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OVER. AND. OVER.


by Njel de Mesa

CHARACTER:
GUY

*Before the actual performance, 5 different Voice Over Cue cards must be made for distribution. Inscribed on each are excerpts from previous love letters of an ex-girlfriend:


CUE CARD1.


My dearest, I have been trying to hide in a façade of perfection which made me feel more imperfect than ever. I demand acceptance but I am never satisfied with me… until you came into the picture. You made life easier to live. I can never give you back what you have given me.
February 2002



CUE CARD2.

I want to share my whole self with you, but until I figure out how, all I can do is wish. I wish the world would hear what I don’t say and listen even in my silence. I wish the world would feel ‘me’…the ‘me’ it does not know and feel…the ‘me’ it doesn’t want to know and feel. Or maybe I’m just asking too much for a wish.
April 2002


CUE CARD3.

I know that things are just too much to bear. But I pray that you’ll never cease to walk with me. I don’t care if I’ll be the last person to believe in us. Let it be, if God wills, that the world may know how much I love you. Please believe with me. I’m yours forever.
March 2003


CUE CARD4.

I’m so afraid to lose you. What’s life without you? I’ve done so many wrongs to you, and wonder why you keep on putting up with me. But I will never give up because you never gave up on me. I have faith that you’ll always be with me. Thank you for having faith in me, trusting that I will always be with you.
April 2003



CUE CARD5.


For all the times you allowed me to help you, listened and tried to understand me, offered your shoulders for me to cry on to, reached out your hand for me to hold on to, made me feel beautiful, needed, and loved… made me laugh, suffered for me, endured the pain, fought the fears…the more I wanted to do to others what you’ve done to me…to make them smile…the more I wanted to love.
June 2003


OPEN HOUSE Before CURTAIN: The Director should talk to the audience about this featured interactive play and require their participation. The lines below may actually be used as an opening spiel by the Director (or Stage Manager) to brief the audience of the following mechanics:

DIRECTOR: Good evening. Our featured presentation tonight might somewhat, somehow be acutely familiar to most—although I hope not all of us. (To warm-up audience participation.) Well, we’ll see about that. Our play for this evening is rather personal, and since this is the case—Quid pro quo—I’d have to ask all of you some personal questions. So do emphatically exclaim “NO”, if your answer is “YES” and “YES” if “NO”. (Pause.) Have you ever truly, madly, deeply loved before? (They answer.) Have you ever truly, madly, deeply loved then lost before? (They answer.) Have you ever truly, madly, deeply loved, lost, then be haunted by it years after? (They answer.) Sadly we are on the same brutal page…And on this page… a letter… Tonight’s play will be about a young man, who, after 2 ½ years of being in a steady relationship with a young woman was tragically—pardon the euphemism –dumped. And yet, on the anniversary of their break up, she then writes to him a disturbing, disconcerting letter– exactly after a year of absolute silence, of no communication at all? And to give you a feel of how cumbersome this new letter is; we shall give five of you: Voice Over CUE CARDs with excerpts of the young woman’s previous love letters to our Romeo. These Cue Cards must be read consecutively at the sound of the message alert tone (SFX: Beeping sound played.). Hence, CUE CARD Holder no.#1 must read what is inscribed on the CUE CARD assigned to him/her, (Beeping sound.) CUE CARD Holder no.#2 follows, and so on to no.#3,4, and 5. Now near the end of the show, you will hear these Alert tones again (Beeping sound.)…only this time, CUE CARD Holder no.#1 will now be asked to give his/her own opinions regarding the letter that was read onstage, (Beeping sound.), CUE CARD Holder no.#2 follows, and so on to no.#3,4,5. Hopefully a lively, highly opinionated open discussion will ensue and anyone from the audience can just blurt out a comment or two. This… (Showing the CUE CARDs.) … is an integral part of the play’s interactive experience. So to resolve the conflict onstage, we will be very happy if you could read these cards for us tonight. (The Director starts distributing the 5 Cue Cards to respective members of the audience and thank them in advance for their participation.) Thank you and enjoy the show. (Exits.)

(National Anthem. Opening Music.)

*The letter reading may be presented with various interpretations. The actor may also be allowed to make some spontaneous side comments while reading.

(A young professional’s bedroom interior. There is a TV set at upstage right, a single bed at dead center, and a small table with a lamplight at downstage left. The silhouette of a young man shatters the pitch black room. Shortly after pacing inside the room and picking up the mail on the floor, he switches the pin lights on. Tosses and flails his attaché case near the edge of his bed. He then removes his tie and long sleeved shirt, exhausted from his long day. He switches on the TV and finds looping vignettes of familiar movies with the Lead Guy chasing the Lead Girl- e.g. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Love Actually, Family Man, Hitch etc.)

GUY: (Changes garbs for sleeping. Makes himself a cup of coffee. Checks out his mail. Watches TV. Switching channels, he finds the movie Cinema Paradiso playing. First Message alert tone is played. Guy reminisces. Cue Card Holder no.#1 reads aloud his/her card. LCD projection may show the actual excerpted letter to the rest of the audience. Cue Card Holder no.#2,3,4,5 reads after. Switches the TV off after the Voice Over readings.)


Ugh. Sad Movies again. Bills. Bills. Bills… (Sees a letter with a clean white envelope.) Ahhh…an anonymous letter… (Opens the letter. Starts reading the letter aloud.)

“Hi there. You might be as surprised as I am that I’ve taken time out to write you this crucial letter. First of, I want to congratulate you. I’ve heard much of your great achievements without me: touring the country, the expansion of the company, and the inspiring progress of the kids. Obviously, you were able not to trim your sails in the light of our recent break up. (Pauses. Baffled.) I always knew you could do it. You might be wondering by now why I’m writing to you this late in the game. Well, I’m just happy to announce: I am officially Over you. I’m sure you’d be happy to hear that. You’ve always wanted the best for me.

Things have been pretty roughed up and, as usual, busy being caught in the hurly burly of my company since we broke up. Just for keeping up’s sake, I’m still with the same company you left me with—the same company you’ve always wanted me to quit because you thought it was making me high strung and stressed out. Just so that you know, I’ve never been this happy being in that same company. I have on me the very same responsibilities but they seem to be significantly lighter without you watching my back. I guess—in life—lighter is better. I’ve probably learned how to factor out complications in my life to make it more conveniently simple.

So since now I can breathe and confidently say I am Over you. I write to you now of what I’ve gathered between the year of respite after we recently broke up (Baffled. Repeats the line.).

Exactly a year ago, I recall vividly, I severed our three year relationship seasoned by a deep friendship after finding out that I can no longer tolerate the pain of us being together. It took months for the healing to take full effect and for your traumatic stains to be washed off my mind. Though I’ve not forgotten it, I certainly am Over. Surprisingly, I didn’t miss you at all.

We both know though that the dye that was cast would never be removed from my memory’s wool. And confused as I was, I finally decided last February to talk to you. Invited you for coffee, pulled you out of exile, and revealed to you the nauseous truth about how I really felt about my futile attempt for a closure that sad November, last year.

So, as you silently sipped your doubleshot coffee, I sent you with my confidence that I shall never give you a second chance ever—even if you asked for one.

As expected, since then, you’ve stopped nattering me, writing me, seeing me, or calling me. And I have you to thank for that reprieve of silence, because that’s how I got Over you. The disturbing truth is that I felt utterly delighted that you weren’t dogging me anymore.

And so I asked myself? Did I love you? That slight feeling of relief and euphoria made me think every moment of my waking hour. Perturbed, I had to inspect much more closely this time what really happened—what really went on between us.

I know we’ve been living disconnected lives and I for one am completely Over you. However, I feel I owe you something: the truth. Although it might rub salt in the wound--but I thought since it has been a year that we haven’t been in contact-- I thought it best to finally come forward with it.

It’s a truth I’ve refused to listen to as it was drowned by the cluttering noise of my passions and emotions for you back then. A truth you might not even like to hear… But as it is, there is no point in sugar coating this bitter truth, so here it is: I didn’t love you…and never did I.

At first I felt guilt and remorse realizing this fact. A fact that was incessantly pointed out to me by my closest friends and relatives but I stubbornly denied for years. Since you afforded me with much time to think this through, it resolutely dawned on me that it was only fear and pity that drove me to do the things I did that you misconstrued as love.

I feel bad knowing this but bad as I feel, I cannot and would not deny you the honest truth. I’m sorry to be too blunt for comfort. But since you answered the phone last night with the apparent tenor that you’ve erased me already from your vocabulary—I knew it was time to spill those beans knowing it won’t bring much discomfort on your part as before.

I am as shocked as you are, but do know that I didn’t mean any harm in writing this letter. All I have are good intentions necessary for us both to carry on with our renewed lives.

I have a new boyfriend. You probably heard because you obviously didn’t like him when he made a pass at me back then when we were still together. Evidently, I’m Over you and I’ve moved on. And I do suggest for you to do the same. For the best.

That’s what I wish for. I wish you all the best and luck for all the great things you are bound to do in the future. And though I’m not a part of that bright future anymore I am convinced and over the fact that I was not meant to be playing for any part in any part of that imminent future you’ve all written out for the both of us.

I’ve accepted the simple twists that had happened and am Over it. I hope in time you will be Over it as well as I have.

Your Boo.”

GUY: (Beat. Looks around. Distraught and in a quandary.) What’s this?! (Breaks the fourth wall. Asks the audience.) What’s this?! (The first message alert tone beeps. Then the second, third, and so on. The GUY can start moderating the discussion ad libitum. The player onstage must have a fixed opinion and must provoke the audience to validate or invalidate his opinion. Citing from the previous love letters should be promoted. The GUY can signal the end of the discussion by saying “Thank you” to the audience for the enlightening session. GUY breathes heavily. Laughs out heartily to tears. Scoffs at the idea of the letter. After smiling with a plaintive sigh, he incredulously giggles to himself.) There’s nothing more pathetic than re-runs of… (Sings.) Saaaaad Moviesssss... (Decides to sleep. Climbs to his bed and pulls up his blanket. Talking to himself.) Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. (Silently prays. Giggles.) You’re Over. (Pause.) I Copy. (Pause.) I’m Out. (Blackout. In the dark.) You’re mean. (Uncontrollable laughter is heard in the dark.).

CURTAIN
* No part of these plays may be staged without a written permission from the author.For performance rights and inquiries email ktfi2001@yahoo.com or call 433.7886 /text (0917)9726514.

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