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Execution at Paradais Island

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“Jeff Gold’s work is smart, original, surprising, and satisfying. He knows the theatre well, what it can do and what makes it exciting. He also has a nose for interesting characters in unique situations. His is a wonderful theatrical voice. No question about it.”

Award-Winning Playwright Julie Jensen (Two-Headed, White Money)

“Jeff Gold’s work has a unique and quirky feel about it. His plays get under your skin, get stuck in your teeth until you find yourself compelled to laugh... to cry. A welcome voice in the world of theater.”

Playwright Jeff Metcalf, Founder, Sawtooth Writer’s Conference

“FITCH TODD by Jeffrey Gold shows a playwright very much in command of the form—able to shape rich and dense content into a short play with mystery and humor. The payoff of this play is very strong. You know why you’ve been watching it with attention from its opening moment and feel the curtain pays all that attention off.”

David Kranes, Founding Artistic Director, Sundance Playwright’s Lab

“I enjoyed it. Nice austere but riveting small piece.”

Jon Jory, The Actors Theatre of Louisville, on HORST AND GRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN

Reviews

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“I was truly affected by his well written concise work. In each play, the dialogue flowed naturally, the ending gripped me and the final irony left me entertained with strong emotions.”

Kristin Ettinger, Assistant Editor, Pioneer Drama Service on HORST ANDGRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN and FITCHTODD

“HORST AND GRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN caught our attention as an unusual, interesting and well written piece... we’d like to include it in our annual Short Play Reading Festival.”

Dena Nathanson, Director, Boca Raton Theatre Guild

“HORST AND GRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN takes the conflicts and hardships of daily life and presents them in the form of a Vaudeville routine, in the spirit of Samuel Beckett.”

Steve Mathews, Director, Just Off Broadway Theater, Kansas City, Missouri

“DEDEKIND by Jeffrey Gold... is sure to hit the mark with a Lab [Theatre] audience. You know, them artsy types.”

Craig Froehlich, Red Magazine

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Plays by Jeffrey Gold

In the Pursuit of Svetla (2001)

Horst and Graben in the Context of the Unfinished Man (2002)

Fitch Todd (2002)

Percolation Theory (2002)

Dedekind (2003)

Horst and Graben at the Chateau Godot (2003)

Candycane Hurricane (2003)

Execution at Paradais Island (2004)

Displacement: A Fish in Water Story (2004)

Grieving at Doors (2006)

Fair Shake (2007)

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Execution at Paradais Island

by Jeffrey Gold

Dramatica Press

New York • Los Angeles

2010

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Execution at Paradais Island © 2004 Jeffrey Gold

Execution at Paradais Island is published by Dramatica PressNew York (347) 788 0037 • Los Angeles (213) 787 6066

All rights reserved. Except for short passages quoted in newspaper, magazines, radio, or television reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, including photocopying or recording (visual or audio), or stored in an information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

This material is subject to a royalty and is fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the United States and all other countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Conventions. All rights, including but not limited to professional, amateur, recording, motion picture, recitation, lecturing, public reading, radio and television broadcast, and the rights of translation into foreign languages, are expressly reserved.

Use of this material by educational institutions can be secured from the author’s publisher, Dramatica Press, or the author’s representative, Corpus Polymedia, or the author.

Library of Congress CataLoging-in-PubLiCation Data

Gold, Jeffrey.Execution at paradais island / Jeffrey Gold.—1st ed.

p.cm.ISBN: 1451534388

EAN-13: 9781451534382

Cover photograph: “Strombolicchio Rock,” © 2006 by Giuseppe CostanzaAuthor photograph (Cover): Jennifer Arnold

Author photograph (Interior): Benjamine Justine Hubert

Cover design: Corpus PolymediaText Design: Dramatic Press/Corpus Polymedia

Text Font: Optima

First Edition, March 2010

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Introduction

Execution at Paradais Island is an exchange between two blokes—one who broke the law and knew it and the other who unknowingly broke the law but expected to get away with it. Both thought they would get away with something, but one was not prepared to face the consequences of his actions—meaning one was extremely naive—caught like a milquetoast librarian in front of a military tribunal. In short, Carrots is the hapless victim who gets caught unawares when the rules changed midstream—one of those guys who would use the argument, “everybody else is doing it. Why don’t you go after them too?” In that way, he truly is a victim—because he knows that others are still doing it, but he’s the only one, strangely enough, they have made any effort to catch. Tenbenny, on the other hand, always knew that things could turn out this way, and in some way he is almost relieved—because running scared has finally stopped. Incarceration at Paradais Island has almost been a vacation for him. It’s the nicest place to which he’s ever been—kind of a tropical island for criminals. The title Paradais Island was meant as a deliberate slight against the ubiquitous vacation-evoking paradise island. The prefix “para” can mean “beyond” and also “protect” or “ward off”—entirely appropriate for a military prison—and the word “dais” implies a platform. And so, combined, the word Paradais has always represented (to me) an off-kilter platform—something entirely appropriate for these two characters.

Jeffrey Gold

SugarhouseMarch 17, 2010

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Execution at Paradais Island

FINALIST2004 Moondance International Film Festival

Stageplay Competition

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Reading History

Execution at Paradais Island was first read at the TOA Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 24, 2004. Carrots was read by Jag Duffy, Tenbenny was read by Mike MacGillivray, and the Officer was read by Pat Donahue.

Execution at Paradais Island was read at the Playwright’s Retreat in Sundance, Utah, on April 18, 2004. Carrots was read by Kurt Proctor, Tenbenny was read by Jeff Metcalf, and the Officer was read by Joe Welch.

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Characters

CARROTS — Male. Late thirties to early fifties. Carrots is markedly a fish-out-of-water in this environment. Whatever he did—probably some kind of financial crime—landed him here unexpectedly.

TENBENNY — Streetwise male. Late thirties to early fifties. Tenbenny always knew what the risks were—and that he could end up in a merciless place like this. Smart enough to be dangerous but dumb enough to get caught.

GUARD – Wears military beige khakis. Guard wears a beret or other military hat appropriate for low-ranking military personnel.

OFFICER — Wears military beige khakis.* Officer wears visor cap or other military hat to distinguish him/her from the Guard. Officer also wears MacArthur shades and carries a horse whip.

* Guard and Officer can be played by the same actor.

Setting

A bluff on an island prison at sunset.

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Stage Directions

The stage consists of three wooden poles. The center pole has some evidence of blood.

A thoroughbass of waves washing up on a beach or rocky shore—and intermittent military commands shouted at a far distance—are integral to the performance of this play.

Optional: A wire fence set in the background accompanying a painting or lighting depicting a spectacular island sunset.

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Jeffrey Gold

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Execution at Paradais Island

At center stage are three wooden poles. The center pole has some evidence of blood.

A thoroughbass of ocean waves and shouted military commands are heard in the far distance.

A handcuffed TENBENNY, wearing a military prison uniform, is led in by a military GUARD, who directs him to a spot in front of the pole stage left.

The GUARD blindfolds him.

TENBENNY

Gotta smoke?

The GUARD puts a cigarette in TENBENNY’S mouth.

TENBENNY(thinking he’s cool)

Thanks brotha.

The GUARD walks off stage.

TENBENNY

What about a light?(beat)

Yo, what about a light? You still here?(beat, to himself)

Dumbshit.

The cigarette drops from his lips.

TENBENNY (disappointed)

Fuck.

He looks under his blindfold to scour for the lost cigarette.

He uses his foot to feel for it.

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He gives up.

He stands there for some time.

The GUARD re-enters with a handcuffed and blindfolded CARROTS and places him in front of the pole stage right.

TENBENNY(to GUARD)

You wouldn’t have another smoke, would you?

As if reminded of something he was going to do, the GUARD takes out a cigarette, puts it in his own mouth and lights it.

The metallic clink of the lighter puts a smile on TENBENNY’s face.

The GUARD walks off stage.

TENBENNY’s upbeat demeanor quickly evaporates.

A beat.

TENBENNY

Yo, what are you in for?(long beat)

I said, buddy, what are you in here for?(long beat)

I know you’re there. I can hear you breathing.(long beat)

You don’t have to play coy with me, buddy. You ain’t foolin’ anybody.

(long beat)Jesus Christ, man. What is your damn problem? Are you a mute or a fuckin’ Japanese tourist?

CARROTS(agitated that he’s responding)

Neither.

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TENBENNY

Well, finally we got some life out of you. You gotta blister on your sun-dried lips or what?

CARROTS

No. I just don’t feel like talking.

TENBENNY

You didn’t see a cigarette layin’ on the ground when you came here, did ya?

CARROTS

I don’t smoke.

TENBENNY

I wasn’t askin’ if you smoke. I was asking if you saw a cigarette layin’ on the ground.

CARROTS

I didn’t see any.

TENBENNY

Sure you didn’t see one?

CARROTS

I’m sure.

TENBENNY

Did you look?

CARROTS

No.

TENBENNY

Well, there you have it: if you didn’t look for one you certainly wouldn’t find one.

CARROTS

You shouldn’t smoke anyway. It’s a known fact that it shortens your life.

TENBENNY

Well, I don’t think it’s relevant under these circumstances, do you?

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JEFFREY GOLD

Educated at Cambridge University, Westminster College, and the University of Utah, Jeffrey Gold was a member of the Playwright’s Group for more than three seasons, through the auspices of the Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) under dramaturg Mike Dorrell (BBC’s Soldier, Soldier, Pictures of a Floating World) and playwright-in-residence Julie Jensen (Two-Headed, Last Lists of My Mad Mother, Wait!). His plays IN THE PURSUIT OF SVETLA, HORST AND GRABEN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNFINISHED MAN, FITCH TODD, PERCOLATION THEORY, DEDEKIND, HORST AND GRABEN AT THE CHATEAU GODOT, CANDYCANE HURRICANE, EXECUTION AT PARADAIS ISLAND, DISPLACEMENT: A FISH IN WATER STORY, GRIEVING AT DOORS, and FAIR SHAKE have garnered numerous awards, readings, and productions, including the 2002 CrossCurrents Cultural Five and Dime Playwriting Competition, 2003 Boca Raton Theatre Guild Short Play Reading Festival, 2003 Ten by Ten in the Triangle (Finalist), 2003 Shorts in Winter Playwriting Festival, 2003 Experiments In Ink V Playwriting Competition, 2004 Women in Theatre Play Reading Series, 2004 New Voices/New Words Playwriting Contest, 2004 Moondance International Film Festival Stageplay Competition, 2005 Moondance International Film Festival Seahorse Award (Finalist), 2005 Theatre Publicus Prize for Dramatic Literature (Finalist), 2006 Silver Spring One-Act Festival, and more. Jeffrey Gold was the Best of State Medal Winner in Playwriting in 2005 and 2006, and 2007.

Playwright Jeffrey Gold at Cambridge University/Benjamine Justine Hubert

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