49

10.27.06

“A play is a ritual.
A celebration.
An encounter.
A conversation.
An emotional give and take.
And it all happens in the mind of the audience.”
-Chris Leyva

A CONFESSIONAL. Concealed, two voices speak from within.

1
Is that honestly the extent of your wrongdoing?

2
Yes, father.

1
The lord has eyes you know. The lord can see you sinning.

2
Yes, father. I know.

1
The lord knows that you are sinning right now. Lies by omission are lies nonetheless.

2
Yes, father.

1
You are lying to me now.

2
Yes, father.

1
Do you wish to confess further?

2
No, father. I mean yes, father. Yes I would.

1
You may proceed.

2
I bore false witness, just now, by not saying something that I did wrong and confessing my guilt. I lied by omission, father, and for that I beg forgiveness.

1
Go on.

2
I have done other things…sinned in other ways.

1
Ways you haven’t yet mentioned?

2
Yes, father.

1
I see. Continue…

2
Sometimes, I’m so sorry, I’m so afraid to admit this…

1
You have nothing to fear from me and everything to fear from God.

2
I let horrible things happen to me. I can’t stop them. Sometimes a demon crawls into my ear and speaks to me. Tells me to do things.

1
Does this demon tell you to sin?

2
Yes, father.

ANOTHER PENATANT enters, fighting the urge to eavesdrop.

1
How?

2
The demon tells me that I can become things. Anything I want. Like the first time I became a great pharaoh, and I had an enormous harem that I would have relations with every night. The demon’s fantasy lived on and on, and it felt like I spent an eternity as the pharaoh, until I woke up in my bed and I was me again, alone and afraid.

1
Satan will always leave you alone in such ways.

2
Yes, I know that now…

1
You said that was the first time?

2
Yes.

1
So there have been other occasions?

2
Yes, there have been. Many other occasions. Every night in fact the demon crawls into my ear, right before I fall asleep. I tried putting cotton in there, but then the demon would just pull them out and put them back again from inside. It makes me feel like I am someone else, someone different every night. One time I was Marie Antoinette. Another night, a few weeks ago, I was the victim of Jack the Ripper. I could feel the knife go in and cut me to pieces, it was awful, I knew I was sinning!

1
Well, after penance, your sins will be forgiven, and this demon will have no place in your ear at night ever again. The lord will take care of that.

2
Will he? It doesn’t just crawl in at night anymore! And not just in my ear. It crawls in, other places. During the day now! It makes me become things when I’m awake.

1
What does it make you become?

2
A farmer in China, a ghost in sub-Saharan Africa, a whale in the sea…

1
This is utter nonsense. You are lying to me again, aren’t you?

2
No! I swear!

1
You’re covering up for something you’ve done wrong! Something worse than what you’ve told me! The lord has eyes and ears, and knows when you’re lying!

The ONSTAGE PENATANT can’t help but listen close.

2
It’s horrible!

1
What is?

2
What the demon makes me become!

1
What? What does the demon make you become?

2
A priest! The demon makes me a priest!

1
…are you telling the truth?

2
yes, father. I am.

1
Do you realize how great a sin it is to impersonate a priest?

2
yes, father, I do.

1
Worse than robbery. Worse than lying. Blasphemy is almost worse than murder.

2
I know, I know…

1
Some murders can be justified, even forgiven. Blasphemy cannot.

2
You mean I’ll bear the wait of this sin forever?

1
I’m afraid so…

2
Isn’t there anything I can do?

1
I’m afraid not…

The ONSTAGE PENATANT quietly grieves for the confessor.

2
Does that mean…

1
…yes…

2
…I’m going to hell?

1
That is not for me to say or decide. That is for the Lord.

2
Isn’t there any way I can repent?

1
That is for the Lord.

2
I repent! I REPENT!

1
The most I can do is give you penance and pray for you.

2
What is my penance?

1
Are you prepared? It is the worst penance the Holy Spirit has ever instructed me to give.

2
I am prepared.

1
You must go light a candle…

2
Yes…

1
…and say one thousand novenas…

2
Yes, yes I can do that…

1
…and you must expose yourself to the people of the town and beg your forgivness.

Confusion from the ONSTAGE PENETANT.

2
I beg your pardon?

1
You have pretended to be something that you are not, yes?

2
Yes, I have…

1
So you must expose yourself and show them who you really are. Even if it terrifies them, they must know the truth. And you must take no pleasure in it.

2
I understand.

1
Furthermore, they must not know that you are to expose yourself. They would avert their eyes from the truth. So you must surprise them, and only give them a swift glimmer of the truth. A flash of your penance.

2
I see. I know what I must do.

1
Only then will you be forgiven.

2
Thank you father.

1
I will say a prayer of contrition for you privately. Praise be to God! Your soul has been set free! Walk forever now without sin! Go now and do the Lord’s work!

2
Yes father! Thank you, father!

1
God have mercy on your soul.

The ONSTAGE PENETANT stands at attention. 2 exits the CONFESSIONAL and slowly exits the stage, engaged in a staring contest with the ONSTAGE PENETANT the whole time. After a moment of relief, the ONSTAGE PENETANT enters the confessional. Instantly, the ONSTAGE PENETANT leaps out, and opens both confessional doors, revealing that it is empty. The moment the ONSTAGE PENETANT realizes what has happened, 2 re-enters and flashes the ONSTAGE PENETANT, immediately running off afterward. Confusion. Blackout.