Although I, naturally, do not consider myself, by any stretch of the imagination, a writer–I do love words. And I love playing with words. To me, using words to create something almost abstract, something that sparks the (often comic) imagination is not very different from writing music. So here, then, are some tidbits of recent writing.
(An unfinished play)
Cast of Characters
Tom, a boy
Tom, a girl
Girl, Tom (the boy’s) brother
Tomboy, Tom (the girl’s )sister
Tommy, Girl’s dog
Thom, an accountant
Boy, Thom’s ex-wife
Jared, a restaurant
Mr. Ralph, the ghost of Tommy’s grandmother
Syracuse, Tom (the boy’s) pre-school janitor
Enid, Tom (the girl’s) pre-school janitor’s common-law wife
21 snowy owls
Elena, Sacha’s hairdresser
Scene 1, Act III
The stage is set. There are knick-knacks strewn everywhere. 12 Snowy owls fly silently from stage right to stage left (as seen from above). At far right and a bit to the left is a 40-metre high industrial chimney stack made of 19th century English red brick. It is, for the time being, smoking. The audience members sit in uncomfortable wooden chairs, 19 to a row, 18 rows making a total of 217 audience members, in not-quite semi-circular fashion facing the stage. They are dressed in black and will be invisible for the duration of the performance.
When the curtain rises, we see Tom skipping rope and Tom silently sitting and watching. Tommy runs from left to right (as seen from above) chasing the snowy owls.
Through loudspeakers (placed in front of the audience) we hear a distant and heated phone conversation between Boy and Jared.
Jared Seven-thirty?
Boy That’s right.
Jared And that was for how many people?
Boy (even angrier now) 4 people.
Jared Romantic dinner for two?
Boy (fuming) Something like that.
Jared Any birthdays?
Boy (beside herself with rage) Just the one.
Jared Next time then.
Boy Thank you.
Jared We hope to see you again soon.
Boy (slamming the phone down) Take care.
Scene 4, Act I
Tom is still skipping rope and Tom is still silently watching. Tom is approximately 7 years, 9 months old. Tom is 2 years his senior, minus 3 years, 5 months. Tom is fairly plain-looking, tight-lipped, reddish hair, dark beard. He has a light-brown mole on his left forearm of which he is not embarrassed. He is sipping a cherry coke Slurpee. He resembles Sandra Bullock.
Tom, on the other hand, is more street-wise, likes crossword puzzles and from the audience’s left, resembles Karl Malden. She is constantly brushing back her long blond hair and chewing on a 6HB pencil that she stole from Syracuse…New York.
Scene 1, Act VII
(mood lighting)
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof!
Mr. Ralph Woof!
Tommy Woof
Mr. Ralph Woof!!
Tommy Woof…
Mr. Ralph …woof…
Tommy wo-
Mr. Ralph (interrupting) Woof!
Scene VII, Act 2
Girl (caught in mid-sentence)…an….accountant…at the American National Bank of Fort Lauderdale.
Thom (caught in mid-sentence) …at….the Farmers State Bank of Dorset Minnesota?
Girl (caught in mid-sentence) …in the new Greyhound bus depot in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Thom (caught in mid-to-quarter-sentence) …at…the Cherry Hill Shopping Center, Cherry Hill, New Jersey?
Girl (caught in his previous mid-sentence) …between… Roanoke and Lynchburg on route 460 west, Bedford, Virginia.
Thom (caught at the beginning of her sentence) ….And the space bubble dividers?
(Elena weeps)
(blackout)(and almost immediately harsh lighting!)
Ten snowy owls dressed as dromedaries recede into the distance.
Act IV, Scene 9
Syracuse I’ve never been married.
Enid Who told you?
Syracuse You know you can’t deny not knowing.
Enid Does Tom know?
Syracuse I’ve never been engaged either and besides, that was years ago!
Enid What about Tom?
Syracuse And don’t pretend I never knew you made it all up!
Enid What? Looking like that?
Syracuse Not knowing was the hardest part.
Enid You knew that Thom was responsible for the cake debacle?
Syracuse Girl knew Tom for a lot longer than both had ever heard of either of them.
Enid But that ride home from the restaurant, you’re telling me that
wasn’t you?
Syracuse Knowing something doesn’t make it worth remembering.
Enid So who spilled the beans?
Syracuse Never wanted to either, not without being in on it.
Enid Was it Tomboy?
Syracuse Girl was always one step too many from being who she never really pretended to be.
Enid That’s her mother, if you don’t mind!
Syracuse Then why not?
Enid
Scene 9, Act IV
Heretofore unseen stage hands who will earlier have been recognized as ushers roll a gigantic rotary-dial telephone on stage. They carefully make sure that its wheels are secure and give the lighting technician a thumbs-up. They leave the stage as they came, walking backwards as if pulling a gigantic rotary-dial telephone.
It is silent for too long. Suddenly, a phone is heard very quietly.
Jared Hello, yes I’d like to lodge a complaint please.
Syracuse Just the two of you?
Jared That’s right, last thursday.
Syracuse Whom may I say is calling?
Jared Around 2 o’clock, yes.
(to be continued.…)
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
2 poems
.
at all.
without the tomatoes.
in the first place.
the pain.
300 metres.
they say, while it lasts.
will, before him.
to and fro.
the pharmacist goes.
of many white children.
thing coming.
side by side.
penguins at all.
the tomatoes later.
when I told you to.
grey at most.
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……..
…( )…
..(!)….( ? )…
…….(…)…oh yeah how are your feet?
oh yeah they’re better
well it’s not the muscles it’s the tendons
that’s what he said so it’s gonna take a while
uh-huh ( )…
but it’s okay, they still hurt
( )…
///////////////////////
gábor tarján 