OG a One Act Play by John Blais Copyright 1997 John Blais CHARACTERS: OG A young caveman Ounu An older caveman Narrator A man or woman SETTING: A shallow cave at the top of a hill. Behind it is the sky. It will be red with morning light, blue and then black at night. Before it is a slope. The audience would be the valley unto which this cave over looks. At the center is a fireplace, the charred logs of past fires. This is a build up such that it will hide Ounu's body when it falls from the ledge. The fire never goes out so there is always a glow within. There are two straw beds. One is up on the ledge behind the fire. It is the more comfortable of the two. It may have the hide of an animal to signify this. The other is on the ground beside the fire. Against the wall are stout sticks used for hunting. And on the wall itself there are pictures, etched in with the charcoal of the burned sticks of the fire. A stack of sticks is off to the side. There are some hand sized rocks used for crushing nuts, roots or bones. A couple thin sticks serve as skewers. This play is based on the premise that primitive man had no conception of individuality. The rabbit he catches, kills and eats is the same rabbit he ate yesterday, the same as the color blue is blue. ACT I Of one [IT IS NIGHT. THE FIRE CAST A REDISH-ORANGE LIGHT ON THE TWO SLEEPING MEN. OUNU IS SLEEPING ON THE LEDGE. OG IS ON THE FLOOR. ] [A DRUM MADE OF WOOD TAPS AS THE SCENE OPENS] OUNU GASPS. BOLTS UP TO SITTING POSITION GRASPS HIS HEART. HE BREATHS HEAVY, GASPS, JERKS AND FALLS BACK ON THE MAT. HE GROANS, GURGLES AND IS SILENT. HIS ARM FALLS DOWN ALONG THE SIDE OF THE WALL. HE IS DEAD. OG SLEEPS. HE TURNS, MAKES A SMACKING SOUND, SAVORING SOME LAST MORSEL IN HIS MOUTH, SIGHS AND CONTINUES TO SLEEP.] [THE FIRE RETREATS TO A FEW SMALL GLOWING AMBERS THE SET BECOMES DARK. ] OG RUSTLED AS BEFORE. HE CURLS UP, HUGGING HIMSELF AS THE AIR BECOMES COLDER.] [THE SKY LIGHTENS WITH THE RED AND YELLOW OF MORNING. IT SLOWLY BECOMES BLUE. THE SET BECOMES FULLY ILLUMINATED.] OUNU LIES ON HIS BACK, HIS EYES OPEN, HIS MOUTH OPEN, ONE HAND ON HIS CHEST AND THE OTHER HANGING DOWN AGAINST THE WALL. THE NARRATOR WALKS ONTO THE SET. HE STEPS OVER TO OUNU, LOOKS DOWN AND SHAKES HIS HEAD SADLY. HE LOOKS TO THE AUDIENCE. NARRATOR Ounu is dead. THE NARRATOR GOES TO OG. OG STRETCHES. HE IS ABOUT TO AWAKE THE NARRATOR QUICKLY MOVES TO THE FRONT EDGE OF THE STAGE. HE WATCHES OG. OG AWAKES, SITS UP, YAWNS AND STRETCHES. HE RUBS HIS EYES. HE LOOKS TOWARD OUNU BUT HAS NO REACTION. OG STANDS UP. HE SEES A BIRD PERCHED CLOSE BY AND LOOKS AND FINDS A ROCK. HE MOVES CAREFULLY CLOSER, FLINGS THE ROCK AND MISSES. OG GRUNTS HIS DISAPPOINTMENT. OG IS HUNGRY. HE GOES TO THE FIRE AND ON HANDS AND KNEES HE POKES HIS FINGERS INTO THE ASHES. HE PICKS UP SPLINTERS OF BONE. HE LOOKS AT THEM. HE PUTS ONE IN HIS MOUTH AND PULLS IT BETWEEN HIS TEETH TO REMOVE WHATEVER MEAT IS ON IT. HE FINDS ANOTHER, LARGER RABBIT BONE. HE GRINS. HE TAKES A HAND SIZE ROCK, SETS THE BONE ON ANOTHER AND SMASHES THE END OPEN. HE SUCKS OUT THE MARROW AND LICKS AROUND THE BONE. HE TOSSES IT BACK IN THE FIRE AND LOOKS FOR ANOTHER. HE DIGS. HE BURNS HIS FINGER, GRUNTS AND PULLS IT BACK, SUCKS IT. HE LOOKS MORE. HE FINDS NO MORE. NARRATOR Og need food. It's been a long time Og eat. OG LOOKS OUT ONTO THE VALLEY. HE SHADES HIS EYES. HE SEES MOVEMENT AND FOLLOWS IT. HE LICKS HIS LIPS AND RUBS HIS BELLY. THEN GOES TO THE BACK WALL WHERE HE TAKES A HUNTING STICK. OG Ah ga ma, Ounu. Ah ga ma. Haka, haka. [HE POINTS TO THE VALLEY] Ounu, ah ga ma. Taka, uma. [HE SHAKES THE STICK. HE IS ANXOUS TO GET OFF HUNTING] OG LOOKS CLOSER AT OUNU. THEN HE LOOKS AROUND AS HE FOLLOWS THE STARE OF HIS DEAD COMPANION. HE LOOKS IN THE AIR A LONG TIME. THEN HE LOOKS BACK TO OUNU AND FOLLOWS THE STARE AGAIN. AGAIN HE SEES NOTHING. OG Ounu, ah ga ma. Haka. Haka. OG PUTS HIS HAND ON OUNU'S SHOULDER AND SHAKES. THE DEAD MAN'S HEAD SHIFTS AND THE EYES STARE IN ANOTHER DIRECTION. OG FOLLOWS THE STARE AND LOOKS THAT WAY. AGAIN OG LOOKS CLOSELY AT OUNU. NARRATOR Og not know why Ounu sleep. The light come. The light come and Ounu not up with the light. OG Na, num. Na, num. Na num. Ahka. [OG SHAKES AND SCRATCHES THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. HE STEPS BACK. SHRUGGES HIS SHOULDERS. OG WAVES HIS HAND AT OUNU. HE TAKES HIS HUNTING STICK IN BOTH HANDS, TURNS AND LOOKS INTO THE VALLEY. HE SWINGS THE STICK LIKE HE WERE HITTING AN ANIMAL, PRACTICING THE KILL OF HIS GAME. HE DECENDS THE SLOPE Ah ga ma, haka, haka. [OG exits] THE NARRATOR STEPS OUT TO THE CENTER OF THE STAGE AND HE WATCHES OG MOVE INTO THE VALLEY. THIS IS THE AUDIENCE. AS THE NARRATOR WATCHES, HE RELATES WHAT OG DOES. HE ALSO ACTS IT OUT. NARRATOR Og want catch the hare. The hare has much meat. There now. Look. [HE POINTS] Og see the hare. Og know, run the hare, run the hare. Og run. The hare run. Og run this way. Hare run that way, to stream. Ounu be there. Og look. Ounu not there. Ounu not there to down the stick, stop the hare. Ounu not there. Og do it. [THE NARRATOR ACTS THE PART NOW, SHOWING HOW OG SWINGS DOWN THE STICK. HE WILL TURN HIS HEAD TO SEE THE RABBIT BEHIND HIM. TURN AND RUN IN PLACE AND SWING THE STICK AGAIN AS HE DESCIBES THE ACTION] The hare run. Down the stick, down the stick, down the stick. No. The hare gone. Down the hole. Hare gone. Og turn. See. He see the hare. Og run. The hare run. Down stick, down the stick. The hare go under bush. Og kneel, look under bush. No hare. Og get up. The hare is at the top of hill. Og run, the hare run and is gone. Og pants. He needs to get more air and more. Og need to sit. [FROM HIS DEMONSTRATION, THE NARRATOR HIMSELF IS OUT OF BREATH. HE SITS FOR A MOMENT AND THEN GET BACK UP] A long time ago Ounu and Og lived with tribe. His people made huts of sticks and mud. They slept inside. They had fire and sticks to roast and make soft the meat. Men hunted and brought back the hare, the deer, the bird, the fish. The women picked the root, the berry, the leaf. Then no rain. No rain, and the ground become dry.. The hunters brought back no the hare, the bird, the deer, no food, and then hunter no come back. Og fed from his mother then. But he sucked and sucked and no milk came. His mother did not move. Ounu take Og. He walk far, far away with Og, and they come to here, this valley. Soon little Og know how to run the hare to Ounu. Ounu down the stick. Some days Og run the hare, run the hare, run the hare. And they eat the hare, the hare, the hare, much meat. Once Og run the deer and Ounu push the stick to stop the deer. Much meat. But the deer did not come back. The hare come back. The hare come back and come back and come back. Ah, there. Og get up now. He go to the stream. See, [HE POINTS] The water is cold. Og lay on belly, put his mouth to the water and suck. He drink and drink. It make his belly full. [STANDING HE DEMONSTRATES THIS] But it is not food. Og need food. The fish is here. Ounu show him the way to take the fish out of the water. Slowly move to the fish. The fish doesn't run away when slow. Then hand in water, and Ounu catch the fish. Much meat. Fish come back and Og catch the fish. But fish not come back any more. Og watch now, but no the fish not come back. [THE SKY DARKENS AND THE NARRATOR LOOKS UP TO IT] The time of getting food is done. No more look for the fish. Og look under the rock. He find the snail and bite. [DEMONSTATES] Ah, so little meat. Og look under the rock, the rock the rock and find the snail again. He eat the snail. He find the snail under the log. Now he do again. The rock, the rock, the log, the log. But no the snail. Og need more food. [ THE SKY DARKENS AGAIN.] Og must go back here before no see. He walk. On the hill Og find the root. He pulls the root. [DEMONSTRATES] He look , find the root again and pull the root. He pull the root, pull the root. He bite in. The root has many strings. It is hard to eat. He need to chew and chew and chew, and the strings won't go down. He puts them through his teeth to get the meat off. [THE NARRATOR BACKS AWAY ] Og come. I go. [THE NARRATOR EXITS] OG ENTERS. HE CARRIES HIS STICK AND THE ROOTS, WHITE, CARROT LIKE WITH THE EARTH CLINGING TO THEM. HE GOES TO OUNU HOLDS THEM UP FOR HIM TO SEE. LOOKING AGAIN AT THE DIRECTION OF OUNU'S EYES. HE PUTS THE ROOTS IN THE WAY. OG Ga um pa. Ounu. Ga um pa. Nah, Nah. OG DROPS THE ROOTS. HE SWINGS THE STICK LIKE HE IS HUNTING, DOWN ONCE, DOWN AGAIN. HE LOOKS TO THE END, REACHES DOWN AND LIFTS TO SHOW AN EMPTY HAND. Nah, Ounu. Ga um pa. Ga um pa. Ounu. OG PUTS HIS HAND ON OUNU'S SHOULDER AND SHAKES HIM. AGAIN HE LOOKS CLOSELY AT OUNU AND FOLLOWS THE STARE OF HIS EYES. HE BACKS AWAY THEN. STARES, SCRATCHES THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. [THE SKY DARKENS AND IT IS ALMOST BLACK] OG PUTS HIS STICK AGAINST THE BACK WALL. HE GOES TO THE PILE OF WOOD, ADDS THEM TO THE FIRE, KNEELS AND BLOWS TO MAKE THE FLAMES COME ALIVE. HE GOES TO HIS MAT AND LAYS DOWN. HE CURLS AND HUGS HIMSELF. [AGAIN THE DRUM BEATS ITS TUM, TUM. THE FIRE RETREATS INTO THE LOGS AND DARKNESS FALLS ON THE SET. THE SKY LIGHTENS. THE RED-ORANGE GLOW COMES TO THE SKY AND THE DRUM STOPS. IT BECOMES LIGHT] OG AWAKES, YAWNS AND STRETCHES. HE RUBS HIS EYES THE NARRATOR ENTERS FROM BEHIND AND WATCHES OG AS HE STEPS TO THE FRONT OF THE STAGE. OG LOOKS ABOUT. HE SNIFFS. HE LIFTS HIS HEAD AND SNIFFS AGAIN TRYING TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL. IT IS OUNU AND HIS SNIFFING TAKES HIM TO OUNU. OG PUTS HIS HEAD DOWN TO OUNU'S BUTTOX AND SNIFFS. OG Na ga ba. Na ga ba? Ga ah, Ga ah OG GRINS AND GOES TO THE FIRE. GOES ON HIS HANDS AND KNEES AS HE ANXIOUSLY LOOKS, DIGS AND PRODS FOR THE MEAT HE BELIEVES IS THERE.. HE EXPECTED THE MEAT AND BONES A DEER . NARRATOR Og think Ounu eat the deer. He look for meat, bones in the fire. OG FINDS NOTHING. HE BURNS HIS FINGER LOOKING. HE PICKS UP A HANDFULL OF DIRT AND THROWS IT DOWN. HE EXPECTED FOOD. HE GETS UP AND GOES TO OUNU. OG Ounu, ah gak ka. Ah gak ka. Ounu. OG POINTS TO THE FIRE. HE MAKES MOTIONS OF EATING. HE THEN SHAKES OUNU TO WAKE HIM. OG Ounu. Ah ga ma haka. Haka. Ounu. OG STEPS BACK AS OUNU'S BODY FALLS FROM THE LEDGE DOWN TO THE CAVE FLOOR. IT IS HIDDEN HERE BECAUSE OF THE FIRE LOGS. OG STARES. HE STEPS BACK. HE SHRUGGES, SCRATCHES THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. HE THEN PICKS UP ONE OF THE ROOTS HE DROPPED LAST NIGHT. HE BITES IN AND PULLS AGAINST THE STRINGY FIBER. CHEWS. IT IS NOT ENOUGH. HE THROW DOWN THE ROOT, TAKES HIS HUNTING STICK AND MARCHES DOWN TO THE VALLEY TO HUNT. THE NARRATOR STEPS OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF THE STAGE NOW AND WATCHES OG. NARRATOR Og is very hungry. He eat only the root and the root has little meat. He eat the snail, the snail, the snail but the snail, snail the snail the snail isn't the meat of the hare. Ah, there. Og see the hare. It run over grass. Ah the hare again. Og watch the hare, the hare. Og run. The hare run. Og down the stick, down the stick. No, the hare too far. Og fall and lay on the ground. Og is panting. He can not stop the hare. He need to run the hare to Ounu. Ounu down the stick. There the hare again. Og get up. Og watch. Og do as do with fish. Og move slow. Very slow. Og get closer. The hare run. Og run, down the stick, down the stick. No stop the hare. The hare gone. [THE SKY DARKENS AND THE NARRATOR LOOKS UP AT IT] NARRATOR Og not eat long time. He find the root again. he chew, he chew, he chew. He spit out the strings. He pull the string, the string, the string from his teeth. Og chew more. Go to stream. He need water to drink. THE NARRATOR JUMPS BACK. It is the frog. Og put down stick. Og watch frog. He crouch. Put out hands like this. Follow the frog. Jump, jump. See. [THE NARRATOR DEMONSTRATES] Now, the frog jump, Og catch. [HE PUTS IT TO HIS OPEN MOUTH CHEWS AND SWALLOWS] Og eat the frog. Og smile now. There, there the frog again. Og crouch, follow the frog. Jump, jump, jump Og catch the frog. THE NARRATOR INTERUPTS HIS ENACTMENT TO LOOK QUICKLY BACK AT THE CAVE. HE WATCHES AND THEN TURNS THE AUDIENCE. NARRATOR The big black bird, the big black bird, the big black bird, the dog, the dog, the dog have come. Eat Ounu. Look. Big black bird fly up piece of Ounu in his bill. See. Dog, dog has Ounu's arm. See. Dog go to eat someplace else. There, the dog again. THE NARRATOR MOVES CLOSER AND GOES UP ON HIS TOES TO LOOK OVER THE FIRE. Ounu only bones now. [THE SKY DARKENS. THE NARRATOR LOOKS UP TO IT. HE THEN LOOKS IN THE VALLEY FOR OG. HE STEPS BACK ] NARRATOR Og come. OG COMES UP FROM THE VALLEY. HE RUNS TO OUNU, CHASES AFTER THE DOG, LOOKS UP TO SEE THE BIRDS FLY AWAY. HE THEN LOOKS DOWN AT OUNU. HE REACHES DOWN, PICKS UP A BONE AND HE GRINS AND LAUGHS OG Ounu, ah ga ma. Haka, haka.. [HE LAUGHS] Ounu ah ga haka haka. [HE LOOKS UP AS IF FOLLOWING THE BIRD LIFTING INTO AIR. HE MAKES THE MOTION OF EATING . HE LAUGHS AGAIN AND PUTS DOWN THE BONE] NARRATOR Og think funny. Ounu is the hare. Ounu is the hare. The bird the dog eat Ounu as Ounu eat the hare. [THE SKY DARKENS. THE NARRATOR LOOKS UP TO IT] THE NARRATOR EXITS OG PUTS WOOD ON THE FIRE AND BLOWS TO MAKE IT COME ALIVE. HE PUSH THE STRAW OF HIS MAT TO MAKE IT SOFT AND THEN LOOKS TO THE MAT ON THE LEDGE. AS IF TO SEE IF OUNU IT THERE, OG WALKS TO THIS MAT. HE LOOKS AROUND ONCE AND THEN AGAIN. AND HE LIFTS HIMSELF ONTO THE LEDGE. OG PULLS THE HIDE OVER THIS LEGS. HE SIGHS CONTENTLY AND FALLS ASLEEP. HE MAKES A SMACKING SOUND WITH HIS MOUTH AS HE SAVORS THE FOOD HE LAST ATE. [THE FIRE BECOMES DIM. IT IS DARK. THE TOM TOM OF THE DRUM SOUNDS. IT STOPS AND THE SKY LIGHTENS WITH MORNING LIGHT.] OG AWAKES. HE SLIDES DOWN FROM THE LEDGE AND GOES TO THE FIRE. HE HUGS HIMSELF BECAUSE IT IS COLD. SLAPS HIS SHOULDERS TO MAKE HIMSELF WARM. HE WALKS TO THE LEDGE AND GET THE FUR WHICH PUTS OVER HIS SHOULDERS. HE GOES TO THE WOOD PILE AND TAKES DRIED BRANCHES AND PUTS THEM ON THE FIRE. HE GOES ON HIS KNEES TO BLOW AND MAKE THE FLAMES GROW. HE GOES FOR MORE WOOD. AS HE PICKS UP A STICK, HE SEES A CATERPILLER. HE PICKS IT OFF AND EATS IT. HE LOOKS OVER OTHER STICKS AND FINDS ANOTHER CATERPILLAR AND HE EATS IT THE NARRATOR ENTERS. HE LOOKS AT OG. NARRATOR Og find the fuzzy worm. And he eat it. He find fuzzy worm and eat it. But the fuzzy worm is small and will not stop hurt in stomach. THE NARRATOR SHIVERS AND HUGS HIMSELF. The air is cold. It will be colder and colder. Og will not find the fuzzy worm. He will not find the frog, the snail. The root will be dry, only string. Og need to stop the hare. Even the deer. But Og can not do. He need Ounu. Ounu show him where to put wood so it burns. Ounu show him dig the hole, put the root, the root, the root in. Ounu know where the red root, the white root, the yellow root is. Og need to do that now. But Og only cold now. Og doesn't know.... THE NARRATOR IS DISTRACTED. HE LOOKS INTO THE VALLEY. HE PUT HIS HAND OVER HIS EYES TO SHADE THEM. OG STOPS SEARCHING THE STICKS FOR CATERPILLARS AS HE TOO HAS SEEN SOMETHING IN THE VALLEY. OG STANDS AND PUTS HIS HAND OVER HIS EYES TO SHADE THEM. THEN OG JUMPS EXCITEDLY UP AND DOWN OG Ounu! Ounu! [HE POINTS. HE GRINS] Ounu, ah ga, ah ga. NARRATOR It is Ounu again. He come into the valley.. OG WAVES TO THE MAN APPROACHING. HE GOES BACK TO WALL AND PICKS UP HIS HUNTING STICK. HE STARTS TO GO OFF STAGE AND HE STOPS. NARRATOR Og see Ounu not have hunting stick. OG GOES BACK AND GETS OUNU'S HUNTING STICK. HOLDING IT OUT, OFFERING IT. OG GOES DOWN INTO THE VALLEY. OG Ounu, ah ga. NARRATOR Yes. And when the hare comes, Og will run it to Ounu and Ounu will down the stick, stop the hare. The hare has much meat. END