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Lighthearted

by Cheyenne Mann

CHARACTERS

STELLA …………………………………… Trying to get her emotions surgically removed.

MIME .……………………………………… A mime.

FLESH ……………………………………… Stella’s skin.

*DOCTOR …………………………………. A doctor.

*RECEPTIONIST ………………………….. A receptionist.

*Indicates doubling.

SETTING

A surgeon's office.

TIME

Time moves the way it does in a hospital.


SCENE 1

LIGHTS UP. 

STELLA, MIME, FLESH, and DOCTOR are onstage. STELLA is sitting at a doctor’s appointment. DOCTOR rhythmically clicks pen. MIME and FLESH stand in Stella’s orbit, FLESH is behind STELLA. MIME is in front of STELLA. No one should ever directly interact with FLESH except MIME. MIME mimes actions/events of STELLA’s monologue.

 STELLA

The stars change every night. I wish I could catch them in the palm of my hand, like how kids catch fireflies. And I’d squish them until my fingers were dripping with toxic celestial light, and when I’d lift my hands into the sky, they’d fade into giant burning balls of gas.

STELLA and MIME lift their hands into the sky.

I ate a glow stick when I was a kid, I thought it would light me up inside. It was red. Plum. Pomegranate. It was sickly sweet chemicals that burned my tongue. I scrubbed my mouth out with toothpaste after. My mom called poison control, and they had me drink a glass of milk. Can you douse stars with a glass of milk? I’d douse all the lights in the universe until I was the only shining lightning bug flying in the sky, and then I’d be every constellation.

(A beat.)

If I couldn’t douse the stars, I’d eat them. I’d let them seep into my esophagus and coat my throat in fire, burn my stomach to shreds. I’d be nothing but smoking flesh and pools of evaporating blood. I’d digest and become. I’d embroider my skin with lightbulbs. I’d burn and burn and burn and the fire inside me would glow and the neuron spiders that swarm my brain would finally stop screaming. I want to be electricity. I want to be fireflies. I want to be cold, emotionless stars. I want to be light. I am light. I am—it is so cold.

DOCTOR

You’re here to get a referral for the procedure, then?

STELLA

Yes.

DOCTOR

To get your emotions surgically removed?

STELLA

Yes.

DOCTOR

Have you considered light therapy?

STELLA

I don’t want to photosynthesize. I’m not a flower. I want to be the sun. I want to shine and emit radiation and never emit emotions.

MIME

(Mimes picking a flower, smells it, peels petals off.)

DOCTOR

Okay, let me get the right form.

DOCTOR pulls out a form.

There’s a few questions you’ll need to answer first.

STELLA

Okay.

DOCTOR

Name and date of birth?

FLESH steps forward. 

FLESH

Flesh.

STELLA

Stella. The fourth of November. 1997. 

DOCTOR

Where is the discomfort located? 

FLESH steps forward. 

FLESH

Pain.

STELLA

My skin. I feel it in my skin. It buzzes. It swarms. It’s TV static. I’m—my skin.

DOCTOR

Your skin?

MIME

(Nods furiously. Gestures to skin.)

STELLA

Yes.

FLESH steps forward, no longer behind STELLA.

FLESH

So raw.

STELLA

Can you skin me?

FLESH

Bleeding.

STELLA

Flay me alive?

FLESH

Pain. Buzz. Like a bee. Like a bee sting. Buzz buzz buzz.

MIME

(Mimes bee. Mimes flower. Mimes stereotypical changing happy/sad trick.)

STELLA

I am so cold. It is so dark. I just want to see the light. I want to chew on lightning bugs and bleed extraplanetary glow stick juice. The blackhole in my skin sucks out all the light. 

FLESH

It is dark.

STELLA

Can you help me? I want to be starlight. I want to be nothing but firing particles. Particles don’t feel. Particles don’t have emotion. Particles don’t have skin. Skin me alive, please.

FLESH

Particles?

DOCTOR

Have you had any cardiovascular or dermatological surgeries before?

STELLA

No.

FLESH

(To MIME.) Particles.

DOCTOR

Have you had any cardiovascular or dermatological issues before?

FLESH

(To STELLA.) I am particles.

STELLA

Acne. I fixed it with toothpaste. Mitral valve prolapse.

DOCTOR

When were you diagnosed?

STELLA

I was nine. It runs in my family. So do mood disorders.

FLESH pulses. FLESH bleeds. 

FLESH

Particles of cells. I pulse. I bleed. I feel.

DOCTOR

You’re aware of the details of the procedure, correct? The surgeon will make an eight-inch incision down the chest and remove the heart along with any other organ that seems to be causing issues, in this case, the skin.

 MIME

(Mimes the procedure. Bites heart at the end.)

FLESH

The skin.

STELLA

It sounds perfect. It sounds too good to be true.

FLESH stands directly in front of STELLA. 

FLESH

(Singing to the tune of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”) Don’t go breaking my heart. I couldn’t if I tried—

DOCTOR

Before I okay the surgery, I need to run a quick test for eligibility. Is that alright with you?

STELLA

Yes.

FLESH

(Singing to the tune of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”) So don't misunderstand me, you put the light in my life. Oh, you put the spark to the flame, I've got your heart in my sights.

DOCTOR pulls out a Rorschach test. She holds one up to STELLA.

DOCTOR

What does this look like to you?

FLESH

It’s so cold. 

STELLA

An orchid. Red. With the petals slightly crumpled. There’s a sun in the corner. It’s light.

MIME

(Mimes flower.) 

DOCTOR changes cards.

DOCTOR

Okay. And this one?

FLESH

It looks like cold. It looks like warm.

STELLA

It looks like…like a broken lightbulb, like the electricity is buzzing and it’s setting the whole card on fire. Can you do that to me? To my skin? I’d like to be on fire.

MIME

(Mimes screwing in a lightbulb. Mimes getting caught on fire. Mimes rolling on the ground in pain.)

DOCTOR changes cards.

DOCTOR

And this one? 

MIME

(Looks up. Jumps back with intense fright. Mimes being stuck in a box.)

FLESH cowers behind STELLA. 

FLESH

I don’t know. I don’t want to say. It looks like nothing. It looks like—

(A beat.) 

—I’m bleeding. There is blood, it drips to the floor red as plum, it drips it drips it drips it is cold. It is cold.

STELLA

It looks like bruises, sickly sweet, red as pomegranate. Plums spread over jaw and neck and blood that drips from nose and mouth and eyes and eyes and eyes and tears it looks like tears it looks like—it's so cold.

DOCTOR checks notes.

DOCTOR

It looks like the surgeon has an opening tomorrow. Are you free at 11:50am?

STELLA

Yes.

FLESH

No.

MIME

(Shakes head. Mimes flower. Mimes lightbulb. Mimes being stuck in a box. Sinks to knees. Cries.) 

DOCTOR

Wonderful.


SCENE 2: A MIME’S INTERLUDE

Music plays. All characters still and focus on MIME.

MIME

(Mimes driving home. Showers. Cries. Yawns. Sleeps. Wakes up. Stretches. Cries. Yawns. Brushes hair. Brushes teeth. Eats breakfast. Cries. Checks watch. Picks flower. Smells flower. Puts on jacket (STELLA mirrors this with an actual jacket). Cries. Freezes in a crying position.)

Focus changes to DOCTOR. DOCTOR takes off lab coat and transitions into RECEPTIONIST. RECEPTIONIST starts typing at a computer. 


 SCENE 3

The waiting room of a surgeon’s office. MIME, STELLA, RECEPTIONIST and FLESH are onstage. FLESH cowers behind STELLA. 

FLESH

Scared.

STELLA

Hi. I’m here to check in.

MIME

(Mimes RECEPTIONIST checking STELLA in.)

RECEPTIONIST

Great, can I get a name and date of birth?

FLESH steps forward and holds out a tentative hand. 

FLESH

Flesh.

STELLA

Stella. The fourth of November. 1997. 

RECEPTIONIST

Let’s see…You're here for the emotectomy?

FLESH withdraws hand. 

FLESH

No.

MIME

(Shakes head “no” furiously.)

STELLA

Yes.

FLESH

It is cold. I will be scarred. Black stitches. The center of my chest. Disfigured. Split open. Cracked. Like a pomegranate. Red as pomegranate. It is cold. You are cold. I am red plum pomegranate. I am—it is so cold.

MIME

(Mimes reaching into chest and ripping out heart. Mimes peeling off skin.) 

RECEPTIONIST

I’ll let the surgeon know you’re here and see if she’s ready for you. Take a seat while you wait. I’ll just be a minute.

STELLA

Thank you.

FLESH

Leave.

MIME

(Mimes crying.) 

RECEPTIONIST leaves. STELLA moves to a seat. MIME and FLESH follow her. FLESH sits in the seat directly next to her. 

FLESH

Leave. 

A beat.

 Leave.

A beat.

Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave. Leave— 

A beat. 

I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m cold. I’m sorry.

STELLA looks directly at MIME. They make eye contact for a while. Stillness. 

MIME

(Mimes flower. Hands it to STELLA.)

STELLA reaches for the flower from MIME, when she pulls her hand back she is holding a real flower. It is red. FLESH gasps in delight.

FLESH

Flower!

The lights get brighter. Strings of lights behind STELLA and FLESH turn on. STELLA and FLESH stare at the flower. 

STELLA

Oh. The light. 

FLESH

Flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower flower—

STELLA

I bit into a lightbulb last year. The glass broke on my tongue and I bled. Seven stitches and a liquid diet, but it was worth it. For a second I felt that buzzing of electricity fry the nerves in my back molars. My skeleton absorbed the start of light. When the scalpel shreds my tissues, will it charge my lungs with tangy lightning? Will I catch on fire from the shock? Will I burn alive? They want to take my heart but I am light and light is electric and there is electricity in the heart and—it is cold, but light is warm.

RECEPTIONIST returns holding files.

RECEPTIONIST

Stella?

MIME

(Shakes head “no” furiously. Mimes running away.)

STELLA

Yes? 

RECEPTIONIST

The surgeon will be ready to see you soon. Is there anything you need before your operation?

FLESH

(Intensely.) SunLIGHT. Not sunBURN. Not red. Leave. We can still sunlight. We can heal sunburn. Aloe. Plant. Flower.

STELLA

(To RECEPTIONIST.) I think I’m okay, thank you.

RECEPTIONIST

Wonderful. Let me know if you change your mind.

RECEPTIONIST leaves. STELLA looks back at MIME. She frowns and pulls a petal off the flower. 

FLESH

Sunlight. Sweet pomegranate. Blood does not water flowers. The operating room is so cold.

MIME

(Mimes tapping a watch. Mimes “let’s go.” Mimes driving a car.) 

STELLA

(To MIME.) I can’t leave now. My ride isn’t supposed to show up for a few more hours.

FLESH

Flower. Run. Run now. The light. You’re glowing. You’re fireflies, stars, broken light bulbs, electricity, glowsticks, fire. You’re bright.

STELLA pulls another petal from the flower.

 

Your emotions make you bright.

A long pause. STELLA thinks. MIME walks to the lights behind STELLA and FLESH and pulls them down. MIME drapes the lights over them and with that, embraces them both. Warmth. STELLA pulls back and hands the flower to MIME. It is still real. MIME holds it, tenderly. 

STELLA

(To MIME.) Will you drive me home? 

MIME

(Nods.)

STELLA

(To MIME.) Now? Right now?

MIME

(Nods. Mimes tapping a watch. Mimes driving a car. Does stereotypical mime alternating happy/sad trick, ends on happy.)

STELLA

I think I have some fruit at home. A pomegranate. A plum. They’ll go rotten if I don’t eat them soon. I should eat them now. So they don’t spoil.  

FLESH

Flower. Fruit. Sunlight.

STELLA

I think I’m ready to leave.

FLESH

Flower. It is flower. It is light. It is—sometimes it is cold, but right now it is warm.

The lights get brighter.  FLESH hums “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” FLESH, MIME and STELLA leave the surgeon’s office. It is empty. A beat or two.