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The Fall of Narcissus

Altenir Silva

Story-line: In a night of anguish, Narcissus discovers something.

 

Stage: Two men are looking at each other.

 

MAN 1

I hate!

 

MAN 2

What?

 

MAN 1

Me.

 

MAN 2

Why?

 

MAN 1

Because I never got it...

 

MAN 2

What?

 

MAN 1

Something.

 

MAN 2

Like what?

 

MAN 1

Listen to me. I want you just look at me.

 

MAN 2

I'm looking…

 

MAN 1

Can you see me?

 

MAN 2

Yeah... I see you.

 

MAN 1

And nothing else, I presume?

 

MAN 2

What do you want? I'm seeing you…

 

MAN 1

Just me?

 

MAN 2

Yeah! Just you.

 

MAN 1

I wanted you to see something else.

 

MAN 2

Like what?

 

MAN 1

I don't know… Maybe, another thing.

 

MAN 2

I see!

 

MAN 1

What?

 

MAN 2

See you and your clothes!

 

MAN 1

Clothes? It doesn't matter.

 

MAN 2

Why? If you're wearing it…?

 

MAN 1

Forget my clothes, please. Let's run it again.

 

MAN 2

Right.

 

MAN 1

Look right at me.

 

MAN 2

And?

 

MAN 1

Make an effort to see another thing.

 

MAN 2

Without clothes?

 

MAN 1

Yes, of course.

 

MAN 2

Let's be honest, there isn't a snowball's chance that I'll see something different from you.

 

MAN 1

Try, just try it.

 

MAN 2

All right!

 

MAN 1

Say.

 

(There's a brief silence)

 

MAN 2

I can see… I can see… you!

 

MAN 1

What else?

 

MAN 2

Nothing!

 

MAN 1

Oh boy!

 

MAN 2

What?

 

MAN 1

I can't be more than that!

 

MAN 2

I'm sorry! But it's just you and your clothes!

 

MAN 1

I know! I just asked you to try to see something different.

 

MAN 2

Unfortunately, I don't get it.

 

MAN 1

Please, try it again, will you?

 

MAN 2

OK.

 

MAN 1

Let's go! Look at me.

 

MAN 2

I'm looking.

 

MAN 1

Look carefully.

 

MAN 2

I'm looking.

 

 

MAN 1

Concentrate. Close your eyes, then open them and look at me.

 

(There's a brief silence)

 

MAN 2

I think I see something!

 

MAN 1

What?

 

MAN 2

Wait!

 

MAN 1

It's driving me insane.

 

MAN 2

I see!

 

MAN 1

Tell me.

 

MAN 2

Finally... I see something in you...

 

MAN 1

That's wonderful. Say it, say it, say…

 

MAN 2

Wow!

 

MAN 1

What?

 

MAN 2

I'm seeing!

 

MAN 1

What?

 

MAN 2

Wow! I'm seeing something.

 

MAN 1

What is that?

 

MAN 2

I see a good man… (Beat.) But a sucker!

 

MAN 1

How?

 

MAN 2

A fool, an idiot, unhappy and unsuccessful. A guy who wants to be beautiful but gets to be ugly. I mean, your soul is awful.

 

MAN 1

Is that true?

 

MAN 2

Unfortunately.

 

MAN 1

It is very cruel! It's sad! What should I do?

 

MAN 2

Nothing!

 

MAN 1

Nothing?

 

MAN 2

I hate to say this, but I can't lie to you. Actually, you are nothing!

 

MAN 1

I'm your mirror image!

 

MAN 2

I turn out the light, and there is no mirror.

 

MAN 1

Narcissus... please… (Shouts out) I beg you... please... don't turn out the light.

 

MAN 2

Bye, Narcissus!

 

MAN 1

Narcissus... not... Narcissus...

 

(Man 2 snaps his fingers.)

 

BLACKOUT.

 

END

 

 

Note:

"THE FALL OF NARCISSUS" was staged at the HIT & RUN 5 - November 5, 2011 - Blue Door Theatre, Spokane, WA- USA.

 

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Altenir Silva | Scene4 Magazine

Altenir Silva is a Brazilian playwright and screenwriter. In 2019, he won the Best Feature Screenplay at Prisma International Film Awards in Rome with The Sunrise Man (co-written with Ben Fiore, based on a story by director Werner Schumann). This screenplay was also nominated as a Top Finalist, 2017, Hollywood Hills Screenplay Awards, CA, US. In 2017 his short-play "Friendship" was published in "One Minute Plays: A Practical Guide to Tiny Theatre" (Routledge UK). In 2014 he received the Award of Excellence from Shakespeare at The Burg Theatre Festival (Middleburg, VA) for the play "The Idea". In Brazil, he worked as a scriptwriter for several TV shows at Globo TV, Record TV, CNT TV. He also wrote the feature films "Belarmino & Gabriela" (2007), "The Salt of the Earth" (2008), "Japan Connection" (2008), "Curitiba Zero Degrees" (2010) and "Moses and The Ten Commandments" (2015). For more of his writings in Scene4, check the Archives.

©2022 Altenir Silva
©2022 Publication Scene4 Magazine

 

 

 

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