Stop! You discovered what exactly?
LUDWIG: Nothing.
ADAM: Incarceration?
NESTOR: A profound epistemological failure.
ADAM: Incarceration?
CLARISSA: Doesn’t sound like much of an investigation.
ADAM: Incarceration?!
LUDWIG: You okay Adam?
ADAM: Why would you refer to this as an incarceration?
LUDWIG: What would you call it?
ADAM: I call it… completely… voluntary… presence?
NESTOR: I agree.
ADAM: ( hopeful ) You agree that’s what it is right?
NESTOR: Oh God no. I agree you call it that. And that’s the important thing of course.
ADAM: No. That’s not the important thing at all! What’s important is what it actually is . Who cares what I call it?
LUDWIG: He has a point.
ADAM: See?
LUDWIG: I was referring to Nestor.
ADAM: Goodness.
( puts his face in his hands )
CLARISSA: Can’t believe you’re still pushing that nonsense Nestor.
LUDWIG: He’s only nominally pushing it. Nominalism.
CLARISSA: Well I nominate Nestor for chief investigator of our predicament.
LUDWIG: I agree.
NESTOR: I disagree.
ADAM: I abstain.
CLARISSA: Of course the primary prerequisite for that position is the swearing of an ironclad, take-no-prisoners, vow of silence.
ADAM: Prisoners?
CLARISSA: Meaning we’ve collectively heard the last of Nestor and can safely proceed, without distraction, to a deeper understanding of this place and our role in it.
LUDWIG: Yes, it’s a role!
NESTOR: But…
ALL: ( immediately reminding him of his vow and silencing him with extreme prejudice)
Epp!
LUDWIG: A role! Don’t you see?
CLARISSA: Yes, we have to roll with it. You’re right Lud.
LUDWIG: Not saying that life is a certain way and we have to roll with it. Saying that what we call life is in fact a role . One we’re compelled to play despite our distaste for the part solely out of a vague sense of loyalty to an outdated concept that dictates the show must go on.
ADAM: I don’t understand.
LUDWIG: Explain it to him Clarissa.
CLARISSA: I will.
LUDWIG: Nestor and I now take our leave of you three and when we return we return armed with nothing less than a beautifully symmetrical and synergistically symbiotic explanation that will produce primarily anger at our failure to spot its blatant obviousness.
( Ludwig and Nestor leave, Nestor sticking to the vow of silence taken on his behalf. Clarissa and Adam remain seated near each other and apart from Charles. )
ADAM: You’re going to explain now?
CLARISSA: Explain what?
ADAM: If I knew wouldn’t need you to explain would I?
CLARISSA: Now you’re catching on, well done Adam.
ADAM: Where are we?
CLARISSA: Ah you guys are all the same. Where are we boo hoo.
ADAM: Ludwig asked you to explain what he meant by that whole we’re reluctantly playing a role thing and you said you would.
CLARISSA: I can explain.
ADAM: Good! Please do. What did he mean by roles?
CLARISSA: Oh no, I meant that I could explain why I told him I would explain.
ADAM: Oh god.
CLARISSA: You said it.
ADAM: Fine, explain that at least.
CLARISSA: Huh?
ADAM: Why did you say you would explain when you had no intention of doing so?
CLARISSA: Well I’d explain but it’s highly complicated and you wouldn’t understand in a million years.
ADAM: Try me.
CLARISSA: I lied. Tell me Adam what’s the long and short of it? Do you feel you’ve been here an extended or brief time?
ADAM: I…
CLARISSA: See? That’s the problem, at least part of it. Another part is the sense you have that endemic to your presence here is an expectation that you will perform.
ADAM: How did you…
CLARISSA: And it’s a mistaken impression on your part but it also pains me to inform you that your performance to this point has been anemic so you’re not really living up
LUDWIG: Nothing.
ADAM: Incarceration?
NESTOR: A profound epistemological failure.
ADAM: Incarceration?
CLARISSA: Doesn’t sound like much of an investigation.
ADAM: Incarceration?!
LUDWIG: You okay Adam?
ADAM: Why would you refer to this as an incarceration?
LUDWIG: What would you call it?
ADAM: I call it… completely… voluntary… presence?
NESTOR: I agree.
ADAM: ( hopeful ) You agree that’s what it is right?
NESTOR: Oh God no. I agree you call it that. And that’s the important thing of course.
ADAM: No. That’s not the important thing at all! What’s important is what it actually is . Who cares what I call it?
LUDWIG: He has a point.
ADAM: See?
LUDWIG: I was referring to Nestor.
ADAM: Goodness.
( puts his face in his hands )
CLARISSA: Can’t believe you’re still pushing that nonsense Nestor.
LUDWIG: He’s only nominally pushing it. Nominalism.
CLARISSA: Well I nominate Nestor for chief investigator of our predicament.
LUDWIG: I agree.
NESTOR: I disagree.
ADAM: I abstain.
CLARISSA: Of course the primary prerequisite for that position is the swearing of an ironclad, take-no-prisoners, vow of silence.
ADAM: Prisoners?
CLARISSA: Meaning we’ve collectively heard the last of Nestor and can safely proceed, without distraction, to a deeper understanding of this place and our role in it.
LUDWIG: Yes, it’s a role!
NESTOR: But…
ALL: ( immediately reminding him of his vow and silencing him with extreme prejudice)
Epp!
LUDWIG: A role! Don’t you see?
CLARISSA: Yes, we have to roll with it. You’re right Lud.
LUDWIG: Not saying that life is a certain way and we have to roll with it. Saying that what we call life is in fact a role . One we’re compelled to play despite our distaste for the part solely out of a vague sense of loyalty to an outdated concept that dictates the show must go on.
ADAM: I don’t understand.
LUDWIG: Explain it to him Clarissa.
CLARISSA: I will.
LUDWIG: Nestor and I now take our leave of you three and when we return we return armed with nothing less than a beautifully symmetrical and synergistically symbiotic explanation that will produce primarily anger at our failure to spot its blatant obviousness.
( Ludwig and Nestor leave, Nestor sticking to the vow of silence taken on his behalf. Clarissa and Adam remain seated near each other and apart from Charles. )
ADAM: You’re going to explain now?
CLARISSA: Explain what?
ADAM: If I knew wouldn’t need you to explain would I?
CLARISSA: Now you’re catching on, well done Adam.
ADAM: Where are we?
CLARISSA: Ah you guys are all the same. Where are we boo hoo.
ADAM: Ludwig asked you to explain what he meant by that whole we’re reluctantly playing a role thing and you said you would.
CLARISSA: I can explain.
ADAM: Good! Please do. What did he mean by roles?
CLARISSA: Oh no, I meant that I could explain why I told him I would explain.
ADAM: Oh god.
CLARISSA: You said it.
ADAM: Fine, explain that at least.
CLARISSA: Huh?
ADAM: Why did you say you would explain when you had no intention of doing so?
CLARISSA: Well I’d explain but it’s highly complicated and you wouldn’t understand in a million years.
ADAM: Try me.
CLARISSA: I lied. Tell me Adam what’s the long and short of it? Do you feel you’ve been here an extended or brief time?
ADAM: I…
CLARISSA: See? That’s the problem, at least part of it. Another part is the sense you have that endemic to your presence here is an expectation that you will perform.
ADAM: How did you…
CLARISSA: And it’s a mistaken impression on your part but it also pains me to inform you that your performance to this point has been anemic so you’re not really living up
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