Iccarus Von Smed, a child's fable

The Crone's Lament was the first performance by Dame Cirri Strut's Magical Mayhem Troupe in Velathae for the Ebon Gate 2008 festival.

Performers - Knight, Crone, Troll, Narrator

Blanketing the right hand side of the stage in pale light is an enormous silver orb, which is centered over a bed covered in quilts. Perched upon the pillows near the headboard of the piece of furniture is the Knight Marionette, his conical helm covered with a sleeping cap and his body swaddled in a dressing gown.

The quiet scene is still for only a few moments when the marionette’s strings rise from around its body and disappear into the rafters above the stage. As the strings grow taut, the marionette’s head lifts and he turns his gaze to the audience.
Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“There’s a strange monster living under my bed.

He goes by the name of Icarrus Von Smed.

He has scraggly hair and a large googly head.

He eats crunchy crickets that are icky and dead.”
Crawling out from under the bed, the Troll Marionette rises to his feet as his strings disappear into the rafters. In comical fashion, the Troll Marionette parades around the bed, his scraggly hair flopping around his head in tandem to his body’s movements.

Crawling out from under the bed, the Troll Marionette rises to his feet as his strings disappear into the rafters. In comical fashion, the Troll Marionette parades around the bed, his scraggly hair flopping around his head in tandem to his body’s movements.

As the Troll Marionette moves about, the Knight Marionette follows his movements with a turn of his head.

Pausing briefly, the Troll Marionette snatches a miniature wooden cricket from the ground and raises it to his face. Loud crunching noises drift down from the rafters above the stage.

Turning back to the audience, the Knight Marionette tilts is head at an angle.
Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“Every night he sits upon my soft covers.

He tells me of the treasures he recovers-

And of the dark places that he discovers-

While around his head gnats fly, jump, and hover.”
With wild arm movements and animated gestures, the Troll Marionette plunks down at the foot of the bed and begins to bob his head up and down. The Knight Marionette watches him, his hands folded in front of him as he moves to his knees.

With wild arm movements and animated gestures, the Troll Marionette plunks down at the foot of the bed and begins to bob his head up and down. The Knight Marionette watches him, his hands folded in front of him as he moves to his knees.

Above the Troll Marionette’s head the image of googly-headed troll appears. The illusion bounces out from the stage and travels over the heads of the crowd, its antics wild as it appears to be searching for something. It makes a slow circle of the crowd when a sudden look of eureka travels across its comical face, and it heads back towards the stage. It dips into a painting of a cave set into the base of the stage and returns with an arm load of coins and jewels. Moments later, the illusion dissipates into violet mist.
Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“My mother hears my giggles from her big bed.

She scolds and says it’s all in my tiny head.

“There’s no such thing as this Icarus Von Smed.”

And tells of the things that I’m hearing instead.”
As the light dims over the bed, a bright golden orb on the opposite side of the room begins to glow to reveal the scene of a table set with wooden spoons and bowls. At the head of the table is the Crone Marionette, her posture one of scolding as she begins to wag her finger in the direction of the bed.

As the light dims over the bed, a bright golden orb on the opposite side of the room begins to glow to reveal the scene of a table set with wooden spoons and bowls. At the head of the table is the Crone Marionette, her posture one of scolding as she begins to wag her finger in the direction of the bed.

Slinking, his head down cast and his posture beaten, the Knight Marionette slowly moves from the bed and towards the table. He sits in a chair and picks up a spoon.
Rising from around the table is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the table is a disembodied voice that recites:

““Now see here,” she says, “You listen to me.

There’s nothing under your bed for me to see.

Just maybe a sock and a ball, or two or three.

And that crunching is only the big willow tree.”
The Crone Marionette pulls out each of the items mentioned and moves to a painted window behind the table to point at the tree beyond its glassy panes.

The Crone Marionette pulls out each of the items mentioned and moves to a painted window behind the table to point at the tree beyond its glassy panes.

Rising from around the table is a disembodied voice that recites:

“Her lips were turned down, she frowned instead of smiled.

“When the lights are out it’s time for sleep, my child.”

She said with a tone that was not at all mild.

“No more of these tales that are fanciful and wild.”
Stalking next to the table, the Crone Marionette wags a finger at the Knight Marionette who sulks as he eats from his bowl.

Stalking next to the table, the Crone Marionette wags a finger at the Knight Marionette who sulks as he eats from his bowl.

The golden orb over the table begins to fade as the Knight Marionette makes his way back to the bed and the rising glow of the silver orb.

The Knight Marionette crawls into his bed, where the Troll Marionette is still perched at the footboard.
Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“That night Mr. Von Smed had another tale-

That he told to me while eating his toe-nail.

About a hermit living in a quiet dale-

Who liked to wear a night shirt of silver chainmail.”
As the Troll Marionette becomes animated an illusion unfurls above his head of a gnarled old man dancing in a small cottage room. His body is covered in a long night shirt that dangles to his feet. The illusion dissipates into a mist of violet smoke the rains down on the bed, where the Troll Marionette has his foot held close to his painted mouth.

As the Troll Marionette becomes animated an illusion unfurls above his head of a gnarled old man dancing in a small cottage room. His body is covered in a long night shirt that dangles to his feet. The illusion dissipates into a mist of violet smoke the rains down on the bed, where the Troll Marionette has his foot held close to his painted mouth.

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“Now Mr, Von Smed,” I said bravely unto him.

“My mother says you are some fanciful whim-

No more laughing for me, my beds not a gym.

Please leave me alone to say my night time hymn.”
The Knight Marionette rises to his knees and begins to wag his finger in a scolding manner at the Troll Marionette, his posturing looking comically identical to the Crone Marionettes of mere moments before.

The Knight Marionette rises to his knees and begins to wag his finger in a scolding manner at the Troll Marionette, his posturing looking comically identical to the Crone Marionettes of mere moments before.

When he is finished wagging his finger, the Knight Marionette slips from the bed and kneels upon the floor, his hands folded on his coverlet and his head bowed in reverence.
Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from around the bed is a disembodied voice that recites:

“Mr. Von Smed just sat there and laughed -

He claims that my mother is quite wrong and daft.

Then told me a tale of a spotted giraffe -

Who was only as tall as a hand and a half.”
Rolling around upon the bed, the Troll Marionette’s head flops back in a pantomime of gay laughter and he begins to shakes his head in denial at the Knight Marionette’s scolding. He throws his hands into the air and an illusion begins to form of a spotted giraffe.

Rolling around upon the bed, the Troll Marionette’s head flops back in a pantomime of gay laughter and he begins to shakes his head in denial at the Knight Marionette’s scolding. He throws his hands into the air and an illusion begins to form of a spotted giraffe.

Scampering away from the stage, the colorful giraffe moves over the crowd where it sudden dissipates into a violet mist that showers down upon those beneath it.
Rising from above the stage is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from above the stage is a disembodied voice that recites:

“When I woke I heard Mom’s very angry song-

And her lecture, this time, was really quite long.

I do not like to think that my mother is wrong-

So I’ve come up with a plan that is a bit strong.””
The silver orb over the bed begins to dim just as the golden one begins to brighten on the other side of the stage, which is set with another bed decorated in pink. The Crone Marionette stands at her bed, her finger wagging in the air and her posture once again scolding.

The silver orb over the bed begins to dim just as the golden one begins to brighten on the other side of the stage, which is set with another bed decorated in pink. The Crone Marionette stands at her bed, her finger wagging in the air and her posture once again scolding.

Moving in a dejected stance, the Knight Marionette slinks to the opposite side of the stage to stand before the Crone Marionette.

The Crone Marionette slowly moves backwards and disappears into the dark of the stage and the Knight Marionette turns to fully face the audience.
Rising from above the stage is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from above the stage is a disembodied voice that recites:

“I painted a circle most boldly in red-

Around a cricket that is certainly dead.

It is for the monster Icarrus von Smed-

And placed it all under my mother’s big bed.”
Kneeling, the Knight Marionette pulls a bucket of red paint out from behind the bed and a paint brush from his pocket. He slinks under the bed and wiggles around under there for several moments before climbing back out. With exaggerated slowness, the marionette dusts his hands and then pulls out a wooden cricket from his other pocket. He tosses the cricket under the bed and slowly stands.

Kneeling, the Knight Marionette pulls a bucket of red paint out from behind the bed and a paint brush from his pocket. He slinks under the bed and wiggles around under there for several moments before climbing back out. With exaggerated slowness, the marionette dusts his hands and then pulls out a wooden cricket from his other pocket. He tosses the cricket under the bed and slowly stands.

The Knight Marionette moves back to his bed under the glow of the silvery orb and scrunches under his blankets.

Moving quietly, the Crone Marionette slips into her bed and the golden orb hanging above her dims to a very pale light.
Rising from above the Knight Marionette is a disembodied voice that recites:

Rising from above the Knight Marionette is a disembodied voice that recites:

“Tonight I will sleep no laughter at all from me.

And listen to see if the crunch is just a tree.

But I might giggle a little bit you will see-

When Icarus Von Smed goes to see Mommy.”
Slinking from the foot of the Knight Marionette’s bed, the Troll Marionette moves to the opposite side of the stage, which is shrouded in shadows.

Slinking from the foot of the Knight Marionette’s bed, the Troll Marionette moves to the opposite side of the stage, which is shrouded in shadows.

All of the lights dim on the stage, but a startled cry rises from the half that the Troll Marionette just moved to.