On this page, you can read the play “May Life Imitate Art”, or print it for reading. Alone, or preferably in a group, considering that the play has four characters. To print click here.
The idea is to evaluate the possibility of implementing a directed reading in your church, based on the guidelines available on the “Fragmentation” page.
The numbering at the end of the lines allows you to locate them on the “Fragmentation” page.
Happy reading!
MAY LIFE IMITATE ART!
Scene 1 – Cold water
The play begins with two friends sitting on a park bench. They have a smiling countenance, and the dialogue continues.
RONALDO – When Roberto told me, that you arrived in the city, after all this time… You were a brother to me. You know that. And you still are. 1
MURILO (sensitized) – Of course I know. And you to me. 2
RONALDO – When you moved to Manaus we were with… 3
MURILO (inaccurate) – Eighteen, practically. 4
RONALDO (evaluating) – Twenty-two years. Look at this. 5
MURILO – Yeah. Aunt Carlota had to get sick… My mom, the only living relative… And here we are. One takes care of the other, and I take care of both. 6
Ronaldo suspects something. Murilo notices and corrects an injustice.
MURILO (late) – And they both take care of me. 7
RONALDO (comic) – Now it makes sense. I know them both well. More overprotection… just… in the Justice League. 8
MURILO – You’re no good Ronaldo. 9
RONALDO (sarcastic) – Thank you very much! (nostalgic) I just know it’s really good, sit here with you, and to remember that time. 10
Brief pause.
MURILO – Guess what I just remembered. 11
RONALDO – From that beating my mother gave me. Because of you. 12
MURILO – No… From our play. First place in that contest. Just before I moved to Manaus. It seems like this was a dream. 13
RONALDO (emphatic) – Of course I remember that. (enigmatic) Hey. I have something to tell you that you won’t believe. 14
MURILO (curious) – What it was? 15
RONALDO (affected) – My children staged the play! 16
MURILO (incredulous) – You are lying. Our play? That one? 17
RONALDO – Yes! For the whole school. They rocked. We rocked. Right? I even thought: “If Murilo were here…”. But everything is recorded. You will watch. 18
MURILO (imagining) – Man… I’m going to travel a lot. 19
RONALDO (categorical) – You will. Because it was really good. 20
MURILO – Was that a long time ago? 21
RONALDO – Not long ago. About a year and a half ago. My boy was 20… My girl was 18… Márcia, my wife, had already read it, but she was delighted, seeing the children on stage. 22
MURILO (considering) – Certainly… a beautiful family experience. 23
RONALDO (sensitized) – Yes. Unfortunately… our last good memory. We divorced soon after. Márcia inherited a good amount of money, and a restaurant, there in Jundiaí. And she took the Opportunity to… do what she already wanted. That’s how I see it. 24
MURILO (succinct) – I’m really sorry. 25
RONALDO (sad) – It’s been over a year, but… when we like the person… It’s very… complicated. 26
MURILO (welcoming) – I know how it is. 27
RONALDO – It’s a whole story, you know? Together. The children… And you have to… Anyway… 28
MURILO – But tell me about your children. 29
RONALDO – Pedro is in college. In Campinas. Journalism. He got a job there. But he always calls. From time to time he visits me… 30
MURILO – And the girl? 31
RONALDO (proud) – She stayed with me. / Too much affinity. We disagree sometimes. So you have to see her arguments. She already “checkmated” me when she was eight years old. Believe if you want. Should I feel proud? Or embarrassed? 32
MURILO – Pride, pride. / (pleasant) She chose to stay with her big daddy. 33
RONALDO – Yes. She’s dating a nerd. I think that helped too. 34
MURILO (contained) – I understood. 35
Brief pause.
RONALDO – Listen here. We won that contest for a reason. You had a very good idea. The central thread, right? 36
MURILO – Yes. Then we decided to pretend that you were really Ricardo, and I was really Eduardo. And the conversation… flowed. 37
RONALDO – It flowed very well. / In the end… 38
MURILO (nostalgic) – First place in student theater authorship. At the state level. 39
RONALDO – Yes… Do you remember the repercussion? 40
MURILO – Of course I remember! We even had an interview on local TV. 41
RONALDO – Yes! Lots of girls wanting photos… / Autographs. 42
MURILO (considering) – Yeah… / It was all very cool. 43
RONALDO – Sincerely? This is one of the best memories of my life. 44
MURILO – For me too. / (reflective) Remembering is like… reliving. Right? 45
RONALDO – Yes. 46
Brief pause.
RONALDO – I never got involved with theater again. 47
MURILO (considering) – Me neither. 48
Brief pause.
MURILO (objective) – But… back to now. Cut to now. 49
RONALDO – Speak. 50
MURILO (needy) – I need a job. 51
RONALDO – Stay calm. I’m already thinking of something. 52
MURILO (surprised) – It is serious? Anything… let me know. 53
RONALDO – Yes. Of course. And this newspaper? Any… interesting job offers? 54
MURILO – Actually… I haven’t even opened it yet. 55
Brief pause. Murilo opens the newspaper and has a surprise.
RONALDO – What face is that? 56
MURILO (impressed) – Look at this! 57
They both read together, and have different reactions.
RONALDO (serene) – Boy… this is beautiful. 58
MURILO – Yes, yes! But what do you say to me? 59
RONALDO – So, the guy had an experience… apparently similar to what you described to me just now, and he wants… 60
MURILO (hurried) – He wants to replicate the experience. As much as he can. Until then, perfect. 61
RONALDO – Yes. The guy is a mega businessman. Very rich. He had an… epiphany. 62
MURILO – It seems serious, doesn’t it? 63
Ronaldo finds it strange, but Murilo soon clarifies.
MURILO – I’m kidding. A divine revelation, to solve something… apparentely unsolvable. 64
RONALDO – Exactly. It really looks like a… divine guidance. 65
MURILO – Yes, but… furthermore, what do you tell me? 66
RONALDO – / Wait there. Are you talking…? No, no. There’s no way. 67
MURILO (incredulous) – What do you mean? Do you think this is a coincidence? 68
RONALDO – (reliever) – Look, we just discovered this. So… let’s take it easy. 69
MURILO – Okay. (sudden) What was the part of: “10 million, for the three plays, with the greatest evangelistic potential”, that you didn’t understand? 70
RONALDO (calm) – I understood. 71
MURILO – Look. When someone says: “Coincidences don’t exist”. I disagree. Of course there are coincidences. But this here? We have six months! Let’s go! 72
RONALDO – It might be a coincidence, or it might not be. If it’s a coincidence, ok. But if it’s not, what exactly are you trying to say? 73
MURILO – Twenty years later; on the day of our reunion; we just talked about this… What do you want me to think? 74
RONALDO – That God prepared this? That the universe conspired? They will have to whim more. Do you know why? 75
MURILO – Tell me. 76
RONALDO – I love my work, but it exhausts me. I come home dead. I take a bath, have a dinner, and sleep. The next day, everything again. From Monday to Saturday. How am I going to find time to… read the Bible? Develop text; plot… Dialogues… 77
MURILO (disillusioned) – I understood. 78
RONALDO – Besides: Ten million! Imagine the competition! Even atheists will participate. At national level! Not to mention it’s not even our beach. So much so that neither of us ever worked with it again. 79
MURILO (humble) – Okay. Maybe… the unemployment is… making me see things that don’t exist. 80
RONALDO – You don’t have to be like this. Listen to this: I’m about to get a promotion. Anytime. Very soon, I will be able to help you. 81
MURILO (somewhat apathetic) – Alright. 82
RONALDO (looking at the clock) – Look at this. I have to go. I’m going to pick up my daughter at the bus station. But we’ll keep in touch. Let’s plan for you to watch the play in my house. Okay? 83
MURILO – Okay. 84
RONALDO – Don’t be upset with me. Come here. Give me a hug here. 85
They hug, and Ronaldo reinforces the bond.
RONALDO (emphatic) – We are together. 86
RONALDO – Thanks, thanks. 87
RONALDO – I went! 88
Ronaldo leaves the scene, and Murilo sits on the bench, thoughtful. The lights go out. End of the first scene.
Cena 2 – Divine Intervention
The play advances one week. Ronald is sitting on another park bench. Until Murilo enters the scene.
MURILO (enthusiastic) – And then? I already know. You got the promotion. 89
RONALDO (hesitant) – Well… Actually… 90
MURILO – Tell me. 91
RONALDO – My boss requested my presence in his office, and… in short, he said more or less like this: “Ronaldo, we don’t know what this company would be like without you”. 92
MURILO – “We don’t know what this company would be like without you”. I even got emotional now. (showing goosebumps on arm) Look here, look here! 93
RONALDO (ignoring) – “Well, from today, we will discover”. 94
MURILO (perplexed) – I didn’t understand. Wait there. I went straight around the curve. How is this? 95
RONALDO – “Please, go to the personnel department, and sign the paperwork”. 96
MURILO (comic) – I told you I have labyrinthitis, right? I’m trying to assimilate. 97
RONALDO (robotic) – Me too. For someone who was hoping for a promotion… 98
MURILO – And what did they claim?
RONALDO – A restructuring. But I already know what it was. I shared an Uber with his secretary. A… beauty he’s… obsessed with. 100
MURILO (comic) – Oooh man… 101
RONALDO – He discovered that she… was complimenting my… good humor. 102
MURILO – And that was enough… 103
RONALDO – Unfortunately yes. 104
Brief pause.
MURILO (apathetic/comic) – I don’t even know what to tell you. Just… Welcome to the club, right? 105
RONALDO (withered) – Thanks. 106
Pause.
RONALDO (careful) – But that wasn’t the only reason I called you here. 107
MURILO – Speak. 108
RONALDO (shyly) – I… stayed… curious, and… I took a look there, in the specifications of that… contest. 109
MURILO (cold) – Okay. 110
RONALDO – Did you… take a look there? 111
MURILO – No. His arguments were very convincing. I was completely discouraged. 112
RONALDO – But… zero… enthusiasm? 113
MURILO (ironic) – On the floor, in the boxing ring. It was knocked out. Didn’t you know? 114
RONALDO – (defensive) – Look: I didn’t say I didn’t want to. I said I couldn’t. That I wouldn’t have… time. 115
MURILO – Forget it. “That’s 10 million! Imagine the competition”. 116
RONALDO – Yes, but… 3rd place… pays well. It doesn’t have to be the…1st. 117
MURILO – So what? “Even atheists will participate”. 118
RONALDO – Strength of expression…. Who has seen this? An atheist, evangelizing. 119
MURILO (provocative) – “It’s not even our beach. So much so that neither of us ever worked with it again”. 120
RONALDO (articulated) – We achieved this when we were young. Imagine now. Much more experienced…. / You are converted; you know the Bible… 121
MURILO – “At national level! And not… at the state level”. 122
RONALDO – Yes, but… for a… very specific… niche. It’s not that? 123
MURILO (extrapolating) – Okay. / “A lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice”! 124
RONALDO – No, wait. Not that! 125
MURILO (opening the game) – I know Ronaldo. I’m kidding Ronaldo. Imagine you 40 years from now in my ear: “If only we had tried, right? But you didn’t want to. We will never know”! 126
RONALDO (surprised) – So are you in? 127
MURILO – Since you insist… fine then. But on one condition. 128
RONALDO (apprehensive) – Which? 129
MURILO – I want to meet the girl who checkmates you. Because look… You are… slippery. 130
RONALDO (flattered) – I’m good at dribbling, I’m good at dribbling. Meet Bibi? That won’t be a problem. 131
MURILO (practical) – So let’s go. What are the plans? 132
RONALDO – I even did some research. To find out the details of the millionaire’s conversion. To see if any ideas or inspiration would emerge. But unfortunately… I didn’t find anything. 133
MURILO – It was a good idea. I also found it strange. He didn’t give details, in that article. 134
RONALDO – Your conversion experience was quite… impactful. If we used this in the play… Just to… 135
MURILO – I liked the idea. 136
RONALDO – I say this with all due respect. 137
MURILO – No, no… it’s okay. The theme calls for this. And for me it will be an honor. Let’s do it. 138
RONALDO – Perfect. 139
Brief pause.
RONALDO – Do you think our old tactic still works? We pretend we are the characters. Don’t you have this curiosity? 140
MURILO – Definitely yes. 141
RONALDO – Well, all we need now is a good idea. Do you… have something in mind? 142
MURILO – Actually… yes. But I’m still… maturing the idea. 143
RONALDO (curious) – Aah… but tell me. What’s the idea? 144
MURILO (enigmatic) – I can even say. Just don’t accuse me of plagiarism. 145
RONALDO (in a vacuum) – Plagiarism? How is that? I didn’t understand. 146
MURILO – Imagine… two friends who meet again after a long time. 147
RONALDO (probing) – You mean… like… twenty years? 148
MURILO (comically disguising) – It’s a good amount of time. 149
Brief pause.
RONALDO – And…? 150
MURILO – Well, from then on… 151
RONALDO – From then on…? 152
MURILO – From then on… they end up hesitating in revive a past glory, due to a poorly finished conspiracy by the universe. Until the universe… to whim more. What ends up making the adventure… viable. 153
Ronaldo, surprised, starts a dialogue with an affected voice.
RONALDO – It’s an excellent idea. Magnificent. 154
MURILO – You thought so too… 155
RONALDO – Yes! We would already have half the play. (sudden) And you can rest assured, about the issue of… plagiarism. 156
MURILO – Yes, yes. Very kind of you. 157
RONALDO – For the happiness of both of us… let’s do it like this: 158
MURILO – I’m all ears. 159
RONALDO – Grant me co-authorship, and may peace reign! 160
MURILO – Optimal solution! And may peace reign then. 161
RONALDO (hilarious) – Noble aristocrat… 162
MURILO (idem) – Illustrious nobleman… 163
RONALDO (euphoric) – Great Murilo, what an implement! A play based on real event! Even rhymed! Look at this! 164
MURILO (cautious) – Half a play. 165
RONALDO (considering) – Yes. Half a play. 166
MURILO – Look how crazy it is: Until halfway through the play… Pays attention. The art will… imitate life. 167
RONALDO – Correct. 168
MURILO – Now, imagine if from then on… life decides… 169
RONALDO (enthusiastic) – Fight back! 170
MURILO – No… Returns the kindness, and… imitates the art. 171
RONALDO (tuned) – So let’s whim. In our favor, of course. 172
MURILO – For sure. And… may life imitate art. 173
RONALDO (quick on the trigger) – There’s the title! 174
MURILO – “May life imitate art”. Perfect. 175
RONALDO – Wait there. 176
MURILO – What it was? 177
RONALDO – We will have a little problem. 178
MURILO – What problem? 179
RONALDO – We won’t know if our old method still works. 180
MURILO – What do you mean? 181
RONALDO – We won’t need to pretend we are the characters. 182
MURILO (surprised) – We are the characters. That’s right. 183
RONALDO – Yes. Well… That’s for next time. 184
MURILO (conformed) – What to do? 185
RONALDO (considering) – This really feels like… a divine intervention. 186
MURILO – I have no doubts. 187
RONALDO – After that… me neither. 188
MURILO (getting up) – Shall we go then? 189
RONALDO (getting up) – And the enthusiasm? Still on the floor? 190
MURILO – No. On a hang glider, my friend. On a hang glider! 191
RONALDO (proactive) – That’s it! Now let’s put all this on paper! Let’s go there? 192
They leave the scene. The lights go out. End of the second scene.
Cena 03 – A Entrevista
The third scene begins in a pastor’s gabinet. Ronaldo is sitting in an armchair, and at a certain distance from him, standing, is Pastor Walter, with his hands on his hips, and a look of astonishment.
WALTER – Never read the Bible? 193
RONALDO (shy) – No. 194
WALTER – Well, at least you admit it. It’s the already first step to… recovery. / But not even the Gospels? 195
RONALDO – I’m reading it now, to familiarize myself. 196
WALTER – For the contest. 197
RONALDO – Yes. 198
WALTER – I Understood. 199
RONALDO (surprising) – And there was one thing that caught my attention. I never stopped to think, that these evangelists walked up and down with Jesus for three long years. At a time when there were practically no… entertainment. 200
WALTER – Comparing it to current days then… 201
RONALDO – So what did they do? They talked all the time. In other words, they became… intimate with Him. I’m remembering here. Jesus washed these people’s feet. 202
WALTER – “I will not call you servants, but friends”. 203
RONALDO – Exactly. But I always had a distant God in mind. Indifferent to our problems. He would have created everything, and left, for some other galaxy. Without caring about what was left behind. 204
WALTER (impressed) – It’s a quite bleak view. 205
RONALDO (rambling) – But when I was younger, whenever something bad happened… 206
WALTER – Go on. 207
RONALDO – I used to imagine a kind of… intergalactic guardian. Holding a small notebook, looking at me from above, writing down my failures, and telling me, without using words: “You know you owe me”. And you know how it is. Nobody is perfect, so… 208
WALTER – For God’s sake. 209
RONALDO (distant/reflective) – I don’t even know what’s worse. Indifference, or charges? / Indifference is worse. Whoever charges you at least sees you. Becomes aware of your existence. Or I see it this way… because I have already experienced… a great paternal indifference? 210
WALTER – But what now? Reading the gospels. Any changes? 211
RONALDO – Yes… Anyone who reads… find a God who… wants game. Who asks for the ball. Do you understand? 212
WALTER – Asks for the ball? 213
RONALDO (informal) – Yes. “Come to me. Directly. You who are… detonated”. 214
WALTER (correcting) – “…tired and overwhelmed”. 215
RONALDO (original) – And I will give you… a hand. 216
WALTER (hesitating to correct) – Yes, yes. 217
RONALDO – In other words: God is a God who wants… intimacy. And I never even came close, to considering this possibility. 218
WALTER (subtle) – And how are you feeling in relation to this? 219
RONALDO (accurately) – The word is… /// lightness. I’m… different. And for the better. 220
WALTER – And have you… already made a decision, beside… Christ? 221
RONALDO (slippery) – I am… maturing the idea. It’s all very recent, so… 222
WALTER – I understood. Apparently… you don’t need… a hand yet. 223
RONALDO (dribbling) – So. Actually… yes. Hence the idea of interviewing a pastor, of the same denomination as the contest creator, and try to collect elements that can help, in the elaboration, of the text. 224
WALTER – And since you live here in São Paulo, why not the one closest to him? 225
RONALDO – Yes, yes. Exactly. 226
WALTER (gentle) – So go ahead. 227
RONALDO – Ok. So let’s go. Mariano Zang talked to you about the contest idea? How did this happen… 228
WALTER – It had been some time that he had been attending our congregation. Until one fine day he came to me, wanting to know how he could… help the church. So I said: Look, some brothers are wanting to… reactivate the theater department. You should have seen his face: “Theather department?” His dream was to be an actor. And I didn’t even know. 229
RONALDO – I’m surprised. 230
WALTER (thorough- But due to an eventuality, he had to take over the family business, so… 231
RONALDO (objective) – I understood. But did he go there? Talk to people? 232
WALTER – Yes. And he integrated himself in such a way that today it seems like he was always here. Hand in glove. Isn’t that how they talk? 233
RONALDO – Yes.
Chicken in the trash. 234
WALTER – Chicken in the trash. / I just know it was from this integration, that the idea for the contest… came about. 235
RONALDO – Sensational. But what about the conversion experience? He did not give details to the press, when the contest was announced. 236
WALTER – Probably… because there are too many… details, to explain. 237
RONALDO – Ok. But do you know these… details? 238
WALTER – Yes. It all started when he had to spend a few nights in a hospital, accompanying his mother. And there they had those bilingual bibles. Portuguese/English. Have you ever seen one of these? 239
RONALDO – No, no. 240
WALTER – Each page is divided in half and each side has the text in one language. And he decided to read this Bible. To pass the time, and to improve his Portuguese, no rush, slowly… 241
RONALDO (attentive) – I’m on. 242
WALTER – And it happened that one of those nights, he read a quote – from Jesus – which made him very sad. 243
RONALDO (curious) – What was the quote? 244
WALTER – “Because the light came into the world, but men loved the darkness more than the light”. And the light, you know… was Him. 245
Brief pause. Ronaldo, sensitized, shakes his head positively.
WALTER – But then he thought: Wait there. I want the light. I choose the light. But what should I do? That’s when he felt… conducted to simply, continue reading the Bible. Something like this: “Keep going”. “Don’t stop”. 246
RONALDO (hooked) – Conducted…? How is that? 247
WALTER – These things are very… intimate. God reveals himself to people. At the moment we hardly notice. We think it’s our own head. I talk about… suggestions. Always very… subtle. Very… gentle. Very… loving. Kinder than… the most loving of mothers. 248
RONALDO – I know a story… very… similar. 249
WALTER – I’ve heard many. And I saw it. The changes. Of conduct; of posture. In front of life, in the face of problems. And always for the better. As you said just now. 250
RONALDO (interested) – Yes… but… I still haven’t receveid any kind of… visitation. Would that be the word? 251
WALTER – Yes. But maybe the rest of this story can help you with this. 252
RONALDO – Ok. So… he followed, that guidance. 253
WALTER – Yes. It was the eve of a long holiday, and he embarked on this command almost full time. Until… 254
RONALDO – Until… 255
WALTER – A few days later, already at home, in his room, according to him, it was as if after 45 years of life someone turned on the light for the first time. But this light kept intensifying. Quite a lot. Until there was only light. That despite being intense, did not bother his vision. Can you imagine this? 256
RONALDO (very connected) – I’m already there. 257
WALTER – Then get ready. 258
RONALDO – Go ahead. 259
WALTER – Suddenly from within that light, a kind of enigma arose. Involving three biblical verses. How to tell this in a newspaper? It’s like I said. 260
RONALDO (anxious) – Yes. There are many details. But what was this riddle? He said, right? 261
WALTER – Yes. And you better write it down. 262
RONALDO – I’m ready. 263
A projection at the back of the stage shows Ronaldo’s transcription.
WALTER – John 17:17: “Sanctify them in truth. Your word is the truth”. Underline the second phrase. 264
RONALDO – Ok. “Your word is the truth”. 265
WALTER – John 14:06: “Jesus answered him: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” / Underline, “I am”, and… “the truth”. 266
RONALDO (intrigued) – Ok. Wait there. But… 267
WALTER – And then? Who is the truth? Him or the Word? 268
Brief pause. Ronaldo doesn’t know what to answer.
WALTER – Apocalypse 19:13: He was dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 269
RONALDO (stunned) – Wait there. His name… What? 270
WALTER – He is the Word. The Bible. That one. Dusty on top of many shelves. 271
RONALDO – Wait a minute. Jesus, who is the light, rejected by men, but was accepted by Mariano, revealed himself to him, in the form of light, to say that He, Jesus, is also… the Word. Word in which Mariano… “dived”. 272
WALTER – “Draw closer to God, and He will draw closer to you”. And apparently… in the same proportion. 273
RONALDO – So you’re saying… that overexposure to the Word… would convert anyone, right? 274
WALTER – We cannot transform a personal experience into doctrine, but… I fully believe that. 275
RONALDO – I’m very… impressed. 276
WALTER – It’s not a cake recipe. It has to be with the correct motivation. With humility before your Creator. With a lot of… sincerity. Even because our hearts are… naked, before Him, so… / Use this in your play. 277
RONALDO – I’ll see what I can do. 278
WALTER – The Word is a seed. And the mind is a field. If it will sprout there, take root, until it involves the heart… it will depend on each one. Free will. 279
Brief pause. Ronaldo thoughtful.
WALTER – Answer me one thing. Which passage has caught your attention the most so far? 280
Brief pause. Ronaldo thinks, and responds.
RONALDO – It’s one in which Jesus talks about… the… Helper. Helper, with a capital letter. 281
WALTER – “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…” Acttualy… He will be inside you. I even remembered Mariano saying: “I will never know what loneliness is again”. And it’s true. 282
Brief pause. Ronaldo thoughtful.
RONALDO (remembering) – There is another one, that you mentioned to a lady who left here. The door was ajar, and I ended up listening. It’s about… closing the bedroom door, to talk to God. 283
WALTER (accurate) – Matthew, chapter six, verse six: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you”. 284
RONALDO (welcoming) – It’s very touching. 285
WALTER (answering a call) – (on the phone) One moment please. (for Ronaldo) The call I told you about. 286
RONALDO – Pastor Walter, it was a great pleasure. 287
WALTER – The pleasure was all mine. 288
They both walk to the door.
RONALDO – Thank you very much. For your time, for your attention… 289
WALTER – You’re welcome. And… good recovery, to your friend’s aunt. And whenever you want, show up. 290
RONALDO – Ok. Will I ever hear that… voice? 291
WALTER – God wants intimacy. You said it yourself. Just don’t be… possessive, with the ball. 292
RONALDO (pleasant) – I understood. 293
Ronaldo leaves the gabinet; the pastor closes the door; and the lights go out. End of third scene.
Cena 04 – National Crazes
The fourth scene begins with Ronaldo and his daughter talking in the living room. He is at the table, in front of a laptop, and she is standing, close to him.
RONALDO (sad) – Bibi… You know I like your mom. 294
GABI – I know dad. But life goes on, right? Listen to me: Focus on that. It’s doing you good. Do your best! You know what the millionaire wants. 295
RONALDO – Evangelistic potential? Certainly. 296
Pausa breve. A Gabi passa por atrás do Ronaldo.
GABI (probing) – You said it’s getting great, right? 297
RONALDO (emphatic) – Yes. 298
GABI (sudden) – Let me read it, please! 299
RONALDO (closing the laptop) – No… I already said… It was the agreement with Murilo. Total secrecy. 300
GABI – Oh… come on. Just the theme. Or not even that? 301
RONALDO – It’s about a poorly finished conspiracy, by the universe. / Apparently, poorly finished. 302
GABI – Conspiracy of the universe… / In relation to what? 303
RONALDO – It’s about a… divine intervention, in a certain… reality. 304
GABI – Divine intervention or conspiracy of the universe? 305
RONALDO (slippery) – It’s one of the enigmas… of the text. 306
GABI (insistent) – Oh, cool. Now I’m curious. Even more curious! Riiiiiiight? 307
RONALDO – No… Wait there. / Listen here: And that crazy story, with that… nerd? 308
GABI – Don’t call him that. The other day he heard this, and he didn’t like it. He was sad. 309
RONALDO – Ok. But what about that wedding thing? You’re too young for that. 310
GABI – Dad, Grandma Candinha got married at sixteen. 311
RONALDO – That was in another time. 312
GABI – Mom got pregnant at…? 313
RONALDO – Ok. And how will you two support yourselves? 314
GABI (calmly) – That was all I needed to hear. We have a plan. And we will need your help. 315
RONALDO (scared) – If it’s money… 316
GABI – But we will also help you. To win this contest. 317
RONALDO – Oh really? 318
GABI – Hum-hmm. 319
RONALDO – And how would that be? 320
GABI – Well, to start, let’s talk a little about… national crazes. 321
RONALDO – Ok. Go on. 322
GABI – For example. Three. Soccer, samba, and teledramaturgy. 323
RONALDO – Okay. 324
GABI (intrepid) – Let’s look at the formal and informal sides, of these national crazes. 325
RONALDO – This will help me win the contest. 326
GABI (confiante) – Yes. Pay attention: Soccer. What is the formal side of this national craze? 327
RONALDO – Formal… you mean… 328
GABI – The professional side. The clubs; the championships… State level; national level… World cup… And all the money involved. 329
RONALDO – Right. The professional side is the formal side. 330
GABI – Yes. And what would be the informal side of this national craze? 331
RONALDO (hesitant) – Play soccer with friends? That sacred fun? Once a week? 332
GABI – Perfect. Regarding the formal side, professional, the commom citizen is just a… spectator. But on the informal side, he becomes… an agent. 333
RONALDO – If the wives allow it, of course. 334
GABI – Dad… You get it, right? 335
RONALDO – Yees my daughter. 336
GABI – Ok. Now, samba. Formal side: The carnival parades; the professional samba groups; on tour, performing their shows… Many CDs have already been sold; many DVDs too. 337
RONALDO – Yes, yes. 338
GABI – But what is the informal side of this national craze? 339
Brief pause. Ronaldo takes a while to respond.
GABI (impatient) – That batucada, in that traditional bar, in your neighborhood… The carnival itself. In the streets, in the carnival blocks. 340
RONALDO – Yes, yes. 341
GABI – In other words, the spectator on the professional side, once again becomes an… agent. Ok? 342
RONALDO – OK. I’m following you. 343
GABI – Now, teledramaturgy: Formal side? 344
Brief pause. Ronaldo thinks a little and responds.
RONALDO – Teledramaturgy itself. It’s not that? 345
GABI – Yes. And once again, the common citizen is a spectator of the formal side, of a national craze. Now tell me: Where is the informal side of this national craze? 346
Brief pause. Ronaldo thinks carefully to respond.
RONALDO – There isn’t one. 347
GABI (emphatic) – There is a gap there. Okay? 348
RONALDO (surprised) – Yes. Really. / Were you the one who noticed this? 349
GABI – No. It was the… nerd. And believe it or not, he knows how to fill that gap. 350
Brief pause. Ronaldo evaluates what was said.
RONALDO (convinced) – There is no way to. 351
GABI (distant) – But… it would have to be with a very good theater text. 352
RONALDO – What do you mean by theater? Isn’t it teledramaturgy? 353
GABI – Dad, teledramaturgy is a byproduct. And it’s something kilometric. We have to go to the root. You will understand. 354
RONALDO (curious) – So… without a very good play… doesn’t work. 355
GABI – Exactly. I showed him that old play. That one we staged at school. He liked it, but he thought it was a little… dated. Then I said: “They are writing another one”. And he was very interested. 356
RONALDO – Is this serious? 357
GABI – Yes! 358
RONALDO – But how would he fill this… gap? 359
GABI (playing chess) – Well, he also asked me to keep it a secret. / Check. 360
RONALDO – Ok. I’ll call Murilo. Now tell me. 361
GABI – Call now. 362
RONALDO – He must already be asleep. I’ll call tomorrow. 363
GABI – So tomorrow we’ll talk. 364
RONALDO – Oh, come on! Just give me a tip. 365
GABI – It’s something that will IMPRINT your text in people’s brains. 366
RONALDO (emphatic) – Now you will have to speak. 367
GABI – He knows how to… democratize a scene direction. 368
RONALDO – What do you mean? Whoever wants can direct the scene? Is that it? 369
GABI – Everyone will have access to the direction of the scenes. 370
RONALDO – Ok. I think I understood. But… how? 371
GABI – He defined three distinct forms to capture on vídeo the dynamic repass of a scene direction. And the three complement each other, in a kind of… prism. 372
RONALDO – Interesting. 373
GABI – With this on the networks, people can play at home, acting, without commitment. They can choose a small snippet; rehearse; stage; film; evaluate their own performance… Was it a good result? Post on networks. 374
RONALDO – Informality… 375
GABI – Exactly. And there is also the base of the prism. A channel that will give great tips, and clarify doubts of the public. 376
RONALDO – (impressed) – Very good. 377
GABI – Imagine if someone, at least in the initial phase, sponsors a reasonable number of participations. A little push, for things to happen. 378
RONALDO – Do you mean… 379
GABI – One of these centuries-old evangelical denominations. Or the millionaire, creator of the contest. His son owns an actors agency. We can set this niche on fire. 380
RONALDO – I didn’t know that. Have you been probing Mariano? 381
GABI – No. That was a Three Musketeers thing. Your son-in-law with his friends. 382
RONALDO – I understood. 383
GABI – Stop and think: Brazil today has twenty thousand trained actors and actresses wanting to gain visibility. Those who are not seen are not remembered. And the whole thing is a showcase, right? 384
RONALDO – Yes, of course. But in that case they would be actors, and not… commom citizens. 385
GABI – Yes, but 99% of them are completely unknown to the general public, so… who would realize? And that would be more at the beginning. Until the public… starts to participate. 386
RONALDO – Apparently… you’ve already thought of everything. 387
GABI – Do you want to see something else? The desire for a large number of conversions, it’s not just for… millionaire converts. Right? 388
RONALDO – What do you mean? 389
GABI – That 150 million Christians can make anything go viral! Financing; staging; posting… Or at least… working the fragments of the patchwork quilt. 390
RONALDO – Fragments? Patchwork quilt? 391
GABI – It’s something for people… to start acting, but… kind of… without them realizing. Forget it. Nerd thing. 392
RONALDO – They are very… applied. 393
GABI – Yes! When the… “nerd”, read in the newspaper: “…greatest evangelistic potential…”, he said to me: “Maria Gabriela… I have the perfect “yeast” for that”! 394
RONALDO – Interesting. / Patchwork quilt…? 395
GABI – Look, I’ve already said too much. I’m going to take a shower and sleep. 396
RONALDO – Wait there! What about scene direction captures? Explain to me! 397
GABI – Call Murilo. Tomorrow we will talk. 398
RONALDO (begging) – No, no, no, no… 399
GABI – Psssh! Look: Checkmate! 400
Gabi leaves the scene, Ronaldo freezes, but then takes out his cell phone and makes a call while leaving the stage.
RONALDO – Hello. Sorry for the inconvenience. National security issue. 401
The lights go out. End of the fourth scene.
Scene 05 – The Prism
The fifth scene begins with a conversation already in progress, between Ronaldo and Murilo, in the living room of Ronaldo’s house.
RONALDO – Then we release 70%, 80% of the play, and hold the final part. 402
MURILO – I understood. Well, I still don’t know the other two sides of this… prism, but this one, for pastor Walter’s flock… it will practically be… leisure. 403
RONALDO – I see it that way too. 404
MURILO – But we have to explain in detail. “Look: there are hundreds of lines, and each one will generate a fragment. And what is a fragment? It’s the line… 405
RONALDO – … preceded by a narrative containing scene direction elements, that takes you to the… line. It’s something shorter than a TikTok dance. 406
MURILO – Yes. But we need to give some examples. 407
RONALDO – Here, look. I wrote a short scene, just to practice. 408
MURILO – Did you do this? Really? Read it. 409
RONALDO – First line: “Alright Mrs. Carolina. We can… try”. 410
MURILO – And the fragment? What is the result? 411
RONALDO (reading) – “The play begins with Rogério, Carolina’s psychologist, looking out the window, reflective, while she, sitting on the couch, legs crossed, spine erect… very elegant, anxiously waits a answer. Until he turns to her and says: Alright Mrs. Carolina. We can… try”. You got it? 412
MURILO – Yes. It was great! You pass elements of scene direction, while simply…telling, the story. 413
RONALDO – Fragment of line 2: 414
MURILO – Go, go. 415
RONALDO (reading) – “Then Carolina makes that face, as if she heard what she wanted to hear, and says to him: Aaah great”! 416
MURILO – And it has to be like you said. Relaxedly. 417
RONALDO – Yes. You watched the play yesterday, and today you are telling to your best friend. 418
Murilo nods positively and Ronaldo continues.
RONALDO (reading) – Fragment 3: “Then Rogério says to her with a very playful air: But keep the poodle… on standby”. Fragment 4: “We will only understand this later, but Carolina understands it immediately. So much so that she responds with the biggest smile, and a lot of good humor: Alright, Dr. Rogério”. And then? 419
MURILO – Perfetc. 420
RONALDO – So that’s it. Let’s prepare them one by one; film them; and make them available. Whoever wants to participate, chooses one, or more, and… clones them. 421
MURILO – When you say clone… 422
RONALDO – Imitates. Chooses one; watches it 20 times; interprets and records… 50 times; selects the best, and sends it. 423
MURILO (surprised) – Sends it where? 424
RONALDO – For the nerds! The first patchwork quilt is theirs. If they are agile. People will definitely post his fragments on the networks. Then those who work with edition will make the party. 425
MURILO – If churches start making requests then… 426
RONALDO – I hadn’t thought about that. Now imagine: The person finds a quilt like this and thinks what? What is this story that everyone knows… except me? 427
MURILO – And they transmit an… affinity, right? A familiarity. 428
RONALDO – OUR familiarity. That’s why they have to… clone. Now imagine: The first theatrical patchwork quilt in history, being replicated; becoming a craze… And it has everything for that. 429
MURILO – I agree. The first what? 430
RONALDO – Patchwork. P A T C H, work quilt. I found it very suitable. And you? 431
MURILO – I liked. 432
RONALDO (worried) – About using Pastor Walter’s church as a… prototype. He must approve, right? 433
MURILO – Certainly. At first the quilt would only contain the first scene, for marketing, in the city. Mariano could even sponors the staging. Maybe he even wants to… act. / Dividing the church into four groups… 434
RONALDO – There would be 22 fragments for… 300 people. 435
MURILO – And their respective families; brothers from other churches… Which would help spread the good news… 436
RONALDO – It would be something like a… competition, right? 437
MURILO – Yes! An injection of enthusiasm! Into the flock! But listen: 438
RONALDO – What? Speak. 439
MURILO (interested) – And the other two sides of the prism? 440
RONALDO – Ok. So. Let’s move on. The second side of this prism, would be… a directed reading. 441
MURILO – Everyone sitting, with the text in hand… 442
RONALDO – Yes, but a directed reading, is usually something agile. Done in a hurry. Right? 443
MURILO – I know. It’s just to know if the text is good; if they are going to invest some money… If a person really knows how to write… 444
RONALDO (didactic) – Exactly. But in this case, the directed reading will dictate the rhythm that the play will have on stage. The pauses; the intonations; the faces and mouths… 445
MURILO – This is very interesting. 446
RONALDO – The facial reactions of each one, during the other’s lines. 447
MURILO – This will take a lot of work. 448
RONALDO (optimistic) – Exactly. But we still have four months. And the boys are with us, right? 449
MURILO – The nerds. Gabi’s boyfriend is the boss there, right? 450
RONALDO – Yes. We still have Roger, graduated in scenic arts; and Bruno. A little monster, in the capturing and editing images. 451
MURILO (relaxing) – So we’re fine. 452
RONALDO (sudden) – Third face of the prism: 453
MURILO (adjusting the focus) – Go ahead. 454
RONALDO – It would be this same vídeo of directed reading, with dozens of pauses, for us to insert information about the context of the scenes; psyche of characters… Arguments, about why this way, and not that way… And everything we consider necessary. 455
MURILO – It’s to exhaust the subject, right? 456
RONALDO – Exactely. You understood the spirit of the thing. 457
MURILO (recapping) – Patchwork quilt; directed reading dictating the rhythm; and directed reading… 458
RONALDO – …dissected for informative insertion. Isn’t it interesting? 459
MURILO – I’m… assimilating. For now… my labyrinthitis is under control. 460
RONALDO – And there’s still the base. 461
MURILO – What base? 462
RONALDO – The base of the prism. An internet channel, to clarify doubts of those who will staged the play. In churches; in the streets… Or, play with all this at home: Choosing excerpts from scenes to staging them; filming them; evaluating yourself; posting on the networks… After all, this is one of the main objectives, right? 463
MURILO – Of course, of course. We want to fill the gap. / Note that, the public will go to churches, not just to know the end of the play, but also to evaluate whether the scene instructions are being followed correctly. Something completely unprecedented. How will I sleep tonight? 464
RONALDO – I hadn’t thought about that. Oh! And with translation apps… planetary reach, right? 465
MURILO (comic) – I understood. I won’t sleep. Oh no. My labyrinthitis… 466
RONALDO (objective) – Stop it. Next step: Let’s schedule a meeting. With my son-in-law and the other two. 467
MURILO – “My son-in-law”? But wasn’t he… “the nerd”? 468
RONALDO – Did I say “my son-in-law”? 469
MURILO – You said. 470
RONALDO (fast/slippery) – Ok… I am not well. I didn’t sleep well last night. But pay attention here: 471
MURILO (malleable) – Go ahead. 472
RONALDO – We need to impress pastor Walter. He is the link with Mr. Zang. 473
MURILO – We already have our target. What do you have in mind? 474
RONALDO – We will record some videos, as examples, of these captures, so that he can visualize the process, and we ask for help to reach Zang. 475
MURILO – These nerds fell from the sky. 476
RONALDO – They must think the same about us. An unpublished text; good quality; without copyright impediments… 477
MURILO – I hadn’t looked at it from that angle. 478
RONALDO – They have a name for the project. Seismic art. 479
MURILO (evaluating) – Seismic art. From seismic shock. 480
RONALDO – Yes. To shake up our reality. 481
MURILO – Very good. But it has no popular appeal. The title must express the purpose. 482
RONALDO – We will talk about this with them. 483
MURILO – How about that? Project… Theater for All”! 484
RONALDO – “Oops! I also want”! 485
MURILO – And then? And isn’t that the idea? Then they get there, and… once upon a time there was a gap. 486
RONALDO – May the angels say amen! Shall we schedule with the nerds? 487
MURILO – Let’s do this now. 488
Ronaldo takes out his cell phone to call, and the lights go out. End of the fifth scene.
Arte Sísmica 