Whats in a Dream?

What’s in a Dream?

Characters:

Male-
J-Jim,
P-Doctor,
Knight 1(White),
B-Bartender &
R-Romeo

Female-
K-Kelly,
W-Woman &
G-God

Optional-
BK-Knight 2(black) &
Two Sheeted Characters

Scene 1

(Lights)

(A very plain office with two chairs facing each other on a platform in a corner. The platform moves around the stage in a circle during scene one and is in the center of the stage during scene three.)

(Enters Jim. He has a checkered collared short sleeve shirt with a pair of slacks and is in his early 20’s. The Doctor has a Doctors coat and glasses, short hair and is in his mid-40’s He is a Freudian Kind of doctor. There is a manila portfolio in front of him and he seems to be reviewing it. Through the scene he writes in the portfolio on paper inside of it.)

P- (looks up) Good evening Jim.

J- Hello Doctor.

P- Please take a seat so we can begin.

J- Alright. (sits on couch)

P- Lets begin from last session. Did you follow my suggestions?

J- Well I read myself to sleep a few nights and my dreams just stopped. But last night, they came back.

P- Did they trouble you this time?

J- Not at first, but things got crazy and I woke up. I couldn’t go back to sleep after that.

P- Why not?

J- I don’t know, just a bad dream I guess.

P- (writing things on portfolio) Interesting.. How about you go from the start of this dream?

J- Fine,(calmly) from the start.

(lights out, Knight1 and Knight2 go to center of stage, knight1 is wearing all black while knight 2 is wearing all white and both have swords)

J- First there's black. Out of nowhere a spotlight comes on.

(spotlight comes on showing the knights, they always do what he says they are doing when he says they do it.)

J- And Two knights are sword fighting, one in white and one in black. The one in white says “I WILL SMITE THEE SCOUNDRAL!” The one in black says “ BY MY CHINIE-CHIN-CHIN I WILL WIN!” and he swings full force on the white one and knocks him to the ground. But..

(Jim stands up, moves toward knight2 and takes his place on the ground, knight2 walks off) Suddenly I am the white knight and the other one says:

BK- Avast ye Valiant knight errant! Ye Hath been Defeated by the steel of my sword and (pulling out a pack of lucky strikes w/ an announcer voice) with this pack of lucky strikes! The luckiest cigs in the world.

J- Then he drops his sword (knight1 drops sword. Bartender appears wearing apron and any sort of clothing showing he is a bartender.) I look around and there is a bartender next to us.

BK- let me buy you a drink. (pulls Jim up) Double Scotch for my friend here (Bartender runs quickly off stage and back on with the drink.)

J- he orders me a double Scotch.

P- Do you get it?

J- Yeah, except that the Glass is empty.

B-Finished already? (Bartender takes glass)

P- Empty?

J- The Bartender says:

B- There is a woman to see you Mr. Noir.

J- Then they both just leave (Bartender and Knight leave) I have no clue what is happening until a book comes down and falls in my hands.

P- What’s the book?

J- “The life of Jim” and I open it near the end. In big bold print it says “Jim, this is your dream.”

P- What color ink?

J- Black.

P- Does it say anything else?

J- It says “look to your left”.

P- And? (Kelly appears to Jim’s left)

J- I look to my left to see this beautiful woman standing there in a nurse's uniform.

K- Jim Noir is that you?

J- She says. I reply “Yes, can I help you?” not knowing what to do.

K- I need your help Mr. Noir, it's my husband, he’s missing!

J- What’s your name Miss?

K- Kelly, Kelly Mittler. Can you help me? (She pulls out big poster board with a really ugly drawing of a man obviously made by a 2 year old) This is what he looks like.

J- I look back down at the book and-

P- and?

J- It has all of these events occurring as they happen. I tell her “Of course I’ll find him”.(Kelly moves behind Jim) I’m looking back up and she's behind me now.

K- Good Bye Jim.

J- She takes aim (She raises gun when he says.) and the lights go out!(lights out) Then I hear a loud bang!(gun fires) (pause w/ lights still out) The spotlight comes back on.

(spotlight goes on with Jim and Kelly hugging)

K- (slowly falling) All I wanted was for you to love me Jim.

J- She dies right there.

(Kelly is now flat on ground with a red bloodstain on back)

P- Dies?

J- Then she just stands right up (Kelly stands up) and another woman appears (enters Woman. She has on pajamas) and the two begin to play patty cake.

(Kelly and Woman begin to play patty cake)

P- Do they sing?

J- No, they whistle the Andy Griffith Theme song.

(Women begin to whistle)

W- Don’t you want to play Jim?

J- “Play what?” I say.

K- Lets Pillow Fight!!

J- Three pillows appear (3 pillows appear) so we pillow fight.


(The three of them begin to pillow fight)

P- An erotic pillow fight?

J- (All three pause) Well no.(They resume) But then they just stop. (Kelly and Woman stop) and they just take off their clothes to reveal Black Suits with name tags that say “Corporate scumbag” and they start to beat me up (Kelly and Woman get Jim on ground and begin to kick him) I’m yelling “STOP! STOP!” but its like they are machines. I feel like passing out but right before I would have, if it is even possible to do so in a dream-

P- It is.

J- Oh. Anyway, right before I pass out, Romeo appears.

(Enter Romeo as in Shakespeare’s Romeo)

P- No Juliet?

J-No, but he Yells:

R- STOP YOU FOUL BLOKES!!

J- They just stop (women stop) Romeo picks me up

(Romeo picks Jim up like a Groom would, they share a passionate look, and Romeo sets Jim down. Then Romeo gives him a dark colored blanket apparently from under his shirt.)

J- And he hands me a blanket.

R- Get under that if you want to live!

J- I get under it (gets under blanket) and I hear lots of foot steps.. They are doing something but what?(meanwhile, K,W,&R act as stage hands and pull out a table with a scrabble board on it) I pull the blanket off and see a scrabble board. I see 2 words spelled out.

P- What are they?

J- I can hardly make them out.

R- Up.

J- And.

K- Down.

P- Up and down?

J- As they say it my head starts to go up and down (his head does so)

P- Does it bob or bounce?

J- Bob. Next they all start to talk.

P- About?

J- Me.

K,W,R- (out of order and repeated until end of dream. While Jim talks, they gradually get louder until the end of dream also.) Jim is so cool, Jim is great, Isn’t Jim so cool? I love Jim. I want to be like Jim-

J- I run away from them (runs away) but they just chase after me (they enclose him from different directions so he is continually forced to run) (raises voice) and it is getting so loud! (pauses, louder) That I can’t! (pauses, louder) Hear! (pauses, Screams) ANYTHING!! (lights out, silence)
(normal lights signifying office room come back on, Jim is sitting back down, K,W,&R are gone. Dream is over) Then it’s over.

P- Over?

J- Done.

P- How do you feel about this dream?

J- It feels like I had a Dream. How should I Feel?

P- Interesting.. ( writes in portfolio , lights slowly dimming) It seems to me that you detach your emotions when you speak about dreaming.

J- I don’t feel I should dwell on those things is all.

P- Maybe you should pay more attention?

J-(shrugs) You’re the Doc, Doc.

P-Hmm..(looks at watch) Our session is over Jim. Continue to follow my suggestions & report back next week. Goodbye Jim.

J- (with lights fading, stands up, walking away) Goodbye Doctor.

(lights)

Scene 2

(lights)

(lighting is dark bluish and mellow, Jim is asleep on the ground with a pillow no other setting.)

J- (eyes open, quickly stands up) Hello?(pause) Hello? Where am I? (yells) HELLO!? (two people covered by sheets appear, Jim sees them) Who are you people!! (they surround Jim) GET AWAY (they start to spin in a circle around him) WHAT ARE YOU DOING (they all laugh and grab at Jim over and over) SOMEONE HELP ME!!(they stop in unison, foot steps are heard, and they run) Hello?

(lights get very bright, Enters God. God is dressed in all white with white shiny shoes. God is a female, is continually doing diva poses, and doesn’t really visually notice Jim as she speaks.)

G- Hello Jim.

J- (obviously Frightened) Who.. Who are you?

G-(with force) God.

J- God?

G- Yes, (again, with force) God.

J- Oh, why are you here?

G- To help you Jim.

J- Why me? I don’t even believe in God.

G- Never question Authority Jim.

J- Alright.

G- So you are having bad dreams eh?

J- Yeah.. Until now that is.

G- Didn’t you ever think that they mean something?

J- I guess..

G- Like Maybe, it is a way of being told things.

J- If you say so..

G- I do.

J- So, should I analyze my dreams?

G- No,(smacks Jim) don’t analyze them. You see Jim, Dreams are your way of being told things.

J- But I don’t understand them.

G- Lets take the people that surrounded you for example. It means that you let everyone push you around and toy with your emotions. Or say you have a dream where you’re falling, that just means that you are letting something big pass you by.

J- Huh, I guess your right.

G- I am, but you must also realize something Jim.

J- and th-(cut off by god)

G- -(Commanding presence and loud godly voice, lights may get crazy if Tech Director feels the need to get the point across) Do not interrupt me!(pauses, lights back to normal and God is totally calm.) You must understand that some things are just the randomness of our dreams. Do you understand?

J- Do I look like I-(cut off)

G- -Jim, do you really want to say that to (with force) God?

J- I guess I don’t need to answer that.

G- Now you’re Catching on. (short pause)

J- (smiles) So uh… What’s it like being God?

G- I thought you didn’t believe in God Jim.
(lights)

Scene 3

(Lights)

(Doctors office)

(Jim enters)

P- Hello there Jim.

J- Hello Doctor.

P- Take a seat (Jim doesn’t sit) How are you feeling?

J- I had a revelation last night.

P- Oh?

J- It was During a dream. I was having a nightmare and God came and stopped it.

P- (With a slight bit of humor) God?

J- She told me that my dreams tell me things.

P- She?

J- So Doc, I’m here to say good bye.

P- Are you leaving?

J- Yes.. Good (looking disoriented) -Good-(grabs chest, saying softly) Goodbye-(falls)

P- JIM! Nurse! Nurse! Get in here! (Kelly appears, Jim Dies)

(God appears)

G- (Happily) Hello Jim.

K- What is it doctor?

P- Call 911! (They leave)

J- (Opens eyes) God? Am I Dead?

G- (hearty Chuckle)Jim, Jim, Jim.. The dreams told you but you didn’t listen, (grabbing Jim’s arm and pulling him up) It’s alright though, I like you. Let’s go Jim (lights dim slowly.)

J- Go where?

G- Don’t question authority.

(There should be some final pose right before the lights.)

(lights)