Cape Breton's Magazine

VOICE: You're torturing yourself. You don't want to listen to anyone or anything. You used to be good at listening. MICKEY: How do you know I wasn't pretending? VOICE: Men newer pretend. MICKEY: Dear Lord, woman, you never made it out of the pasture. VOICE: I made it as far as you did. MICKEY: Well, you'll need a boarding pass to get in here. VOICE: You'll need more than that to get out of your own shell. MICKEY: What, and spoil my own company! Go away and stop interfering with my misery. (Mickey awakes from sleep. Sitting beside the bed, he stares for a few minutes around the parlour, seemingly for the first time taking in its isola? tion and emptiness. He goes to the door and opens it wide, sitting in the cool air of the evening.) MICKEY: (Talks to himself out loud, still at the door) There's nobody there, nobody at all. Only the sounds of darkness. Only the sounds of dark? ness. I must be going mad. (He walks to Clara's picture, he reaches out and picks it up.. A smile caresses his fragile face.) MICKEY: Tomorrow, my dear Clara, I am heading for the mountains. There comes a time when a man must listen to the sounds of freedom, the true sounds of freedom, and when I return, this parlour will be rid of my bones and I will rest my once golden crown in our old room where it belongs. And God knows, if I get any freer, I may just head for Wool CO and buy a wig. (He scratches his head.) No, no, I'd better scratch that idea. You can't judge a man by his synthetic roots. I'd better get to bed now, dear woman, because tomorrow is going to be a long day, a long day indeed. (He puts Clara's picture down on the table and jumps into bed, slowly pulling the covers over him. Lights dim.) THE END WARNING: This play is protected by copyright. The author's permission is required for any performance. "The Dream" won the award for Best Original Play in the University College of Cape Breton's 14th Annual Festival of Plays. It was performed by the St. Ann's Bay Players: Mickey, Murdock MacDonald; Murdock, Jeff Brownstein; Widows' Voices, Nona MacDonald. Director: Beverly Brett. Photos by David Sneddon for U.C.C.B., courtesy Harry Boardmore and Ronnie Keough. Beatrice T. MacNeil thanks Michael "Mickey" Mac- Neil, lona. She dedicates this play to the memory of her friend Peggy Bonaparte MacNeil. Read a good book ... Listen to some music ... from our branch libraries and bookmobiles in 'Ip'okw'mo; Richmond, Inverness, and MuiGR/WI,N.5.! ? . , (902)w-2w Ouysborough counties. Stubberfs Convenience Stores Florence Bras d'Or 109 and 172 Main St., Sydney Mines The Challenger Restaurant Sydney Mines Sunday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Comfortable Dining, and Take Out Food (736-2033) ''3iA's %M MEAT FISH GROCERIES OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 9-9 TO SERVE YOU BETTER ST. PETERS -ALSO VIDEO RENTAL- 535-3363 . Morrison's Stores Ltd Home Hardware General Merchants Celebrating over 100 Years of Service SLPeters Richmond Coimty, Nova Scotia BOE 3B0 (30)