Maybe We Are Mickey Mouse

MAYBE WE ARE MICKEY MOUSE
MAJA PELEVI
Dramaturgical note
THE TRAGEDY OF A SKETCHED AURA
Maybe We Are Mickey Mouse represents a text characterised by
emotional force, poetics belonging to post-dramatic form and an
extraordinary stage potential. This is a play or rather, a type of postdramatic script in which Maja Pelevic speaks of man in todays world,
disoriented by the absence of God, moral, love, tolerance or value
norms and most of all purpose, in a critically engaged and formally
innovative way that abounds with layers of meaning. From a broader
poetical perspective, it can be observed that this text represents a
logical step in the work of one of our most gifted young dramatists,
even though slightly unexpected in terms of poetics. Following her
undisputable dramatic sensibility, in her text Maybe We Are Mickey
Mouse, Maja Pelevi uses one of the key technological phenomena of
modern electronic, post-modern and consumer civilisation a photo
booth as a means of shaping a dramatic expression of the void of an
automatised post-modern world and the barren abundance of the soul
inhabiting it in search for fulfilment or, at least, comfort. In it, Maja
Pelevi follows the trend of convincingly broadening the list of motives
she addresses, realising at the same time an increasing complexity,
precision and convincingness of form.
Namely, whilst her first full length play Out of Gear represented a
cynical melodrama, Belgrade-Berlin, on the other hand, a sullen allegory
of an adventure, Orange Peel a hilarious satirical parable on the
rebellion of the Body, and Me or Someone Else a postmodern tragicomic
fugue on freedom and all types of enslavement, a new process of the
authors twofold maturing is evident in this play. On one hand, the form
of this text corresponds with means, methods and even strategies of
post-dramatic theatre refraining from synthesis, overlapping layers of
stage illusion, playing with the density and rhythm of dramatic and
stage signs, simultaneity and synesthesia. On the other hand, this play,
through its motifs, characters and non-fabulated elliptic story,
embodies, in a representative and up-to-date manner, Walter
Benjamins notion of a lost aura a disposable appearance of distance,
however close it may be. It is this said aura, as a lost source and
unreachable goal, that the scant, and yet emotionally soaked leanings
of all characters or rather dramatic figures of this elegiac Proustian
ballad face. As testimonies of the precious transience of life and
deceiving eternity of images, love and oblivion, memory and lack of
understanding, protagonists of Pelevis text at the same time point to
the ancient Faustian cry for elusive dreams and everyday life that they
themselves try to escape: Verweile doch, du bist so schon! (Do not
pass, you are so wonderful!).
The play is inspired by and dedicated to the characters of the graffiti in Ivo Lola
Ribar Street in Belgrade, who left the wall in order to tell this story, in October
2007
Insert note
Coins will not be accepted
Damaged notes will not be accepted
The note must not be crumpled, torn or pasted together
Pull the curtain
Adjust the seat to make your head level with the
square on the screen
Look at the red dot
Press the green button
Wait for a few seconds
FLASH
The photographs will be ready in five minutes
The automaton maintains the right to all photographs
The moment before: Usually related to looking at oneself in the mirror, adjusting
ones hair, taking glasses, hats, scarves on and off, and applying make up. Lasts
for three to five minutes. The person makes an effort to look their best, and
sometimes deliberately perverts themselves. They mostly do that by themselves,
and often in the presence of other people.
During: The person is rarely in an adequate position. Mainly its the head that
dominates the area of the square, but sometimes other extremities find their way
in there too. In ninety percent of cases the person looks at the red dot, nine
percent does not, and one percent puts on glasses or otherwise covers their eyes.
The moment after: In the majority of cases the person leaves the booth
immediately and nervously waits to see the photographs. In the meantime they
look at themselves in the mirror again, adjust their hair or touch up their make
up. In ninety seven percent of the cases the person will take the photograph, two
percent leaves it in the slot and one percent burns it.
Ninety eight percent of the persons abides by the rules of using the apparatus.
The apparatus reserves the rights to the negatives and production of

photographs for advertising purposes.
Only users who follow the rules of the apparatus have the right to complaints.
All persons who misuse and damage the apparatus will be prosecuted.
They enter.
He puts on a white shirt with black stripes and black trousers.
She puts on a white shirt and black trousers.
They put big black plastic ears on their heads.
They embrace each other.
FLASH
He I love life. If I hadnt been born I would never have known life is one big
adventure. I could never have enjoyed the small joys that surround me. I could
never have put on my new black trousers and my new white striped shirt and
walk around the city. I could never have looked at myself in the shop windows
and thought about how handsome I am. And how fortunate I am to have been
born in this body and no other. And how fortunate I am that it was ME who flew
out of my mothers womb. Life counts from that moment on. When a little part of
your head or your leg sees the world for the first time. In my case, my life
commenced with the big toe of my left foot. They say I was born on the wrong
side of the bed, showing my left foot first like that. I know when I started
counting. I felt an opening and I knew I had to get out as soon as possible. Before
they managed to get hold of all those tools for slicing my mother open I was out.
Counting one, two, three, four, five, six... up until today, four hundred seventy
three million and one and two and three and four... Suicides, bums, vagrants,
none of you has realised the beauty of living. From birth to death so much
excitement at every step!
He You have to laugh.
She Why?
He Because you have to. Youre prettier that way. Little girls are prettier when
they laugh. When they have pretty teeth. When their milk teeth have still not
fallen out. When theyre not temporarily toothless.
She I dont like to laugh.
He You have to.
She What about you?
He Ill laugh too.
She But your teeth are not showing.
He No they arent.
She Why not?
He Little boys have to be mindful of what they show.
She You have nice teeth.
He All the more reason for not showing them. Not everybody has to know that.
She Ive never been to Disneyland. They say its like in a fairytale. But only those
parts of a fairytale in which nothing bad happens. Like the beginning and the end.
Why are the beginning and the end the best? Once upon a time there was this
one and they lived happily ever after. Why does anything have to happen in
between?
He Its ugly.
She No its not.
He I told you you had to laugh so your teeth show.
She Why do my teeth have to show?
He Because you have pretty teeth. Once your teeth are no longer pretty, when
your teeth are old and rotten and your breath stinks, you wont have to laugh
anymore.
He To kill oneself before its too late. Ive considered that too. But thats no
solution either. Understanding life the right way. Not letting things in your way
slow you down. Like a rollercoaster ride. Its an incredible feeling. Ive never done
it but Ive seen it more than once. On the telly. Now, thats what lifes supposed
to look like. Before, when youre sick to your stomach, and afterwards, when
youre dizzy, you just look around you and you feel better straight away. Then
you go to the castle or go for a ride on the river with the pirates and you instantly
forget everything thats happened before. People keep making mistakes because
they remember their past. Ive already forgotten what was doing a couple of
seconds ago. Its the only solution.
She I dont want to tear it up.
He You have to. We dont need it.
She But I think its pretty.
He No its not. And it will never be pretty.
She But...
He It will never be pretty. Not that one. Not any other one. Ever.
The girl with a blue hat

Takes her hat off.
Adjusts her hair.
Puts her hat on.
Sees something in the mirror.
Turns around abruptly.
Says a name softly.
Says a name a bit more loudly.
She closes her mouth and freezes.
A boy with a backpack on his back
Walks briskly.
Stops.
Looks in the direction of the girl with a blue hat.
Opens his mouth as though he wants to say something.
Closes his mouth.
Stands motionless, as if implanted.
The girl with the blue hat
Takes a couple of steps.
Stops.
Takes another couple of steps.
Stops.
Inhales.
Exhales.
Takes another couple of steps.
Stops in front of the boy with the backpack on his
back.
She smiles imperceptibly.
Places her hand on his shoulder.
The boy with the backpack on his back winces.
The girl with the blue hat removes her hand.
A pause.
The girl with the blue hat takes her hat off.
The boy with the backpack on his back bows his head.
Looks up.
Looks at her hair.
The Girl This is the place where were allowed to erase our past. This is the place
where we can start over. Why cant we start over like when you forgot those
things from when you were little, why is only that part of your life susceptible to
oblivion?
The Boy We met in a neutral territory. This is all I think about it. Everything
happened by chance. New technologies do not recognise higher powers and the
laws of the Gods.
The Girl Five firecrackers went off in a row. I thought firecrackers were prohibited
around here. I knew Id meet you.
The Boy A cock you can stick into everyones hole without anyone feeling a thing.
Thats what this is.
The Girl Ive been thinking of you for the past year. Why did you leave?
The Boy You were a bitch that last time. I felt the knockout approaching. I was too
good to you.
The Girl Ive dreamt of us. We were sitting in a boat on the high seas. We were
throwing grapes in the water even though we felt like eating them. Then the boat
caught on fire but we were fine with it so we just carried on throwing grapes at
each other in the water as if nothing had happened and black boards from the
burnt boat floated around us.
The Boy I havent dreamt for months now. They say it happens when your
subconsciousness dies or when you get hooked on demetrine because you think
your heart keeps skipping a beat.
The Girl You ran away. I loved you.
The Boy Everything got fucked up and I knew I had to go. I had this idea about
sorting out the last remains. I pasted my ID card photograph on the door of my
room Ive never seen again and wrote on it with a half-used black felt pen RIGHT
WHERE I AM. As soon as W, the letters could barely be seen. I felt myself on that
piece paper. Im there even now, recycled, torn or burnt down. My mum says Id
misplaced myself while packing. I say I stayed misplaced for good. Thank you
mum for not looking after me. Thats why Im going to kill you one day.
The Girl I used to love you.
FLASH
The Boy Done?

takes the photograph.
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The boy with the backpack on his back is looking at
the lens with pursed lips. Ruptured capillaries in one eye, the other one is clear.
His shoulders are slumped and his is head tilted to one side. The girl with the
blue hat is biting her lower lip. Shes looking down. Her eyes are bright and
slightly teary. Her shoulders are tense and her head is tilted to the right.
The boy with the backpack on his back stands still.

The girl with the blue hat is looking at the floor.
The boy with the backpack on his back leaves.
The girl with the blue hat watches him leave.
The girl with the blue hat leaves.
He Your face is so beautiful.
She Why are you telling me this?
He Your face is still so beautiful. Such young skin.
She What about yours?
He Mine too. We could be a perfect couple.
She A perfect couple!
He We could go for a walk holding hands.
She And feed the birds.
He And have people have their pictures taken with us.
She Everyone would admire us.
He We would walk along the street in our best clothes.
She We would laugh all the time.
He We would say hello to everybody.
She Wed wave.
He Good morning.
She Would you like to have your picture taken with us?
He We wouldnt even have to ask.
She They would ask us themselves.
He And they would treasure us on their walls for the rest of their lives.
She Whilst we would forget them instantly.
He And carry on.
She Good day!
He Good day!
She I always wanted everyone to have their picture taken with me. For everyone
to want to have their picture taken with me. I wanted my day to start by my
putting on my new, freshly pressed sparkling costume, adjusting my gorgeous
long blond wig and looking at the sky. And the sun in the sky. Shining on my face
and gliding down my dress in countless shades of colour. I laugh and spread my
arms. People, children come up to me, they revel in my beauty, they bounce and
rejoice. They give me presents and hide underneath my dress. I caress their
heads, I spin and utter cries of joy. Flashes go off around me, they blend in with
the sunlight, they blend together, they blind me and help me to forget. But
sometimes I dont want to forget, and yet I have to. My pictures hang on all the
walls in the world. I have to forget.
She What are you doing?
He I want to set my palm on fire.
She Why?
He To destroy my life line. On my left palm. No use for it.
She Youll hurt yourself. It will hurt.
He What difference does it make. It only hurts for a bit. It heals quickly and hurts
no longer.
He Irregularities should be corrected when youre young. When your skin is

quickly renewed. I dont want anyone in the future to know how long Ill live. To
take a glance at my palm and make an estimate. The palms should be smooth.
Like other parts of the body. My body will always be the same. There are no
marks of existence on it. I will lie on drift ice till the end of the world if there is
any ice whatsoever.
She Light up one for me too.
A man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo.
Walks confidently.
Slows down a bit.
Looks at his mobile.
Frowns.
Approaches the booth.
Looks at it suspiciously.
Produces his wallet.
Takes out some money.
Looks at the notes.
His phone rings.
The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo answers his phone.
The Man Yes, love... yes, I sorted it all out. Are you alright... good... super... alls
well... I sorted it all out... yes... right... I left it there by the table... yes... yes,
there... right.. .I will... I will... alright... kisses... as soon as possible... kiss... go
on... go on, off you go, love... me too... right... go on... kisses...
The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo

looks at himself in the mirror
adjusts his funny hairdo
touches a wrinkle under his right eye
as if trying to remove it
Looks at his mobile
Adjusts the seat
The Man I got up. I sorted out the papers. I sent emails. I went to all the
meetings. Withdrew money from the account. Looked in the direction of my bed
this morning and saw her. She was lying there with her hair tousled, her arm was
on the edge of the bed, immobile. She looked like a used teabag I need to throw
in the garbage. I hate a mess. Thats all I thought of at that moment. And I
wished for her to disappear. To disappear, her and all the teabags Ive ever put in
boiling water. They say these industrial teabags should not be kept in water for
more than three minutes because they turn carcinogenic. Ive kept mine in for too
long. I havent tasted real mountain tea for such a long time. Ive never had the
time to go out and buy some.
FLASH
The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo is waiting

a photograph of him emerges
of a man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo
ENCOUNTER: Four identical photographs in a row. In each of them a man in his

late thirties with a funny hairdo is looking at the lens. His eyes bulging. His eyes
sullen worried bulging. Sullen worried slightly moist bulging eyes that overwhelm
the lens. His eyes sullen worried slightly moist bulging, having put up with eyelids
for too long. Above them, the heavy lids, about to drop. A sparkle of sweat at the
right side of his forehead. His lower lip swollen. A birthmark on his left cheek. His
right hand touching his hair accidentally.
The photograph drops.

The sound of paper.
He takes it clumsily
and blots out the eyes in the last photograph.
He Whatcha looking at me for?
She I remembered that time we made a little house of plastic plates we stole
from the hotel.
He Why did you remember this now?
She I dont know. I remembered.
He Something mustve made you remember.
She Probably.
He Well, what made you? Tell me what made you!
She I dont know. Why are you shouting?
He Youll die.
She So what.
He Youll die in agony by piling up memories that will eventually kill you because
you dont know how to free yourself of them and you dont know how to live in
the present moment. The things you remember smother you like a filthy old
blanket youre sorry to throw away, like a wardrobe full of your dead relatives
belongings.
She I like to keep things.
He Thats why youll die one day.
She Youll die too.
He Only happy.
He I hate photo albums, particularly the pictures of when I was born. Pictures
steal moments and each one of them makes me feel a second older. Pictures take
away time and pieces of the soul. They scatter you in places you dont want to be
in. They enclose
you between the covers, they tear you and remind you of how one day you will
cease to be.
A girl with green hair

and
A girl with a beer in her hand
are singing.
Unpleasant voices.
Drunken unpleasant teenage voices.
They walk arm in arm.
Staggering.
They reach the photo booth.
The girl with the green hair
kisses the mirror
and leaves the print of her lips.
The girl with a beer in her hand
spills the beer.
They shout.
They laugh.
They fall into the booth.
is sitting
on the lap of
the girl with a beer in her hand.
They look at the red dot.
The girl with the green hair Press.
The girl with a beer in her hand Wait till I get ready.
The girl with the green hair Go on! No getting ready!
The girl with a beer in her hand Easy for you to say with that hair and all.
The girl with the green hair Its all washed out.
The girl with a beer in her hand Its still green.
The girl with the green hair Really!
The girl with a beer in her hand You didnt!
FLASH

and
are waiting.
The girl with the green hair Insecure cow. She cant do anything spontaneously.
Its always like this. Whatever we do. And now the pic will turn out like crap. Since
I have to do everything abruptly and by force.
The girl with a beer in her hand I dont feel so well. I think Im going to be sick.

throws her beer on the floor.
Throws up.
laughs.
The photographs emerge.
ENCOUNTER: Four different photographs in a row. In the first one the girl with the
green hair and the girl with a beer in her hand are looking at the lens sticking
their tongues out. The beer barged in on the shot from the right hand side. In the
second one, the girl with the green hair is pulling the girl with a beer in her hand
by the hair. The girl with a beer in her hand is pulling her head to the left. In the
third one theres only the girl with the green hair. She looks at the lens with a
confident grin and holds the head of the girl with a beer in her hand on her lap. In
the fourth one the hand of the girl with a beer in her hand and in her hand the
beer.
The girl with the green hair tears up the photograph.

The pieces fall to the floor.
She leaves.
The girl holding the beer collects the pieces of the
photographs
puts them in her pocket
and leaves.
She I feel sick.
He Why?
She I swallowed something.
He What did you swallow? Open your mouth.
She No, dont want to.
He Open your mouth!
She Paper.
He What paper?
She Our photograph.
He Why did you do that?
She To preserve us.
He How did you think you could preserve us? By swallowing some paper? You
couldnt preserve us if you sat in the lotus position and thought about us as
intensely as possible. Stupid cow.
She I love you.
He Youre stupid.
She I love you.
He I hate stupid people.
She I just wanted us to be here for a little while longer like we used to be when
we took our pictures back then. I felt some surge of warmth when you stroked my
hair for the first time and laughed faintly. Like when you let me touch your cheek.
He Youre pathetic. All this is no longer there! It will never be there again! Why
cant you just realise this.
She Kiss me.
He No, dont want to.
She Why not?
He Because.
She But you wanted to.
He Back then.
She How about now?
He Not anymore.
She Thats why I swallowed the photograph.
She Im not allowed to talk about this. He wont let me. But I remember it all. I
remember the first time we went to the beach together and when we left our
imprints in the sand an infinite number of times. He was building a big castle and
I helped him. Every time the castle happened to collapse, he would accuse me,
but we were still happy. And we swam in the sea. And had ice cream. And swam
in the sea again. It is all ordered in the album and nowhere does it show that the
castle ever collapsed. And that the grown ups helped us rebuild it. It looks as
though we were on our own and this was our little kingdom. Thats where it all
began.
The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo

quite bald by now
walks confidently
pauses
starts again
pauses
stops
looks at his shoes
his mobile rings
The Man Yes, love... yes, I sorted it all out. Are you alright... good... super... all is
well... I sorted it all out... yes... right... I left it there for you, by the table... yes...
yes, there... right... I will... I will... right... kiss... as soon as possible... kiss... go
on... off you go now, love... me too... right... go on... kiss....

is kicking a beer bottle
she passes by him
looks at him
The girl with the green hair We could have...
Man Yes we could have.
The girl with the green hair If only Id stopped?
The Man You wouldnt stop.
The girl with the green hair I was running.
The Man Too much.
The girl with the green hair Where were you?
The Man Nowhere.
The girl How about now?
FLASH
The man with the funny hairdo

is waiting
is waiting
Their eyes dont touch in the slightest
Maybe only in the corners
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The man with a funny hairdo quite bald by now looks
at the red dot confidently. A trace of a slight convulsion of the jaw. The girl with
the green hair is seen from the side. Her head lowered. She is looking at her
hands. The green hair covers her face.

takes the photograph
quite bald by now
is looking at the photograph
The girl with the green hair You want to?
The man with a funny hairdo

extends his hand
removes his hand
The girl with the green hair You want to?

The man with a funny hairdo leaves
Remains standing.
The girl with the green hair Never. I have never had game soup but Ive always
wanted to. I went to a restaurant a few times with the intention of trying it but it
happened that they had no game that particular day. Never mind. Id given up
soon. So when they do have it somewhere Ill taste it. Its not like Im going to the
woods to hunt wild animals in order to be able to eat game soup. Some people
do. But I wont.

crumples the photograph
that falls on the floor.
She Your hair is nice.
He Get off me.
She Want me to scratch you?
He No. Get off!
She Lets have our picture taken.
He No!
She And then we can tear it up.
He Alright. But we do it my way.
She We do it your way.
He Sometimes she just doesnt get it. Sometimes shes so stupid. Sometimes she
can just tear it all down in a second. Like that castle. She keeps going on about
that castle. But I dont want to know anything about it. I dont remember it. And I
wouldnt remember it if she didnt go on about it all the time. Images take longer
to reach her brain. Thats why they linger there for so long. When all the things
are where theyre supposed to be shell understand that every second is behind
us, like now, its already behind us, behind us, behind us... thats why its stupid
to remember. Throw your plush photo album in the garbage, you stupid cow!
She Want me to laugh?
He No.
She To be serious?
He Do what you want.
She When will you forgive me?
He Leave me alone.
She Look at me. Im looking at you. Im looking at you.
He Shut up!
FLASH
A woman with a baby in a pram.

Looks at the baby.
Looks up.
Looks at the baby.
Stops.
The baby cries a bit.
She takes the baby from the pram.
Holds it close.
She goes shhhhhh
The baby stops crying.
The woman with the baby in the pram
smiles.
Puts the baby back in the pram.
Looks at herself in the mirror.
Puts on some lip gloss.
Takes the baby from the pram.
Shows the baby the reflection in the mirror
The child laughs
laughs.
They enter the booth.
The woman Things are much better now. Now that youre here. Before this I
thought everything had lost its meaning. Id been getting ready for days. I even
used to carry razors in my purse although Id heard it was better to swallow a
sufficient amount of sleeping pills. They say its better to do it at once because
when you take them one by one you can just fall asleep and end up not doing
anything. But then you showed up, all of a sudden. Like an angel. You appeared
within me and you grew and you came out and now youre here. I wish you could
be so little forever. Im afraid youll just grow up and leave me. And I mustnt be
alone. If you leave me, I might be tempted to carry things in my purse again.
Youve grown inside me, that was enough. Dont keep growing. Stay as you are.
Little. And mine. And with me.
FLASH

kisses the baby on the head
The baby laughs
puts the baby back in the pram
waits
Looks at herself in the mirror
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The woman with the baby in the pram is looking at
the lens with a huge grin. The child is squeezed tight against her head as though
it is a two-headed monster and is puzzled. The baby is looking in the direction of
its mother.
The woman with the child in the pram

stands still for a couple of seconds
and
He Where do you think youre going?
She Just wanted to have a look.
He A look at what?
She Her.
He Who?
She The baby.
He Why would you look at it?
She Touch me.
He No.
She Just a bit.
He No.
She Ill be off then.
He You cant.
She But I have to.
He You cant.
She Come here.

Is laughing
She is laughing hysterically
She is laughing hysterically

so much that tears well up in her eyes
She screams
The girl with the blue hat I feel so relieved. I bought three T-shirts and walked
along by the river with a carrier bag. Then I ran in the sun and rode a bike and
looked at the river and had coffee and looked at the river again. I adore daytime.
I jump! I run! I cant see anything behind me! Some small children were running
past me. They were playing ball. They flew by. The clouds were passing faster
than ever! They were passing faster than ever! Faster than ever!

Passes her by
without the baby in the pram
She pauses
FLASH
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The girl with the blue hat is looking towards
something thats supposed to be the sky. Her mouth is open. Her arms spread
out. On her cheek a tear or a trace of sweat or a tear after all.
He You are so soft. Your skin is so smooth. When I touch you I stop counting. I
disintegrate. Four hundred and seventy three million eight hundred and fifty four
and five and six and seven and eight...
She You have a sore on your right knee. Does it hurt?
He It will get infected.
She No it wont.
He Millions of bacteria eating up my flesh and my skin develop there. The body is
fighting it. My body is fighting it persistently. I mustnt be damaged. Our bodies
must not be damaged.
She Where are you going? Come here.
He I cant touch you.
She Why?
He Well die.
She Kiss me.
He But it will all be gone in the next moment.
She Im waiting.
He We have to stand as firmly as possible. Every movement causes the passage

of time. We exist to be admired and to be kept on mantelpieces, in nurseries, in
institutions, at supermarkets. I mustnt kiss you. I dont want to feel my
transience. Get off me.
She Give me your hand.
He Our hands are icy. Suddenly, blood. Blood appears. Red sticky blood. Blood
that contains us within it, the blood we contain within us. Spilling out of me, out
of her, all around us, like a flood. It floods the city, it spreads, it covers the
pavements and falls in to the drains, among the rats, it spills over their goose
bumped skin and their sharp teeth. The blood that opens us up and eats us up.
We spit it out and then take it in again. We spread it on our bodies. We feel its
warmth. We feel it eating us up from the inside. We take it off by rubbing
ourselves against the floor. We take it off of our smooth white bodies. We polish
ourselves to complete whiteness. We shine in the sun.
She Give me your hand.
A man with a stick in his hand

A woman in a white fur coat
They stop.
They look at each other.
The man with the stick in his hand
Takes a breath
He breathes heavily
The woman in the white fur coat
Fidgets
Puts her gloves on
The Woman Hes been gone for a few days already.
The Man He disappears but he comes back.
The Woman Im scared.
The Man Nothing will happen to him. The city is a safe place. Hes not little.
The Woman We may have been a bit too rough.
The Man Strict. We were strict.
The Woman We shouldve taken him to Disneyland.
The Man Disneyland spoils children.
The Woman Hes not a child anymore.
The Man What would he do in Disneyland then?
The Woman Maybe he wanted to remember.
The Man Remember what?
The Woman How he used to love Disneyland.
The Man He masturbated in front of us. Several times.
The Woman He wasnt feeling well.
The Man Thats no excuse.
The Woman He wanted to attract attention.
The Man Thats not the way.
The Woman No, its not.
The Man Hell be back.
The Woman When?
The Man When he gets hungry and when he runs out of money.
FLASH
The Woman When theyre little you can hand them a toy and they calm down at
once. They engage in playing and then throw it away. Then you hand them a new
one and then it all starts over again. Thats how childhood passes. In a constant
change of toys. They get bored quickly and they forget quickly. Before they start
talking they cant ask questions. When they start talking they take time before
they can say what they want. Then they ask for one thing and then another and
then another. The days pass quickly in repeated actions. There, take this one, you
want that one now and so on ad nauseam. Then they grow up and get
complicated. They ask for a lot and give little. Theyre ungrateful and crude. They
come and go as they please. They forget where they came from. They forget
whose womb it was that they were ripping. They forget very quickly. When
theyre little, they dont know about Disneyland.
The Man I look at his photographs from when he was a child. They sit on the
mantelpiece, framed. Good and quiet. Withdrawn and capable of playing on his
own. Interested in playing with other children but at the same time able to create
his own world. A child you could only wish for. Now he stands in front of these
photographs, grown up and naked, stark naked and masturbating. Hes
masturbating even though we are trying to watch television. He distracts us with
his already large and mature genitals. Eventually he stains our new Persian
carpet. And expects us to react. But we wont be provoked. We have read about
puberty.

and
are waiting
A photograph drops
reaches out for it
The man with a stick in his hand
beats her to it
he drops his stick

looks at it
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The woman in the white fur coat. The man with the
stick in his hand. The woman has a sour smile. The man is sitting up straight and
is serious. A hint of someones shadow is behind their backs.
The man with a stick in his hand

drops the photograph on the floor.
Bends over to retrieve it
pulls her up
They leave.
The woman in white fur coat
looks at the photograph
on the floor.
She Im bleeding.
He I can see that.
She Whats happening to me is not normal.
He Blood is not normal. Wash yourself.
She I feel dirty.
He You are dirty.
She What do I do?
He Stop the bleeding.
She How?
He I dont know. How should I know? Think of something. How should I know?
She Help me.
He I cant. I cant bear to look.
She Youre scared of blood?
He It disgusts me.
She I miss home.
He You dont know what home is.
She Your beards growing.
He My beards not growing.
She Its growing, look in the mirror.
He My beards not growing.
She We used to love to get lost in supermarkets. We ran from toy to toy, we
looked dolls in the eye and stuck our tongues out at them. We would wake them
up, play with them. We used to sit in their places pretending were for sale. We
wanted someone to buy us and take us with them. We wanted them to carry us
with them at all times. To boast of having us and compete in the prettiest doll
competitions. And we were the prettiest. Of the best make. Best quality.
Unsurpassed.
The boy with the backpack on his back

Passes
Pauses.
Takes a photograph from the floor.
Looks at it.
Puts it in his pocket.
The boy with the backpack on his back Mum. Dad. Im back.
FLASH
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The boy with the backpack on his back. Hes laughing.
Hes laughing so that his teeth are showing. Hes laughing so that his skin hurts
from being overstretched. Hes laughing.
The boy with the backpack on his back

Leaves.
She I saw them.
He Who?
She Them. I saw everything.
He I dont know what youre talking about.
She You think they dont love us?
He No.
She You think theyve never loved us?
He No.
She Why?
He Because its mere inertia that gets us all to be born in the first place.
He Production of toys and objects for entertaining children is on the sharp rise.
Every year an increasing number of upgrades is produced. They get ever more
complicated, more colourful, more attractive, all with the purpose of completely
engaging childrens attention. Parents surge to shops like an avalanche and grab
plastic hair and automated bodies. While I jerk off behind the stall with plastic
soldiers. No one can hear or see me.
He There were plans.
She What sort of plans?
He The plans of how to make us into what they wanted us to be.
She Who?
He All those people we forgot. All those people who smiled at us in passing. All
those people who had known what we were going to be before we were born. All
those people we are never going to become.
She I feel like a woman.
He Your body is smooth. Your body is not the body of a woman.
She Im afraid you dont see me.
He I see you.
She But youre not looking at me.
He I have no need to look at you.
She I cry often. There in the corner. So he wont see me. He wouldnt understand.
A couple of times I tried to explain to him that I see it all. To explain to him that I
do care. That I see them passing. That I recognise. He doesnt listen to me.
Doesnt want to listen or he just keeps quiet. I shiver. I shiver like an animal
before a disaster. Theres no one to hold me. Theres no one to understand it.
Theres no one.

Dishevelled
Searches for something
Searches for someone
Searches
The woman Make the sauce from two mashed boiled eggs, chopped onions,
pickles, drained sardines, caper, chopped parsley and celery leaf. Put the chicken
in a bowl. Add grated apple. Serve the salad decorated in this way at all festive
occasions with fine pastry and chilled wine.
FLASH
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The woman in the white fur coat is looking at the red
dot. Her lips are pursed. Her fur coat has dropped from her right shoulder. As
though she is beckoning someone with her right hand.
She You havent asked me. Youve never asked me.
He They were all random passers-by. Just ordinary passers-by. Any passers-by.
The first to come along.
She You had to ask me.
He You dont understand a thing. These are all normal people. They pass this way
and cant linger for a long time. They have their pictures taken and leave. They
take the picture. They throw the picture away. A couple of seconds out of eight
hundred million seconds or more in their lives. They dont know it themselves.
Then they play. One with the other. They buy toys. They throw the toys away.
They step on them. They tangle their hair. Pluck. Tear. Just some people, any
people.
The girl with the beer in her hand

throws up in the corner
She stands up
She crouches
Throws up
Stands up
Crouches
Throws up
The girl with the beer in her hand Ive had tomato. Cucumber and fish soup. I
think Ive also had some bread but Im not sure. Some mushroom pie too. A
woman was once poisoned by mushrooms she picked in her own garden. Who
planted poisonous mushrooms in her garden?
FLASH
ENCOUNTER The girl with the beer in her hand has vomit smeared all over her
face. Traces of the remains of tomato, cucumber and bread can be seen. And
mushrooms.
She These were not just any people.
He No, they werent.
She They werent just random passers-by.
He They probably werent. Thats just a figure of speech. No one is just a random
passer-by.

the boy with the backpack on his back
meet.
waves his stick
and strikes the boy with the backpack on his back
in the head.
He falls down.
The man with the stick in his hand.
Carries on striking
and striking
and striking.
He leaves.
FLASH
ENCOUNTER: Portrait type. The boy with the backpack on his back. Blood running
from his nose. One of his eyes is half open. His lower lip is split. His head is tilted
to the right.
She It was us.
He Perhaps.
She It was our parents.
He Perhaps.
She It was all the toys that were on the shelf with us. It was all those people who
had their pictures taken with us and in whose homes we now reside framed on
the mantelpieces. It was all those people who looked at the figures on our price
tags. And all those people whom we hugged and next to whom we laughed while
a big glass castle made of ice could be seen in the distance behind us.
He I wanted to forget the moment when I stopped counting. Four hundred

seventy three million one hundred and twenty five.

passes by
overturns the pram
shakes it
The child is not there.

She puts them back on their wheels
carries on.
FLASH
He There is something about that blinding light that resembles an explosion.

There is something in that act of dispersing. In the act of disassembling the view.
When energy makes an unexpected move forward. When things that were
standing there are no longer there. When someones pictures become just a part
of the past. When any picture becomes a part of the past. When the pupils
respond to light and go blind for a moment. When we cant seen anything from
the smoke and then the traces of the remains emerge. People are puppets until
you parse them into pieces. Four hundred and seventy three million one hundred
and twenty six.
She Dear mum, I stuck a pencil in my mouth today. I stuck it so deep that it
ruptured my larynx. I choked for a long time and there was a lot of blood.
He I have been preparing myself for it for years. I was counting. I knew exactly
when it was supposed to happen.
She You were gazing ahead again and I think you didnt see me when I waved. I
told you I was going to school. And you said alright.
He I put on my white striped shirt and black trousers. I looked at myself in the
mirror and assumed a soldiers stance. I will never be a proper soldier but I will do
a good deed for this world.
She I no longer feel pain. Ive crossed the threshold of your body going numb for
good.
He I march in even steps across the bridge. I march so as to tear the bridge
down. I observe people walking without any awareness. I observe people
surviving in the moment. I observe them.
She It is all ordered and arranged by colours in a row. At the toy shop. In albums.
And then someone walks in, takes out one item and it all collapses. It is all
disordered for a moment but gets readjusted very soon. And once again its as if
nothing had happened.
He Anything transient is of no concern to me. No one looks back. Have your

picture taken with us and lets move on. We are your children. We are your dolls.
We are what you have been and what you will be. She No one asks you if you
want to be born. No one asks you if you want to sit on that shelf. No one asks you
anything. You are born with screams. And then you start screaming yourself.
Where is the stop button?
He We move on. Four hundred and seventy three million one hundred and twenty
two. Were close.
She Have your picture taken with us. We are the prettiest! We are the greatest
fun! We will make your life more beautiful for a moment! You will remember us
forever! Hey, you two who got pissed last night and you with the funny hairdo,
mum, dad, whoever you are, we dont care, it couldve been us, but no! Weve
never left our shelves. We never wanted to follow you! Weve never seen any
sense in stopping the time and admiring it. Theres only one way to stop the
time.
He Four hundred and seventy three million one hundred and twenty six. A
strange silence and the crackling of skin. The head of the man with the funny
hairdo. The hand of the girl with the beer in her hand with no beer in it. The pram
with no child. The woman in the fur coat with no head. Ashes. Scents. Daybreak.
Enter the girl with the blue hat

She puts black plastic ears on her head
She She thought blue looked good on her. Thats why she was wearing this hat.
Shes often thought she was right and shes never found out what it really meant
to be right. She wanted to feel good. She didnt want to suffer, she didnt want to
cry. She thought people who often cried were weak, and people who cried in
public were insane. Whenever she found herself in an uncomfortable situation
she found a way to get out of it skilfully. Whenever she felt pain she thought she
was sick. When she was driving, she drove around the holes in the road. The
wheels remained pretty and intact. When she met a boy with a backpack on his
back after a long sequence of years she told him it was too late. He tried to touch
her icy cheeks but she asked him to leave. She believed she hadd one the right
thing.

smile
FLASH
Enter a man with a backpack on his back

he puts black plastic ears on his head
She There was nothing in his backpack. He wanted to go back to his home. He
didnt believe in memories. He always threw everything away. When he left home
a few years ago he didnt take anything with him. When he decided to go back he
knew he was going to come with nothing. He found his mother and father in the
same position he had left them in. He laughed at that clich and went for a walk.
When he moved his hand towards the face of the girl with the blue hat he already
knew he was leaving again. He said have a nice trip.
The man with the backpack on his back

smile
FLASH
Enter the man with the funny hairdo

quite bald by now
he puts the black plastic ears on his head
She He went bald too early. It made him special. He thought himself special and
irreplaceable. He lived by strictly prescribed rules. He worked often and much so
he wouldnt have to think about life. Whenever hed think about his life he felt
pathetic. Thats why he never thought. He hated vague things. He hated
unreliability. He feared bright colours and ran away from light.

smile
FLASH
Enter the girl with the green hair

she puts black plastic ears on her head
She She dyed her hair all sorts of colours. A different colour every week.
Whenever she changed her hair colour she felt different. But not like when just
anyone else makes a change, she really felt different. Shed often lie about
herself because she was afraid shed be boring otherwise. She liked to run away
and check if anyone was running after her. Shes never cried in her life because
she was ashamed even of herself.

smile
FLASH
Enter the girl with the beer in her hand

She She was always one of those people sitting in the back row of the classroom.
But one of those people no one ever notices. She lived on others stories and
events. She soaked them up and then shed throw them all up. Shed feel slightly
better afterwards, for a while. Empty and relieved.
The girl with the beer in her hand

smile
FLASH
Enter the woman with the child in the pram

she puts plastic ears on her head
She The only thing shes wanted is to have a child and for the child never to grow
up. To stay little like dogs when they are small and sweet and devoted. For the
child never to leave her. The child has grown up and left her nevertheless.
The woman with the child in the pram

smile
FLASH
Enter the man with the stick in his hand

he puts plastic ears on his head
She A man. The father of a family. Bringing home the money. He expects to be
obeyed. When everything does not go according to plan he loses control.
Otherwise hes calm and sits by the television.

smile
FLASH
Enter the woman in the white fur coat
She Mother.

smile
FLASH
He Whats the time?
She and he
lower the metal fence.
END

Maybe We Are Mickey Mouse

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Maybe We Are Mickey Mouse

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MAYBE WE ARE MICKEY MOUSE

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He You have to laugh.

She I dont like to laugh.

He You have to.

She What about you?

He Ill laugh too.

She But your teeth are not showing.

She Why not?

He Little boys have to be mindful of what they show.

She You have nice teeth.

She No its not.

He I told you you had to laugh so your teeth show.

She Why do my teeth have to show?

She I dont want to tear it up.

He You have to. We dont need it.

She But I think its pretty.

He No its not. And it will never be pretty.

The girl with a blue hat

The Girl You ran away. I loved you.

The Girl I used to love you.

The Boy Done?

The girl with the blue hat

The boy with the backpack on his back stands still.

He Your face is so beautiful.

She Why are you telling me this?

He Your face is still so beautiful. Such young skin.

She What about yours?

He Mine too. We could be a perfect couple.

She A perfect couple!

He We could go for a walk holding hands.

She And feed the birds.

He And have people have their pictures taken with us.

She Everyone would admire us.

He We would walk along the street in our best clothes.

She We would laugh all the time.

He We would say hello to everybody.

She Wed wave.

He We wouldnt even have to ask.

She They would ask us themselves.

She Whilst we would forget them instantly.

He And carry on.

She Good day!

She What are you doing?

He I want to set my palm on fire.

He To destroy my life line. On my left palm. No use for it.

She Youll hurt yourself. It will hurt.

He Irregularities should be corrected when youre young. When your skin is

She Light up one for me too.

A man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo.

The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo

The man in his late thirties with a funny hairdo is waiting

ENCOUNTER: Four identical photographs in a row. In each of them a man in his

The photograph drops.

He Whatcha looking at me for?

He Why did you remember this now?

She I dont know. I remembered.

He Something mustve made you remember.

He Well, what made you? Tell me what made you!

She I dont know. Why are you shouting?

She I like to keep things.

He Thats why youll die one day.

She Youll die too.

A girl with green hair