City of God

play based on the film

The piece begins with the audience waiting outside the studio. They walk in to the room and just see JESS MILLS sat beneath a spot light at the back of the room. A stereo is playing the sound of sharpening knives. The spot light is a Fresnel and is visible beside the actor. It is a musty orange. The actor is plucking a chicken as the audience file in and are lead where to sit by NATASHA, who takes a seat alongside them. The plucking of the chicken will continue in silence for a long moment.

Then whispered prayers will be heard from the darkness at the side of the room, said by JOSH. The prayer will be said slowly and passionately on repeat. After being read half way through, faint organ music will be turned on, on the stereo by JESS MILLS. After turning the organ music on faintly the plucking will continue. The chanting of the prayer will become louder but remain being said at the same pace with a number of sporadically placed pauses.

ANJA will enter from the darkness and join in with the prayer for a moment. ANJA will then stop as JOSH continues on repeat and then ANJA will say loudly:

 ‘In God we trust.’

JESS MILLS will pause the music. ANJA will raise her hand and swing it down towards JESS MILLS who is still plucking. Instant blackout will hit, leaving the studio in complete darkness. After moments in darkness and silence, the light will be bought up instantly, this time using a plain white Fresnel which was previously not in use. It will reveal JESS MILLS laying below the light and ANJA doing the sign of the cross above her. The orange light will fade up as the white light fades back down.

Once the orange light if fully up, ANJA will twist it round and focus it on JOSH who will be sat facing the far wall, largely naked and repeating the prayer. The prayer will read:

‘I will say of the lord, he is my refuge and my fortress, in him I will trust. Fear not the terror by night, nor the arrow that flies by day. I shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.’

JOSH will suddenly cease speaking mid prayer and rise up slowly, with as much of his body in contact with the wall as possible. ANJA will adjust the light to reduce the pinpoint focus and let it spill more into the studio space.

As JOSH begins to rise, NATASHA will begin chanting the prayer from the middle of the audience (who will hopefully have forgotten they were still sat next to one of the actors).

More lights will slowly come on to reveal a dim but full cover of the space, revealing piles of newspapers everywhere. Some torn and screwed up. Some in neat piles. And some in ex-piles, now lying toppled over and spread out.

NATASHA will continue the chants and rise slowly to her feet in the middle of the audience. When the lights have been bought up to the correct degree, NATASHA will step through the audience into the open space. As this happens, JOSH will turn from facing the wall and take a step towards the audience.

The ‘3 months later’ scene will take place between these two actors, however it will be said as a voice over and on reverse. Whilst the voice over is being played, JOSH and NATASHA will start a movement based piece which has a stop-motion appeal to it.

After this scene, JESS MILLS will turn to the stereo player and play the second track which will be very loud Brazilian music??? She will then rise slowly, taking the half plucked chicken by the neck, and walk forwards. JOSH, ANJA and NATASHA will also walk forwards and they will all stand directly in front of the audience. They will face outwards placidly. JESS MILLS will say:

‘The slum had been purgatory, now it was hell.’

The lights will suddenly go out and all the actors will start shouting in panic and scuffing their feet to create the noise of frenzy. The music will also have shouting and crying and gunshots come in to add to the mayhem. Occasional flashes from the flash of a camera will happen as the scene continues.

Suddenly the music will cut out and the shouting will cease. The lights will be bought up slowly to reveal JESS MILLS, ANJA and NATASHA laying flat on the floor and JOSH down on his knees, head in hands. JOSH will rise slowly and walk over to the back wall, sitting down cross-legged facing the wall. The orange spot light will be bought up on JOSH and all other lights will fade out. JOSH will start saying the prayer, mumbling heavily as the orange light fades out.

 

FIN.