The Bell of Time

 

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The Bell of Time

Drama in Sardinian language in three acts

Translated into English by Ignazio Salvatore Basile

 

 

Characters and Interpreters

Two women

Two lovers

Two shepherds

The rioters

The soldiers

Spike Corner (famous speaker)

Other speakers

Mother and son

Four girls

Various poor people (men, women and children)

Other People

PLOT

 

In a town in central Sardinia a mysterious bell dominates the population by terror. But a group of young people decide to rebel against this dictatorship. Thus the bell is destroyed and broken into a thousand pieces. However, the young rioters set up a police regime that turns out to be worse than the previous one. In the third act, instead of the bell, an amusement park is visible that attracts especially young people. But it is not said that this is the best world that the elderly dreamed of,  at the time of the terrible bell.

Act One

First scene

In the background of the scene there is a huge iron gray bell surrounded by barbed wire. Numerous signs, although not readable by all the public, indicate the ban on entry beyond barbed wire. A path runs along the barbed wire. Two lovers are embraced at the bottom of the path. On both sides of the scene there are two doors: the one to the right gives access to the scene; the other serves the exit from the scene, on the left; on the left a small table with four chairs. Two women are walking in the path, in the opposite direction of  the young lovers, when the scene begins.

 

First woman (making the sign of the Cross)

- Let us make the Cross, for  we are passing in a holy place or in a place of demons!

Second woman (she also makes the Cross and looks towards the bell, gesturing to stop)

- What is it, mistress?

First woman (pulling her forward,  without deliberately looking towards the bell, but seeing the two lovers behind them)

-Don't stop, please. Come with me!

Exeunt

 

Second scene

(The two lovers. She brings him towards the center of the scene, trying to get as far away from the fence as possible)

 

Irene (taking him away, towards the center of the scene)

- But Carlo, why  have you brought me right here?

Carlo (trying to embrace her)

- Here or elsewhere, what does it matter? As long as we are alone ...

Irene (shivering)

- Let's go, please! I'm scared. This place inspires me terror ... (still shivering)

 

Carlo (like before,  in a resentful tone, feeling like a rejected lover)

- Come on, don't be silly. We haven't seen each other all week through and now you're messing around  with these stories here ...

Irene

- Don't take it up! What I’ve  heard about this damned bell makes me feel really  afraid of it!

Carlo (with a certain grit)

- All bullshit! Ignorance, superstitions!

Irene

- But do you know who brought the bell here? Or has it always been there?

Carlo

- Bah, I've always known it right there! But my father says they  have found it there, suddenly, like falling from the sky!

Irene (pointing the bell)

- You can see I'm right, then! It has something sinister and mysterious ... But do any people live inside there?

Carlo

- They say don’t, but I think there is someone inside. Otherwise it  wouldn’t  be fenced with barbed wire and signed "Do not cross" everywhere.

Irene

- But is it  true that anyone who trespass the barbed wire goes crazy. Crazy and deaf to both ears?

Carlo

- But don’t be silly! Do you want to see that I jump over right now?

Irene (starting to tremble, in a pleading tone)

- God watch you! Let's go away, please. I'm scared.

They go out

Third scene

(Two men in working  clothes come out of the door that leads onto the scene and set off on the path)

 

First man

- Year of hunger, this year, my friend! Really bad!

Second Man

- Shut up, mate, please!

First Man (pointing to the land beyond the bell fence)

- At least they would give us the land of the bell; that is beautiful land. You know how many sheep we would feed there!

 

Second Man (with restrained voice and looking around circumspectly)

- Shut up, please! If anyone hears our speech, we might be in trouble! Don’t  you know that it is very dangerous? (Lowering his voice even more) They say that if there were no bell, at this time, we would be even more starving than ever.

First Man (even lowering his voice and going to the opposite door from which they entered)

- They are all stupid, believe me. It’s balderdash spread by Government to cheat the ignorant poor like us. Instead I tell you that ...

  

Scene Four

(Irene and her mom)

Irene

- Mom, yesterday I was here at the Bell with Carlo!

First woman

- But my daughter, are you crazy? But how many times have I told you that you don't have to come here for any reason?

Irene

- Ugh! But why? I want to know why?

First Woman

- How many things do you want to know! The reason is that it's dangerous here!

Irene

- Ehia, I understand! But for what reason is it dangerous?

First Woman

-        My daughter! What do you want mom to know about it! But for God’ sake, don't approach this cursed place! (lowering the voice) It is a place of demons! (She makes the Sign of the Cross)

Irene (frightened but curious)

- Is it true that so many people have gone mad?

First Woman (l.b.)

- Of course it's true! There are people who have no longer returned, people who have got  mad and people who have been found dead, frightened to death on the spot! (An increasingly loud bell is heard) Quickly, my daughter! Put your ear plugs on.

(they will put on the caps they have tied around their neck like acoustic headphones for music and they will quickly leave the scene)

 

 

Fifth scene

(four young people, just entered the scene, will take their place at the table)

First young person (like speaking to an imaginary assembly, while the other three young people will remain in the shadows)

- That's enough, comrades! (He will beat his fist on the table) This way  we can no longer continue! (he will pick up a sheet and read it aloud) "In the last twenty years we have had:  fifteen dead, found near the bell and other ten found dead inside the fence. Thirty deaf men, and countless  affected by nervous breakdown! The Bell must be removed from our bid! We  can't continue going this way!

Second young man (coming out of the light)

- But how are we going to remove it? we don’t have suitable means to remove it! It is too heavy !!!!

Third young man (he too comes out of the oxen to the light)

- We wrote to the King, to the Bishop, to the Major and the  bell didn’t  move at all! Whom are we going to ask now for any help?

Fourth young man (he will join the others in the light and in a decisive tone will declare the rebellion of the people)

- We have to do it by ourselves this time! The life is ours, the earth is ours! What do you think they care at the king, the Bishop and the Major? Let's rebel and raise the people and let’s go  together to destroy the Bell!

(to these words the imaginary assembly will react with cheers of consent)

EHIA! Hawk to the bell! All together ! Death to the Bell! Bell ringers to death! Everyone is master at home! Give  the poor the land!

 

End of Act One