Disillusion is on the marquee. Inside the theater of the absurd it's standing room only. On stage the colors are black and white; above, the lights are strobes of imperfection illuminating the actors with disregard. From the orchestra pit, silence plays a rueful melody understood by the raucous few awaiting intermission-concession sales. I want to scream. I want to stomp. I refuse to applaud.
Center stage Pagliacci appears. His tears wash away the red-blood smile. The audience is smitten — some amused as confusion morphs the clown' s true identity. Poor Pagliacci's tenor embraces the shadows: When I am seized by madness; I don't know what I'm saying or doing! Yet, it must be!
Critics make note. Reviews are written: Great … amazing … highly rated.
Ticket sellers anticipate invisible revenue.
Producers contemplate Hollywood.
Pagliacci bows in disgrace.
Without fanfare, a second act is proffered. The audience contemplates; actors in the shadows ruminate the writer's work. There is no shortage of want. There is no precipice to fall from. There is nothing that wasn't staged before.
Center stage no one appears. The stage lights flicker. The orchestra pit empties. There is no applause. The audience retreats into the shadows. There are no bravos. There are no future acts on the marquee.
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Max Rivlin-Nadler
OS Readers' Picks
daisyjane
Ande Bliss
Miguela Holt y Roybal
AJCalhoun
Salon.com
Comments
This is why postmodernism came & conquered, Chuck.
As a gigantically acclaimed literary critic (me) once said:
Postmodernism died because it was murdered.
It was a lovely bloody mess.
It was televised.
It still is.
That is why i am addicted to tv.
When I am seized by madness:
I don't know what I'm saying or doing! Yet, it must be!
We are currently energized by the shame of the artist's
soul-explosion. Luckily we can still localize it to him/her.
The universe works on a karmic spontaneous wavelength
that literature cannot yet achieve. OS seems to approximate it.
In the post,
and especially in the comment stream.
thanks for your voice to add to my collection.
love and theft.
Aure has been a lot of rosting going on here for a bit..:)
rated with hugs
provide the death certificates
of the person in question
to whom you allude.
speed is of the utmost.
so is silent meditation.
chuck can give us both, if he is
willing to slay himself
in verse.
hopefully he will die soon so that
he will be able to pick up the pieces
of his past.
he not busy bein born, etc
Where is Tippi Hedron when you need her?
Now that's a powerful message. Zumapick.
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing."
Macbeth V,v
♥R
As breath into the wind. Would they had stay'd! ~
i hope you are not depressed
from a person with depression
R
(Got elliptical deciphering for days, if you want it.)
It means you're supporting Barbour? Yikes.
Does anyone know how to embed Smokey & the Miracles into a comment?
That empty tree . .like an empty marquee. "No future acts."