Traveler Returned
Cast List:
Jackson Fox (Male, 30-35): He is a professional assassin for hire. His father was an assassin as well, and Jackson inherited his dad's customers and bunker where Jackson lives. He is a cultured man who plays the cello with the symphony. Everyone believes he is their friend but he only builds relationships when they have what he wants. He always wears a pistol in a leather holster.
Jonathan Alan Murphy (Male, 40-45): A philosophy professor who focuses on the meaning of life. He has no family and has spent all of his time trying to find true meaning. After twenty years, he is tired and defeated.
(There is a large daily calendar hung on the “wall” that remains throughout the play. After every Blackout, a week of dates are ripped off the calendar by one of the characters and left on the floor in a random pile. This calendar is printed to have the date at the top and a target in the center. Soft light centers on a heavy wooden desk lit by lamplight. Papers and books pile on the desk and floor. JONATHAN ALAN MURPHY sits on a brown leather chair grading papers. Another chair sits on the other side of the desk. He wears thick rimmed black glasses and a brown tweed suit with leather elbow pads. He is tired and frustrated. Rain can be heard through the open window and a breeze ruffles the papers. JACKSON FOX appears at the edge of the stage in a “doorway”, wearing a black suit. He silently watches MURPHY while leaning on the doorway. Beat. FOX pulls out his gun, studying it. He knocks)
MURPHY
(doesn’t look up, distracted, gestures)
Come in.
(FOX walks up to the desk and sits down)
MURPHY
What can I do for you?
FOX
Can you tell me the meaning of life?
MURPHY
(defeated)
I’ve spent years studying, and- Maybe Schopenhauer was right: “We can regard our life as a uselessly disturbing episode in the blissful repose of nothingness.” Maybe I’ll find out when I die.
FOX
(they stare into each other’s eyes for a moment)
Perhaps you’ll find the truth sooner than you think.
(FOX shoots MURPHY point blank through the forehead. MURPHY’S head falls to the desk, blood staining the papers.)
FOX (CONT’D)
“But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns…”
(FOX pulls on latex gloves, removes MURPHY’S glasses, wipes them clean then tucks it in his suit jacket. He bends over MURPHY’S fallen head, whispering)
Sweet dreams, Jonathan Alan Murphy.
(FOX studies him a moment longer, reholsters his gun and walks offstage.)
(Blackout)
(A warehouse. It is modern and simplistic but also in style. He has large collections of both records and guns. The kitchen, phone and record player are stage right. The workbench and living room are stage left. another with records. A glass windowed cabinet holds many small relics. FOX enters, wearing the same clothing as before. He selects a record, dropping the the needle on a Vivaldi piece. He begins “directing” the music with his hands, or mimicking playing a cello as he takes of his coat. He walks to the case, unlocking it with a key, removes the glasses from his suit pocket, wipes them again and situates it between the other pieces [shot glasses, pins, glasses, etc.] MURPHY appears behind him, you can see the bullet hole in his forehead)
MURPHY
(squinting his eyes, batting at invisible spots in front of his eyes)
Hello?
(FOX freezes)
MURPHY (CONT’D)
Hello! Is anyone here?
(FOX slowly turns, eyes widening in shock. MURPHY begins feeling for something solid, walking clumsily towards FOX who rapidly locks the cabinet, dodging MURPHY just in time)
MURPHY (CONT’D)
Where am I?
FOX
(Dramatically panicking silently and moving toward the rotary telephone. Periodically glancing over his shoulder, he rapidly dials a number. Shrilly whispering)
Jean. Jean! Hello? There's a ghost- Yes, a ghost. What's he doing? He's--
(MURPHY smashes a vase)
FOX (CONT’D)
Shit, he just smashed my vase. Yes he's crashing around my house! I don't know! Lock him in the bathroom? Tie him to a post? You want me to tie a ghost to a post?
(Throughout this conversation MURPHY stumbles toward FOX’S voice. FOX continues to dodge, ending up tangled in the phone cable.)
MURPHY
(Rubs his eyes, looks around him, seeing it for the first time and focuses on FOX. He touches the bullet hole)
You...
FOX
Jean! I don’t care. Fine sis, I’ll figure it out myself.
(FOX slams down the receiver)
MURPHY
You killed me.
“But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns…”
Well, I’ve returned. Would you like to tell me why I am not peacefully resting in my grave?
FOX
And why would I know?
MURPHY
You killed me?!
FOX
Well, there is that. Would you like to sit?
(Blackout)
(FOX studies some sheet music, obnoxiously humming or whistling a few classical stanzas)
MURPHY
(he has been talking for several hours already)
Maybe I didn’t fulfill the purpose of my life. Do you think that’s it?
FOX
Hm.
MURPHY
Chakras! Maybe I was too attached to my life… Or my research... Maybe I should have had a relationship, fell in love… Is that it?
FOX
(abruptly stopping his humming)
How have you still not figured this out?
MURPHY
Meaning never had such high stakes. I don’t even know if I’m real anymore.
FOX
Could you take your existential crisis outside?
MURPHY
You’re ignoring me.
FOX
I’m studying my next orchestra piece.
MURPHY
And ignoring me. You’re the one who killed me.
(beat)
Are you always alone?
(gestures at the room)
In this-- This place?
(FOX looks up, locking eyes with MURPHY)
FOX
(breaking eye contact)
Would you stop! Stop asking questions. Stop acting like I’m your friend. It’s not my second chance. I don’t care where you were, or what you did. I just want you gone!
(Blackout)
( FOX cleans a pistol at a workbench. Center MURPHY sits on a chair in front of the target, eating a sandwich and swinging his legs)
MURPHY
How are you not bored? I am so bored.
(Look at FOX. Beat)
Bored.
(Silence. FOX cleans gun with more force)
MURPHY (CONT’D)
Still. Bored.
(FOX turns, shooting ten rounds through MURPHY into the wall. Goes back to cleaning gun)
MURPHY (CONT’D)
What is the meaning of life? There has to be an answer. The one elusive truth.
FOX
(waving his gun)
Just accept the absurd! I’ve spent the past two weeks listening to the various meanings of life and you still don’t know.
MURPHY
Well, what’s your philosophy?
FOX
(sarcastic)
The meaning of life is to be happy and perfect and peaceful and wealthy-
MURPHY
Camus said “You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of.”
FOX
Kafka said it better, “The meaning of life is that it stops.”
(Blackout)
(MURPHY inspects items in the cabinet. FOX enters stage right)
FOX
(noticing MURPHY and rushing to the cabinet)
Don’t touch those! How did you get in?
MURPHY
(turning toward FOX)
The key was in the lock.
(picking up the glasses MURPHY took in Scene 1)
These were mine, weren’t they?
FOX
(frozen a moment)
Yes. Yes, they were.
MURPHY
(coyly)
Good to see they’ve taken a prominent place.
(puts them on)
Ha! I can see better.
(posing)
What do you think?
FOX
(almost shyly)
You look better.
MURPHY
(looking at his reflection in the glass)
I do, don’t I?
(FOX straightens them. MURPHY reaches up and touches FOX’S hand)
FOX
(quickly removing his hand)
There. They were a little crooked.
(crossing to the couch)
Now leave me alone.
(MURPHY looks tenderly at FOX)
FOX
(waving MURPHY off)
Seriously, go!
(Blackout)
FOX
(cooking and yelling offstage)
You like your eggs scrambled right?
MURPHY
(entering stage left, looks like he just got up, reading a book)
Yes. Listen to this. Kurt Vonnegut. “What is the purpose of all this?" man asked politely. "Everything must have a purpose?" asked God. "Certainly," said man. "Then I leave it to you to think of one for all this," said God. And He went away.”
FOX
That’s what I’ve been telling you. What if it’s enough to make your own meaning. What if there is no one answer.
(MURPHY flips through the records, places one on the record player. The Beatles “All You Need is Love” plays)
FOX
Do we have to listen to that?
MURPHY
(coming behind FOX and taking the pistol from his holster)
Yes, because I like it.
FOX
(swats at him with the spatula)
Give it back!
MURPHY
(aims at the target and shoots)
“Life has no meaning.”
(shoot)
“Each of us has meaning and we bring it to life.”
(shoot)
Joseph Campbell said that. Read it last night. I’m getting better! I think I hit the corner.
FOX
(affectionately fixing MURPHY’S stance)
Yes, you are. Just- - Try it like this.
(MURPHY shoots again, missing wildly)
FOX
(putting breakfast on the table)
I found the rest of the Camus quote, “You will never find the meaning of life if you keep looking for it.”
MURPHY
(he stares into FOX'S eyes, almost whispering)
What if meaning is like love. It’s always there, but only when you stop looking will you find it.
(FOX and MURPHY slowly kiss. After a moment, the light goes down on MURPHY, and he walks off stage. When he is no longer on stage, the lights go down)