Excerpt of DELUGE by Phillip Kavanagh
Character List
The Prophet, 22
Sam, male, 21
Emily, female, 19
May, female, 19
Paola, female, 23
Stephen, male, 22
Gemma, female, 25
Mike, male, 22
Chelsea, female, 22
Adrian, male, 28
Notes: This online conversation between Chelsea and Adrian is verbatim text cut down and rearranged from a much longer document. The phone call made by Adrian that is featured in the script took place, but the words spoken are imagined. No words have been added to the text of the online conversation, and many of the typographic idiosyncrasies have been retained. The full conversation can be read online at http://www.wired.com/2011/07/manning-lamo-logs/ All other characters in the work are fictional.
Diversity in casting is encouraged. Chelsea should be played by a woman, ideally a trans woman. Paola’s second language is English, and the casting of this role should reflect this. Her first language in this text is Spanish, but this is flexible based on the actor cast in this role. The gender of The Prophet is also flexible.
A forward slash / denotes the point of interruption in overlapping dialogue. There are occasions where multiple voices will be overlapping.
***
Prophet The sun hits my face.
Stephen Wow.
Prophet The grass is wet between my toes.
Stephen Okay. Okay.
Prophet It rained this morning. But now the sun is shining.
Stephen I feel nervous. Ha.
Prophet I close my eyes. Feel the drops of dew rise up to Heaven.
Sam I love this song.
Emily What?
Sam The song.
Emily What?
Paola You can do this, babe. You can so do this.
May I can.
Chelsea hi
May Yeah. I can.
Sam I said, I love this song. It’s so great.
Emily Oh. Yeah. No. Yeah. Me too.
Chelsea how are you?
Chelsea is there a public facebook i can add you from?
Adrian facebook.com/felon
Emily What is it?
Sam What?
Emily What song is it?
Chelsea requested
Sam Oh. I don’t know.
Stephen I didn’t expect to feel nervous.
Emily You don’t know?
Sam Yeah.
Gemma Can’t see anyone.
Mike Where were they meant to be?
Gemma If I knew where they were meant to be I’d know where to look.
May But maybe if I took a few extra days.
Gemma It’s Where’s Wally? not There’s Wally.
Stephen I’m just in my bedroom. But I feel nervous.
Prophet I open my eyes.
May Took the pressure off.
Prophet Hundreds and hundreds of people swarm through the park.
Stephen I probably shouldn’t say that.
May I hand up most essays late and the tutor never really minds.
Stephen I’m still saying it.
Prophet They move past food stands, craft stalls.
May The extra time just makes the essay better.
Prophet They push and they shove.
May It’s what, like two percent each day?
Stephen Note to self: edit this out.
Prophet Working their way to the front of the stage. Squeezing in for a prime view.
May I mean, mathematically
Paola For every day that you’re late, I won’t go down on you for a week.
May You are the world’s worst girlfriend.
Paola I love you too.
Chelsea Let me make more info available to you.
Paola What are you doing?
May Checking Facebook.
Paola Nope.
Chelsea Hold on.
Paola Give me the dongle.
Chelsea Need to change my privacy settings.
May Fine.
Prophet So many people. So much noise.
Gemma What are you doing? Pull up!
Paola Phone too.
Mike Sorry, sorry.
May / Paola …
Mike Was doing five things at once.
May I need Facebook to write the essay.
Mike All good.
Paola Really? And what’s the essay question?
May Ah …
Stephen Okay.
Gemma Concentrate. Jesus fucking Christ.
Mike Sorry.
Gemma Just focus, alright.
Prophet I slide into the shadows of a giant tree. I curl up in its roots.
Adrian You’re kinda cute.
May “Who are you? What do you believe in? / Put forward an argument with consideration to how your own moral centre and personal identity has been informed by the major events of your life.”
Chelsea We have two mutual friends, how interesting
Chelsea small world
Chelsea lauren your “ex” ?
Chelsea tyler watkins would be mine…
Stephen Hello.
Chelsea fucking ditched me
Paola You can write anything for that.
May What does this have to do with philosophy?
Chelsea im still utterly flabbergasted
Paola Babe. Literally just say what you believe in.
Sam I love the look of that film.
Emily What do you think it is?
May The topic coordinator’s a perv. He wants this to be dirty.
Gemma Oh, hello.
Paola Just write.
Gemma Who the fuck is that over there?
Hiding? Hiding from me? No-one, but no-one, hides from me.
I am the hide and seek master.
Paola Look, May.
Gemma I’m a milk carton model, mother fuckers.
Mike (Through stifled laughter) You sure are.
Paola If you really need to know something, ask me and I’ll look it up.
Chelsea im sure you’re pretty busy…
May Who am I?
Paola Anything that’s not the essay question.
May Well you didn’t say.
Chelsea food time… ttys
Stephen I’ve never done this before.
If anyone I’ve invited from real life is watching this, “Hi guys, and thanks for your support.” Otherwise, “Hi, my name’s Stephen, and I’m a Baha’i.”
Prophet I reach into my bag.
Stephen That sounds like I’m an alcoholic.
Prophet Pull out the pages.
Stephen I’m not.
Prophet Double check.
Stephen Um …
Gemma Fuck.
Prophet Triple check.
Stephen So …
Gemma Shit.
Prophet Where’s page five?
Gemma Mother fuck.
Stephen I just wanted to come on here to talk about my faith.
Prophet No.
Gemma Dammit.
Stephen Right.
Gemma / There we go.
Prophet There. It’s fine.
Stephen Cool.
Prophet Four, six, five, seven.
Gemma Fuck yes.
Stephen Cool.
Prophet Reorder the pages. Sort.
Stephen Um …
Prophet It’s all there.
Mike Well done.
Stephen I, um, I have a lot of thoughts.
Gemma Shut up.
Stephen And I thought some people might be interested in them.
Prophet And the brick. The brick is there too.
Mike Sorry, sir.
Stephen Ha. I thought. So that’s one. That is one of my thoughts.
Prophet I zip the bag shut. Squeeze it to my chest.
Gemma Just keep flying.
Stephen And right now I’m having the thought that I should’ve written all of this down rather than just rambling live into a camera.
Prophet I lean back against the tree. Close my eyes.
Stephen So that is another thought.
Prophet Breathe.
Emily Oh, God! Oh, God! We’re those people.
Prophet Breathe.
Sam What?
Emily Those people who stop dancing to watch the movie.
Sam Oh, God, yeah. I hate those people.
Emily I know!
Stephen Where should I start?
May Babe. I’ve written a hundred words. That deserves a break, right?
Paola Babe. It does not.
Sam I can’t see them.
Emily What?
May So does the word count include the question?
Sam Where are they?
Emily Sorry?
Sam Where are the people?
Paola I’m not answering that.
Emily What people?
Sam Watching the movie.
Emily Yeah.
May I’ll take that as a yes.
Gemma Private, it’s a good thing you’re sniper class.
Sam What?
Emily Yeah. / What?
Mike What?
Sam Where are they?
Gemma We’re gonna put your stealth capabilities to good use. When we get to the building I’ll have you scout round the other side and tell me if you can see any pansy ass maggots shitting their britches.
Mike (Through stifled laughter) Absolutely.
Emily Oh. We’re watching the movie.
Sam I know, I—Oh! Us!
Emily Yeah.
Gemma Fuck I hate maggots.
Mike laughs.
Sam We’re watching the movie!
Emily Yeah.
Sam and Emily laugh.
Gemma What’s funny?
Sam Oh, God! I just said I hated them!
Emily I know!
Sam And it’s us!
Mike Nothing.
Emily Yeah!
Mike Nothing, sir.
Sam and Emily laugh.
Gemma Damn straight.
Chelsea Ping.
Paola Is there someone at the door?
May Yeah.
Chelsea Ping.
Paola They’re banging.
Sam Sam.
Emily Sam?
Sam Yeah.
May I’ll answer it.
Chelsea Sorry. Have a lot on my mind.
Emily Emily.
Paola Don’t answer. Just ignore it.
Sam Hi Emily.
Emily Hi Sam.
Chelsea I like talking.
May It’s fine.
Paola Don’t.
May Relax.
Chelsea Sleep. You can reply. I’ll check in morning.
Sam Hey.
May is struggling to control her breath.
Emily Hi.
Sam What are you doing here?
Pause.
Emily Can I come in?
Sam Ah, sure.
Paola What happened?
Sam Sorry about the …
Emily It’s fine.
***
END OF EXCERPT