EXCHANGES
By Scott Ferrara
An ornamental poetry
and stage combat piece in 10 minutes.
The piece itself is meant to be dismembered and broken up between several smaller pieces. This was designed to show off stage combatants. Also the period between the scenes will give your actors some needed rest. It is a stylized struggle between men and women. Scenes 4 and 5 can be removed for time.
CHARACTERS
MELODY
LANCE
JACK
JILL
APHRA
WILL
SCENE 1
- MELODY and LANCE are in the throes of budding romance. But there is
some conflict here. Both are good blades and they are very competitive. Both
fight with rapiers. WILL and APHRA, and JACK and JILL are watching.
MELODY
The
rules of the game were simple. The loser is the one to lose their wit or nerve.
LANCE
When
to many blades fall prey
MELODY
And heart sword and skill win not
And heart sword and skill win not
LANCE
Faith cowers not this day
Faith cowers not this day
MELODY
Send your foes in graves to rot
Send your foes in graves to rot
LANCE
Worry never what will befall
(
LANCE and MELODY kiss )
MELODY
Those fears that lurk in the mind
Those fears that lurk in the mind
(
MELODY pushes LANCE away )
LANCE
Stand firm, proud and tall
Stand firm, proud and tall
MELODY
And at them with steel remind
And at them with steel remind
LANCE
The warrior’s life is fierce and bright
MELODY
Under the gaze of tyrant time
Under the gaze of tyrant time
LANCE
Show the foe who is in the right
Show the foe who is in the right
MELODY
Bury them in pits of lyme
Bury them in pits of lyme
LANCE
The warriors way, glorious and brief
MELODY
Will carry you through the throng
Will carry you through the throng
LANCE
A noble death holds stark relief
A noble death holds stark relief
MELODY
From a coward’s life lived too long
From a coward’s life lived too long
LANCE
Here my words in blood debt repay
MELODY
For a life not destined to last
For a life not destined to last
LANCE
And remember the warriors way
And remember the warriors way
MELODY
Blades will earn and with God’s repast.
Blades will earn and with God’s repast.
(
MELODY slaps LANCE )
SCENE 2 – JACK and JILL have been together for
awhile and are really staring to resent each other. Jack fights with a broadsword, Jill with
rapier and dagger.
JACK
A
gauntlet thrown her will is shown
JILL
To the warrior she turns and faces
To the warrior she turns and faces
JACK
her skill unrivaled her name unknown
her skill unrivaled her name unknown
JILL
she'll put this lout through his paces
she'll put this lout through his paces
(
JILL lightly wounds JACK )
JACK
sword gleaming anger teeming
JILL
she steel herself for the fight
she steel herself for the fight
JACK
his face drops her calm un-seeming
his face drops her calm un-seeming
JILL
as her twin blades take flight
as her twin blades take flight
(
JILL shows off )
JACK
in a dance a speed and grace
JILL
and true power artfully hid
and true power artfully hid
JACK
she
calls out
JILL
" I own this place "
JACK
his courage falters utterly undid
his courage falters utterly undid
(
JACK lightly wounds JILL )
JILL
and in a rush he runs twice the time
JACK
to a place he cares not where he flies
to a place he cares not where he flies
JILL
for her swords unsheathed she seems relieved
for her swords unsheathed she seems relieved
JACK
as she cut him deeply with her eyes.
as she cut him deeply with her eyes.
(
Stalemate )
SCENE 3
WILL and APHRA were once deeply and passionately in love. He still loves
her. This fight is vindictive on both
parties. Will fights with rapier and buckler, Aphra a pair of main gauche. This is the most brutal of the matches.
Neither is giving or receiving quarter.
WILL
The
Muse. I hear her siren voice in the winds
APHRA
These words he gives me in whispers
These words he gives me in whispers
WILL
The poets need to write begins
The poets need to write begins
APHRA
and the warrior never slumbers
and the warrior never slumbers
WILL
Of her beauty I can say so much
APHRA
In paths like strikes, so many ways
In paths like strikes, so many ways
WILL
But her angelic voice her voice is such
But her angelic voice her voice is such
APHRA
And there is where my heart stays
And there is where my heart stays
WILL
Please milady say my name
APHRA
And give those words YOU need
And give those words YOU need
WILL
To keep you alive all the same
To keep you alive all the same
APHRA
In all these words for you bleed
In all these words for you bleed
WILL
To see you my celestial vision
(APHRA disarms WILL, WILL is now fighting hand
and buckler. Which he throws away and it degenerates into hand to hand
brawling )
APHRA
And please know I write always for you
And please know I write always for you
WILL
It points out the grand collision
It points out the grand collision
APHRA
Between spirit and flesh true
Between spirit and flesh true
WILL
Someday you'll return to me
APHRA
As loves like rhyme oft repeat
As loves like rhyme oft repeat
WILL
That day my soul will be set free
That day my soul will be set free
APHRA
Until then I scribble on this paper sheet
Until then I scribble on this paper sheet
WILL
My muse of swords and quills
APHRA
I am my reason for being
I am my reason for being
WILL
And time without you slowly kills
And time without you slowly kills
APHRA
My love is light worth seeing
My love is light worth seeing
WILL
So my candle dims, my fingers ink stained
APHRA
Night has turned to radiant song
Night has turned to radiant song
WILL
Please remember warrior poets need be trained
Please remember warrior poets need be trained
APHRA
Not to go on too long
Not to go on too long
WILL
But one last stanza before I go
APHRA
And face this luminous day
And face this luminous day
WILL
For you My muse,
For you My muse,
APHRA
your love,
WILL
my
fights,
APHRA
your
words,
WILL
will show
WILL
AND APHRA
They
are worth the whispers, for which I pray
SCENE 4 – The men, are all gathered doing
light sparring. This is more playful, but progresses to serious. They trade
weapons through exchanges throughout the fight.
JACK
Maps to Terra Incognita
WILL
Undiscovered yet within her
Undiscovered yet within her
JACK
The geography of yearning shown
The geography of yearning shown
LANCE
To know love and yet lost
WILL
Is this poet’s mead
Is this poet’s mead
JACK
To withstand the dreadful cost
To withstand the dreadful cost
LANCE
Heart follow ere it lead
Heart follow ere it lead
WILL
To find her once again
JACK
And keep her for our sake
And keep her for our sake
LANCE
To bring the now from then
To bring the now from then
WILL
Leaving destruction in it’s wake
Leaving destruction in it’s wake
JACK
I will fight and die for those eyes
I will fight and die for those eyes
LANCE
And this love that I hold dear
And this love that I hold dear
WILL
On that kiss forever lies
On that kiss forever lies
JACK
And of softest lips appear
And of softest lips appear
LANCE
Many foes and tales of woes
Many foes and tales of woes
WILL
Will flood into this breach
Will flood into this breach
LANCE
But in heart danger wisdom grows
But in heart danger wisdom grows
JACK
When the gods of love beseech
When the gods of love beseech
LANCE
Learn from this my student
WILL
And learn this lesson well
And learn this lesson well
JACK
Love is never imprudent
Love is never imprudent
JACK
/ LANCE AND WILL
When you have it’s tale to tell
When you have it’s tale to tell
WILL
When you doubt loves fables
JACK
And you’re searching for it’s theme
And you’re searching for it’s theme
LANCE
It’s life without that turns the tables
It’s life without that turns the tables
WILL,
JACK, LANCE
It’s a rhyme sans a scheme
It’s a rhyme sans a scheme
JACK
Love has it’s own wisdom
Love has it’s own wisdom
LANCE
Though not always clear
Though not always clear
WILL
And when a guest in it’s kingdom
And when a guest in it’s kingdom
JACK
Embrace it without fear
Embrace it without fear
LANCE
Cause it’s times are few and far
WILL
Grab it when it arrives
Grab it when it arrives
JACK
It’s loss is worth the scar
It’s loss is worth the scar
WILL,
JACK, LANCE
But life without none survives.
But life without none survives.
SCENE 5 - The women are all gathered for sparring,
this too progresses into something more violent. They trade weapons through exchanges
throughout the fight.
MELODY
Of
oldest themes and warrior sages
JILL
Tell of tales of daring do
Tell of tales of daring do
APHRA
The poems last beyond the ages
The poems last beyond the ages
MELODY
And keep heroes hearts true
And keep heroes hearts true
JILL
It’s the
damsel that keeps them going
MELDOY
Through the battles melee
Through the battles melee
JILL
The need see her once again is growing
The need see her once again is growing
APHRA
Her eyes drive him through the fray
Her eyes drive him through the fray
MELODY
Of all the monsters I have seen
JILL
With scars I have paid this toll
With scars I have paid this toll
APHRA
The hardest foes have always been
The hardest foes have always been
MELODY
Are the ones that take your soul
Are the ones that take your soul
JILL
But a soul that’s freely given
But a soul that’s freely given
APHRA
Like a man’s word or deed
Like a man’s word or deed
MELODY
Will by the gods be forgiven
Will by the gods be forgiven
JILL
For the gods obey this creed
For the gods obey this creed
APHRA
A love that true and selfless
A love that true and selfless
MELODY
A love greater than oneself
A love greater than oneself
JILL
Will give bounties endless
Will give bounties endless
APHRA
Then some dusty tome upon a shelf
Then some dusty tome upon a shelf
MELODY
So
many hide in stony tower
JILL
Never taking this chance
Never taking this chance
APHRA
To lose yourself to a higher power
To lose yourself to a higher power
JILL,
APHRA, MELODY
And ask that damsel to dance
And ask that damsel to dance
SCENE 6 – The grand melee. Men
versus women. LANCE and MELODY stand
together. JACK and JILL fight for their gender. WILL defends APHRA and later
APHRA defends WILL.
LANCE
Take
your time the master shouted
JACK
And choose your moment wisely
And choose your moment wisely
WILL
Speed
has power undoubted
MELODY
But it
But it
JILL
means nothing
APHRA
if
you miss me
LANCE
Seduction in blade and deed
Seduction in blade and deed
JACK
Is like guarding your center line
Is like guarding your center line
WILL
keep it closed until you succeed
keep it closed until you succeed
JACK,
LANCE WILL
and hit a hit finer than sweet w
and hit a hit finer than sweet w
MELODY
Parry,
JILL
retreat
APHRA
and
disengage
JACK
Dodge from side to side
Dodge from side to side
LANCE
AND WILL
Build in the opponent a quiet rage
Build in the opponent a quiet rage
JACK,
LANCE , WILL
Let not your blows swing wide
Let not your blows swing wide
MELODY,
JILL, APHRA
Then when that heart is open
Then when that heart is open
JACK
LANCE WILL
strike
strike
JILL
strong,
MELODY
fast,
and clean
APHRA
And above all see and listen
And above all see and listen
JACK,
LANCE, WILL
Their body tells the scene
Their body tells the scene
LANCE
Combat is that sacred art
Combat is that sacred art
MELODY
Of hitting and not getting hit
Of hitting and not getting hit
JACK
All players play their part
All players play their part
JILL
Of blades of steel and wit
Of blades of steel and wit
WILL
Above all take those moments
Above all take those moments
APHRA
Feel them in your chest
Feel them in your chest
MELODY,
JILL, APHRA
Give your foe gentle torments
Give your foe gentle torments
JACK
AND JILL
And give them no time for rest
And give them no time for rest
LANCE AND MELODY
So remember this my novices
WILL
AND APHRA
There are many ways to miss
There are many ways to miss
ALL
But of all of wit's and steel's promises
But of all of wit's and steel's promises
MELODY,
JILL, APHRA
Seal it with a kiss
Seal it with a kiss
(
All the lovers embrace )
