Artistic Discoveries in European Schoolyards

CHARACTERS:

NOAH

THE BOY

MARTHE (NURSE)

KAREN (NURSE)

SIRI (NURSE)

MATTIS

THE WOMAN

GUARDS

PROLOGUE

White dust whirling in the air as if through sunbeams streaming through a kitchen window. And you sitting on the floor, playing. You look up.
Then a black shadow. The moment is over.

A man with a black hood on his head. A man on all fours, on a leash round his neck.
A woman in military trousers standing over naked people piled up on one another.
Someone laughing. A barking dog. Urine.

A digging machine burying bodies.
The earth is moist and dark. The smell of rain.
Thin white skin.

A syringe. Cramp. Silence.

People running. Slow motion film. Screams that cannot be heard. Blood mixed with dust. Flames. Cars smashed to pieces.
A man sits down. Folds his hands together, then picks up the telephone.

Someone takes your hand. You run together, You fall. The hand is gone.

A cutting, shrill sound.
White dust and no sound.
White dust.
No sound.
A time. A place.

?
1.
A WHISPERING VOICE
I don’t remember what they looked like. I remember that I remembered before. I had a picture of them. Somewhere. But it’s gone. It dissolved. My father walked in front of all the others. I saw his back. Mustn’t lose his back. Always keep your eyes on my back, he said. Suddenly there were just us. White light and suddenly just us three. We looked for the others for a long time. Then we gave up and just left. Are you there? Are there any others there? Are you there?.

2.

A hangar. Walls once white, now brownish-red.

Noah stands by a wall. He listens with his face against the wall and his eyes closed. Now and then his lips move. Karen enters. She goes quietly over towards him.

KAREN
What are you doing?

NOAH
Me?

KAREN
Did I startle you?

NOAH
No no.

KAREN
You jumped. I saw you jumped a little.

NOAH
Aren’t you going to shave me?

KAREN
I am.

Karen lovingly strokes Noah’s head. Takes out shaving equipment. She hums softly. Noah smiles.

KAREN
I’ve seen you over by this wall before.
What is it that you’re doing?

NOAH
Nothing. Are you going to shave me or talk?

KAREN
Don’t you want to talk about it?

NOAH
About what?

KAREN
About you standing here talking to yourself.

NOAH
I’m not talking to myself.

Pause. Karen begins shaving Noah’s head.

NOAH
There’s someone there.

KAREN
Where?

Noah points towards the wall.

NOAH
Outside there.

Karen looks at Noah.

NOAH
Don’t you believe me?

KAREN
There’s nothing out there. Just sand.

NOAH
How do you know?

KAREN
What?

NOAH
That there’s sand there.

KAREN
I don’t know.

KAREN
Is there something bothering you?

NOAH
It doesn’t matter.

Noah moves slightly away.

KAREN
Don’t be cross.

NOAH
Are you finished?

KAREN
OK. Who is it then? Out there. Who is it?

NOAH
I said it doesn’t matter.

KAREN
Who is it?

NOAH
I’m joking. There’s no-one out there. Of course not. There’s nothing but sand, is there. I’m just joking.

KAREN
Are you unhappy?

NOAH
No. When Karen comes, Noah is happy.

KAREN
Don’t be silly.

Noah begins to tickle Karen.

NOAH
When Karen comes, Noah goes mad! MAD! Pling, plong! Mad!

KAREN
Shhh. Someone will hear us.

NOAH
I’ll only stop if, if, if

KAREN
If what?

NOAH
You – kiss – me.

KAREN
What?

NOAH
Won’t you?
(Noah stops tickling her.)
I know you want to kiss me.

KAREN
Noah. It’s not allowed.

NOAH
When did you begin to care about that?

KAREN
You’re behaving very strangely.

Noah takes hold of Karen.

NOAH
When did you begin to care about it not being allowed to kiss me?
(Noah kisses Karen tenderly on the cheek. Karen turns away. )
(whispers) There’s someone outside.

KAREN
Who?

NOAH
A boy.

KAREN
I have to go.

NOAH
I’m not joking.

KAREN
Let me go.

NOAH
Don’t you believe me?

KAREN
Marthe enters.

Noah releases her and sits on his bunk.

NOAH (whispers)
Are you coming back later?

KAREN
Yes.

NOAH
Later today?

KAREN
If I manage to get away.

Karen leaves.
…