Savage Dragon

When I look around,

what do I see.

Horses in the sky,

immortality.

Happiness.

Perfection.

Close but far

Out of reach

behind the smoke

past the mirrors

Beyond the flames

pull back my hand

not mine

not for me to have

hear I stay

alone

utterly alone

don’t speak

silence

darkness

utter darkness

light in the distance

too far

too small

fading

fading

gone

nothing is left

no happiness

no laughter

no life

(A single bench sits all alone in the center of the stage)

 

(A man walks SR in holding a brown paper bag wearing a jogger’s outfit)

(He sits and whistles to himself, trying to make in seem like he’s not waiting for someone, which he is)

 

(Another man walks in SL carrying only a suitcase wearing a suit)

(He sits down calmly next to the first man and neither looks at each other)

 

The first man: Hello Douglas

Douglas: Hello Thomas

 

(Suddenly a man with wooden bat comes running on SR chasing a duck and swinging periodically)

(He stops mid-stage to catch his breath and the duck keeps running)

 

Douglas & Thomas: Hello Thaddeus

Thaddeus: Hey guys (Panting) Excuse me will you, I have a duck to catch

 

(Douglas & Thomas both nod. Thaddeus runs off SL swinging the bat wildly)

(Douglas & Thomas look at each other and then quickly look away)

 

Thomas: Did you bring the money?

 

(Douglas sets down the suitcase and slides it over to Thomas)

(Thomas picks up the suitcase, opens it up, revealing loads of monopoly money)

(Thomas mouths a huge “HOLY CRAP” before closing the suitcase and returning to his nonchalant pose)

 

Douglas: Did you bring the bag?

 

(They turn to face each other and Thomas hands over the bag)

(Douglas looks into it)

 

Douglas: Alright, Peanut Butter and Jelly, my favorite.

 

(Thomas is about to respond when the duck comes running across stage, entering SL exiting SR)

 

Thomas: Where’s Thaddeus?

 

(Suddenly, Thaddeus come swinging across the stage on a big rope in pursuit of the duck)

 

Thaddeus: Hi ho Silver, ahh (Crashing noises)

 

(Thomas & Douglas look at each other and shrug. They both lay back in comfortable positions)

 

Thomas: So Doug, how’s life been treating you?

Doug: (As he eats his sandwich) like a dead cow, Tom

Tom: What do you mean?

Doug: I’m bored like you wouldn’t believe?

Tom: oh, I’d believe it

Doug: really

Tom: Well, it just so happens that I’m pretty bored myself

Doug: Wow, what a coincidence, maybe we should try being bored together

Tom: alright

 

(They both sit in silence for a while and Doug finishes his sandwich)

 

Tom: you know I do believe it’s working, I’m still bored

 

(Just then the duck comes from SR and runs up underneath the bench)

(Douglas rips his now empty bag so it’s flat and lays it on top of the duck)

(Thaddeus walks up with something behind his back that the others can’t see)

 

Thaddeus: Hello Doug, Hello Tom

Doug & Tom: Hey, Thaddeus

Tom: Whatcha been doing?

Thaddeus: oh, you know, just chasing a duck

Doug: Lovely weather for it

Thaddeus: Have either of you perhaps seen said duck

 

(Duck is slowly moving away from Thaddeus. All three sets of eyes watch as the bag moves for a moment)

 

Doug: No

Tom: Not really

Thaddeus: oh, ok… well maybe you guys could do me a favor then

Doug & Tom: Sure, yea, etc.

Thaddeus: Well, first get off the bench

Doug & Tom: ok (They get off the bench)

Thaddeus: Thanks (He takes out the bat he has behind his back and smashes the bench with it, breaking it in two)

(The duck runs off and Thaddeus starts after it but Doug and Tom stop him)

 

Doug: Why do you want to hurt that duck?

Thaddeus: He insulted me (Tries to break loose again)

Tom: How could a duck insult you?

Thaddeus: I heard him, he called me a quack

 

(Tom & Doug look at each other and shrug and let him go)

(Thaddeus runs off stage where you can hear him)

 

Thaddeus: I’ve got you now my little furry friend

 

(You hear a swing, it connecting, and a loud quack as the duck goes flying across the stage. Thaddeus comes on stage with his bat that has a few feathers stuck to it)

 

Thaddeus: So anyway what were you guys doing?

Doug: Not much, just being bored

Tom: Not much else to do

Thaddeus: are you telling me that 2 actors, are actually bored, as an actor myself I am disgusted

Doug: I’m not just an actor; I’m a playwright too

Thaddeus: When’s the last time you wrote a play?

Doug: The directors twist every play I write

Tom: So why don’t you direct your own?

Doug: well…

Thaddeus: Then it’s settled the 3 of us will set off on an adventure to write the oddest play ever

Doug: but wait it needs someone who isn’t a complete idiot

Thaddeus: Hmmmm…. I think I know someone who can help

Tom: but wait maybe it shouldn’t stop with 4 people, maybe we should get a different person to write each scene

Thaddeus: Hmmmm…. No I don’t think so, that’s just stupid

Doug: I don’t even know that many people

Thaddeus: come on we have things to do, people to see

Tom: Who are we seeing?

Thaddeus: Wouldn’t you like to know?

(The three start towards the exit when suddenly the duck shows up and says)

Duck: QUAAAAAACK (and then it runs off)

(Thaddeus starts after it but Doug and Tom pull him away off stage)

 

End of Scene 1

Clink-Clank! A pin bounces on the floor.

Drip-Drop! A faucet leaks.

Ziiiiiiiip! A jacket is taken off.

Small subtle sounds echo throughout the house. These are the kind of sounds that disturb me. These are the kind of sounds I hate the most. What am I? You may ask. I am no words, no noise, no sound. I come in long moments and awkward pauses. I am what you hear when you’re not listening. I am silence and I hate small noises. I can cope with explosions, shouts, and crashes. These are a part of life and they have their places. It’s the small sounds I despise. Them murmur of a radiator, the pitter patter of feet in the room above, the soft breathing of a sleeping baby. It’s the small sounds that keep me from my truest form. It’s these noises that make me bitter and resentful and lonely, for I have no one to be with. Have you ever fully met me? Been far enough from civilization that you can’t hear the shouts of the next door neighbor of the traffic of the nearby highway. Have the birds stopped singing and the crickets stopped chirping long enough. Have you ever stopped breathing long enough to know me. Not many have and nowadays no one does. And so I am alone.