MS-HRC-SB-5-3

[0001] Stage in darkness but for

MOUTH, upstage audience right, about 8'
above stage level, faintly lit from close-
up and below, rest of face in shadow.
Invisible microphone.

[0002] AUDITOR, downstage audience left, tall
standing figure, sex undeterminable,
enveloped from head to foot in loose
black djellaba, with hood, fully faintly
lit, standing on invisible podium about

[0002] 4' high, shown by attitude alone to be
facing diagonally across stage intent on
MOUTH, dead still throughout but for
four brief movements where indicated.
See Note 1. ^{[place = inline] .}

[0003] As house lights down MOUTH's voice
unintelligible behind curtain. House
lights out. Voice continues unintelligible
behind curtain, 10 seconds. With rise of
curtain ad-libbing from text as required
leading when curtain fully up and attention
sufficient into:

[0004] ... out ... into this world ... this world ... tiny
little thing... before its time ... in a godfor - ^{[place = overwritten] -} ...
what? ... girl? ... yes ... tiny little girl ... into
this ... out into this ... before her time ... godfor-
saken hole called ... called ... no matter ...

[0005] parents unknown ... unheard of ... he having
vanished ... thin air ... no sooner buttoned up his
breeches ... she similarly ... eight months later
... almost to the tick ... [0006] so no love ... spared that
... no love such as normally vented on the ...

[0006] speechless infant ... in the home ... no ... nor
indeed for that matter any of any kind ... no love
of any kind ... at any subsequent stage ... so
typical affair ... nothing of any note [0007] till coming up
to sixty when - ^{[place = overwritten] -} ... what? ... seventy? ... good

[0007] God! ... coming up to seventy when ^{[place = margin left] [₰]} ... wandering
in a field ... looking aimlessly for cowslips ... to
make a ball ... a few steps then stop ... stare
into space ... ^{[place = margin left] then on ... a few more ...} stop and stare again ... so on ...
drifting around ... when suddenly ... gradually ...
all went out ... all that early April morning light
... and she found herself in the - ... what? ...