90: Not to walk outside the city boundary on Shabbat

The Book of Seasons
Laws of the Sabbath
Not to walk outside the city boundary on Shabbat (Ex. 16:29)

in the palace

the QUEEN meets with her SURVEYOR

they study a map

QUEEN
i don’t understand

SURVEYOR
see here 12 kilometers gone-

QUEEN
not all that much considering-

SURVEYOR
and on the north side where the forest is and the cliffs drop off-

QUEEN
my sister would dare me to walk to the edge-

SURVEYOR
used to be 29.2 kilometers from-

QUEEN
all right

SURVEYOR
now only 26

QUEEN
you mismeasured?

SURVEYOR
never once

QUEEN
the cliffs haven’t moved

SURVEYOR
the city is shrinking i don’t understand it but yes it is

QUEEN
talk sense

SURVEYOR
the borders are contracting

QUEEN
that’s not sense

SURVEYOR
i know

QUEEN
i’d always go right to the edge right until my sister began to cry

in the palace

SURVEYOR
the synagogue stuck right next to the marketplace

QUEEN
as it’s always been

SURVEYOR
whole neighborhoods between them gone-

QUEEN
you study Torah then buy your strawberries-

SURVEYOR
they were on opposite sides of-

QUEEN
it’s a small city it’s not much but it’s ours

SURVEYOR
it was more once

QUEEN
rude

SURVEYOR
by “once” i mean last week

QUEEN
it was the same last week

SURVEYOR
you really don’t see what’s happening?

QUEEN
it’s always the same

in the palace

the SURVEYOR holds a crying baby

QUEEN
it’s not that i hate children-

SURVEYOR
your majesty-

QUEEN
but they are irritating

SUVEYOR
i came home and my home was gone
i came home and the cliffs were in my backyard
and the cliffs brought the forest with them
so instead of my house it was the forest
and instead of my backyard the cliffs
the mist hung low
my child was sitting there wailing

QUEEN
but he’s alright?

SURVEYOR
yes he-

QUEEN
so he’s just going to keep going like that for no reason?

SURVEYOR
i’m frightened by what’s happening

QUEEN
and what do you mean your home?
your home is here

SURVEYOR
here?

QUEEN
in the palace

SURVEYOR
no i-

QUEEN
everyone in the city lives here
there are no other buildings
where would they go?

people begin filing into the palace from all entrances

in the palace

hundreds upon hundreds of people are squeezed in

the entire city population is onstage

the QUEEN and the SURVEYOR at a higher point in the roo

the SURVEYOR still holds her baby

SURVEYOR
you can’t think this is normal

QUEEN
what’s wrong with it?

SURVEYOR
a city can’t only be a palace

QUEEN
what else should a city be?

a rumbling

the earth quakes

the palace floor collapse

leaving behind massive cliffs that drop into a gorge

everybody falls through the collapsing floor

but they don’t make any sounds

no cries of pain or shouts of fear

they simply fall through

as the dust clears

we see the QUEEN and the SURVEYOR with her baby

they are the only ones left

they are on the only spot of the palace floor that did not collapse

the QUEEN doesn’t seem to register anything happened

SURVEYOR
oh my oh my oh my oh my

QUEEN
oh what’s wrong with you now?

the stage is now just a set of cliffs dropping into an abyss

except for one small square of the palace floor suspended in the center

sitting on the floor are the QUEEN and the SURVEYOR with her child

QUEEN
what would you like to do today?

SURVEYOR
…

QUEEN
cards or…?

SURVEYOR
…

QUEEN
we used to be friends

SURVEYOR
the whole world
the whole world
…
what’s left?

the sun begins to set

QUEEN
it’s almost Shabbat

SURVEYOR
my god it’s only been a week

QUEEN
we’ll need to stay put
can’t venture out on-

SURVEYOR
right
of course
of course
it’s Shabbat

QUEEN
time to stay put
stay put and rest

the sun sets

END OF PLAY