A Sketch by Jean-Pierre Martinez
One – It’s incredible… Apparently scientists have managed to create matter out of nothing.
Two – Oh yeah…?
One – You don’t seem surprised.
Two – Playwrights have been doing that for a long time already.
One – What do you mean?
Two – Creating a play out of nothing.
One – Nothing?
Two – You take two characters who don’t exist, put them facing each other, and wait…
One – But characters who have something to say to each other?
Two – Even if they have nothing to say… that can be the subject of the play.
One – The subject? What subject?
Two – Two characters who have nothing to say to each other.
One – But something happens, surely?
Two – Not necessarily. That can be the subject too.
One – Two characters who have nothing to say and nothing happens?
Two – Yes. I think that could perfectly well be the subject of a play.
One – Right.
Two – It’s very contemporary. As a subject. The difficulty of communicating… the absence of prospects… all that…
One – All that… out of nothing?
Two – No, it’s… it’s a very good subject for a play, I assure you. I’ve even got the title.
One – Oh yes?
Two – The Fish.
One – The Fish…?
Two – They say fish don’t make a sound, don’t they? So for a play with two characters who have nothing to say…
One – All right… But when you say a play… you mean a boring play.
Two – That’s the risk… with creation ex nihilo.
One – Right.
Two – Besides, I’d point out that… ex nihilo nihil fit. Nothing comes from nothing.
One – OK.
Two – I’d even go further: ex nihilo nihil fit, in nihilum nil posse reverti. Nothing comes from nothing, nothing can return to nothing.
One – OK…
Two – What scientists have done isn’t creating matter out of nothing, but creating matter out of light.
One – Right…
Two – In other words, even in theatre you can create something out of nothing… but you have to be a bright spark.
One – Right…
Blackout.
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A sketch from the collection Of Animals and Men
Link to the collection for free download (PDF)
Find all of Jean-Pierre Martinez’s plays on his website:
https://jeanpierremartinez.net