Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Not I / Pas moi

MS-UoR-1227-7-12-6

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Segment 1

[0001] Stage in darkness but for

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

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Segment 2

[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
4' high, shown by attitude alone to be facing diagonally
acfross stage intent on MOUTH, dead still throughout but for
four brief movements where indicated. See Note 1
.

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Segment 3

[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

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Segment 4

[0004] ..birth out..into this world..this world..tiny little thing..
before its time..in a godfor - ..what? ..girl?..yes..tiny
little girl..into this..out into this..before her time..godforsaken hole
called..called..no matter..

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Segment 5

[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..

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Segment 6

[0006]so no loved love..spared that..no love such as nor-
mally visited inflicted vented on the..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

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Segment 7

[0007] till coming up to sixty when - ..what? ..seven-
ty?..good God!..coming up to seventy when..wandering in
a field..looking aimlessly for cowslips..to make a ball..
a few steps then and stop..stare into space..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?..
who?..what? ..no..no!..she....she!.. (pause and movement 1)..found
herself in the dark..

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Segment 8

[0008]and if not exactly actually..insentient..in-
sentient..for she could still hear the buzzing..so-called!..
in the ears..and a ray of light came and went..came and
went..such as the moon might cast..drifting..in and out
of cloud..burt dulled..feeling..feeling so dulled..she did
not know..what position she was in..imagine!..what position
she was in!..whether standing..otr sitting..but the brain -
..what? ..kneeling?..yes..whether standing..or sitting..or

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Addition 1
for
Reading University
Library
-
Samuel Beckett
-
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Addition 2
89 ← 1. To " words were coming
84 ← 2. Thence " something she had to tell
50 ← 3. Thence " end
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Addition 3
beg Sb?
onlooker?
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Addition 4
sex undeterminable,
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Addition 5
with hood,
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Addition 6
from text
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Addition 7
..out into this
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Addition 8
inflicted vented
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Addition 9
..she..
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Addition 10
actually
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Doodle 1
Categories:
Shape, Stray mark
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Title 1
NOT I
Transcription
  • Segments
  • Marginal Additions
  • Doodles
  • Titles