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white

a one act play about a white wall gallery.
available to perform for free.

characters:
A: purple
B: brown
C: white
D: white
E: purple


act one


day. a white wall gallery. empty. dark. at the back of stage left, a cube room. the doorway is covered by heavy red drapes, and a warm glow finds its way through the curtain's gaps. stage right, a metal shutter is down. artificial white light and muted white noise are emanating from behind. the shutter begins to lift. it stops a metre from the ground. A & B crouch under to get into the white wall gallery. they flick a light switch, and artificial white light fills the white wall gallery.

A
where are they

B
they aren't here

A
they said to come at 11am sharp, and we had to be out by 1pm

B
they aren't here, check your messages

A
(checks phone) she was really abrupt, she said we had to be here

A & B push past the heavy drapes and go into the cube room. they emerge with armfuls of multi-coloured solids of constant width, ranging from a few centimetres big to ones that need to be rolled out of the cube room. it is now almost midday. two people. C & D emerge from stage right, crouching under the shutter to get in. A & B stop moving things, and approach the C & D. C & D notice A & B but pretend to not, and mill around talking quietly. eventually A approaches C.

A
hello, we've been waiting so we moved everything out like you said

C
oh hi, yes it needs to be out in the next hour

A
yeah we told you already we can't fit all of this in our car

C
oh well i can’t help you there (walks away quickly)

B
(following C) well we can't move it - aren't you getting art delivered today? can we use the rental van?

C
no there is no time

B
what do you mean, the van has to leave empty, can we use it then

C
no there is no time

B
this doesn't make sense, we'll wait for E to get here

C & D whisper and mill about, laughing, and occasionally kick some of the solids of equal width around, during which A & B go into a corner to speak quietly.

A
she doesn't care. why do people who get paid not do anything.

30 minutes pass. E enters stage right from beneath the shutters. C & D rush out, ducking under the shutters, stage right.

A
hi, finally!

E
you are lovely people, what is wrong

B
they told us we have to get our stuff out. we asked to use the van. she says there is no time

E
there's plenty of time, just ask her and we'll load your things up before we leave

E leaves under the shutters. C, D & E return to the stage, carrying white 2D shapes. they begin to mount them to the white walls. the shapes blend into the white walls.

E
something is not right. who painted these walls white

A
i feel sick

B
(to C) there is time to use the van. can we use the van

C
yes, hold on

C, D, E leave under the shutters. C & D quickly return.

C
the van is gone. and it is gone forever. i didn't tell them you needed it. there is no time

A
what will we do

C moves away to the back left corner of the stage. A & B follow.

A
what will we do

C moves away to the back right corner of the stage. A & B follow.

A
what will we do

D approaches A & B. C uses this as an opportunity to go adjust the hanging white shapes on the white walls.

D
you better move your stuff

B
we can't

D
you better find a way!

B
what if we can’t

D
you better find a way!

B
i said we can’t

D
you better find a way! you better find a way!

A
why did you let the van go

D
you better find a way!

A
you aren't in charge, she is (points to C). why won't she talk to us

D
you better find a way!

B
why did you paint the walls white, it's making my friend sick

D
you better find a way!

A
i feel cold, i'm starting to go cold, i feel sick

D
you better find a way!

B
what way?

D
go rent your own van

B
we don't have money to rent a van

D
you don't have money to rent a van?

B
no, we have no money

D
you don't have money to rent a van?

B
no, we have no money

D
you don't have money to rent a van? it costs £20 to rent a van. you don't have £20?

B
no, we don't have £20

D
you don't have £20?

B
it costs much more than £20 to rent a van anyway

D
how can you not have £20?

A lies on the floor amongst the solids of constant width, clutching his head. he is feeling ill.

B
how can you speak like this to us. who says this to people

D
we spent £1000 on that thing back there (points to cube) and you don't even thank us

B
no, the owner only spent £200, and he asked us to make it

D
no, we spent £1000 and you don't even thank us

B
stop lying, people don't talk to people this way

D
you are poor ha ha ha now go rent a van for £20

suddenly, E returns, entering stage right from under the shutter. He approaches A who is still lying on the floor.

E
what's wrong

A
they run this gallery

E
do you want to complain

A
(getting up) no i can't

D
you are poor ha ha ha now go rent a van for £20

E
you can use the van, we have it tomorrow, we will sort it out for you

B
they said the van was gone forever

E
no, we have it tomorrow. they know that

D
you are poor ha ha ha now go rent a van for £20

A & B accept defeat, and head towards the shutters. A knocks a few white shapes off the white walls on his way out. They both exit stage right. C, who has still been adjusting the white shapes this whole time with a neutral smile on her face neutrally picks up the fallen shapes and happily mounts them back on the white walls.

E
something is not right. i feel cold, i'm starting to go cold and i feel sick

E goes through the curtains and into the cube room. C is still adjusting the shapes on the white walls. D exits stage left and returns with a white paint bucket and brush. she paints the red drapes. after a while she decides to saturate in the drapes by pouring the paint over it. she takes the drapes off and lays it on the floor, then pouring more paint all over it. she rolls the drapes around in the paint until it is completely covered. she hangs it back up on the cube room's doorway.

end.