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A pdf copy of the play can be downloaded for reading purposes only. Please do not distribute or perform without my authority. I trust you. DOWNLOAD
Clownes represents the culmination of many years experimentation in the writing of absurdist plays and contains elements from discarded plays and short sketches. It is basically the story of a relationship from first meeting to final parting as might be told in the world of dreams. There are many distortions and digressions and apparent irrelevencies. The play requires one male and one female actor. This play has never been performed although it has been through rehearsed readings and workshops.
This play is related to three other one act plays, Peace, Magpies and Earwigs. All four plays could be be presented together to provide a full evening's entertainment.
The set should be kept as simple as possible, just blacks with two chairs for the actors to sit on plus appurtenances on which to hang the various costumes that are required to indicate the different characters. (The costumes could be in a large chest or wicker basket, or could be arranged in some imaginative way.)
TIME: Any time. PLACE: Various.
There are two actors each of which plays many parts.
The actors are dressed as clowns. The various characters can be quickly achieved by donning an item of suitable apparel, which should be on the set throughout the play. The acting style is slick, superficial, two dimensional, such as is suitable for theatre of the absurd, although this play is not strictly absurdist. Some of the stage directions are not achievable on stage and may be cut. Some of the instructions in the mimes will not be achievable. They are included in order to assist the actors in developing reality. The actors should be encouraged to ad lib and to change the geographical and topical references as desired. The director must consider the play in the light of its own logic, not in the light of convention.
"When an author writes with excellent dialogue, with comedic repartee, it is a pity when the plot loses its way because it is then that the audience thinks the writer might be just showing his/her skills rather than entertaining us with a good story. This author has potential galore which it would be a pity to waste."
They discuss 'art gets to the essence'. They try to work out where they first met. They do the CHAIR MIME. They have critics and topical events. The COLOUR SCENE. Necropolis. The STRING MIME. The Mandukya Upanishad. Arcadia. Speeches. The middle bit. The BALL MIME. They try to work out where it was they parted. They discuss 'art gets to the essence'. As you see, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
[THE CURTAIN OPENS. DAN WALKS ON CARRYING A SOAP BOX. HE SIGNALS TO THE LIGHTING OPERATOR. AN OVERHEAD SPOT COMES UP. DAN PLACES BOX UNDER SPOT. STANDS ON IT. ADJUSTS SELFAND BOX UNTIL EXACTLY RIGHT. SIGNALS BRING LIGHT DOWN. ITCOMES DOWN. PULLS LIGHT CORD ABOVE HIS HEAD. LIGHT COMESUP. GIVES LIGHTING OPERATOR THE THUMBS UP. MARKS CORNEROF BOX WITH MASKING TAPE. WALKS OFF WITH BOX. CURTAIN DOWN. LATER IN THE PLAY WHEN THERE ARE SPEECHES DAN PUTSBOX EXACTLY IN PLACE BUT SPOT COMES UP SOMEWHERE ELSE. THEN WHEN GOT RIGHT PULLS LIGHT SWITCH BUT NO LIGHT, JUST THE SOUND OF A TOILET FLUSHING. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLEOF A GAG. NOT NECESSARY TO INCLUDE. THE DIRECTOR SHOULDTHINK OF MORE.]
ENTER DAN AND BRIONY AS CLOWNS.
DAN: Art gets to the essence.
BRIONY: What did you say?
DAN: I said Art gets to the essence.
BRIONY: I thought you said it made no sense.
DAN: Usually it doesn't.
BRIONY: Isn't that a strange thing to say?
DAN: What?
BRIONY: That Art gets to the essence.
DAN: No, I don't think it is a strange thing to say.
BRIONY: Art is form.
DAN: What.
BRIONY: If you create Art you create a form. That is all that Art is.
DAN: How terribly interesting.
BRIONY: Do you really think so?
DAN: No I don't, I think it's all bull.
BRIONY: What did you say?