CONSOLATION: a dance drama for artists who want to serve their church

for Evelyn. and the rest of you. 

"Thank you our dear LORD that you do give us those windows!"

A MALE and FEMALE begin a very simple modern dance in white. He appears to give her motion. They are eternal and beautiful. It is not a sensual dance, and yet it is stirring and intimate.

Another WOMAN, looking much like the female dancer, is standing upstage. As she begins to move downstage she occasionally speaks while she pantomimes trying to open the (imaginary) doors in front of her. She can’t. They are locked or blocked. As she encounters these closed doors, she moves to the side and mimes going through open windows, this happens a few times until she has traveled all the way downstage.

Four groups of PEOPLE, are standing on the downstage side of these imaginary doors. They are the ones who are blocking them, or keeping them shut. One or two does it intentionally, but the others don’t seem to be aware of the frustration they are causing.

WOMAN

I always knew that my passion and creativity came from outside myself. Somewhere deeper. Higher. Wider. It was like a wellspring that I couldn’t take credit for. Life is hard. You learn that pretty quickly. And having this passion, and creating, brought light. Lightness. Sharing it with others somehow helped lighten the burden. I loved sharing…when I could.

Lord knows I tried.

I came to accept that it wasn’t really practical. Like food for the hungry. Or education. Or maintenance. Or building …tangible, measurable appropriate.

Which I did. And he helped me find windows because doors were closed.

Because this. This was when I felt his pleasure. And sensed my purpose.

As the WOMAN proceeds downstage, the PEOPLE as door blockers, move to the edges of the dance area. They are in a semi-circle. Their eyes are closed, or their backs are turned to the dancers. She nearly to the edge of the stage.

And life, it turned out, was short.

The WOMAN kneels down, temporarily wounded and the dancers movements are the same. She takes off her burden to reveal she is dressed like the dancer. As the male dancer assists the female up, the woman also similarly rises. The dance continues. She takes her time.

In eternity we’ll make up for opportunities that were lost.

The dance intensifies in its difficulty and beauty and the characters along the sides begin to watch the dancing in obvious amazement.

PEOPLE: (Lines overlaid.)

What were we thinking?                              What were we thinking??  

       

How could we not have valued?                     This contribution.

Such a testament.          Beautiful.          How could we have missed?

The Living Word.  Is there…   Here…in this… 

And we didn’t let him speak.

The dance it turns out is infinite, and the people join in. Awkwardly at first, and the dance turns jubilant. The lights fade to black as the WOMAN exits through the center aisle, not only consoled, but also finally and eternally fulfilled in sharing her gift and her joy.