Delightful Crap!
Here’s some more painfully obvious symbolism.
The title is taken from one of Kate’s lines in Countess Bathory, another (longer) play I wrote.
Kill My Dreams
Dim light rise on a CHILD sleeping in bed, CS. In the CHILD’S embrace is a tiny BEAR. The BEAR is dressed like a hipster, in that it wears jeans and a plaid shirt, as well as large glasses.
The CHILD stirs in sleep, then flops over, ejecting the BEAR. The BEAR rolls and falls out of bed. After a moment, the BEAR stirs. The BEAR wobbles about unsteadily and props itself up on all fours, then slowly stands. The BEAR looks about.
A low, immense, rumbly growling is heard beneath the bed. The BEAR notices this. The BEAR waves its paw about slowly, and the paw begins to glow. The BEAR sticks its glowing paw beneath the bed, and the release of some sci-fi blast is heard. The growl erupts into a roar, then dwindles to a snarl, then melts away. The BEAR looks about. There is a new, slithery, different noise under the bed. The BEAR prepares its paw again and reaches under the bed, but the noise immediately retreats at this. The BEAR again stands and looks about.
Horns are heard lowing. They sounds distant and bizarrely modulated. The BEAR is looking about, not under the bed. Creeping in from offstage and down the aisles of the audience are great, stilted ELEPHANTS. They resemble Dali’s elephants: long, tall legs like dead willow trees, compact bodies, and trunks that snake about, serpentine. There is at least one ELEPHANT for each means of egress the theater boasts. The ELEPHANTS move very, very slowly. Very, very inexorably.
The BEAR is looking at them, taking them in, unsure.
BEAR
In Closet dark or under Bed,
Be’t Mem’ry lost or broken Dead,
Tremble, Nightmares in the Night,
Wretched Phantoms born of Spite,
Who Tear the Earth and till no soil,
Who Take o’er full and all else spoil,
You Monsters without proper form,
To Innocents would offer harm,
Forbear this sacred, guarded place,
Repel you from this Guard’ian’s face,
You, who Kindness would disgrace,
Will happen here on Death’s embrace.
Slowly, inexorably, the ELEPHANTS advance. The BEAR picks on, waves its paw about, and prepares to fight.
Before any fighting can start, we hear the skittering of tiny feet. The BEAR hesitates. Dozens of tiny MICE rush in and swarm about the ELEPHANTS’ feet. They whine and cower and non-verbally beg the BEAR for mercy. The BEAR aims, and they scream. The BEAR hesitates, then aims very high. Still, the MICE scream. The BEAR lowers its paw, and the MICE continue to skitter. Slowly, inexorably, the ELEPHANTS advance. We hear the horns of their distant, distorted lowing.
Shortly after, the MICE begin to hiss and spit at the BEAR. They growl in a thoroughly un-mouse-like way. Feeling threatened, the BEAR again prepares his paw and aims. Instantly, the MICE cower and whine and whimper. Other MICE, not being aimed at, intensify their hissing and spitting. Again, the BEAR stops and looks about. The MICE soon return to their regular levels of hissing and spitting.
The slithery, serpentine sound comes from beneath the bed again. The BEAR prepares its paw, but is too scared to look away from all the creatures encroaching on the bed. Eventually, the BEAR does duck under the bed and again fire its magical or laser shot under the bed. The serpentine rumbling retreats, but the ELEPHANTS continue to slowly, inexorably encroach.
The CHILD stirs in its sleep. The hissing and spitting intensifies, as does the bizarre ELEPHANTS’ horns. The BEAR is growing very visibly concerned.
A single MOUSE lurches forward from its crowd and starts scurrying up the bed. The BEAR intercepts it and throws it away, then prepares and aims its paw. Instantly, the MOUSE begins whimpering and whining, as does all its mates. MICE from other ELEPHANTS again intensify their hissing and spitting. Again, the BEAR backs down, and noises regulate.
This happens one or two more times. Finally, seemingly pushed to the edge, the BEAR again prepares its paw and aims at a group of MICE. Again, the MICE cower and whine while other MICE increase their invective. The BEAR holds its aim for a long time. Maybe, possibly, we’re not sure… Maybe the ELEPHANTS very subtly slow their advance. A minute passes. Finally, again, the BEAR relents, and things return to what is now normal.
Time passes.
Another MOUSE skitters out. This time, the errant MOUSE attacks the BEAR, gnawing at it. The BEAR shakes it away, but even before the BEAR can finish preparing its paw, the whining and hissing of the other MICE have convinced it to stop.
Time passes. The ELEPHANTS have covered significant ground by now.
Another MOUSE creeps out and attacks. This one is more earnest, and is soon supported by two or three more. The BEAR manages to shake them all off, and they instantly start whining and screaming before the BEAR offers even the shadow of violence. As the BEAR hesitates, the MICE right themselves and attack again. They are joined by even more MICE, and they begin to overwhelm the BEAR. The BEAR is torn, gnawed, visibly damaged, and is nearly overwhelmed. The horns of the ELEPHANTS intensifies, as does the hissing and spitting. Everyone is celebrating the imminent death of the BEAR.
Miraculously, the BEAR manages to break free. Instantly, the MICE begin whining and screaming, but the BEAR prepares its paw and aims. All the MICE are now whining and screaming, begging, whimpering. The BEAR continues to aim, trembling. The BEAR is experiencing something it never has before: hatred.
As the BEAR aims at a single MOUSE, all other MICE scurry back to their respective mates. Once safe, they begin to hiss and spit. But, as the BEAR looks about, every MOUSE the BEAR looks at whimpers and cries and whines, only to resume hissing and spitting once the BEAR looks away. Only the last MOUSE in danger, at whom the BEAR aims, consistently whines and whimpers.
The ELEPHANTS slowly, inexorably advance.
The BEAR eyes the single remaining MOUSE, then looks again up at the ELEPHANTS.
Another MOUSE creeps in behind the BEAR, preparing to attack. The BEAR turns and aims at the new MOUSE. Both MICE scurry back to their respective mates, and all the MICE are now hissing and spitting. The BEAR does not know where to aim.
We hear another, new growl start beneath the bed. The CHILD stirs in sleep.
The BEAR is looking around frantically, not knowing what to do. At length, it collapses to a sit and puts its head in its hands. It is mere seconds, however, before more MICE creep out and attack, and again the BEAR must hop up and aim. The MICE whine and scurry, then return to hissing and spitting.
The BEAR looks everywhere, paranoid. Unsure.
We hear the growling.
We hear the ELEPHANTS’ horns.
The CHILD whimpers once, in sleep.
Slowly, inexorably, the ELEPHANTS advance.
Lights slowly fade out.