THE VOYAGE OF LIFE

THE VOYAGE OF LIFE

A Five-Act Collage Juxtaposition of Bodies+Minds Changing as Time Goes By

William Shakespeare + Jacques Brel
+ Thomas Cole + Sandra Gaston + Shel Silverstein
+ Sandra Dermark


0. prelude.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,

And one in their life plays many parts ...

Once there was ...
... a little boy.

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way ...

He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew ...

act i. puberty - early adolescence

Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And "shining" morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. 



Je m'appelle Zangra et je suis lieutenant
Au fort de Belonzio qui domine la plaine
D'où l'ennemi viendra qui me fera héros
En attendant ce jour je m'ennuie quelquefois
Alors je vais au bourg voir les filles en troupeaux
Mais elles rêvent d'amour et moi de mes chevaux

And every day the boy would come
and he would gather leaves
and make them into crowns and play king of the forest.
He would climb up ...
and swing from ... branches
and eat apples.
And they would play hide and seek.
And when he was tired, he would sleep in the shade.

And the boy loved ... very much.

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", ...

... he said, "That's okay"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed


act ii. late adolescence - young adulthood



And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrows. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth.

Je m'appelle Zangra et déjà capitaine
Au fort de Belonzio qui domine la plaine
D'où l'ennemi viendra qui me fera héros
En attendant ce jour je m'ennuie quelquefois
Alors je vais au bourg voir la jeune Consuelo
Mais elle parle d'amour et moi de mes chevaux

But time went by.

And the boy grew older.

Then one day the boy came ... : “Come, Boy, come and climb up ... and swing from ... branches and eat apples and play in the shade and be happy.”
“I am too big to climb and play,” said the boy. “I want to buy things and have fun. I want some money. Can you give me some money?”
“ I’m sorry,” ... “but I have no money. I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them .... Then you will have money and you will be happy.”

And so the boy climbed up ... and gathered ... apples and carried them away.

Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please"



act iii. midlife

And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. 

Je m'appelle Zangra maintenant commandant
Au fort de Belonzio qui domine la plaine
D'où l'ennemi viendra qui me fera héros
En attendant ce jour je m'ennuie quelquefois
Alors je vais au bourg boire avec don Pedro
Il boit à mes amours et moi à ses chevaux



But the boy stayed away for long time. ... And then one day the boy came back ..., “ Come, Boy, climb up ... and swing from ... branches and be happy.”
“ I am too busy to climb trees,” said the boy. “ I want a house to keep me warm,” he said. “ I want a wife and I want children, and so I need a house. Can you give me a house?”
“ I have no house,” ... “... but you may cut off ... branches and build a house. Then you will be happy.”

And so the boy cut off ... branches and carried them away to build his house.

..., my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids got the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

act iv. early old age

The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound.



Je m'appelle Zangra je suis vieux colonel
Au fort de Belonzio qui domine la plaine
D'où l'ennemi viendra qui me fera héros
En attendant ce jour je m'ennuie quelquefois
Alors je vais au bourg voir la veuve de Pedro
Je parle enfin d'amour mais elle de mes chevaux

But the boy stayed away for a long time. And when he came back, ... “Come, Boy,” ... whispered, “come and play.”
“ I am too old and sad to play,” said the boy. “ I want a boat that will take me far away from here. Can you give me a boat?”
“... and make a boat,” ... “Than you can sail away… and be happy.”
And so the boy ... made a boat and sailed away.


act v. late senescence and death

Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

Je m'appelle Zangra hier trop vieux général
J'ai quitté Belonzio qui domine la plaine
Et l'ennemi est là je ne serai pas héros.

And after a long time the boy came back again. “I am sorry, Boy,” ... ... “My teeth are too weak for apples,” said the boy. ... “I am too old to swing on branches,” said the boy. ... “ I am too tired to climb,” said the boy.
“I don’t need very much now,” said the boy, “ just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired.”
“Well,” ...“well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down. sit down and rest.” And the boy did.

The End

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