Press from The Sound of a Yellow Flower
"The off-Loop theater scene regularly spits out marvels, so it should surprise no one that two-year-old StrangeLoop Theatre has mounted a thoughtfully directed, efficiently designed, and convincingly acted production on a shoestring. What's mind-blowing is that Dustin Spence's politically sophisticated, psychologically intricate play is his first. In a series of carefully orchestrated two-person scenes, Spence follows a quartet of displaced souls trying to reinvent themselves in a newly independent but repressive Belarus. His interlocking stories depict a world where idealism is gradually extinguished by romantic desertions and state brutality. ...Spence knows how to make 75 minutes matter." --Justin Hayford, Chicago Reader SYNOPSIS: Set in Belarus, the play examines the interconnected relationships between four characters, and how one decisive moment changes all of their lives. Love and violence intertwine as these four hope for a future and sort through the broken remains of their past. |
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A scene from The Sound of a Yellow Flower.
SASHA is a Belurusian violinist and husband to ZOE, an American architect and activist. Lights up on the kitchen of the apartment that ZOE and SASHA share. The room is empty. After a moment ZOE quietly comes through the front door with a bunch of tulips in her hand. ZOE (a whisper) Sasha? After a moment, when she hears nothing, she moves briskly into the kitchen. ZOE assembles a small breakfast on the table. ZOE places the tulips into a vase on the counter. ZOE removes a newspaper from her purse and places it on the table. ZOE nibbles on the breakfast while examining the paper. ZOE Asshole… that sick son of a… The telephone rings. ZOE answers it. ZOE Hello? … What do you mean…? I’ve been waiting all week… OK look… Fine. Fine. Just give it to me okay. St Euphrosyne? Again…? I just hope no one catches on is all… Okay. Jesus Christ… I know they are killing people okay… They shoot them in the head; it’s not execution it’s… Don’t worry the prison’ll be empty by the end of the week… With a structural plan and enough C-4, SIZO will be… Hey trust me. An architecture degree’s gotta be good for something right- There are keys at the front door. ZOE Shit, gotta go. ZOE hangs up the phone then quickly stuffs the newspaper in her purse, and sits back down to her breakfast just as SASHA enters. SASHA Morning. ZOE Good morning. SASHA You are up early. ZOE Couldn’t sleep. SASHA Ah. ZOE And you? SASHA Me? ZOE Uh-huh. Just in? SASHA Oh, yes, yes. ZOE Long night? SASHA Very long night. ZOE And who were we toasting this time? SASHA Andreyovich. ZOE The one that- SASHA Yes. He is maestro now. ZOE That asshole couldn’t lead a concert with a gun to his head. SASHA Perhaps. But his brother is secretary to the Culture Minister so… ZOE So… SASHA Yah. ZOE I hope he bought you drinks at least. SASHA Yeah. Sure. Water was on him. Vodka was on us. ZOE Figures. Fucking pig. SASHA Indeed. (Seeing the flowers) Pretty. ZOE I thought so. SASHA Where did you find them? ZOE Some woman. Down the street. SASHA This early? ZOE You’d be surprised. SASHA Hmm. Very pretty. Reminds me of… You suppose they could cure a hangover? ZOE They’re not that good. I thought you people were supposed to be able to hold your liquor? SASHA We can. But the Ministry of Culture frowns on drunk musicians, and without them where would we be. Culture, it brings us many things. Today it brings me a splitting headache. ZOE Serves you right. SASHA And an unforgiving wife. ZOE Hey, it’s not my fault. You’re the one who started sleeping with the enemy. SASHA Zoe, please. I- ZOE Never mind. No big deal. SASHA Thank you. ZOE My husband is a fucking sell out, but- SASHA You do not seem to mind too much. After all you are not sleeping in a ditch. ZOE You say that like you hated it. SASHA I did. ZOE Bullshit. I’ve heard the stories. Seen the way your face lights up when you- SASHA Memories. They are so much better when you are not living them. ZOE You were never happier. SASHA I am happy with you. ZOE But the music was your- SASHA Yes, it is mine. The music is my work. What became of it… This. This is my life. You are my life. This headache is my life. ZOE Crybaby. I could, you know? SAHSA What? ZOE Sleep in a ditch. SASHA I have no doubt in my mind. ZOE Sleep all day. Sing all night. SASHA Things have changed… It is different now. ZOE No different than Prague. Sasha, we could- SASHA Zoe… Do you have any aspirin? ZOE I think there’s some in the room. SASHA Thank you. ZOE You’d think the famed Musician of the People would be able to deal with a little- SASHA You mean suffer. ZOE If you want, sure. Just suffer in silence, please, and I’ll get your fucking aspirin. SASHA Do not worry. First thing I learned as a boy was how to suffer. ZOE Please. SASHA Long winter. Short summer. No food. ZOE No drink. SASHA Plenty of drink. In father’s stomach, however. Meaning, very painful childhood. ZOE exits to the bedroom. She continues to talk to SASHA from offstage. ZOE Hey, can you clean that up for me? SASHA Very American. Leave a mess for the rest of us to clean. As the conversation continues SASHA moves to clean up ZOE’s half-finished breakfast. In doing so he notices the paper sticking out of ZOE’s bag. He removes the paper from the bag and examines the front page. ZOE Yeah, and the Russians never left anything anywhere. There’s probably a plutonium dump right under our feet. SASHA It would explain your cooking. ZOE Fine then, you can just not eat for a few days my fine suffering husband. SASHA Ha! ZOE Seriously though, all you have to do is quit the symphony, and come join me down at the café. I’m sure they could find something for you to do. We’re fucking swamped as it is. Irena’s cheap, but I bet if you brought your violin you could play for the customers and… You’re awfully quiet out there. Did you figure out how to wash a plate...? ZOE enters with a bottle of aspirin in hand, and sees SASHA with the newspaper. They exchange a look. SASHA I thought we talked about this. ZOE It’s just a newspaper, Sasha. SASHA Just a newspaper- ZOE Here’re your pills. SASHA It’s a bad one and you know it. ZOE How else am I supposed to know what’s going on? SASHA There is a newsstand on the corner. ZOE Porn and propaganda? Not really my style. SASHA You know what happens if they catch you. ZOE What about free speech? Say what we want, write what we want, read what we want? SASHA It is dangerous. ZOE Take the pills you’ll feel better. SASHA The police search you, find it, I never see you again. ZOE They won’t find it. SASHA I did. ZOE That’s just because you’re nosey. SASHA I’m serious Zoe- ZOE Look, just because you gave up doesn’t mean I have to. I need to be able to see what’s happening. SASHA You will see from the inside a prison cell. I cannot help you if- ZOE I’m not asking you to! SASHA After all I give up for you this is- ZOE Now, wait a fucking minute. SASHA You think I want to play their music? Remind them all that everything we worked for, everything we died for… That we ended up right back where we started. ZOE You’re doing a pretty good job. Rehanging the Iron Curtain all on your own- SASHA I did it for you. ZOE Please. At least you get to play. What about me huh? Best I can hope for is drafting some dumb shit’s sketches, make sure they meet the regs. The National Library; Victory Square. Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, and I’m sitting in a fucking coffee shop! SAHSA At least we have a place to live. You’ve seen the government flats that- ZOE And did you ever ask if I wanted it? SASHA We would be dead if I- ZOE Not once. You never asked. You just gave up. SASHA What do you want me to say? Huh? “Go on my dear wife. Get yourself killed in the name of a lost cause. I will follow you to the grave if I must so long as Belarus is free!” ZOE Fuck you. SASHA I am not like him, Zoe- ZOE Don’t you even… Allan was…What’s this really about, huh? SASHA About? It is about you not getting killed that’s- ZOE It’s just like Prague. We work, build a life, a home. Things start to change and you fucking- SASHA It is not the same at all. You do not know what it is like to see everything- ZOE Just couldn’t stop talking about home. The grand adventures, the big plans. SASHA It was a lifetime ago, ages and ages- ZOE So what changed? Huh? Now that we’re here, now that I care, that I know I can make a difference. Why is the Musician of the People afraid to have his wife carry a fucking newspaper? SASHA I don’t… I have no answers for you but please- ZOE You’re a terrible liar you know that? So, what are we going to do, huh…? Get fat, lazy, never make a difference to anybody? I’ll just go to the symphony, watch you play, nothing more to life than- SASHA We could leave. ZOE Yeah, like- SASHA Leave. Go back to Prague. To France or America even. ZOE I’m not going to just abandon our home, Sasha. Not again. This is ours, all of this. Just because some maniac is trying to turn it into a prison doesn’t mean I’m going to run away from everything that we worked for. That we dreamed about. SASHA It is getting too dangerous- ZOE Besides we could never get the papers anyway. SASHA I have a friend who could- ZOE I’m not going anywhere, Sasha! … Look, I have to get going. If you don’t give it back I’ll just buy another one. After a moment SASHA reluctantly hands the paper back to ZOE. ZOE Thank you. I’ll see you tonight, huh? SASHA Sure. ZOE And what are we playing? SASHA Rachmaninoff. ZOE Ok. Great. I’ll be there. SASHA Be careful. ZOE Always am. ZOE goes to exit. When she reaches the door… ZOE Sasha… SASHA Yeah? ZOE I… See you tonight? SASHA See you tonight. ZOE exits. After a moment SASHA cleans up ZOE’s breakfast dishes. Blackout. |