Rockabye and Other Short Pieces by Samuel Beckett

Rockaby

    Rockaby
was first performed at the Center for Theatre Research in Buffalo, in association with the State University of New York at Buffalo, on April 8,1981. It was directed by Alan Schneider and produced by Daniel Labeille.
    Woman and Voice . . . . . . Billie Whitelaw

    W =
Woman in chair.
    V =
Her recorded voice.
    Fade up on
W
in rocking chair facing front downstage slightly off centre audience left. Long pause.
W: More.
    Pause. Rock and voice together.
    V: till in the end
the day came
in the end came
close of a long day
when she said
to herself
whom else
time she stopped
time she stopped

going to and fro
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for another
another like herself
another creature like herself
a little like
going to and fro
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for another
till in the end
close of a long day
to herself
whom else
time she stopped
time she stopped

going to and fro
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for another
another living soul
one other living soul
going to and fro
all eyes like herself
all sides
high and low
for another
another like herself
a little like
going to and fro
till in the end
close of a long day
to herself
whom else
time she stopped
going to and fro
time she stopped
time she stopped
    Together: echo of “time she stopped,” coming to rest of rock, faint fade of light.
    Long pause.
    W: More.
    Pause. Rock and voice together.

    V: so in the end
close of a long day
went back in
in the end went back in
saying to herself
whom else
time she stopped
time she stopped

going to and fro
time she went and sat
at her window
quiet at her window
facing other windows
so in the end
close of a long day
in the end went and sat
went back in and sat
at her window
let up the blind and sat
quiet at her window
only window
facing other windows
other only windows
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for another
at her window
another like herself
a little like
another living soul
one other living soul
at her window
gone in like herself
gone back in
in the end
close of a long day
saying to herself
whom else
time she stopped
time she stopped

going to and fro
time she went and sat
at her window
quiet at her window
only window
facing other windows
other only windows
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for another
another like herself
a little like
another living soul
one other living soul
    Together: echo of “living soul,” coming to rest of rock, faint fade of light.
    Long pause.
    W: More.
    Pause. Rock and voice together.
    V: till in the end
the day came
in the end came
close of a long day
sitting at her window
quiet at her window
only window
facing other windows
other only windows
all blinds down
never one up
hers alone up
till the day came
in the end came
close of a long day
sitting at her window
quiet at her window
all eyes
all sides
high and low
for a blind up
one blind up
no more
never mind a face
behind the pane
famished eyes
like hers
to see
be seen
no
a blind up
like hers
a little like
one blind up no more
another creature there
somewhere there
behind the pane
another living soul
one other living soul
till the day came
in the end came
close of a long day
when she said
to herself
whom else
time she stopped
time she stopped

sitting at her window
quiet at her window
only window
facing other windows
other only windows
all eyes
all sides
high and low
time she stopped
time she stopped

    Together: echo of “time she stopped,” coming to rest of rock, faint fade of light.
    Long pause.
    W: More.
    Pause. Rock and voice together.
    V: so in the end
close of a long day
went down
in the end went down
down the steep stair
let down the blind and down
right down
into the old rocker
mother rocker
where mother sat
all the years
all in black
best black
sat and rocked
rocked
till her end came
in the end came
off her head they said
gone off her head
but harmless
no harm in her
dead one day
no
night
dead one night
in the rocker
in her best black
head fallen
and the rocker rocking
rocking away
so in the end
close of a