the wooden pelican - a 200 word play
This was an idea I had obviously following on my 100 word novels. I have chosen not to count the names or any stage directions. There are no directions in this script but if there were I would keep them as minimal as possible. The reason for the greater length compared with the 100 word novels is that although a lot more can communicated through speech it is less direct. My characters have to converse in a way that makes sense to me. They say more but their speech is less directed than the text of the 100 word novels. There may be more of these.
The wooden Pelican - a 200 word play
I go back. I try to find. There must be some moment. The wooden Pelican. The
ANNE
There is nothing. No knot. No secret. There is no one thing we can undo to make it better.
JAMES
I cannot believe that. I have to think I can change it.
ANNE
You cannot. I cannot. Not even we can. The things you mention I do not remember. They were not my problem
JAMES
They were not a problem for you.
ANNE
I did not want to mark. Do you remember getting lost on a walk and buying second hand books. Do you remember that we stayed in a Bed and Breakfast.
JAMES
Of course. It was one of our happy times.
ANNE
No. I was unhappy most of the day. We argued. You wanted to control the whole trip you wanted the day to be perfect. I wanted to spend time with you. You were angry that you could not control what happened.
JAMES
I am sorry.
ANNE
Why. What is the point.
JAMES
I was too tense. I will always be too tense however much I try.
ANNE
Why would you try.
JAMES
The Pelican split down the grain when I knocked it over. I could not look at it
ANNE
And what.
Thinking some more about this I am glad I do not specify ages for the characters although there is a fairly obvious way to cast it. It occurs to me that it is one play if the characters are twenties, thirties, even early forties, another play if they are later forties, fifties, even early sixties, and quite another if they are in their seventies, eighties or beyond. It would be even another play if a disparity of age were introduced so that one or other of the characters were say fifteen to twenty years older than the other. I like this ambiguity.
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