To start off with, I wanted to create some kind of piece around a particular scene from the second season of my audio drama, Chain of Being. The scene in question is split up over the episode but in the interests of what I currently feel will end up as a live performance/series of tracks I will be working from the scene as a whole, separate from the rest of the scenes. Below is the entire sequence in which the main character: Adam, communes with a mystic forest, the Noecelia, in order to uncover a way to bring his friend back from another realm. I wanted to write the speech in a way that was bizarre enough to unsettle the listener’s sense of normalcy whilst still suggesting that there is truth and meaning behind what is being said.
In the original script I really love the idea of this method of uncovering truth being a totally normal and accepted method of research, and I think going into a performance this feeling of slight anti-logocentrism and an attempt to make the listener feel at peace with an alternative method of thinking.
I think developing the skills to be comfortable with difference is extremely important. My anarchist readings on various internet spaces as well as more academic readings have led me to the conclusion that a total change of how we approach society and everyday life is needed. The wider Euro-American societal attitudes to gender, sex, sexuality, race, culture are key in maintaining the patriarchal white supremacist colonialist society we find ourselves in. I don’t expect to see these attitudes toppled in my lifetime, but I feel in some small way I can attempt to use the platform and artistic skills I have to try and gently suggest that people open their minds to alternative ways of being. This is one of the underlying aims of the entire second season of Chain of Being, with this one scene being part of this wider goal.
I think then the challenge for this possible performance piece will be concentrating what is being done over a 7 hour story down into just one thing. Perhaps it isn’t going to have this effect and perhaps I’ll drop this idea eventually but I think having that as at least a foundation will help aim me in a good general trajectory.
Conversation with the Noecelia:
Note: all lines not said by Adam are ‘said’ by the Noecelia. It is not dialogue but an interaction with Truth via the forest itself.
Unto unto unto u u u u u
Whence whence cometh th th th th
Avaunt from here eternal, A a a a a
Untouchable,
Alone, eternal al al al al
Soldier, poet, philosopher, murderer, alchemist
Hater of injustice causer (of much),
A yak, thousands of threads you do carry, which which which which
Ingress and egress, and orbiting body, dangerous dangerous dangerous
Time into importance
The danger of such a thing
Long before, an age even for you, what enemy held you?
Adam: intrinsic, fought to a death that won’t come, a frozen beast roars from the cold tower, waves of cold peel away at flesh and shatter bone. A terrible honour. A secret held dear, a lie as cover.
A time soon past, tragedy turned redemption:
Adam: A Roiling serpent, head of flame, making blood, marking blood, arcs across the sky. The sight burns out my eyes before the heat can
The deadly, marking truth, future revelation
Adam: A pair of siblings with no forms repeatedly slay each other, both made from light, one purely so but both crossed with Earth
These truths are meaningless
Adam: Aye, to me
[pause]
I would drink the cascading sunset,
All warriors are born unfortunately,
This self holds significance, turn your ire to me,
I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know I know,
Who is not your kin, that should be?
Adam: are you talking to me?
Who is not your kin, that should be?
Adam: Everyone, humanity, I don’t understand
FOOL!
Adam: I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please, please don’t scream, don’t scream
All relationships come to a death. Why pursue?
Adam: Why pursue? Why
Who are you?
Adam: what will I be?
If you don’t
Adam: if I don’t
Pursue to ward off apathy
Adam: apathy is death
You refuse to die
Adam: I can’t die, I can’t
FOOL, AGAIN!
Adam: please!
Death is…
Adam: death is more than dying
Why are you the exception
Adam: because my self can die
You pursue
Adam: how do I pursue?
Who is not your kin, that should be?
Adam: I
You
Adam: don’t
Do not
Adam: know
Know
Adam: please
What, by choice, has separated itself and stands in opposition? What turns its ire above?
Adam: The Anthronesians
You’ve seen
Adam: I have, I have?
What powers they must have
Adam: you wear a face that doesn’t belong here
One you brought with you
Adam: what powers they must have
To pull things through and from
Adam: the angels
You’ve seen
Adam: I have.
That which turns its ire above, which stands apart, that pulls things through and from
Adam: That is how I pursue, the Anthronesians can pull angels from their realm, they can pull entities from other realms. I can do the same with Ichrinth
You’ve seen
Adam: I have
You cannot be made to die
Adam: I have seen
Only you can end the self
Adam: I don’t-
You don’t understand
Adam: understand. Speak
Apathy can follow in the shadow of pursuit
Adam: I don’t see
You don’t see. You don’t you dont you dont you don’t you dont you don’t you don’t