by T.C. Eisele.
Act One
Scene One
Setting
A high security prison located somewhere in the United States. It is shortly before dawn and under very dim lighting three men dressed in dark gray jumpsuits can be seen sleeping in a trio of adjacent cells.
Scene
After a long period of silence the prisoner in the middle cell starts to stir awake, struggling and groaning before he eventually jolts upright and stares in groggy amazement at his surroundings.
Once he is up, a lone spotlight will focus on the prisoner.
Franc: (Half asleep)…………Where am I?……
(He does a slow pan of the cell block around him, after which he rubs his eyes, refocuses, and does another slow pan, expecting perhaps to see something different.)
What is this?……….
(After staring dumbly into space for a few moments, Franc puts his hands over his face and begins to regulate his breathing.
When he eventually lowers his hands his eyes are closed.
He remains in what appears to be a meditative state for a few seconds before slowly opening his eyes.
The expression on his face reveals that he fully expected to see himself in a different setting, but after a moment the reality of where he is once again imposes itself upon his awareness.)
I’m not dreaming…..This is really a jail…….I’m……in jail……….
(A pang of anxiety propels Franc out of his bunk as the spotlight follows him to the door of the cell where he squeezes the cold steel bars with his hands.)
How is this possible?…………How is this fucking possible?…….. This has to be a dream!………
(Franc puts his face between the bars and peers out into the corridor of the cellblock…… After a moment he steps back and tries to bend the bars apart while emitting a deep, frustrated growl ……)
RRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…………….
(When he finally loosens his grip he seems very tired from the effort.)
What the fuck?….. How can this be?
(He turns so that his back is against the bars and then slides down to the floor where he ends up sitting on the ground facing away from the audience.
A long pause ensues, during which Franc once again puts his face in his hands and sits in silence.
Eventually he looks over to the cell at his right and sees the inmate sleeping there.
He then stands and walks to the bars separating their cells and looks in on his neighbor.
He speaks quietly in order not to wake the sleeping man.)
I can’t believe this……That dude looks absolutely real………I can even see a little gob of spit gleaming at the corner of his mouth……….
(He turns to go back to his bunk.)
(Sadly) What the fuck is going on?……This has to be a dream…….
(Pause)
But I’m wide awake!……. I just felt the bars of my goddamn cell!………I can feel the floor under my feet!………
(Suddenly angry) Could I be delusional?………Is this some kind of episode?…………But if I’m thinking that, then I can’t be crazy……..Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy…..
(He begins pacing around the cell)
How in the hell did I get here?……….
(All of a sudden the inmate in the cell to the left starts to snore loudly, causing Franc to stop pacing and consider the sleeping man.)
This is nuts!!!……That guy is really snoring!………
(At that moment the inmate he is watching suddenly snorts and turns over.)
What if I woke him up, I wonder if he’d see me?………
(He stares at the man.)
(Sighing) I’m afraid to try it……What if he does see me?
(Pause)
That would prove all of this is real………..
(Pause)
(With a renewed anger) I can’t handle this!!!!…….When I went to sleep last night I was with my wife…….That was my reality ……Our reality…..I can remember the streetlight outside shining through the window….I remember my shadow on the wall….. When I climbed in bed she kissed me goodnight…… Even the radiator in the corner was hissing and I could smell the heat coming up…….
(Looking around)
So what the hell is all this?…..I have no idea how the fuck I got here, or even where I am……… My real life seems like nothing more than a memory……Yet this crazy place, which I KNOW has to be a Goddam dream, seems entirely fucking real!……
(Frustrated Pause)
It’s like I’m in someone else’s life……..
(He focuses again on the inmate snoring in the next cell.)
No…………No………I can’t accept this…….I won’t accept this………This can’t be real and not real at the same time…….How is that possible?
(Franc wearily goes to sit on the edge of his bunk, where he hunches forward and stares at the floor, the entire weight of his confusion resting squarely on his shoulders.
After a long pause in the shadowy silence, the sound of footsteps can be heard coming down the corridor…………Franc looks up………..
From the audience’s point of view, a second spotlight is now tracking a Prison Guard in beige khakis who has entered from stage right. On arriving at Franc’s cell he abruptly stops after seeing that the prisoner inside is sitting up and staring at him.)
Guard: (Shining a flashlight in Franc’s face.) What’s going on?
(Franc squints and doesn’t answer.)
(Sternly) I said what’s going on?
Franc: I couldn’t sleep….
Guard: Why’s that?
Franc: (Shielding his eyes) I don’t know…….I just woke up………And then I saw where I was…….
Guard: (Snickering) Yeah, I can see how that would be a rude fucking awakening……….Well, the morning alarm is gonna go off in a little while, so just make sure you keep quiet until then …….Got it?
Franc: Yeah………
Guard: (Seemingly annoyed at Franc’s response) Yeah?
(Franc seems confused as he continues to cover his eyes from the flashlight.)
You’re supposed to address the staff here as, “Sir.”
Franc: I’m sorry….. Sir………
(The Guard stares at Franc for what seems like a long time and then, before moving on, gives him a word of advice……)
Guard: You’re in this place and you will follow the rules until you’re not in this place……..Understand?
Franc: Yes Sir………..
Guard: That means you sleep when it’s dark…….And if you can’t sleep, then pretend you are……And if me or any other guard asks you something, you show the proper respect…….Right?
Franc: Yes Sir………
Guard: You’ve been here long enough to know what’s what….
(After he turns off his flashlight, The Guard continues on his way as the spotlight follows him offstage.)
Franc: (Sighing as he lays back on his bunk) Well, it seems my place in this nightmare has officially been established……
(Sadly) Now what the fuck do I do?………….Maybe if I can fall asleep again I’ll wake up back in my real life?……
(After a minute or so the spot on Franc begins to dim as the stage lights slowly brighten with the coming dawn.
When the lights are fully up, a loud siren announces the wake-up.
Franc sits up slowly
The inmate to the right begins to stir in his bunk while The Guard who had passed by earlier re-enters from stage left and begins banging his baton on the bars of each cell.)
Guard: Cock-a-doodle-do all you soul brothers, hombres, and assorted mother fuckers……Rise and shine…….It’s another bee-yoo-ti-full day at the penitentary…….
(The inmate who had been snoring sits up slowly and says to no one in particular……….)
Inmate: Chinga tu madre………
(At the same time, the inmate on the other side of Franc stumbles over to the toilet in his cell and begins peeing.
When Franc and the other inmates are finally up and awake, another alarm sounds and the doors to all the cells simultaneously open.
Guard: Everybody step lively, we don’t have all day………I wanna see every one of you swingin’ cocks out in front of your cells right now.
(The men step into the corridor.)
Okay, everybody face to the left…………
(Both Franc and the inmate who had been snoring turn to their left, while the remaining inmate turns to the right.)
YOUR OTHER LEFT, YOU STUPID SHIT!!!
(The prisoner who had turned the wrong way looks at The Guard.)
YEAH, YOU!!!……….(He mutters to himself) Jesus H. Christ………
(After a second the inmate turns and faces in the same direction as the other prisoners.)
Okay, now that you’re all looking toward the mess hall I want you to start walking there…. NOW!!!……….C’MON, LET’S GO!!!
(The 3 inmates proceed to walk off stage accompanied by The Guard.)
Curtain
Scene Two
Setting
The bedroom of Franc and his wife Daria. The couple is asleep in their bed and on the night table near Franc a pair of cell phones are plugged in and charging.
Scene
As the audience watches the couple sleep, the silence is interrupted by one of the phone alarms blasting the song “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s. The music goes for a little while before Daria eventually lifts her head.
Daria: (Nudging her husband as the lights come up.)
Franc…………Franc……..
Franc: Uhhh………………
(Pause)
Daria: (Nudging him again, hard.) FRANC!!!
Franc: What!………
Daria: Give me my phone…….
(As Franc props himself up and reaches over to the nightstand, he hesitates and takes a long, slow look around their bedroom.)
FRANC!!!
Franc: What!
Daria: Give me my phone……..
Franc: I know…….
(He hands his Wife the phone and she turns off the alarm.
For the next few moments they both lay in silence and stare at the ceiling.)
(Franc continues) I had a really weird dream last night………
Daria: Oh yeah?
(Pause)
What was it?
Franc: That might be hard to explain……..
Daria: (She looks over at him)
Would you rather not talk about it?
Franc: (Pause) I was in jail………
Daria: Jail?……..
Franc: Yeah…….
Daria: In a cell…….Behind bars?
Franc: Uh-huh…….
Daria: How did you feel?
Franc: Trapped……
Daria: That would make sense……Was there anything else?
Franc: It was real……..
Daria: What do you mean?
Franc: It was real…….
Daria: You mean it seemed real?
Franc: No…..It was real…….Like this bed is real…….Like your phone is real………. Like I’m really laying here next to you…….
(He props himself up and looks directly at his wife.)
Daria: (Looking back at him) You mean it felt real?
Franc: No, it was real ……..
(He reaches over and pokes her shoulder)
Like this……..
Daria: Like what?
Franc: Like how I just touched you……..Everything in the dream seemed real…… Yet at the same time this (He pokes her shoulder again) was only something I was remembering……
(He lays his head back on the pillow)
Our life now…. And everything in it…. Was what seemed like a dream……..
(She stares at him)
(Long Pause)
I told you it would be hard to explain……..
Daria: (Getting up and putting on a robe that was lying at the foot of the bed)
Was there anyone else in this dream besides you?
Franc: Yeah……
Daria: Who?………Did you talk with them?
Franc: The prisoners in the cells on each side of me….. And a guard……..I talked with the guard………
Daria: What did he say?
Franc: Nothing special…….. He reprimanded me for not addressing him as “Sir.”
Daria: What do you think that means?
Franc: Honey, this wasn’t your typical metaphorical dream……You know, like you dream of a waterfall and then you wake up and have to pee…..This was a fully engaging experience……Where everything was as real and tangible……
(He lightly punches the mattress)
As you and this bed are right now …….
Daria: Why do you think you were there?
Franc: Who the fuck knows?…….
(Pause)
What was really disturbing though is that I don’t think the others in the dream were seeing Me……….You know, the me that you’re seeing right now………I think they were seeing me as someone else………
Daria: (She sits on the edge of the bed and remains facing her husband.)
I don’t understand………What are you saying?
Franc: It seemed like I was inside someone else and experiencing what they were living, except it was my awareness that was taking it all in………The same awareness I have now, talking with you………But that doesn’t make any sense, does it? If it’s me thinking about what’s happening then it has to be my reality, right?………….
Daria: Was this one of those out of body experiences you’ve told me about?
Franc: No………..During one of those your awareness leaves your body and flies around all by itself…..But you don’t interact with anyone, or anything…….You just observe……..
(Pause)
This was like my whole physical, mental, and spiritual being woke up in a completely different reality that had no connection to anything in the past I knew or could remember………..And I could touch things, and speak with other people…….
Daria: I don’t know what to say………I’m not sure I even understand what you’re trying to tell me……..
(Pause……Sounding worried)
How do you feel right now?
Franc: (He sits up and swings his feet to the floor so that he’s facing away from her.)
Disturbed…….. Something took control of my existence and I don’t know what it was or where it came from……
(He turns and looks her in the eye)
I’m kind of freaked out………
(Daria walks around the bed and sits down next to her husband.)
Daria: Oh baby…….What can I do to help?
Franc: I don’t know…….
(He sighs)
I’m sorry………….
Daria: It’s okay…..I know I’m married to a Psychic and “normal” means something different for us than it does for other people …….
Franc: Normal means something different for everyone dear….
Daria: I know, but you embrace this kind of weirdness………
(He looks at her in surprise.)
I’m not criticizing you……..
Franc: Don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of New Age charlatan on the Internet… .I’m not an entertainer or a hustler …..I’m a Healer…….I’ve been training for years to develop my abilities………
Daria: Of course you are……….You help people……I know that…..But I haven’t always understood a lot of the things you’ve shared with me over the years…..About your work….And stuff like this dream……
Franc: (In a calm voice.) It’s okay……I know…….All I need right now is for you to continue being you, and being here, that’s enough……..More than enough……..Besides, there isn’t much you can do with shit like this except to try and evolve with the experience………Over time I’m sure I’ll come to understand it……
Daria: (Sounding disappointed) Is just being “me” and being “here” helping you now? I wish I could do more than simply listen……..And worry……
Franc: (Reassuringly) Now that I’m back here I feel safe………And sane again……..That’s because of you…….
Daria: Are you sure?
Franc: (He takes hold of her hand) Yes.
Daria: (Looking away) Even if I’d woken up during your dream I wouldn’t have known anything was wrong……I couldn’t have helped you……….
Franc: Hey…..I didn’t mean to worry you…….I know things with me can get weird…….Very weird…….But I’m still here……And sane…….Right?
(He manages to smile.)
Daria: (Looking back at him) Just make sure you remember that this is your reality……….With me………In our house…….And don’t ever forget it……..No matter what……..
Franc: I know……….Believe me……….I know…..
(Pause)
Daria: (Upbeat) So, do you think you’d like to have a real cup of coffee with me before I have to leave and you have to go to the store for your readings?
Franc: The ultimate reality for me has always been one of your kisses; can we start there?
(Daria smiles and they kiss.)
Curtain
Excerpted from the play “Psychonaut” by T.C. Eisele