Maria Papalexi, Paint it
Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, are about to add their own brush strokes to the huge painting made by their ancestors—great-grandfathers, grandfathers, parents, each generation in turn. Yet the process proves to be unpredictable and full of surprises, as the “artistic inspirations of their forebears” provide the appropriate ground for the youngsters to place themselves in space and time, in the past and present. A clever text for an adolescent audience, featuring two kids on the threshold to adulthood.
GIRL: Where are you?
BOY: I think I got into the painting!
GIRL: What? Come on, cut it out. Where are you?
BOY: Here! In a boat!
GIRL (puzzled, looks around the painting until she
spots the boy): Oh, There you are! How did you get in there? What shall I tell mum?
BOY: Why don’t you stop blabbering and get me out?
GIRL: Wait. I’ll paint a rope, and you can grab it and come out.
BOY (ironically): Just grab it and get out, eh?
GIRL: Well… I thought…
(Brief pause.)
BOY: What do we do now?
(They are thinking.)
GIRL: Perhaps if we go a little further into the painting, we may find a way out.
BOY: Yes, but how do we move around? This boat is fixed, and surrounded by smudges. Oh, I know! I’ll paint a sail! (He paints.) What do you know, I’m going to take you sailing! (Finishes the drawing and displays it with pride.) Eh?
GIRL (with an “are you stupid?” expression”): Yes, but there’s no wind. It’s O.K., I got it. (She paints.)
BOY: What are these?
GIRL: Oars. Grab one and let’s go.
(Commissioned by Analogio Festival)
Director: Valentina Papadimitrakaki
Music: Laertis Malkotsis, Elli Vasilatou
Actors: Laertis Malkotsis, Dimitris Passas, Eleana Stravodimou