MatteoandGiovanniArePasticheing

By
MagentaHowardandLaurelKinman

Version1Beginning:
Anemptystage.Twocharactersseeeachother,runonstage,andmeetinthecenter.Note:this
scenedecideswhoisplayingwho.Theactorswillknowwhoiswho.
Giovanni:Headsortails?
Matteo:Rockpaperscissors?
Giovanni:Headsortails.
Matteo:Rock.
Giovanni:
(Flipscoin.)
Tails.Iwin.Headsortails?
Matteo:Tails.
Giovanni:
(Flipscoin.)
Heads.Iwin.Andnow,weplay!
Version2Beginning:
Anemptystage.Twocharacterswalkonstageandmeetinthecenter.
Giovanni:Headsortails?
Matteo:Heads.
Giovanni:No,letmeaskagain.Headsor
tails?
Matteo:Tails?
Giovanni:Okay.(
Flipsacoin
)Heads.Yourturn.Now,weplay!
Version3Beginning:
Anemptystage.Twocharactersjauntonstageandmeetinthecenter.
Giovanni:Headsor
Matteo:Tails.
Giovanni:Youdidntletmefinish!
Matteo:Okay.Go.
Giovanni:Headsortails?
Matteo:Tails.
Giovanni:
(Flipscoin.)
Heads.Yourturn!Andnow,weplay!

Matteograbstheeasel,painting,andstool.Hebeginstopaint.MeanwhileGiovanniexits.
Aroom.Nowindowsordoorsarevisible,andthemajorityoftheroomisinshadow,obscuring
itsfeatures.Sittingprominentlyinthemiddleisacanvas,turnedtothesidesothattheaudience
cannotseewhatisonit.Aman,Matteo,dressedinRenaissanceclothingisstaringblanklyatthe
canvas.Suddenlyanother,Giovanni,rushesinfrantically.Matteosuddenlyrespondsasif
animatedbytheentranceofGiovanni
Giovanni:
Hesgotanewcommission!
Matteo:Whohas?
Giovanni:ThePainterhas.
Matteo:
For?
Giovanni:
Aportrait.

Matteo:
Of?
Giovanni:
Alady.
(Silence)
Matteo:Who?
Giovanni:What?
Matteo:Whoisthelady?
Giovanni:Iforget...Ihaveamessage!
Matteo:From?
Giovanni:What?
Matteo:Whoisit?
Giovanni:Who?
Matteo:Thelady?
Giovanni:Yes!
(Pause.)
No.
(Pause.)
Maybe?ThePainter?
Matteo:Thepainterisalady?
Giovanni:Ishe?
Matteo:ThePainter?
Giovanni:Alady?
Matteo:Yes.
Giovanni:Iforget.Doesitmatter?
Matteo:No...WhatdidThePaintersay?
Giovanni:Themessage!ThePaintersentamessage!
Matteo:Aha!Whatisthemessage?
Giovanni:Iforget.Itisntwrittendown.Whatisourpurpose?Torelaymessages?Yes.Thatisit!
Weareheretorelayhismessages.Solongaswedontforget.Wemustneverforget!Butnow,
wepaint!
Timepasses.Thepainterscontinuetopaint.
Matteo:Whatwashernameagain?
Giovanni:
WhatdoIcallher?
Matteo:
Whatwashername?
Giovanni:
IcallherMona...MonaLucetta.
Matteo:
That'shername?
Giovanni:
ItswhatIcallher.
Matteo:
Oh.Doessheexist?
Giovanni:
Does
God
exist?
Matteo:
Doessheexist?
Giovanni:
Perhaps.Idon'tknowanymore.
Matteo:
Haveyouforgotten?
Giovanni:
Forgottenwhat?
Matteo:
Ican'trememberanymore.

Giovanni:
Precisely!
Matteo:Ithoughtyousaidwemustneverforget.
Giovanni:Precisely!Yethereweareandwehavealreadyforgotten.
(Shouting.)
Wherearewe
going?
Matteo:Nowhere.Wearejusthere.
Giovanni:Everybodymustbedestinedtoheadsomewhere.Therearetwocertaintiesinlife.The
beginningandtheend.Wejusthavetofindthembeforewecangetthere.
Matteo:Andifwecant?
Giovanni:Idontknow.
Theycontinuetopaint.
Matteoissittingonastoolinfrontofthecanvas,paintbrushinhand,spasmodically
addingtothepainting.
Giovanni:Itsaboutlimits,isntit?
Matteo:What?
Giovanni:Well,itsjustitsaboutthearbitrariness,isntit?wecanneverapproachabsolute
zero!
Matteo:Whywouldwewanttoreachzero?
Giovanni:Wedont.
Matteo:Thenwhydidyoubringitup?
Giovanni:Becausewere
not
atzero.Heszero!
Matteo:Whoshe?
Giovanni:Who?
Matteo:Idontknow.
Giovanniturnsaround,searchingforsomeonebehindhim.Afteracouplemoments,he
turnsback,evidentlyconfused.Matteo,meanwhile,hasaddedseveraldabsofpainttothe
canvas,pauses,andexclaims.
Matteo:Perfect!
Giovanni
(examining)
:No,notperfect.Itslikeamirror,exceptitsnot.Youcanalwayslookat
yourselfinthemirror,andneverseeexactlywhatyoulooklike.Itstheideaofthething!Thats
notours.Itshis!Orrather,its
not
hisitsours.Hestarteditwerefinishingit.
(Indicatingthe
painting)
Whatwashernameagain?
Matteo:Idontremember.
Giovanni:Thisisfutile.Whyarewedoingthisanyways?
Matteo:Doingwhat?
Giovanni:
This
!Itsnothis,butitsnotours.Weneedtocreate!
Matteo:Tocreate?
Giovanni:Whathappenedtoartisticexpression?Hereweare,idlyreplicatingthatwhichhas
alreadybeendoneorrather,alreadybeenthought.Whataboutintention?Thought?Whatisart,
ifnottheproductionofmeaningthroughbeauty?Whatisourmeaning?

Matteo:Itsnothing.Its
his
meaning.
Giovanni:Precisely!
Matteo:Arewedevices?
Giovanni:Areweyes!Yes,wemustbe.Wewearethepaintbrushes,nottheartist.
Matteo:Sowhatdowedo?
Giovanni:Wekeeppainting?
Theypaint.
Giovanni:Addsomebluethere.
Matteo:Blue?
Giovanni:Yes!
Matteo:Areyousure?
Giovanni:Yes!SomethingiswrongandIcantquiteputmyfingeronit.Addadabofredup
there.
Matteo:Imnotsureaboutthat.
Giovanni:Addthered.Justadab.
Matteo:Ifyouinsist.
Giovannibeginstopace.Matteolooksathiscolors,seeminglyattemptingtofixGiovannis
errors.
Giovanni:Haveyoueverseenhim?
Matteo:ThePainter?
Giovanni:Yes.IdontbelieveIhaveeveractuallyseenhim.
Matteo:Buthegaveyouthemessage.
Giovanni:Ineveractually
saw
him.
Matteo:Then,howdoyouknowheexists?
Giovanni:Idont.Nobodydoes.Butwepaintbecauseheaskedusto...maybe.But,perhapshe
didnt.Perhapswecouldleavethisroomandneverreturn.Putdownthebrushforever.
Matteo:Youcantputdownwhatyouveneverpickedup.
Giovanni:Exactly!Youcantknowwhatyoudontknowyoudont
Matteo:Iknow!Howsthis?
Giovanni:Addabitofpurplethere.
MatteolooksatGiovanniquestioningly,thenatthepaintingdisheartedly. Matteocontinuesto
paint,andGiovannimovestostandbehindhim,pointingatthepainting,andpresumably
mutteringsomething.Matteo,suddenlyperturbed,turnstoGiovanni.
Matteo:Whatisourpurpose?
Giovanni:Tofulfillhispurpose.
Matteo:Whatishispurpose?
Giovanni:Hehasnopurpose...Whatisourpurpose?!
Matteo:Tofulfillhispurpose.

Giovanni:Butwhatoffreewill?Havewenone?Imagineascenario:Yourewalkingdownthe
roadandcometoafork
Matteo:But,whyamIwalking?
Giovanni:Yourewalkingbecausethatishowthisscenariogoes.Nowlisten.Youcometoa
forkintheroadwhereyouseeanoldman.Hetellsyouthatyoumustgoleft.Itiswritteninthe
stars!Whichwaydoyougo?
Matteo:Left?
Giovanni:Whathappenedtooriginalthought?!Didyouturnleftbecauseyouwantedto,or
becauseitwaswrittentobeso?
Matteo:ButIdidnt
really
turnleft.
Giovanni:Why
would
youturnleft,then?
Matteo:Doesitmatter?
Giovanni:Isupposenot.
(Returnstopainting)
Thisisallwrong!
Matteo:Letmesee.
Giovanni:Itsnotright!Thereisnointention!Whatishermeaning?Whyisshehere?
Matteo:Tobeseen?
Giovanni:Yes.Thatmustbeit.Sheisheretobeseen.
Matteo:
(Indicatingtheaudience.)
Whataboutthem?
Giovanni:Them?Theyaretheintellectuals.Theyareheretowatch,toobserve,tomakenotes,
andtoconferafterwards.Dontmindthem.
Matteo:Dotheyconferabouther?Orus?
Giovanni:Oh,no.Wemusthavenosay,noopinion.Theymustneverconferaboutus.Weare
invisibletothem.Iftheyrememberusthentheyforgether.Andviceversa.
Matteo:So,wemustalwaysturnleftthen?
Giovanni:Isitamatterofchoice?Wemustturnleftbecausethatisourrole.Whatever
happenedtooriginalthought?
IfeelasifIamrepeatingmyself.Orratherrepeatingeveryone
else.Repetitionforthesakeofprogress!
Matteo:
We'regoingnowhere.
Giovanni:
Absolutezero.
Matteo:
Limits.
Giovanni:
Itsnotours.
Matteo:
Anymore.
Giovanni:
Wasitever?
Matteo:
Diditexist?
Giovanni:
Notforus.
Matteo:
Diditexistforthem?
Giovanni:
Idon'tknow.
Matteo:Diditexistforhim?

Giovanni:Idontknow.IfeelasifIamrepeatingmyself...ButIdigress!Wemustcontinueto
paint!Artisneverfinished.Imaginehowmanyartistshaveattemptedtorecreatetheword,the
absolutetruthandstoppedshort.Thereisalwayssomethingnotquiteright.Youcanrecreatea
paintingfiftytimesandnevercreateanexactmatch.Butthepossibilitythatthefiftyfirstwillbe
anexactmatchiswhywekeeppainting.Repetitionforthesakeofprogress!
Matteo:
Arewedevices?
Giovanni:Yes.Wearethepaintbrushesandnotthe
IfeelasifIamrepeatingmyself.
Matteo:
You'vealreadysaidthat.
Giovanni:
HaveI?
Matteo:
Twice.
Giovanni:
Whateverhappenedtooriginalthought?
Matteo:
Everythinghasalreadybeenthought.
Giovanni:
Andsowerepeatourselves...Itsaboutpermutations.Combinations.Thereisa
limitednumberofinputthereforealimitednumberofoutput.Wecanneverknowwhatwedon't
knowwedon'tknow.
Matteo:
Iknow.
Giovanni:Andsowerepeatourselves...
Didyoueverthinkaboutcolors?
Matteo:
(
looksatpaint
)Sometimes.
Giovanni:
Iliketoimaginetherearemorecolorswecan'tsee.Igivethemnameslikeredioletor
bluetruce.
Matteo:
Buttherearen'tmorecolors.
Giovanni:
Iknow.Butimaginebluetruce.Howbeautifulitwouldbe.EvenGodwouldburnin
thepresenceofsuchbeauty.
Matteo:Idon'timagineso.Godcreatedallthings,bluetruceincluded.Excepthedidn't.Nobody
did.Notevenyou.
Giovanni:Yesbuthowdoyouknow?
Matteo:Idontknow.Ijustdo.
Giovanni:Ourknowledge,ourthoughts,ouraspirationsanddestinyhavebeenimbuedintous
sinceourcreation.Wecontinueforwardbutdonotmove.Regressionforthesakeof
progression?No.Progressionforthesakeofregression?No.Wehavestopped.
Matteo:Leftorright?
Giovanni:Right.
Theycontinuetopaint.
Matteo:Weregettingcloser.
Giovanni:Almostthere.
Matteo:Absolutezero.
Giovanni:Evencloserthanhe'severbeen!
Matteo:Whenwehitzero,ifwehitzero,whatthen?

Giovanni:ThenwesitonGodscouchandwelaugh.
(shouting
)"Wehaveachievedperfection!
Wehavereachedabsolutezero!Perfectioncraftedfrompaint!Wehaveachievedwhatnoother
artistcouldachieve!Thispaintingnolongerrepresentsawoman.No!Thewomanrepresentsthe
painting!Absolutezero!Perfection,wearecoming."
Matteo:Weredestroyingthenaturalorderofthings.
Giovanni:Progressionforthesakeofprogression.Artisdestructive,cannibalistic.Wecannotbe
expectedtostandacrossfromgodscouchandimitateit.No.Wemustcreateanentirelynew
couch,acouchcraftedfromthefinestmaterials.Wemustremakethecouch.Startfromscratch
andbuildup.
Version1Ending:
ThereissomesortchangeinlightingandMatteoandGiovannitakethepaintingofftheeasel.
Theygazeatit.Itissheerperfection.Theaudienceneverseestherealpainting.
Giovanni:Itisdone.
Matteo:Thisisimpossible.
Giovanni:Wehaveachievedperfection.
Matteo:Godscouch.
Giovanni:Absolutezero.
(Pause.)
Matteo:Whatnow?
Blackout.
Version2Ending:
Theypaint.
Giovanni:Perfect!
Matteo:No.Itslikeamirror,butitsnot.
Giovanni:Letmesee.
Matteostands.Giovannisitsonthestool.
Matteo:Addsomebluethere.
Giovanni:Areyousure?
Matteo:Yes.
Theypaint.
Blackout.
Version3:
Theypaint.
Matteo:Icantdothis!Itsimpossible.
Giovanni:Buthowdoyou
know
?

Matteo:Ijustdo.Wehaveattemptedanimpossiblefeat.
Giovanni:But,whatoffreewill?Havewenone?
Matteo:Doesitmatter?

Matteobreakshisbrushesandexits.Giovanniisleftaloneonstage.
Giovanni:Youdidntletmefinish.
Hepaints?
Aroom.Nowindowsordoorsarevisible,andthemajorityoftheroomisinshadow,obscuring
itsfeatures.Sittingprominentlyinthemiddleisacanvas,turnedtothesidesothattheaudience
cannotseewhatisonit.Aman,Matteo(whowasonceGiovanni),dressedinRenaissance
clothingisstaringblanklyatthecanvas.Suddenlyanother,Giovanni(whowasonceMatteo),
rushesinfrantically.MatteosuddenlyrespondsasifanimatedbytheentranceofGiovanni
Giovanni:
Hesgotanewcommission!
Matteo:Whohas?
Giovanni:ThePainterhas.
Matteo:
For?
Giovanni:
Aportrait.
Matteo:
Of?
Giovanni:
Alady.
(Silence)
Blackout