Choinière Olivier - Bliss

Olivier Choinire

BLISS

(Flicit)

Translated by

Caryl Churchill

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

The original French-language production of Flicit was first presented at Thtre La Liscorne, Montreal, Canada, on 16 October 2007, with the following cast:

It was a Thtre de la Manufacture production, under the artistic direction of Jean-Denis Leduc

BLISS / perfect joy or happiness; the state of being in heaven

The alienation of the spectator which reinforces the contemplated objects (a result of his own unconscious activity) works like this: the more he contemplates, the less he lives; the more he identifies with the dominant images of need, the less he understands his own life and his own desires. The spectacles estrangement from the acting subject appears in the fact that the individuals gestures are no longer his own; they are the gestures of someone else who represents them to him. The spectator does not feel at home anywhere, because the spectacle is everywhere.

Guy Debord, The Society of Spectacle

Characters

COSMETICS SALESPERSON, 1. Acts under anothers direction. 2. Applies make-up, disguises, smoothes things over. 3. Woman late forties.

MANAGER, 1. Runs things on behalf of someone else. 2. Organises, forbids, confronts. 3. Man early fifties.

DISPLAY ASSISTANT, 1. Designs and arranges the displays, shows off the merchandise. 2. Records, places, situates. 3. Man late twenties.

ORACLE, 1. Expresses herself with authority, is highly trusted. 2. Announces, decides, settles. 3. Woman early thirties.

Place

The stage, that is from the other side of the mirror.

Punctuation

A slash (/) indicates the start of the next speech.

The dash () indicates a gesture expressing a thought, an ellipse, hesitation or censorship.

A sentence without a full stop (.) indicates that the next speech follows without a pause.

Note

Capital letters indicate a louder voice or a quote from a newspaper.

MANAGER, COSMETICS SALESPERSON, DISPLAY ASSISTANT enter and face the audience. Theyre wearing blue overalls, except for the MANAGER. Theyre all wearing nametags with letters and numbers backwards so you cant read them. Theyre smiling. ORACLE enters and faces the audience. Shes not smiling. Shes wearing the same blue overalls. On her nametag you can read:

ORACLE Begin.

COSMETICS Everyone breathless

DISPLAY Your legs

MANAGER No one dared breathe

COSMETICS The silence at the end of the note, I mean when the last note had died away

MANAGER Vast

DISPLAY Then everyone looked up at the same time

MANAGER The balloons were beginning to fall

COSMETICS RAINING balloons

MANAGER But she stayed where she was, microphone in her hand, mouth open eyes scrunched up

COSMETICS And its as if she was still singing

DISPLAY Thats right: as if the roar of the crowd was coming out of her mouth

MANAGER Thousands of spectators in her mouth

COSMETICS People were yelling, balloons still raining down on them on her, standing there

MANAGER Mouth open eyes scrunched up

DISPLAY And then flash all at once, from all over

MANAGER Wonderful

DISPLAY As if everyone wanted to keep the same memory.

COSMETICS After that, she lowered her arms, she opened her eyes, she smiled yes, she smiled and she said: Thank you

ORACLE No before

COSMETICS Before what?

ORACLE Before she said it

MANAGER Youre right before that, she put her hand on her heart and said: Thank you, but / without saying thank you

DISPLAY WITHOUT saying thank you

MANAGER Just mouthing the words Thank you

DISPLAY Yes, because people

COSMETICS But she did end up saying Thank you, I mean really

DISPLAY But it took Thats why she said: Stop. Its too much.

COSMETICS YES, then after that: I love you lots! with her arm

DISPLAY Then: I love you too, because everyone was shouting: I LOVE YOU

MANAGER WE LOVE YOU, CLINE!

COSMETICS Then Cline crying

DISPLAY On the big screen: close-up of Clines face

MANAGER One tear with her finger. Fantastic wonderful

DISPLAY But everyone kept on: CLINE! CLINE!

COSMETICS Thats when Cline said: Thank you from the bottom of my heart, bending her head, then softly, the first notes of obviously! For an encore Cline sang The Power of Love, still crying

MANAGER Her cheeks soaking wet

COSMETICS And everyone was crying. After the encore: DONT GO, / CLINE!

DISPLAY CLINE on television in every house

COSMETICS In the living room: everyone crying

DISPLAY Next day newspapers, magazines: GOODBYE, CLINE, in big letters

ORACLE Not GOODBYE, SEE YOU LATER

MANAGER SEE YOU LATER yes, thats right Cline just wanted a break.

COSMETICS When Cline appeared at the press conference in jeans and a sweater a baggy sweater, really simple. The journalists were on their knees

DISPLAY The Photographer wanted to take a photo but he was crying too much

COSMETICS Cline and Ren sat down. Cline smiled simple. And the press officer had a word with the Journalist and the Journalist asked if no earlier, the Journalist said: Hello, Cline, and Cline said: Hello, lovely. Hows your throat? Cline knew the Journalist had been ill, shed been briefed no she / just knew

MANAGER And what did the Journalist ask?

COSMETICS The Journalist asked: How longs the break for, Cline? And Ren replied

MANAGER Its not Ren who replied, its Cline she replied: I dont know yet and after that Ren said: Maybe two three years

DISPLAY Thats right: Maybe five, maybe seven

COSMETICS Or maybe not, maybe just a month, who knows, but If Cline took a break for a month it would feel like ten years, if she came back after ten years it would be as if shed never left, thought the Journalist

MANAGER Cline said: I want to take some time for myself, with my family, then gazing upward: One thing I do know, Ill always be with you

COSMETICS And the Journalist felt she was speaking to her for her that it was just to her she was saying that

DISPLAY When Cline got up from the press table, the Photographer felt she turned towards him, it was for him she was turning her head, stroking her belly

COSMETICS Cline was pregnant

ORACLE Cline didnt say she was pregnant

MANAGER No, not at the press conference, it was a fucking journalist who

COSMETICS The Journalist didnt say anything, I mean she just THOUGHT Cline was pregnant maybe, even if deep down she knew

MANAGER Someone talked, someone took a photo, a photo of her lying in bed

DISPLAY It wasnt one of the Photographers photos

MANAGER Ren made them withdraw the magazine with the photo all the magazines, from all the newsagents and all the shops. Cline wanted it to be INTIMATE.