Directed by Christian Haines
Featuring Carlye Pollack, Olivia Grace, Anne Yumi Kobori & Melissa Ortiz
Three women in a room. One (OLGA) is knitting or
sewing or something. A younger one (IRINA) is
dancing frantically around, watching her dress
twirl as she turns. It seems she is on some kind
of stimulant or psychedelic drug. She sometimes
stops abruptly and focuses intently on something.
The other one (MASHA) is sitting staring out the
window.
OLGA:
It’s been one year ago today that Sergei Skorabogatov died. We used to cry such bitter tears then. (a clock strikes twelve. pause) A clock struck twelve that day too. Such time has passed; now we can think of him and not weep… much.
IRINA:
Sergei was a Horse. I don’t give a chort about a Horse.
OLGA:
Masha, what are you doing? You haven’t said a thing all day.
MASHA:
Staring at the snow, leave me alone.
OLGA:
Ah, yes. I too have done that. (she begins weeping) When there was but a dusting of snow. It was in Moscow.
IRINA:
Moscow, Moscow, Moscow! That’s all you ever talk about. Cheer up, Sister! I’m going to move to LA and become an actress… no, an extra!! What’s a best boy?
Another woman walks in (CHERNOBYL). She isextremely pale with dark circles around her eyes; perhaps some rotting flesh. She is a radiation zombie.
MASHA:
The best boy I ever had was Treblinka Malitov. Such a fiery, explosive temperament.
CHERNOBYL:
Hey girls.
Olga runs to Chernobyl and they embrace.
OLGA:
My dear!
IRINA:
Who’s she?
OLGA:
You might not remember her, Irina. This is your adopted sister Chernobyl. She has been gone since your name day many years ago.
CHERNOBYL:
This is her name day and we all had breakfast together.
OLGA:
Yes. Just so.
IRINA:
Whoa! Whatever Moizel Rabinowitz sold me is not sitting well. Dear Sister, if I ever take drugs again, you must slap me… hard!
OLGA:
Of course I will, silly girl. You’re always running into one thing or another.
CHERNOBYL:
Where is everyone else? Have they gone already?
OLGA:
The Colonel and the Captain took the Major to see Cats. They should be back soon. Melenki is making muesli in the skullery and Traboitnik is telling stories to the School children in the study.
MASHA:
Oh why can’t things be simple as they were before!?!
CHERNOBYL:
Things are as they are. Things are as they are and there is no changing it.
OLGA:
Masha, you are such a solemn girl. I remember your name day. You were like a spring robin…
IRINA:
Masha, Masha, Masha! That’s all anyone talks about! It’s my name day and you yammer on about Masha.
The clock strikes twelve again.
OLGA:
Strange. That’s the second chime of twelve today. Time is so confounding that way.
CHERNOBYL:
I never had a name day. Father and Mother decided against it. There was the big meltdown and so much turmoil the year I came of age and the soldiers came through to take us to the lime baths. They thought a name day would take away from our brave boys taking such a risk. I remember snow was falling that day too. Just a light dusting. It made so much mud. The men tracked the mud through the house. Melenki got so angry and Mother laughed and laughed. Father cried I remember. What a strange day. I think he was sad because he knew what was to come.
IRINA:
I’m going to have toast. Toast and marmalade from France. Or is it England? Do the Legushka’s make marmalade, Olga? Oooh, we should speak French! I feel such a strong sense of ennui.
MASHA:
Ennui is a luxury for the bourgeoisie.
IRINA:
Have you checked our bank account?
Chernobyl pulls some peeling skin off her face.
CHERNOBYL:
Ooh, look! I’m shedding!
OLGA:
Dear Chernobyl! You’re falling apart, dear!!
CHERNOBYL:
This is supposed to be funny.
IRINA:
I think it’s just disgusting.
OLGA:
Silly girl! It’s confusing. I think there must be another way to live. Perhaps if we all get jobs and work and work and work then we won’t have time to ponder. No one will notice we’re rich and dull and boring and dull and rich and confused.
Irina runs off. Masha is still looking out the window.
MASHA:
Who is that?
CHERNOBYL:
That’s Captain Spirakovatov. He’s married to a horrible woman who worked as a brick layer in the Gulag until she learned she was a descendant of Rasputin. They built a brick statue of her and sent her to the finest school in St. Petersburgh.
MASHA:
Oh, what I would do to have his boots by my bed. But, alas, Mother and Father forced my marriage to the local Director of transportation and livestock. Lorenavich Bobbitov; now there was a visionary who could put Tolstoy to shame.
Irina enters with a half eaten sandwich.
IRINA:
I was walking aimlessly throughout the house and found this half eaten sandwich. I thought to myself, who’s could it be? Who would leave a perfectly good cabbage and potato sandwich? I’ve been fretting and fretting. Why is life so confounding?
MASHA:
You’ve been gone for two lines you silly Chushka!
She storms off crying. Chernobyl takes the sandwich from Irina and begins pulling it apart.
OLGA:
Masha ran from the room at this very hour one year ago today… she seems to run out of the room alot these days. What could be the matter?
CHERNOBYL:
This sandwich represents our people; half eaten by poverty, smelling of old socks and capable of creating large amounts of gas while remaining virtually tasteless. Dug from the dirt by millions of labourers yearning for another life in small subsections of American cities.
IRINA:
Why must we yearn so?
OLGA:
Perhaps if we could find a way to truly listen to each other and have normal conversations rather than drone on about things that make no sense our country could not only survive the bitter winters but actually thrive through them and we could build lives rich with strip malls and hundreds of cable channels!
IRINA:
But no one says anything of any consequence. Why should we be burdened with the musings of others when we can wallow in our own misery and superfluous meanderings?
OLGA:
If we only knew…
CHERNOBYL:
If we only knew…
IRINA:
If we only knew…
Art and Music in Our Souls 