Light

LIGHT: an anti-play
THE PLAY BEGINS with curtains drawn--closed. As houselights dim and come down, entire theater is awash in darkness. Curtains remain drawn, but soon lights on stage come up slowly, seen only at that point where the curtains do not quite touch stage floor--probably no more than two inches across entire stage. After ten seconds lights are at greatest brilliance. Hold for five seconds. Then they return to original darkness.
Hold darkness for ten seconds.
Procedure repeats itself twice more. Then, while theater is in complete darkness, stage lights (behind curtain) flicker, strobe-like, for five seconds. Darkness returns, followed by earlier pattern of slow rising and falling of light’s brilliance.
At final darkness, curtains are drawn apart; lights again come up, slowly as before, to reveal a stage that is completely bare. The walls, however--all three of them: upstage and both stage right and left--are made up of three ceiling-high mirrors extending entire length and width of stage. Stage lights shine down from directly overhead, brightening only stage floor.
After perhaps twenty seconds, house lights come up slightly so that audience can see itself in facing mirrors. Hold for twenty seconds. Then, suddenly, without warning, ceiling stage lights in rear of auditorium come on to greatest brilliance, shining onto stage and directly into mirrors, throwing reflected light back into audience--blinding audience. Loud hissing sound emits from stage. Hold for ten seconds. Then stage lights in back of auditorium and above stage abruptly go off. Hissing also comes to a halt. House lights remain on so audience can see itself in mirrors–-at least, for those who can still see. Hold for ten seconds.
Then house lights slowly dim while overhead stage lights slowly return. Hold for five seconds. Reverse pattern: As stage lights slowly dim, house lights slowly return. Hold for five seconds. Several more times house lights and overhead stage lights alternate positions, one rising in brilliance as the other recedes, each time holding five seconds.
Finally, house lights remain on; overhead stage lights remain off. Hold for five seconds; hold for ten seconds, hold for fifteen seconds. Hold indefinitely. Curtains remain open until audience grows restless and begins whispering, then talking, then laughing, weeping, hooting–-doing whatever they want to do--throwing things at stage, or just walking out altogether and leaving auditorium.