The Dream Makers by Barbara Hockley

This Play is the copyright of the Author and may not be performed, copied or sold without the Author's prior consent

SCENE 1 - Beka's Dream

Front tabs closed (or dark playing area if no tabs).
Keri enters from back of space/auditorium/hall. She's running. She
reaches the curtains and knocks as if there's a door (sound of
booming door knocker). The curtains are pulled slightly aside
revealing a light beyond (use light only if no tabs).

As this happens Beka appears at the back of the auditorium.

She sees Keri.

BEKA: Keri. Stop…. Keri ... please stop. It's me ... it's Beka
....please stop.

Keri turns and looks puzzled. It's as if she's heard something in the
far distance, an echo of a voice she once knew.

Beka begins to run towards her.

Keri turns away and enters the 'door'

It closes.

Beka reaches the 'door' and knocks (different sound effect each time
she knocks, industrial noises, farmyard noises - anything but a
'knocking' noise)

BEKA: Let me in. Keri! Open the door. Please. Let me in…......I
know you're there. I know you are. (Sinks to her knees) So tired. ....
So tired…..

Beka lies down &falls asleep.

Front tabs open to reveal the dream palace.

Sound effects and lights indicate that a dream is about to take
place.

Positioned around the central playing area are the TA Crew &
Director. The TA Crew have equipment appropriate to their jobs
(lighting boards, lights, sound equipment - it should look a bit like
a film set (without the cameras) in a very strange dream-like
location. A huge dream-catcher hangs above centre stage, ready to
absorb the dream about to happen.

Beka remains asleep to one side of the dream stage throughout the
following scene although the DAs do not see her.

SCENE 2 - The Anxiety Dream

The Directors and TA Crew work throughout the sequence, but without
making a noise. They gesture &make signs only.

The Dreamer enters through the dream gates, followed by the DAs.

This dream is loaded with anxiety. Searching for something, but never
finding it. Chasing something, being chased &as many variations as
possible. Should last about 3-5 minutes.

The DAs and the Dreamer all speak during the dream (on soundtrack -
not live) and it becomes clear that Nathan is not at all keen on
this kind of dream. He frequently attempts to change the dream to
something more heroic/exciting &is stopped by other DAs (especially
Loren May who knows him well) &the frantic gesticulations of the
Director.

The pecking order of the DAs should become fairly clear (Loren May,
Nathan, Sofia, Tobias, Keri, Vextra &Dextra)

There is no narrative that holds the dream together completely.
Random and surreal images/moments should be used throughout. The
overall effect must be one of an anxiety-laden event.

It is important that heaps of props and other items are used &left
lying on the floor afterwards.

As the dream fades (music /sound fades out &lighting starts to
'normalise') the DAs step back from the dream stage, but stay onstage.
The Dreamer gradually becomes quiet and exits through the dream gates.
The action continues as soon as the Dreamer has gone.
During the following scene the DAs are resting, feeding back
information to the TA Crew &Director &generally hanging out.

SCENE 3: Post Dream Analysis

DIRECTOR: That's it everyone. Dream over. Back to reality.

LOREN MAY:Nathan, what on earth were you thinking?

NATHAN: I just get so tired of these off-the-shelf dreams where
nothing happens. There's no story - what's the point?

LOREN MAY:It's not for us to judge.

NATHAN: On the contrary, we're in the ideal position to inject a
little excitement into a dreamer's life

KERI: But surely we should just provide the dream the customer
ordered?

LOREN MAY:Of course we should Keri dear. However tedious it might be
at times we are professional dream actors and should behave as such.
Take no notice of Nathan, if he had his way all dreams would consist
of heroic deeds on top of mountains.

TOBIAS: I could do that. I could do mountains and heroic stuff.

Everyone ignores Tobias - they usually do

KERI: What sort of heroic deeds take place on mountains anyway?

SOFIA: You wouldn't understand it, it's far too advanced for you.

KERI: I know what a mountain is and I'm familiar with the concept of
heroism. So what happens on mountains?

SOFIA: Explain it to her Nathan. You know so much about this sort of
thing.

NATHAN: Well .... for a start climbing a mountain is a heroic deed.

KERI: Why?

NATHAN: Why? Because mountains exist and anyone brave enough to climb
one - like me for example - must be a hero.

VEXTRA: Or an idiot

DEXTRA: Or a fool

TOBIAS: Rescuing people from mountains, now that's heroic!

VEXTRA: Or stupid

DEXTRA: Or foolish if you ask us

SOFIA: We didn't. Dream extras have no opinions to give, everyone
knows that.

TOBIAS: (To Vextra &Dextra) Is that right?

VEXTRA: Are you asking for our opinion on the matter?

DEXTRA: Or would you like us to borrow someone else's?

TOBIAS: Ummmm…. I .....

DIRECTOR: OK everyone. Good job. The reports show that we manage to
increase the dreamer's anxiety levels from a pre-dream level of 35% to
a post dream level on waking of 88%. Excellent work!

Vextra &Dextra exit &the TA Crew start to move out as well. Keri
addresses anyone within earshot.

KERI: Why exactly do people order anxiety dreams? I mean, why would
you want to wake up feeling anxious?

DIRECTOR: It's all about balance my dear. You see if people only ever
had heroic dreams (looks towards Nathan who chooses to ignore the
comment) they might start to believe that they actually could jump
from a plane, or race a fast motorbike, or

KERI: ... climb a mountain ..

DIRECTOR: Exactly! And we can't have people going around being
adventurous and heroic all over the place, I mean they'd all fall off,
or get stuck or something. By injecting a regular dose of anxiety into
dreams it keeps people scared and anxious - but safe.

KERI: So anxiety keeps people from getting stuck on mountains?

DIRECTOR: Precisely.

NATHAN:But you're missing the whole point. If more people were stuck
on mountains, I could rescue them.

LOREN MAY: You lumphead! You're a dream actor - you can only rescue
them in their dreams. What if people actually started climbing
mountains - real ones?

SOFIA: You're so brave Nathan. I wish I were stuck on a mountain.

TOBIAS: You can't climb a mountain

SOFIA: I don't want to climb it, I just want to get stuck

TOBIAS: But you'd have to climb it to start with. You can't get stuck
at the bottom.

SOFIA: I'm not stupid Tobias. I would get someone to drop me off
halfway up.

TOBIAS: Like who?

SOFIA: I don't know. Someone with a helicopter?

KERI: How did we manage to get so stuck on mountains?

TOBIAS: We're not stuck anywhere, we're here

LOREN MAY: Oh, please…. Can we drop the whole mountain thing and
get some breakfast!

NATHAN: Well, I'm off to brush up my heroic skills. You never know
what the next dream might bring. It's all in the preparation you know.
(exits shouting dramatically, while the others stare in horror &
amusement) Hold on, I'm coming to get you, just stay calm .....

LOREN MAY: Romance, that's what we need. A good romantic heroine and
a dashing man to woo her.

TOBIAS: I could do that. I could dash.

LOREN MAY: If only Serge was still here. Now he knew about romance.

SOFIA: I think it's about time I played the romantic heroine.

LOREN MAY: Perhaps you could have a dash with Tobias? Come along
Keri, stay close to me if you want to learn how to do things
correctly. (exits with a flourish)

KERI: I'm coming. Are you coming Sofia?

SOFIA: Not with her. She wouldn't know a genuine romance if it bit
her on the bum.

TOBIAS: I could do that. (Thinks) Well, not the biting bit ...
obviously. (exits)

KERI: (Looks around) What a mess! Who clears up?

SOFIA: No one. It happens by magic

KERI: Magic? (Looks strangely puzzled)

They exit.

SCENE 4 - The Clear Up

The light flashes/siren wails - however the Grounders are called into
action.

Beka is still asleep in the same place.

Holly enters &surveys the scene

HOLLY: (Shouts) Come on you lot. Work to be done, let's go.

Connor &Faith enter

FAITH: (Looks at the mess) How did this happen?

CONNOR: Methinks it was an anxiety dream…. Let me see (wanders
around)...ah yes, over here signs of a struggle .....and here a chase
..... and look here ... someone was searching for something

FAITH: You can't tell all that from this mess

CONNOR: Oh yes I can. And here ...well, well, well…..Dr Beka I
presume?

FAITH: Beka?

HOLLY: Not sleeping again? How did she get here?

FAITH: Are you sure she's asleep. Maybe she's in a coma, or a trance,
or she's been poisoned…

Connor grabs a sheet (or similar) and drapes it over his head and
wails loudly in Beka's face. Beka wakes, screams &runs around.

CONNOR:(Takes of sheet &laughs) Got you!

HOLLY: It's ok Beka, calm down. It was Connor, that was all.

FAITH: What are you doing here Beka?

BEKA: I don't know. I saw her .. and I followed her and this is
where I ended up.

HOLLY: Oh, not again.

BEKA: I did! I really did! She ran to the door and knocked.

FAITH: Is it the same door?

BEKA: I don't know

CONNOR: It was a dream Beka. It wasn't real.

HOLLY: He's right. It was a dream.

BEKA: But I saw Keri, I saw her.

(Others exchange glances)

BEKA: She went to this place ... she knocked on the door and I
shouted at her. She turned. I think she heard me.

FAITH: What sort of place?

BEKA: I don't know. I couldn't get in.

HOLLY: Beka, you have to stop this.

BEKA: But it was her. If only I could get through the door I could
find her.

FAITH: I don't like this talk about dreams. I think we should just
get on with clearing up and forget all about it..

BEKA: This place is made of dreams Faith, you can't just ignore
them. They're in the walls, the floor, the pillars - they're
everywhere ... (Faith looks around nervously, drops whatever she's
just picked up)

CONNOR: Actually, they're not. Dreams are flighty little things. You
can't pin them down and they don't live in the walls. You can't keep
them and you can't understand them half the time.

HOLLY: Well, listen to Mr Dream Expert here. When was the last time
you experienced a dream, other than your own? We work here. Dreams
happen. We don't see them, we just clear up - that's all.

CONNOR: There's a lot that goes on here that you don't know about
Holly.

HOLLY: I think I know enough to be able to do my job.

CONNOR: And you don't think it's strange that we appear to be the
only people in the building?

HOLLY: No. I don't question it. I just get on with my job. Talking of
which, we need to crack on here. Come on, let's sort this place out.

Holly &Faith start to clear up. Jude appears at the side of the
stage and watches &listens to the following.

CONNOR: Come on, forget it. There's nothing you can do.

BEKA: I can dream - and I will. I don't understand how Keri managed
to leave. Where did she go? She always said she wanted to be a dream
actor. I could see her doing that you know, she always seemed to be
floating around when we were supposed to be working (exactly what Beka
is doing now)

CONNOR: Look, life isn't like that. There's no way that a Grounder -
like you and me - can become anything else. You don't even know that
dream actors exist - you just assume they do because you want them to
be real!

BEKA: They are real. I know they are

CONNOR: Have you ever seen one? Even if they do exist, they're
somewhere else ...not here. Forget it Beka, just forget it.

BEKA: Well then - who makes this mess?

CONNOR: Mess happens! Ok?

Jude enters

JUDE: Hi

HOLLY: Who are you?

JUDE: Jude. I'm the new Grounder.

Everyone looks surprised

JUDE: To replace to one that left

BEKA: You know about Keri? (Grabs Jude) Tell me everything

[end of extract]

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