Some Thoughts

Dramatis Personae:
A man.
A gun.
A bullet.
Another.
A deus.
A machina.

[ANOTHER is standing stage right. MACHINA is standing recessed stage center. DEUS is standing inside MACHINA. ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is thinking about his mother.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! I've been shot!
MAN: Did I hear something?

[ANOTHER dies. DEUS exits MACHINA. ANOTHER lives again. DEUS enters MACHINA. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

ANOTHER: That was a close call.

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is thinking he'd like to kill ANOTHER.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! I've been shot!
MAN: You had it coming, you bastard.

[ANOTHER dies. DEUS exits MACHINA. ANOTHER lives again. DEUS enters MACHINA. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

ANOTHER: That was a close call.

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is thoughtless.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! I've been shot!
MAN: Gracious! How careless of me!

[ANOTHER dies. DEUS exits MACHINA. ANOTHER lives again. DEUS enters MACHINA. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

ANOTHER: That was a close call.

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is out of mind.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! I've been shot!
MAN: Both notes rather flat.

[ANOTHER dies. DEUS exits MACHINA. ANOTHER lives again. DEUS enters MACHINA. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

ANOTHER: That was a close call.

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is bent on vengeance.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! I've been nearly shot!
MAN: Drat!

[MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

ANOTHER: That was a close call.

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN is troubled by doubt.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
ANOTHER: Aaack! You've been shot!
MAN: Yup.

[MAN dies. DEUS exits MACHINA. MAN lives again. DEUS enters MACHINA. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

[ENTER MAN stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET. MAN rebels against the cosmos.]

GUN: bang.
BULLET: whizz.
MACHINA: Aaack! I've been shot!
MAN: To kill the God, you must break the machine.
ANOTHER: Hey! I was content.

[MACHINA dies. DEUS exits MACHINA, looks around nervously. MAN exits stage left, accompanied by GUN and BULLET.]

DEUS: That was a close call.

[Curtain falls.]