circus act
characters
+ and -
key
... = thinking
. = pausing
, = about to say something
? = not knowing
- - = interrupting/being interrupted
we begin.
- is in the center of a circus ring.
there is a small folding table.
- is taking out two folding stools from a suitcase. it is comic how he takes them out, how they were even fitting in there; surprising, like a clown car or a contortionist coming out of a tight box.
after setting up the stools, - unpacks his briefcase.
inside, there is a chessboard and the pieces. two chess clocks/timers.
enter +
+ hi, excuse me,
- hello!!!
+ hello-- , excuse me, but can you please stop that
- stop what
+ setting that up here
- huh
+ the folding table with the little characters
- my chess board!
+ yes, chess board. you can't play a chess game here.
- oh no i'm sure i can.
+ no, unfortunately not,
- oh no i’m sure of it! the lighting is good. bright for focus. and it's quiet. but still in the center: being in a center is crucial.
+ why?
- so people can find me. i’ve in search of somebody to play with.
+ you don’t have another player?
- i did but-- ah it’s no matter now.
+ . , well, i’m sorry to tell you, but you really can’t do your game here.
- why’s that?
+ this is the circus
- ?
+ there can’t be any games in the circus.
- there are absolutely games in the circus!
+ no, there are no games,
- then what are there?
+ attractions.
- semantics!
+ well it matters the difference
- why?
+ because there is one
- which is?
+ a game is about winning and losing. an attraction is when somebody does something interesting, and it catches your eye.
- and then what?
+ that’s it.
- hm.
+ . did you try the baseball field? it’s a few miles out. but it has a center.
- i did, it was a massacre, they chipped two of my pawns, and one bishop blown to smithereens just about. no one wanted to play proper.
+ i’m very sorry.
- well that’s alright.
+ … ,
- ... who are you?
+ ., i'm an addition to the circus.
- what do you do here?
+ i clean the fun house mirrors in the entrance.
- how interesting!
+ it is?
- yes, amusing!
+ really?
- of course, perfectly ridiculous!
+ ?
- cleaning mirrors that don't work,
+ how else can people see their reflections properly,
- how impossible!!! what a great joke!
+ ...
- ... so you are in janitorial work then?
+ oh ah no i'm in love, also.
- very interesting!! with who?
+ the trapeze artist.
- and she loves you back?
+ i don't know
- you don’t know!!!
+ no
- how do you not know?
+ i haven't asked her.
- does she know you love her?
+ i always double check the knots in the ropes before she goes on even though i know they've already been double checked by somebody else.
- who?
+ the person whose job it is to do that.
- do they love her?
+ i don’t know, maybe
- but she sees you doing this?
+ sometimes. whenever she does, she says “thank you so much.”
- that’s all?
+ no, and then i say, you’re welcome. and then, she smiles.
both are silent.
- is thinking very hard, seems to be concerned.
after some time:
- you are sure you love her?
+ every night she flies off a swinging bar forty feet high and catches another bar and her legs do the splits in the air,
- this is no good at all,
+ no she's really graceful, and she does other things too, all while in the air.
- your loving her, i mean
+ ?
- you shouldn’t love someone if they don’t love you back.
+ ... why?
- it's a rule!
+ oh
- common rule.
+ oh. (then) do you have some one you love?
- me i'm waiting
+ waiting for what
- the right scenario.
+ ?
- i look out for certain things in people that indicate what they’ll do next. then i move my feelings around accordingly. preemptively.
+ what for
- to avoid getting into a spot where i am at a disadvantage. for example, a position like yours
+ what about my position?
- your trapeze artist has so much leverage
+ yes she needs the leverage to jump!
- not just leverage to jump! leverage to do anything! to do whatever she likes!
+ yes, exactly! whatever she likes! but she likes to jump most of all.
- is puzzled again. mulling it over. then realizes + is standing awkwardly before him.
+ is trying to think of a way to politely ask - to leave once more.
+ ,
- oh, excuse me, please, sit down, sit down.
+ is hesitant.
- sit, sit! it will be quick. i just need to have a quick think. it won’t be a long think.
+ i---
- here you can time me!
- clicks his respective timer by the chess board on. then assumes a thinking position.
+ politely sits.
- continues with thinking until it occurs to him, the solution. he immediately clicks his timer off.
- i know!
+ ?
- you can withdraw!
+ withdraw?
- it does seem counterintuitive but sometimes you have to withdraw in order to advance!
+ but why?
- why? because you’re losing!
+ losing to who?
- to her!!
+ there can’t be any losing – -
- untrue! losing is always possible,
+ but in an attraction- -
- oh right, yes. your attraction …
+ and - pause. they recognize they’ve come full circle.
- it’s a very smart move to love somebody who will make you a dinner.
+ she hasn’t made me a dinner.
- correct exactly.
+ but it’s no problem really, because when she is flying in the air, i get the sense that it's the time she spends on the ground that's borrowed. like, a loan-
- (a ha!) a loan!!!!
+ yes,
- i know all about loans!
+ then we could say that being on the ground is a sort of cost to her.
- a price she has to pay,
+ until she can get back in the air,
- yes!
+ yes! so i wouldn’t ask her to spend even more time on the ground, just to make me a dinner,
- but --
+ but maybe i could bring her a dinner!
- no! no, the point is: if you did ask her to make you dinner, she would refuse. because you are not worth it to her.
+ oh.
- you see now? you just need a little more practice predicting outcomes like this ahead of time! that way you won’t waste your moves.
+ my moves?
- the less of them you use the more you can save them up!
+ but for what?
- for other scenarios,
+ oh. (then) but that’s okay. i only have this one scenario.
- no no there can be many many scenarios! don’t be so defeated already! we can free you up from this one, i’m sure.
+ i--
- you have plenty of opportunity left to redeem yourself. it begins with stopping the loving immediately…
+ stopping completely?
- easy! no checking the ropes! and no clapping-- do you clap for her?
+ . yes,
- no clapping for her! just avoid her totally! avoid, avoid!
+ but --
- i know i know, it’s going to be difficult since you’re both in such close quarters. if you happen to run into her you’ll just have to envision a bullseye slightly left of her head, and look there instead.
+ what?
- no eye contact!
+ that seems cruel,
- cruel?!!? is self-preservation cruel?! is dignity!?!
+ ---
- you have to withdraw and withdraw, until finally you have withdrawn enough to distance yourself from the total purposelessness, the absolute disadvantage, of loving her. and then, just imagine what you’ll do!
+ is imagining. he does not look comforted by this.
- is excited now. he continues with setting up his pieces.
- are you imagining?
+ yes
- are you sure?
+ yes
- (off +’s face) hm...... maybe we can work on sharpening your strategical thinking skills...
+ i don’t---
+ it’s like any other muscle, practice and exercise is all it takes! (then) have you played chess before?
+ i tried once but i--
- perfect, we can play! what great luck you found me. great luck, but let’s not forget, also great strategy, on my end, being here in the center of the circus ring! see what i mean? you do remember how to set up the pieces right??
+ ...
- --- oh- you are crying?
+ is trying not to cry. but + is crying.
+ ,
- did i say something---
+ no, i--
- i didn't mean to---
+ it’s---
- what happened?
+ breaks down in a sob.
- is stunned.
+ the chess---
- what?
+ the chess game. it just can’t go in the circus ring. is all--
talking over each other:
- begins to pack up his board.
+ watches, wringing his hands. his crying slows a little.
+ this sort of thing just needs to be --- enforced-- you know. because, if others see , they could get...
- upset
+ yes, upset
- i can see that’s the case—
- cannot find more words. - looks at + .
- i’ve never met any one so sensitive about chess---
+ oh yes, i'm sure that’s true...
- continues packing up. + and - are not super listening to each other. neither of them are able to right now, because both are in pain.
- chess is a very common game almost every where---
+ yes,
- well-respected, all over the world,
+ all over
- so you can see why i... i couldn’t.. i didn’t anticipate this reaction ...
+ of course, yes
- i really did not mean to- ahem. i didn’t think i would cause any upset--
+ i know,
- has finished packing. he stands still.
- is concentrated, and confused. and sad about his confusion, and confused about his sadness.
+ and - are in silence for a bit.
+ sniffs. he realizes he still has tears on his face and he begins to pull his sleeve over his hand...
- would you like a tissue,
+ oh, no, actually i do have something
+ pulls out a very long rainbow handkerchief from his pocket. very very long. he dries his eyes.
- you are definitely... definitely unusual
+ oh, definitely,
- irrationally unusual
+ yes, it's why---
+ blows his nose.
+ it’s why i joined the circus...
-