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Night Sky with Stars

Cadence & The Desperate

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CADENCE & THE DESPERATE

Chapter I

Narrator:
A speck of dust floated in endless space,

kinetic pulse and they were set in motion

 - BOOM! - quickly set aflame! 

Cadence came to be.

The movement was fast, 

vibrant - light flared far and 

fearlessly.

Little dusty gathered mass and went further. 

effortlessly!

Never scared, only avid for new things

Could hear the music that human feelings made while wishing.

On the sight of their trail parting the sky, alight and excitement brimming…

“What is human?”, in their mind, the only question still puzzling.

Following up on 

Cassiopeia’s recommendation to watch a sunset, Cadence went to the edge of the water.

“That the sun, when 

rising and falling from the globe’s horizon, would paint the sky in a 

spectacle of colour”.

As the young one sunk on the sand to watch, they heard heavy breathing and sighing, the kind that 

precedes tears, and when looking to the side there was a human who looked tired and seemed upset not too far away…

-You are a star, aren’t you? 

-Yes! How do you know?

-You’re wearing light as humans wears clothes and it gets warmer the closer you get.

-Oh, thanks.  

[if stars could blush, 

Cadence would’ve.]

-For what?

-I don’t know… that’s a 

better description than what I usually get.

-Ok… you’re welcome 

[the human had a sad smile.]

-Are you ok?

-I’m… I’m alri.. [the human couldn’t finish saying it without getting choked up.]

-oh, hey, it’s ok, you’re 

alright. Us stars consider 

it a great gift when a 

human cries in front of us… Do you want to talk about it?

[…and through a mix of laughter and crying, 

Cadence met The Desperate.]

-my life has been such a rush

that I neglected caring for things and those

under the reach of my touch

I’ve slipped through so much

I find myself dissatisfied and

I can’t quite say what it is that I actually want

I just know that I need time

to slow down, contemplate and try to get out of this rut.

and surviving isn’t just hard,

it’s just not enough.

the only skill that is valid, really,

is trying to earn.

because no  one would give a damn to show me that I belong in this city

if I can’t pay for water, heat or electricity, honestly… in this economy?

Have I mentioned RENT? I’ll try to keep this clean

so I’ll refrain from making any more 

comments.

and I don’t get how no one is even talking about how to get off of this.

yes, how does one learn about… happy? [Cadence asked.]

yea… not satisfied, not content.

I’m talking harmony, not necessarily consonance.

whenever someone’s conquest limits another one’s reach…

doesn’t take a lot, we know that sucks,

it’s a HALF-VICTORY.

you know something’s wrong here…

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CADENCE & THE DESPERATE

Chapter II

 

you know something’s wrong here…

because I have a full time job and two side gigs,

I can’t pay rent, don’t have time

barely earn what is mine to keep.

and I wanted to make art…

and I like it slow…

but it shouldn’t be this hard,

I know..

we all gotta eat…

I like watching the mid-flight of 

falling leaves

or the maroon wave on the wind by branches on budding trees at spring’s eve.

or when people smile and soften their eyes, man…

That’s like liquid gold to me!

the light through the leaves

rushing of water and birdsong, laughter

It’s like a dance 

for those who are free, that shit brings me to my knees…

-…what is free? [the star asked, 

innocently.]

-no, but really… I like to think it is having time to just… be.

we betray ourselves by besting each other to a goal for some… 

capitalist belief…

Nina Simone said it once that freedom is the absence of fear

 

and I look into the mirror repeating back at me

brave are those who act in the presence of their fears

or at least I like to think that is.

It brings me solace… or at least a little bit.

 

THE WAIT

The night was a 

tapestry of light 

in the sky

and I… bright eyed and eager to fly

I don’t want to wait for my life to be over

I don’t want to wait for my life to begin

after this shift, do I get to be human?

after this shift, do I get to be free?

or maybe just catch some sleep…

cut through the night and please tell me no lies

I’m losing my faith as they choose to be blind

and I… have voice will sing, have wings must fly

and I… tonight, I sleep… I sleep.

I don’t want to wait for my life to be over

I don’t want to wait for my life to begin

after this shift, will I finally be sober?

after this shift, do I get to 

believe?

or, maybe, just get some sleep… sleep… sleep.

 

[Impressed and puzzled, Cadence asked:] 

-Who are you?


 

CADENCE & THE DESPERATE

Chapter III

 

I am one of them… 

we aren’t afraid,

we are exhausted… terrified if we’re not getting paid,

ALL of the time, and we can’t keep up to date, it’s a waste.

Trying to keep track of what it is humane, for life’s sake, but, damn! 

I can’t, I’ve run out of juice and we’re emotionally drained.

The Desperate: that’s me.

I keep wrecking my brain with it.

I’m stuck in a loop and it’s vicious!

we all look but none of us can SEE,

everyone hears it but who really is willing to listen in…

it’s like we’re drunk on a routine,

comfortably sunk into numbing screens. no society will have needs so long as we keep pretending we’re not 

machines.

I FEEL FEAR…

you know, words do nothing to me 

because I can see it clear, don’t just tell me, SHOW ME,

then I will lend you my ear…

words will forever fall short but that’s ok

because I can feel you near… and sometimes

that’s all anyone 

really needs, just… just be here.

 

Cadence: I embraced them and I feel like that was a moment that I had to live for and will forever be.

eventually, I had to go and if I didn’t, my light would soon enough have started to dim… but I think I made a friend and they seemed happy by the time I had to leave.

huh, isn’t that weird? It’s like I’m still there, even though they’re asleep…

and living their life without having seen me for what already feels like years…

Time runs weird for stars, 

I can see echoes of the past if I start going too fast.

while humans have such a short life

and they seem to feel things in a way so harsh.

I couldn’t do anything to soothe the Desperate.

If I could, I’m afraid I’d have done anything to remove their pain,

but even that feeling is theirs and with each it tends to 

remain.

They live in a 

conundrum.

Life’s so short but half of their waking time is spent not living.

It almost seems like they enjoy it,

I can’t say that this “work” thing is to my liking.

There are only a few things I’m good at:I stride through the air and I can run really fast.

When I reach where the atmosphere and the vacuum divide,

That’s when I’m my quickest and when I burn most bright.

If I could cast my light and make their lot shine…

Well, that wouldn’t be a waste of time…so long as I tried?

Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the story "Cadence & The Desperate" as a part of The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Co, LuLo, and Coreto's project "Cadence" at Nocturne Halifax 2023.

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Cadence has been dreamed up, written and recorded in K’jipuktuk, Mi’kma’ki.
Mi’kma’ki is and has always been unceded. It is the ancestral home of the Mi’kmaq.

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Created by Lucas Hernandes Nascimento & Logan Robins.

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Cast List

Narrator: Raquel Wasson 
Cadence: Jessie Walker
The Desperate: Lucas Hernandes Nascimento

ABOUT UDTCo.

Originally founded in 2019, The Unnatural Disaster Theatre Co. has become one of Nova Scotia’s freshest and most groundbreaking indie theatre makers. With a deeply rooted focus on the environment and social justice (both on and off stage)- this eclectic collective of artists strives to produce meaningful work that can entertain, educate, and make an impact within their community.

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