Cast of characters
Will — ambitious, cantankerous and introspective
Siggy — inquiring, incredulous and more than a little concerned
Sally — a young girl of thirteen, with ideals to match
Marv — sleazy, unctuous, eager to succeed at the expense of his client
Joe — confused and just a bit clueless, until the end
* * *
Scene One
Heaven. The entities that inhabit this realm do not have the luxuries or restrictions of bodies. They exist as pure intelligence or spirit. For these reasons you can understand that it is very nearly impossible to describe their existence.
The problem is further compounded by the lack of time as we know it. They live in what can only be called an extremely subtle environment. One devoid of touch, texture, sight, sound, smell, taste and physical events to mark crucial turning points - or anything else for that matter. It gets boring. This is one reason that virtually every entity that passes from Earth to the Beyond chooses to be reincarnated. Now we can turn to eavesdrop on an important conversation that took place there, not long before the action of the play takes place.
SIGGY
“But all the suffering, the confusion, the stupidity, I…I am at a loss to understand why you of all people here would want to return to that God-forsaken world.”
WILL
“I have already explained it to you in unending detail. Again and again I have told you of my reasons, my passion really. They have made a mess out of my work. Three hundred years have gone by and one would think they would have sopped it all up by now. But no! The thick-headed bumbling fools go on as ever pretending, lying, cheating, betraying - even killing. Worse, the directors have messed up the stage directions. They think nothing of misinterpreting my work. As for the actors they have fouled up the characters and ruined the delicate balance between physical gesture and spoken line. And the audiences… What can one say, my good man.”
SIGGY
“Yes, I understand all that, old friend. All you say is true. But wasn’t it one of your characters that said, ‘Sweep on you fat and greasy citizens.’ I beg you not to apply to the council for rebirth. We would miss you. The world of man goes on as ever. Reform is an idle notion, Shakespeare.”
WILL
” Ah yes. Wasn’t it I who wrote: Oft expectation fails, and most oft there- Where most it promises. Or: When we are born, we cry that we are come- To this great stage of fools. And, O! That way madness lies; let me shun it. Enough! The rest is silence or should be. But they have made a literary god, a cult figure out of me. And it is wrong. I am the fountain of the endless cliches that spew from their mouths. Well, I am going to return and put a stop to it, Sigmund …”
(Fadeout)
(to be continued)
