'Loplop and the Queen'

an excerpt from the play

I have not had time to write new material (up to my ears in grant writing) and am preparing for a reading of this play I wrote that was produced in 2015. It seems a play about Surrealists is ‘of the times’ again. (For more about the reading visit www.redearththeatreorg.)

I am also curious to find out how sharing plays ( as well as prose and poetry) works here. It’s about 10 pages in the midst of the entire play. When they came to Sedona, where I live now.

The photo is of the two of them playing chess outside their home/studio here in Sedona. It has been preserved and is open for tours! And the core of ‘Capricorn Hill Center for Surrealism’ (one of the groups for whom I am writing a grant.) There are two more photos of their art at the end pf the excerpt.

I hope you enjoy these two and the ‘actors’ who move it along - and do let me know what you think.

a collage play about Surrealist artists Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning

CHARACTERS

Dorothea Tanning An artist
Max Ernst An artist
Actor Man And multiple roles.
Actor Woman           And multiple roles. 

SETTING 

- An open stage, with a floor painted like a chessboard
- Lush velvet curtain along the back, with a large (8’x4’) piece of muslin hanging UC – for projections of the art.
- Heavily used painting drop-cloths for side walls - like a box.
- One of the sides is preset with Moment of Calm canvas attached to it blending into it.
- 2 larger cubes UL and UR (that don’t move) and behind which costumes pieces, props can be stashed
- A large (8’x4’) piece of muslin hanging UC – for projections of the art
- 2 small (18”) cubes/blocks - on the CL and CR sides
- 2 chairs and a table - on the L side
- A pedestal with a magnetic chess set on it – moveable - Far L
- One easel (another comes on later. Note: no canvasses ever on the easels – imagine them)
- 8 Large (almost adult sized) chess pieces, 4 either side of the US area that are gradually moved DS and along the edges (B&W Queen and King/B&W Horse/W Castle/B Bishop)

NOTE: The ACTORS live up in each corner with all their props and small costume pieces etc with them. They never leave the set. They enter from there with whatever few costume pieces/props as the characters in the play. 

Throughout the play the ACTORS and sometimes MAX and DOROTHEA create the set as needed with the cubes, furniture and move the Large Chess pieces and other pieces.

This is very much the style of the play and should not be replaced with real pieces and stagehands. There is no one else in this world except the audience.  

TIME: Anytime – now, then.

(excerpt begins at p.21)

MAX
You’re the woman who painted Birthday. Remember that.

Max watches. Lights brighten fully. She sits up again  and stays up. Max smiles and leaves the room. Dorothea sits on edge of the ‘bed’. Max comes back with 2 champagne glasses.

MAX
Time to go, leave New York. For good. Take everything – canvas, paints, totem   pole, Kachina dolls, masks.

DOROTHEA
Where do we go?

MAX
The most stunning place in the world. Far away from everyone.

DOROTHEA
The cabins on the creek in the canyon!

MAX
We’ll build a little house. Of our own. On a hill.

DOROTHEA
Leave the gallery owners, the collectors, the would-be collectors, the name-droppers and the artists – oh the artists! Those endless openings and everyone wondering if their painting is better and hoping that it is!

MAX
We can do it all without them – make art and live and discover ourselves.

DOROTHEA
Max and Dorothea.

They gather up chess pieces – he the Large Black King and her the large White Queen, and move them into place on the sides.       
MUSIC (Stravinsky) starts playing loudly.

Everything stops momentarily, Max in mid-step. Lights shift. She looks up, puts her hands over her ears and calls ‘Max’. We hear the echo, maybe 2x or a little louder. Lights shift again and MUSIC out – scene continues.

 Cowboy and Post Office Mistress Enter