Play #17

The Dreams of Joseph, a physical theatre

__________________________

A short play written for

the 2018
31 Plays in 31 Days
Challenge

By Joseph Frost

Contact:
Joseph Frost
4550 Normandy Dr
Jackson, MS 39206
FrostJosephD@gmail.com
A young man enters, this is Joseph. He wears a bright coat.
He is taunted by his bigger brothers. They don’t like his coat.
The brothers exit.
He yawns and stretches, and lies down to sleep.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, MUSIC. DREAM ONE - SHEAVES

The brothers re-enter with stalks of wheat. They surround where Joseph sleeps, drop
their stalks and begin to bind them into sheaves. They obscure our view of Joseph.
When they are done with the sheaves, Joseph is raised up high. The sheaves move
toward Joseph.
The sheaves bow to Joseph.
Joseph’s coat becomes very large and expands across the stage. It encompasses the
sheaves.
Once the coat closes over the sheaves, everything shifts again.
Joseph drops to the floor, asleep.
The sheaves are gone, the brothers are gone.
Joseph is alone.
He stirs, waking.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, SOUND. STRUGGLE ONE

The brothers enter. Joseph gets their attention - they all sit on the floor, facing downstage,
Joseph speaks to them, facing upstage. Joseph tells the story of the dream of the sheaves.
The brothers respond poorly. The push and shove Joseph.
Father enters, halting the hazing. Father sends brothers away.
Father comforts Joseph, dusts him off, relaxes him down to sleep again.
Joseph sleeps, Father exits.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, SOUND. DREAM TWO - CELESTIALS

Brothers enter carrying eleven stars.
Father enters carrying a sun and a moon.
The stars dance high above Joseph, then begin to circle him.
Joseph rises.
Joseph’s coat again expands, covering the stage floor.
The stars and sun and moon all halt in their patterns, turn to Joseph.
Joseph raises his hands, as the celestials bow down to him.
The coat raises from the floor, blocking the celestials.
When the coat drops, Joseph is again alone, sleeping on the floor.
 2.

SHIFT - LIGHTS, MUSIC. STRUGGLE TWO.

Father is brought to Joseph. The brothers circle Joseph.
Joseph expresses the story of the dream of the celestial bodies.
Father approaches Joseph - expresses disappointment. Leaves.
The brothers circle Joseph, and increase the speed.
They grab Joseph’s coat and wrap him up in the coat
They raise him high, and unfurl the coat, dropping Joseph down to the floor.
Joseph lay on the floor, splayed out
The brothers tear the coat
The brothers demonstrate killing a sheep and spreading blood on the coat
The brothers split the coat eleven ways as they exit
Joseph remains on the floor

End