A Bad Haircut

Characters:

·         Irena (main character, daughter of Damen)

·         Damen (barber, father Irena)

·         Corydon (announcer)

·         Socrates (philosopher)

·         Old Man (tells news of great loss to the Spartans)

·         Athenian 1

·         Athenian 2

·         Athenian 3

Scene: Camera closes in on a girl sitting on a stool with a black background. Her name is Irena. She is dressed in Athenian clothing, and she is sobbing. You can tell that she has been through a lot of sorrow, and she looks years older than she really is.  She looks up to see the camera, and begins to wipe her eyes.

Irena: I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Excuse me for acting like this; it’s just that my homeland has recently suffered a great loss. The Spartans- well, they’ve taken everything from us. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Athens losing so much in so little time.

Scene: The streets of Athens; many people bustling around, trying to get to where they need to be. The camera is focused on the path of a girl who looks like Irena, only happier and much younger. The frame freezes, and Irena begins a voiceover.

Irena: See that girl? That’s me. It was only about a year ago, when all of this was starting. I’m headed down to the shore, where my father’s barber shop is located. I get to go there and help him clean out the shop every afternoon before closing. I was running a little late today, and ended up running into the square just as an announcement was being made.

Scene: Frame resumes. Irena gets caught in a large crowd that is forming a circle around one man, who is holding a piece of paper in his hands. People are shouting over one another, trying to guess what the news might be.

Athenian 1: What is it, Corydon?

Athenian 2: Yeah, what’s going on? Is this about the thieves that have been going through the shops lately?

Athenian 3: No, you ape! It’s got to be about Sparta. Pericles has been talking about the Spartans for weeks!

Corydon, a jittery man with lots of nerves in front of large crowds, clears his throat and raises the paper in his shaking hands.

Corydon: P-p-precisely, Dard. (begins to shout) Excuse me! Excuse me! Here here! Percilies has come to a decision about our conflict with Sparta! All men who are warriors in the Athenian military are to report to their base tonight, as our fleet of ships leave at dawn! Your preparation is over, men! Rest well tonight, for tomorrow, we dominate!

Murmurs begin to spread through the crowd like wildfire. One man in the back clears his throat. All focus changes to him.

Socrates:  I don’t believe this is the right choice. Isn’t there any way to make peace between us and Sparta, without killing off so many of our men?

Athenian 1: Who says we’re going to kill off a bunch of our men! We can handle the Spartans!

Socrates: Is that so? How do we know this?

Corydon: Enough! Pericles has spoken! Men, get prepare yourselves!

Scene: Camera focuses in on Irena once again, as she begins to move again. Though she still moves through the crowd fairly cheerfully, there is now a worried look on her face.

Irena: (shoving her way through the crowd) Excuse me. Pardon me. I have to get through, my father is expecting me! (she pushes with more force, and finally she is free from the crowd. Camera fades as it shows Irena running away, towards the setting sun that leads its way onto the shore.)

Scene: Damen’s barber shop- there are blades hanging on the walls, and a few chairs lined up under the blades. Damen takes out a broom and begins to sweep hair from the floor of the tiny shack out the door. Irena hurries in and nearly runs into Damen.

Damen: Irena! You gave me a scare. Why are you late?

Irena: (takes broom from Damen) Sorry, father. There was announcement in the square today, and I couldn’t get through the crowd. (begins sweeping, picking up where Damen left off)

Damen: Well, out with it, girl. What was the announcement? (walks over to table, picks up cloth and takes a blade off the wall. Irena begins to speak as he cleans the blade.)

Irena: Pericles has decided to send the warriors off into Spartan territory for an attack. I’m most certain that our Navy can handle it, but I’m worried for Adelphos.

Damen: (puts blade on table with a *bang*) What’s there to be worried for? Adelphos is a brilliant fighter! And very young and healthy! Your brother will be a hero! Our family name will go down in history!

Irena: (begins to mouth the last scentence of Damen’s response) Father, I know. You’ve told me this many times. But I still worry for him. Sometimes heros have to die to become famous.

Damen: Then die, he will. But with honor. And that is what matters.

Irena: I suppose so, father…. (continues sweeping as scene fades out)

Scene: We are brought back to the more somber Irena. She has a distant look on her face, and she continues her story.

Irena: Athens was sure, at that point, that we were going to conquer the Spartans. We had a strong Navy, clever men, and powerful generals. Because they were waiting for us along the shores, the plan was that our men go around from the South, and sneak up on the Spartans from behind. We were getting news about once a week saying that our men were getting closer and closer to land. But after they had reached the area of the battle, the news stopped. We heard nothing for almost a year. But we all just assumed the battle was taking longer than expected, and our men would be home soon. Until, that is, that fateful day in my father’s shop. (camera scene begins to change, but Irena’s voiceover keeps going) It was a busy day, so I was allowed to stay in the shop all day and clean up as my father was going. When the last customer of the day came in, I was very tired.

Scene: Damen’s shop again. Around the same time as before, this time, I rena is crouched in the corner, and an old man is on one of the seats, pulled away from the wall. Damen is behind him, holding his hair up to a blade, beginning to trim it.

Damen: If you don’t mind me asking, sir, where are you from?

Old Man: I’m a traveller. I was born in Athens, but I’ve been moving around since I was about 15.  I do enjoy the nomadic life.

Irena: (jumps up) Oh, that seems so exciting! Do you have any stories to tell? What kind of-

Damen: (frustrated) Irena! Girls are only to speak when spoken to! Now sit back down and do not bother this man.

Old Man: No, it’s quite alright. There is something I witnessed recently that someone ought to know about. It was just so tragic.

Damen: (puts down blade, picks up new one) Tragic? Go on, if you please?

Old Man: Oh, it was just terrible. I met with the general of a Navy, over near the Spartan territory. He said he was one of the only ones from his fleet left. Apparently they had gone over to attack Sparta by surprise. But the men kept arguing on their way over to the territory, so there was never clear direction. Worse than that, someone had betrayed them, and the Spartans had found out about the sneak attack. So not only were they unclear about what they were to do, but the Spartans were already waiting for their attack. Many of the men ended up just drowning on their way off the ship, and anyone who didn’t drown was killed in battle, no contest. This general, he said he’s one of about 50 left. They’re going to head back to their homeland soon, but they don’t expect a very warm welcome.

Damen drops his blade and falls backward. Irena screams and runs to her father.

Scene: Back to Irena. She is crying again, and this time, she doesn’t try to hide it.

Irena: We found when the 50 men came back that Adelphos had been one of the men to drown on his way off of the ship. I will never see my brother again, and now the Spartans are after us. I don’t know much of what’s going to happen next, but I fear that our future as a community is quite bleak.