Re-Arrangements: Winter Project/The Other Theatre

RE-ARRANGEMENTS Winter Project/The Other Theatre Since the piece Re-Arrangements, as performed, was a series of moments woven together in a harmony between images, words, music, colors, lights, costumes and environment, we feel that a "complete" document would be impossible/misleading; e.g., there is continuous music from overture to the end. So we extracted some pictures and texts that may give the reader some impressions of the piece. NOTE ABOUT THE TEXT: Unless specifically stated otherwise, material and text for each character or embodiment of experience was contributed by the actor playing the character; e.g., character of the Reserved Person was brought in by Paul Zimet, except for the parts that are specifically marked as taken from material by Sam Shepard, etc. Joseph Chaikin/Mira Rafalowicz The Other Theare, Inc. No part of the text to be copied or used without permission . All additional material not contributed by members of the Winter Project printed with the kind permission of the individual authors involved. 147 OVERTURE [Musicians and actors] THE LAUGHER [Ronnie Gilbert; Questioners: Tina Shepard/Mark Samuels] (The LAUGHER responds to each question with new laughter.) QU/Tina: Do you ever get melancholy? (Laugh.) QU/Mark: Is it true that heavier people are jollier? (Laugh.) QUlTina: do you believe in God? (Laugh.) QU/Mark: Are you in love with anyone? (Laugh.) QU/Tina: What are your sexual fantasies? (Laugh.) QU/Mark: Is there any joke that makes you laugh every time you think of it? (LAUGHER stops laughing for a moment to think. Then laughs again and nods.) QU/Mark: Would you tell it? LAUGHER: Mr. and Mrs. Beethoven ..- (Laughs.) Mr. and Mrs. Beethoven are splitting up. Mr. Beethoven says to Mr. Beethoven, "Darling, don't leave me. You're my inspiration." Mrs. Beethoven says, "I'm your inspiration? Ha ha ha HA!" MR. WORTH [Mark Samuels; Questioner: Tina Shepard] QU: Do you have a family, Mr. Worth? MR. WORTH: I have two excellent sons, and a girl. QU: What do you think most people want? MR. WORTH: While I accumulate, gather, acquire and collect, all around me people are striving to be ordinary. QU: What distresses you? MR. WORTH: With more people, there are more voices to tune out. QU: Do you ever make a mistake, Mr. Worth? MR. WORTH: Even when I announce that I'm going to do something stupid, I know it's not true. QU: How did you come to be the way you are now? MR. WORTH: Wisdom is a ruthless business. HENRY AND HENRIETTA [Mark Samuels/Joyce Aaron; Questioner: Tina Shepard] QU: Henrietta and Henry, what was the longest time you've been apart? HENRY: Apart? Well, tell him, hon. HENRIETTA: Apart? HENRY: Well, actually we're never apart. You know, I spend a lot of time on the road, but the one thing about Henrietta and me is we are neverHENRIETTA : Apart. HENRY: We may be separated, but we are neverHENRIETTA : Apart. QU: Henrietta, what do you enjoy doing most? HENRY: Tell him, hon. HENRIETTA: Shopping, I'd say shopping. HENRY: She'd say shopping. More than anything, shopping. HENRIETTA: Barbeque. HENRY: Ah HENRIETTA: The children. HENRY: Boys. Two. Henrietta has enjoyed them both. Anything else hon? HENRIETTA: (Shrugs.) QU: What do you think about homosexuals? HENRY: (Whispers to HENRIETTA.) She means deviants, hon. HENRIETTA: I've never seen a deviant. HENRY: We don't know any. 148 QU: Do you have any sexual fantasies, Henrietta? HENRY: Well, tell her, hon. You got any? HENRIETTA: Henry's my sexual fantasy. HENRY: There you go. Me. I'm her sexual fantasy. HENRIETTA: He's my sexual fantasy. HENRY: Mmmm-hmmm. That's enough, I think. (The Questioners [Tina Shepard and Mark Samuels] enter a gray bag. They become an amorphous changing shape.) RESERVED PERSON I [Paul Zimet] BAG: Sir, is there anything you can imagine doing that you wouldn't forgive yourself for? RES. PEFSON: Well, I can imagine it. But I wouldn't do it. BAG: Sir, have you ever felt ecstasy? RES. PERSON: Well, when I was a child I used to hold my breath and spin around for long periods of time, and that made me...