Artistic Discoveries in European Schoolyards

Nora Mansmann (Germany)


1. Bonny Boy & Drangonfly 2. Selma

Text Extract

I. bunny boy & dragonfly

an empty room maybe a classroom maybe walls on which the plaster is crumbling scribbles, darkness out of which two figures slowly appear small figures two boys little boys huddled up with each other holding hands two boys alone in an empty barren room they are brothers they might they could be brothers and they are singing an ancient melody in a strange voice a strangers voice a strange language no one knows but them and here’s that scent of cake again and here is bunny boy cunning and full of tricks as the world is his enemy prince of thousand enemies and when they catch him they will kill him but first they must catch him and here is dragonfly joyful playful best friend always good-humored quick and versatile flyboy with the priceless ability to fold his wings around himself like a cloak a magic cap and they are standing here alone together two boys together in the middle of that cheerless empty barren room and it is time to say goodbye and they are singing still singing their farewell song did they catch him did they catch you bunny boy oh yes they did and now you have to go you have to leave this life your friend poor dragonfly from now on flies alone they had been brothers as long as they can remember as long as i can remember but now it’s farewell and bunny boy the brave he is afraid and dragonfly the joyful he has fallen silent he is slowly fading seems to fade away and bunny boy the fearful looks again at dragonfly his friend and sees a small boy wispy lanky boy with broken wings all rags and tears – he hadn’t realized that yet – his wings are broken maybe cut off maybe they can fly no more so it’s the end it is farewell for good DRAGONFLY i have to go now / see… BUNNY BOY see you tomorrow? so says bunny boy and dragonfly is smiling silently smiling but it is a sad smile and it says without a word goodbye my friend he says without a word goodbye poor friend poor boy you’ll miss me soon and sings without a sound goodbye again farewell we’ll never meet again and so he disappears the boy with broken wings and leaves this life and bunny boy his friend who’s weeping BUNNY BOY i want the right to become an adult but to stay a child / = from this point on the line overlaps with the following this text is assumedly a picture description to inspire the production teams, and not to be spoken (in whole) on „stage“.

II. selma

A she’s a girl very wispy very small even tiny you might say she’s
B undersized she is and inconspicuous
A yes invisible i’d say now see her standing there alone again alone in the school yard
B doing her best no to be noticed always in the background very quiet
A wouldn’t play and jump about with other kids she’d just stand there alone SELMA a space of peace and quietness around me in the middle of the noise of all the noise around me
B there she is alone of course as usual
A lonely in the middle of
SELMA the eye of a hurricane so i would stand there
B she would stand there in the school yard
A all alone poor girl lonely girl
B doing nothing at all as she’s all alone all through the break no one there to play so she’s standing there doing nothing at all through the break the whole break SELMA no i am looking
A yes she is looking around she’s watching the others observing what’s going on seeing everything being attentive seeing hearing everything
SELMA no
B enviously watching the others having fun having friends
A having fun with their friends
B which she lacks so she’s
A soaking just soaking it up like a sponge
B she is soaking and drinking the noise and the smells and the pictures and words SELMA no i’m looking inside all the words
A of the others
B who do not see nor hear her as she’s invisible
SELMA yes i’m invisible yes in the eye of the hurricane yes and i’m looking inside and i’m playing a game there inside of me in the eye of the hurricane i’m playing with words and with pictures yes i’m playing my games my own games and i don’t want to be disturbed as i’m looking inside as i’m thinking you know and i don’t want to be disturbed i want the right to be alone with myself

lines have to flow into each other, the whole piece is mostly one breath; one voice/character takes over from the other as if it was one line. SELMA could be impersonated by a puppet.

Summary

Short scenes written for the PLATFORM 11+ Final production FACE ME Time of Transition


Rightholder:

www.tjg-dresden.de


Performances:

Cast:
M: 2
F: 1