Susan Gray is our resident expert in Science Fiction Theatre; no, not the 50’s television show (which happens to be great!), but the presentation of science fiction stories and themes on the live stage. She currently has a play in production – SUM – and has previously worked on numerous other productions.
Like SF poetry, Flash Fiction and no doubt other forms, SF Theatre (yes, the UK English spelling, Susan is doing her work across the big pond), is a bit of an outlier, at least in terms of the attention we give it. Which isn’t much (though it is growing both here in the states and abroad).
Live acting SF themes is something old that is new again; early episodes of many of the original SF television shows were live action (including Captain Video, Tom Corbett and the anthology show Tales of Tomorrow) – and much of early, live television was staged like theatre productions. (You can see this amply demonstrated in the public domain episode of Tales of Tomorrow Appointment on Mars – starring Leslie Nielsen, Brian Keith and William Redfield. The announcer even presents the show as “And now, CH Mazden presents Act One of Tales of Tomorrow, Appointment on Mars…”. You can watch it here.
However, while the Great White Way has long favored fantastical themes, it’s been pretty shy about engaging with Science Fiction. Susan and a handful of others around the world are out to change that.
It did occur to us though that most of our readers are probably not all that familiar with the form that a science fiction one act play takes. And so, thanks to Susan, we’re able to give you an example of a short play that deals with the same themes as are presented in her up-coming production of SUM.
“…and now, Amazing Stories presents Act One of A Trifling Matter, by Susan Gray…” (Ed.)
ACT I
Scene 1
2 women are in a living room. A table and chairs
are arranged haphazardly. RUBY and ERICA are
investigating, scanning the room with handheld
devices. (A projection screen is to be set up
upstage).
ERICA
It’s damn quiet in here, isn’t it?
RUBY
You don’t say.
ERICA stares at RUBY.
ERICA
Well, obviously… I just wanted something to/
RUBY
/break the silence?
ERICA
No… something to stop me from thinking. Over
thinking.
RUBY
Chance would be a fine thing.
[beat]
ERICA
Look, what I’m saying is… something’s unnatural.
Something… off kilter. I don’t want to put my finger
on it, but/
RUBY
Whatever’s happened here, we’ve got to put your finger
on it. Gloved, preferably. Or are you that close to
retirement?
ERICA
Will you stop the digs already!? Yes, we know the
story. But there’s more to it. More to it than the more
to it.
RUBY
I see.
ERICA
It’s not what you can see. It’s what you can sense.
RUBY
And what do you sense then?
ERICA opens her mouth to speak, but stops as A and
B arrive.
RUBY
Come on! What do you sense then?
ERICA gestures wildy in the two’s direction.
ERICA
(loudly)
Hello! Hello.
A
Hello.
B
Hello.
[beat]
ERICA
Is everything alright?
[beat]
ERICA
I mean, what’s happened. It can’t be settling for
yourselves, can it?
A
Can it?
B
It can.
[beat]
ERICA
Bloody suspicious is what I call it.
RUBY
State of shock. Can happen to the best of us.
ERICA
There’s shock and there’s apathy, Ruby.
[beat]
RUBY
Is it alright if we can check upstairs now?
A
Yes. Of course.
B
If you want to see the shells, then yes.
[beat]
ERICA
The shells?
A
The prime angle of your investigation.
B
The shells are all that remain – we pour our
consciousness into them, actualise them, animate them.
Only then do we hear the undulations, our reflections.
Ourselves and no-one.
RUBY
I… I see.
ERICA
(hissing)
And you were wondering what I was talking/
RUBY
/We will see… these shells. Yes.
RUBY turns to ERICA.
RUBY
How are we playing this?
ERICA
The shells, you mean?
RUBY
For goodness sakes! Are you investigating the body or
are you going to interrogate… them?
[beat]
RUBY
They said… if we see the shells. There must be more
to it.
ERICA
(hissing)
But we don’t even know what the stupid things are/
A
But there is.
B
We are only the start.
RUBY
And you give me permission to see them?
A
We have nothing to lose by it.
B
All we can do is give you our assent. The choice is
yours.
RUBY
(Grimly)
I’ll take that as a yes.
[beat]
ERICA
So I’m to talk to them?
RUBY
You know the answer.
ERICA
Right. Right.
ERICA coughs loudly.
ERICA
I need you two for questioning, please.
A
Two?
B
What a small number. Insufficient for such a
transaction, surely?
ERICA
I don’t follow.
[beat]
A
I don’t see the difficulty in deciphering our
statements.
[beat]
ERICA
And?
B
And?
ERICA
I thought you talked together. In quantum pairs. Or
something.
A
Fascinating.
[beat]
ERICA
For the love of… just sit here and we’ll start it,
alright?
RUBY
You handle them. I’ll be upstairs.
RUBY goes offstage. ERICA offers the chairs to the
two, who at some length accept.
ERICA
Right. Could you tell me where you were when the
incident began?
A
The incident?
ERICA
The murder.
[beat]
A
You are mistaken.
B
No murder has taken place in this household.
ERICA
Don’t play dumb with me! I saw the body. You and your
other pal here viewed her. In plain sight.
B
Pal? How noir.
ERICA sniggers.
A
We saw the shell, yes.
B
She is not dead, however.
[beat]
ERICA
(panicked)
Not dead! Not dead! Didn’t you see the bloody body! She
wasn’t breathing, for goodness sakes!
A
Is that what dead is?
ERICA
Are we at nursery or something?! Not breathing for a
prolonged period. Not like swimming or… or… now
come on! You know what I’m talking about.
[beat]
ERICA
Oh… I’m sorry… it must have been suicide, right?
This must be hard for you.
B
What is hard for us is understanding where you’re
coming from.
ERICA
Do you not understand suicide or something?
A
We do.
ERICA
Then please, for your sanity as well as mine, tell me
what happened.
B
Very well.
A
She is alive.
B
She is us.
[beat]
ERICA
I beg your pardon!?
A
I am the woman you speak of.
B
As am I.
[beat]
ERICA
Look. Death is a… big thing.There’s no need to be in
denial/
A
Indeed.
B
What you need to understand… is that you are the one
in denial.
ERICA
You mean this. You really mean this.
A
What is the problem?
B
How else can we prove it to you?
[beat]
The lights dim on the stage.
ERICA
We’ve had clappers for a while now. That doesn’t
change/
A
/Who’s clapping?
[beat]
B
Again. What do we need to do?
ERICA
I don’t know! How can I think outside of what’s human?
A
I think we could find a way.
B
We’re open for questioning, after all.
ERICA
I don’t understand this… so you are not human? Is
that what you’re saying? Would make bloody sense,
that’s for sure.
B
We are human but not. We have human consciousness but
we are not human in the way you may understand.
ERICA
So… so… what did you do?
A
What did we do?
ERICA
I don’t want to ask… I don’t want to.
B
That is the point of interrogation. To ask.
A
What you will ask, we will answer.
ERICA
That’s what I’m afraid of.
[beat]
B
Humans are afraid of asking in fear of the answers.
Clear communication is akin to being antisocial.
ERICA
Maybe… but for a good cause.
A
What is this cause?
B
Surely knowledge is better than ignorance. Knowing your
options, for example.
[beat]
ERICA
Why do you always speak in pairs? You two talk like a
bloody poetry text at times, you know that.
A
Poetry? Interesting.
B
We don’t always speak in pairs.
ERICA
Well, I don’t have a transcript.
[beat]
A
We are more than a single voice. They become crippling.
One perspective. One idea. One side to the story.
B
With many voices, you can build up layers of reality.
ERICA
I read! I watch things. What are you getting at?
A
We are mind in mind in mind.
B
We are not an individual… we are a collective.
[beat]
ERICA
Isn’t that… dehumanizing?
A
We’re not human.
ERICA
Oh… right.
[beat]
ERICA
This is sounding like a frigging seance. Can I talk to
the lady who was… who was…
A
She can hear you.
B
Ask away.
ERICA
You were… killed – I mean, separated from your body.
How did this happen.
A
Interesting question.
B
I was stabbed, I believe.
A
Not with a knife. Show the inspector what happened.
The Video projection shows A coming down the
stairs. It keeps replaying.
ERICA
What… what’s going on!?
B
An injection. Yes. I barely felt a thing.
A
I’m glad to hear it.
ERICA
But that’s… that’s you!
A
Yes.
ERICA
This is… the crime scene.
B
There was no crime.
ERICA
You’re the victim! You don’t have to protect anyone…
B
I wanted this to happen.
[beat]
ERICA
But why?
B
You’re an investigator. You deal with the What, not the
Why.
A
She asked. I’ll answer.
[beat]
A
When you have nothing but time, something that is not
readily given to you, you open your avenues. Look for
ways you can expand yourselves, continue living.
B
I didn’t have time. Any time. This was the way to
survive.
ERICA
Yes, but/
A
Have you seen the house?
ERICA
What kind of question is that? Isn’t that what we’re in
right now?
B
Some more than others.
[beat]
ERICA
(whispers)
What? She’s here too?
A
Who are you whispering to, love?
ERICA
I don’t… I don’t know… and why are you calling me
love!?
B
The walls have ears. And eyes.
[beat]
The video projection turns off.
ERICA
I don’t like this… don’t bloody like this at all.
A
Why? Are you scared of the unknown?
ERICA
To some extent, yes!
B
Spiritualism has existed since the dawn of time,
inspector. It’s just in a different guise.
ERICA
Binary ectoplasm or something!?
A
If you like.
ERICA
(shouting)
Ruby… frigging hell… come down! It’s not safe!
It’s/
B
She’s seen it. Seen it all. The house has explained to
her.
ERICA
You just… you just…
A
We know what’s going on in every room. Just when you
know your body is hungry. Thirsty. In pain. Alone.
[beat]
ERICA
So what does this mean? What does any of it mean?
B
Not much has changed. Just the way you see it.
ERICA
But do I arrest you? Do I interrogate you? Or do I just
leave/
RUBY screams upstairs. ERICA jumps up and rushes
to the side of the stage. A and B do not move.
ERICA
What have you done with her?
A
She’s just shocked, that’s all.
B
Change is a slow process of acceptance.
A
Things don’t change. We do.
B
Things have to keep up.
A
Like laws.
ERICA turns back to them.
ERICA
Like laws?
B
Yes.
ERICA
I still don’t know… this is so damn dodgy that/
A
The singularity is the new spirituality, that’s all.
B
We change. So should law.
ERICA
I don’t know, I…
A
Why don’t you ask your friend? She’s coming now.
RUBY enters. ERICA looks aghast.
BLACKOUT.
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