Break the Mirror - by Alex Gould

Only For Me - by Colin Smith

Joe #3 1

(A very old lady sits centre stage.  Next to her chair is a small table with a flower on it.  She stares at her hands. ) 

Frail.

(At the front of her hands.  At the back.  Front.  Back.  She pinches the skin on the back of her right.  She looks at it for a moment before smoothing the skin as much as she can.)

Frail…

(She places her hands on her knees.  She looks at the audience.  Slowly she stands.  She opens her mouth to speak.)

Only…

(She places her hand over her mouth.  Swallows.  Refocuses on the audience)

Only wish…

(She coughs a little.  She takes a deep breath.)

Breathing Deeper.  Not frail.  Not frail.  Fragile… 

(She looks at her hands again.)

…Fragile…

(To the audience)

Fragility.

(She smiles.  She takes another deep breath but stays seated)

Only wish instatiable--

(She begins coughing madly.  She takes a handkerchief from her sleeve.  Coughs into it.  When the coughing subsides, she states at the cloth.)

Frail.

(She pushes herself to standing.  She trips a little.  Catches herself.)

‘Not fall…

(She slowly walks to stage left.  A stagehand hands her a bottle of water.  She tries to open it, but cannot.  The stage hand reach for it, she pulls back.)

Tricks?

(The stage hand shrugs.  He reaches for it again.  She pulls it away again.  Focusing on it, she opens the bottle.  Huge success.)

Gladly.  Gladly. 

(She takes a sip.  She gives the water back to the stagehand.  She shows her hands to the audience.)

Not frail.

(She stops, about to cough, handkerchief to mouth.  She does not.  She gestures to the stagehand to bring her the water.  He does.  She drinks.)

Fragile.

(She takes a deep breath.  With the water in hand, she makes her way back to centre stage.  She places the water on the table.  She rubs her hands together.)

Only wish… mysteriously.  Not skilfully, not… gesture skilfully.  Enclose skilfully.  Wish gladly.  Insatiable impulse.   Insatiable wish.  Wish breathing deeper.  Explosion!

(She falls into another coughing fit.  The stage hand comes to help her.  She waves him off.  She falls into her chair.  He opens the water and hands it to her.  She takes it.  She sips the water.) 

Explosion…

(She takes a deep breath.  Takes another sip.  With great effort, she puts the cap back on the water.)

Not frail.  Not frail, fragile, insatiable wish. 

(She briefly looks at her hands.)

Fragility.

(black out.)



Joe #3 2 


(A middle age woman dances with a teenage girl.  They are Woman and Girl.  Woman is the teacher, Girl her student.  All the speaking is done by Woman.  Sometime Woman will demonstrate her instruction, sometimes Girl will follow.  Though the piece starts with Girl doing most of the dancing, it devolves into a sort of duet.  This duet continues to the end, even thought Woman will cease doing moves that outwardly appear to be dance moves.  Girl is stiff and at the ready down stage centre.  Woman walks upstage and plays some soft music.  Woman walks down stage.)

Breathing. 

(Girl nods.  She slowly begins to dance.  Woman gives her notes.)

Not frail.

(Girl repeats the move less frailly.  Goes on.)

Gesture.

(Girl copies woman’s gesture.)

Not only skilfully.  Gesture gladly.  Mysteriously. 

(Girl copies again.)

Gladly. 

(Girl copies again.)

Breathing. 

(They move on in the routine.)

Breathing.  Enclose.

(Woman demonstrates.  Girl nods and moves on.)

Explosion.  Enclose. Breathing.

(Woman stops Girl in the middle of a difficult move.)

Deeper.  Breathing!  Deeper.  Deeper!

(Girl eventually falls to the floor.)

Fall?!

(Woman walks away while Girl gets up.) 

Deeper.  Fragile. 

(Woman demonstrates the move deeper.)

Breathing. 

(Girl gets up.  Does the move while breathing.  Woman nods.  Woman shakes her head, stops girl.)

Impulse.

(They repeat the move.  Girl moves quickly through it.)

Impulse!

(They repeat the movie.  Girl moves quickly through it.  Woman let’s her move one.)

Impulse!!!

(Girls stops.  Looks Woman.  Woman waves her off, leads Girl to down centre again.  Girl begins the dance over.  As Girl dances, Woman stays close by.  Observing at the closest possible vantage.  Never touching, but hovering her hands over the places she touched the girl before.  She whispers reminders from time to time:)

Breathing. 

Gladly. 

Breathing. 

Breathing. 

Enclose.

Explosion. 

Enclose.

Breathing.

Fragile.

(At the place where Girl fell.)

Breathing. 

(When she gets the place the girl repeated three times, Woman presses one finger to Girl’s chest, pausing Girl in the middle of the motif she moved through quickly.  Girl holds the position confused, she looks to Woman.  Woman whispers.)

Impulse...

(Girl thinks for a beat.  Girl takes as long as she needs until she has to break away.  Girl finishes the dance wildly with all the grace she lacked earlier.  Woman watches from downstage left.  When the dance ends with Girl left of downstage centre, Woman takes steps to greet her.  They bow to each other formally.  Then hug like they are old friends.  Black out.)

The results of this challenge is a list of 19 words picked by the artists.  The reason there are 19 words instead of 20 (2 from each of the 10 artists) is because two artists actually picked one of the same words.

Breathing
Deeper
Enclose
Explosion
Fall
Flower
Fragile
Fragility
Frail
Gesture
Gladly
Impulse
Insatiable
Mysteriously
Not
Only
Skillfully
Tricks
Wish