Until the Cows Come Marching Home; a “fabula contracta”

Characters: ABE, MOE, JC 

Sitting center side by side stage right to left: ABE, MOE, JC. Very erect, facing front, hands clasped in laps. 

{Silence} 

MOE: When did we three last meet? 

JC: We should talk until the cows come marching home. 

{Silence. Exit MOE right. Silence.} 

ABE: JC? 

JC: Yes. 

ABE: What do you feel of Moe? 

JC: I hear nothing but dissonance. 

(ABE moves to center seat, whispers in JC's ear. Appalled.) 

Ah! (They look at each other. ABE puts his finger to his lips.) 

Does he not realize? 

ABE: Hell grant not. 

{Enter MOE. ABE and JC turn back front, resume pose. MOE sits right.Silence.} 

Just sit together as we used to, in the play-by-play at Mr.Slosh's. 

JC: On the electrical unit. 

{Silence. Exit ABE left. Silence.} 

Moe! 

MOE: Yes. 

JC: How do you find Abe? 

MOE: He's the same. (JC moves to center seat, whispers in Moe's ear. Appalled.) Oh! (They look at each other. JC puts his finger to his lips.) Has he not been told. 

JC: Father forbid. 

{Enter ABE. JC and MOE turn back front, resume pose. ABE sits left.} 

Holding hands . . . that way. 

ABE: Visions of . . . peace. 

{Silence. Exit JC right. Silence.} 

MOE: Abe. 

ABE: Yes. 

MOE: How do you think JC is listening? 

ABE: In this air, one hears little. (Moe moves to center seat, whispers to ABE. Appalled.) Oh! (They look at each other. MOE puts his finger to his lips.) Does he not know? 

MOE: Please cows not. 

{Enter JC. MOE and ABE turn back front, resume pose. JC sits right. Silence.} 

May we not speak of the ancient durations? 

(Silence.) 

Of what came before? 

(Silence.) 

Shall we hold hands in the new way? 

(After a moment they join hands as follows: Abe's right hand with JC's right hand. Moe's left hand with Abe's left hand. Abe's right hand with JC left hand. Moe's arms being above JC's left arm and Abe's right arm. The 3 pairs of clasped hands rest on the laps. Silence.) 

ABE: I can taste the difference. 

(Silence.) 

curtain 

spring/2010