SCENE 1: Early morning.
ART sits looking at the view, in contemplation
BART enters and
watches him for a while, then draws closer
BART You seem disenganged somehow. Not enjoying our trip?
ART O no, I'm loving it.
BART But you spent hours on your computer today, when you could have been out and about.
ART You were out and about …
BART And engaged! You weren't. The point I'm making.
ART The point you're making?
BART Yes, the point I'm making.
ART Which is?
BART You're disengaged.
ART No not at all. It's just that I'm also engaged in something else.
BART Which is?
ART That was my line.
BART I know. This is a different 'which is.' What else are you engaged in?
ART I'm doing this 'write something every day for a month' thing.
BART The Literal Challenge? Again?
ART Well, different from last time. This time I'm writing a play rather than a short story.
BART A play? Isn't that harder?
ART I don't think so. You can just write a scene.
BART Surely a play has to have a beginning, a middle and an end.
ART Well the beginning is easy. And the middle – well it's just the middle, right?
BART Isn't it meant to be like – three acts?
ART O that's just a discredited theory about screenplays.
BART But still, it's three elements. The beginning is, I guess, the set up. Then the middle is the plot. And the end …
ART I prefer to think of it as two elements really. Plot and denouement. The set up becomes clear as you go along. That's how I'm thinking of it today, anyway.
BART So you ARE disengaged from our trip then. Just thinking about this play.
ART Not really. It won't take up much of the day and I can use the time when we're travelling or down time in the hotel. And I've done all the travel blog, writing up the trip. And the research on where we're going. It's only for the last few days of the holiday. And we're going to be in that spa place anyway.
BART Well, good luck with it then.
ART And the timing's quite good as we're nine hours ahead. I'll get the briefs at 7:00am and don't have to submit until 7:00pm the next day.
BART I see. What about the day we travel back and on the plane for 12 hours?
ART I can write it on the plane and submit when we get home.
BART You've got it all worked out then.
ART Yes, and I'll still have plenty of time to enjoy Japan. In fact, I'll just finish this then off to the onsen. There's only one potential problem.
BART Which is?
ART Stop saying that will you?
BART I can't help it. I'm just the Devil's Advocate, apparently. And you're the Author.
ART Well, there you have the problem in a nutshell.
BART Pray explain.
ART You see, I said I'd swear off meta references this time. But it's hard … I just want to dash off the writing and be done with it, but avoiding the meta references …
BART Just don't do them then.
ART I already have.
BART […] You have, haven't you?
ART And this is just day one. Think what it will be like by day 29.
BART Never mind day 29. What about Day 2? […]
ART Ah, funny you should say that. Because the first play has to be all about TWO.
BART Two. Yes. So that's why you want two elements to the play, rather than three?
ART Yes, and why we're having a dialogue – just two characters. And I thought the plot could be along the lines of my anxiety about what the theme would be for Day Two.
BART Or how about anxiety about what you put in scene two of Day One? The denouement?
ART Hey, you might have hit on something there!
BART Yea, not bad for a fictional Devil's Advocate who's only there to create a dialogue.
ART Well, let's face facts: you're not exactly advocating much that's devilish are you? But still, bouncing this around with a fictional interlocutor does have benefits: two heads are better than one!
BART Or two cooks spoil the broth.
ART That's too many cooks – two is just fine.
SCENE 2: Later that same day.
BART and ART are soaking in the outdoor onsen, steam rising around them as they look out to an amazing view of snow capped mountains and, faintly in the distance, Mount Fuji
BART Ah this is the life!
ART Yes! I've failed to make a denouement and I've failed to avoid a meta text. But I still feel it's going to be a success!
BART Two wrongs don't make a right!
ART True, but then two faults do make a play about TWO. In two scenes.
BART Two-ché!
