Ohio Impromptu Manuscript

8/13/2019 Ohio Impromptu Manuscript

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Appendix

Ohio ImpromptuH olograph , Typescripts, andProduction Script


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Transcription of theOhio Impromptu Holograph

EDITORS' NOTE. Bracketed words and phrases indicate deletions by S.B.; a blank space enclosed in parentheses withinbrackets indicates an indecipherable deletion.

[VERSO OF LEAF l]I am out on leave. Thrown out on leave.Back to time, they said, for 24 hours.Oh my God, I said, not that.Slip [into] on this shrou d, they said, lest you catch you r deathof cold again.Certainly not, I said.This cap, they said, for your [death's-head] skull.Definitely not, I said.The New World outlet, they said, in the State of Ohio. We

cannot be more precise.Pause.Proceed straight to [Lima] the nearest campus, they said, andaddress them.[Address] whom? I said.The students, they said, and professors.Oh my God, I said, not that.Do no t overstay your leave, they said, if you d o not wish it tobe extended.


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Pause.What am I to say? I said.Beyourself, the y said, [you're ( )] stay yourself.Myself? I said. What are you insinuating?[Yourself before, they said.]Pause.[And after.][Pause.][Not during? I said.]

[LEAVES 1-3]Little remains to be told.In a final effort toKnock.Little remains to be told.Pause & knockIn a [final] last effort to obtain relief he moved from (thehouse) where they had [lived] been so long [together alone]alone together to a small furnished room on the [right] otherba nk . From its single w indow he could just see the dow nstreamextrem ity of the Island of Sw ans [where as a young man he hadsauntered dreaming] wandered [dreaming of things to come.][Pause. Sip][Little remains to be told.][In its extrem e em ptin ess and ] Relief he[Knock][Little remains to be told.][Pause. Knock.][In its extreme unfamiliarity (strangeness) the room heldsome hope of help. The narrow bed. Small table. Two? chairs.No books. No pictures. Nothing ever shared.]Relief he had hoped wd. flow from [the strange] unfamiliarity . Unfamiliar roo m . Unfamiliar scene , [neighborhood] To goou t to whe re noth ing ever shared . To come back to wh ere nothing ever shared. From this he had once half hoped some smallmeasure of relief might [would] flow.Pause. Sip.

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[[Just one last event, incredible as that may seem, and its[consequences] outcome. It happened thus. One moonlit nightas [( )] in his [vain] [search of] [for] vain quest of calm he[walked] roamed the streets, in his long black coat and oldworld Latin Quarter hat, he heard himself hailed by name. Hew h o since his flight [( )] ha d gone his ways un kn ow n. Heturned to face the intruder. A small old man. Long white hair.Ravaged face. W retchedly attired. [( )] In the long lookexchanged slowly a name: White. See appendix 4.(Turns pagesforward to ap. 4) White:]]One night as he sat trembling head in hands from head tofoot a m an app eare d to him a nd said, I have been sent byandhere he named the dear nameto read to you. Drawing then avo l. from [his long black] the pocket of his long black coat he satand read till [morning light] dawn. Then [went] disappearedwithout a word.Some time later he reappeared [again] with the same volumeas before this time without preamble sat and read [the] itthrough the long night through. Then [went] disappearedwithout a word.So from tim e to time un hera lded he would ap pear to read theold tale through&night away, th en disappear withou t a word.Till the night cam e wh en hav ing [ended] closed the book and[daylight] daw n at ha nd [( )] he did not disappea r without a word but sat on a little while [in silence] without a word.Finally he said, I have had word fromand here he named thedear name[not to come again] that I am not to come again. Isaw the dea r face & hea rd the uns po ken w ord s, No need to goto him again, even were it in your power.

PauseNothingKnockI saw the de ar face & heard the unsp ok en w ord s, No need togo to him again, even were it in your power.Pause. KnockNothing remains to be told.

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Pause. PauseLook Closes boo k.Curtain PauseSimultaneously they [( )right] lower their right hands totable, raise their heads and lookat each other. Expressionless.Five seconds.Fade out.L: ListenerR: ReaderAs alike in appearance as possible,Light on table mid-stage. Rest of stage in darkness.Plain white deal table say 8' x 4'. Two plain armless whitedeal chairs.L seated facing [audience] front towards [with audienceright] end [end (his left)] of long side audience right. Bowed

head [resting] propped on right hand, face invisible, [Longblack coa t. ( )] Left hand on table. Long black coat. Longgrey hair.R seated in profile short side audience right, bowed head[resting] propped on right hand, left hand on table, book ontable before him open at last pages. Long black coat. Long greyhair.Fade out on table.PauseR. turns page.Pause[So a last time the sad tale unwound]So the sad tale a last time told They sat on as though turnedto sto ne . Th roug h the single w ind ow da w n gave no light. From

the streets no sound of toil renewed. Or was it that buried inwho knows what thoughts they gave no heed? To light ofdawn. Sound of renewing toil [renewed]. Who knows whatthoughts. [Thoughts?] No, not thoughts. [No.] Profounds ofm ind. Buried in who k now s w hat profoun ds of m ind. Of mindlessness. Whither no light can reach. No sound. So sat on. Asthough turned to stone. The sad tale a last time told.195


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PauseNothing remains to tell.Pause.R [closes book] makes to close book.Knock, Book halfclosed.Nothing remains to tell.R closes bookPause. Knock.Silence. 5 .Simultaneously etc.

[SIGNED:]Samuel Beckett

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L = L i s t en e r .R = ReaderAs a l i ke in appearance as p os si bl e .Liffot on table midstape. Rest of stare in darkness.Pla in whi te deal tab le say 8 ' i 4 ' .Two pla in arm less white *i deal ch a ir s .L se ate d fa ci n r fro nt towards end of long* s id e audie nce r i ^ h t . Bowed head proppedor r i r v t hand. Face in v is ib le . L eft hand on ta b le . Lon bit ' ck co at . Lon prey h a i r .R seated In p ro fi le ce nt re of sho rt si de audien ce ri ^ h t . Bowed h ai r propped onr i . t i t hand. Lef t hard on table , i took on table be fo re him open flx.last p ar ey .Lon^ black cont. Lonf: f^rey h a i r .Fadeup on table.Pause .H turn s parre.Pause .( reading) . Li t t le remains to tXKit tW. In a l a s t - (L k no cks^o n t a b l e . ) L i t t l eremains to htS fck i . ^P au se . Knock. ) In a I E S J attem pt to oia,in r e l i e f he moved

SK a ninnTTT TiiiSbiiS iw*\ room onrom where they had #SK5f so lo nr alon e tog etl er tothe ot ^e r bank. From it s si n g le window he could j u s t se e the downstream ex tre m ityof the 41 Isle of Swans. (Pause.) Relief he had hoped would flow from unfamiliari ty.Un familiar room. Un familiar sc en e. To go ou f. to where nothing ever shared. Tocome back to where no th in g ev er s h ar ed . From t h i s he had once h lf hoped somea_L-l me asure of r e l i e f m iftit flo w .Pause .''*nt rv/ , hf " T to he seen slowly pacing t v e i s l a n d ^ I n h i s lor.f- Mack coatj,M / n o u U t e w -at th e tem pe rat ure ar>d old world La tin Q ua rte r h a t . At the t i p/ he woCT? jf "" /-T ?*i iic^y r>" '" r r " r i i r - s t resm . How in joyous eddies i t s twoarAs conflowed and flowed united on. Then turn and his slow steps retrace.Pause .In his dreams Knock.Then turn and h is slov.' ste ps r e tr a c e .Pause. Knock.In h is dreams he had been warned ag ain st th is ch anf e. Seen the de ar X ac e andheard the unspoken < words, 1 t i ? v * ^ ^ ^ * ^ ^ t ^ ^ ^^*%comfort you. (

Couldhenot now turn back? Acknowledge his error and return to where thay.b j ^ S p R i s p l m E alone tog eth er . Alore togeth er so mu chs hare d. ho. Whathe '? nd dore^could n ot be undone, l .othi nr he had ever d on ec ou ld ever be undone.By h i ^

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1'aure./ i t was tin t hi s ex t remi ty h is o ld terror of r . i , r t la id hold en him afain.After so lor..- a jiapse tht as if never beer.. 'Pause. Looks c lo s e r .) Yen,after BO lor.- 8 It'.pse th a t as if nev er Ve er. Low with redou bled for ce t\efea rfu l symptoms desc ribed at len gth pa^e for ty para rraph our. (Ctartr: toturr rack tbe pares, 'tjjffcel Y JVCi' '*' ' "" lj- HesCT^Tte^SrW pare.)h ite n i ' i i ts ar;ain h in 'T o t. .-.s when hi s hea rt was TOUTL . !.o s le ep no hr avir. fr leep t i l l /dawn o ' dsv . *' ~Pause .Little remainsto . One r.i. h t Knock.Li t t le r emains to beboM.Pause. Knock.Or.e n i ht as he sa t tr em bl in g head in ha rd s from head to f oo t a man appearedto him ard said, I have beer, sert by - and here he named the dear r.ane - toread to you. ?her. drawing a volume from the pocket of his long black coat hesa t and read t i l l dawn. Then disa ppe ared with out a word." t h i s time with out preamble sa t andGome time l a t e r he rea pp ear ed a t the same hou r with the same volume and /rea di t throu{r.Ttne lone n i ^ i t thro ugh . Then disapp eared without a word.Pause ..!o frora time to time unheralded he would appear to read the sad tale through.and/hif-htAiway, "Jher. disa pp ear witho ut a word.Pause .W i l T i e ni;-ht e^wher. ha vin f closed the book and dawn at hand he 'd id notd isappear buy sa tJo n jaw hi le wi thout a word . Final ly he sa id, I b ve had wordfrom - ar.^ he re We nruaod the d ea r name - th at I s h a l l no t coire a oin. I sawth e de ar face and heard the unspoken word s, !*o need to go to hjja a ^a in , evenwere i t in your power-Pause .

irxzkxKi ock.Gaw th e de ar fr ee and he ard the unspoken wo rds, ?.o r.eed to ro to him a{'aTn, evenwere it in your power.Pause. Knock.I.o'hir. rem airs toH CI>6.R" kaaK boy-:.Simul tM'.esouly V cy lower their- rii;h t hnrd s to itVIe f raire t 'reir heads arid looka t ep.'-Y o^y pr , /!. xp reunio n I ^ss.r rde out .

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= Listener.R = Reader.As alike in appearance as possible.Lifiht on table midstare. Rest of s tage in darkness .Plain white deal table say 8 ' x 4 ' .Two pla in armle ss white deal ch ai rs .L seated a t ta bl e fac ing fro nt towards end of long s id e audiencer i g h t . Bowed head propped on ri g h t han d. Face hi dd en . L eft handor. ta b le . Long Hac k co at . LonK gray ha i r . v v ki ' f t>

centre / R seated a t tab le in pr of i le m dm /o f shor t s ide audience r i g h t .Bowed head propped on ri ff tt ha nd . Le ft hand on ta b l e . Book onta bl e before him open at tlwgd l a s t pae eT Lo nr black co at . Longh a i r .Fade up an t a t t c .'fen seconds.R turn s pape .

(readin,?). L i t t l e remains to te l l . In a la s t - (L knocks wi th le f thCTid on ta b le .) L i t t l e tM& & to t e l l . (Pause. Knock.) In a la s tattempt to obtain relief he moved from where they had been so longalone toge the r to a s in gl e room on the fa r bsnk. Froo i t s s in gl ewindow he could ju s t see the downstream ex tre m ity of th e I s l e ofSwans. {Pause.) R eli ef he had hoped would flow from u n fa m il ia ri ty .Un fam iliar room. Unfa miliar sc en e. Out to where no thin g ever sh ar ed .Back to where nothing ever shared. From this he had once half hopedsome mea sure of r e l i e f migfrt flow .Pause.Dailyhe could be seen slowly pacing the isleu Hour after hour. Inhis lon^ black coataano matter what the weather and old worldLatinQuarterhat. At the tip he would always pause to dwell on the recedingstream. How in joyous eddies its two arms conflowed and flowed unitedo Then turn and his slow steps retrace.

In his dreams Knock.Then turn and bis slow steps retrace.Pause. Knock.In his dreams he had been warned against this change. Seen the dearface and heard the unspoken words. S tay where we were so lon alo netor ret he r, my shade w il l comfort yo u.

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Pause.Could he not Knock.Seen the dear face and heard the unspoken words, Stay where we wereso long alone together, my shade will comfort you.Pause. Knock.Could he not now turn back? Acknowledge his error and return to wherethey were once so long alone to g et he r . Alone to ge the r so Auch sh are d.No. Vfliat he had done alone could not be undone. Kothing he had everdone alone could ev er be undone. 3y h ia al on e.

In this extremity his old terror of night laid hold on him again. Afterso long a lapse that as if never been. (Pause. Looks closer.) Yes, afterso long a lapse that as if never been. Now with redoubled force the fearfulsymptoms described at length page forty paragraph four, (starts to turnback the pages. Checked by L's left hand. Resumes relinquished pageTTWhite nights now again his portion. As when his heart was young. Ivo sleepno braving sleep till - (turns pare) - dawn o~ day.Pause. ,L i t t l e rem ains to t e l l . One n igh t Knock. ,Little remains totell.Pause. Knock.One n i^ h t a s he sa t tre m bl in g head in hands from head to fo ot a manappeared to him and sa id , I have been sen t by - and h er e he named the de arr;ame - to read to you. Then drawing a worn volume from the pocket ofh is long black coat he sa t and read t i l dawn. Then disapp eared withouta word.Pause .Some time l a j e r he reap pe are d at th e same hou r with th e same volumeand th is time witho ut preamble sa t and read i t through a,r-ain the longnight through. Then disappeared without a word.Pause .So from time to time unheralded he would appear to read the sad talethrougha;ain and the lonrBightaway. Then disappear without a word.Paur.e.With never a word exchanged they grew to be as one/soull

T i l l the ni g h t came a t l a s t when ha vin g clo sed the book and dawr. athand he did not disappear but sat on aM without a word. Finally

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he said, I have hadword from - andhere he named the dear name - thatI shall not come a^ain. I saw th e dear face andheard the unspoken words,Io need to go to hijn again, even were i in your power.Pause.So the sad Knock.Saw the dear face again andheard theunspoken words, Koneed to go tohim again, even were i in your power.P^use. Knock.

the sad talealast time told they saton asthou;~h turnedto3tone.Through th e s ingle window dawn shed no l i # i t . iTom the s t ree t no sound

,Vi"" * ' * f renWinc^toTt". Or was i t that buried in 1*10knows what thou


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OHIO MP1OMPTO

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L = Listener.R = Reader.As alike in appearance as possible.Light on table midstage. Rest of stage in darkness.Flain wiite deal table say 8' x 4'.Two plain armless white deal chaira.L seated at table facing front towards end of long aide audienceright. Bowed head propped on right hand. Face hidden. Left hand ontable. Lon^ black coat. Long white hair.R seated at table in profile centre of short side audience right.Bowed head propped on right hand. Left hand on table. Book on tablebefore him or>en at last pages. Long black coat. Long white hair."lack wide-brimmed hat at centre of table.

Pause.R (reading).Little is left totell.In a last

L knocks with left hand on table.Little la left totell.Pause.Knock.In a last attempt to obtain relief he moved from where they had beenso long together to a single room on the far bank. From its pin,;levindow he could see the downstream extremity of the Isle of Swans.

Relief he had hoped would flow from unfamiliarity. Unfamiliar room.Unfamiliar scene. Out to where nothing ever shared. Back to wherenothing ever shared. From this he had once half hoped some measure

. U: / of relief wo/irf flow.Pause.Day after day he could be seen slowly pacing the islet. Hour afterhour. In his Ion" black coat no matter what the weather and old worldLatin Quarter hat. At the tip he would always pause to dwell on thereceding stream. How in joyous eddies its two arms conflowed and flowedunited on. Tien turn and his slow steps retrace.Pause.In his dreams Knock.Then turn and his slow steps retrace.

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Pause.Knock.In hip dreams he had teen warned against this chance. Seen the dearface ar.d heard the unspoken words. Stay where we were so long alonetogether, my shade will comfort you.Pause.Could he not Knock.Seen the dear face and heard the unspoken words, Stay where we were solong alone together, ray shade will comfort you.Pause.Knock.Could he not now turn back? Acknowledge his error and return to wherethey were once soIon?-alone together. Alone together so much shared.No.What he had done alone could not be undone. Nothing- he had ever donealor.e could ever be undone. By him alone.Pause.

hold / In this extremity his old terror of nifht laid/taii on him again.After S T long a lapse that as if never been. (Pause. Looks closer.)Yea,after soIon?:a lanse that as if never been. Now with redoubledforce the fearful symptoms described at length page forty oaragraDh four,(starts to turn back the pages. Checked by L's left hand. Resumes relinquished page.) '.'toite ni-hts now again his portion. As when his heartwas young. No sleep no bravin-~ sleep till - (turns page) - dawn of day.Pause.Little is left totell.One ni


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With neveraword exchange! they ,"rewtobe as one.

Till the nieht cameatlast when having closed the book and dawnathand he did not disappear but satonwithoutaword.

Finally he said,Ihave had word from-and herehenamed the dear u n i iname-thatIshall not come again.Isaw the dear face and heardtheunspoken words, :!o needto go tohim again, even wereit inyour power.

So the sadKnock.Saw the dear face m and heard the unspoken words.Noneedto go tohim again, even wereit inyour power.Pause. Knock.So the sad talealast time told they satonas though turnedtostone.Through the single window dawn shednolight. From the streetnosoundof reawakening. Or wasitthat buriedinwho knows what thoughts theypaidnoneed?Tolip+itofday.Tosoundofreawakening. What thoughtswho knows. Thoughts, no,notthoughts. Profounds of mind. Buriedinwhoknows what profounds of mind.Ofmindlessness. Whither no lirtit can reach.Ko sound.Sosatonas though turnedtostone. The sad talealast timetold.Pause.nothing is lefttotell.Pause.Rmakestoclose book.Knock. Book half closed.nothing is lefttotell.Pause.Rcloses book.Knock.Silence. Five seconds.Simultaneenly they lower their right hands to table, raise their headsand look at each other. Unblinking. Expressionless.Ten seconds.Fade out.

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Ohio Impromptu Manuscript

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