Scene One
Actor dressed as a woman at retirement age is packing pieces from her dresser into a large trunk. As she rummages through a small box she picks up an old fashioned round mirror and gazes into it at her reflection.
The light dims and when it comes back on the Actor appears dressed as a child, with pig tails or a band in her hair. Stands where the old lady stood a moment ago.
As she gazes into the mirror it brings back memories of her childhood. As she smiles and reminisces she begins a conversation with her Mother, whilst looking into the mirror.
' Do you remember when you gave me this mirror, Mum? I was only 10 years old and my best friend Robin was leaving Perth and going to Sydney with her family. I was inconsolable but you held me and hugged me and wiped my tears away. It was all so easy when I was a child, you could wipe away my tears when I was hurt. Just by looking at my face as I’m doing now you knew how to help me even when you could no longer hold me in your arms and kiss away the hurt. Just your simple act of combing my hair gave me a sense of warmth and love and security'.
Twirls her hair with her fingers in child like gesture. Laughs.
'Sometimes I would bounce Matilda my favourite doll on my lap. Until too many baths in the outside loo destroyed her pretty face and hair.
'Do you remember how disappointed I was when I discovered I had grown too big to sit on Daddy’s knee? Just like Diesel our old German Shepherd; he was huge but still thought he could jump up on laps.
As I grew up, even this mirror became too big for me to see your hands and face together. Sometimes I could only see your hands which held the same warmth and security as your face'. Giggles at the pleasant memories.
'But you and I could see each other’s reflection if we held our faces very close to this mirror, couldn’t we?'
Slowly she packs away the mirror as the Light fades
Scene Two (Who am I?)
Actor is now dressed as an adolescent. She sits at a stage mirror flanked with lights at the top. The mirror shows how one changes from one person to another in front of the mirror simply by applying make up. The young woman is afraid to show her real self. If people knew who she really was underneath it could spoil things. She may not be accepted for who she really is.
Oh this mirror was great for masking me. It was really scary out there, meeting guys, being afraid to show the real me. Love seemed very dangerous. Pause
What if I showed the real me and it spoiled things? I might lose Jason the most popular guy in College if I was honest.
I didn’t like the ‘me’ that was revealed in the mirror. Funny how, as I put on my makeup in this mirror, the outside changed from one person to another, just the way I wanted to be on the inside.
I always saw myself as someone else, someone prettier, more intelligent, and nicer. More popular and vivacious. Perks up her boobs and tosses hair back. So I denied you because I didn’t like the image you presented.
Looks deeply into the mirror.
I lost myself somewhere along the way but when I came to you, I could make myself the way I wanted to be.
Pauses. Takes a piece of paper from the dresser. It is a poem.
Oh I remember writing this.
AN UNPOEM
I'm wearing a mask and I play to the crowds
in their adulation I bask.
The more they laugh, the more I'm inspired
to be who they want me to be.
Would the crowd still love me, if they could see inside my head
see the fear, the lonely child within
who was once so dear.
On the outside the light shines brighter
while inside it grows darker
until in the midst of the crowd’s sighs
the real me
dies.
Turns mirror or switches off the lights. Walks away, shaking her head as light fades,
Scene Three
This time when the Spotlight is turned on the actor is dressed a little older, she is now a Mum. She rummages through her handbag which is sitting on the Dresser. She comes across the lipstick mirror she has used since she was a wife and mother.
She remembers smacking her lipstick on. Sometimes the smack was a determined one, sometimes fearful, angry, sad or concerned.
She holds up the lipstick mirror and peers in to it smiling. She talks at times to the mirror and at other times looks out at the audience.
Oh hello you. You were such a little lifesaver! All I could see in you were my lips as I smacked them together. You didn’t show me the lines marching across my forehead and taking up residency, or the grey hairs that were infiltrating and taking over my blonde locks, not to mention my chin.
All you did was show me whether the lipstick I had applied was smudged or not.
Pauses, touches up her lips with lipstick and smacks her lips together, wiping the corners of her lips and checking her teeth.
You were such a handy little mirror. I remember the day I desperately needed to look beautiful. Peter my husband had asked me to come to his office and bring him a file he had left behind. As usual I left in a rush after depositing the kids at school. I was determined I was going to look good. Sally his secretary was just so damned gorgeous with all that hair and a beauty spot- false of course- She adds disdainfully.
Not that a mere man would notice, all they see is that gorgeous young face and that red lipstick. Oh, and not to mention those two pert boobs she had. I applied a new bright red lipstick that day and smacked my lips in a sultry, ‘look out Sally’ kinda way. Peter is MINE. Looking at my lips in this mirror, I felt so confident.
Turns the mirror around and back again.
I loved being a mother. Well most of the time anyway. I remember the day I was called to the Principal’s Office because one of the kids was in trouble. Should I side with my child who I knew could do no wrong or agree with the principal, ‘yes he needed a bit more discipline from his father’. I was so nervous, wonder why it is that even as adults Teachers and Principals can put the fear of God in us. Then I remembered my mother’s words, ‘always put you’re lippy on, then you are prepared to face the world’. I put it on with a determined ‘smack’ and yep I felt as if I could take on the entire Education Department.
Pauses, then looks embarrassed. Looks out at the audience as she remembers.
Then there was that time I looked in the mirror with a sultry pouty smack as I pasted on that violet lipstick. Throws head back then gives a sultry pout in the mirror.
I knew exactly how to do it. After all, I practiced and practiced the smack in this very mirror. I planned a romantic, sexy evening with Peter. I’d packed the kids off to their grandparents and filled the fridge with tasty nibbles and lots of wine. When he came to the front door from work, there I stood in my sexy suspenders and my hired French maid’s costume mouthing the words Hi sexy are you up for a good time tonight?
Oh the look on his face! He went bright red, then a kinda ‘whiter shade of pale’. AND standing right behind him was his boss. What an embarrassment, I thought I’d never live that little disaster down.
Pause
One day I put on my brightest ever lipstick and smacked my lips together twice for good luck. I was going to the Doc for one of those horrible female checkups. Of course he wasn’t looking anywhere near my face at the time. But I felt dressed. I was wearing my bright ‘smart looking faced woman’ lipstick.’
Pause, looks sad. Looks deeply into the mirror and begins speaking in to it.
Do you remember the day I put on my lipstick and smudged it? I was going to Dad’s funeral and I couldn’t hold back the tears. Not even the old familiar act of putting on lippy helped me that day.
Has a final loving memory and looks at the audience.
Most days I had to have that lippy just right. But not with my children and grandchildren. When they gave me their sticky kisses it could be as smudged as it liked. I returned them wholeheartedly, or I blew bubbles on their tummies.
(Woman is smiling and gazing into the mirror, caught up in her memories as the light fades).
Scene 4
The actor is an older woman and is dressed as she was at the beginning of the play. She has almost finished packing.
When the spot light is turned on her she is standing in front of a full length mirror. She looks into the mirror and starts to speak to herself.
Well old girl, we have come full circle. What have we learned in this journey called life?
Its winter now and the winter of your life. Just as the snow buries everything its time to bury your past and all the baggage you’ve carried. The only baggage you need now is your suitcase and a few precious old friends for your new home at the SUNSHINE AND SMILES Retirement Village. Leans over and touches the Trunk.
Smiles into the mirror
This is the last time I will stand in this house and see myself this way. Peers closer into the mirror. Hmm, and is that my mother I see looking back at me?
Looks closer into the full length mirror and smiles. Has a sip of champagne.
Look at how your body has changed. Hmm, I remember the fantastic feeling of having a cleavage during my pregnancies which was never there when I wasn’t pregnant. Shame I had the bump though, just when I could take advantage and show off this sexy cleavage.
Oh and then later those hot flushes, they were the pits. I felt as if I had an inbuilt furnace. Laughs out loud. I was babysitting when I had the first one. I thought the weather was changing and getting hot and cold. The poor baby, I kept taking off her blanket and covering her up again. (Rolls eyes, shakes head.)
Takes another sip of champagne.
Examines her body in the Mirror.
Touches her tummy. Hmm, when did you appear? Raises her arms to adjust her hair with hands. Then sees the loose flesh under her arms.
This jelly on my arms wasn’t invited, but there isn’t much I can do about it now. Still you don’t have to keep wobbling every time I lift my arms, do you?
And when exactly was it my boobs started wandering down toward my stomach.
Never mind at least I can’t see my sagging behind.
Adjusts her bra straps, pushes boobs up with her cupped hands
Ah well, this is just me on the outside.
Finishes off the glass of champagne and toasts herself
Here is to my ‘best me’ and a new chapter with different experiences. From here on in we are going to free fall and not waste a moment of this gift called Life.
Puts on her hat, picks up her handbag, and straightens up. Has one last look in the mirror.
All masks are off, I love you my friend, you know everything, don’t you? All my little secrets and foibles. You know about all my little catastrophes, but along the way there was love and laughter. And you know we have made it in a most glorious way.
End. Curtain Falls
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