10-min play, draft 9

[Set in an old dilapidated building where KID and TIO sit against a wall covered by a frayed government poster, like a PSA, that offers methods to conserve energy. TIO is old and ill and in contrast is surrounded by the KID’s youthful energy.]

TIO

I didn’t get to play it again.

Mama told me all those years ago, some thirty five years ago, she said, “hey, you’ll play again, you’ll see, we’ll play again”.

We’ll play it again. We’ll play it again.

I learnt a little, played the same things again and again, I was fourteen but “we’ll play again”.

What will we play, what’s there to play?

Play, play, no such thing.

Looked up at the piano, when I was only a child, it was so big, so tall, when I was a little one. Oh god, they’re coming soon. I’m going, I’m almost gone.

• “Shhh. shhhhh. If we hide him they can’t take him.”

“If we hide him he’ll go anyway.”

• “They can’t take him.”

“They need to.”

• “Hide him.”

“It’s time.”

• Jimmy?

He’ll be fine.

I won’t play again.

[Enter KID]

TIO

I didn’t get to play it again.

KID What

TIO

Mama told me all those years ago, some thirty five years ago, she said, “hey, you’ll play again, you’ll see, we’ll play again”.

KID What play

TIO

A piano.

KID

What that?

TIO

It doesn’t matter now forget it.

KID

Tell

TIO

I said no.

KID

Fine

Why you go

TIO

You know why, at this age they take us away.

KID Everyone go Tio

TIO

Hmm?

KID

Everyone leaving

TIO

Maybe, but that’s okay Jim.

KID Why

TIO

You’ll go someday too, we’ll all go.

KID

What what I no under-stand

TIO

Okay okay go on now, eat you rations.

KID

What pino tell

TIO

Pi-an-o

KID

Pi-an-o

TIO

It’s something we played to make music

KID

Music

I want

TIO

I’m sorry

KID

What for

TIO

I’m so sorry

KID

What Tio

TIO

That we keep going, that we keep going!

KID

Tio

TIO

We’re going, we’re going -

KID No we stay we stay

TIO

- we found you on the side of the street, you were so small, so small -

KID

Tio

TIO

- we all loved you so much, so fast -

KID Pi-ano

TIO

You children, my god, I’m so sorry we should be so sorry -

KID

Tell about piano

TIO

All of us should say we’re sorry -

KID

What it sound like

TIO

- humans wouldn’t do this -

KID

Piano TELL

TIO

- We’re not human.

KID

Tio

TIO

Yes?

KID

What it sound

TIO

It sounds soft but it’s big and it has many small white and black things, they’re called keys. Haven’t seen one since they took ours away when I was a boy.

KID

I never see one

TIO

No one has, not anymore at least.

KID It cost much gallons

TIO

This was before gallons but yes, it was expensive.

KID

Tio idea

TIO

What?

KID

We get piano

TIO

Huh?

KID

We get piano you get better

TIO

Oh no, no, I won’t.

KID

But

TIO

It’s too late now Jim, I’m too old, I’m tired and ready, it’s okay.

KID

We take care you

TIO

We can barely take care of ourselves…

KID No wrong

TIO

You will miss me?

KID

[upset] You want leave then you leave

TIO

Come now, I don’t want to leave, none of us really do but they take us, we must go -

KID

That what all say but how matter

TIO

Enough people are still here to love you.

KID

How matter

TIO

There’s no choice -

KID

What that mean

TIO

This is how it is and you accept it.

KID

How much gallons they gave to say this

TIO

Not a drop.

[Wait.]

KID

No pianos now

TIO

No they were sold off between the rich

KID

Rich people

TIO

Luxuries cost a lot -

KID

Rich people in jeans

TIO

- who can care about a piano now anyway?

KID Keep all things

TIO

- no reason for one -

KID They steal they steal

TIO

- after such a long time -

KID It for you no rich jeans people

TIO

- but I’m sure they have some tucked away, auctioned off.

KID They took

TIO

Yes yes they took some of them.

KID

Where where

TIO

I don’t know, in storage, in some, some facilities…

KID They keep piano

They keep piano

Maybe piano be there somewhere

What piano don’t know

Tio play

Tio leave tomorrow

No Tio leave

Tio tired he play he play please

Where piano

What stor-age don’t know nothing know

Tio gone then we gone also

If Tio play then he stay

Cause music come and we happy and we no forget

Everyone know Tio if Tio play

Remember Tio then no one forget

We remember music we happy

Happy happy Tio what happy

You happy

Don’t know what happy

How much gallons make happy

“Not drop”

All need gallons need water water we thirsty

“Happy free”

Ya why for rich only no

No we happy we be happy

“We no human”

Music make human

No say bye

Tio play music before he go

Music make happy

• “Tio go”

Music make happy

• “Go say Tio bye”

Music make happy

• “Go say Tio bye he die”

Music make happy

Make Tio happy

He no go

No one go never

[Wait]

KID

Come we get piano

TIO

Huh?

KID

So you play we go get piano

TIO

What, why - what you say?

KID Don’t matter we find way

Let go

TIO

I'm going tomorrow…

KID

Before he go he play he play piano

Let go let go now

Come

Tio play again

Before he go

Let get piano

[KID pulls a grunting TIO off-stage so they can go find a piano.]

End.