A one act play on the infinite distance between two points - between today and yesterday. SCENE 1
Table centre stage. Spotlight trained on the table. Typical furnishings around the room. There is an armchair, a single chair behind the table facing the audience. Other than the armchair there are no other furnishings beyond the table and the chair. No pictures on the wall, just a lone clock. Bottle of vodka on the table (half full) Framed picture of a girl on the other side of the table. Clock overhead, clearly visible to the audience, time is frozen at twelve minutes past midnight. PRESENT sitting alone at the table facing the audience. Shot glass is in one hand. Faint tan outline of a ring visible on his finger. PRESENT is informally dressed. His jeans are starting to fade but still look wearable. He is wearing a bright green v neck shirt. There is a 5 o'clock shadow of stubble on his face. Bags are starting to form under his eyes. He looks like a young man currently going through a rough patch. PRESENT pours a shot. PRESENT
PRESENT
PRESENT
Slams table with free hand. Picture frame moves closer to the edge. PRESENT
PRESENT
Unscrews lid and drinks from the bottle. Lid is discarded off to the side. Grimaces at the taste casts another long look at the picture in the frame. PRESENT
Pauses. Looks over at the picture frame. Takes another long shuddering sigh. Forces himself to drink again. PRESENT
Dribble of vodka spills free and stains his shirt. PRESENT (Sighing)
Takes another swig of vodka, doesn't grimace this time. Body lurches forward, resting his elbows on the table to keep himself upright. PRESENT
Slams the bottle down more roughly on the table. Picture frame bumps closer toward the edge of the table. PRESENT (After a pause)
Gives a brief laugh of absolute mirth. Falls silent again. PRESENT
Raises the bottle to his lips. Hesitates. Takes a drink anyway. Tosses the empty bottle to the side. Bottle clips the picture frame and sends it tumbling to the ground where the glass shatters. PRESENT lets out a howl of anguish. Jumps up from his seat and flips the table over. Immediately retrieves the picture frame. Picture frame is broken. PRESENT cuts his fingers pulling out the picture from the frame. PRESENT backs away from the upturned table, toward stage left. Spotlight focuses on PRESENT. PRESENT holds up the picture to the light checking to see if it is damaged. Gives an audible sigh of relief when he realises the picture is fine. Kisses the picture. PRESENT (Slowly, slurred)
(Softer)
SCENE 2 Stage is the same as it was in SCENE 1. Clock is now at thirty minutes past three. PRESENT is lying slumped stage left, clutching the picture in both hands. The empty bottle of vodka is discarded off to the right side of the upturned table. FUTURE enters stage right. FUTURE is dressed shabbily. His jeans are faded and torn from wear and tear. The left knee has been rubbed raw with holes and patches revealing parts of his leg. FUTURE is wearing a faded green shirt that is almost gray. There are dark stains and circles on it. It is hard to tell if it is blood, alcohol, food, or vomit. FUTURE has a ragged beard. His appearance is unkempt and ungroomed. He looks like a desperate man on his last legs. FUTURE walks over to PRESENT. He picks up PRESENT's right hand, takes a look at his ring finger. FUTURE shakes his head slowly and mutters to himself when he sees the tan outline. FUTURE grabs PRESENT's shoulders with both hands and shakes him roughly. FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT looks blearily at the ring in front of him. Both eyes widen with recognition. PRESENT
FUTURE (Interrupting)
PRESENT (Interrupting)
FUTURE (Both characters speaking at the same time now)
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT barely hears a word FUTURE is saying. His eyes are riveted on the ring. There is still a picture in his left hand, carefully kept uncreased despite his poor condition. PRESENT
FUTURE looks away from PRESENT. He stands up and looks at the upturned table. FUTURE walks over to the upturned table and returns it to its position at the centre of the stage. FUTURE retrieves PRESENT's chair and places it behind the table. FUTURE
PRESENT gives out a barking laugh, full of mirth. PRESENT
FUTURE takes a seat at the table where PRESENT was sitting in Scene 1. FUTURE
PRESENT visibly recoils at the mention of his own name. PRESENT
He carefully holds onto the picture in his left hand. FUTURE (Calmly)
PRESENT
FUTURE (As if to himself)
PRESENT
FUTURE continues to sit there in silence, as if not quite believing how badly things are shaping up. FUTURE
PRESENT stops pacing. Turns to face FUTURE. PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT takes a closer look at FUTURE. PRESENT (Agitated)
FUTURE
PRESENT resumes pacing. His movements are fast and jerky. His hands are starting to shake. PRESENT
FUTURE
At this PRESENT goes berserk. He lunges over and grabs onto the table with both hands. PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE (Curtly)
PRESENT
FUTURE (Curtly)
PRESENT looks torn between curiosity and desire. PRESENT unconsciously rubs the tan line on his ring finger. PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT clenches both fists. He takes another deep breath. PRESENT steadies himself. PRESENT
FUTURE is taken aback by this sudden deflation of energy. He unconsciously touches the ring hanging from the necklace. FUTURE
PRESENT winces every time he hears his own name. As if it reminds him of someone who he no longer is. PRESENT
He tips it into his mouth and gives a sigh when he realises it is empty. PRESENT tosses the empty bottle of vodka aside as casually as a man would toss a crumpled newspaper.
FUTURE
PRESENT
Starts patting his pockets until he retrieves a hip flask. FUTURE leans across the table and snatches the hip flask from PRESENT. FUTURE
At this PRESENT jumps to his feet again. PRESENT
At this FUTURE drops the hip flask onto the table, reaches over and grabs PRESENT firmly by both shoulders, dragging him away from the table. FUTURE
FUTURE rubs the ring hanging from his necklace and looks wistfully off to the distance.
PRESENT, startled at seeing FUTURE's outburst, retrieves the flask from the table and takes a swig. FUTURE makes n move to stop him. PRESENT sits next to him on the table and offers him the flask. FUTURE looks grudgingly at the flask rubs the ring hanging from his neck and shakes his head. PRESENT
FUTURE remains silent for a few moments, weighing it up in his mind before he responds. FUTURE
PRESENT takes a swig from his hip flask. PRESENT
(In a mocking voice)
FUTURE (As if muttering to himself)
PRESENT gets off from the table, leaving the hip flask there, and walks to face FUTURE. Fists clenched, PRESENT stares FUTURE in the eye. The empty bottle of vodka looms in the corner of PRESENT's eye. PRESENT (Softly)
Returns to face FUTURE. (Louder this time)
FUTURE (Quietly, as if willing PRESENT to do it)
(Louder and more confident now)
PRESENT
FUTURE remains calm at PRESENT's outburst. FUTURE
(Voice rises with each sentence until it is almost a shout)
(Softly spoken)
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT
PRESENT is on all fours. Sobbing now. FUTURE walks over to PRESENT and extends his hand. PRESENT grasps his hand and FUTURE pulls him upright. Lights gradually dim with the silhouette of FUTURE comforting PRESENT. SCENE 3 Table is still set up prominently in the middle of the room. In the middle of the table is a blue recycling bin full of bottles and cans. There is an assemblage of vodka bottles, dozens of half crumpled cans of beer. Two chairs face each other, one is at stage left of the table, the other is at stage right of the table. PRESENT is a little worse for wear. He is more ragged than his appearance in SCENE 1. The resemblance between PRESENT and FUTURE is becoming more pronounced. The clock remains frozen overhead, still locked in place at 3:30 AM. FUTURE
PRESENT reaches into his pocket and pulls out the hip flask. PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT seems encouraged by this and holds the hip flask over the recycling bin. He hesitates. PRESENT
At this FUTURE seems uncertain. After all FUTURE isn't even sure if things can be fixed at this point. FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE (Voice rising)
PRESENT
FUTURE (Louder)
PRESENT (Angrier)
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT (Interrupting)
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE (Voice rises until it reaches a crescendo)
FUTURE sinks back down onto his seat. His body slumps over the table with his fists keeping his head from slamming into the table. (Hoarsely)
PRESENT
FUTURE (World weary)
For FUTURE every day is exactly the same. He has relived this moment before, and will continue to do so. PRESENT (Softly)
FUTURE (Slowly)
PRESENT (Rushed, excited)
FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTURE (Not listening to PRESENT)
FUTURE sinks toward the table and closes his eyes. Spotlight shines on PRESENT as the rest of the lights dim. PRESENT (Fully aware of the temporal paradox)
SCENE 4 Table centre stage. Spotlight trained on the table. Typical furnishings around the room. There is an armchair, a single chair behind the table facing the audience. Other than the armchair there are no other furnishings beyond the table. No pictures on the wall, just a lone clock. Bottle of vodka on the table (half full). Label is different from the one in SCENE 1. Framed picture of a girl on the other side of the table. Colour of picture frame is different from the one in SCENE 1. Clock overhead, clearly visible to the audience, time is frozen at twelve minutes past midnight. Colour of clock is different this time around. PRESENT sitting alone at the table facing the audience. Shot glass in one hand. Faint tan outline of a ring visible on his finger. PRESENT is informally dressed. His jeans are starting to fade but still look wearable. He is wearing a bright yellow v neck shirt. There is a 5 o'clock shadow of stubble on his face. Bags are starting to form under his eyes. He looks like a young man currently going through a rough patch. PRESENT pours a shot. PRESENT
PRESENT
PRESENT
Slams table with free hand. Picture frame moves closer to the edge. PRESENT
PRESENT
Unscrews lid and drinks from the bottle. Lid is discarded off to the side. Grimaces at the taste casts another long look at the picture in the frame. PRESENT
Pauses. Looks over at the picture frame. Takes another long shuddering sigh. Forces himself to drink again. PRESENT
Dribble of vodka spills free and stains his shirt. PRESENT (Sighing)
Takes another swig of vodka, doesn't grimace this time. Body lurches forward, resting his elbows on the table to keep himself upright. PRESENT
Slams the bottle down more roughly on the table. Picture frame bumps closer toward the edge of the table. PRESENT (After a pause)
Gives a brief laugh of absolute mirth. Falls silent again. PRESENT
Tosses the empty bottle to the side. Bottle clips the picture frame and sends it tumbling to the ground where the glass shatters. PRESENT lets out a howl of anguish. Jumps up from his seat and flips the table over. Immediately retrieves the picture frame. Picture frame is broken. PRESENT cuts his fingers pulling out the picture from the frame. PRESENT backs away from the upturned table, toward stage left. Spotlight focuses on PRESENT. PRESENT holds up the picture to the light checking to see if it is damaged. Gives an audible sigh of relief when he realises the picture is fine. Kisses the picture. PRESENT (Slowly, slurred)
(Softer)
Final Notes Each performance of Yesterday is to be exactly the same as all others in the same production. Different directors and productions may interpret things differently but all performances of Yesterday within that director/production must be completely consistent. SCENE 4 is SCENE 1 repeated but with slight differences to indicate the possibility that the endlessly repeating cycle of SCENE 1-3, might be one day be broken, and that is left to the audience to decide. It is always 'Yesterday' to both Toms' as the PRESENT Tom is stuck trying to forget the past, and the FUTURE Tom is always forced to go back to Yesterday or live with the guilt of his actions. There is never any reference to PAST Tom as the past can never be changed, only repeated. FUTURE Tom is the only one who is fully aware at all times of the cyclical nature of his reality as he is the time traveller. The most important line in the play is the line "How long do you think we've been here?" as it alludes to the fact that this isn't the first time both Tom's have had this experience, and will not be the last. PRESENT Tom is subconsciously aware of the fact that he is stuck in this temporal paradox but is never fully aware of it until the end of SCENE 3 where he asks "How long have I been here?" The specifics of Tom and Daisy's relationship are never elaborated upon as it allows the audience to formulate their own idea. The audience is left ambiguous as to whether Tom drinks as a result of Daisy leaving him or if his drinking is what drove Daisy away in the first place. It is implicated that Daisy's death is a result of Tom's drinking, and Tom's guilt is what motivates FUTURE Tom to go back in time. However in trying to outwit time FUTURE Tom finds himself stuck in a temporal paradox as he arrives too late to change what happened. FUTURE Tom is therefore forced to endlessly repeat the same sequence of events to prevent Daisy's death, even if he knows that ultimately it is futile. FUTURE Tom endures this with the hope of breaking the cycle by making Tom fully aware of its nature.
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IsaacBorn somewhere between the old world of Korea and the new world of New Zealand Isaac is an award winning writer, teacher of literature and nomad currently residing in Nanjing. Archives
May 2020
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