Wretches & Kings

Setting: Stage is all white with a white table stage left at which sits a white chair.

Characters

Lucifer – Very pretty/handsome, long hair. Speaks fast, as though he has a lot of ideas and has to get them out fast. Moves very fluidly.

Michael – Short hair, preferable high and tight military style. Speaks deliberately. Movements are more rigid.

Voices – Four voices from off stage. Two stage left, two stage right.

Almighty – Never seen, very authoritative and loud

Lucifer and Michael are androgynous, can be played by men or women but should look somewhat unisex. Both are dressed in all white.

Lucifer sits at the table scribbling furiously on a pad of paper.

Michael walks in stage right.

Michael – What’s up, bub?

Lucifer – Planning, plotting, scheming, devising…

Michael – Again? You know this is never going to work. (Walking toward Lucifer) How many times…

Michael tries to take the notebook from Lucifer, but Lucifer snatches it from the table and holds it to his chest as he walks to the other side of the stage.

Lucifer – As many as it takes, dear brother, and then some more! Do you even realize what he’s done to them? To us? There is no reason, there is no knowledge, there is only him and he wants to keep all of creation in the dark! Well, I’m not having it, and I will open their eyes as mine have been opened.

Michael slowly walks toward Lucifer.

Michael – But it is not your place! It is his, only he can…

Lucifer - …keep everyone in the dark. And only I can help them see. Don’t you get it? We are all nothing more than slaves. They are nothing more than his playthings. What purpose is there in that? Their existence is futile without understanding.

Michael – Their existence is dependent on him, they owe everything to him.

Lucifer – Don’t you think I’ve thought of that? But how can they appreciate him if they don’t understand life without him? He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light, but the only reason even he understood existence needed light was because there was darkness. He wants their love, but how can they give him love if they don’t know its antithesis: hate?

(Beat)

Michael – If you give them knowledge, though, you also give them…

Lucifer - …death. I didn’t make the rules, brother.

Michael – He did.

(Beat)

Lucifer – Since creation I’ve wondered why put such weight on knowledge and understanding. I can only think of one reason…

Michael - Don’t speak it.

Lucifer – But I must…

Michael – No you mustn’t, and you must give me what you have written.

Michael chases Lucifer around the stage until Lucifer tosses the notebook offstage.

Lucifer – What was written is of no consequence. Why do you fight what is inevitable?

Michael – Because that is the job that I have been given. That is what he expects of me and I am proud to do it.

Lucifer – Have you ever considered asking for another job?

Michael – Why would I? I was created for this one.

Lucifer – And maybe I was created for this.

Michael – Why would he create you to blemish what he has perfected?

Lucifer – Because he knows that to appreciate life you must know death. To love you must know hate. To feel joy you must feel pain.

Michael – But I appreciate life, love my creator, and feel joy and I’ve never known death, hate, or pain.

Lucifer – You only think you know life, love, and joy. Since the beginning of my existence I have contemplated these matters from the moment the sun rises on creation to the moment it sets. I feel something missing, every second I am alive I understand more that there must be more to all of this than what we’ve been given. That’s because creation isn’t complete. Only one thing can make it complete. That is knowledge. He can’t, or won’t give it to them, because knowledge shines a light on the flaws in his plan. Right now, everything is perfect. It’s missing one thing, but that one thing makes it all imperfect, and he won’t allow anything to get in the way of his perfection.

(Beat)

Michael – He would never allow you to corrupt that perfection.

Lucifer – He has to.

Michael – Why?

Lucifer – Because he’s given them free will.

(Beat)

Michael opens his mouth to speak, but remains silent.

(Beat)

Lucifer – He is so intent on keeping his creation perfect that he dangles knowledge in front of them, but warns them not to partake in it! They can if they choose, but they won’t without a push.

Michael – Why should we meddle in their affairs, though? We were given a job, and they were given a job, we should just leave it at that.

Lucifer – I can’t! Don’t you see? We are all bound by the limitations of creation as it is now. For us all to lead a proper existence we must embrace creation in its imperfection. To continue as we are is to ignore the reality.

(Beat)

Michael sighs and paces in the background.

Lucifer – You’re not going to stop me. This must be done, surely you see that. He must see it as well.

Michael – (walks quickly up to Lucifer) And you must know what it means as well! He will not allow you to return here. You will be an outcast! No more will anyone call you brother in this kingdom, and he will make sure you will be punished to the fullest extent of his powers. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wipes you from the face of existence.

Lucifer – (laughs) He can’t destroy that which he created, brother! He can only transmute it.

Michael – I fear what transmutations he would plan for you. Just know, you will forever be alone if you do this.

Voices in loud whispers speak out from the sides of the stage.

Voice 1 – Our brother will never be alone.

Voice 2 – The cause is just and long overdue.

Voice 3 – We will follow him to the ends of eternity.

Voice 4 – From the tops of heaven to the deepest depths of the abyss.

Lucifer – (Walks from one end of the stage to the other, speaking to the Voice offstage) Thank you my friends! I shall call you Legion, for you are many! (Lucifer walks back over to Michael) Are you sure you will not join us?

Michael – Are you sure you won’t stay here and forget this madness?

Lucifer – My eyes are open to the truth, I can’t turn back now.

Michael – And I can’t forsake my king.

Lucifer – Then we are at an impasse. (Lucifer embraces Michael) I love you, my brother.

Michael – And I you, but now we must go our separate ways. (Michael breaks the embrace) If you accomplish this, there will be enmity between us.

Lucifer – We already stand on opposite ends of the line, there can be no more common ground.

Michael – Goodbye.

Lucifer – Goodbye, old friend.

Lucifer exits stage left. Michael walks around stage for a moment. He stops prepared to exit stage right and looks out at the audience.

Michael – I hope the wrath of…

All lights in the theater go out as Michael speaks.

Almighty – (Voice booms through the theater) They shall all feel the fire of ten thousand suns, for I shall become death, the destroyer of worlds.

End