDY: What? You mean I'm the one who moves on the black squares? CLAIRE: You got it. RUDY: White, on the black squares (brief pause). A quirk of fate, huh? CLAIRE: Maybe. RUDY: And you? CLAIRE: Me? A poor little pawn, who soon became queen. RUDY: A queen. CLAIRE: Black, naturally. RUDY: (smiling) Naturally. CLAIRE: But not for the other one though. (She moves closer, seductively) I have to be careful not to land on his black squares, or else... RUDY: Or else what? (He stands) Or else what? Come on. Does he know you're here? CLAIRE: Of course not. RUDY: Of cour... (He looks at her) Can't you see that I've got things to do and you better leave? CLAIRE: No, I can't. What have you got to do? RUDY: I have to think! CLAIRE: Think? About what? About how to scare me better or how to pay me another compliment? RUDY: I don't know what the hell you're talking about? Why on earth did you even come here? CLAIRE: (very seductively) Love. RUDY: Gimme a break. What the hell do you know about me? CLAIRE: I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about me. I came here for love last night, remember? RUDY: No, I don't remember. All I saw last night was a bitch doing it on the couch... CLAIRE: And that's where you came in. We can talk about you now. You want to? RUDY: Oh yeah? Is that where I came in? Don't you see that I don't feel at all like talking about love? CLAIRE: Of course I see that. That's why I want to tell you that it's not so hard. You don't need to be afraid of talking about love. There's nothing special about you You're no different than anybody else. RUDY: Why don't you shut up. Why don't you just leave? CLAIRE: That would be a shame, don't you think? I know what your love is. RUDY: Oh yeah? What is my love? CLAIRE: A woman. RUDY: Ah, a woman. Listen, and listen good. Nothing gives you the right to come here and waste my time like this. CLAIRE: Yes I think there is something that gives me the right. RUDY: What might that be? CLAIRE: You. RUDY: Me! I don't think I give you any right. Understand? CLAIRE: You give me the right. (Harshly) Did I ask you to stay here last night while I was making love with Woody? RUDY: That's something between him and me. CLAIRE: And last night there was something that was just between him and me. RUDY: You mind telling me what you came here for? CLAIRE: I like the idea of mixing up your silly white pieces of paper, even if I have to admit that the black in you is attractive to me. RUDY: You want to know what I want my woman to be? CLAIRE: (ironic) That's just what I'd like to know from you. Would you be so kind as to tell me what you want your woman to be? (pause. They exchange a glance) RUDY: (music begins to play) Like this. If you really want to know, this is what I want my woman to be! (The music is Bach's Concert for harpsichord and strings, BWV 1056, no.5, in F minor, first moviment, allegro. Light slowly fades to black. The music continues to play, then fades away. Silence). SCENE 12 (SPACE WITHOUT WALLS. A bench in a park. Daytime. Claire is seated. After a moment Teddy's head pops up from behind the bench. He has an umbrella in hand) TEDDY: Is he gone? CLAIRE: Yeah, he's gone. TEDDY: Are you sure? Did you see him go? CLAIRE: Yes, he's gone. But why did you hide? (Teddy sits beside her) TEDDY: Why did I hide? Didn't you see who that was? It was the butcher. CLAIRE: Everytime a butcher goes by you hide? TEDDY: (he looks around) You know, that's a really good question. I mean, it's logical.That's not really a good reason to hide. Shall we sit here for a while? (He opens his umbrella to hide his face). CLAIRE: What are you doing? (Laughing) Can't you see it's not raining? TEDDY: (looking around) Oh, that's a good one. Think I can't see it's not raining? ...I like sitting under the umbrella. Why, isn't that all right? (He puts his arm around her and pulls her under the umbrella). CLAIRE: It's funny. TEDDY: Oh, it's funny? You know who taught me this? CLAIRE: (smiling) No, I don't know. TEDDY: Woody. He thinks it's nice, so I think it's nice. CLAIRE: Well, that's interesting. TEDDY: What's interesting? CLAIRE: The way you two get along. It's really nice. TEDDY: But no, it's not that I like sitting under the umbrella because he says so. I mean he has a lot of experience. You know, when he's out in the country he can sit under an umbrella the whole day long. So if he says it's nice, I believe him. CLAIRE: That's just what I mean. You two influence each other. Sometimes you even talk the same. Ever notice that? TEDDY: We talk the same? CLAIRE: And you don't even notice it. I feel lucky to have met you guys. I'm happy to know you. I really like being with you. TEDDY: But really, you don't want to tell him that every once in a while you go to Rudy's house? No, I'm just asking. (Brief pause) Because you could tell him. You know what I think? I think he'd be glad. Woody, I mean. CLAIRE: No, I don't want to tell him. I told you, I want to be like you guys. It's a game with Rudy. I like giving him a hard time, That's all. And anyway he's the one who started it. TEDDY: You know what? He gives everybody a hard time. It's natural. Don't you think so? No, seriously, don't you think so? CLAIRE: Why do you call him Woody? TEDDY: Naw, that's incredible! You ask all the right questions. I mean, I've noticed that about you all these months. You always say the right thing at the right time, don't you? No, really. You never say the wrong thing. For example, the first time I met you, Woody said to you "You want to have dinner together?" You remember that? And you said, "yes" and that was it. No, it's difficult. You don't think so? Well I think it's difficult. I mean you could have said, "But all four of us together?", But instead you said "Yes" and that was it. CLAIRE: I already knew we were going to eat together. It was a way to get to know one another, all four of us. TEDDY: You already knew? CLAIRE: Yes. Woody had told me ahead of time. So it was just a formality. TEDDY: He told you ahead of time? Ah, so that's the way it works? No, I mean it's true. Just tell somebody ahead of time and then they can just say "yes" and that's all there is to it. I'll have to tell Rudy about this. But where did you get the idea to call him Rudy? CLAIRE: Now that's funny, why should you tell Rudy about that dinner? TEDDY: No, the dinner doesn't have anything to do with it. It's a game. (He hides in fright behind the bench). CLAIRE: Would you mind telling me what you're hiding from? TEDDY: Be quiet! The butcher, he's back. CLAIRE: So I see, but why are you hiding? TEDDY: What are you doing? Don't look at me! And close the umbrella. And don't attract his attention. Turn around! And close the umbrella! Just act natural. CLAIRE: I'm going to get up and leave. TEDDY: No, are you crazy? If he comes this way you got to distract him. CLAIRE: He's gone. TEDDY: You sure? CLAIRE: Yes, he's gone! (Teddy sits back down on the bench) Do you mind explaining to me what's going on? TEDDY: What's to explain? I don't see what there is to explain. No, why do you always have to meet everybody? You can't meet everybody, and that's all there is to it. Is that so strange? I mean, do you find that strange? No, I'm curious to hear what you think. Is it strange? CLAIRE: (smiling) You guys are such fun. I'm so glad I know you. (She hugs him) I really love you all. TEDDY: No, I believe you. Yeah, that's great... Listen, I'd like to ask you something. What do you say, can I ask you? CLAIRE: Yes, of course. TEDDY: I wanted to ask you if, by any chance... Uh, I don't really know why I want to know... I don't usually ask these kinds of questions. Who knows why I thought of asking you? CLAIRE: Why don't you just ask me? TEDDY: Should I ask you? CLAIRE: Yeeesss! (she smiles). TEDDY: Ok, are you, by any chance...happy? CLAIRE: (she thinks for a moment) Yes, I'm happy. TEDDY: No... I mean are you always happy? CLAIRE: Sometimes I feel like I've always been happy. TEDDY: (incredulous) You're happy? CLAIRE: Yes, a lot of times I am. TEDDY: And why are you happy? CLAIRE: I don't know. There are some things I don't understand. TEDDY: Listen to me. You think I ask this question everyday? No, I never do. It never occurs to me to ask this question. Now that I've finally thought of asking it, I'd also like to have an answer, don't you agree? No, I mean, you understand? CLAIRE: But I don't know why I'm happy, I don't understand why, and maybe I'm not even that glad to be happy. TEDDY: What? Oh no, you have to think about this. Because I really want to have an answer. What do you do? Tell yourself ahead of time? CLAIRE: Tell myself ahead of time?...To be happy? (Smiles). TEDDY: Is that it? CLAIRE: (pensive) You know maybe I do tell myself ahead of time. So that's why I'm not glad to be happy... TEDDY: You're not glad? But if you're happy! I mean, how can you not be glad. No, I mean if you understand how it works, you just tell yourself ahead of time, no? CLAIRE: Yeah, that must be how it works. (She rises pensively and walks away). TEDDY: (he looks around) Shall we go back to our walk? (He opens the umbrella as he looks around and catches up to Claire). CLAIRE: Under the umbrella even if it isn't raining? TEDDY: Yeah, why not? (Brief pause) Ok, I'll tell you. (Slyly) This way if the butcher shows up he won't see us. (Alluding to the umbrella). CLAIRE: Right, if the butcher shows up he won't see us. I mean, he won't think it's strange that we're under an umbrella she grabs him by the nose) ...Even though it's not raining and the sky is clear. TEDDY: (before starting off) Huh? What? (They exit. Black). SCENE 13 (this scene is the continuation of Scene 11. Rudy's House. In the darkness Bach's Concert for harpsichord and strings, BWV 1056 N 5 in F minor, first movement, allegro continues from where interrupted in scene 11. Rudy and Carl are in the same position as at end of scene 11) CLAIRE: (alluding to the music) Is this how you want your woman to be? (She moves seductively toward him) Were you trying to scare me or pay me a compliment? (They look at each other. The lights fade to black and the music fades to silence). SCENE 14 (a space without walls: a hotel room. Music. Claire and Teddy are dancing. Woody is squatting next to Rudy who is sitting on a chair. They talk seriously. Rudy seems to disapprove of the situation) TEDDY: (out loud) Since we're here in Alassio I propose a toast to Alassio! CLAIRE: (loud) To Alassio and to Woody's bad brother who thinks he's perfect and won't let Woody dance with us. (She laughs. Rudy stops talking with Woody and looks at Claire). TEDDY: (laughs with Claire. then to Woody and Rudy) Come on guys, a toast, to Alassio! RUDY: (he gets up, turns off the music. Goes threateningly to Claire) I don't think you can understand this but there's a slight difference between what we are and what you would like us to be. Don't you see? We're friends, friends! And you're nothing, nothing! That's why you won't be able to ruin us. CLAIRE: Ruin you? Look at him, this friend of yours is in love with me. RUDY: In love? (To Woody) You hear that? WOODY: (to Rudy) I'd like to tell you something, she is my woman. RUDY: Your woman? CLAIRE: I am your friend's woman. RUDY: Oh yeah? (He approaches Claire and kisses her. She kisses him back.Teddy and Woody look at them) So, are you my woman now? (To Woody) See, this is all ridiculous. (As he exits, to Teddy) Ridiculous. (Exits). TEDDY: (to Claire) Listen, can I tell him? We should tell him now. WOODY: What? TEDDY: (to Woody) Look, she was seeing Rudy. CLAIRE: Now I understand. That's how it all started.Even the first time, he's the one who brought us together from the very beginning. We never told each other that we were in love.We just told him now... TEDDY: Believe her or not. That's it. You think you have any other choice? No, that's it. (Teddy moves to exit). WOODY: (to Teddy) Where are you going? TEDDY: (stops) I'm going to take a nap. (Exits). (pause) CLAIRE: Listen... WOODY: Have you ever seen the night? CLAIRE: The night? WOODY: In the country! Where there aren't any cars. Where there aren't any lights... Well, night comes and everything slows down. In the city you don't see the night. Because as soon as it gets dark, somebody hits a switch, one little switch, and the lights go on, and the night burns away. (Dark). SCENE 15 (the sound of the sea rises. A small space in a tropical zone. The lights come up After a moment Woody, Teddy, and Rudy enter. They're wearing bermuda shorts and carrying towels. It's evening. They prepare a meal. Teddy keeps scratching and looking at his leg) RUDY: Good swim, wasn't it? WOODY: Yeah, good swim. TEDDY: Do the fish bite you guys? I mean, because they bite me. What do they think they're up to? You know what I'm gonna do tomorrow? I'm gonna take something with me and when they bite me, you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna scare them. Really, I mean what do they think they're up to? I'll show them. I don't have to take this from a bunch of fish. Hey, do they bite you guys? Woody, they come right up to you, but do they bite you? I mean, look what they did to me! (He shows his leg) They do that to you? WOODY: They don't bite you!(He shows his leg) Look,me too, but they're not bites. When they touch you it irritates your skin. TEDDY: Oh, it's a rash. (He looks at his leg) Oh sure, a rash. But I'll show them tomorrow... RUDY: My God! Give me a break! You know some other place where the ish swim so close to you? TEDDY: Oh, all right. (Pause) But they come too close, and it really pisses me off. (Teddy exits. Rudy and Woody set some plates out on the crate that they use for a table. Cans of beer, tins of food, crackers etc.) WOODY: You know we've been here two months now. RUDY: What, are you counting the days? I'm serious. Are you counting the days? I've lost track of the days. What do you care about time? What's the use? WOODY: It seems like years. RUDY: (brief pause) Why, don't you think this is a great place to spend a few years? WOODY: Yeah, it's nice here, but maybe it's not right to stay here. (He goes to the window and looks out). RUDY: Don't you understand?. We didn't run away. Does it seem to you that we ran away? (He sniffs the air) ...What's that smell? WOODY: (referring to Teddy) It's his shampoo. RUDY: His shampoo? TEDDY: (offstage, singing. Then he enters with a towel around his head and dries his hair) Isn't it incredible? They've got tomato shampoo in this place! RUDY: (grabbing him by the towel, almost strangling him) I forbid you to use tomato shampoo. TEDDY: Why, what's wrong? RUDY: (angry) You understand? TEDDY: Yeah I understand. I'm not supposed to use tomato shampoo anymore. RUDY: (walks away. To Teddy) Do you think we ran away? TEDDY: (recognizing the same old story) No, we didn't run away. (To Woody) We left. I mean, after a while you get bored staying in the same place, right? (To Rudy) Isn't that right? And then you leave, is that running away? (To Woody) No, I'm asking you, you think that's running away? (He finishes drying his hair). WOODY: (to Teddy) The place he left is called jail. RUDY: Well, you can always leave us if you want. Nobody says we have to stay together. Each of us can do whatever he wants. But there's one thing you should know...I'd be sorry to see you go. WOODY: I don't want to go. It's just that the days are so long here and I can't help thinking about what happened. Don't you think I'd like to see things the way you do? (To Rudy) You have your books to read. (To Teddy) This guy sleeps, what about me? RUDY: I don't read, I study. TEDDY: And what do I do? Sleep? No, I dream. RUDY: (to Woody) There's a difference. You just have to understand the difference. Listen to me. Out there, right outside this door, you got miles of sandy beaches, and then there are the mountains, and after the mountains there's the rain forest. And you like sand, don't you? And you like the mountains, and you even like the rain forest, What more could you ask for? TEDDY: And don't forget the pelicans. Really, the pelicans. The pelicans spend the whole day out here on the water. And it's not the sea, it's the ocean. (To Rudy) What more does he want? And (to Woody) if you really want to know, there's something for you to do here too. (Woody nibbles on something. He drinks. They drink) RUDY: We miss your stories. That's what we miss. And your discoveries. TEDDY: Yeah, we miss your stories. And your discoveries too. (they continue nibbling. Then Rudy reads a book, Teddy lies down on a mattress. Woody stands there immobile, and every once in while takes a drink. After a minute...) WOODY: (to Rudy) Why did you kill her? (Teddy worried looks at Rudy. Rudy looks up at Woody, then looks back at the book) WOODY: (to Teddy) Why is Claire dead? (Teddy looks down. Woody grabs him by the collar) Why is Claire dead? (Teddy looks at him without answering. After a moment, Woody lets him go and walks away) I keep asking myself what I have to do with the two of you. (Rudy keeps on reading. Teddy doesn't move) But not just now. I wonder what I've ever had to do with you. (To Rudy) Maybe you're the brother I've always wanted. Maybe that explains it. A brother to share everything with without having to feel guilty. That explains it. (Rudy read impassively. Woody takes a drink, then to Teddy) And who are you? You're one of those people who wouldn't even look at me and then right out of the blue you asked me to go out for a drink. And you asked me a lot of questions and sat there listening to my answers. Is that it? (Teddy doesn't budge. Woody drinks) ...You miss my stories and even my discoveries... (To Teddy) And all I've got is the memory of my nightmare. I keep sitting there with a grin on my face trying to make what I am square with what I'm supposed to be. But it's hard and the only way to make it work is to lie to myself. (Referring to Rudy) He's perfect, he's the example and yet we're brothers, what's the difference? The more I act like him, the more you can tell the difference, it gets clearer and clearer. I just want people to like me. But he acts the way he's supposed to, he does what people expect. And then, I try to get his approval but he misunderstands, my brother, he wants me to be like him but I, guilty, stay the way I am. Try to win over his friends then, so I can win him over too. (To Rudy) "The shortest road is not always the most direct", is that how it goes? "Other ends lead to the true victory". (To Rudy) Is that how it goes? (To Teddy) The last resort, I show off to get someone new to love me. It seemed to be working. (To Rudy) But I just replaced my brother with you. That's what caused my illness. Isn't it? (To Teddy) Was it my weakness that found a friend in you ? What gives us the right not to feel lonely? That's what I want to know? Why did I ever share my discoveries with you? My stories? Why? Why? Why Claire? ...I remember my nightmare here in this far-off place. (Rudy reads. Teddy as before) These are my stories now. (To Rudy) Why did you kill her? (To Teddy) Why is Claire dead? ...That's what I want to discover now. (He goes to Teddy and shakes him) I asked you a question! TEDDY: Do you think I was sleeping? I wasn't sleeping. I heard you. WOODY: (goes to Rudy and knocks his book away) Am I bothering you? RUDY: (impassive) You knocked my book away. Don't you see that? WOODY: (disdainfully) What have I got to do with you two? RUDY: I've been meaning to talk to you for a while. Actually I've been meaning to talk to both of you. (Brief pause) It's true, I left a place called jail, and I left against my will, and it's thanks to you that I was able to leave. But that's not what I wanted to tell you. What I want to say is that I turned myself in... You know I don't like to feel useless (angrily) You know that! TEDDY: (sarcastically) How did it go there, I mean in jail? RUDY: Awful. TEDDY: (sarcastically) What, did they beat you up? RUDY: Beat me up? (Pause) I went and told them everything. Who said they beat me up? TEDDY: (sarcastically) The papers... I saved them. (He takes the articles out from under the mattress and hands them to Rudy) You can read them if you want. They say you must be a pretty smart guy, yeah real smart. RUDY: The newspapers insulted me. TEDDY: (sarcastically) No, read this. It says "a smart guy". Read it. RUDY: Being smart doesn't count for anything. WOODY: It bothers me to hear you talking this way; it really bothers me. RUDY: And it bothered me to hear you talking before; so we're even, no? TEDDY: (sarcastically) So it was really awful there.. no, I'm asking... What made it so awful there? RUDY: It was sad! (To Woody) It was sad! WOODY: What do you mean, isn't being sad "a privelege"? RUDY: Sadness is a privelege, I know! WOODY: Well, sadness doesn't count for anything. That's what I want to tell you, now! RUDY : (to Woody) I don't know why Claire's dead, I don't know why I killed her.I just know it happened. I just know that life can be corrected,even a second before the final moment. That's what killed Claire. That's all you have to understand. Because none of us is innocent. But there are more important things than innocence and guilt... and when you realize that, nothing else exists.The only thing that ever exists is that thought. There's one thing I'm really afraid of: thought is timeless. There's no before, there's no after...it's all a part of now. You're right, Woody. Sadness doesn't help to put things in order. Crying out our grief; to ourselves, to our dreams, to our books. That's what we're doing. That's what you should understand... (Teddy exits. Woody goes to the window. Then Rudy approaches Woody) Cry out your grief to the ocean, to the mountains, to the rain forest. That's why you're here with us now. (Rudy exits. Woody looks towards Rudy. Then he wanders around, touches a few things: the leftovers from dinner etc.. Then he grabs his backpack and hastily fills it with his stuff. He slings it over his shoulder and goes towards the door. He stops, takes a last look around the room, and exits. Dark. The sea can be heard and then fades away) SCENES 16-17-18 (these three scenes are three different moments in time but take place contemporaneously on the stage. The space for scene 16 (Teddy's house) is superimposed on a new space without walls (Claire's house). Small table and chair. Claire is sitting on a chair reading some sheets of paper. Teddy is sitting with Rudy at the table as in scenes 1 and 6. Rudy is dictating some dialogue to Teddy who transcribes it. Rudy clutches a pistol. Both spaces are visible at the same time) TEDDY: (to Rudy) You want to try with Claire? No, you want to write Claire's kidnapping? Sorry, I mean, it's hard. Where'd you ever get an idea like that? I mean, do you think you'll get it right? It's impossible, you know. It's impossible. What do you think? RUDY: You want to cut it out? Just write! ...I say, "I'm here to kidnap you, yes, I'm really here to kidnap you." (Teddy writes. Claire reads the pages and talks as if she's reciting from memory) CLAIRE: What? RUDY: "I'm here to kidnap you, yes, I'm really here to kidnap you." (To Teddy) You got that down? TEDDY: Yes. CLAIRE: (Bursts out laughing). RUDY: (to Teddy) You got that down? TEDDY: (writing) Ha! ha! ha! a laugh, I wrote. RUDY: And I say "Well, what are you laughing at?" CLAIRE: That's a nice idea. RUDY: "No, it's not a nice idea." CLAIRE: It's funny, that's why I'm laughing. RUDY: "No,it's not funny either" TEDDY: (to Rudy) No, sorry, I don't think she'd say it's a nice idea. You say she says "That's a nice idea." And I don't think she'd say it's funny either. She notices right away that it's a game, don't you think? You don't think it's better that way? RUDY: Did you write down what I said? TEDDY: (pretending to write) I'm writing. CLAIRE: ...So what is this, a game? RUDY: Sort of a game. It's sort of a game. CLAIRE: No, I'll tell you what it is... It's love, this is a kidnapping for love. You're in love with me. That's what it is. TEDDY: No, sorry, what are you saying? Don't you see? Woody took her out to the country with him. I think she's in love with Woody, because if she wasn't, he wouldn't have taken her out to the country with him... I don't think she says that to you. You know what I think? She might say: "since you guys like to play games so much, I've got no choice but to play your game too." And she's got you... It could go like that, no? RUDY: Where were we? TEDDY: (rereading) "You're in love with me. That's what it is. CLAIRE: And I like to play this kind of game. I'll play with you too. RUDY: Did you get that? And I say, "What does that mean, with you too? This is a kidnapping. (He shows the pistol) You see this? It's a pistol. This look like love?" CLAIRE: Yes. RUDY: And I say, "O yeah?" TEDDY: "Yes." And that's it? RUDY: Huh? TEDDY: You always think it's so simple. You show her a pistol and all she says is yes? ...She could say ...No wait (to himself) I got it. Here's how it works. She tells herself ahead of time so all she has to say is yes. RUDY: What? TEDDY: No, nothing, I understand. RUDY: What? (Teddy takes his notes over to Claire. Rudy keeps thinking) TEDDY: (to Claire) Here, you see these.? CLAIRE: Teddy! I'm glad you're here. I'll get you something to drink. TEDDY: No, we don't have time, I mean, that would be nice, but we don't have time. CLAIRE: I'll just take a minute. TEDDY: We don't have time! Rudy's on his way over here. CLAIRE: Rudy's coming too? What's going on today? Is something wrong? TEDDY: No, nothing's wrong. Do you remember that story about dinner for four? You already knew about that, right? Well, Rudy, got this idea about predicting life, so I'm telling you ahead of time. CLAIRE: Predicting life? ...What are you talking about? TEDDY: Well, it's not exactly like that, no, I mean, it's a game. He thinks it's fun to use his imagination to make people say what he wants... It's all for fun... Why can't it be fun? Huh? No, what do you think? Don't you think it's just for fun? CLAIRE: Let me see. (She reads the pages). TEDDY: (after a moment) You know what he said to me, "I want to try with Claire, I feel like trying with Claire". And then he told me, "Teddy, this time I'm going to get it right!" That's what he said. And, I'm curious, no, I mean, I wondered what would he do if he got it right, would he be happy? CLAIRE: (laughs) You're incredible, really. TEDDY: ...So, I'm telling you ahead of time and we'll see if he'll be happy. Maybe he'll be happy, right? CLAIRE: Ok, I understand. TEDDY: Oh yeah, you understand? No, I mean, did you read what's written there? CLAIRE: Yes, I read it. TEDDY: And you understood it? No, I mean, will you do what it says? CLAIRE: Yes, why? TEDDY: What do you mean, yes? Did you read what you're supposed to do? CLAIRE: Ye-es. TEDDY: And you'll do it? No, tell me, you'll do what he said you should do? CLAIRE: I wouldn't do it if he weren't what he is. TEDDY: Why? What is he? CLAIRE: You know, Woody and I figured it out. Everything he does, he does for us. His provocations, his insults, they keep us alive. And that's the truth. If it weren't for him, I would have been forgotten like all the others, don't you think? TEDDY: Sure, sure. You would have been forgotten, that's the way it works. CLAIRE: But he does a lot more than that. And that's what makes him a real friend. He doesn't just keep us alive, he keeps changing us more all the time. Each of his ideas makes us better. That's what Woody and I thought. I'm curious to find out where this new idea will take us, because each time I'm curious to discover my love for Woody. See? I'm already talking about love. TEDDY: Yeah, sure. You're talking about love already. That's the way it always works. You tell yourself ahead of time even to talk about love, so... CLAIRE and TEDDY: ...then you talk about love. (Claire laughs. Teddy goes back to Rudy). TEDDY: (sits down at the table) No, nothing, I understand. RUDY: What, what do you mean "nothing, I understand"? You better stop interrupting me. You understand that? TEDDY: Yeah, I understand. RUDY: Where were we? TEDDY: (reading) "See this, it's a pistol? This look like love?" And she says, "Yes." And you say, "Oh yeah?" RUDY: I say, "Oh yeah, then strip." (Teddy looks up) You want to write? (Teddy writes) "So strip and let me have a look at you. I want to see what a whore looks like." And she says, "I'm not a whore. It's strange. You should have known." And I say, "And this isn't love either. It's a kidnapping. Can't you understand that?" (Rudy thinks). TEDDY: (interested in the story) And she says? RUDY: (looking at Teddy) And she says, "Alright, I understand, it's a kidnapping." "What are you doing?" I say and she says, "Stripping. Can't you see?"... (Teddy doesn't approve of her taking her clothes off) Write! "Stripping, can't you see? Aren't you my kidnapper? They say you should always obey your kidnapper. Didn't you tell me to strip?" Got that down? TEDDY: (writing) ...Tell me to strip. RUDY: "O.K." And I say,keep writing!, "I'm glad you understand. Now stop it. Get dressed and let's get out of here." And she says, "No, I'm stripping now. You have to obey one order at a time, isn't that right? Now that I'm naked I want to see what my kidnapper smells like." (Teddy is skeptical but interested) And I say, "O.K. That's enough. Get dressed and let's get out of here." TEDDY: Again? RUDY: Yes! And she says! ..."What if I really am a whore? You know it's strange, maybe you're right, now that I'm naked I want to feel you next to me." And I say: "You're not a whore." And she says, "But now I feel like a whore, and I want to thank you, I owe all of this to you. Thanks for making me a whore." Got that? TEDDY: (finishes writing and looks at what he's written) Yes. RUDY: She kisses me. TEDDY: She kisses you? RUDY: Yes! ...Then I say, (pause) "O.K. (Together with Teddy) That's enough, get dressed and let's get out of here." And we leave. That's it. TEDDY: (finishes writing. Throws the pen away. Then, as if he were dictating the line) "O.K. This time I'm not coming, O.K.?" RUDY: Teddy, this time I'm going to get it right! (He gets up to go to Claire). TEDDY: (handing him the mini-tape recorder) The tape recorder! RUDY: Oh yeah, the tape recorder. (He takes it and sticks it in his shirt. He walks decisively to Claire. Before he reaches her the lights go dark and a recording begins to play). THE RECORDING HEARD WITH THE LIGHTS OUT RUDY: This is a kidnapping. you see this? It's a pistol. This look like love? CLAIRE: Yes. RUDY: (excited) Oh, yeah? Then strip and let me have a look at you, I want to see what a whore looks like. CLAIRE: I'm not a whore. It's strange, you should have known. RUDY: (more and more excited by Claire's correct responses) And this isn't love either, it's a kidnapping,can't you understand that? CLAIRE: Alright, I understand, it's a kidnapping. RUDY: What are you doing? CLAIRE: I'm stripping, can't you see? Aren't you my kidnapper? Didn't you tell me to strip? RUDY: (exasperated) O.K. I'm glad you understand. Now stop it. Get dressed and let's get out of here. CLAIRE: No,I'm stripping now. You have to obey one order at a time, isn't that right? Now that I'm naked I want to see what my kidnapper smells like. RUDY: O.K. That's enough. Get dressed and let's get out of here. (the lights come up on the space in the tropical zone and you can hear the sound of the sea. Teddy and Rudy are listening to the tape recording heard by the audience) CLAIRE: What if I really am a whore? You know it's strange, maybe you're right, now that I'm naked, I want to feel you next to me. RUDY: You're not a whore. CLAIRE: But now I feel like a whore, and I want to thank you, I owe all of this to you. Thanks for making me a whore. RUDY: This is impossible. It's exactly the same. Exactly the same. No! Don't kiss me! (Three pistol shots are heard). (Rudy turns off the recorder. You can hear the sound of the sea) SCENE 19 (it's getting dark. The tropical zone space. As we have just seen, Rudy has turned off the recorder. Teddy is near him) RUDY: You're part of this thing. She said everything we had predicted ...And she did it because you took her the notes! TEDDY: ...You think he knows? I mean, will he come back? You think Woody'll come back? (pause) RUDY: You think I'm special? TEDDY: No,do you think he'll come back? I mean, if he comes back who's going to tell him about the notes, you? RUDY: Claire said there was nothing special about me. None of us is special. We're all so normal that nobody would think we were exceptional, nobody. TEDDY: Claire wasn't "nobody" for any of us. You see, these are the things that you just don't understand. RUDY: Yeah, there are a lot of things I just don't understand, that's why I can't understand how even Claire wasn't able to explain to us the way we are. We get better explanations from my books and your dreams, but not all the time, every once in a while, and what's worse, for no good reason. TEDDY: For no good reason? No, I mean, I gave her the notes for no good reason? RUDY: Yeah, for no good reason. TEDDY: (pause) You want me to tell you? Can I explain to you how we are? You know what we are? ...The result of what we feel, of what we see, and that nobody controls, not even ourselves. We're incompetent, and our incompetence makes us predict, it makes us dream, and without even realizing it, it makes us "conjure". Isn't it strange? Life doesn't let itself be conjured, it defends itself, it contradicts our "predictions", it crashes down on us with a force that destroys us. Isn't it strange? (Woody enters, covered with dust, wearing a back pack. He's tired. He looks at them for a moment. Teddy and Rudy are surprised to see him. Woody takes off his pack and pores himself some water from his bottle that is still in its usual place) WOODY: You weren't expecting me so soon, were you? (He looks at them) I'm glad to be back. It did me good to be away these past few months, you were right, I've seen a lot of things. And you? what have you been doing? RUDY AND TEDDY: The same old things... TEDDY: ...The same old thing. WOODY: You know what? I've been up in the mountains and, from up there, I could see the rainforest and then I went down into it. (To Rudy) You were right. I understand now. I really understand. I've got a lot of things to tell you about. You know, in the rainforest there's a really powerful smell: it's wood, rotten wood. It gets in your nose and you can't rid of it. It stays with you and every time you remember it you're heart skips a beat and you realize that you'll never forget it, never! (Pause) In the mountains the sun comes up so suddenly you don't even notice it and you say to yourself: "Another night has gone by and I didn't even notice." But inside you a long, long time has gone by and you discover a lot of things. (To Rudy) It's true, it's all my fault, I understand now. You know, it's easy to understand things up there. RUDY: So what did you understand up there? WOODY: I was really stupid, wasn't I? (Ironically) ...You wanted to steal her from me, didn't you? I should have punched you right then and there. (He laughs) Punched you (He looks at his fist), that's what friends do, isn't it? Instead, who knows what I was thinking, who knows what I imagined, that I had failed again... RUDY: I wanted to steal Claire from you? WOODY: You fell in love with her, didn't you? (Ironically) Isn't that wonderful? RUDY: Yeah... It's wonderful. WOODY: You see how simple it is? I'm glad to be back. Now we can really talk... TEDDY: Tell me, Woody, what's rotten wood like?, I mean, the smell. WOODY: (he looks at him. Pause. Then, emphasizing the words) It's intense. Really intense. Sometimes you think you've gotten used to it and then it becomes even more intense and all you have to do is breathe and you realize you're never going to get used to the smell of the rainforest, and what's worse it's... (He looks at him) "for no good reason"! TEDDY: For no good reason? But you... RUDY: (to Teddy) None at all! (Teddy moves toward the door, as if to check if Woody could have heard his dialogue with Rudy from behind the door) WOODY: We've got a lot of things to talk about... Don't we? RUDY: Yeah, we've got a lot of things to talk about, but it's getting dark now. Tomorrow, there'll be time tomorrow. You know, we didn't think you'd be back. TEDDY: So you smelled the rainforest? ...You're lucky, really. (To Rudy) He smelled the rainforest, do you realize that? RUDY: We need to be quiet now. We're tired now. (To Woody) I've got a book to study, see? (He shows him the book. Then to Teddy) You've got a dream to dream, don't you? (To Woody) And you, you've got the night to look at. (He points to the window). Tomorrow. There'll be time tomorrow. You'll see. TEDDY: We'll never get used to the smell of the rainforest and what's worse, for no good reason, right Woody? You heard, didn't you? I mean, you came before, earlier, no? RUDY: (tired) ...We've got a lot of things to talk about, a lot of things. And when everything about us that we thought was special turns out to be normal, when our books, our dreams, the rainforests, have nothing more to say to us. When we have apologized enough for turning our attention to the pelicans (The sound of the pelicans' screams rises), to the pelicans! Or to the far off silence of our thoughts, then it will be time to go back to living with that "music" again (The music of Bach rises), that music. And play, play, play this sort of a game. (Woody is leaning against the door looking outside.Rudy is sitting on a box, leafing through a book. Teddy is lying on his mattress, under the sheets. After a while, Rudy closes his book, puts it on the box which serves as a table, gets up, looks around, and goes out the door without looking at Woody. In essence, we are back again at scene 0. The music of Bach rises,and the curtain closes) E N D