DEATH
A Play in Three Acts
PRELUDE
(The stage is filled with smoke, creating an ethereal aura. A small, dimly lit path snakes through the fog. The character ‘I’ enters from the left, sleepwalking through the mist. Sounds of a distant ocean echo through the theater.)
I: (in a voiceover) The realm of dreams…it’s here where reality dissipates, and fantasy reigns.
(I slowly follows the lit path, navigating the misty landscape.)
I: In this dreamscape, I’ve found myself wandering countless times, attempting to decode the encrypted messages from my subconscious.
(As I continues to walk, the stage transforms, shifting from the smoky dreamscape to the barren landscape of the play. I looks around, confused but curious.)
I: Yet, tonight, the dream feels different…more profound…like a premonition, a summons.
(Suddenly, a large, ancient scroll appears on the stage. The title of the scroll is written in bold letters: ‘A DRAMA WRITTEN BY DEATH’. I approaches the scroll hesitantly.)
I: A drama written by death?
(I kneels down to examine the scroll, tracing the engraved letters. Suddenly, Death’s voice echoes through the theater.)
Death: This is your play, your story. I’m the co-author, the silent partner, who helps you understand your character’s journey towards its ultimate destination.
I: My character’s journey?
(Death’s voice takes on a mysterious tone.)
Death: Your journey of transformation, your walk through the fires of loss and rebirth, your discovery of the true self beyond the illusory self. Your journey to love.
(I looks startled, then thoughtful, understanding that the journey through the play will be a profound revelation of self.)
I: So, the stage is set… the story unfolds.
(I looks out into the audience, the words of Death echoing in the mind. As the dream starts to fade, the scene transitions into the play’s opening act.)
(End of Prelude)
ACT I
(The stage is set to mimic a barren landscape. The character ‘I’ enters from the right. The character ‘Death’ is unseen but its voice echoes throughout the theater.)
I: (in a voiceover) “From the Song of Solomon 8:6, it is written, “Love is as strong as death.”
(I sits on a rock, looking distressed.)
I: Initially, I was troubled by this assertion. Why should love be equated with the strength of death, and not something surpassing it?
(I rises and walks around the stage, troubled.)
I: But what if we regard death as a catalyst of change, a steadfast companion nudging us towards personal evolution?
(Suddenly, Death’s voice echoes through the theater.)
Death: I am indeed a gateway to love, but I am not your enemy. I am a promise.
I: A promise?
Death: If you heed my advice, you won’t face the same fate as those who ignore my guidance.
I: And what advice do you offer?
Death: Learn to let go.
I: Let go? Of what exactly?
Death: Yourself.
ACT II
(I paces around the stage, deep in thought, trying to understand Death’s message.)
I: What do you mean by ‘yourself’?
(Death’s voice, once again, resonates across the theater.)
Death: Do you comprehend why you’d inevitably lose everything to me?
I: Yes, I comprehend. Because my friends, family, and wealth are not truly mine. They were bestowed upon me by the world.
Death: Do you understand why the world takes back what it gives?
I: No.
Death: Then it’s time I fulfill my duty and help you understand.
(I stops pacing, looking terrified but resolute.)
I: But why, death? Why threaten to obliterate me?
ACT III
Death: I have been communicating it. I communicate it through nature, thought, your body, your breath.
I: What is this truth?
Death: You are not the ‘you’ that you perceive yourself to be.
(I slowly falls to the ground, comprehending Death’s message.)
I: So, I am not the body, I am not the thoughts, I am not the roles or the relationships. I am beyond all that…I am love.
(The stage slowly dims, leaving I laying alone in the darkness, understanding Death’s words.)
Death: Yes, and once you truly understand and live that truth, you will be free. Love will fill the empty spaces.
(The lights come back on, illuminating I who is now standing, a look of determination and acceptance on the face.)
I: I understand now…I must let go to become. I must die to live. And in this paradox, I find love.
(The stage dims again, leaving I standing alone in the soft light, a sense of peace radiating from the figure.)
(End of Act III)
(End of Play)