This House Is Mine

Tales out of the Ordinary

Maree Freeman

• Verlag: Currency Press
• Jahr: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781925210453
• Thema: Literature
• Thema: Drama

Journey through dark and beautiful territory to explore the relationship we have with our most precious possession—our mind. A tapestry of surprising encounters weaves stories of hope, escape and resilience. %##CHAR13##%%##CHAR13##%Milk Crate Theatre works with an ensemble of artists who have experienced homelessness or social marginalisation to create theatre that promotes change. We provide a safe, creative space for the ensemble to build confidence and make positive changes in their lives.%##CHAR13##%%##CHAR13##%Our work embodies the experiences and artistry of the ensemble to showcase their uniqueness as contemporary storytellers and to create authentic and transformative theatre that challenges audiences and brings communities together.

PART ONE: BEFORE

SCENE ONE

EVELYN AND JASON

VIDEO PROJECTION: Evelyn and Jason’s internal world

Bright lines of colour, jagged and broken, emanate from around Jason and surround Evelyn. As the tension in the phone call increases, the lines become a frenzy of colour around them.

EVELYN and JASON stand at a distance apart from each other. A telephone rings for several rings before being picked up.

JASON: … Hello…

EVELYN: Hi, Jason.

JASON: Hi. Who is this?

EVELYN: It’s me…

JASON: I can’t really talk now.

EVELYN: How are you going? Have you been out and about today; it’s a really gorgeous one out there. On my lunchbreak—

JASON: I haven’t been outside.

EVELYN: Oh, okay. So… how are things going?

JASON: Okay.

EVELYN: Yeah? When I left for work—

JASON: I’m okay.

EVELYN: Did you end up going to the appointment this morning?

JASON: Well… no… they called and it got… rescheduled.

EVELYN: Rescheduled?

JASON: They had two people coming in at the same time or something like that.

EVELYN: … Right…

JASON: I’m not lying— /

EVELYN: I didn’t think / you were.

JASON: That’s actually how it happened this / time.

EVELYN: / Alright. Okay.

JASON: Jesus.

EVELYN: So… when is it now?

JASON: I don’t know, I wrote it down somewhere.

EVELYN: What are you going to do today then?

JASON: I don’t know. I’m not feeling so great.

EVELYN: How do you mean? Like sick?

JASON: No, not sick. Just all… all the same stuff as usual.

EVELYN: Right.

JASON speaks in a very small voice.

JASON: Maybe I wasn’t going to go to the appointment anyway.

EVELYN: Pardon?

JASON still speaks in a very small voice.

JASON: Maybe I wasn’t going to go…

EVELYN: Sorry, Jas, I can’t hear you.

With great effort JASON raises his voice.

JASON: You were right. I wasn’t going to go today anyway.

EVELYN: Why?

JASON: I don’t need a lecture, alright Evelyn? The last thing I need is a lecture from you, okay?

EVELYN: Please stop.

JASON: I wish you would.

EVELYN: I love you. [Pause.] Jas…?

JASON: I heard you.

EVELYN: Then say it back.

JASON: I should go.

EVELYN: Are you feeling like you might hurt yourself? [Pause.] Jason? [Pause.] Hello?

JASON: … I’m okay…

EVELYN: You’re okay?

Pause.

JASON: … Yes…

EVELYN: Yes, you’re okay?

JASON: Yes… I might…

EVELYN: You might hurt yourself?

Pause.

JASON: … Yes…

EVELYN: Suicide is something you’ve been thinking about again?

JASON: … A bit…

EVELYN: Right so do you—?

JASON: Don’t worry / about it.

EVELYN: Do you / have a plan for how you might do that?

JASON: What?

EVELYN: Do you have a plan?

JASON: Do I have a fucking plan?

EVELYN: The internet says you should just ask outright.

JASON: You fucking googled it?

EVELYN: Yes I ‘fucking googled’ it, I don’t know how to deal with this any better than you do, alright?

JASON: … Jesus…

EVELYN: So… do you have a plan for how you might kill yourself?

Pause.

JASON: Kind of…

EVELYN: What’s the plan?

JASON: I’ve got some… a few… I’ve got a bunch of rope and stuff… or… a few different things…

EVELYN: So you’ve actually got the things you would need?

JASON: … Yeah…

EVELYN: All there with you right now? [Pause.] Jason?

JASON: In front of me on the table here…

EVELYN: Okay… um… okay… that’s pretty serious. Have you hurt yourself in anyway just yet?

JASON: No… not yet.

EVELYN: I’m going to call the ambulance.

JASON: No.

EVELYN: Or the acute care team, they’ve helped you before, right?

JASON: No. I don’t want them screaming up in here and everyone seeing—

EVELYN: But, Jason—

JASON: I should never have answered the phone. I told you this...