Copyright held by the Manhattan Experimental Theater Workshop
View Permission for Production Policy
Written and performed by the company
Directed by the directing team
Under the influence (mostly) of Peter Handke
(breath) COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MOREGRIEF ON GRIEF NO END (breath)
COUNT NO MAN HAPPY
NO SOONER DAWNS THAN DIES
COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MORE
GRIEF ON GRIEF NO END
SEND RESCUE DRIVE HIM BACK
DESTINY GUIDE ME ALWAYS (breath) DESTINY FIND ME FILLED
PRIDE BREEDS THE TYRANT
OVER RIPE (breath) AND RICH WITH RUIN
LET ROUGH DOOM TEAR HIM DOWN
(breath) COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MORE
GRIEF ON GRIEF NO END (breath)
COUNT NO MAN HAPPY
NO SOONER DAWNS THAN DIES
BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS ROOM TONIGHT I FELT RESIGNED TO MY FATE. BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS ROOM TONIGHT I NEEDED A DRINK OF WATER. BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS ROOM TONIGHT I FELT READY TO PEE MY PANTS, NOT TO MENTION THIRSTY. BEFORE I CAME INTO THIS ROOM TONIGHT I FELT ALL FLIPPY-FLOPPY, INSIDE-OUT, FULL OF TRICKY LITTLE BUTTERFLIES.
I NO LONGER FEEL RESIGNED TO MY FATE. I AM PERFORMING WHAT WAS REHEARSED. I AM WAITING FOR IT. I AM NOT DRINKING WATER. I BLURT OUT MY WORDS AS IF THEY WERE A DANGER TO MY TEETH. I DO NOT FEEL ALL FLIPPY-FLOPPY. I AM NOT GOING TO PEE MY PANTS.
I REMEMBER TO TELL YOU THERE ARE THREE EXITS, THERE AND THERE AND THERE. IF YOU LEAVE, TAKE YOUR PICK.
YOU ARE EXPECTING SOMETHING. YOU WANT A GOOD STORY. YOU WANT US TO MAKE YOU LAUGH. YOU WANT US TO BE STRANGE AND INCOMPREHENSIBLE. YOU WANT TO COMPREHEND. YOU WANT US TO DO A GOOD JOB.
(gasp and collapse)
BUT YOU WORRY WE WILL GET VERY CLOSE TO YOU AND TRY TO INTERACT WITH YOU. YOU WORRY WE WILL INCLUDE YOU IN THE PERFORMANCE. YOU WORRY WE WILL BECOME FREAKY. YOU WORRY WE WILL MAKE YOU SEVERELY UNCOMFORTABLE. YOU WORRY WE WILL BLEED ON YOU.
BUT WE ARE NOT BLEEDING ON YOU. BUT WE HAVE NOT SHOWN YOU SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN BEFORE. BUT WE ARE NOT SCREAMING IN YOUR FACES AND BREATHING ON YOUR CHILDREN. BUT WE ARE ALREADY INTERACTING WITH YOU. BUT WE HAVE NOT YET BECOME FREAKY. BUT YOU ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE PERFORMANCE.
YOU ARE AN AUDIENCE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE WILL DO. WE HAVE NOT YET BEGUN. YOU ARE WAITING FOR IT.
NOW WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT THIS PERFORMANCE IS ABOUT.
OEDIPUS IS DESTINED TO KILL HIS FATHER, IS SENT AWAY, KILLS HIM ANYWAY, MARRIES HIS MOM, GOUGES HIS OWN EYES OUT. HE ALSO DEFEATS A SPHINX. THAT’S ABOUT IT. OK, THE PROPHECY, THE SPHINX, THE MURDERS, THE INCEST, THE EYES, THE DRAMATIC IRONY. AND THERE’S INCEST. AND RIDDLES. IT’S ABOUT A GUY, OEDIPUS. IT'S COMPLEX. HE'S A SWELL GUY THAT JUST GOT MIXED UP WITH THE WRONG FATE. HE HAS SEX WITH HIS MOMMY AND HE STABS HIS EYES OUT. I DON'T BLAME HIM. I WOULD DO THE SAME IF I HAD SEX WITH MY MOM. EWWW!
THERE'S DEATH BECAUSE IT’S NOT THEATER WITHOUT IT. THERE'S DESIRE BECAUSE IT’S COMMON IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY. ACTION AND WISDOM. SO, THE USUAL: MURDER, INCEST, ABSOLUTE POWER. IGNORANCE, POWER, REGRET. KINGS, ORACLES, AND LOTS OF DEATH. GREEKNESS. AND INCEST. VIOLENCE. TRUTHFULNESS. FULFILLMENT. EWWW!
AND RIDDLES, DON'T FORGET RIDDLES!
WHY DID THE FIREMAN WEAR RED SUSPENDERS? HA HA HA! (breath)
KNOCK KNOCK. WHO’S THERE? PASTURE! HA HA HA! (breath)
YOU HAVE TWO COINS THAT MAKE 30 CENTS. HA HA HA! (breath)
NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. HA HA HA! (breath)
WHAT’S IN MY POCKET? HA HA HA! (breath)
WHAT WALKS ON 4 LEGS IN THE MORNING? HA HA HA! (breath)
WHAT BELONGS TO YOU THAT OTHER PEOPLE USE? HA HA HA! (breath)
WHAT COLOR WERE THE BUS DRIVER’S EYES? HA HA HA! (breath)
I DON’T REMEMBER THE RIDDLE BUT THE ANSWER IS A SECRET. HA HA HA!...
(breath) COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MORE
GRIEF ON GRIEF NO END (breath)
COUNT NO MAN HAPPY
NO SOONER DAWNS THAN DIES
COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MORE
GRIEF ON GRIEF NO END
SEND RESCUE DRIVE HIM BACK
DESTINY GUIDE ME ALWAYS (breath) DESTINY FIND ME FILLED
PRIDE BREEDS THE TYRANT
OVER RIPE (breath) AND RICH WITH RUIN
LET ROUGH DOOM TEAR HIM DOWN
(breath) COME NOW COME DOWN ONCE MORE
GRIEF ON GRIEF NO END (breath)
COUNT NO MAN HAPPY
NO SOONER DAWNS THAN DIES
NOW YOU ARE AN AUDIENCE. NOW WE HAVE BEEN A LITTLE FREAKY. NOW WE WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU WILL SEE TONIGHT.
A MAN WILL STICK TO HIS GUNS LIKE A MAN STICKS TO HIS GUNS. PEOPLE WILL FIGHT THEIR FATES LIKE PEOPLE FIGHTING THEIR FATES. A MAN WILL MAKE BLIND PROMISES LIKE A MAN BLIND TO HIS FATE MAKES PROMISES. A CHILD WILL FEEL BETRAYED LIKE A BETRAYED CHILD. MANY PEOPLE WILL FEEL DISGUSTED, SAD, ANGRY, TRICKED, INHUMAN, ETERNALLY UNCLEAN LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE ETERNALLY UNCLEAN. MORE OF US WILL NEVER FULLY REALIZE THE ERROR OF OUR WAYS LIKE MORE OF US NEVER EVEN REALIZING THE ERROR OF OUR WAYS.
NO ONE WILL CONSIDER TIME TRAVEL.
BUT YOU WILL MAKE THE SOUND OF TWO HANDS CLAPPING. SOME OF YOU WILL GASP LIKE NUNS AT A BROTHEL. SOME OF YOU WILL QUESTION LIKE SCHOOLBOYS. SOME OF YOU WILL SIT LIKE ZEBRAS WATCHING LIONS ATTACK GAZELLES. SOME OF YOU WILL STARE LIKE CRUMBLING STATUES. SOME OF YOU WILL LEAVE LIKE A FOOTBALL TEAM FORFEITING THE SUPERBOWL. SOME OF YOU WILL LAUGH LIKE A JOKE HAS BEEN TOLD AT A FUNERAL. SOME OF YOU WILL CHANGE LIKE CATERPILLARS. SOME OF YOU WILL THINK LIKE MAD SCIENTISTS. SOME OF YOU WILL BE AS QUIET AS THE GRAVE. SOME OF YOU WILL CRY LIKE BABIES WITHOUT MOTHERS. SOME WILL BE AS HAPPY AS NEWLYWEDS. SOME WILL MAKE EYES LIKE DINNER PLATES.
YOU MAY CLAP LIKE SEALS IN A CIRCUS. YOU MAY STAND AND APPLAUD AS THOUGH WE ARE FAMOUS. YOU MAY CLAP LIKE BARBARIANS AT THE COLISEUM IN ANCIENT ROME. YOU MAY CLAP AT INAPPROPRIATE MOMENTS. YOU MAY CLAP WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO CLAP. YOU ARE AN AUDIENCE.
