MOULTING HEART

by
Harris Marcher
Copyright 2009 by Harris Marcher
All rights reserved.
Caution: This play is fully protected, in whole, in part, or in any form under the copyright laws of
the United States of America, the British Empire including the dominion of Canada, and all other
countries of the copyright union, and is subject to royalty. All rights, including professional,
amateur, motion picture, radio, television, recitation, and public reading, are strictly reserved. All
inquiries for performance rights should be addressed to the author, Harris Marcher, at
writerdirector@outlook.com
CHARACTERS:
CHARMER A Man
SNAKE A Woman
HARDY A Man
The play takes place in a market, and an empty room. The market
is represented by four tall baskets, one of which SNAKE dances in.

MOULTING HEART
SCENE ONE
(Lights up on four tall baskets.
CHARMER, dressed in a sash and loin cloth, sits in the
lotus position, playing a flute.
SNAKE, dances seductively in front of him, her lower
body hidden in one of the baskets.
After a moment SNAKE begins to pull out of sync with
the music. CHARMER tries to get her back on track, but
to no avail. He tries switching songs but her rebellion
continues. He blows harder and louder, but still she
dances against the music. CHARMER examines his flute,
holds it up to the light, peers in all the holes and exits
right.
After a moment she whispers toward the off-left.)
SNAKE
Hardy? Hardy.
(HARDY, enters in a business suit.)
HARDY
I want to be nice to you.
SNAKE
Hes gone to get a new flute. Im not sure how long I can keep this up. Hes bound to
get a bigger flute, a better flute, an ornate instrument of melodious and prying vibrations.
HARDY
Let me be nice to you.
SNAKE
Wait. We have to wait. It isnt the time. Im not ready yet. Hurry. Here he comes.
(HARDY hides behind the other three baskets.
CHARMER enters, carrying a bigger and better flute. He
begins to play. After a moment SNAKE starts to give in,
rolling her hips and chest, possessed by the music.
HARDY, unseen by CHARMER, reaches into the first
wicker basket and pulls out a bouquet of flowers. He
shakes them in SNAKEs direction. She notices and
stops dancing.
CHARMER changes his tune and she resumes dancing.
HARDY reaches into the second basket and pulls out a
box of chocolates. He holds them out for SNAKE to see.
She continues dancing.
From the third basket he produces a pistol.
He slowly approaches CHARMER, one step at a time.
SNAKE begins to fight violently against the song.
HARDY cocks the gun and positions it for
CHARMERs execution.
SNAKE stops fast, her eyes on the gun. CHARMER
turns to see whats behind him. HARDY hides the gun
under his coat.
HARDY
(To CHARMER)
Tremendous. Really. Absolutely brilliant.
(HARDY uses his free hand to pull a handful of coins
from his pants pocket. He tosses them to the ground.
2.
CHARMER picks up the coins and hands them back. He
holds up his finger as if to say wait and quickly exits. )
HARDY
You like it. I can see that now. You have no intention of leaving him. Youre bound.
SNAKE
Hes very charming.
(Flute music from off. The most beautiful music so far.
She begins to dance.
HARDY raises the gun in the direction of the music.
CHARMER enters with a small flute, wrapped in skin.
He walks directly into the line of fire and plays for his
life.
HARDYs hand becomes possessed with the song. The
music makes its way up his arm and into his shoulders
and neck. He is progressively overtaken. His own hand,
the one holding the gun, turns until the barrel is pointed
directly at his own face.
The gun presses against HARDYs lips, his mouth
opening to the pressure. HARDYs thumb pulls back the
hammer. SNAKE screams at CHARMER.)
SNAKE
YOURE OUT OF TUNE.
(He stops playing and stares at her.)
SNAKE
Charmer, out of tune. Out of tune, Charmer.
(CHARMER stares at his feet, shamed. She offers her
hand to HARDY and they exit together. Lights down.)
3.
SCENE TWO
(Lights rise on an empty room. HARDY and SNAKE
lay on the floor. He feeds her chocolates.)
HARDY
Its nice to be nice to you.
SNAKE
Its nice to be niced.
He leans in to kiss her. She pulls away slightly.
SNAKE
Its hot in here.
HARDY
Im going to open a window.
(He exits. Sound of a window opening. H re-enters.)
HARDY
Its a beautiful summer night. Clean and clear. The wind whips between the buildings.
Through the alcoves, down the alleyways. Can you feel the breeze? Can you hear it
whispering? What does it say? It says kiss him.
(She sits up to listen, smiles, suddenly frowns. She peers
off-stage in the direction of the window.)
HARDY
What is it? Whats the matter?
SNAKE
My Masters matter. In the wind.
4.
HARDY
Hes not your Master. Hes your past.
SNAKE
The matter is the message and the messenger. Whats the matter with the messenger?
Hes not just a messenger.
HARDY
What is he?
SNAKE
Arms.
(A sudden burst of far off flute music.)
HARDY
Its cold in here. I think Ill close the window.
(He exits right.
Another burst of music begins.
Sound of an off-right window closing.
The music cuts out.
She exits left.
Sound of an off-left door opening.
The music starts up.
She quickly enters and resumes her previous position on
the floor.
HARDY enters.)
5.
HARDY
All better. It should be warmer now.
(The music grows closer.)
Its still a little breezy. We must have left the door open.
(He exits left.
The music grows louder and she begins to dance against
the floor.
The sound of the door slamming.
The music cuts and she collapses.
He re-enters.)
HARDY
Ah, now, where were we? Oh, yes. The chocolates.
SNAKE
Im sick of the chocolates.
HARDY
Sick of the chocolates.
(He drops to one knee and begins to massage her back.
She appears to get into it, her body pushing back
seductively. . .as if dancing.
After a moment she stops and she pulls away.)
HARDY
What is it?
6.
SNAKE
Its no use. Its not working out. I have to go back.
HARDY
You wanted to leave.
SNAKE
The sugar in the chocolates, it picked me up but now its dropped me lower than I was
before I ate them. The song never held me up or pushed me down. The song pushed out
and into me.
(She stands and begins to dance.)
I can still hear him. Even with the room sealed I can hear him. Not his sound but
his...vibrations? Through the floor and up my legs.
HARDY
Ill insulate the floor. Ill hang wire. Ill dangle you from the ceiling.
SNAKE
Through the walls.
HARDY
Bricks. Ill use bricks. Stop it. Cut it out.
(He grabs her and pulls her close, trying to hold her still.
Her dance continues, involuntary, and because hes pulled
her close, it causes her to grind against him.
He pushes her down to the floor, pulls up her skirt and
rips off her panties.)
HARDY
May I?
7.
SNAKE
Arent you?
(He unzips his fly and enters her. She dances under him
as he goes in and out of her.)
HARDY
You love it. You cant get enough of me. Your rescuer. Your saviour. Ive changed you,
helped you evolve. Ive made you respectable. Your own snake. Ive taken you from
the streets, out of your basket. Look how you move under my touch. I am so nice to
you. I am so nice to you. I am so nice to you. I am so-
(He is approaching orgasm.)
Youre enraptured by me. Your body moves in sync with mine.
(He cums and rolls off of her, but she continues to move
in the same motions. He stares.)
HARDY
No, no. Your body moves in sync with mine. Your body moves in sync with mine.
YOUR BODY MOVES IN SYNC WITH MINE.
(CHARMER enters the room, playing the flute wrapped
in skin. HARDY scrambles to his feet.)
Its not true. I saved her from you. Shes mine now. I took her in. I took her into me. I
let her take over. She cried in my arms. In my chest. She told me I had a sweet face. She
touched my teeth.
SNAKE
Dont stop playing.
HARDY
Cut it out.
8.
(He puts his foot on her chest and tries to hold her still
against the floor.)
HARDY
Ill break her ribs. Ill crush her under foot.
SNAKE
Dont stop.
HARDY
Its not you. Its that flute. Its nothing to do with you. Without that flute she
wouldnt give you the time of day.
(CHARMER stops playing and holds the skin flute out
to HARDY, in challenge.
He takes it)
HARDY
What am I supposed to do with this?
PAUSE
(He blows. Its an ugly sound but he continues.
She begins to shake and rock.
He blows harder.
She starts to hyperventilate and finally convulse.)
9.
SNAKE
(At first, seemingly to no one in particular)
It was like this in the beginning. When we first met, when I was very young and he
didnt yet know how to play. He slammed himself onto my body. His music hit me like
an elbow. I begged him not to play. I said if you just stop playing, if you stop, if you
stop we can go on. . .forever. But after awhile he started to improve. He stopped
watching me. His eyes resting on the end of his flute. And we didnt love each other...we
couldnt leave each other. . .we couldnt live without loving. So instead we began to love
the sound between us. Each of us pressing up on opposite sides of the song. In the
beginning it was like this, but this isnt the beginning. Im experience now. Im beyond
the beginning and Im not going to love you. And Hardy, you sound like shit. You sound
like vomit.
(She springs up and grabs the flute from him.)
Be nice to me.
HARDY
Im trying.
SNAKE
Try on your knees.
(He drops to his knees.)
Open your mouth.
(He does.)
Keep it open.
(She inserts the skin flute into his mouth, pushing it deep
into his throat. He gags.)
SNAKE
Thats not a nice sound.
He stops gagging.
10.
SNAKE (TO CHARMER)
Now you. . .. Play.
(CHARMER sits down next to HARDY and blows into
the free end of the flute.
SNAKE grabs the back of HARDYs hair and moves his
head up and down on the instrument. He tries to pull
away. He cant breathe. This arouses him. His hands
claw into the floor.
Finally his body spasms as if cumming, as if dying, and
he falls backward, still, totally unmoving. The music
stops. They stare at HARDY laying there.
She turns to CHARMER.)
SNAKE
Nice. I mean it. Really, really nice.
(He plays.
She stands on HARDYs chest and dances.
The lights fade slowly to black.)
11.