Cutting Loose

By Jessie Mader, CSB '08

(Actors are attached to strings like puppets. String go up to BWP balcony where someone is moving them like a puppeteer.)

1

Life is a joke.

2

Why do you say that?

1

It just is. We pretend that we have control over it, but we don’t. Take your life into your own hands they say! Ha! What a joke!

2

What you are saying doesn’t make any sense. We do decide what we do with out lives. We’re in control, but there is only so much we can do ourselves, we need help. Look at Tim there. Sleeping. He’s doing that on his own.

1

Only because he’s not able to do anything else. Soon he’ll be awake, because he has no choice.

2

He can wake up on his own if—

1

and do what? Here I’ll show you.

(Tugs on strings and with difficulty, walks over to TIM who is curled over in sleep. With foot, again, difficult, tips TIM over. TIM flops over, awake but unable to get up, since his strings are slack.)

TIM

Why’d you do that?

1

To prove a point. Get up.

TIM

No.

1

Why not?

TIM

I can’t. I have no motivation.

2

Tim get up.

TIM

I can’t.

1

He’s relied too long on help and motivation. He can’t do anything on his own.

2

I still don’t see the big deal. So what if we aren’t in control? Don’t you think it’s better this way? It’s safer. Things can’t go wrong. We can’t don anything stupid. Thing will turn out a certain way, guaranteed.

1

Don’t you want to do something yourself? Make a decision. Sit or stand. Love or hate. Die or live.

(TIM, now forced to stand by tautness of strings, kind of just hanging around.)

TIM

Guys, I’m tired. I just want to sit.

1 & 2

Then Sit!

TIM

But I can’t!

2

Then get used to it.

1

No don’t. I have an idea, Tim. Here, hold on.

(Stretches strings and with difficulty, walks over to TIM, pulls out a scissors and cut TIM’S strings, one by one. Each appendage goes slack as each string is cut.)

2

Wait! What are you doing?

1

Cutting Tim free! Giving him control.

(TIM’S last strings are now cut and he collapses to the floor)

2

Tim! Tim! Look what you did! Now he has no connection! No chance for motivation.

1

He’s better off. (Begins to cut his own strings, each goes slack as string is cut, legs first.)

See? I’m cutting myself loose! I’ll have the power, no one else is in charge of me! (Cuts last string and collapses.)

(After an awkwardly long pause, starts to move, slowly, shakily stands. Very unsteadily walks off stage, strings trailing.)

(Tim sits up, holding his strings tenderly, looks lost.)

(Blackout.)

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