By Brennan Kwa Yiew Khoon

Characters:
1. A man on the sofa
2. A twelve year old boy
3. A seventeen year old teenager
4. A man in his late twenties
5. An elderly man in his late seventies

Setting:
Darkened Living room, no illumination aside from the Television set and 1 spotlight which will be switched on and off as indicated by stage directions

Props:
1. Sofa
2. Big TV Set (29 inch at least)
3. Beer bottle
4. 1 spotlight
5. Crate of oranges

Throughout the play, there will 5 different channels that are viewed on the Television set.

Throughout:
Static channel – Used to signal the end of each act
Act 1, Scene 4: Cartoon channel – Dennis the Menace playing pranks on his aged neighbour Mr. Wilson
Act 2, Scene 6: Discovery channel – Documentary on abused children and how parents punish kids inhumanely
Act 3, Scene 3: English channel – Oprah Winfrey show
Act 4, Final Scene: News channel –Report on government policy, increasing the retirement age to 82.

Act 1, Scene 4
Stage is in darkness.

A man lying on a sofa in a darkened living room; switches on the TV set. It provides the only illumination in the middle of the stage. The TV is set at a low volume so the television show can be heard in the background noise.

His back is to the audience, they can only see the back of his head and his feet propped up on the other side of the sofa.

Every so often the man takes a swig from a beer bottle on the floor next to the sofa.

[The man changes channels; On the TV the words appear, in black on a white background "Act 1, Scene 4"]

[A spotlight comes on in the middle of the stage slightly to the right side of the television set, opposite the man on the sofa.]

[Enter a boy aged twelve; he is playing with an orange as he walks up to the spotlight and starts to speak. (Voice, inflection and tone of a child befitting his age)]

[The man changes to the Cartoon channel.]

Boy: "Ever since I was a kid, I've loved to eat oranges. My mum once taught me that if I held an orange real tight, then slowly put the orange down, I'd have a little spyglass made out of my fingers."

[As the boy says this, he is performing these actions.] "There'd be this little O formed between my curled fingers and my thumb. If I put it over my right eye and closed my left eye really tightly and bent slightly to the left as I did this, I would be able to see the angels."

[Boy puts his hands down and straightens up.]

"I did all this and I really believed it at the time because my mum said this was true. But I've never seen an angel. Not even once. And I've done this hundred of times. Thousands even; especially after mum left. It'd be the first thing I'd do when I woke up each morning. It'd be the last thing I'd do before I went to bed. You see, I thought if I did all that, I could see her again. But I never did. Now that I've grown up, I know it was just a silly little game my mum made up. She lied. Dad lied too."

[Boy picks up the orange from the ground and walks away from the spotlight. Spotlight is switched off.] Exit

[The man changes channels to a static channel. He slowly increases the volume of the static until it is at the maximum volume. The TV is left on for a whole minute. Then he takes a swig of beer and switches the TV off, plunging the stage into darkness.]

Act 2, Scene 6
Stage is in darkness.

The man on the sofa switches on the TV again. On the TV the words appear, in black on a white background "Act 2, Scene 6"]

[A spotlight comes on in the middle of the stage slightly to the right side of the television set, opposite the man on the sofa.]

[Enter a teenager aged seventeen; he holds an orange as he walks up to the spotlight. When he enters the spotlight, he starts to peel the orange and is eating it as he speaks. (Voice, inflection and tone of a teenager befitting his age)]

[The man changes to the Discovery channel.]

Teenager: "I still like eating oranges. I don't remember that idiotic game that woman taught me so long ago though. What were the rules again? Something about turning on my left heel and closing one eye so I could spit at angles? What a stupid mathematics game to play!" [Teenager shrugs.]

"Now then where was I? Oh right. Dad lied too. He's always lied. It got even worse after she left. Dad said she died but I figure she just left us. I mean look at this place! Who wouldn't? And on top of that, just look at my dear old bum of a dad! I mean seriously, look at him!" [Gestures at man lying on the sofa]

"Just drinking booze everyday and wasting away in front of the TV." [As the teenager says that, the man reaches for the bottle to drink another sip] "Christ! What a fucking loser! Ah hell. I'm out of here. I think Christine's free, anywhere's better than here."

[Teenager stomps off, throwing the orange peel onto the stage. Spotlight is switched off.] Exit

[The man changes channels to a static channel. He slowly increases the volume of the static until it is at the maximum volume. The TV is left on for a whole minute. Then he takes a swig of beer and switches the TV off, plunging the stage into darkness.]

Act 3, Scene 3
Stage is in darkness.

The man on the sofa switches on the TV again. On the TV the words appear, in black on a white background "Act 3, Scene 3"]

[A spotlight comes on in the middle of the stage slightly to the right side of the television set, opposite the man on the sofa.]

[Enter a well-dressed man in a shirt and tie, in his late twenties. He walks up to the spotlight. When he enters the spotlight, he starts to speak. (Voice, inflection and tone of a well educated and eloquent man befitting his age)]

[The man changes channels to the Oprah Winfrey show.]

Man: "Well now. Here I am. I am a teacher at the Saint Nicholas Junior College. I teach English Literature. It was not an easy task to get here, I can tell you. My father certainly never did me any favours. But no matter. I am here. That is all that matters really."

"Nothing will get you nothing. No truer words were spoken by the Bard. A truth was never truer to my ears than that which I just spoke of. Day in and out on the couch being a drunken bum can certainly attest to the truth of that!"

[Man takes a look at his expensive shining silver watch]

"Oh dear, Look at the time! I must make my leave. Oh right, before I forget." [Takes out an orange; peels it and throws skin onto the stage before striding confidently off stage while eating the peeled orange. Spotlight is switched off.] Exit

[The man changes channels to a static channel. He slowly increases the volume of the static until it is at the maximum volume. The TV is left on for a whole minute. Then he takes a swig of beer and switches the TV off, plunging the stage into darkness.]

Act 4, Final Scene
Stage is in darkness.

The man on the sofa switches on the TV again. On the TV the words appear, in black on a white background "Act 4, Final Scene"]

[A spotlight comes on in the middle of the stage slightly to the right side of the television set, opposite the man on the sofa.]

[The man changes to the News report.]

[No one walks on stage. Instead after the man has changed the TV channel to the news report, he slowly gets up and shuffles up into the spotlight.]

[He has a hacking cough and takes a long quavering breath before he speaks. He pauses again and goes to the right of the stage. When he returns he is slowly and tiredly dragging a crate of oranges with him. He then goes to the right of the stage. When he returns this time, he is dragging a wooden chair to the crate of oranges. Once he has done so, he sits down in front of the crate of oranges and slowly starts to peel oranges. He starts to speak. (Voice, inflection and tone of a tired old man, quavering and weak voice befitting his age)]

Old man: [sighs in relief] "That is so much better. Dad's gone now. This is it. I'm all that's left of the family. I never married. Never saw the point. For better or for worse, I'm alone. I spend my time watching the TV now. I don't drink beer. I've learned that much from dear old dad at least."

[Pauses and rubs his eyes]

"Where was I? Ah, I thought I would be a teacher forever. But they fired me. Old blood really cannot compete with the new blood I guess. Nowadays to earn a wage, I peel an orange for a cent a piece. My fingers cramp up and it is all I can do to peel even a hundred for bread for breakfast and lunch. I go to bed without dinner. Saves money that way. I'm only a little hungry anyway. Old bones don't need that much food. I'm happy. Well they say I should be. I've lived life."

[Pauses and rubs his eyes again]

"Pardon me, I can't see too well nowadays. Where was I? I was…yes I was happy once. I still remember the silly game my mum taught me. What was it again? Hold an orange tightly, put down the orange and I'd have me a spyglass with my fingers."

[As old man describes this, he performs these actions.] "There'd be this little O formed between my curled fingers and my thumb. If I put it over my right eye and closed my left eye really tightly and bent slightly to the left as I did this, I would be able to see the angels. Ah, that's it. That's exactly right."

"I see. I see…" [Old man slowly trails off and slumps over the crate of oranges.]

[The TV is switched to the static channel. (This is done by someone offstage) The TV volume is increased to maximum. This is left there to sound and blare for a minute. Then the TV is switched off, with it, the spotlight on the old man slowly fades].

_____