Eno - Thom Pain: (based on nothing). Published with other monologues for theatre

THOM PAIN

(based on nothing)

BOOKS BY WILL ENO
AVAILABLE FROM TCG

The Flu Season and Other Plays
Also includes:

Intermission
Tragedy: a tragedy

Gnit

Middletown

The Open House

The Realistic Joneses

Thom Pain (based on nothing)

Title and Deed/Oh, the Humanity and other good intentions

Wakey, Wakey (forthcoming)

THOM PAIN

(based on nothing)

published with other monologues for theatre

Will Eno

Thom Pain (based on nothing) is copyright 2004 and 2018 by Will Eno

Thom Pain (based on nothing) is published by Theatre Communications Group, Inc., 520 Eighth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10018-4156

Thom Pain (based on nothing) is published by arrangement with Oberon Books, Ltd. 521 Caledonia Road, London, N7 9RH

All rights reserved. Except for brief passages quoted in newspaper, magazine, radio or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Professionals and amateurs are hereby warned that this material, being fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States of America and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions, is subject to a royalty. All rights, including but not limited to, professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcasting, and the rights of translation into foreign languages are expressly reserved. Particular emphasis is placed on the question of readings and all uses of this book by educational institutions, permission for which must be secured from the authors representative: Rachel Viola, United Talent Agency, 888 Seventh Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10106, .

Mr Theatre Comes Home Different originally appeared in Post Road, Vol. 4, and appears here with gratitude to the editors.

The publication of Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno, through TCGs Book Program, is made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

TCG books are exclusively distributed to the book trade by Consortium Book Sales and Distribution.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress

ISBN 978-1-55936-959-6 (trade paper)

ISBN 978-1-55936-922-0 (ebook)

Cover image: Michael C. Hall from Thom Pain, photo by Tristan Nash/Signature Theatre

First TCG Edition, March 2005

Revised TCG Edition, November 2018

THANK YOU and LOVE,
MARIA, ALBERTINE, MADELEINE,
JOHN, GORDON, and JIM.

Contents

THOM PAIN

(based on nothing)

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

THOM PAIN

Male, 30s-40s, cold, grave, somewhat angular person. A wounded, stray-dog type, but with an odd intellectual aspect, perhaps even a little frail, in some way. He should seem capable of great cruelty, perhaps due to his having suffered great cruelties, himself. He must also be charismatic, must be able to run the show, but run it without a lot of effort, relying more on a kind of dark seductive quality. He is somewhere between Shakespeares Richard II and his Richard III. That said, the actor must also create a character that is close to and is largely derived from himself.

AUDIENCE

Female, male, various ages.

Setting: A mostly empty stage, the theatre.

Wardrobe: Plain dark suit, white shirt, dark tie. Clothes should be non-descript: slightly-worn, not of a perfect fit, though certainly not ragged.

A props list and some general notes are at the end of the play.

Thom Pain was first produced by Soho Theatre Company in association with Chantal Arts + Theatre and Naked Angels (NYC) at the Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh on 5 August 2004, before transferring to Soho Theatre, London on 3 September. The personnel were:

THOM PAIN, James Urbaniak

Director, Hal Brooks

Artistic Associate, Julie Anderson

Design Consultant, David Korins

Lighting Designer, Christoph Wagner

On its transfer to DR2 Theatre, New York, on 1 February 2005, Thom Pain was produced by Daryl Roth and Bob Boyett with the following personnel:

THOM PAIN, James Urbaniak

Director, Hal Brooks

Artistic Associate, Julie Anderson

Design Consultant, David Korins

Lighting Designer, Mark Barton

General Manager, Adam Hess

Thom Pain (based on nothing) opened on November 11, 2018 at Signature Theatre (Paige Evans, Artistic Director; Harold Wolpert, Executive Director; Jim Houghton, Founder) in New York City. It was directed by Oliver Butler, the set design was by Amy Rubin, the costume design was by Anita Yavich, the lighting design was by Jen Schriever, the sound design was by Lee Kinney; the production stage manager was Charles M. Turner III, the production assistant was Elizabeth Emanuel, and the assistant director was Banna Desta.

The cast was:

THOM PAIN, Michael C. Hall

THOM PAIN

Enters in darkness. Footsteps are heard. A match is lit, to light a cigarette. It is snuffed out, accidentally, without the cigarette being lit. The darkness remains.

How wonderful to see you all.

A second match is lit, and is, again, accidentally snuffed out.

I should quit.

Pause. Its still dark.

We should define some terms here. Then, maybe, you get a little story. So. From the New Century Dictionary of English (Rustling of paper, in the dark.):

Quote, Fear:

1. Any of the discrete parts of the face, as in the eyes or mouth, or eyes.

2. The capital of Lower Meersham, in the north central southeast corner. Population 8,000,001, approx.

3. Fear.

4. See three.

5. There is no seven.

Colloquial. Archaic. A verb. Or noun. Depends. End quote.

(Rustling of pages. The following lines are said somewhat to himself.) Hey, look at that. Felicific. Adjective. Causing or intending to cause happiness. (Very softly.) Felicific.

Anyway. Now. I guess we begin. Do you like magic? I dont. Enough about me. Lets get to our story. Do you want a story? Do you need to see me to hear me? If so, sorry. Not yet. Im afraid youd laugh at my native costume. Promise you wont laugh. I know you wont, friends, I trust you wont. But not because you promised. Youll see me soon enough, I suspect. But not yet.

For now, we should take a moment to consider

A flash of bright light lights up the whole stage, and then, more-focused light comes up on THOM PAIN. This light cue should only take a split-second: a flash and then lights up. It should have a jarring and accidental feel. THOM is caught off-center, though he quickly adjusts.

And yet. I guess some things are not really ours to decide. The shape of the face, say, or whether were forgiven or how tall we are. Where to die and when.

Brief pause.

Ill wait for the laughter to die down.

Brief pause.

I still sense some laughter.

Brief pause.

There. Wait. Now. There.

Brief pause