First Love and Other Shorts Read online

  (Curtain fully down. House dark. Voice continues behind curtain, unintelligible, 10 seconds, ceases as house lights up)

  Note

  Movement: this consists in simple sideways raising of arms from sides and their falling back, in a gesture of helpless compassion. It lessens with each recurrence till scarcely perceptible at third. There is just enough pause to contain it as MOUTH recovers from vehement refusal to relinquish third person.

  Breath

  Curtain

  1. Minimum light on stage littered with miscellaneous rubbish. Hold about five seconds.

  2. Faint brief cry and immediately inspiration and slow increase of light together reaching maximum together in about ten seconds. Silence and hold about five seconds.

  3. Expiration and slow decrease of light together reaching minimum together (light as in 1) in about ten seconds and immediately cry as before. Silence and hold about five seconds.

  Curtain

  RUBBISH No verticals, all scattered and lying.

  CRY Instant of recorded vagitus. Important that two cries be identical, switching on and off strictly synchronized light and breath.

  BREATH Amplified recording.

  LIGHT If 0 = dark and 10 = bright, light should move from about 3 minimum to 6 maximum and back.