PAST arthritic decrepit elderly female wearing traditional black southern Mediterranean clothing long silver hair braid sits in stiff wooden chair
PRESENT handsome athletic 21-year-old male soldier in tan uniform stands at ease
FUTURE eye-catching 32-year-old female wearing spaghetti-strap dark slate gray slinky cocktail dress 3” black Italian calf heals long loose brown red hair red fingernails lipstick
act 1 scene 1
PAST (clasped hands) you’re ruining everything
PRESENT get out of the way old woman you don’t belong here anymore
PAST (hands gesture) you think you’re making things better look around the earth is a toilet of human errors accidents self-destruction violence greed corruption horrible secrets
PRESENT be quiet old woman silence hear me shut the fuck up (short pause) what? you think your former oppressive hierarchies were better
FUTURE talk dirty to me
PAST shush up girl
PRESENT let the pretty lady speak
FUTURE (coquette stride across stage) i have a vision a world where everyone is equal living in harmony shared respect appreciation for each other we’re entering a critical crossroads extraordinary passage in time
PRESENT you hear what the pretty lady said
PAST she’s baiting you hook line and sinker
PRESENT (male bravado stance) you wrinkled bitter blind old woman can’t you see feel this critical crossroads extraordinary passage in time
PAST i know a black widow when i see one
FUTURE who you calling black widow you old witch
PAST i remember when food was good natural cows chickens lived happy neighbors were neighborly you could walk home at night without looking over your shoulder or stick out your thumb hitch a ride or if you drove up to a stop sign no one was in front of you people greeted each other as they passed it wasn’t that far back just 50 years ago
PRESENT screw you old woman i don’t know what time that was what were you some privileged person
FUTURE let’s order pizza
PAST who can eat at a time like this
PRESENT pepperoni and mushroom
FUTURE mushroom tomato basil no meat
PRESENT cool
PAST you’re escaping into comfort food immediate gratification
FUTURE why must you judge everything
PRESENT i’m with pretty lady pass away old witch let the future and me figure this out
PAST don’t say i didn’t warn you all this banter has exhausted me i need a little nap (she tilts head closes eyes slumps in chair)
act 1 scene 2
PRESENT (swaggers up to eye-catching female) perfect now you pretty lady and i can get more familiar with each other know what i mean
FUTURE what do you have in mind
PRESENT pardon my straightforwardness i’m shooting for 69 you know what that is
FUTURE hmmm uhh yes i know what that is
PRESENT you mind spreading open those long lovely legs of yours and let me see what you got hidden there
FUTURE you think you’re man enough to see what i’ve got hidden here
PRESENT oh yes ma’am
FUTURE lie down on your back on the floor
PRESENT anyway you want it i’m glad to oblige you ma’am
FUTURE (lifts dress to waist and stands over his head) like what you see
PRESENT oohhh you are a beauty my mouth is watering please let me have a taste
FUTURE (bends knees squats above his head sinks pelvic area into his face) give me your best shot soldier boy
PRESENT mmmmmmm (long pause)
FUTURE ease up (pause) it’s a delicate flower slow gently treat it like an intricate story plot construct it carefully strong foundation listen to my breathing heartbeat feel my muscles flex follow mounting rhythm by rhythm building to crescendo
PRESENT (long pause) how am i doing
FUTURE terrible (stands erect drops dress walks away) you’re all over the place no skill discipline direction you need to be more precise more anticipatory more presence of mind less messy rashness
PRESENT no girl ever told me that before
FUTURE probably because she was so grateful to see your face down there she would not think to ask for more but i’m the future and my needs are more demanding
PRESENT you sure do smell and taste good ma’am may i please have another shot
FUTURE listen up soldier boy i know understand you you’re a man with needs that torment you i think you have been going through this long before i knew you i see through your tough veneer i have an idea what haunts you
PRESENT what do you mean what haunts me
FUTURE maybe you didn’t get enough love from mom dad was never around none of your teachers at school knew how to get through to you now look at yourself soldier boy you’re fighting a war inside and out trying to save something that can’t be saved the world is changing faster than you can keep up do you honestly think your life and labors will have any effect on me
PRESENT i don’t understand
FUTURE i’m on the horizon you desperately need me (pause) and i don’t need you
act 1 scene 3
PAST shut up i can’t get any rest around here can’t stand hearing all this drama gibberish
PRESENT you’ve been listening (pause) you heard everything
PAST i’ve heard enough to make my stomach turn sour i don’t need to hear any more of this crap
FUTURE (flexed posture eyes glare at elderly female) don’t give me reason to trash you
PAST you think i’m afraid of you
FUTURE i mean it old witch i’ll annihilate you
PRESENT what’s happening here i don’t understand let’s all just chill
FUTURE stay out of this soldier boy it’s between the old witch and me
PAST (stands from chair raises arms revealing long black shawl) you think i am a feeble old woman or witch as you like to call me but my power goes beyond your imaginings wherever you go i will follow track you down haunt you infect you with your errors accidents self-destruction violence greed corruption horrible secrets
FUTURE shut up shut up you’re ruining everything (frantically rushes to edge of stage looks out searching audience paces back and forth hands cover ears)
PRESENT i’m lost who do i believe listen to
PAST (spreads arms out like wings) you want to know about the future i’ll tell you i can see right through her lies it’s a world devoid of fish in the seas or creatures in the forest instead industrial farming complexes producing genetically altered strains of cattle pig chicken flavorless fruits vegetables grains toxic black oceans toxic black skies stifling temperatures coastal cities swamped swarms of vermin parasites oh lest i forget trillions upon trillions of humans and robots robots!
FUTURE (abducts arms) but what about my beautiful vision a world where everyone is equal living in harmony shared respect appreciation for each other
PAST you’re in love with your own deceptions foolish woman you can’t possibly believe the sins of the past will ever let go of you
FUTURE that’s it you bitch you die (attacks old woman’s throat strangling)
PRESENT (intervenes pulling enraged female off elderly female) please stop this fighting stop your hostility
PAST (coughing choking trouble speaking) it’s up to you now soldier boy what will you do
PRESENT i need fresh air i have to go get away from here goodbye to both of you
FUTURE not so fast
PAST in a way we’re all joined at the hip understand soldier boy now lie down on your back on the floor there’s something i’ve got hidden if you’re man enough to see (lifts skirt hem)
FUTURE i want in on this
PRESENT oh god
*Selena Walks Into Classroom Holding Books Tight To Her Chest*
perhaps the greatest anguish is old age to be confined in earthly suit of shriveled skin aching bones constrained by ever-thinning breath with no escape but hope of death
