cathedral for a while

Video by Jessica Waldrop and Mike Krentz.

I.
Ashes to Ashes. Get into position.
Ashes to Ashes.
Selah.

one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, ten.
Exhale—leaf into Ashes.

Scribe of revolution.
Ceremony.
Exhale—get into position.

Ashes to Ashes. leaf into Ashes.
Selah.

Ceremony, worship.
Exhale—painting a façade.

Ashes to Ashes. worship.
Exhale the Scribe of revolution.
Selah.

Ceremony: Spray-paint screaming back
from the Church wall—

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth;
I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10: 34

(Read on …)

The family that lived on Brucksbin Avenue sought out very original ways of staying within themselves. First there was Betty Bubbles, who loved nothing in the world better than surrounding herself with her soft, furry, warm and fuzzy stuffed animals. She had 92 in all, and they covered nearly every square inch of the floor and bed. She loved to immerse herself in them so she could not be seen by anybody in the outside world. She had a name for this place that she called Bettlonia. In here, she felt safe and warm, and quite comfortable and quite content in her cushy invisibility. Betty Bubbles is only six years old, and has an older brother named Lucas.

Lucas Bubbles’ favorite place in the entire world is inside the chimney. Lucas loves to get dirty, so dirty in fact that it is almost impossible to tell who he is with all that ash and soot covering his face. Since Lucas is always inside it, the Bubbles never use the fireplace, and have placed a plank of wood on top of the chimney in order to keep bugs and birds and other things outside from getting in their house. His favorite place is right in the middle of the chimney: not too close to the bottom so he can’t be seen, and not too close to the top in case he might accidentally knock the wood plank out of place. He likes the middle best because when his mother calls for him, he can stay silent as an oak tree, and still as a rock, and pretend he is just one of the bricks, part of the chimney. Lucas Bubbles is nine years old. Neither Lucas nor Betty have ever been outside of their house. (Read on …)

Characters:
KAY
KURT

Note: Titles (in all capitals) indicate the scenes available for performance; any combination and any order can be used. Four or more sets of actors and/or readers is suggested but not necessary, one actor to play Kay and Kurt in each scene. The same actors can certainly be cast in several (or all) scenes. The actors wait either on stage or in the wings until chosen in some fashion and then perform their scene as rehearsed. The set remains the same for most, and must be able to accommodate any scene in any order.

BEGINNING

(KURT stands in front of the audience, he is dressed well and speaks slowly. He sings a soft song.)

KURT (Imitating the sounds made by guitars and drums. Pianos and chimes. He is not a good singer.)

I let snow fall on frozen yesterdays!

I’ve earned today.

I’ve earned today.

And we make love beside the waterway.

I burn today. I burn today.

Yesterday I will burn for the times I did not learn.

Behold the rose of Jericho.

How many lines I do not know

Today I burn

Today I burn.

(Lights up to reveal KAY)

KAY
Do you know what the serenity prayer is?

KURT (continues to sing)
Say do you know who do you think you’re fooling? I’m a consecrated boy.

KAY
Let me teach it to you. It’s hard to remember at first. It is worth knowing. Listen!
God.

KURT
You lost me already.

KAY
Your momma loves you

KURT
She rocked me like the rock of ages. She loved me. Loved me loved.

KAY
I’m not a devil calling your name. Dear God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.

KURT
Kay.

(They stop. At this point the designated members select the next scene. They choose from the remaining titles.)
(Read on …)

I entered the sun room where he sat on the white sofa, hands politely folded, his black marble eyes fixed on me. I moved to the leather armchair across the table and sat. He ogled me. It was uncomfortable.

“Donny,” I said – that’s what he called himself, Donny – “Let me start off by saying that you are an exceptional, and I don’t use that word lightly, you are an exceptional actor.”

I paused for effect then I forced a smile and nodded appreciatively. Donny’s eyes did not change. They registered no inflection. I wondered if there were any gears of any kind ticking behind his avalanched brow.

“Our agency has reviewed your portfolio. Your experience is…” My eyes drifted to the manila file folder in my hands; it was worn and felt like flannel, and it looked like it had been chewed on. The pages were torn and the ink smudged. Whoever took his head shot made no attempt to mask the tenuous, dough-like flesh of Donny’s face.

“Your experience is…” I wanted to be polite. “What we’re looking for is an actor with a comprehensive portfolio.”

The bulk of Donny’s career consisted of theatrical renditions of “Frankenstein,” which required neither speaking lines nor sudden movement. Recently he had been reduced to Geico commercials. Outside of that he’d done a few bit TV parts, and ballet.

That last bit conjured disturbing imagery. Ballet? God, an eight and a half foot green man, flesh barely clinging to his bones, body frame like a chimney, undulating to the music of Stravinsky and wearing a tutu? Children would have nightmares for the rest of their lives. (Read on …)