(Sample - The Living Room and Death)
ACT II
Scene 2
SETTING: Surreal. And sometimes real is very surreal.
AT RISE: AZAZEL and Angel of Death are walking together.
Angel of Death
The old man vaguely reminded me of someone.
Azazel
The one who said he will not die?
Angel of Death
Yes.
(Pause. Thinking.)
Ah, that’s it. How could I forget? He looks very much like Rabbi Joshua ben Levi from what they call the third century.
Azazel
Joshua was a fine man.
Angel of Death
Do you know what he did when I was sent to him?
(Laughs)
Azazel
I don’t.
Angel of Death
He said, “I am not going with you.”
(Laughs)
I have never seen such a stubborn man.
Azazel
Well, he was scared! What did you do then?
Angel of Death
He insisted that he wanted to go by himself. I had to give him my sword to assure him that I would not scare him. Then we walked together towards the other side. When we got there, he jumped to the other side. I think he knew the way. He must have been there before. He jumped there with my sword in his hand!
Azazel
Huh!
Angel of Death
He wouldn’t give me my sword back. He wanted to end my business on the earth. The Divine Voice emerged and said, “Give the sword back to my Angel as it is necessary to kill the created beings. Death is the way of the world.”
Azazel
(Nods)
Death is the way of life.
Angel of Death
Joshua ben Levi said he would only give me my sword back if I revealed my name.
(Pause)
I did, and he carved my name on his arm.
Azazel
(Surprised)
Joshua ben Levi knows your name?
Angel of Death
My name disappeared from his arm as soon as he gave me my sword back. It disappeared from his memory, too.
(Pause)
So, still, no one knows my name, Azazel.
(Pause)
You have a big heart to receive all their wrongdoing. I have told you this before and will tell you again and again. You have a big heart.
Azazel
Thank you. Someone has to be the recipient. I am nothing but a messenger, although a fallen one.
(pause)
Where is Joshua buried?
Angle of Death
The site of his grave is not known.
Azazel
Even to you?
Angel of Death
He might not have one.
(Pause)
I have always wanted to be a different sort of angel. The angel of life or the angel of hope. Have you ever thought that you wanted to be a different angel? Not a fallen angel?
Azazel
There is no hope without a touch of death. Stay who you are, angel of death.
(Both angels are silent, thinking.)
Angel of Death
I want men to choose life.
Azazel
It helps to remember that you, too, are but a messenger, my dear.
(They exit.)
(BLACKOUT)
(End of Scene)
Act III
Scene One
SETTING: The same living room.
AT RISE: FIRST CHARACTER, SECOND Character, and UNCLE are on stage.
SECOND CHARACTER
(Holding a pen and paper, and reading from it.)
Maryann, not Mary. We can’t call her by her nickname in the obituary.
(Fixes the name on the paper.)
Passing? We need a better word here.
FIRST CHARACTER
Lose? Losing?
SECOND CHARACTER
Losing? Losing to what?
FIRST CHARACTER
Losing to…to the Angel of Death.
SECOND CHARACTER
Now, that’s too…too poetic for an obituary. It has to be more…formal.
UNCLE
That bastard. I would like to kill that freaking angel.
FIRST CHARACTER
Angels don’t die.
(Pauses while gazing into the middle distance)
Second Character
No, they don’t…The family of Maryann Rose de Beetson Nakato Juliani announces her passing, her losing, her losing to the, to the Angel of Death after a long battle, a long battle…
FIRST CHARACTER
With the Angel of Death…
SECOND CHARACTER
After a long battle with the Angel of Death. But we said Angel of Death twice already.
UNCLE
I am not kidding; I will find that freaking angel.
First Character
By the above-mentioned angel.
Second Character
After a long battle with the above-mentioned angel.
Mary will, (correcting) Maryann will be remembered by her…
UNCLE
After a long battle with the above-mentioned angel. If you see the above-mentioned angel, give us a call…
FIRST Character
That would be using the phrase the above-mentioned angel two times in a row.
UNCLE
If you see the freaking angel, give us a call…
Second Character
Mary (correcting)…Maryann will be remembered by her uncles, cousins, grandfather, uncles’ spouses, cousins’ girlfriends, as well as numerous other family members, classmates, friends…
(Pauses and adds in writing while reading.)
…people at the grocery store on the corner of the street…
First Character
And Mother?
Second Character
She never really existed for Maryann.
Uncle
Her mother didn’t even remember her when she was alive.
First Character
Teachers? Neighbors and the school principal?
Second Character
Do you think the school principal will remember her? I mean there are hundreds of students at the school.
First Character
Yes, but they didn’t die!
Uncle
No need to mention neighbors. I hate those freaking bastards.
First Character
Wait, and grandfather should go before uncle.
Uncle
And take out the freaking neighbors.
Second Character
I thought the tree dispute with the neighbor was solved!
Uncle
Doesn’t matter. Take the neighbors out. I don’t want my name next to theirs.
(Takes the obituary from the second character.)
The family of Maryann Rose de Beetson Nakato Juliani
announces her losing to the Angel of Death after a long battle with the above-mentioned angel…which I am going to freaking find and kill.
(Gives the paper back to second Character)
FIRST CHARACTER
Angels are immortal.
SECOND CHARACTER
(Angry)
He has problems with the neighbors. He has problems with the angels. He wants to kill an angel!
(To Uncle)
Are you out of your mind?
UNCLE
(Angry)
I am not out of my mind. The freaking Angel of Death
(Bursts into tears)
took my family members—Mary and Mama. Mama!
First CHARACTER
(Sigh)
I wonder if that was the same angel. Do you know the actual name of the angel?
Uncle
I don’t.
FIRST CHARACTER
(With sorrow)
My grandma also died. She died when I was a little child.
SECOND CHARACTER
(Coldly)
Everybody dies.
UNCLE
But Papa said he will not die.
FIRST CHARACTER
He was joking.
UNCLE
No, he was dead serious.
(Pause)