Dave Malloy
Seconds
ELLIE:
I AM ALIVE
IN THIS SECOND

ZANDER:
I’VE LIVED FOR HALF A BILLION SECONDS

ELLIE:
I’LL LIVE FOR TWO BILLION SECONDS

ELLIE & ZANDER:
I’LL LIVE FOR THREE AND
A HALF BILLION SECONDS

ROYSHANNA:
BUT ONLY ONE SECOND

ROYSHANNA & NIKKI:
IS RIGHT NOW

ROGER & DAKOTA:
RIGHT NOW

NIKKI:
ONE SECOND
ROGER:
EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS NOW
ONE DAY WILL BE FORGOTTEN

DAKOTA:
EVERYTHING I FEEL WILL DISAPPEAR
ONE SECOND FROM NOW

ENSEMBLE:
AND I WILL REMEMBER
AND I WILL FORGET

JAYNIE:
AND I WILL CHOOSE THE SECONDS THAT DEFINE ME

SAMSON:
AND A FEW SECONDS LATER

ONE ENSEMBLE VOICE:
I’LL CHANGE MY MIND

CYRUS:
WHEN I DIED
THERE WASN’T LIGHT OR DARKNESS

MO:
IT WAS WEIRDER THAN ANYTHING
I THOUGHT WAS WEIRD BEFORE
JANNELLE:
WHEN I DIED
I DIDN’T REMEMBER ANY TEST SCORES

JANELLE & HARPER:
REJECTION OR EMBARRASSMENT
OR AWFUL AWKWARD SILENCE

MO:
I REMEMBERED THUNDERSTORMS
AND SQUIRRELS

HARPER:
BUBBLE TEA AND BOATS

ELLIE, ZANDER & 2 VOICES:
AND A PHONE CALL WITH MY MOTHER
AND CAMPING WITH MY FATHER

ROYSHANNA, NIKKI & 2 VOICES:
SNUGGLING WITH MY BOYFRIEND ON THE COUCH
TRACING THE HAIRS ON HIS ARM

ROGER:
AND WRESTLING WITH MY SISTER
DAKOTA:
AND TALKING TO MY TURTLE

HARPER, JANELLE & 2 VOICES:
AND LYING ON THE FLOOR AT 2AM
BULLSHITTING WITH MY FRIENDS

ALL GHOSTS:
MY LIFE WILL BE BETTER THAN THIS
MY LIFE WILL BE WORSE THAN THIS

BUT RIGHT NOW IT’S JUST RIGHT NOW
AND IN A SECOND IT WILL BE GONE

GRACE:
Just stand here with you

TYE:
Just stand here. With me

GRACE
And wait

TYE:
And wait

GRACE:
To see

(TYE and GRACE find stillness in the center.)

TYE:
ONE DAY

GRACE:
ONE DAY

TYE:
I WILL BE SOMEONE ELSE

GRACE:
I WILL BE SOMEONE ELSE

TYE:
I AM FRAGILE AND EPHEMERAL
SO LOVE ME WHILE I’M HERE

GRACE:
I AM FRAGILE AND EPHEMERAL
SO LOVE ME WHILE I’M HERE

GRACE & TYE:
ONE DAY

GHOSTS:
ONE DAY

GRACE & TYE:
I WILL FINALLY STOP RUNNING

GHOSTS:
I WILL FINALLY STOP RUNNING

ALL:
THERE WILL BE SUNLIGHT IN THE TREES
PLEASE DON’T STOP ME TIL I’M THERE

(THE END)