LOVE CONTEST
(performed by Katerina Alexandrou, Despina Mena,
Sofia Haralampopoulou, Matina Papadopoulou)
Greek Play inspired by ideas given by the students, writtenand directedby Paschalia Michalopoulou, who also designed the costumes. Translation from Greek to English by Anna Kaskali.
Sun:Hey you, main lands and seas
vineyards and golden olive trees,
listen to my notices
in my noontimes.
“Even if I wander around all lands
only this do I love”
From the middle of a cliff
to the middle of another sea
red, yellow crops
waters green and bottomless.
“Even if I wander around all lands
only this do I love”
(“The Sovereign Sun” by Odysseus Elytis, Greek Nobel Literature prize awarded poet)
Sea:Me, me who loves me?
Which of those has been enjoying my beauties?
Which of those is relishing my bosom?
Who’s hurting me? Who’s loving me?
Plastic bottle:It is I, I, don’t you see how I have been enjoying swimming upon your back? It is I who loves you! And I promise you I’ll be close to you for more than two hundred years! We will travel everywhere together, from the west till the east! I’ll never leave you unless I become immaterial…
Aluminum can:What? Do you think I don’t love you? What’s the reason then for being here with you? I love you so that I want to rust close to you! I wanna stay inside you forever! I wanna…
Cigarette butt:Look at me how I was put out for your sake! Who me? Me that I could burn a whole forest with just a sheer blow of the air! Now, it is I that I let myself be drifted by your waves and currents, just to be with you…
Urban waste:You are too insignificant to claim for her love. It is only I who loves you sweetheart. I, for your sake, without ever getting tired, day and night, I go from house to house, door to door and beg everybody, young and old, to give me everything they have to spare, anything they don’t need, organic and inorganic. I bring them all to you, sweetheart. Never loosing anything, never altering anything, I lay everything on your feet, my princess! Because I love you!
Industrial waste: You must be all joking! You seem to be forgetting how rich I am! You seem to be forgetting that I’m in charge of the global economy! Has it slipped your mind how many people depend on me? What have you done to deserve her love? What have you sacrificed for her? Although, my girl, I have the money to do whatever I want, to go wherever I want, I still come here to you, my girl, flooding inside you with power and rage…
Oil spill:Ha, ha, ha! You are ludicrous! Worthless! What is your power? Can you change her colour entirely? Can you get rid of everything that has been eating her inside? Hurting her body? Only I, my heart, only I truly love you! Only I can embrace you all with a single movement! Only I lift everything that is burdening you, once and for all! Only I can hold you so tight that…
Sea:Enough! Enough! Stop! I don’t want your love! It pollutes me! It hurts me! It suffocates me! It drowns me! It’s killing me! Save me! Save me! I’m dying…
Plastic bottle:I don’t want to lose you! What should I do?
Aluminum can:I don’t know what I should do for you! Tell me…
Cigarette butt:I’d do anything for you! If only I knew what…
Urban waste:I need you, don’t go! Help me, please!
Industrial waste:I cannot live without you! Tell me, what should I do?
Oil spill:I’m sorry, I’m sorry, how could I have done this to you ? How can I fix it?
All together:Help us! Please!
Sun:Even I wander around the world
the same need do I encounter.
I try to find humans
for this daughter that I love.
Please help me
to see this daughter smile
play and sing.
(“The Sovereign Sun” by Odysseus Elytis, Greek Nobel Literature prize awarded poet)