| PROLOGUE | |
| Israfel: | OFFSTAGE |
| Take thou this Rose, O Rose | |
| Since Love’s own flower it is. | |
| And by that Rose, O Rose | |
| Thy lover captive is. | |
| StoryTeller:: | Once upon a time in the very distant future, or perhaps the past, there was a giraffe named Garrett. He was quite sad and blue, even though it was a sunny afternoon in late November. |
| Israfel: | Smell thou this Rose, O Rose |
| And know thyself as sweet. | |
| As dawn is sweet. | |
| StoryTeller:: | Our story should take place on a ordinary purple park bench amid mounds of coloured leaves near a playground at the zoo, but that could be left up to the imagination. A peculiar, crystal sculpture stands in the corner up-stage right. It looks to be some sort of creature emerging from a large flower trying to reach its partner who sites high a-top the vertical golden beam in its core. Just in front of the sculpture is a baby-carriage, and from that an extremely faint cry is heard throughout the entire play. But again all this could be left up to the imagination. |
| Israfel: | Look on this Rose, O rose. And looking laugh on me. And in they laughter’s ring, The nightingale shall sing. |
| StoryTeller:: | Sounds of the nearby traffic remind us of the rhythms of the material jungle. Yet they fad as the lights come up on Israfel, heavenly messenger, dressed in a flowing white robe. |
| ISRAFEL ENTERS | |
| StoryTeller:: | Israfel sits placidly, waiting on the bench, strumming his grand, silver lute. His golden locks sway in gentle rhythm with his body as he plays this enchanting tune. Israfel greets the audience with a smile, then softly begins to sing a medieval love-song. |
| Israfel: | O Rose, a painted Rose Is not the whole, the whole Who paints, who paints the Flower Paints not its fragrant soul |
| StoryTeller: | Garrett, a very tall yet meek human figure emerges and approaches with caution. His hair hangs over his eye on one-side of his face, emphasising his despondency and shyness. Israfel’s whole body opens as he welcomes his approaching guest with a receptive dazzling white smile. |
| ISRAFEL STOPS SHORT. THERE IS A MOMENT OF COMPLETE SILENCE. | |
| SCENE 1 | |
| Israfel: | Well, hello friend. |
| Garrett: | Oh, uh, hello. |
| Israfel: | Welcome, welcome! |
| Garrett: | Are you .. My, uh, my, uh, my heavenly counsellor? |
| Israfel: | I am. |
| Any you must be Garrett, the blue and sad giraffe. | |
| I am Israfel, Angel of Resurrection, Angel of Song | |
| I am known as the "Burning One". Usually, my purpose is simply to fetch the souls that are ready for the Divine Kingdom. But in your case, we, perhaps I was called in for my expertise in the field of dialectics and oral discourse; my depth of compassion, my province of speciality in the arena of earthly endeavours has always been, well | |
| Let’s just say, my heart strings can create the music of this lute. | |
| Now shall we being your divine appointment? OK, OK, Your name is Garrett, and you are temporarily in human form for the meeting today, otherwise, species giraffe, gender male, no female, no male, and your age | |
| Garrett: | Uh, dunno |
| Israfel: | Well, I’d say your approximately, well, I guess the statistics can wait. |
| My young friend, I just want you to know, Garrett, that I am very, very please to meet with you. | |
| Garrett: | Thank you, I, uh, well |
| Israfel: | You are quite lovely. |
| Garrett: | I’m sorry to bother you with this, I mean It’s very charitable of you to speak with me, I imagine, I mean, well, it’s I mean, I am grateful, thankful for you to take the time I mean, what I am feeling my merely be the results of an over-stimulated imagination and I dare not, well, I mean, I feel as though I have not right to discuss the possibility of change, I mean |
| I should just be happy to have my health. | |
| Israfel: | Why to you think I chose to give you temporary human form. Humans feel as if they have a right to speak about anything and everything. The power of speech is more of a curse than a blessing to most of them. |
| Garrett: | Thank you, yes. I see that. I’m not comfortable in human form Takes some getting used to. Yet, I am not happy as a giraffe either, so maybe, it’s just me. |
| I should not have called you. I’m sorry. | |
| Israfel: | Look friend. I said this is a divine appointment. It was forever meant to be. |
| Garrett: | Oh God. You must be thinking, I’m ungrateful. I should just be happy. But this, this, feeling |
| THE SOUND OF A RHINOCEROS ROARING IS HEARD OFF-STAGE | |
| Garrett: | Oh, God. |
| In the pit of my stomach. | |
| I can’t.. | |
| I’m sorry, I | |
| Israfel: | Be gentle on yourself, Garrett. Why do you judge yourself so harshly. |
| Garrett: | Gentle? |
| I’ve not heard that word in such a long time. | |
| Israfel: | I do not judge you. I judge no-one. I know that you are sincere. You want nothing. You speak purely form the heart! |
| Garrett: | My heart. I can feel it |
| Beating, Beating. | |
| Reminding me, always, always. | |
| Israfel: | There is but one true heart of the universe. Know that I can understand, I can feel your pain, share your joys. There is but one body of life, with only one heart.. |
| Garrett: | I was afraid to call you.. Yet, there is no-one else here with your depth of understanding. Thank you for listening to me. |
| Israfel: | I was getting into my daily routine and suddenly the song of your heart broke the silence of my servitude. A song of sudden compassion |
| Then, my life was with passion again. I wanted to sing The heart-strings of my lute begged to be played, tunes came out of the blue, danced in the golden sunlight. | |
| Ah, I savour this feeling; it is good to share in the sheer rapture of veritable pathos. | |
| Garrett: | Know I am thankful, I feel this whole experience was all in my mind Yet, I know it is in my heart. |
| Israfel: | Ah yes! There is quite a difference! You really are a bright young fellow. |
| Garrett: | Oh, why can’t I just simmer this desire. |
| Israfel: | Well, many try to hide it. But the smoke only clouds their minds. We think these deep-rooted desires will go away But after they are planted, well, they are planted, they have no choice but to grow. |
| Perhaps, Garrett, my fair friend, this is what really brings us together in the garden of life.. The affairs of the heart so simple, yet so complex. | |
| Garrett: | I’m just an emotional mess. |
| Israfel: | Worry not, my friend. We will get your wondrous little heart back on track, everything straightened out in no time. |
| You’re just a fraction off the path. I am to help light your way back. | |
| Fear is just a four-letter word. | |
| Garrett: | Yes |
| THE STAGE GOES COMPLETELY DARK | |
| GARRETT’S NARRATION - 1 | |
| A SPOT APPEARS ON GARRET, STOOD AT THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. ONLY GARRET IS VISIBLE. | |
| Garrett: | The Jungle Plains, |
| Open and Airy, | |
| Earth baking under the glistening sun, | |
| Bright light streams through the bush. | |
| A young giraffe named Garrett, | |
| A gentle giant. | |
| Sad and blue, | |
| Though he was glorious. | |
| A gentle giant, | |
| Sad and blue. | |
| He felt different, | |
| Not pretty inside. | |
| Searched endlessly for something. | |
| Something that could satisfy his soul. | |
| Questioned everything, | |
| Questioned everyone that taught him | |
| His mother prayed | |
| Prayed for a guardian angel | |
| To look after her troublesome off-spring. | |
| Garrett, | |
| Sad and Blue. | |
| Teased by everyone, | |
| For being different. | |
| But he searched, | |
| Searched endlessly. | |
| There was something out there, | |
| Something for him. | |
| Somewhere for him. | |
| Somewhere where he fitted in. | |
| THE STAGE GOES COMPLETELY DARK | |
| SCENE 2 | |
| THE SCENE IS THAT OF THE OPENING. THE ACTION CONTINUES. | |
| Israfel: | Let’s get started shall we? It says here in my notes that you are considering an appeal for an audience with the Creator? |
| Garrett: | Yes |
| Israfel: | Your request would be for molecular rearrangement? |
| Garrett: | Yes |
| Israfel: | Do you understand all that it entails? |
| Garrett: | Yes, well, not really. |
| Israfel: | Let’s see. Molecular rearrangement is a process by which Oh, I know Let’s see. If the unified theory of quantum physics is able to predict all the values of quantities, like the electric charge on a particle, one would expect that molecular rearrangement will be one hundred percent effective. Part of the problem is that particles can not classify themselves. They don’t carry any form of identification. So if something is lost, it may reattach in an undefined arrangement of unpredictable sequence |
| Still, anything is possible, it would ultimately be up to the Creator | |
| Garrett: | Do you think it would be worth a chance. |
| Israfel: | I’m not an oracle. But I have a friend who is. Abrigrael. Maybe we should call him in. |
| Garrett: | Oh. But I just got comfortable with you. |
| Israfel: | Hmmm Maybe what you need is an Angel of Virtue. Someone who can beam divine energy to earth. If your being is in perfect harmonisation then It would be natural for you to keep your divine appointment with The Creator. Any vibration discordant to the major triad of harmony would not be able to be in tune with the music of you soul and thus the aberration would be apparent. |
| Garrett: | Maybe this is just a waste of time. |
| Israfel: | No. No one can waste time. Time doesn’t really exist, so it can’t be wasted. But desire exists. You desire to become a rhinoceros. Is that still so? |
| Garrett: | Yes. Yes. A male rhinocer.. |
| Israfel: | Yes, Yes. A male rhinoceros |
| Garrett: | I don’t mean to be specific but I have this friend, well he barely knows I exist. It’s just more like a crush. |
| Israfel: | No need to explain. That’s quite OK. |
| But enough, we need to focus on the emotional and spiritual ramifications of your condition. Can you tell me what kinds of feelings have prompted this desire, this sudden "change of heart"? | |
| Garrett: | It was not at all sudden. What I’ve been feeling for so many, many yearsMy heart cries out like a motherless child in the night! Longing to be next to, to touch, to feel Oh, it seems It seems.. My fears outweigh my desperation. |
| This gift of speech, is so hard for me to master. | |
| Israfel: | You made the call for reconstruction. Now you must simply harmonise yourself before you put any such dramatic thought into action. Get in touch with your feelings. Make the call, then tune in to your own particular frequency. |
| Garrett: | I didn’t even know that I was making a call. |
| Israfel: | Well, I heard your call, loud and clear, earnest and sincere. You see, since you are on the path of truth you are tuned in to your proper frequency. When you cry out from the depths of your being, I can hear it in my back-yard.. You have been true to your path since its inception, but now you are vacillating. |
| Garrett: | I can hardly think any more. |
| Israfel: | Remember what I said. Feel first, then think. There is a natural order of the universe, you know. Have you heard the music of the spheres. |
| Garrett: | No |
| Israfel: | Not many creatures can hear it. Such a pity. |
| Yes, that’s it! | |
| That would certainly harmonise your feeling world, will practically guarantee radiance and perfection. | |
| Garrett, my young friend, its up to you to restore the balance and realign your energy in its due couirse. | |
| Garrett: | But how? |
| THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES GRADUALLY FADES IN | |
| Garrett: | What is it? |
| Israfel: | Oh my! The music is in me! |
| Oh, it feels! | |
| Garrett: | How does it affect me? |
| Israfel: | Would you like to dance? |
| Garrett: | Excuse me? |
| Israfel: | The music of the spheres is playing within me. I can feel it. It’s so lovely. |
| Garrett: | How can I hear it? |
| Israfel: | If we can share the passion of this silent dance, |
| Garrett: | You want me to get up and dance with you right here and right now? |
| Israfel: | Yes, I do! Right here and right now! Perhaps we can achieve orgasmic harmonisation for you. |
| Then we can talk. | |
| Garrett: | But, I, I I,I I am afr |
| Israfel: | You are so bright, Garrett, so tender-hearted I know that you are a fast learner. We don’t need to go back on things do we? |
| Now, shall we dance? | |
| TAKES GARRETT BY THE HANDS | |
| May I present to you my dear Garrett The music of the spheres. | |
| Garrett: | I, I, I, I, I am, I am |
| Israfel: | Dancing. |
| Garrett: | I am dancing. |
| ISRAFEL LEADS GARRETT IN A MOST PASSIONATE, ARDENT, EMOTIONALLY HOW AND FIERY DANCE. | |
| Garrett: | Oh my! I can hear it now! Oh my! |
| Israfel: | I can feel it in you now. Its coming through loud and clear Perfectly pitched! Ultimate Harmony! Tonal Brilliance! |
| Garrett: | I can feel it too. |
| MUSIC FADES INTO A SLOW WALTZ AS DANCING STOPS | |
| THE STAGE GOES COMPLETELY DARK | |
| GARRETT’S NARRATION - 2 | |
| A SPOT APPEARS ON GARRET, STOOD AT THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. ONLY GARRET IS VISIBLE. | |
| Garrett: | The Jungle Plains, |
| Open and Airy, | |
| A sudden load sound, | |
| Thunderous Vibrations, | |
| The whole world crumbling. | |
| A stampede. | |
| But Garrett was young, | |
| Did not remember very much, | |
| Feelings of rage, | |
| Fear making its way furiously, | |
| Spreading like wild-fire. | |
| Spreading throughout the land. | |
| Garrett lay motionless, | |
| Bloody and beaten. | |
| Time passed. | |
| A different species passed, | |
| Thunderous vibration, | |
| Great calm | |
| Something intriguing. | |
| Passion stirred within Garret. | |
| He followed, | |
| Till hunters came, | |
| Brought the herd into captivity. | |
| Garrett too. | |
| THE STAGE GOES COMPLETELY DARK | |
| SCENE 3 | |
| THE SCENE IS THAT OF THE OPENING. THE ACTION CONTINUES. THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES PLAYS GENTLY IN THE BACKGROUND. | |
| Israfel: | The music of the spheres. It sings of the strange and wonderful affair of science and art. |
| Our story begins thus.. We are in the Temple of Music seeking The Divine Monochord. Somewhere beyond these temple walls, there exists The Great Musarithmetic Art, a composing machine which beholds the ultimate destiny. Inside this Ark is the Lost Enneachord of Nature, the secret of all life. We search in darkness and in light, by the music of the day and the silence of the night. Then all at once, we see it. The lost Enneachord of Nature. I begin to pluck its strings, in its mysterium, it becomes alive, to play itself. The most beautiful music every sounded.. The veritable breath of creation itself. | |
| Listen. Feel. | |
| THE MUSIC GROWS INTO A GRAND WALTZ, ISRAFEL GRAGS GARRET TWIRLING HIM INTO A PASSIONATE DANCE ONCE AGAIN. | |
| Israfel: | Alas, we may not soar the heavens. We are aligned with the planets and the starts. The cosmic paths are fixed, we shall not folly Yes, Yes. Now we can dance, Now we must dance. Dance, dance, dance. |
| AT THE MUSIC’S CLIMAX THE DANCERS SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND COLLAPSE TOGETHER ON THE BENCH. AFTER A MOMENT OF SILENCE, ISRAFEL SIGHS HEAVILY AND KISSES GARRETT GENTLY ON THE FOREHEAD BETWEEN THE EYES. | |
| Israfel: | Bless you Garrett. And thank you. That was a wonderful dance. |
| Garrett: | Like we were lost somewhere in eternity., I could hear the music yet time was standing still. |
| I’m quite invigorated still. | |
| Israfel: | So am I! Perfect harmonisation has been achieved/ Now we can explore your sensations before you any major decision. |
| You want to talk to me. I can feel it. | |
| THE STAGE GOES COMPLETELY DARK | |
| GARRETT’S NARRATION - 3 | |
| A SPOT APPEARS ON GARRET, STOOD AT THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. ONLY GARRET IS VISIBLE. | |
| Garrett: | One day , hunters came, |
| The herd were brought into captivity. | |
| The rhinos are still here with us. | |
| I attracted the attention of the hunters, | |
| they took me along too. | |
| Best thing that ever happened to me, | |
| such good fortune. | |
| This has kept me happy, until, the other day, I saw, I felt | |
| I saw these two | |
| I’m not even sure it was real. | |
| Perhaps it was all in my mind. | |
| A fantasy. | |
| I felt motionless, | |
| Cut off from everything | |
| A wave of solace warmed me. | |
| I shivered from the depths of my soul. | |
| This scene touched the core of my being.. | |
| My cold heart of stone was opened, | |
| Time stood still. | |
| GRADUALLY DURING GARRET’S SPEECH THE LIGHTS COME UP, TILL THE SCENE IS THAT OF THE OPENING. | |
| Just like when we were dancing. | |
| As the icicles began to melt, | |
| I felt pain and emotion inside. | |
| I was no longer empty. | |
| I was becoming filled | |
| Filled with the heat of that highly charged moment of truth. | |
| This indescribable passion. | |
| Feeling beyond all words. | |
| SCENE 4 | |
| THE ACTION CONTINUES. | |
| Garrett: | And now, I can’t stop thinking about that feeling inside me. I want to be with them, share in their beauty, to sing with them, side by side, touching, feeling. |
| That I shall never know. | |
| I stand offstage, like an understudy, desperately waiting to go on. Longing to say how much I love them, to spear, to sing out my love song. | |
| I hear their soulmate aria, it was written truly for the glory of their species. They are so special. The chosen ones. How I long to be one of them. Yet I am locked in this cave of silence. | |
| Why? Why has the Creator put me in such immortal bondage? Why I beg you. | |
| Forgive me. | |
| Sir, I beseech you.. Surely this inescapable prison of inescapable passion has some purpose? | |
| Must I just suffer so in silence? | |
| Israfel: | You are not in silence now. You are speaking and I am listening. |
| Garrett: | Only for the moment, soon I must return to being a giraffe.. Then I can no longer speak of this. The fire in my heart may soon suffocate, I am afraid to simply live on embers. |
| Must I be content with who I am? | |
| Am I not who I think I am? | |
| Perhaps not. I do feel differently. | |
| Israfel: | You are fully harmonised now, Garrett. |
| So be gentle, give it time. Time will tell. | |
| Garrett: | I want to hide. |
| I don’t speak, yet it’s as if I want to share this feeling with the world. | |
| You are an enlightened one, I can speak to you. | |
| You know the beauty that I have seen. Slow, burning desires of earthly desperation, sudden blazing. Then a very small being inside me choking, waiting to be released. | |
| Have I been miscast. | |
| Israfel: | No. The Great Divine Director does not cast in error. |
| Garrett: | Must I continue with this performance of falsehood. |
| Israfel: | A period of adjustment, a time to stop acting. A time to be still |
| Simply let the scene unfold around you. | |
| Garrett: | It is hard to see when the stage is so dark. Yet, if I am still, there is no fear of stumbling. It is not my choice to struggle with this. It is not my choice. I will simply wait and pray for the peace of soul |
| Israfel: | And be gentle, be the gentle giant that you are, walk with your head held high, in stillness and silence. |
| Gentle, gentle Garrett. | |
| Garrett: | Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. |
| Israfel: | It was my pleasure. I truly felt connected to you. There really is a bond between us. |
| Garrett: | You helped me harmonise my feelings. Opened my heart to the music of the spheres. |
| Israfel: | You did that on your own, Garrett. |
| Garrett: | I did? I did. Thank you for guiding me. |
| Israfel: | Garrett, my young friend, your fire will never die, it is the eternal file of truth. The spark in your heart. That unfed flame has been nourished and set afire. Your soul is blazing with the fire of the Creator’s divine love. |
| Garrett: | There is no fear of stumbling. I will not struggle with this, simply wait, pray for the peace of soul |
| Israfel: | Now you are an artist. A true, passionate artist. Believe your possibilities are endless. Your soaring imagination has sprouted wings on your soul. Now, you are ready to fly. |
| Garrett: | I do feel stronger, free from fear. Yes, I am an artist. Thank, you. |
| Israfel: | Oh, Garrett |
| Garrett: | Yes? |
| Israfel: | I seem to have this unfinished melody in my mind; left stranded in my soul long ago. |
| Perhaps you could help me this time. I know someday it will prove to be a truly wondrous symphony | |
| Do you feel like dancing again? | |
| When you ask love to be your dance partner The music never stops! | |
| Garrett: | I will accept, I will not reject. |
| I will go on, I will not go back. | |
| I am myself, I will remain true. | |
| I will accept, will accept with joy. | |
adapted by Robert Hugill
from the play 'Garrett, the Blue Giraffe'
by Coni Ciongoli-Koepfinger