The Other Shore (17 page)

Dialogue and Rebuttal.
Theater des Augenblicks, Wien, Austria. Directed by Gao Xingjian. 1992.

Dialogue and Rebuttal
. Théâtre Molière, Paris, France. Directed by Gao Xingjian. 1995.

Dialogue and Rebuttal.
Théâtre Molière, Paris, France. Directed by Gao Xingjian. 1995.

First Half

(The stage is white [if possible], on which one sees a young girl and a middle-aged man. A black overcoat and a travelling tote bag have been thrown to one side; on the other side towards the back, there lies a bathrobe, which has been tossed down in a heap. At front stage on the right, a wooden fish
^[83-1]
has been placed on the floor.)

Girl:

Finished?

Man:

Finished.

Girl:

How was it?

Man:

Quite good. (
Pause
.) How about you?

Girl:

Not bad. (
Pause
.) Quite good, I should say.

(
Man tries to say something but stops.
)

Girl:

So…

Man:

What?

Girl:

Nothing much.

Man:

Nothing much what?

(
Girl smiles slightly.
)

Man:

What are you smiling at?

Girl:

Nothing.

Man:

Why are you still smiling?

Girl:

I’m not smiling.

(
Helpless, Man stares at her. Girl avoids his stare and looks away.
)

Man:

Is it over?

Girl:

Isn’t it better this way?

Man:

Are you always like this?

Girl:

What?

Man:

With men…

Girl:

Of course, you’re not the first one.

(Man is taken aback, then laughs out loud.)

Girl:

You’re all the same.

Man:

(
Happily
.) Do you mean we—

Girl:

I mean you, you men!

Man:

(
Corrects her.
) Men and women!

(
Both laugh. Girl stops laughing abruptly. Man also stops.
)

Man:

What’s wrong?

Girl:

Nothing.

Man:

I’m sorry.

Girl:

(
Coldly
.) There’s nothing to be sorry about.

(
Man walks away and puts on bathrobe.
)

Girl:

If we had known…

Man:

Speak for yourself.

Girl:

Hypocrite!

Man:

But I love you—

(
Immediately Girl starts to laugh out loud. Man also laughs heartily. Monk enters slowly from the right side of the stage. He is bald, wearing a kasaya, a Buddhist robe, and a pair of straw sandals. With his eyes lowered and his palms clasped, he is chanting “Amitabha Buddha”
!

Man and Girl stop laughing
.

Monk walks to a corner at right stage, turns around until his back is facing the audience, sits down with his legs crossed and starts to beat the wooden fish. Man and Girl restrain themselves. They both look down, listening carefully to the continuous beating of the wooden fish
.)

Girl:

(
Softly.
) She doesn’t understand why, why she followed such a man, but she followed him anyway, following him to…

Man:

(
Softly.
) She understands everything, she knew it very well, it’s all very simple and clear, both had the need…

Girl:

(
Softly.
) No, she only wanted to know if it could happen…She knew it was possible but not entirely unavoidable…

Man:

(
Softly.
) Things are bound to happen anytime, anywhere in the world, when something happens, you’ll just have to go along with it and have some fun.

Girl:

(
Softly.
) He may look eager and willing, but she knows very well that he’s faking it, if she’d only arched her back and held him off, the whole thing wouldn’t have happened.

Man:

(
Softly.
) One minute early or one minute late, it’s all the same. Why put on an act? You and I are no different, that’s the way it is.

Girl:

(
Softly
.) Of course she’d been expecting it, she knew right from the beginning how it would end, but she never thought it would be so sudden, so hasty, and the end would come so fast.

(
Monk beats the wooden fish twice.
)

Girl:

Forget it! There’s nothing worth celebrating.

Man:

I didn’t say anything.

Girl:

Better keep it that way.

(
Man droops his head. Monk starts to beat lightly on the wooden fish, chanting softly and continually: “Amitabha Buddha.”
)

Girl:

How come you’re not saying anything?

Man:

What’s there to say?

Girl:

Anything you want.

Man:

You talk, I’ll listen.

Girl:

Tell me about yourself.

Man:

I’m a man.

Girl:

You don’t have to tell me that.

Man:

What shall I tell you then?

Girl:

Don’t you know how to talk with people?

Man:

I’m afraid you won’t like it.

Girl:

The problem is you’ve got to have something to talk about.

Man:

Except love—

Girl:

Don’t talk to me about love!

Man:

Tell me, what else is there to talk about with a woman?

(
Girl stands up to get her overcoat.
)

Man:

Where are you going?

Girl:

It’s none of your business.

Man:

I can ask, can’t I?

Girl:

But you really don’t want to know.

Man:

Why not? I do want to know.

Girl:

You only want a woman’s body, you don’t understand women, not even a tiny bit.

Man:

I don’t understand myself either.

Girl:

Well said. You’re such a pig!

Man:

And you?

Girl:

You think I’m that low-down?

Man:

That’s not what I meant.

Girl:

Your attitude, it’s disgusting!

Man:

To tell you the truth, I also disgust myself.

Girl:

What a wonderful confession! (
Turns and puts on her overcoat
.)

Man:

(
Snatches away her overcoat.
) Don’t go!

Girl:

What more do you want?

Man:

Don’t go! You’ve got to listen to me.

Girl:

You don’t have the right to stop me. (
Struggles free.
) I’ve got to agree first!

Man:

(
Apprehensive.
) Now that you’re here, well, of course I invited you, and I’m very glad—

Girl:

You—you’re an out-and-out bastard!

(
Man laughs.
)

Girl:

What are you laughing at?

Man:

Myself, I’m laughing at myself. What is it to you?

Girl:

Fine then, let me go.

Man:

(
Blocking her.
) I love you, really I do!

Girl:

Stop acting. (
Pushes him away.
)

(
Monk picks up wooden fish and beats on it while chanting “Amitabha Buddha.” He exits left stage as Girl watches.
)

Man:

I don’t understand, it’s really hard to figure you out.

Tell:

me, what are you going to do? What is it that you want?

Girl:

(
Nonchalantly.
) Don’t ask me, I don’t know. I only, only wanted to know…

Man:

You already know everything there is to know.

Girl:

What do I know?

Man:

That I’m a man. Other men, aren’t they the same?

Girl:

Don’t talk to me about men!

Man:

Then what shall we talk about?

Girl:

Something interesting, cheerful, something which makes people happy. How stupid can you get?

Man:

Really?

Girl:

You only think you’re smart.

Man:

And you’re a smart Girl.

Girl:

Not necessarily. Otherwise I wouldn’t have come here with you.

Man:

In fact I prefer stupid women.

Girl:

Because they’re submissive, gullible and easy to manipulate, is that it?

Man:

No, I’m only talking about myself, that way I can be more relaxed.

(
Monotonous beating on the wooden fish. Monk has not yet entered.
)

Man:

You want to drink something?

Girl:

No, I guess I’d better be going.

Man:

It’s raining outside.

Girl:

(
Listening.
) I don’t think so.

Man:

If I say it’s raining, it’s got to be raining.

Girl:

Who do you think you are, God?

Man:

I can hear it raining. I know all the sounds in and outside this place, the wind, the rain, the water heater, and the leaking toilet, every single one of them. I’ve owned this place for years.

Girl:

Leave me out of your ownership, I belong to me, and me only.

Man:

Is that very important?

Girl:

I don’t know, maybe. Anyway, I still haven’t found the right person to belong to.

Man:

Obviously I’m not that person.

Girl:

At last you’ve said something intelligent.

Man:

Thanks for the compliment.

Girl:

Intelligent men are a rare breed nowadays.

Man:

Most women are also stupid dingbats. Of course you’re an exception.

Girl:

Do you really think so?

Man:

I never lie, don’t you believe me?

Girl:

Do you say the same thing to every woman you’re with?

Man:

You know why I said it to you? It’s only because you like to hear people say that about you.

Girl You’re—really—very bad.

(
Man laughs, and Girl laughs with him.
)

Man:

Are you sure you don’t want anything to drink?