984 - Five movements for one silence:Allegro

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Evi Charitidou

First movement

Luke, Marc

 The scene is empty, no object. It is difficult to define its nature. It represents the musical symbol. A person suddenly enters the scene. He holds a newspaper in the one hand and a chair with the other. He drugs the chair rapidly.

Luke

I didn’t think that this would be possible… Silence.

He sits on the chair and looks at the newspaper in astonishment.
Another person arrives also dragging a chair. He sits opposite to the first person. They are now back-to-back.

Marc
On the contrary, I believe that everything is possible…
Luke leans towards to Marc.

Luke
Have you read the newspaper?

Marc
No!

Luke

Then how is it possible for you to know what I’m talking about?
Marc
I don’t know this.
Luke

You are unbearable!

Marc

It’s somehow excessive anyway!

Luke

The issue is serious.
Marc

I agree… Time. But, does this change anything?

Luke

It is exactly here where the whole problem rests.

Marc

What is the subject of our conversation today?
Luke

A crime that perhaps has never existed!

Marc

What a funny subject!

Luke

Yet, it is front page….
He shows him the newspaper.

Marc

This proves nothing… What is it about?

Luke

About genocide… Silence.
Marc turns abruptly.
Marc
I thought that you were joking.

Luke

The whole world thinks that it is a joke.

Marc

Are you serious?

Luke

Yes. Silence.

He shows him the newspaper. Marc goes over the article. His face becomes sad.
Marc

They have no conscience at all. Time. How can they joke with such an issue?

Luke

Because in our days, everything is a joke.

Marc

But, this is not a war crime only; it is a crime against Humanity.

Luke

It does not matter to them; it is only words.

Marc
But, these words hurt memory!

Luke
People who have survived genocide slowly die and with them their memory.

Marc

So, we must take action!

Luke

But how?

Marc

We must remember instead of them.

Luke

This will not be enough!

Marc

Then, we must not forget. Silence.

Luke

Yes, that’s it ….Time. Only memory can defeat death.

Marc

This is why they are trying to murder our memory.

Luke

Yet, we are not Armenians, neither Cypriots, nor Assyro- Chaldeans, nor Greeks, nor Jews, nor Kurds, nor….!

Marc

This is not a reason! On the contrary!

Luke

On the contrary?

Marc

Since our memory did not mark our body it has to mark our spirit.

Luke

Are you aware of the effor that this requires?

Marc

A duty of memory is not an effort… Time. We were not there at the moment of the events, but we will be present from now on.
Luke

We are not responsible for the lives of the past, but for the memory of the future! Silence. But who will believe us?

Marc

Humans who know how to suffer…

Luke

But they are too few!

Marc

It is the principle of resistance.

Luke

You mean that those resisting are always few?

Marc

Yes, they become more only when they succeed.
Luke

And if they fail?

Marc

Usually, we forget them…

Luke

We will need the others.

Marc

We always need the others.

Luke

Will they come?

Marc

They always come!

Luke

But this time, it’s different. .

Marc

Then, they will not leave again.

Luke

I can’t believe that they are trying to murder memory…

Marc
It is, however, realyty! Time. And if we don’t resist, they are going to achieve it.

Luke

What can we do? Time. We are only humans…

Marc

It is because we are humans that we must resist.

Luke

And what the cost will be?

Marc

Memory has no cost.

Luke

I am afraid of death…

Marc

Oblivion is what we must fear. Death is natural, oblivion is inhuman!
They exit the scene leaving the chairs.